A/N I want to give a big thank you once again, to all my reviewers. I am so
glad you took the time to tell me what you think. It means a lot to me. So
here is chapter 3. Once again I do not own Charlie's Angels, Bosley, Seamus
(only mentioned in this story) or the Thin Man
*-*-*-*-*
The cab driver dropped Dylan off at the London Bridge Hotel where the doorman greeted her with a polite nod and held the door for her to enter. Making her way through the lobby to the elevators she wondered if the angels were done with dinner and if they were up in their rooms wondering where she had been. How would she explain where she had gone? Inwardly she debated whether or not to tell them about her sojourn to the Charing Cross police station. She knew they wouldn't be happy about her dropping the charges against Cartusu and would want an explanation. That was something she couldn't explain. They wouldn't understand what happened tonight and think it was just job stress or and over active imagination. She had thought the same at first but he knew her thoughts.
"Be logical Dylan. What were you thinking?" she asked slapping herself mentally. She couldn't believe that she was willfully requested that a man like Cartusu be set free. He was a violent criminal and Morrison was right if he hadn't attacked her in the park it would have been some one else. Everything had made so much sense before while he was being arrested and it made sense while she was there at the station but now the foggy feeling in her head was lifting the sense wasn't there anymore. She wondered what Inspector Morrison would say if she called him up and told him that she changed her mind. Of course Morrison would probably be too happy to keep him in jail but what would that do to her reputation and the reputation of the agency? Placing the key card in the lock she opened the door to the suite she shared with the others and went inside.
"Hello? Anyone here?" she asked calling into the darkened room. No answer, but she didn't really expect one either. She had taken maybe a half and hour at the station and then a ten minute cab ride. It would have taken the angels and Bosley more time than that to order drinks and decide what they wanted and then eat. Walking into her bedroom she sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her boots off. Once they were in a heap on the floor she dug through her suitcase and found her pajamas. She wanted to take a shower but that could wait until morning she was too tired, physically and mentally to worry about that. Taking off her clothes she changed and slipped under the soft eiderdown quilt of the hotel bed. Her last thought before falling asleep was how good it felt to be off her feet.
*-*-*-*-*
"Dylan was acting strange," said Natalie simply as she stared at the menu. "I think I'll have the Dal Makhni."
Alex set her menu aside, "I'm going with the Chicken Masala. Do you think she was? I think its normal after being attacked like that."
"Normal for someone else maybe but this is Dylan we are talking about. She manages to come out of every assignment smiling. She was even okay after Seamus took a fall from the roof and died."
Alex and Bosley looked at her. "What?" she asked confused. "Yeah Seamus was an asshole but at one point she really loved him. I know if it was my ex I would have seen the good that he had in him, whatever appealed to me in him, laying there impaled the Creepy Thin Man."
"Then you didn't see it?" asked Alex confused and wondering why only now, a year and a half later did they start talking about Dylan and that night.
"Didn't see what?" asked Natalie worriedly.
Alex had seen the kiss between her friend and the assassin. It was hard for her to believe that Dylan would voluntarily kiss him and if anyone had told her what she was about to tell Natalie she wouldn't have believed it. At the premier of Maximum Extreme 2 she tried to reason out the kiss and at the time thought it to be Dylan getting caught up in the moment with the bad guy; something Dylan did quite a bit but then she realized there was more to it. "Okay here it goes, Dylan was upset but not about Seamus. She was upset about the Creepy Thin Man."
"I don't get it," said Natalie.
"Me either," said Bosley. Then the waiter came over they all proceeded to order. Once he left, Alex continued.
More to herself than to her friends she said, "I can't believe we are just now talking about this." "Okay," she sat straighter, leaned forward a bit, and looked at Natalie. "You were fighting Madison and I was working on his goons. I turned around and there was the Thin Man standing there smoking a cigarette. Suddenly he tossed it to the ground and I assumed he was going to attack so I attacked him and he fended himself off."
"I know this," said Natalie. "Didn't you say he killed one who came up behind you with a knife?"
Alex nodded. "Then there was a scream from Dylan as Seamus held her over the edge of the roof."
"And he pulled her up," said Bosley. "We know this but being grateful doesn't make a girl get depressed when a guy dies does it?"
"Okay okay I told you that part but as I finished off another thug I saw the two of them kiss." She watched as Natalie looked at her with wide eyes. "Now before you say anything it wasn't a peck on the cheek it was a full- blown kiss."
"Wow!" said Natalie. "So you think that was why she was sort of off after the HALO case? She fell for the bad guy."
Alex nodded again. "I'm surprised you didn't know."
"I just thought it was about Seamus. I didn't realize. How come you never said anything?" she asked feeling bad that she wasn't there for her best friend when she needed her. "I didn't think it was my place and she seemed to get over it pretty fast. I only noticed because she had been quiet and not our usual bouncy tomboy. I asked her about it but she didn't say much just said that it was her time of the month."
Bosley covered his ears, "I do not need to know that you ladies have times of the month okay? Too much information."
"Sorry Bos, we won't talk about that," said Alex as she and Natalie laughed. "Anyway the next day she was back to her old self or seemed to be."
"Then maybe it wasn't the Thin Man and it was." Natalie stopped as Bosley's hand flew back up to his ears. "Okay see she does get effected by cases so she wasn't being weird. Still I'm worried about her. Maybe I should call the hotel and see how she is."
"And risk waking her up if she is asleep? Damn girl, your braver than I am," replied Bosley taking a sip of his Chai tea.
"I have a bad feeling," said Natalie "In other words my angel senses are tingling." With that she grabbed her coat and headed for the door.
"Hang on Nat," called Alex, "I'm coming too. Bos, can you have the waiter pack everything into boxes? Thanks." With that she walked quickly to the door to join Natalie.
*-*-*-*-*-*
In his cell Cartusu lay on the cot and stared out the small bared window at the night sky. A building across the street blocked most of it from his view except for a small strip of black with a few twinkling stars. They would be perfect for his entry into her mind. Going into a live mind was a risk he had never tried before; it was dangerous because a living mind was much more powerful than a dying one. Focusing on one of the stars in the strip he let his mind go. "Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale," he mumbled quietly to himself. Soon his breathing and pulse shallowed and he felt his mind un-tether itself from his body. When he learned how to do this his teacher told him he needed to see exactly where he would be going or he might not make it back to his body. Although this was dangerous he didn't think he would have any trouble finding the Sanders woman. Their connection was still strong. How long would it last? That he didn't know but he would use it until he couldn't anymore. He had a feeling it would either amount to his or her demise but that was a chance he was willing to take.
His mind floated above the city, over the quiet black waters of the Thames, past Waterloo Station to the Southwark district. The Tower Bridge was illuminated in the distance against the night sky, the lights of it shining like the stars. Her mind was out there calling to him, he could feel it. "Focus," he told himself as he scanned the area. To come this far and not be able to find her would be sadly funny. Suddenly he felt his mind expand as Dylan's opened into a world of dreams.
*-*-*-*-*-*
The dream was starting and as usual she didn't want it to. It was always the same and despite her forays into the realm of lucid dreaming she couldn't get the outcome to change. She had tried everything to stop it from coming to her every night, seeing the Thin Man die every night had started to take its toll on her. After the first six months of dreaming it she was afraid to go to sleep at night out of fear of seeing his wide startled eyes as Seamus impaled him on his own sword again. Alex had noticed and asked her what was wrong and she had given her a hasty answer about Aunt Flo visiting. Knowing that Alex wouldn't let up and probably include Natalie and Bosley in her concern Dylan broke down and went to see a psychologist.
Seeing a psychologist hadn't been an easy decision to make and it wasn't one that helped much. It was the psychologist who had recommended lucid dreaming which was a big flop. Finally out of desperation and the sense that the angels would start asking questions she went to a regular doctor, told him that she was having trouble sleeping and he gave her a prescription of sleeping tablets. They did the job half the time keeping it so the dreams were at bay and that was enough for her to feel half way normal, but she hadn't brought them with her to London. She didn't understand why this wasn't something she couldn't share with the other angels, she just couldn't. Was it because she was afraid they wouldn't understand the brief connection she had with Anthony? She only called him Anthony in her mind, in her dreams. The main reason she thought sometimes; although she couldn't find away to vocalize it to herself or them, was that she was afraid that they would see her as being weak.
Seamus held her over the edge of the roof. The release of his hand from around her throat startled her. Suddenly Anthony was pulling her upwards. She tried the lucid dreaming, "Anthony we have to get out of here," she said as he looked down at her with anger and softening into something else. "Anthony you have to listen to me," he stroked her cheek and lowered his lips to hers. Once again it didn't work once again he would be killed she thought as she savoured his kiss. Bracing herself for the inevitable hair pull but it didn't come. Instead she opened her eyes and screamed. She wasn't kissing Anthony but Cartusu.
"I know you and you know me," he said laughing at her. She looked around and time in the dream slowed. She saw Natalie throw a punch at Madison and Madison begin to avoid it, everyone was moving as though someone it the slo- mo button. "We are one and the same. I know you are giving me what I want I'll give you what you want. What are you prepared to sacrifice for it Dylan? Nothing we truly want comes without a sacrifice. Your friends? Charlie? Yourself? Think Dylan I will want an answer." With that he slowly dissolved and Anthony came back in focus but not before time sped back to its original speed. Once again Dylan screamed as the Thin Man stumbled and fell off the roof top.
*-*-*-*-*
The angels opened the hotel suite door only to be confronted by screams. Running they threw open the door to Dylan's room and turned the light on. She was thrashing about in the bed. "Dylan," called Natalie as she sat on the edge of the bed and gently shook her friend. "Dylan?" The red-head didn't respond.
"Dylan, its Alex, wake up," Alex patted her face still nothing happened. "She is in a really deep sleep." Gently she lifted her sleeping friends arm and took her pulse. "Her heart beat it fast, its almost as if she is working out. "Dylan," said Alex louder and more urgently.
Suddenly Dylan screamed again and sat up right, eyes open but unseeing. "Dylan sweetie," Natalie said in her most calming voice. Dylan looked around finally awake and threw her arms around Natalie sobbing against the thin blonde's shoulder. "Sshh.its okay Dyl, we're here for you." Unlike Alex, Natalie never noticed the gold medallion hanging around Dylan's neck.
*-*-*-*-*
The cab driver dropped Dylan off at the London Bridge Hotel where the doorman greeted her with a polite nod and held the door for her to enter. Making her way through the lobby to the elevators she wondered if the angels were done with dinner and if they were up in their rooms wondering where she had been. How would she explain where she had gone? Inwardly she debated whether or not to tell them about her sojourn to the Charing Cross police station. She knew they wouldn't be happy about her dropping the charges against Cartusu and would want an explanation. That was something she couldn't explain. They wouldn't understand what happened tonight and think it was just job stress or and over active imagination. She had thought the same at first but he knew her thoughts.
"Be logical Dylan. What were you thinking?" she asked slapping herself mentally. She couldn't believe that she was willfully requested that a man like Cartusu be set free. He was a violent criminal and Morrison was right if he hadn't attacked her in the park it would have been some one else. Everything had made so much sense before while he was being arrested and it made sense while she was there at the station but now the foggy feeling in her head was lifting the sense wasn't there anymore. She wondered what Inspector Morrison would say if she called him up and told him that she changed her mind. Of course Morrison would probably be too happy to keep him in jail but what would that do to her reputation and the reputation of the agency? Placing the key card in the lock she opened the door to the suite she shared with the others and went inside.
"Hello? Anyone here?" she asked calling into the darkened room. No answer, but she didn't really expect one either. She had taken maybe a half and hour at the station and then a ten minute cab ride. It would have taken the angels and Bosley more time than that to order drinks and decide what they wanted and then eat. Walking into her bedroom she sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her boots off. Once they were in a heap on the floor she dug through her suitcase and found her pajamas. She wanted to take a shower but that could wait until morning she was too tired, physically and mentally to worry about that. Taking off her clothes she changed and slipped under the soft eiderdown quilt of the hotel bed. Her last thought before falling asleep was how good it felt to be off her feet.
*-*-*-*-*
"Dylan was acting strange," said Natalie simply as she stared at the menu. "I think I'll have the Dal Makhni."
Alex set her menu aside, "I'm going with the Chicken Masala. Do you think she was? I think its normal after being attacked like that."
"Normal for someone else maybe but this is Dylan we are talking about. She manages to come out of every assignment smiling. She was even okay after Seamus took a fall from the roof and died."
Alex and Bosley looked at her. "What?" she asked confused. "Yeah Seamus was an asshole but at one point she really loved him. I know if it was my ex I would have seen the good that he had in him, whatever appealed to me in him, laying there impaled the Creepy Thin Man."
"Then you didn't see it?" asked Alex confused and wondering why only now, a year and a half later did they start talking about Dylan and that night.
"Didn't see what?" asked Natalie worriedly.
Alex had seen the kiss between her friend and the assassin. It was hard for her to believe that Dylan would voluntarily kiss him and if anyone had told her what she was about to tell Natalie she wouldn't have believed it. At the premier of Maximum Extreme 2 she tried to reason out the kiss and at the time thought it to be Dylan getting caught up in the moment with the bad guy; something Dylan did quite a bit but then she realized there was more to it. "Okay here it goes, Dylan was upset but not about Seamus. She was upset about the Creepy Thin Man."
"I don't get it," said Natalie.
"Me either," said Bosley. Then the waiter came over they all proceeded to order. Once he left, Alex continued.
More to herself than to her friends she said, "I can't believe we are just now talking about this." "Okay," she sat straighter, leaned forward a bit, and looked at Natalie. "You were fighting Madison and I was working on his goons. I turned around and there was the Thin Man standing there smoking a cigarette. Suddenly he tossed it to the ground and I assumed he was going to attack so I attacked him and he fended himself off."
"I know this," said Natalie. "Didn't you say he killed one who came up behind you with a knife?"
Alex nodded. "Then there was a scream from Dylan as Seamus held her over the edge of the roof."
"And he pulled her up," said Bosley. "We know this but being grateful doesn't make a girl get depressed when a guy dies does it?"
"Okay okay I told you that part but as I finished off another thug I saw the two of them kiss." She watched as Natalie looked at her with wide eyes. "Now before you say anything it wasn't a peck on the cheek it was a full- blown kiss."
"Wow!" said Natalie. "So you think that was why she was sort of off after the HALO case? She fell for the bad guy."
Alex nodded again. "I'm surprised you didn't know."
"I just thought it was about Seamus. I didn't realize. How come you never said anything?" she asked feeling bad that she wasn't there for her best friend when she needed her. "I didn't think it was my place and she seemed to get over it pretty fast. I only noticed because she had been quiet and not our usual bouncy tomboy. I asked her about it but she didn't say much just said that it was her time of the month."
Bosley covered his ears, "I do not need to know that you ladies have times of the month okay? Too much information."
"Sorry Bos, we won't talk about that," said Alex as she and Natalie laughed. "Anyway the next day she was back to her old self or seemed to be."
"Then maybe it wasn't the Thin Man and it was." Natalie stopped as Bosley's hand flew back up to his ears. "Okay see she does get effected by cases so she wasn't being weird. Still I'm worried about her. Maybe I should call the hotel and see how she is."
"And risk waking her up if she is asleep? Damn girl, your braver than I am," replied Bosley taking a sip of his Chai tea.
"I have a bad feeling," said Natalie "In other words my angel senses are tingling." With that she grabbed her coat and headed for the door.
"Hang on Nat," called Alex, "I'm coming too. Bos, can you have the waiter pack everything into boxes? Thanks." With that she walked quickly to the door to join Natalie.
*-*-*-*-*-*
In his cell Cartusu lay on the cot and stared out the small bared window at the night sky. A building across the street blocked most of it from his view except for a small strip of black with a few twinkling stars. They would be perfect for his entry into her mind. Going into a live mind was a risk he had never tried before; it was dangerous because a living mind was much more powerful than a dying one. Focusing on one of the stars in the strip he let his mind go. "Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale," he mumbled quietly to himself. Soon his breathing and pulse shallowed and he felt his mind un-tether itself from his body. When he learned how to do this his teacher told him he needed to see exactly where he would be going or he might not make it back to his body. Although this was dangerous he didn't think he would have any trouble finding the Sanders woman. Their connection was still strong. How long would it last? That he didn't know but he would use it until he couldn't anymore. He had a feeling it would either amount to his or her demise but that was a chance he was willing to take.
His mind floated above the city, over the quiet black waters of the Thames, past Waterloo Station to the Southwark district. The Tower Bridge was illuminated in the distance against the night sky, the lights of it shining like the stars. Her mind was out there calling to him, he could feel it. "Focus," he told himself as he scanned the area. To come this far and not be able to find her would be sadly funny. Suddenly he felt his mind expand as Dylan's opened into a world of dreams.
*-*-*-*-*-*
The dream was starting and as usual she didn't want it to. It was always the same and despite her forays into the realm of lucid dreaming she couldn't get the outcome to change. She had tried everything to stop it from coming to her every night, seeing the Thin Man die every night had started to take its toll on her. After the first six months of dreaming it she was afraid to go to sleep at night out of fear of seeing his wide startled eyes as Seamus impaled him on his own sword again. Alex had noticed and asked her what was wrong and she had given her a hasty answer about Aunt Flo visiting. Knowing that Alex wouldn't let up and probably include Natalie and Bosley in her concern Dylan broke down and went to see a psychologist.
Seeing a psychologist hadn't been an easy decision to make and it wasn't one that helped much. It was the psychologist who had recommended lucid dreaming which was a big flop. Finally out of desperation and the sense that the angels would start asking questions she went to a regular doctor, told him that she was having trouble sleeping and he gave her a prescription of sleeping tablets. They did the job half the time keeping it so the dreams were at bay and that was enough for her to feel half way normal, but she hadn't brought them with her to London. She didn't understand why this wasn't something she couldn't share with the other angels, she just couldn't. Was it because she was afraid they wouldn't understand the brief connection she had with Anthony? She only called him Anthony in her mind, in her dreams. The main reason she thought sometimes; although she couldn't find away to vocalize it to herself or them, was that she was afraid that they would see her as being weak.
Seamus held her over the edge of the roof. The release of his hand from around her throat startled her. Suddenly Anthony was pulling her upwards. She tried the lucid dreaming, "Anthony we have to get out of here," she said as he looked down at her with anger and softening into something else. "Anthony you have to listen to me," he stroked her cheek and lowered his lips to hers. Once again it didn't work once again he would be killed she thought as she savoured his kiss. Bracing herself for the inevitable hair pull but it didn't come. Instead she opened her eyes and screamed. She wasn't kissing Anthony but Cartusu.
"I know you and you know me," he said laughing at her. She looked around and time in the dream slowed. She saw Natalie throw a punch at Madison and Madison begin to avoid it, everyone was moving as though someone it the slo- mo button. "We are one and the same. I know you are giving me what I want I'll give you what you want. What are you prepared to sacrifice for it Dylan? Nothing we truly want comes without a sacrifice. Your friends? Charlie? Yourself? Think Dylan I will want an answer." With that he slowly dissolved and Anthony came back in focus but not before time sped back to its original speed. Once again Dylan screamed as the Thin Man stumbled and fell off the roof top.
*-*-*-*-*
The angels opened the hotel suite door only to be confronted by screams. Running they threw open the door to Dylan's room and turned the light on. She was thrashing about in the bed. "Dylan," called Natalie as she sat on the edge of the bed and gently shook her friend. "Dylan?" The red-head didn't respond.
"Dylan, its Alex, wake up," Alex patted her face still nothing happened. "She is in a really deep sleep." Gently she lifted her sleeping friends arm and took her pulse. "Her heart beat it fast, its almost as if she is working out. "Dylan," said Alex louder and more urgently.
Suddenly Dylan screamed again and sat up right, eyes open but unseeing. "Dylan sweetie," Natalie said in her most calming voice. Dylan looked around finally awake and threw her arms around Natalie sobbing against the thin blonde's shoulder. "Sshh.its okay Dyl, we're here for you." Unlike Alex, Natalie never noticed the gold medallion hanging around Dylan's neck.
