Four Weeks Later

Dakota was sat on the edge of the hospital bed swinging her legs back forth. She was waiting for the all clear from Dr Layton, or Dr Connor as she liked to call him.

Dr Connor walked into the room which had been Dakota's home the past five weeks even though she couldn't remember any of it.

"I have given you the all clear; however this does not mean leaping into a huge mission where you will spend more than two weeks away as you need checkups." Dr Connor said.

"Seems legit." Dakota said. "You know the bleed in my brain?"

"Yes?"

"Would that of effected me? Like not able to hold numbers in my short term memory?"

Dr Connor sighed. "Probably, but remember the brain is a mysterious part of your body which scientists are still trying to understand. The bleed you had could've affected any part of your brain."

"Oh." Dakota murmured frowning slightly.

"Well there is a taxi waiting for you outside." Dr Connor said.

"Thanks." Dakota walked out of the room and down the narrow hallway. She got cold stares from some of the nurses but not sure why, she shrugged it off and got inside the waiting taxi.

CHERUB campus was quiet and the sky was dark. Dakota walked slowly along the dimly lit path. The walk to her room was short as she was too tired to take the stairs and instead took the elevator, swallowing her fear and relaxing.

Because of her brain surgery the short walk left her tired and when she reached her room she only had the energy to push the door closed before collapsing on her bed.

Dakota woke to the late morning sun pouring through her blinds. She screwed up her face and rolled over, she reached for her alarm clock and turned it to face her. It was 2.30pm.

Dakota sighed and sat up rubbing the sleep from her eyes and running a hand through her tangled hair. Her room slowly came into focus and she was bombarded with bright colours.

Flowers, cards, and balloons adorned the usual plain white walls. Dakota slipped out of bed and picked up the nearest card which was sat on her desk. On the front in bright pinks it said 'Get well soon!' and on the inside it said.

Dakota

Hope you get well soon!

James

Dakota Sighed and chucked the card on her desk, it was a waste of paper. Unless you were going to write some long meaningful message there was otherwise no point in buying a card if you just wrote who it was for and who it was from.

A large envelope sat beneath a pot of cacti and Dakota moved the prickly plants onto her window sill before returning to the envelope. Sliding her thumb beneath the lip of the envelope she tore it open and pulled out a card.

To Dakota

You don't know how sorry I am for what happened. I mean it's still wrong that you cheated on me with my boyfriend, but I guess it was just a kiss. I overreacted and look at the mess you ended in. I knew my relationship with James wouldn't last, we've always been on and off and I guess I was too afraid to admit it. I hope you still like cacti, I remember when we were red shirts you always had at least ten cacti lining the window sill and I could never understand why. Please forgive me.

From Kerry.

Dakota placed the card back in its envelope and back onto the wooden desk. After going through a pile cards from various friends Dakota was sick of looking at cardboard and she was sure that if she came across another card she would kill herself. However she was disappointed at the fact that she didn't have a card from Sam.

Feeling slightly deflated Dakota stepped into the shower and turned the water on full stream. She lost track of the time and wasn't sure how long she'd been stood under the warm water, but it soon turned icy cold and she quickly turned off the cold jet of water and leapt out of the shower scrambling for the nearest towel.

Sam paused outside Dakota's room, unsure whether to go in or not. He hadn't given her a get well soon card or been there to visit her in hospital. He was back from a mission in Australia, it had been a success. But it meant he didn't hear about Dakota until he landed in Birmingham airport, stiff from the 8 hour connection flight from Dubai. He swallowed his fear and pushed the door open. Dakota was sat on the edge of her bed towel drying her long black hair.

"Hey." Sam said walking over and sitting down next to her.

Dakota's blue eyes followed his movements and settled once he was sat next to her. "Hi."

"Sorry I didn't send you a get well soon card or anything." Sam mumbled.

Dakota watched Sam closely, his skin was a different colour it had gone a deep caramel and there was a dusting of freckles across his nose, freckles she was sure she would have noticed before. "It's okay freckles."

Sam looked confused. "What?" and then her statement dawned on him. "Oh yeah," he chuckled. "Just got back from my mission in Australia."

"How was it?" Dakota asked.

"Pretty good, well as far as I'm concerned. It was about some family and stuff. Can't reveal too many important facts!" Sam said.

Dakota rolled her eyes and smiled. "Piss off! You know how badly I want to go on a mission!"

"Well stop knocking yourself out!" Sam punched Dakota playfully in the arm. She retaliated by leaping on Sam, sending him crashing to the floor.

"Get off me!" Sam grumbled from beneath Dakota.

Dakota was sat on his back; his arms were twisted painfully behind his back. "Only if you're nice to me." Dakota whispered in his ear.

Sam sighed into the carpet. "Fine I will be nice as long as you let me read that letter."

Dakota stared at the back of Sam's head puzzled. "What letter?"

Sam lifted his head from the ground long enough to speak. "That one under your bed."

Dakota leapt off Sam's back and made a dive under her bead. Sam watched her scramble beneath the bed for a bit before she shuffled backwards clutching the envelope.

Dakota sat next to Sam holding the envelope in her hands. It looked old, the ink on the front was faded and the paper slightly crumpled. "Should I open it?" she whispered afraid that if she spoke too loud this moment in time would shatter.

Sam shrugged. "It's got your name on it."

Dakota shoved the envelope into Sam's hands. "You open it."

Sam sighed and peeled open the envelope; inside was a folded wad of paper and a pile of photographs. He opened up the letter and cleared his throat. "Uh, To Rachel Dakota Costello. My beautiful child, if you're reading this then it means we must be dead. They have probably reached us, but I am sure you will be fine." Sam paused glancing uncertainly at Dakota. She stared at him. "I think you should read it."

Dakota took the letter out of his hand and folded it closed, she had tears in her eyes and she was blinking hard. "Maybe another time." she said putting the letter back in the envelope before standing up.

Sam watched her walk over to her pillow and place the letter underneath. "Are you okay?"

Dakota shrugged and gave him a stare which said leave it. "Just a bit shaken."

Sam nodded staring at the floor. "So I guess Dakota is really you middle name."

Dakota chuckled. "Yeah, I always hated my first name. It was so common."

"I was called Sam Roberts but I didn't like the name. So I changed it to Richards." Sam said. "Still close enough to still be myself."

Dakota walked across her room to her door. "You want to join me to the Mission Control room?"

Sam stood up and walked over to Dakota. "And why must we do that?"

"I want my practice mission back."

Dakota and Sam made their way towards the Mission Control building; everyone was in lessons on this sunny afternoon so not many people stopped them and asked where they were going.

Dakota knocked on a heavy oak door. "John Jones?" she asked the balding man before her.

John raised his eyebrows. "Dakota Costello?"

"That's me." Dakota said.

"So what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked leaning against the door frame.

Dakota sighed. "I was wondering if I could continue with my practice mission, I had almost finished collecting all the data I needed."

John scratched his chin thoughtfully his grey eyes watching the young agent carefully. "And you say breaking into CHERUB's data base and letting lose a virus 'work'"

Dakota shrugged sheepishly. "So does that mean I can have it back?"

John nodded. "Fine you can carry on, but no more viruses you have no idea how much work got lost."

Dakota grinned at the older man. "Thank you!" she turned around and grabbed Sam by his sleeve and led him to the elevator.

In all the excitement Dakota started talking fast, and anyone not used to the New Zealand accent wouldn't of had clue to what she was saying.

"Right so you need to use a computer and I sit there?" Sam asked for the fourth time.

Dakota sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yes, Sam. I just said that!"

"Right."

Dakota turned to her computer. "Now I need complete and utter silence."

Sam nodded and sat back on Dakota's bed watching her tap away at the keys and hunch towards the screen.

Within an hour Sam began dozing off and was awoken by someone gripping his shoulders tightly and shaking. "What?" he grumbled opening his eyes to see Dakota peering down at him.

Her face broke into a huge grin. "It's ready." she let go of Sam and went back to the computer.

Sam slowly got off the bed and walked over to where Dakota was sat eagerly in front of the screen. "What is it meant to be? All I see is code?"

"Wait an watch." Dakota said tapping a few keys.

The screen went blank and Sam leant forward so he was almost bent over Dakota's head squinting at the screen. "I don't get it."

"Sshhhh!" Dakota hissed.

Then suddenly the screen filled with a shot of a living room, an older woman was sat on a leather couch knitting what looked like a jumper.

"You're a paedophile?" Sam asked.

"No." Dakota said tilting her head back to look Sam in the face. "This is Claudia Paridge."

Sam glanced down at Dakota, there faces were inches apart. "Is that meant to mean something?"

"The lady from my practice mission."

"So how did you know how to get this?" Sam asked waving at the screen.

Dakota grinned and straightened up and spun her chair around. "Well I thought that seen as they were keeping tabs on my mission, that means they were obviously gonna be filming me while I'm on the mission. So I sent a virus into the system which means I can now access these cameras and they won't be able to do anything about it any time soon."

Sam chuckled. "And there I was wondering how you became the youngest ever black shirt."

Dakota stood up and walked over to her door. "Shall we go get some dinner?"

Sam glanced at the screen. "Don't you need to watch this and take notes?"

Dakota shook her head. "I've seen all I need."

Sam walked over to her. "And your photographic memory amazes me."

"Don't overdo the compliments Sam." she said walking off down the hall.

Sam closed the door and walked slowly behind her, watching the way her hips moved when she walked. They took the stairs and made it to the canteen within a matter of minutes. The queue snaked back towards the door.

Sam glanced ahead at the food being served. "What is that?" he said wrinkling his nose in disgust a lumpy mixture.

Dakota followed his gaze and leant back slightly so he could hear over the loud chatter of the cafeteria. "I think its soup, but it looks more like puke."

"I agree with you there."

They shuffled along the behind the other agents filling their plates with food. "I love Fridays." Sam sighed sitting down at their usual table.

"Cos of the fish and chips?" Dakota asked.

Sam nodded and took a huge bit of the battered cod. "You know." he said as he chewed. "I think I'm rubbing off on you."

"Why?" Dakota asked raising an eyebrow.

"You just said fush and chups. You're definitely turning back to a full fledge kiwi."

"Good." Dakota grinned squeezing a blob of tomato sauce on her plate.

"Someone's heading our way." Sam said looking past Dakota and at Kerry who was walking over, looking determined and holding her own tray of fish and chips.

Dakota glanced over at Kerry. "This is going to be fun." she said sarcastically.

Sam nodded. "Definitely."

Kerry placed her tray on the table and sat down next to Dakota, tucking strands of hair behind her ears she tucked into her meal. Sam and Dakota stopped eating and watched Kerry in silence.

Dakota cleared her throat. "What are you doing?"

Kerry swallowed her food and looked into Dakota's blue eyes. "What does it look like? I'm eating."

"Aren't your friends over there?" Dakota said jabbing her thumb in the direction of the table which was surrounded by the likes of Bruce and Kyle.

"No one of them is here." Kerry said.

Dakota nodded slowly. "Right." she muttered returning her attention back to her food.

Sam sat in silence and watched the body language of the two girls. Kerry was sat rather relaxed while Dakota was stiff, her eyes darting sideways. Dakota lifted her gaze and caught Sam staring.

"What do I do?" she mouthed.

Sam shrugged.

They ate in silence not one speaking another word to the other. Once they had finished eating Sam stood up and picked up his tray.

"Well I'll leave you guys to it." he said to a rather alarmed looking Dakota.

Dakota watched Sam leave the dining room; she didn't want to be left on her own with Kerry.

"I've forgiven you, about James and everything." Kerry said.

Dakota stood up and picked up her tray. "You're only saying that because I got stuck in a coma."

"No I'm not!" Kerry exclaimed standing up quickly, and jogging to keep up with Dakota's long strides.

"Well sure looks like it." Dakota muttered dumping her tray and heading out of the building.

"Can't you be nice? Like allow someone to try and be friends with you?" Kerry asked as they walked across campus towards the little church.

"I have a good enough friend." Dakota replied staring stonily ahead.

"Oh, right Sam." Kerry said sarcastically. "And he's definitely is a good friend."

Dakota stopped and turned to Kerry. "Why is it that all of you hate Sam so much? What did he ever do to you guys?"

Kerry carried on walking. "Follow me."

Dakota sighed and followed Kerry to the old chapel. Etched into the stone at the entrance to the chapel were five names.

Johan Urminski 1940-1954
Jason Lennox 1944-1954
Katherine Field 1951-1968
Thomas Webb 1967-1982
Dakota Costello 1996-2006

Dakota traced the letters of her name. "That's a bit morbid." she muttered.

"You were the first agent to die in years." Kerry said.

"But I didn't die."

"All the evidence we found pointed to your death, we even found a body which matched your description."

Dakota shook her head. "What about DNA? Teeth?"

"The body had all its teeth crushed and the body was beyond DNA testing."

Dakota felt as if she had been punched in the stomach, she couldn't breathe. "So why bring me here?" she gasped.

Kerry sighed and leant against the old stone. "The reason no one likes Sam is that he is blamed for your death."

Dakota glanced over at Kerry bewildered. "What?"

A/N:

Bit of a cliff hanger there ;)

Where have you guys gone! I am missing your lovely reviews! Well this story isn't really getting anywhere fast. But it will eventually.

Disclaimer: I own nothing *sigh*

Reviews are appreciated.

Chur x