Disclaimer: BBC, Kudos; they own it all.

Warnings: *Spoilers for S7 through to S9. Spoilers: 9x08; heading properly into plot spoiler territory now

A/N: Second life lessons are no easier.

"What the fuck, Maya?"

Stopped almost in a ditch, and they were both out their sides, her door ajar, John slamming his closed with a shuddering bang.

"What's wrong with you?" He snapped and she's reared to her full height, still inches shorter, but she'd rounded the front and was up in his face, forcing him to lean back to look down at her.

"I should ask you the same," she ground out, struggling for breath and words. "You abducted an MI-5 officer, you're going to kill an MI-5 officer - and for what? This so-called second chance at life?"

He turned pale at her words.

"How did you know?"

"They told me. MI-5. I-" She faltered, for a moment, but there was no going back now. "He told me, one of their officers. They had tracked us to the hotel - just before you came back, he came to the room."

The suspicion and surprise, she had anticipated, even the hurt, but the gust of anger that blew through him shook them both.

"So what did you tell him? You told him about me?" Lips curled in a fierce sneer, and the sting from his words was mixed with a (unfounded?) guilt that had her similarly furious at him, and at herself.

"I told him nothing. But he told me everything, John. About what you're trying to do, why you're doing them, why you're running. About Vaughn and your history with him. About Dakar."

John looked close to collapsing at the sound of the word, face crumpling for a moment before blank shock veiled over.

"That was a long time ago. Dakar was - " his words choked off.

"Dakar was the past. I know. But can you not see how it's repeating itself, John? Everything that happened is happening, again."

"You told me to," he murmured, voice thick with a clog of emotions. "You said to fight. To fight for this chance, this life."

"I know," she shook her head, stepping back. "And I'm sorry, but not at the expense of another's."

John shook his head, his anger returning. "You would give all this up - for someone you don't even know? Some... woman?"

"Ruth." (He'd said.) "Her name is Ruth."

She took another step back.

"You have to stop this, John. You can still save her - you don't have to take another life."

His face was steeled cold, but his eyes flared with a thousand considerations at her words, and yet, she would never know what John's decision was. Not when the roar of engines behind them heralding the two unmarked cars that came barreling around the bend.

Strong hands gripped her, pulling her back against a solid body, and they ducked behind their car.

"Bateman!" She heard that familiar voice call, as the vehicles halted and doors swung open and weapons clicked.

John's grip froze on her arm, and she watched as his face contorted in outright fury. He let her go with a shove to the ground, raising both hands to bring a handgun to bear as he stood up from behind their cover.

"You bastard."