Tali

Sean Glenanne has been trying his hardest to get on my good side. To sweep me off my feet, if you will. No man has yet to do that. I thought Quinn and I would hit it off. He was a smooth talking Cajun. A really handsome one at that. He nearly did it, but then I caught him with a bottle blonde in my bed. I guess he couldn't keep it in his pants. I nearly shot him in the butt. It would have been better than his head. Easier to clean up than his dead body. Also, Eliot would have killed me. Resuscitate me and then kill me all over again.

Sean is a smooth talking Irish man. Yet he is still a bit unrefined and rough around the edges. He's a handsome man too. He has my attention for now. It's fun to see that he's trying so hard. Getting to know him has been interesting. He's the oldest of seven and includes five boys and two girls. He told me his youngest, Claire, was killed by a stray bullet. I feel for him. It must have been terrible to go through that. I'm meeting Fi for lunch. I don't know what she wants to talk to me about. Probably about Sean. Micheal is scared for me. Sean is still tied to weapons deals in Ireland and if he's caught he will be deported. I'm not really worried. But to see Micheal so concerned is nice.

I run out the door and get in my truck. I drive to the Carlitos and park. I get out and go find Fi. I find her and take a seat.

"Hi Fiona," I say with a smile.

"Tali, how are you?" She asks me.

"I'm good, you?" I ask her.

She looks worried about something.

"What's wrong?" I ask her.

"It's Sean. I have never seen him this crazy over a girl ever!" She says.

"What do you mean crazy?" I ask her.

"He's getting out of the weapons business and giving the whole operation to Callen!" She says.

"Is Callen so bad?" I ask her.

"No, but the operation has always been the oldest responsibility. You don't just pass it on lightly," She says sadly.

"Why is he doing this?" I ask her.

"I think he's love with you," She says softly.

That shocks me. Did I lead him on? That was not my intention. We talked, that's all we did. I flip my burgundy colored hair over my shoulder. Fi's phone rings and she answers it.

"Micheal, I'm in the middle of something," She says.

He says something I can't hear. I throw money on the table and we get up from our seats. We head towards the cars.

"What's going on?" I ask her.

"Micheal needs backup," She says.

"What does he need?"

"Fire power."

I go to the back of my truck and show her the array of weapons I have.

"Take whatever you want," I say to her.

She looks like a kid in a candy store. She picks a few and we are on our way. We pull up to a gunfight. I take my rifle and start hitting them with sand rounds. This way it will give us time to get out of here. Micheal and Sean come running and they leap into the truck. Sam makes a mad dive into Fi's car and we're out of there.

"Tali?" Micheal asks.

"You interrupted lunch. You owe me a lunch, Micheal," I say with a frown. "What kind of trouble have you run into now?"

"Nothing I can't handle," he mumbles.

"Oh so you called Fi for what? To be a distraction? Well sorry honey, but you need a bigger distraction," I tell him.

He glares at me and I glare right back.

"Tali," He warns me.

"Micheal," I say right back.

I pull up to the loft and park.

"Here you go. I gotta run some errands," I say to him.

They get out and I pull back out and go run my errands. I go home and as I pull up, I sense something wrong. I throw the truck in reverse and get out of there just as the Butcher comes flying out of my home with a butchers knife in his hand. He's yelling profanities after and I drive over to the loft. I pick up my phone and call Micheal. He picks up on the first ring.

"Tali," He says.

"Can I stay with you for a few days until I fix my Butcher problem?" I ask him.

"Come on over," he says and hangs up.

I go to Micheal's and walk up the stairs to the loft. I knock on the door and it flies open. I see a concerned Sean standing there. He pulls me inside and into a protective hug. I find myself wrapping my arms around him. I'm confused. I look to Micheal and he looks worried. Sean pulls away and looks down at me. His eyes are full of concern and I wonder why?

He lets me go to Micheal. Micheal opens his arms to me and I gladly walk into him. I wrap my arms around him and he rests his head on top of mine.

"You're sure it was the Butcher?" He asks me.

"Yeah, it was him. He was yelling chechian as I was high tailing it out of there," I say.

Sean is shaking his head at me. Men usually want two things from me. My body or protection. He hasn't asked me for a thing and that confuses me.

"Tali, can you come with me to meet with a client?" Micheal asks.

"Sure, why me though?" I ask him.

"Because you seem calmer than Fi would be. She tends to take the job on emotion," he says with a smile.

"You just want to keep an eye on me," I say, seeing through his ruse.

"Tali," he says slightly whiny.

"Alright, I'll go. Can I just change?" I say.

"Why? What you're wearing is fine," Micheal says.

I look down at what I am wearing and it screams defenseless woman. A dress that I shouldn't have gotten, but it was cute. I should just keep to my jeans and tank tops. I sigh. The shoes are fine, but I still want to change clothes I'm familiar with.

"Go ahead," Micheal says with a swish of his arm.

I find a corner and get out of that dumb dress. I slip on jeans and a tank top. Good thing I brought some spare clothes around here just in case. I walk out and find them waiting. I'm not amazing to look at, but I'm pretty enough.

"I'm ready," I say.

I take my hair tie off my wrist and throw my hair up.

"Let's get moving," Micheal says.

I follow him to the Charger and get in. Sean shows up in my window of the car.

"Be careful," Sean says to me.

"I'll be careful. You shouldn't be that worried about me," I say with a slight smile.

"You think that you don't worry your brothers every day?" He asks me humorously.

"I can handle myself," I say. "Besides, I scare most people away."

"Look after yourself," he says with a smile.

Micheal gets in and we leave. We drive to Carlitos and this is becoming the regular spot to get food and booze. I order something to eat, because I'm starving.

"Micheal, do you want to snack on something?" I ask him as I dig into the chips and salsa.

"I'm sure, Tali," he says.

"Suit yourself," I tell him.

We are waiting for the client and I'm scanning the crowd. I don't see the normal people that the Butcher would use to locate me. Then again I bet he found new people. Great. Oh well.

I look carefully without really looking. Then I find a young boy, barely out of his teens staring at me. Oh great! I nudge Micheal with my foot and nod toward the young boy across the street.

"You think it's the Butcher's tracker?" He asks me.

"I think he paid a local boy to find me and report back to the Butcher," I say. "I guess I better get out of here and get to the loft."

I sigh. I didn't even get my food yet.

"Hey, when they bring my food, have them box it up and bring it back to the loft please," I say to him as I throw a few twenties on the table.

"Sure, Tali, call Sam and he will pick you up," he says.

"Don't worry about me. I will just hit my way out of it," I say with a grin.

I start walking away and soon I hear a car coming at me. I start running and start to find my way back to the loft. I hear my phone ring and I just pick it up.

"Who is this and what can I do for you today?" I say cheerfully into the phone.

"Tali, where are you?!" I hear Fi ask.

I tell her where I'm heading and soon I hear a car coming up on me. I look and see that it's Fi. She slows down just long enough for me to dive through the open window and for her to speed away.

"Thanks Fi," I say.

"Micheal told me you were in trouble. He asked me to find you," she says.

"Thanks and I owe you one," I say.

"Sean is going to throw a fit to hear you were in danger!" She says pissed off.

I sigh, why does everything go back to Sean?

"Why is everyone talking to me about your brother?" I ask her, annoyed.

"You don't know?" She asks me.

"What?" I ask.

"You can't be that blind!" Fi tells me with a laugh.

"What?!" I ask.

"He's in love with you!"

I start laughing hysterically. In love with me?! That's a good one. That was a good joke. Then I look at Fi and I see that she is not kidding me. I stop laughing and I sink into the seat in the car. Is that why he stares at me? Is that why he likes staring into my eyes? Is that why he's been watching out for me? It can't be. No way. The only person that ever really looked after me is myself.

"That's not true," I say to her.

"You really don't see? You really don't know why he didn't return to Ireland?" She asks me.

"What am I supposed to do? Fling myself at him and say he is who I have been looking for all of my life?" I demand.

"Of course not! But don't just ignore him. He has feelings too!" She says as we pull up to the loft.

Sean is sitting on the stairs with a gun in his hand and he does not look well. I sigh. I get out of Fi's car and walk towards the stairs.

"I guess you heard?" I ask him.

"Did he get near ya again?" He asks me and I swear his accent just got thicker.

"No, but he's getting closer," I say.

"How much longer will it take for him to find ya 'ere?" he asks me.

"Depends on his resources right now. I doubt his network is that big," I say, trying to brush it off like it's no big deal.

I guess I will have to call Eliot. He's going to have a field day! Sean gets up from the stairs and stares down at me. In my shoes, I'm about his height. Although right now I feel like a child again being scolded. I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself.

"Sean, can we go inside? I really don't do well out in the sun," I say.

"You're tanner than I am, Tali," he says with a slight smile tugging at his lips.

He let's me pass him on the stairs and I go up and unlock the door. I open the door and go inside. Sean and Fi follow. I settle on Micheal's bed and sit criss cross on the bed. Fi get's a blueberry yogurt out of the old fridge. She opens it and eats it while watching what is going on with me and Sean.

"Tali, are ya alright?" He asked me.

"I'm fine. I have to take up running again though," I say with a chuckle.

"Runnin?" He asked.

"Yeah, I have to keep up with that. Otherwise I can't stay a step further then my enemies," I say.

"You should see her at the gym," Fi says.

"Yeah, when you sleep for only four hours a day, you find the time to work out and garden," I say.

"You garden?" They asked me in unison.

"Where do you think I get my fresh produce?" I asked them.

"Oh," Fi says. "Mind giving me some if you have extra?"

"Sure. They are so good! Eliot makes some good food," I say with a grin.

"Tali!"

I hear Micheal yelling from outside. He throws the door open and looks for me.

"I'm right here, Micheal," I say from the bed.

He looks relieved. He walks up to me and pats me on the head. He doesn't really know what to do with me as a sister. Although I think he's doing well.

"You really need to get a more secure place!" Micheal snaps.

"I guess so, big brother," I say with a smile.

"Tali!" He says firmly.

"Micheal!" I say.

I look up at him and he has a most unfortunate frown on his face.

"Micheal, I have no one I can stay with," I say.

"You can stay with me," Fi says. "We can talk guns and stuff."

"Sounds like a blast. I need to pick up some clothes. Want to come with me? I also need more shoes," I ask her.

"Sure, love shopping," she says.

Fi and I go and let the boys have their fun.