Daniel looked around the quiet café and watched as the waitress came over to take their order. "Um...I'll have the strongest coffee you have in the largest portion you do..."
"Sure thing." The waitress turned her attention to Paul, whom she regarded with open interest. "What can I get you sugar?"
Daniel watched Paul smile up at her and place his order. Daniel's gaze shifted to Natasha who was staring out of the window, oblivious to what was going on inside.
"Ma'am...." The waitresses gaze was fixed on Natasha as she tried to get her attention.
"Natasha." Paul's voice was again soft and if Daniel hadn't known better, he'd have placed money on the fact that they were involved.
This didn't escape the notice of the waitress. "Can I get you anything?"
Natasha turned at the impatient tone in her voice and regarded her coldly. "Coffee....strong...black."
The waitress sighed and left to get their orders. "So....seeing as I'm banished from my own house...where are you guys planning on taking me?"
"Somewhere safe."
"Paul...where are we going to take her. I mean, we can't take her back to the base. And unless you know something I don't..." Daniel frowned at his friend.
"Well I'm not taking any chances Daniel. The NID are not going to give up that easily."
"Excuse me?" Natasha regarded them both. "That's the second time you've mentioned that. NID? What is it?"
"It's a department of the government that..."
"Paul!" Daniel cut him off abruptly with a gently warning tone.
"What the HELL is going on?!?!" Natasha was angry now.
"Ssssshhhh." Daniel frowned and tried to calm her down.
"Don't you "shush" me! I just had my life threatened...I reserve the right to be pissed off!"
"Tash...." Paul murmured softly whilst gently stroking her arm. "Keep your voice down ok?"
"No it's NOT ok!" Natasha fell silent as the waitress came back with their order.
Daniel waited until she was gone. "I realize that it's not ok but..."
"...but what? It will be? Is that what you're trying to tell me?"
"Well...I mean...there are no guarantees..."
"Daniel....what he's trying to say Tash, is that..."
Natasha looked at them both. "Tell me...right now...what the hell is going on...or I walk." She waited for a few moments as Daniel and Paul stared at each other. "Fine." She collected her bag and got up. When Paul refused to move and let her out, she climbed onto the booth seat, onto the table and left that way, knocking over Paul's coffee on route.
Daniel watched her exit and then looked at Paul. "She's very..."
"...feisty?" Paul offered as he got up and followed her.
"Yeah..." Daniel replied softly into his coffee.
"TASH!" Paul hurried after her and grabbed her by the arm, turning her around. "Don't....if you leave, I can't protect you." He saw the anger flash in her eyes.
"I can protect myself."
"Not from the NID!"
"Says who?"
"Says me!"
Natasha stared at him carefully. "You're not my husband anymore Paul. It's not your job to protect me."
"Yes it is."
"No..."
"IT IS....you're only in this situation because of your involvement with me!"
Natasha sighed and shrugged her arm away from his grip. "Fine. But don't expect me to co-operate unless you tell me *exactly* what is going on!"
"Sure thing." The waitress turned her attention to Paul, whom she regarded with open interest. "What can I get you sugar?"
Daniel watched Paul smile up at her and place his order. Daniel's gaze shifted to Natasha who was staring out of the window, oblivious to what was going on inside.
"Ma'am...." The waitresses gaze was fixed on Natasha as she tried to get her attention.
"Natasha." Paul's voice was again soft and if Daniel hadn't known better, he'd have placed money on the fact that they were involved.
This didn't escape the notice of the waitress. "Can I get you anything?"
Natasha turned at the impatient tone in her voice and regarded her coldly. "Coffee....strong...black."
The waitress sighed and left to get their orders. "So....seeing as I'm banished from my own house...where are you guys planning on taking me?"
"Somewhere safe."
"Paul...where are we going to take her. I mean, we can't take her back to the base. And unless you know something I don't..." Daniel frowned at his friend.
"Well I'm not taking any chances Daniel. The NID are not going to give up that easily."
"Excuse me?" Natasha regarded them both. "That's the second time you've mentioned that. NID? What is it?"
"It's a department of the government that..."
"Paul!" Daniel cut him off abruptly with a gently warning tone.
"What the HELL is going on?!?!" Natasha was angry now.
"Ssssshhhh." Daniel frowned and tried to calm her down.
"Don't you "shush" me! I just had my life threatened...I reserve the right to be pissed off!"
"Tash...." Paul murmured softly whilst gently stroking her arm. "Keep your voice down ok?"
"No it's NOT ok!" Natasha fell silent as the waitress came back with their order.
Daniel waited until she was gone. "I realize that it's not ok but..."
"...but what? It will be? Is that what you're trying to tell me?"
"Well...I mean...there are no guarantees..."
"Daniel....what he's trying to say Tash, is that..."
Natasha looked at them both. "Tell me...right now...what the hell is going on...or I walk." She waited for a few moments as Daniel and Paul stared at each other. "Fine." She collected her bag and got up. When Paul refused to move and let her out, she climbed onto the booth seat, onto the table and left that way, knocking over Paul's coffee on route.
Daniel watched her exit and then looked at Paul. "She's very..."
"...feisty?" Paul offered as he got up and followed her.
"Yeah..." Daniel replied softly into his coffee.
"TASH!" Paul hurried after her and grabbed her by the arm, turning her around. "Don't....if you leave, I can't protect you." He saw the anger flash in her eyes.
"I can protect myself."
"Not from the NID!"
"Says who?"
"Says me!"
Natasha stared at him carefully. "You're not my husband anymore Paul. It's not your job to protect me."
"Yes it is."
"No..."
"IT IS....you're only in this situation because of your involvement with me!"
Natasha sighed and shrugged her arm away from his grip. "Fine. But don't expect me to co-operate unless you tell me *exactly* what is going on!"