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"When you came my way,
You brightened everyday.
With your sweet smile."
He read the words over and over again, completely consumed by the meaning behind the three short sentences. Any one person that saw him in his line of work, alone, would think that he was a average, single, workaholic. They wouldn't imagine that he would have a chance to love and to feel for someone more then he cared about himself. Oh, how they would be wrong.
He was very much in love, but fate played a cruel joke on him. He felt that higher powers, whom ever they may be, put them together just to torture him. Knowing that because they were partners, it was against policy, and the fact that the human 'higher powers' would use his love for her against him, would keep him from admitting to her or anyone else his deepest desires.
His mind wandered back and forth for a moment, still scanning the words on the screen. Then he realized that he did not recognize the sender's address. 'Who would send this to me? Is it junk mail?' Perhaps.
The email was nothing more then a link to a page that contained the lyrics. The link was undecipherable so, assuming it was more of his 'usual entertainment' he opened the link and prepared himself for the images that would shock his senses.
A shock to his senses was right, just not 'those' senses. At first, he was dismissive to the annoyance in front of him, but his eyes read a few lines and suddenly he was hooked.
"This is no ordinary love, no ordinary love."
'No shit,' he thought to himself, his shoulders slumping in defeat. That was when he began his pity party. Anger and determination began to build up within him. He was desperate to find the truth but was willing to give it all up at the expense of being with her. Finally, when his boiling rage slipped past his barriers, he stood quickly and with one strong 'swoop' his computer landed on the floor next to his desk.
"What happened?" A small, concerned voice asked from behind him. He jumped slightly at the sound of her inquiry. He wasn't expecting her until later that day.
"Don't ask." It was easier to shut her out then try to explain what was going through his mind and what caused his outburst.
"Ok, I know I'm early but I just received an email from an unknown sender. It was regarding information about the 'truth' as it was put. I printedit outfor you to see." She handed it to him.
'Dear Agent,
As you are well aware, there is a force controlling the government about the truth that you and your partner so desperately seek. I offer to you more then anything you were offered in the past. More then HE could offer you. My credibility, however, as well as my motive, are something that are harder to come by. I don't know why I want to destroy them after all these years, but they have ruined me upon this discovery. The influential powers of this country will stop at nothing to keep the truth a secret, destroying and killing anything in their path. They even went as far as to try to kill me. I contacted you because they would expect me to contact your partner. Give this to him, he will know.'
He finished the letter and crumpled it up in annoyance. "This is bullshit!" He screamed. "This man is dead, I saw his body being put in the back of a car and then watched the car explode after I was given the cure for you!" He walked away and sat down in his chair, his memories flooding his mind again.
The images of them arguing, him spilling his soul to her, the kiss that never happened. This was the perfect example of why they would never work, because when they get close there is someone there in the shadows ready to pull them apart. She walked over to him and placed her small hand on his back.
"We don't have to pursue this. I know you want more than anything to know the truth, but you can walk away from this. No matter what you do, I'll still be here." She tried her best to reassure him. He flew back in his chair, almost causing her to fall backwards.
"That is where you are wrong. There is something else I want more then the truth!" He exclaimed, looking at her with wild eyes. She waited for a response but one never came. He ran out of the room, desperate to leave this all behind him.
Once in his car he looked at the crumpled paper again. He knew it was a hoax, his informant was killed and then one after that as well. Now, here 'he' was sending emails from beyond the grave to not only his partner but himself. The 'unknown sender' was the same that he had received earlier. What he didn't understand was why it happened.
He threw his head back and tried to collect his thoughts. He regretted not driving away when there was a knock on his driver side window. She looked worried but tried to lighten the moed the best way she knew how.
"Boom" She said loudly. Through his anger a smile spread across his face, remembering the joke. He opened the door, sympathy and embarrassment was evident on his face. "You want to tell me what happened?" She asked.
"You." His respond was honest. She was complete terrified by his response. He saw her fear instantly. "It's hard to explain, but I assure you that it's nothing bad."
"You just threw a government computer across the office and crumpled up the first solid offer we've had in almost a year and you tell me that it's about me but its nothing bad about me." She was in disbelief. He didn't expect her to understand.
"I'm just sick of it!" He got out of his car and stood very close to her. She could feel his breath on her face and for a moment she was afraid. "I'm sick of being pulled around, shown only what they want me to see, putting everything on the line including the people I love and care about! I'm sick of being a pawn in this 'charade'. And I'm so sick of having to hide things." He stopped his ranting but refused to move away from her. She was uncomfortable, but at the same time she couldn't make herself move away from him. 'I wasn't expecting this reaction' She thought.
"What are you hiding?" She asked. His rage had long since slipped away, but the fire in his eyes remained. He was throwing it all away right here and right now. This was the end of the line, none of it mattered at this moment. Not his sister, the black oil, the cigarette smoking man, the bureau, nothing at all.
"This" He said fiercely and grabbed her neck, pulling her face to meet his. Their lips met forcefully at first, then the kiss softened. She was the first to pull back after what seemed like a life time. She was unsure of what to say. She saw desperation in the eyes of the man in front of her.
"You were hiding..." She didn't know what to say. Her voice failed her at the one time when she needed it the most.
"My feelings for you." He confessed. She didn't move, nor respond. "We've been together for seven years and in that time you've lost your sister and your daughter because of this 'quest', you were abducted, held at gun point more times then I care to count, you had cancer because of this conspiracy that I've worked so hard to expose, and you lost the ability to have children. I know you chose to stay with me and everyday I'm grateful for that, but if it comes down to leaving it all behind so you are safe then fine. I quit. I'm done."
She was stunned. He knew her well, and he knew she would protest that she wanted to be there by his side every step of the way. He covered his bases before she could express her anger. Now she was left with nothing but the truth.
"I will not watch you die, but I don't think I could live without you." Still no response. "Come on, I'm pouring my heart out on the floor here. Please, say something." He whimpered like a scolded child.
She collected her thoughts and began to speak. "I've stayed with you and your 'quest' as you call it for more reasons then I even know. The challenge was, at first, to disprove your work and give it scientific meaning. I know now that it goes beyond belief and science but I'm still here. Yes, I lost my sister and daughter, but you've lost just as much as well. The biggest reason is not so I can make you look foolish or crazy, it's the exact opposite. I'm here because I respect you as an investigator and support you in the most uncertain of times.
"When I was lying in that hospital bed I thought about nothing else but what would happen to you if and when I died from that cancer. Who would look after you the way I do, and stand by you when you rant about Werewolves and Freddy Kruger to a TV audience of millions? I knew, no matter what happened to me, it could never hurt me as much as knowing that I may have done something to cause you to hurt, or I didn't protect you enough." She put her hand up to his face, brushing her thumb affectionately over his bottom lip.
"I would never forgive myself if I never allowed myself to stick around long enough to hear those words from you, my best friend, partner, and soul mate." She smiled warmly at him. His eyes were calm and glistening as though he were going to cry, it was like watching a tree in autumn blowing in the wind. He pulled her into a tight embrace and she instantly ran a hand through his hair.
"Are you really quitting?" she asked seriously before pulling from his embrace, quite reluctantly.
"I can go back to VCS, go back to profiling and leave everything behind." He concluded.
"I think you need to seriously think about this. I don't think this would compromise our work." She tried to convince him to stay. She didn't want to be guilty of causing him to abandon his life's obsession.
"They would use you against me. I don't want that." He said, his voice rising. She was silent for a long while. He walked around in circles for a moment until finally she smiled.
"All this over an email?" She flashed him a whitty smile.
"It was a hoax. I received an email from the same sender. It was a link to a page containing song lyrics. The song, I heard a lot during my time at VCS, it's called 'Ordinary Love' by Deftones. I know a guy and it was all he listened to." He explained.
"Is that what this is about? The confession?" She asked, confused about how she should be feeling.
"No, I've known it for years. I was going to ignore it like I had done before but they insisted on getting you involved, dragging your interests into the case. That's what this is about. It's always been about your safety." She processed the information and rubbed his arm, nodding silently.
He took her hand and began to walk back to the downstairs office he had just trashed. She accepted it and placed her head on his shoulder lovingly.
"You really think I'm foolish?" He couldn't help himself. His response was a punch by a small fist to his arm. Laughter was heard throughout the parking garage.
In the shadows a man watched closely, smiling. This was what had anticipated and couldn't be happier that his enemy was so predictable. He picked up his cell phone and dialed a familiar seven digit number.
"Just as planned. He cares more about her to endanger her life anymore. He quit." The man said and closed the phone, taking one final drag from his dependency.
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I hope you stuck with me through this. Don't make it all for nothing. Let me know what you thought. PLEASE!