The next few months passed in a blur for Tilly and Carl. They remained at the top of the class, but ranks below them were changing so rapidly it was hard to keep up. Carl had learned how to cook more than just a cake and he and Tilly had made it as far as 16 moves in their dance class. Tilly still hadn't exacted her revenge against the lecherous Anthony.

She kept tackling the assault course and had managed to get her time down to two and a half minutes. The record, held by Romanov being two minutes three seconds.

She still breezed through her language classes with ease and her physical ones were not challenging in the slightest. She longed for Saturday afternoons when Toby would hit her harder than she had ever been before, even then she was getting a reputation among the upper ranked agents and they were no longer so willing to help.

Tilly was sparring with Toby and another agent, who was apparently a level seven. The agent was using a staff to try and beat her, but Tilly stopped the blow, took hold of the staff and spun it out of his hands, striking Toby across the face as he tried to assault her from behind. Toby fell to the floor, hand to his mouth. Tilly realising she had hurt him threw the staff to one side and dropped to the floor to check on him.

"Are you ok?" Tilly asked as she tried to pull his hand away from his face.

"I'm fine." Toby gurgled. His jaw was swelling and had turned bright blue immediately.

"No you're not." Tilly argued.

"Let's call it a day." Toby said, getting to his feet.

"Fine by me" The agent said, rubbing his elbow.

"Toby."

"Tilly. I'm ok. You best get back and revise. You have exams soon."

Tilly could see that Toby wasn't moving his mouth much as he spoke.

Reluctantly she went to get Carl to study for their upcoming exams.

"What's up with you?" he asked as she found him in the library.

"I think I hurt Toby."

"You always hurt Toby."

"Yeah but this time I really, really hurt him."

"What did you do?"

"Cracked him round the face with a staff?"

Carl looked at Tilly and shook his head. He still couldn't believe that someone so innocent looking could be so dangerous.

"What you working on?" Tilly asked him, trying to take her mind off it.

"Recipes. We don't know what crazy cookie is going to make us cook in our exams."

"Want me to test you?" Tilly asked him.

She had her own revision plan that centred on creating stories to remember everything. Even with a photographic memory she sometimes confused herself and got lost in her mind.

They spent their afternoon revising everything they had learned in their cooking class before heading to the dining hall and getting some food as it had finally improved and was now edible. Once they had finished their meal they headed back to Tilly's room to work on their languages, both written and verbal.

Sunday passed in much the same manner, except that they included practising their dancing into their routine.

Monday morning dawned bright and had the first smattering of a frost covering the ground.

Tilly woke up at her usual time of 5.30 and knocked on Carl's door.

"Carl! Get your ass out of bed!" Tilly called.

Carl had been running with Tilly for the previous few weeks, his reasoning being that he would be able to eventually keep up with her.

Carl opened his door and was dressed in shorts and t-shirt looking at Tilly with bleary eyes.

"How the hell are you so perky at this time on a morning?" he asked.

"I always get up at this time so I'm used to it." Tilly told him in a flat voice, leading him down the corridor.

"Yeah, well, you're crazy." Carl told her

"And you're just figuring this out now?" Tilly asked, elbowing him in the ribs.

They made it outside, which caused them both to shiver. They immediately set off running towards the lake, Tilly pulling ahead of Carl, felt her phone ring and dug it out of her pocket to answer it.

Skye's face filled her screen. Tilly answered it.

"Hey Skye, what up?"

"I can't believe you're up this early."

"If you didn't think I'd be up why'd ya call?"

Carl caught up to Tilly and was running on the spot to stay warm. He could hear the woman on the other end of the phone.

"I want cheesecake." Carl heard the woman on the phone tell her.

"What do you expect me to do? Make one and send it to you via airwaves?"

"Can you do that?"

"NO!"

"Please Tilly?"

"I have exams next week. I'm a little busy. I'm home next month, I'll bring you one then."

"I can't wait until then. I want a Tilly's crazy concoction cheesecake." Skye pleaded.

"Even if I could make one how would I get it to you?"

"I'll come and get it."

Tilly heard her Ward in the background say "like hell you will" and let out a laugh.

"Who's that?" Carl mouthed. He was curious who would be calling Tilly at this time and demanding cheesecake.

Tilly shook her head and set off walking, except she walked so fast Carl had to jog to keep up with her.

"Skye, best I can do is make one when I get home for Christmas. If I make it now I can't get it to you and it'll go bad before I do." Tilly said to her, hoping to placate her a little.

"Fine. Can I have chocolate?"

"Sure."

"And passionfruit?"

"Passionfruit? I'll give it a go."

"Please?" Skye asked, elongating the 'e'. Tilly rolled her eyes as she could imagine Skye sticking her bottom lip out at her.

"Sure. Got a b option in case it doesn't work?"

"Chocolate and Strawberry."

"I think chocolate and strawberries is the last thing you need right now."

"Why?"

"I'll give you three reasons. Any news on that by the way?"

"They said it's not 100% but it looks like two boys, one girl."

"Awww. Look, Skye. I'm gonna have to go. I'll make you a cheesecake when I'm home. Love you. Take care and look after yourself!" Tilly said hanging up.

"Sister?" Carl asked as Tilly put the phone back in her pocket and set off running again.

"No. Brother's wife. She's pregnant and apparently craving cheesecake." Tilly told him.

They ran the circuit back to the building. They arrived back a little later than usual as Tilly had slowed down to take the phone call so they raced to the showers before changing and heading down for breakfast.

Tilly was halfway through her breakfast when she suddenly felt very, very nauseous. She pushed her plate away from her.

"What's up? It's good." Carl asked her.

"I guess I'm not hungry." Tilly told him as her stomach gave a loud grumble.

Carl looked at her. He knew she wasn't quite telling the truth, but he also knew she wasn't lying.

Carl's concern grew as Tilly remained quiet in their Spanish class. She was usually quite chatty with Marisa, but today she only spoke when asked a direct question.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Carl asked her again during lunch when she only ate a bite before pushing it away.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I've just got a bit of a stomach ache." Tilly replied.

Principal Dockerty stood up and banged on his table for their attention.

"First Years. Please report to the Arena for your afternoon session."

Tilly looked at Carl.

"Do you think that's 'cause I hurt Toby?" she asked him, going pale.

"I'm sure Toby's fine." Carl tried to reassure her.

"Then why move our session to inside?" Tilly asked him.

"Maybe it's too cold outside to work? It was cold this morning."

"S.H.I.E.L.D wouldn't do that. Can you imagine? I'm not doing that mission, it's too cold?" Tilly asked him with an edge of sarcasm biting at her voice.

Carl stopped talking. He had got to know that Tilly used sarcasm that way when she was upset and as a defense mechanism.

They got out of their chairs and made their way to the Arena. Toby wasn't there. Instead there was someone Tilly knew, someone she had worked with before. A pretty Asian woman.

"I am Agent May. You are all late." May said as the class strolled into the Arena five minutes after Tilly and Carl.

The class looked at her in surprise.

"Get into your pairs and warm up." May demanded.

Tilly and Carl started exchanging soft blows to limber up their bodies. The rest of the class stood still.

"Did I stutter or something?" May asked Mike.

"No."

"Then what are you all still standing around for?" May asked.

There was a flourish of movement while the class got into their pairs and found a space. May walked among the pairs correcting their various techniques. She got to Tilly and Carl.

"Where's Toby?" Tilly asked.

She knew others had asked May, and May had told them he was away for S.H.I.E.L.D.

"Toby is away for the agency." May told her.

"No, he's not. I saw him at breakfast. Where is he?" Tilly pointed out, trying again, still trading blows with Carl. He raised his eyebrows. He was amused with her persistence.

"Toby has found himself in a position where he is unable to teach today."

Tilly dropped her guard and looked at May.

"I hurt him didn't I?" She asked in a low voice.

"You broke his jaw." May finally admitted.

Carl rushed at Tilly who moved to the side and tripped him. Tilly felt her stomach heave and raced to the bathroom.

"Tilly?" Carl asked hesitantly half an hour later, opening the door to the bathroom.

He wasn't supposed to be in the girl's bathroom, but he had to check on her.

He found her sat on the floor in a heap shaking.

"It's ok. I'm sure Toby will forgive you, unless you actually meant to break his jaw."

"I'm dangerous."

"Not intentionally I'm sure."

"I intended to hit him in the face with the staff. It's my training. Shoot first, ask questions when you're safe."

"What is your training?" Carl asked her for the millionth time.

"I'd tell you, but..."

"Then you'd have to kill me." Carl finished, making the corners of Tilly's mouth twitch.

"You, out." May ordered, coming into the bathroom and pointing at Carl.

Carl squeezed Tilly shoulder before leaving her and May in the bathroom.

"Not the reaction I expected from you." May admitted.

"I've been feeling off all day."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean I knew I'd hurt Toby on Saturday when I hit him."

"You didn't hit him with a fire extinguisher did you?" May asked, looking sideways at Tilly. It wouldn't have surprised her, after all Ward broke hers with one.

"No, training staff." Tilly said with a giggle.

"Look, if you're not feeling well you can sit out."

"I'm fine, and besides, Carl needs me." Tilly said getting to her feet.

"That's my girl." May told her proudly, leading her out of the bathroom and back to the Arena.