A/N: Thanks to my wonderful beta for an awesome job.

I have no clue how she could've fallen asleep so fast. Adrenaline was still coursing through my veins, and Delphine's breathing had already evened out. It occurs to me that she's probably exhausted, most likely having spent the night in her car, watching my hotel where she could see when the Russians were making a move to invade my room.

I never thanked her. For the second time in less than 24 hours, Delphine had saved my skin, and I'd failed to show her any kind of appreciation either time. I suppose it would've bothered me more if I knew what her angle was, which side is she on. But so far the only thing I know for sure is that whoever is after the briefcase is not the same people she's working for. Even so, and regardless of her intentions, it seems that for now, our interests have aligned and I should take advantage of it. Clearly, Delphine is no stranger to this sort of situation, she knows how to handle herself and I'd be a fool not to use it.

I've been driving for two hours straight when the sun rises, but the morning is dark, with heavy, gray clouds hiding the sun, and I fear that in a while I'll have to face the snow. I've followed Delphine's advice, that we're safer avoiding highways, but of course it has its downside. The secondary roads have added two hours to our journey and if it starts to snow, it will be even longer - not that I'm in a particular hurry.

Thirty minutes later, and I'm making a pit stop for gas and the bathroom. A teenage boy stares at our car with a raised brow, and I access the damage for the first time. Apart from having no side mirror, the trunk of the car has three perfectly round holes, the flattened bullets inside it when I open the trunk. The boy stares at me with a scared look on his face, but he's smart enough not to ask any questions as he scrambles to fill the tank. As he does so, I take the bullets in the palm of my hand, for a moment no knowing what to do with them and eventually stuff them in my pocket.

He tells me something, his eyes moving between me and the damage to the car. I only shake my head, open the back door and reach inside my luggage. Money is the international language and the young man seems to speak it perfectly when I place a 200 euro bill in his hand and push it towards his chest. A huge smile appears under his poor excuse of a mustache and he nods his head.

"Is Daniel paying for the bribes as well?" Delphine's voice is soft, but I jump when she speaks as I pull back onto the road.

I look at her surprised, sure she'd been asleep the entire time. "Not that he knows of," I answer and she releases a small chuckle. "Where does he think you are?" I ask.

Delphine stretches lazily and curls one hand behind her neck, moving it stiffly from side to side, probably sore from sleeping in an uncomfortable position. "France," she answers. "I told him I was visiting family."

I hum. "I should call him later," I offer. From the corner of my eye, I see her shifting, adjusting the seat backwards to have a little more leg room. "Should I be worried that he hasn't said anything after what happened with the journalist? He knows I'm here, you'd think he'd make the connection."

She moves her head to the side to look at me and raises a brow. "You think he has something to do with it?"

I shrugs and keep my eyes on the road. It has started to snow. "I don't know what to think, really," I say. "But you've known him for much longer..."

She's thoughtful for a while and I feel her intense stare on me. "I don't think so," she finally says, shaking her head and looking at the road. "I doubt he has any idea what he's gotten himself into."

I frown, my eyes going to her briefly. "Which is..?" I prompt.

"He's not entirely innocent, far from it," Delphine says. "But he's trying to branch out and I don't think he's aware of what that means. The type of people he's messing with."

"Branch out from what?" I insist, taking advantage of the opportunity when Delphine seems to be open to answering some questions.

Delphine straightens her back and sits properly, her gaze is one me again and she breathes once, deeply. "What do you think is going on?" She asks. And I know she's going to decide what to tell me based on what I know.

"From what I gather... I think he's just trying to take over his father's company," I say. "I think he's making a move to replace his daddy and step up as head of the Webster's corporation." I stop to look at her, trying to read her reaction, but Delphine doesn't seem particularly surprised and she simply hums. "The thing is..." I continue, figuring I should give her something more. "What exactly is their business? If it's simply mergers and acquisitions, then they wouldn't need the type of security team they hired."

"Then what do you think it is?" She asks, a little more interested in what I have to say.

"Nothing legal," I answer flatly. "That's the only thing I know for sure. And if Daniel is considering dealing with the Russians or if the Russians have approached him - which seems to be the case in the person of Mariusz - then who the fuck knows what it is." I think aloud. "They have their hands on everything."

Delphine hums again and nods. "We can find the answer for that in Oskar's notes," she says with her stare going to the briefcase on the backseat.

"We?" I raise a brow and look at her. "I thought you knew what this was about."

She smirks and looks straight ahead. "I have my suspicions but no proof."

"Yeah... that seems to be everyone's problem," I say. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I don't think Oskar was any closer to finding out what they're up to either."

"Oskar was looking for any kind of connection," Delphine answers in a way that makes me believe that the journalist was no stranger to her. "His investigation was all over the place. He lacked focus, which is why he never got any answers - the more he dug the more questions he had."

"You knew him," I say with certainty.

Delphine nods. "I knew his research," she answers. "Never met him in person."

"Have you ever tried to contact him?" I ask, trying not to sound too insistent.

"Not personally," she repeats. "But I heard he's a slippery one... or was," she adds lowly.

I chuckle and nod. "Yeah... The only person I know who hates answering questions more than him is you," I comment. "You would've hated him."

"We've talked about that, Cosima," she sounds exasperated.

"Yeah, yeah... I know," I say, twisting my lips. "You don't want to lie, but you don't want to tell the truth either."

"I can't tell the truth!" She corrects me immediately. "This is bigger than us."

"So you keep saying..." I comment, obvious annoyance in my voice.

We remain quiet for some time, the distance between us weighing on our silence. I'm no closer to finding out who she's working for, but I've managed to exclude some parts. It seems, like myself, that she's a third party in all of this. Delphine's definitely following orders and she's not working alone. I'm reminded of what S found out - or better, what she didn't find - when she ran a background check on Delphine. She's a ghost. Just like me. I'm starting to entertain the idea that Delphine and I have a lot more in common than just our past.

"How long until we get there?" Her voice interrupts my thoughts.

"At least five more hours with this weather," I answer, gesturing out the windshield where the snow is falling lightly but steady. "You should get some more sleep."

"We should switch cars," she says, ignoring my recommendation and reaching for her phone. "There's a car dealer about 30km from here, to the West," she informs me, staring at her phone.

"And how are we going to do that?" I ask.

"Leave it to me!" Delphine says with assurance.

To be honest, I'm not sure she can make the transaction, but I follow her directions and head west, knowing a small detour will make little difference. We reach a small town with the dealership right off the main road, and I drive the beat up car inside its gates.

We step out of the car and a man in his late fifties, wearing a severely used blue suit starts to approach us.

"See if you can find us some coffee and something to eat while I take care of this," Delphine says, struggling to close her long coat in the harsh wind that makes the light snowflakes swirl around her.

"You sure you don't need me to stay?" I ask, my eyes on the rough looking man getting close to us.

"Don't worry, I got this!" And she already has an adorably innocent smile in place.

Freaking unbelievable!

I take a deep breath and shrug as I turn to leave. When I'm out of the gates, in pursuit of what she's asked for, I look back, seeing her shake his hand with a big smile and notice the man contemplating her top to bottom, clearly stunned by the beautiful woman's presence in the middle of nowhere.

The small village probably doesn't have more than 3000 habitants, but the main Street has an assortment of commerce, mostly coffee houses, a few bakeries, and a small grocery store. It has only just opened and the owner, a old woman, wrapped up in warm clothes, is still placing fresh produce in small boxes just outside the store, under a yellow awning. A few stores down I locate an electronics store, phones and tablets displayed on the window and I step inside. Still empty, the sleepy looking clerk glances at me while I pick a prepaid phone to replace the one left destroyed on some street in Warsaw. Maybe this small detour was not such a bad idea.

I return to the dealership with my hands full. The plastic bag with the phone dangling on one arm while the hand carries two steaming cups of black coffee. My other hand is occupied with a box with croissants I got from one of the bakeries - might not be as good as the ones she's used to, but at least I know she'll like it.

To my surprise I see Delphine carrying my luggage from the white car to a dirty, dark blue one, equally old. The only improvement is that this one doesn't have holes in it.

"So you do choose the worst cars in the lot," I say, placing the coffee cups on the roof of it and opening the backdoor to carelessly throw the phone onto the backseat, while the box is placed carefully upright.

She looks at me and smiles. "I select cars that are unlikely to attract attention," she responds, shutting the door and coming around to stand behind me. "Skoda is one of the best selling brands in Poland, we'll fit right in."

"Yeah, but did it need to be such an old model? I hope it didn't cost you too much," I comment, handing her the cups for her to hold.

"I got a good deal," she says, waving at the man standing at the entrance of what I assume to be the office.

He smiles widely and even from a good twenty meters away I can see him blushing.

"I bet you did," I say under my breath, chuckling. "He'll probably remember this day for the rest of his life. The day this smoking hot French lady used her charm to rip him off."

Delphine grins mischievously at me, confirming my statement and takes the passenger seat. "Keys are in the ignition," she says, setting the coffees on the dashboard. "And I didn't force him to do anything."

"You didn't have to," I say, backing up slowly and out of the lot. "The poor man doesn't know what hit him."

She reaches into the backseat and places the box with the pastries onto her lap. If she notices my other purchase, she makes no comment. When we're back on the road with nothing but asphalt ahead of us, Delphine hands me one of the coffees and takes a liberal sip of her own, moaning slightly in pleasure and distracting me for a brief moment. Next she attacks the bakery's box, taking one of the croissants and eating it with genuine satisfaction. I drink my coffee and when she hands me a pastry I take it and I suppose we should just call this breakfast.

"So... exactly where are we going?" She asks when she's done eating.

"We're going to visit this guy who's going to help me with the notes," I answer with my eyes on the road.

"Is he Polish? How do you know him?" Delphine sounds surprised, curiosity obvious in her questions.

"No, I don't think so," I say. "And I don't exactly know him. Someone else does."

Delphine is quiet and I can feel her eyes on me. I expect follow up questions but they never come. The silence is broken when she reaches for the radio and scans the stations until she lands on a soft rock tune that she leaves playing quietly. The next time I look at her, her eyes closed, arms crossed over her chest and hands tucked under her arms to keep herself warm. I'm not sure if she's asleep but I don't try to talk to her either, she can probably use some rest.

For the next two hours I drive, the music on the radio my only company as I follow the directions on the GPS. The snow continues to fall, making the roads, already in poor condition, almost impassable, and the heavy clouds don't indicate that it's going to get any better. A trip that's supposed to last 6 hours may very well take twice as long, considering how slowly I'm forced to drive.

We're still 200km away from our destination when I have to make a bathroom stop. I park the car as close as possible to the toilets in a service station, and when I return to the vehicle, Delphine is still in the same position as when I left her. I quietly grab the bag with the phone, unbox it, and slide the SIM card in place. I turn from the car, taking the opportunity to stretch my legs as I press the power button, hoping that has at least some battery and breathing in deeply when the screen lights up. I walk some more, putting some distance between Delphine and the call I'm about to make.

I dial the number I have memorized and it rings several times without S picking up. I end the call and text the same number a simple "it's cosima". When I try again she takes the call.

"What happened to the other phone?" She asks immediately.

"I had to ditch it," I answer, looking back over my shoulder to see Delphine in the same position. "By now you should've heard about what happened at the hotel."

A long silence and then, "What are you talking about?" She asks clearly confused.

"Last night..." I say, frowning my brows. "A group of men stormed in, had to hurry out."

Siobhan is quiet again for a long time and I wonder if the reception is breaking.

"I have heard nothing of the sort," she comes back to me, tension in her voice. "You're telling me you had to leave?"

"Yes," I answer. "I think they were after the journalist's notes. They tried to break into my room... In fact, they succeeded."

"Are you alright?" She asks quickly. "Where are you now?"

"I'm fine. I managed to get out and lose them," I respond, my eyes still on Delphine, whose presence I keep to myself. "I'm on my way to see about that Calvin guy."

"I don't know, Cosima..." Siobhan says a bit lower. "This is getting too dangerous."

"Let me just do this," I insist. "I'm safe now. In fact, I'm in the middle of nowhere, no cars in sight for several minutes straight. I've even changed vehicles a few miles back."

"I don't like the idea of you being on your own out there." The concern is clear in he voice. "If you need help I have no one close enough to get to you fast."

"I'll be alright!" And my eyes don't leave the blonde. "I'm gonna pay a visit to your contact and we'll go from there."

"I'll call him, tell him you're on your way, so you don't just show up out of nowhere," Ms. S says and the worry tone persists.

"Yes, that'll be good," I nod.

"If anything feels remotely wrong, I want you to walk away, Cosima! Do you understand?" She demands firmly.

"Promise!"

I end the call and return to the car, shutting the door quietly.

"Everything alright?" Delphine asks in a hoarse voice, eyes closed.

"Do you ever sleep?" I ask, turning the keys in the ignition.

A small smile touches her lips, but she doesn't move. "Occasionally."

"Everything is fine," I answer, shaking my head and smiling as well. "Just making sure the man we're visiting is expecting us."

"What's his name?" She starts to show mild interest, opening one of her eyes.

"John Calvin."

Delphine opens both her eyes and stares at me with a slight sign of recognition. "Like the Protestant reformist?" She comments confused and when I shrug she continues. "What I mean is that's not his real name."

"As long as he gives me what I want and keeps his mouth shut, he can call himself whatever he likes," I say distractedly, keeping my focus on the road.

"How very practical of you..." she mumbles.

"I need to prioritize. My back is against the wall on this one, can't exactly afford to be picky," I explain. "Given a choice, I'd go about this much differently. I don't like this one bit!"

"Did you really think you could do this by yourself?" She asks as if I'm crazy to think so.

"If everything had gone according to plan, I don't see why not," I nod, my stare going to her momentarily. "I just wanted to come over, ask a few questions about a certain someone and leave with a bit of information. It was not supposed to be a big deal. I had no idea this would get so messy!"

"Things never go according to plan!" Delphine chuckles and shakes her head. "At least that's how I see it. You should always be prepared for that; have a plan B."

"Yes, yes... I know... Amateur hour," I comment.

"But you're not an amateur, are you?" Delphine fishes, her stare on me. "You've been doing this for a while now, haven't you? Whatever this is... You're not just an average IT."

"Never claimed to be," I answer casually, but keenly aware of my words. Delphine's searching for information about myself as much as I am about her. "I'm part of a security team and Daniel knows this, otherwise he wouldn't have sent me to Poland."

"Still... I doubt very much he knows exactly what kind of people he hired." Delphine's opening her game a little bit and is letting me know what's on her mind. "After all, you're not exactly working for the Webster's."

I tilt a brow, surprised that she has said it aloud with such candor. "You're one to talk..." I comment offhandedly, but knowing that my words would cause a reaction.

Delphine's body tenses, she straightens her back in her seat and narrows her eyes at me, a small flame ignited in them, but she doesn't pursue this line of conversation. Instead she goes quiet, a thoughtful expression falls across her face, and she turns to gaze out of the window, suddenly very interested in the snow covered woods passing by us slowly. I've touched a nerve, and whatever Delphine's motivations are, she's not sharing. Who's she working for? What's her goal? I simply don't know. We're not in the same side, but I have the feeling she's not the enemy either. It seems like she's willing to help me as long as it serves her purpose - whatever it is. But I can't exactly blame her. I'm willing to allow her to come along, let her help me, and in some way use the information she mysteriously has access to, as long as it suits me. I'm certain that when either of us becomes a dead weight to the other, neither will hesitate to part ways and follow our own interests.

Somehow I know this will happen eventually, that sooner or later our interests will clash. I just hope that when the moment arrives, we can cut ties cleanly, without damage. I hope, but I seriously doubt it. Despite my best judgement and years of listening to Siobhan's lectures, I've already allowed this situation to get out of control. Don't get emotional, don't let feelings guide you, Mrs. S has warned me countless times. It's just a job. Keep it professional. Nothing is personal.

She'd be more disappointed than angry if she knew the whole story. She'd shake her head and mumble Cosima, Cosima... in a sad voice. Still, she wouldn't abandon me, but I have no doubt she'd pull me immediately off the job, even if it means the failure of the entire mission. No matter what, we always come first. Me, Sarah and Felix have always been her priority.

Except this time it is personal. Even if Delphine was not a factor, we're all threatened. Someone is sabotaging us, placing all of us in danger. If she knew about Delphine's involvement, Mrs. S would still call the whole thing off, but the danger wouldn't go away, and we wouldn't be able to find out what the hell is going on. We are directly under attack and are now in a privileged position to peel back some layers to this situation. Giving up now would push us back several, very important steps and there's no saying when or if we could recover. Not telling her about Delphine is a judgement call I'm willing to risk because I believe it benefits all of us.

I know that, at this point, I'm rationalizing. I have a selfish and very irrational desire to keep the blonde close, but it doesn't mean that my logic has no merit.

So, Delphine will stay by my side as long as she proves herself useful and doesn't pose an immediate danger to our objectives. The same way that she'll go when these requirements are no longer met. On the other hand, Delphine's involvement must be kept from my partners, for their own good, to keep our attention focused on what matters: find out who's behind the troubles we're having and why.

Delphine has gained some importance to me, it would be silly to deny this. But she's far from being my priority.