A/n

Thank you all for your patience, and thanks to loss4words for her mad beta skills.

Bella

9 September 2010 Vaingloria, The Farm

We started tradecraft training on August second. As part of the ongoing exercise we were given cover IDs and moved into a separate section of The Farm. They actually had a mock country set up. We lived in houses on the same street and were assigned cover spouses. I was teamed up with a guy from New Jersey named Tyler. All in all he seemed like a decent person, but he played the game a little too well. I could never tell if he was really on my side or preparing to stab me in the back.

We lived by the recruitment pattern:

Spot

Assess

Develop

Recruit

Tyler and I were working on recruiting this one particular instructor whose imaginary persona was a nuclear physicist with a drinking problem and a weakness for dark haired women. Needless to say, I'd dealt with some interesting behavior from him.

The instructors worked my need to attend jump school into my cover. I discovered that I really liked skydiving. There was a rush that made me feel terrified and alive at the same time. I'd found a new favorite hobby. Our physicist had been attending jump school with me. I'd done the initial spotting in our role play.

Tyler helped me take it to the next step. We invited him over for dinner often, and essentially made friends with him. I felt like we had the situation well in hand, which is why I was shocked to receive a summons to the admin building one month into the training opp.

A note was placed in our dead drop location that I was to report to admin alone. Of course Tyler was concerned that we'd messed something up.

"Our budget was right, wasn't it?" Tyler asked. It was fairly common to have the budgets we turned in as part of the opp scrutinized. On guy had already been sent home because he lied about how he spent his budget.

"Yeah, I accounted for everything we've spent," I said, racking my brain for a reason that I would be summoned, particularly without Tyler.

"You passed jump school…"

"Yeah…"

"You've tested out of the other modules?"

"As far as I know."

"Then I have no clue." Tyler dropped down on the couch and sunk into the cushions.

"I guess I'll find out." I plopped down next to him.

He affectionately wrapped an arm around me. I had to leave in an hour to make it to admin for the meeting.

I pulled out of our neighborhood and discovered that I was being followed. The other car was hanging back pretty far, but I knew it was tailing me. I took a few quick turns and doubled back around on myself until I lost it. I could feel my hands shaking. The exercise felt very real at times.

When I parked at the admin building, without any unwanted company, I found O'Brian waiting for me. I hadn't seen him since the first day seeing as he wasn't participating in tradecraft training.

"Swan," he acknowledged me, tipping his hat.

"Hi," I said.

"C'mon, you're due upstairs." He led the way to an office on the second floor.

We stepped in and were greeted by a rather busy looking military officer behind a cheap desk.

"Sir," O'Brian addressed him.

"Ah, yes, Swan?"

"Yes, sir."

"You have a pass to leave for the weekend. Someone called it in from Langley."

"Thank you," I said.

"Don't thank me," he responded, returning to his work. "It wasn't my call, apparently someone thinks you deserve a break. Never mind the fact that no one else ever gets one. You will leave the base at 1700 tomorrow… Dismissed."

I backed out of the room as quickly as I could without tripping. O'Brian followed me.

"How goes it?" he asked.

"I think Tyler and I are doing well," I answered.

"Don't get too comfortable," he warned.

"I won't."

He led me back out to the parking lot. "I've heard some good things about you, but you can't become complacent. Everything is a test."

"Sooo… I shouldn't take the leave I've been offered?"

"Oh, no, take that. It'll be a good test to see if your partner can hack it on his own." He grinned. "Just don't forget your goals."

I nodded.

I got back in the car with a grin on my face. I had the weekend off!

I drove back to the house, and Tyler met me at the door.

"What was it?" he asked.

"Someone at Langley called in a weekend of leave for me."

"They're letting you take a weekend off during tradecraft?" He ushered me into the house and closed the door.

"Yeah," I said, grinning from ear to ear.

"This is not good." He shook his head and leaned up against the door.

"It's fine," I tried to reassure him. "I'm sure someone at SpecInt just pulled some strings…"

"Or they're planning on arresting one of us as part of the exercise."

"There's no avoiding it. If they're planning to separate us it'll happen." I crossed my arms.

He nodded.

"Have you done anything to compromise us?" I asked.

"No," he scoffed.

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"I haven't."

"Me either. Did anyone follow you after the dead drop last week?" I'd been followed from the exact same drop location the week prior. I'd already had to point out a tail to him twice during the exercise.

"There wasn't a tail, I checked."

I grabbed his hand and led him into our den. We sat next to each other on the couch and I turned on the TV. It amazed me how much detail our trainers went to in order to make the Vaingloria experience seem completely real. The TV was hooked into some closed circuit programming that had obviously been filmed in the 1980's.

I was still holding Tyler's hand. It was something we did in public to try and sell our cover story of being a married couple. We tended to continue part of our roles once we were alone.

"There's something to this leave," he said.

"Maybe it's just leave," I suggested.

"Nothing is ever what it seems here. There's always another motive for everything they do."

I nodded.

We sat watching but not watching the television for a few minutes.

"O'Brian said something about seeing if you could hack it on your own," I said.

"He actually said that?"

"Yeah."

"They're going to come after me when you leave."

"Then, you should be ready. Watch your back, stick to the cover story when questioned. You can do this," I reassured him. Honestly there was nothing we could do. If the instructors decided to test us or pull us in for questioning there wasn't much to be done. I saw no sense in worrying about it. Anxiety wasn't going to help us.

"You shouldn't go."

"O'Brian said I should take it."

"He could be setting you up."

By 'you' Tyler meant him.

"This is not a game we can play cautiously. You need to remember that none of this is real. They're not actually going to kill you because Vaingloria isn't real. Getting caught just means that you have to reconsider your career plans," I said. I thought that Tyler should probably reconsider his intended career path anyway. If he was this cautious in a role play I couldn't imagine what would happen when his life was really on the line.

~V258~

10 September 2010 Vaingloria, The Farm

I went to my pretend Vainglorian job as an art gallery owner. I was glad that the job was fake because aside from photography, I really didn't know what I was doing with art. I'd intentionally skewed the gallery to photography on purpose. Tyler's cover job was in a lab, which gave us access to our mark. In addition, I hosted events at the gallery that brought in the Vainglorian elite. I could see how the situation would work well in real life.

At 4pm I closed the gallery early and went 'home' to pack a bag. I didn't know what I was going to do for transportation but I figured that something would fall into place, even if I had to call for a rental car at the guard shack. I wasn't too attached to my apartment back in Maryland, so I didn't plan on going home for my weekend. I figured that I would waste too many hours driving back and forth.

I scribbled a quick note for Tyler wishing him a good weekend and informing him that there was dinner in the freezer. I was a little worried about him, but I figured that he needed to learn how to get along without me, after all he wouldn't always have a partner to watch his back.

I drove my vehicle to the administration building to retrieve my ID from my locker, then proceeded to the guard shack and parked in the lot. The guard met me as soon as I walked up to the gate.

"Isabella Swan?"

"Yes," I answered, showing him my ID.

"There's a car for you."

"Really?"

"It was left for you this morning," he said, handing me a keychain.

"Thanks."

He nodded and opened the gate for me. I hopped in the car and noticed a note on the dashboard.

Happy Birthday from Jasper and Dad

I smiled and turned the key. Jasper must have arranged for leave and Charlie would have taken care of the car. I pulled my personal cell phone out of my bag and discovered that it had lost its charge. I couldn't call and thank either of them, so I plugged the phone in to charge and typed "hotels" into the GPS on the dash. While it went to work I turned the car and headed out. By the time I hit the main road the GPS had given me a plethora of options in Williamsburg. I selected one and followed the directions to a hotel near Colonial Williamsburg.

My plan was to check into the hotel, then get some food and maybe a beer, take it back to the hotel room and get caught up on TV shows. As soon as my phone was charged up enough I was going to call Charlie, and Jasper, too.

Also, I planned on sleeping. It was like they were trying to kill us on The Farm. We had early mornings, late nights, and inevitably our handlers would call at four in the morning. I was pretty sure it was happening to everyone and not just me and Tyler. We weren't completely sleep deprived, but I was looking forward to a good ten hours of uninterrupted sleep.

I wished I had brought my laptop, but it was safely tucked away in my apartment. I thought briefly about abandoning my plan for a weekend alone and heading back to Maryland, but most hotels still had a computer in the business center for guest use.

~V258~

I had my weekend all planned out: Food, TV, Sleep, Colonial Williamsburg, and more sleep. That was until my phone finished charging. I'd already pigged out on junk food and finished half of my beer when the light on my phone turned green. I turned it on and it beeped several times indicating messages.

Most of them were probably from Jake. I put the phone on speaker and started listening, the first five were all him and I quickly erased them.

"Change your answering machine code!" Ren's voice came screeching through the phone. I deleted that too.

"Bella, Bella, Bella… It makes my life easier when you man up and tell your ex that you're done with him. We've had a crapstorm goin' on here and I'm fairly certain that you could have prevented it."

I stopped Jasper's message and repeated it. Jake was causing trouble at SpecInt. How?

Jasper didn't give me any indication. The message was intentionally vague and I understood why it needed to be but it was also frustrating. I wanted to know what happened.

"Hey, kid. I hope that you have our present by now. Enjoy your weekend." My dad's short message momentarily distracted me from the problem at hand.

I debated as to whether or not I should call Jasper. I couldn't head all the way home as I was. I was exhausted and that coupled with half a beer would render me a hazard on the road. Ultimately, I called him.

"Why hello there, Bella Bella," he answered.

"Jasper, hi. I wanted to thank you for the weekend off," I said, nervously combing my fingers through my hair.

"… and I can tell without being anywhere near you that you've checked your messages," he commented.

"Yeah," I said sheepishly.

"It's handled."

"What happened?"

"This line isn't secured, so I don't feel comfortable filling you in on the phone. We're about to sit down to a late supper if you wanna head over here…"

"I'm in Williamsburg," I cut him off.

"Oh, that's alright too. I just can't fill you in without a secure connection."

"Did you interrogate him?" I asked.

"Yes, and everything's right as rain."

"Who are you talking to?" I heard a voice in the background on Jasper's end.

"It's Bella, she's in Williamsburg," Jasper curtly replied with his hand over the phone.

"Who's there?" I asked.

"That was Edward." He sighed. I heard grumbling in the background.

"Can you have Edward assign jump coordinates to the interrogation and I can jump it?" If they interrogated Jake I wanted to see it. I wanted to make sure that he was alright.

"Bad idea," Edward said, then grunted.

"Git!" Jasper yelled. I heard another grunt – apparently Edward. Then Jasper was muffled again. "If I wanted to snuggle a Cullen I'd go find Alice or Esme."

"Jasper?"

"Listen, Bella, you're tired, jumping isn't a good idea without supervision," Jasper explained.

"What did you do to Jake?"

"Nothing, he required very little persuasion to talk."

"Persuasion?" I hoped that persuasion wasn't a code word for torture.

"Of my own special variety, he wasn't injured," he elaborated.

I nodded, forgetting that he couldn't see me. Jasper must have used his ability as an empath to manipulate him. Jake wouldn't like that when he figured it out.

"I promise you that he's fine," Jasper said.

"Okay."

"Are you coming home?"

"I thought I might stay here and do some sightseeing," I said. "I've never been to Colonial Williamsburg." I felt a bit guilty that he'd arranged for a weekend off and I wasn't going to go up even for brunch.

"Then you should stay. I got you the pass hoping you'd get some sleep. You need a bit of R&R before you hit the more intensive part of training."

"It gets more intense?" I asked.

"It can," Jasper said.

I grunted in response. I thought it'd been pretty intense already.

"Ask if she's jumped since she got there," a very frustrated Edward yelled from what sounded like a distance.

"Can you hear him?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I haven't jumped intentionally or otherwise."

"Tell her not to!"

"I can still hear him," I chuckled.

"The man's had a bee in his bonnet since you left," Jasper grumbled.

"Do you need me to come up and work tomorrow?"

"Don't you worry about a thing, Bella. Everything is under control. Unless you have a burning need to know what happened with your ex, stay put."

"I'll see how I feel in the morning," I said.

"You do that, Miss Bella, and let me know what you're planning."

"Thank you, Jasper."

"You're welcome. G'night."

"Night, Jasper."

I hung up and downed the last of my beer. Then, I stripped down to my T-shirt and underwear and climbed into the bed, too tired for pajamas.

Unfortunately, I couldn't sleep.

How was I supposed to sleep? Jasper said that Jake hadn't been hurt, but what had Jake done? What happened after they interrogated him?

I rolled over and grabbed my phone. I called Liam, hoping that I could actually talk to him. I got his voicemail and left a message.

I switched the TV back on and sunk into the pillows.

~V258~

11 September 2010 Williamsburg, Virginia

Eventually, I must have fallen asleep, because suddenly the morning news was blaring at me from the TV. I fumbled for the remote and turned it off. The lack of sound was simultaneously a relief and oppressive. I had to make up my mind about whether or not I was going to drive up to Maryland and find out what Jake had done.

Was this how Jake always felt about me - continuously worried? I decided that I needed to know; otherwise it would drive me crazy until the end of October when I could leave The Farm again. I took a quick shower and threw the few things I'd taken out back into my bag.

I stopped by the desk, checked out, left Jasper a voicemail, and was heading out of Williamsburg before noon with a cup of coffee and a bagel from the continental breakfast bar. I drove as fast as I safely could. I figured that with it being Saturday that Jasper and Alice would be at Carlisle and Esme's house.

My phone chimed as I turned off the interstate. I waited until I made it to a red light before picking it up and checking the screen. It was a text from a private number.

Hello, Gorgeous, check your rear view.

I shifted my gaze up to my mirror and found a Black SUV behind me. The driver nodded at me and then took off his sunglasses. It was Liam.

I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. I assumed that he was heading to Carlisle and Esme's house as well since they always seemed to have company. He tailed me through town all the way to the house. We parked and he was out of his car and at my window before I had my seatbelt undone.

"Bella!" Liam pulled me out of the car and hugged me. I barely had a chance to wrap my arms around him before I heard the door to the house open and heavy footfalls on the stairs. As soon as Liam released me I was snatched off the ground and spun around by Emmett.

"Ducks! Happy Early Birthday!"

Emmett set me back on the ground. I was rather unsteady after being spun, and Liam caught me around the waist from behind, resting his chin on my head for a moment.

"Thank you, Emmett."

"Bella!" Esme called from the door. "Shame on you for not telling us you were coming! Come on in! Liam, are you staying?"

"Sorry, I can't. I have business to tend to, and then a flight to catch."

I turned to look at him.

"You're not staying?"

"I can't, gorgeous. Someone has to keep the free world safe while you waste your days away in training."

I pouted at him.

"Oh, don't start that," he said, then leaned in to whisper in my ear, "there are better places for that lip than dragging the ground."

I blushed. He caressed my cheek and gave me a brief kiss, which ended when Emmett decided to clear his throat.

"I'm sorry I can't stay. I only came into town because I saw you on the highway. Now, have a good weekend."

I nodded and then stood on my tiptoes to kiss him, but got his cheek instead of his lips. I gave him a puzzled look, but he wasn't going to reveal any details. Instead, he released me and went to his car, giving me a small wave before he got in and left.

I didn't know what to make of it.

I turned to Emmett who shrugged and led me inside.

"Now that you're here we have a reason to party," he said.

I laughed and allowed him to steer me along.

End Note:

Thank you all for being patient. There have been a lot of changes going around on my end lately. I've been very fortunate to have some very good MD's and NP's and some very good friends who've helped me out.

This chapter and the following three should be out in relatively quick succession (otherwise those of you who know where I live might come after me).

I've been working on review replies this evening but I'm tuckered out, and I have a crying kid upstairs. :-/

Blanket reply statements:

I love everyone's stories about The Varsity!

Ren is a handful and a half!

I'm sorry I suck lately.