Without thinking he used his key and opened the door to the condo. It was
like second nature to him and he hadn't thought about it. He stepped inside
and saw a trail of dirty clothes leading from the living room to the
bathroom. Although he didn't follow it he knew where she was, he could hear
the spray of the shower and her slightly off key rendition of "Addicted to
Love."
As he sat down waiting for her to get done he wasn't sure anymore if going there was a good idea. He ran his hand though his gelled hair causing it to fall out of place. They needed to talk, that much he knew but, "Damn!" he thought while removing a cigarette from its case and lighting it with a shaky hand. Only she could make him so nervous, only she could break the cool façade that he had so carefully constructed around himself from the time he was a boy. He inhaled deeply feeling the nicotine laced smoke swirl into his lungs and calming his nerves. Reaching into his pocket he brought the lock of red hair to his face and drew in her essence, it was a reminder of what he had to do.
Walking into the bedroom he picked her discarded clothes off the floor along the way. A tiny smile crossed his face at her messiness and he placed them neatly on the bed. As he went to the French doors which gave away to a balcony overlooking the ocean he stumbled over something, actually several somethings. Three cardboard boxes were blocking the way, he didn't want to pry but he was curious. He flicked the ashes into a dirty cup she had left on the bed side table. Placing the cigarette between his lips he sat down on the edge of the unmade bed and opened the box. Inside were a stack of his CDs and a few of his books. He reached for the second box when a voice said from behind him, "It's all yours."
Dylan hadn't heard him come in but from the moment she stepped out of the shower she could smell the smoke from his cigarettes. She quickly dried off and pulled on the clothes she had taken with her into the bathroom. She was a bit shocked, she expected to see him in the living room but instead he was in the bedroom looking through the packed boxes of his belongings. She wasn't at all prepared for this. In the shower she had been going over in her head what she wanted to say to him but now he was there all her words had gone out the window.
He hadn't heard the shower shut off. He was surprised when turned to see Dylan standing there in a pair of boxers, which were his and a baggy white t-shirt drying her hair with a faded blue towel. They looked at each other in silence. She knew she couldn't expect him to break it but as she was about to begin he said, "Dylan." She waited for him to go on but he didn't. He stood and paced a moment then went over to the doors and stepped out on the balcony.
A storm was coming in. The sky was a bruised purple color and the wind blew the loose strands of his hair. Anthony took a deep drag on the cigarette that he held in his hand then flicked it carelessly over the side. He wanted to say more to her but wasn't sure what else to say. He wanted to tell her how a part of him had died when the house blew up and there was no sign of her. He wanted to tell her how he considered ending his own life since without her he had no reason to go on. He wouldn't have he had too much of an instinct for self-preservation but he had thought of it. And he thought about how much she had changed him, but none of that would come to him. Instead he stood staring out at the gray rolling ocean.
Dylan wondered if her talk with Alex was for nothing. Yes, she had come to the conclusion that she wanted him but what if he had come to the opposite conclusion. What if he decided he wanted to be with Kate? Was that why he left the room, to find a way to tell her? She felt a lump in her throat at the thought and tried to swallow it down. It was one of those times when she wished she still smoked and wondered if he would mind if she bummed one off of him. She stepped out on two the balcony with him. The wind caught the damp strands of hair and whipped them around her face. Anthony reached out and brushed them back and tucked the sides behind her ears. His hands were warm compared to the cool air against her cheek.
Giving him a smile she turned back to look out at the dark water. "So," she began nervously. "I don't suppose you came here to watch the storm come in did you?" Dylan watched out of the corner of her eye as he shook his head "no". He started to reach for another cigarette but stopped and reached out snatching a piece of her hair. "Ouch!" she yelled rubbing the new bald patch and then turned to him. His eyes were closed in ecstasy as he ran the hair along his jaw and inhaled its freshly perfumed fragrance. Part of her was waiting for him to give a yelping scream but he didn't. He slowly opened his eyes and locked them with hers.
It was all Dylan could do not to jerk away. It was as though he was telepathic, telling her everything he wanted her to know with his hypnotic icy blue eyes. Suddenly he was the one who broke the contact. She stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around him. "I thought I lost you too," she said. "I woke in the hospital as a Jane Doe. There wasn't any sign of you or Alex or Natalie." Cautiously he put his arms around her and held her to his chest. It felt so right to him and he hoped she could feel it too. "I wasn't sure if you made it out alive or not, but Charlie straightened me out. He told me where everyone was. The relief," she sighed, "knowing that my family, however odd a family they are, was still there was the most important thing. Ow.sorry my ribs are a bit beat up." He didn't realize how tightly he was holding her.
He let her go and looked at her disappointedly. She said everything that he wanted to hear except that she loved him. He had never wanted to hear that so badly before in his life. "Her family," that was the statement that was causing him to lose hope. What did that mean? Was he a brother like the Bosleys, Max, and the angels' boyfriends? Was that how she thought about him now? If he had to live with that he could and he would but he wanted more from her, he wanted back what they had. In the month he had been together he had questioned whether it was worth it. Whether it was worth giving up his job? He hadn't even realized he was doing it until the Chief pointed it out to him, but the Chief also made him realize she was worth it. The question still remained rolling around in his mind; would she be willing to give it back.
Not noticing his disappointment Dylan continued. "I've been thinking a lot the past couple days." A clap of thunder caused her to jump and the clouds opened up releasing a steady drizzle. "Maybe we should go inside?" she asked. He nodded and held the door open for her. She stepped through and waited for him. "Do you want anything to drink?" she asked turning on the lights. "Do you want anything to drink" she repeated silently to herself thinking of all the things she could have said instead. He shook his head. His silence was making her nervous. "Or eat?" "Great," she thought feeling disappointed that she just couldn't come out and say what she wanted to say.
Anthony caught her off guard when he asked, "So what have you been thinking about?" Unfortunately now he had spoken she wasn't anymore relieved from her anxiety than before. "A lot of things. but mostly about you." He cocked an eyebrow at her in question. "Well and me too. And Us. And Kate." Anthony had to suppress a smile at her babbling. Dylan sat down and he did as well. They sat in silence again finally she said, "You wore jeans."
He wasn't sure if it was a question or a statement but he answered anyway, "Yes."
"They looked good. Different "
Once again neither of them spoke. They sat there watching each other trying to figure out what the other one was thinking. To her surprise Anthony spoke first, "What happened today?" It was her turn to look at him questioningly. "What do you mean?" she asked. Anthony wondered if she was denying or if she just forgot.
A light went on in Dylan's head, "Oh at the museum?" She had been cold to him when all she had wanted to do was throw her arms around his neck and kiss him silly. Kate happened. She." Dylan paused ashamed of how she over reacted but he reached out and touched her hand encouraging her to continue. Anthony had a feeling that Kate had something to do with her reaction after the fight. He wanted to hear what she had done.
The moment he touched her hand butterflies formed in her stomach. "She said.no she implied that the two of you had slept together. That you thought she was great in bed." There she had finally spit it out and now she was waiting for a reply.
He let go of her hand. At first Dylan thought that he was going to get up and leave but instead he leaned forward and kissed her, then he wiped away the stray tear she hadn't even realized that had rolled down the side of her nose. "No, I never slept with Kate," he said. "I never wanted to since she came back." Moving to sit next to her he related the story of how he had met Kate while living with Dimitri and her rejection of him and the events of the past several days. "I was never in love with her. I only thought I was. I tried to tell you all of this before."
"But you told me in a note and she never gave it to me," said Dylan as things began to fall into place and started to make sense. She thought about Kate's smile as she used the taser. Kate hadn't helped the Chief; she had used the Chief as much as the Chief had used her and the eggs. "That bitch!" she yelled standing. Anthony reached out and took her hand trying to calm her down but she didn't want to be calmed. "I know she is in jail I just.I don't know I just wish I could make her pay."
"She will," he said looking at her with an eerie calmness. At first Dylan wondered if he was going to do something then she realized that he meant people like her always get what is coming to them; Knox, Wood, and O'Grady all did so why did she doubt Kate would.
*-*-*-*-*
Kate stood at the bars staring at the blank concrete block wall across from her. She would occasionally glance towards the door at the end of the corridor that lead from the holding area to freedom trying to will someone to let her out. Sighing she rested her head against the cold steel bars and closed her eyes wondering how he could have just walked out on her like that, like she was nothing, like they didn't have a past. Dimitri used to tell her that "Anton" was like the son he never had so didn't that make them at least family? "He should have been more loyal to me than to Dylan," she thought once again feeling indignant at the way he treated her.
A noise at the far end of the hallway reached her ears through the din of her cell mates behind her. The other women tried to convince her to relax and watch whatever talk show was being displayed on the TV mounted outside the cell opposite of the corner in which she was standing but she had no interest in their problems. At the moment she only cared for her own. Although she heard the noise Kate was too lost in thought to recognize it as a guard coming down the hall.
"Good to see I don't have to work so hard to get your attention this time," boomed the guard catching her unaware and causing her to jump slightly. She couldn't help but smile as he unhooked a large bundle of keys on a ring from his belt and fumbled finding the one for the cell. "Your lawyer is waiting for you," he said as he slid the door open, it squeaking on its track.
"My lawyer?" she asked not even aware that she had one. When she was booked she searched frantically through her purse for the estate attorney's number that Anthony had given her hoping that perhaps he knew of a defense lawyer.
"Lawyer, Public Defender, whatever. You're free to go." He stepped away from the door to give her enough space to come out into the narrow corridor.
"To see my lawyer?" she asked looking up at the man confused. She hadn't even considered the fact that she was in the US and could have a public defender.
"Yeah to see him and not come back here. I over heard him talking to another officer. He managed to convince the judge that you were wrongfully here or somethin'. Just grab your things," he said motioning back towards the cell.
Noticing that she forgot the blazer to the suit she was wearing she darted back into the cell and grabbed it off the bed. Flashing a bright smile at her former cell mates she wished them well and with a spring in her step followed the guard out into the bustling main area of the precinct. She looked around hoping to spot who the public defender was who had gotten her off so easily and quite was surprised when a tall man with wavy blonde hair in an Armani suit and an eye patch stepped up to her and gave her a slow smile that didn't quite reach his good eye.
It took her a moment but upon recognizing him her good mood quickly dissipated. "Come Kate, we have some things to discuss." He grabbed her arm firmly to lead her out of the station. She took a wistful glance back at the holding area door. "Do you want to go back there? I can make sure that you never see your darling assassin again." She didn't trust Christoph but he was offering her freedom although she also knew it was like making a deal with the devil but it wasn't the first time she had done so and was certain that it wouldn't be the last.
As he sat down waiting for her to get done he wasn't sure anymore if going there was a good idea. He ran his hand though his gelled hair causing it to fall out of place. They needed to talk, that much he knew but, "Damn!" he thought while removing a cigarette from its case and lighting it with a shaky hand. Only she could make him so nervous, only she could break the cool façade that he had so carefully constructed around himself from the time he was a boy. He inhaled deeply feeling the nicotine laced smoke swirl into his lungs and calming his nerves. Reaching into his pocket he brought the lock of red hair to his face and drew in her essence, it was a reminder of what he had to do.
Walking into the bedroom he picked her discarded clothes off the floor along the way. A tiny smile crossed his face at her messiness and he placed them neatly on the bed. As he went to the French doors which gave away to a balcony overlooking the ocean he stumbled over something, actually several somethings. Three cardboard boxes were blocking the way, he didn't want to pry but he was curious. He flicked the ashes into a dirty cup she had left on the bed side table. Placing the cigarette between his lips he sat down on the edge of the unmade bed and opened the box. Inside were a stack of his CDs and a few of his books. He reached for the second box when a voice said from behind him, "It's all yours."
Dylan hadn't heard him come in but from the moment she stepped out of the shower she could smell the smoke from his cigarettes. She quickly dried off and pulled on the clothes she had taken with her into the bathroom. She was a bit shocked, she expected to see him in the living room but instead he was in the bedroom looking through the packed boxes of his belongings. She wasn't at all prepared for this. In the shower she had been going over in her head what she wanted to say to him but now he was there all her words had gone out the window.
He hadn't heard the shower shut off. He was surprised when turned to see Dylan standing there in a pair of boxers, which were his and a baggy white t-shirt drying her hair with a faded blue towel. They looked at each other in silence. She knew she couldn't expect him to break it but as she was about to begin he said, "Dylan." She waited for him to go on but he didn't. He stood and paced a moment then went over to the doors and stepped out on the balcony.
A storm was coming in. The sky was a bruised purple color and the wind blew the loose strands of his hair. Anthony took a deep drag on the cigarette that he held in his hand then flicked it carelessly over the side. He wanted to say more to her but wasn't sure what else to say. He wanted to tell her how a part of him had died when the house blew up and there was no sign of her. He wanted to tell her how he considered ending his own life since without her he had no reason to go on. He wouldn't have he had too much of an instinct for self-preservation but he had thought of it. And he thought about how much she had changed him, but none of that would come to him. Instead he stood staring out at the gray rolling ocean.
Dylan wondered if her talk with Alex was for nothing. Yes, she had come to the conclusion that she wanted him but what if he had come to the opposite conclusion. What if he decided he wanted to be with Kate? Was that why he left the room, to find a way to tell her? She felt a lump in her throat at the thought and tried to swallow it down. It was one of those times when she wished she still smoked and wondered if he would mind if she bummed one off of him. She stepped out on two the balcony with him. The wind caught the damp strands of hair and whipped them around her face. Anthony reached out and brushed them back and tucked the sides behind her ears. His hands were warm compared to the cool air against her cheek.
Giving him a smile she turned back to look out at the dark water. "So," she began nervously. "I don't suppose you came here to watch the storm come in did you?" Dylan watched out of the corner of her eye as he shook his head "no". He started to reach for another cigarette but stopped and reached out snatching a piece of her hair. "Ouch!" she yelled rubbing the new bald patch and then turned to him. His eyes were closed in ecstasy as he ran the hair along his jaw and inhaled its freshly perfumed fragrance. Part of her was waiting for him to give a yelping scream but he didn't. He slowly opened his eyes and locked them with hers.
It was all Dylan could do not to jerk away. It was as though he was telepathic, telling her everything he wanted her to know with his hypnotic icy blue eyes. Suddenly he was the one who broke the contact. She stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around him. "I thought I lost you too," she said. "I woke in the hospital as a Jane Doe. There wasn't any sign of you or Alex or Natalie." Cautiously he put his arms around her and held her to his chest. It felt so right to him and he hoped she could feel it too. "I wasn't sure if you made it out alive or not, but Charlie straightened me out. He told me where everyone was. The relief," she sighed, "knowing that my family, however odd a family they are, was still there was the most important thing. Ow.sorry my ribs are a bit beat up." He didn't realize how tightly he was holding her.
He let her go and looked at her disappointedly. She said everything that he wanted to hear except that she loved him. He had never wanted to hear that so badly before in his life. "Her family," that was the statement that was causing him to lose hope. What did that mean? Was he a brother like the Bosleys, Max, and the angels' boyfriends? Was that how she thought about him now? If he had to live with that he could and he would but he wanted more from her, he wanted back what they had. In the month he had been together he had questioned whether it was worth it. Whether it was worth giving up his job? He hadn't even realized he was doing it until the Chief pointed it out to him, but the Chief also made him realize she was worth it. The question still remained rolling around in his mind; would she be willing to give it back.
Not noticing his disappointment Dylan continued. "I've been thinking a lot the past couple days." A clap of thunder caused her to jump and the clouds opened up releasing a steady drizzle. "Maybe we should go inside?" she asked. He nodded and held the door open for her. She stepped through and waited for him. "Do you want anything to drink?" she asked turning on the lights. "Do you want anything to drink" she repeated silently to herself thinking of all the things she could have said instead. He shook his head. His silence was making her nervous. "Or eat?" "Great," she thought feeling disappointed that she just couldn't come out and say what she wanted to say.
Anthony caught her off guard when he asked, "So what have you been thinking about?" Unfortunately now he had spoken she wasn't anymore relieved from her anxiety than before. "A lot of things. but mostly about you." He cocked an eyebrow at her in question. "Well and me too. And Us. And Kate." Anthony had to suppress a smile at her babbling. Dylan sat down and he did as well. They sat in silence again finally she said, "You wore jeans."
He wasn't sure if it was a question or a statement but he answered anyway, "Yes."
"They looked good. Different "
Once again neither of them spoke. They sat there watching each other trying to figure out what the other one was thinking. To her surprise Anthony spoke first, "What happened today?" It was her turn to look at him questioningly. "What do you mean?" she asked. Anthony wondered if she was denying or if she just forgot.
A light went on in Dylan's head, "Oh at the museum?" She had been cold to him when all she had wanted to do was throw her arms around his neck and kiss him silly. Kate happened. She." Dylan paused ashamed of how she over reacted but he reached out and touched her hand encouraging her to continue. Anthony had a feeling that Kate had something to do with her reaction after the fight. He wanted to hear what she had done.
The moment he touched her hand butterflies formed in her stomach. "She said.no she implied that the two of you had slept together. That you thought she was great in bed." There she had finally spit it out and now she was waiting for a reply.
He let go of her hand. At first Dylan thought that he was going to get up and leave but instead he leaned forward and kissed her, then he wiped away the stray tear she hadn't even realized that had rolled down the side of her nose. "No, I never slept with Kate," he said. "I never wanted to since she came back." Moving to sit next to her he related the story of how he had met Kate while living with Dimitri and her rejection of him and the events of the past several days. "I was never in love with her. I only thought I was. I tried to tell you all of this before."
"But you told me in a note and she never gave it to me," said Dylan as things began to fall into place and started to make sense. She thought about Kate's smile as she used the taser. Kate hadn't helped the Chief; she had used the Chief as much as the Chief had used her and the eggs. "That bitch!" she yelled standing. Anthony reached out and took her hand trying to calm her down but she didn't want to be calmed. "I know she is in jail I just.I don't know I just wish I could make her pay."
"She will," he said looking at her with an eerie calmness. At first Dylan wondered if he was going to do something then she realized that he meant people like her always get what is coming to them; Knox, Wood, and O'Grady all did so why did she doubt Kate would.
*-*-*-*-*
Kate stood at the bars staring at the blank concrete block wall across from her. She would occasionally glance towards the door at the end of the corridor that lead from the holding area to freedom trying to will someone to let her out. Sighing she rested her head against the cold steel bars and closed her eyes wondering how he could have just walked out on her like that, like she was nothing, like they didn't have a past. Dimitri used to tell her that "Anton" was like the son he never had so didn't that make them at least family? "He should have been more loyal to me than to Dylan," she thought once again feeling indignant at the way he treated her.
A noise at the far end of the hallway reached her ears through the din of her cell mates behind her. The other women tried to convince her to relax and watch whatever talk show was being displayed on the TV mounted outside the cell opposite of the corner in which she was standing but she had no interest in their problems. At the moment she only cared for her own. Although she heard the noise Kate was too lost in thought to recognize it as a guard coming down the hall.
"Good to see I don't have to work so hard to get your attention this time," boomed the guard catching her unaware and causing her to jump slightly. She couldn't help but smile as he unhooked a large bundle of keys on a ring from his belt and fumbled finding the one for the cell. "Your lawyer is waiting for you," he said as he slid the door open, it squeaking on its track.
"My lawyer?" she asked not even aware that she had one. When she was booked she searched frantically through her purse for the estate attorney's number that Anthony had given her hoping that perhaps he knew of a defense lawyer.
"Lawyer, Public Defender, whatever. You're free to go." He stepped away from the door to give her enough space to come out into the narrow corridor.
"To see my lawyer?" she asked looking up at the man confused. She hadn't even considered the fact that she was in the US and could have a public defender.
"Yeah to see him and not come back here. I over heard him talking to another officer. He managed to convince the judge that you were wrongfully here or somethin'. Just grab your things," he said motioning back towards the cell.
Noticing that she forgot the blazer to the suit she was wearing she darted back into the cell and grabbed it off the bed. Flashing a bright smile at her former cell mates she wished them well and with a spring in her step followed the guard out into the bustling main area of the precinct. She looked around hoping to spot who the public defender was who had gotten her off so easily and quite was surprised when a tall man with wavy blonde hair in an Armani suit and an eye patch stepped up to her and gave her a slow smile that didn't quite reach his good eye.
It took her a moment but upon recognizing him her good mood quickly dissipated. "Come Kate, we have some things to discuss." He grabbed her arm firmly to lead her out of the station. She took a wistful glance back at the holding area door. "Do you want to go back there? I can make sure that you never see your darling assassin again." She didn't trust Christoph but he was offering her freedom although she also knew it was like making a deal with the devil but it wasn't the first time she had done so and was certain that it wouldn't be the last.