Chapter 2

It was a busy night in the bar, but every chance she got between serving customers Frankie would sneak a peak towards Darien's table. One time she'd even caught him staring straight back at her, until the small bald guy…what was his name…Bobby, had leaned in to whisper something that had the younger man turning away quickly in obvious embarrassment.

Then she got distracted by a rowdy group in for the night to celebrate a birthday or something, and the next time she had the chance to check him out …he'd gone. The empty glasses and beer bottles were already being cleared from the table Darien and his friends had occupied earlier.

The fact that he'd just left without even so much as a 'goodbye, see ya in another 7 years" really bothered her, and meant she finished the rest of her shift under a cloud of melancholy. It seemed like fate or something had brought him to the bar tonight; the very last person she thought she would ever see again had turned up when she desperately needed someone.

Idle musings about fate and destiny were irrelevant now anyway; he'd disappeared from her life…again. And who could blame him? He'd probably had a flashback to the last time they'd been together - when he was lying stretched out on a gurney in ER, after her brother and two of his thugs had worked him over so badly he'd ended up with a broken arm, two busted ribs, a concussion and suspected internal bleeding; more than enough to scare him into ending their relationship. At the time she'd thought her entire world had ended, but she'd never blamed him for leaving, not for a single minute.

So, after convincing herself that she would never see him again, the last person Frankie expected to find outside the bar when she left a little after midnight was Darien Fawkes. But there he was, lounging casually against a wall, wide boyish grin in place the moment he spotted her.

They stared at each other awkwardly until Darien took the initiative and came forward, slipping his arms around Frankie and pulling her into a tight hug; his face burying itself in the silken strands of her long hair.

"Hmm, you even smell like I remember," he sighed after a moment, his arms loosening their grip just enough so that Frankie could pull back slightly and stare up at him in amusement.

"It's stale beer, hardly Chanel No. 5."

Darien chuckled. "Baby, on you anything would smell good."

"It's really good to see you Darien," she said honestly, then arched an eyebrow curiously. "But aren't you supposed to be in prison?"

Over the years she'd checked up on him every now and then through mutual friends, and she'd heard about his third strike in 2000. At the time, she'd been devastated, grieving for his lost freedom and for the sheer waste of all that hidden potential.

"Now that's a long story, and I don't think you'd believe it, even if I could tell you."

"Try me."

Darien smiled before running a finger along the line of her jaw and then planting a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Trust me, there are some things you're better off not knowing." His vague response made Frankie all the more curious, but she decided to drop it. Instead she grinned and nudged him playfully.

"Wanna walk me home, handsome?"

"Sure, as long as ole Dom ain't gonna jump out from some dark alleyway and beat me to a pulp," Darien teased and Frankie elbowed him in mock disgust as they turned and began to walk along the street, his hand finding hers and their fingers entwining almost without them realizing.

Darien took a furtive glance over his shoulder, back to where the black SUV was parked in the shadows on the corner of the street, just beyond the wide halo of light from a street lamp. The dark outlines of his two-man Agency 'protection team' barely discernible inside the stationary vehicle. "A small price to pay for freedom" is how The Official had put it when he'd broken the news to Darien about the security protocol being put in place around him, supposedly as a temporary measure. But Darien didn't believe that for a minute, not while everyone still had the jitters about his safety following the DoD/ Ella Craven thing.

He'd lost the argument big time on this one, with Borden refusing to budge an inch at his emotionally charged protests. He either learned to live with 24/7 personal security - except when he was on active duty, then it was down to good ole Bobby Hobbes to watch his back - or move out of his apartment and into an agency safe house. Some choice.

The young couple were allowed to reach the end of the block before the vehicle's engine purred gently to life, the sharp beams from its headlights suddenly illuminating the road ahead as it began a slow but discreet pursuit.

It was a beautiful clear night still warm even at this late hour, and they strolled at an easy pace towards her rented apartment about 5 blocks over from the bar. Keeping up a steady banter, just enjoying the pleasure and familiarity of being together again.

Every now and then Frankie would gaze up at Darien in profile.. He'd always been a bit of a heart-breaker in the looks department, but there had been a fundamental change in him that went way deeper than his attractive outer packaging. It took her a while to realize exactly what it was; he'd dropped the brash often arrogant ex-con act he'd actively cultivated back then, even with her sometimes. This individual had matured and was a much gentler and more thoughtful version - probably the man he'd always been beneath those layers of deep routed insecurity.

The journey was over way too soon as far as Darien was concerned. It was a long time since he'd been so completely at ease with someone not connected to the I-Man Project, and it felt really good. Any social life he now had, if you could call it that, was more or less centered around his friends at the Agency; Bobby and Claire mostly.

"We're here." Frankie was motioning towards an apartment block that had obviously seen better days.

"Uh, well I guess now you're home safe I'd better uh…"

"Do you want to come in?" She cut in hesitantly and Darien glanced around, spotting the familiar SUV parking up a short distance away. Suddenly he found himself saying, "I…uh...don't think I should…"

Frankie didn't even try to mask her disappointment. "Okay, if you don't want to then I guess…" she let her words trail off, watching as Darien ran a hand through his hair and then started rubbing the back of his neck absently.

"That's the trouble Frankie, I really do. But, well it's…complicated." He grinned apologetically.

She turned away from him abruptly and for a minute he thought she was about to cry.

"Hey, baby, I didn't mean….Aw crap."

"It's okay Darien, it really is." She flashed him a thin smile, feeling stupid all of a sudden. "It was just so good to see you. My life's gotten a little complicated lately too. I just really needed someone to talk to."

This time he didn't hesitate. "Listen, I'm so here if you need me, you know that right?" His hand had found hers again and he squeezed it, knowing that he wouldn't let go this time, and a moment later he followed Frankie through the entrance to her building and up to her apartment.

The small 4th floor studio was a little shabby but Frankie had done her best to make it as homely as possible, adding some of her own touches in an attempt to brighten the place up a bit She'd already told him she only took the lease for a month and would probably be leaving in a week or so.

Darien was curious to know what had happened to her old life. The main Casati family home had been a palatial spread out by the ocean and Frankie had literally wanted for nothing; her brother Dominic had made sure of that. The complete other end of the spectrum from…this.

As she came over to join him on the couch, placing two steaming mugs of coffee on the low table in front of them, Frankie seemed to read his mind and gave a nervous half smile.

"Guess you're wondering what happened to the spoiled rich brat, huh?"

"No…well yeah… kinda. Hey, you were never that spoiled," he assured grinning mischievously.

Coiling her legs beneath her, she leaned back into the worn cushions and took a sip of her coffee, wrapping her hands around the mug as though it would bring her some form of comfort. "Yes I was," she stated flatly. "If I hadn't been so pampered, then maybe I wouldn't have turned a blind eye to what was going on for all those years."

"Ah, I assume you're referring to the charming Dominic?"

Frankie nodded sadly. "I let him rule my life, manipulate me to the point where I went along with him, and even helped cover up his shoddy little business deals when I had to."

"I know someone who could probably give ole Dom a real run for his money in the fine art of manipulation," he muttered vaguely, before reaching for his coffee. And she caught the hint of something…sadness maybe…in those dark brown eyes.

"Darien, the truth is that I haven't seen Dominic in nearly a year. I've been living…hiding out all over the place…Vegas up until recently." She watched him carefully to check his reaction, waiting for a sense that it was okay to continue.

"I sort of witnessed something…horrible…and went to the FBI with it." She shivered at the memory and Darien's arm suddenly looped around her shoulders protectively. The closeness and his body heat making her feel safer than she had in a long, long time and Frankie leaned in against him, grateful for his presence.

"Lemme guess," he continued for her. "The Fibbies promised to protect you if you'd testify against Dom, but then didn't deliver?"

Frankie's curiosity was peaked yet again by this cynical comment. "You sound like you're speaking from experience there." .

Shifting uneasily, Darien suddenly strengthened his grip on her shoulders, flashing a wistful smile before prompting her to continue. "Go on baby."

"I can't really blame them…the FBI. - Dominic has some powerful friends, who made it easy for him to find out where they were keeping me before the trial. My dear brother has come up in the world - his payroll now includes city officials, cops, a couple of congressmen and a full-blown senator.

"Before I went running to the Feds I made copies of some of Dominic's more personal files from his computer, detailing names, places, times and every dirty payment they've taken from him. Serves him right for trusting me with his passwords, huh?" She smiled wanly.

Darien stared in sheer disbelief. Even though she'd had moments of rebellion – and their former relationship definitely counted as one of those moments – her loyalty to her brother had never wavered, never been in question. Whatever she'd witnessed, it must have been pretty bad to cause her to turn her back on her old life and family. If he was going to help her, he had to know everything.

"What happened Frankie?" He probed gently.

For the longest time he didn't think she was actually going to answer, just staring sightlessly down at her hands now clasped tightly in her lap, until Darien laid his hand over both of hers. Finally she gave a tiny sob and started speaking in little more than a whisper. "I saw him beat a man to death." Choking back the tears as the horrifying memory resurfaced. "His name was Glenn Coleman and he worked for Dominic as a sort of personal assistant. He was a good man." With a voice faltering slightly she risked a quick anxious glance in Darien's direction. "But it turned out he was an undercover Federal Agent, and when Dominic found out…"

Darien nodded in understanding, having been on the painful receiving end of her brother's vicious temper.

"No one deserves to die like…that." Frankie wiped a hand across her tear-stained face, and for a moment Darien thought his heart would break at the look of despair. Almost instinctively his hand went to her cheek and his fingers delicately traced the track of one of her tear drops, wiping it away and she sniffed, grateful yet again for his touch.

"So you got away from the Feds and you ran?" Darien asked and she nodded absently. "Then why didn't you keep running? Why in hell did you come back here, particularly as I assume you have no intention of testifying now?"

Frankie averted her eyes, trying to conceal the shame she felt at her own fear; hoping he would somehow understand. "My mom's sick…she's in a hospital out near Ocean Beach. An old school friend of mine who's a nurse there, has been sneaking me in after hours to sit with her."

"Hey, I'm sorry Frankie." Darien remembered Mrs. Casati as a really nice lady; warm and friendly…and a great cook. He'd shared many a delicious evening meal with the two of them; until her son Dominic had been released from prison that is, and decided he wanted Darien Fawkes as far away from his family as possible.

"S'okay," she smiled weakly. "I just had to take the chance, to be near her you know?"

Darien nodded sympathetically, his arms going all the way round her now.

"So the job in the bar…?"

"Just temporary. A girl's gotta eat. And as you can see it also pays for my lavish lifestyle." With a wry smile she motioned with her eyes around the tiny apartment.

Frankie studied Darien intently for a moment knowing she was going to take the chance and tell him more. Some inner instinct told her that she could still trust him - that he wouldn't let her down.

"The disk with those files that I mentioned, well I came back for them too. I'm hoping that if I use them as leverage, then Dominic might be willing to call off the wolves and just let me get on with my life."

Darien pulled himself upright and placed both hands on her shoulders, staring straight at her intensely. "So, you're gonna let him off the hook again?"

Her eyes suddenly flashed with anger. "Well what do you want me to do? I'm just so tired of running." Frankie took a calming breath, knowing she was really angry with herself, not Darien. "I've had to move more times than I can remember in the last year 'cause Dominic or the Feds were breathing down my neck. I've just had enough Darien, please try to understand?"

"I do, I really do." A moment later he relaxed. "So, how can I help?"

Even though she'd hoped to hear those words from him, she still couldn't quite believe that he'd said them, so unconditionally, to someone he hadn't seen for so many years and who had no right to expect anything from him.

"I…uh… need to get the disk." She started tentatively, figuring this could actually be the deal breaker, particularly when he found out where she'd hidden them.

"Okay, so we'll go and get 'them," Darien stated with an easy shrug . "Where'd you stash it, a safety deposit box or somethin'?"

"Well not exactly." Frankie winced sheepishly. "I sort of hid it in Dominic's study and just never got the chance to go back for it."

He seemed to dwell on this little snippet of information before a devilish smile spread slowly across his handsome face, reminding Frankie of the brash young thief she had been so in love with back then.

"Well that's gonna be…interesting."

"You're serious, aren't you," she said incredulously, "about helping me?"

"Sure am," he said emphatically. "Have to warn you though, I'm a bit rusty on the whole house B&E thing."

"I'm glad to hear that…I think." She gazed at him in something bordering on awe. "You really are a reformed character, I never would have believed it. The Darien Fawkes I knew was the proverbial thrill junkie."

He chuckled. "Yeah, well these days I get most of my thrills during normal working hours." Of course what he couldn't tell her was that those 'thrills' invariably came with a price…abject terror… and usually involved some lunatic intent on world domination trying to get their hands on him and the little bio-synthetic entity lodged firmly in his head.

"And you still haven't told me what your work is…exactly?" Frankie probed half-teasing.

"That one's just gonna have to keep." Darien offered mysteriously as he languidly stretched his long frame before glancing at his watch. "Hey, look at the time. I guess I should be leav…"

The words caught in his throat as Frankie did something she'd been aching to do practically from the moment she'd seen him again in the bar. Her hand snaked behind his neck tugging his head down, her soft full lips finding his. Kisses tentative and probing at first, but suddenly acquiring an exhilarating urgency for both of them until they pulled apart, breathless and a little shocked by the intensity of the contact.

Darien still looked dazed as Frankie's fingers began tracing slowly and deliberately across the soft material of his tee shirt. As much as he welcomed her touch, wanted nothing more than to follow through and maybe spend the rest of the night snuggled up to this beautiful woman, it would be better for both of them if he left. Apart from anything else, if he was going to put his old skills to good use again then he definitely needed to get in some quality shut eye.

He was also half- expecting one of his Agency minders to come crashing through the door any minute and remind him that he was… "Not permitted to compromise his top level security classification, by engaging in physical contact with a civilian person or persons without the necessary authorization." Darien grinned then despite himself, wondering if he had time to get back to the office and fill in the appropriate request forms in quadruplicate before things got too heated here.

"Frankie, maybe this isn't such a good idea…"

"I don't bite," she purred, snuggling in even closer.

"Well that's a shame," he quipped, letting his hands roam over her body.

"I really don't want you to go just yet." Frankie whispered as she started placing small kisses all along his collar bone and neck and he whimpered softly, his resolve slipping away by the second.

"Oh you're so bad," he growled, finally giving up the fight as he grabbed her and pulled her down on top of him.

Darien left just before dawn. Pausing in the doorway of the old apartment block to button his jacket and turn up the collar as added protection against the early morning chill.

His 'minders' were parked right outside the building just as he'd anticipated, one of them holding open the back door of the SUV expectantly for him. Darien guessed that they had been in the apartment block the whole time he was, probably hovering right outside Frankie's front door, or guarding the exits…whatever! He considered the offer for a moment but then shook his head, motioning that he was going to walk. He definitely needed to clear his head and think.

A grin touched his face as he thought about Frankie, and of the sheer pleasure of re-discovering each other after so long. The fact that the passion and chemistry was still there, had been the main reason why he'd been determined not too take things too far too soon, reigning in his impulses when he'd wanted nothing more than to lose himself in her; make love and forget everything else, and she had wanted it as much as he did. But for the moment he wasn't willing to take the chance, even though he had the Quicksilver 'problem' more or less under control these days.

Forcing himself to tear his thoughts away from the memory of Francesca Casati… and those kisses and her soft touches…and back to the reality of what he was going to do for her; something that could potentially land him in deep shit if he got caught, though he had no intention of that happening if he could help it.

It was his hope that once Frankie had the disk he'd be able to convince her to turn herself over to the FBI, or maybe he would even ask the Fat Man to call in some favors to protect her.

But first things first!

At his suggestion Frankie was packing up her few possessions and moving out of her apartment that day. It didn't take huge powers of deduction to work out that the moment Darien disappeared off the Agency radar, this was going to be one of the first places they came looking for their AWOL Invisible Man. He needed a place to lay low for the rest of the weekend, so they'd arranged to meet up by noon in a little motel he knew in Pacific Beach.

All he had to do now was get the agency goons off his back - something that hadn't given him much of a problem on previous occasions, but they were definitely wising up now and had even started carrying thermal shades. Still, he had a few more tricks up his sleeve he thought, smirking.

Then he just had to get himself into the Casati residence, grab the disks and get out again. A basic, straightforward B&E job…piece of cake.

What could possibly go wrong?

TBC