Playing it straight:

Dagonet sat beside Tristan in the jeep. He sipped his warm coffee as Tristan looked through his binoculars that were facing the shop window of a Kodak shop. Dag returned his travel mug into the cup holder and leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes as he rolled it back slightly. "What's he doing now?" he asked Tristan tiredly.

"Talking to someone," Tristan muttered as he adjusted the settings on the binoculars. He placed them back over his eyes and looked around the photo covered shop in the direction of their suspected terrorist.

They had been watching him all morning. Lancelot and Arthur were back at the manor sleeping as Bors stood in the shop getting audio feed. A beep came through the small hand phone.

"You're never gonna guess who the prick is talkin' to," Bors's voice growled.

Tristan and Dagonet perked up straight away. "Who?" Dagonet asked, keeping his eyes on the Kodak shop.

"Ania," he hissed. "Ania is in there and he's makin' his moves on her like a virus on a hot day."

Tristan looked at Dagonet blankly and made to get out of the car when Dag grabbed his arm. "It will look too odd if you go barging in there after not having seen her for four years," Dagonet said. Bors gave a low growl in the phone.

"I've got this," Bors said softly into the phone. Tristan watched the little black machine closely and sat back down in his seat. "Ania?" Bors said. "Is that you?"

"Hey Bors!" she said in a happy tone. "Long time no see."

"I know," Bors chuckled. There was a short pause.

"Well I'd er….better be going," said, who they assumed to be James Anderson.

"Bye," Ania said. Another moment of silence before Bors coughed. "Thanks. You really saved me then. I was about to feed him a very overly used excuse."

Bors laughed and Dagonet and Tristan sighed in relief. "No problems. I heard about yer' grandmother."

"Oh, well. She was old," her voice said. "So what are you doing here?"

"Visiting," he said quickly.

"Vanora's still single if that is what the curious look is about," her voice sounded calm a knowing.

"Really? Oh, I hadn't really thought about it."

Tristan and Dag smirked. Ania laughed. "She's staying at my place. You can make a ……an accidental visit if you'd like."

"Oh….sure if you'd like," he said, trying to sound bored but his voice carrying hidden excitement.

"It was lovely seeing you," Ania said. "Drop in ok?"

"Right," Bors said. "Bye Ania."

Tristan and Dagonet watched a woman with curly brown hair walk out of the Kodak store wearing jeans and a Marilyn Manson t-shirt and converse runners. She put her black sunglasses on her face and made her way to her BMW four wheel drive which was parked right outside.

"Lucky, Bors, eh?" Dagonet said as they watched Ania drive off.

0-0-0

"Vanora?" Ania said into her phone.

"Trust that big oaf to ruin things," Vanora said in a huff.

"Anderson won't get away," Ania said, watching the road. "He's keen. All we have to do is wait."

"Alright," Vanora said, she began typing her report for the SOS files.

"I'll see you in a moment," Ania said into the phone.

"Right."

The line went flat and as Ania was putting the phone back into it's holster she hit the brake panel as Guinevere's Volks Wagon driving toward her. She stuck her head out of the window and Guinevere did so a second later. "SURPRISE!" she yelled from the window.

"You little sneak!" Ania said happily. "You should have told me!"

"I wanted to surprise you cousin," Guinevere said happily. She looked down the road and saw a car coming toward them. "Let's go home. We can talk then. Headquarters has just given me an update on the Anderson case."

"Right."

0-0-0

Flashback:

5 Years ago

Ania pulled at her dark brown tank top. She and Tristan were lying on the hood of his car watching the stars. It was the perfect end of a perfect date. She abandoned her heels in the car a while ago and was absent-mindedly rubbing Tristan's palm. He took a hold of her hand and looked at the dark brown nail polish on her long nails. "It's strange but it suits you," he said as he laced his fingers with hers.

She laughed and rolled onto her side, facing him. Her chunky wooden bangle made a noise against the thick metal one as she lifted her other arm to move his fringe from his eyes. "My nonna would have a fit if she knew I was out here," she said softly.

His eyes questioned her as she spoke. "Do you really not like her so much?"

"I don't dislike her," Ania began, irritated about thinking of her grandmother. "Sometimes…..she can be amazing, but other times…..I feel like all she's dong is judging me because I'm not like my mother."

"But you're not your mother," he told her, leaning his forehead against hers.

"I can't be; even if I tried," she said regretfully. "My mother was so….proper. She was every thing her title granted. I…..hack into computers and listen to heavy metal. I'm not like her."

"You have to be smart to hack though," Tristan told her, lifted his hand to stroke her face. "Your grandmother loves you."

"I know," she said softly. "But I love you too."

"I love you more," he whispered. She laughed and kissed him softly. He wrapped his arms around her tightly as she lay on his chest. "By the way," he said, breaking their kiss. "You look really nice today."

She laughed again and checked her form for a second. "Thankyou. Spring fashion of 2000."

End of Flashback

0-0-0

Tristan groaned and rolled onto his bed. He opened one eye and looked at his watch. 10:00 Am. He had been up since four preparing for the morning stake out. Lancelot and Arthur were now following the subject and he was determined to get a few hours sleep.

He could really do with a…. "No" his mind told him. He'd been clean of that stuff for three years. He started smoking weed, or marijuana as it is better known, when he was 17 years old. When he began dating Ania, he stoped for what seemed to be for good. But when things fell apart, he fell into the pit of despair again thinking there was no escape.

When he began training as a police officer and quickly went up the ranks and into the MI5 secret service, he knew he had to stop if he wanted to keep his job. Dagonet, Bors, Lancelot, Arthur, Gawain and Galahad were the only ones who knew he was smoking marijuana and helped him stop. For him, there was no escape for his pain.

Falling in love hits you, but loosing that love hit him so hard it almost tipped him over the edge. Drinking helped. He never became an alcoholic but at times, once a week or so, when times were really down and especially when something reminded him of Ania, he would drink himself silly.

He rolled onto his back and rubbed his eyes roughly as sleep came over him. He could still see her face. He envisioned her expression when she confronted him of what his mother had told her. So much hurt and anger. She didn't even give him time to explain.

What hurt more was that, in his back pocket an engagement ring which he had bought for her lay waiting to be put on. He could see the tears flowing from her eyes as she told him everything his mother had told her. He ran after her when she left his house. For the first time, he begged for something. He begged for her to listen to him.

Emotion filled his chest and he gasped, trying to rid himself of the feelings. The bloody memories wouldn't go away. He closed his eyes tightly and willed something happy to come to mind.

0-0-0

Flashback:

5 years ago.

"Tristan?"

He opened his eyes and looked at the freshly woken girl beside him. She was smiling at him and leaning on her elbows. She then rolled onto her back and looked out of the window as Tristan put his head on her chest and draped his arm over her. She dragged her fingers through his long hair as her eyes slowly drooped closed again.

Her heartbeat filled his ears and his own heart went to the same rhythm after a moment. "I love you," he said lazily, falling asleep again.

She smiled. "Love you to," she said before yawning.

There was a loud knock on the door and Tristan moved his head slightly.

"Tristan?" his mothers voice sounded. "Are you awake, dear?"

"Yes," he called before burying his face in Ania's sheet covered chest.

"Is Ania with you?" she asked. The girl in question frowned at the door as Tristan rose from the bed and pulled on a pair of boxers before opening to the door to his freshly groomed mother.

"Ah," she said, looking him up and down. "I see you're still asleep. No bother."

"Do you need anything?" he asked her as Ania rose from the bed. She knew his mother didn't want her there; it was best to leave.

"No, I'm just going into town."

'And you had to wake me to tell me that?' he thought before saying, "Ok. I'll see you later then."

"Alright dear."

He closed the door and saw Ania already half dressed. She was flushed and looked irritated. She finished clipping her bra and was looking around for her shirt when Tristan pulled her down to the bed. Sighing and knowing he wasn't going to let go she calmed down and rested in his arms. "Does she really hate me so much?" she asked him softly.

"She doesn't hate you," Tristan corrected.

"Yes, she does," Ania told him as Tristan tightened his arms around her. "Why?"

Tristan closed his eyes. "I don't know." And he really didn't.

End of flashback

0-0-0

"So Anderson is connected to the Italian terrorist Marius Honorius?" Vanora asked, pacing the living room floor.

"Yes," Guinevere said before shoving down a mouthful of scrambled eggs. "He's been feeding information to Anderson through a man called….," she looked through the scattered papers on the kitchen table, "…Germanus, Andrea Germanus."

"What do you think Ania?" Vanora asked Ania.

She was leaning her head on the table with her eyes closed.

"Ania?" Vanora asked.

Ania jumped and quickly wiped her eyes before looking at Vanora with a cover up smile. "Yes? Sorry I wasn't listening."

"Are you crying?" Guinevere asked, putting down her fork.

Ania bit her lip and shook her head as she wiped her eyes. "I have something in my eyes."

"Yeah," Vanora said. "Tears. Why are you crying?"

Ania sighed and looked at the ceiling. Both girls waited patiently for her to speak. "I wish I'd listened." She lowered her head to her hands. "I wish I had stoped running away and listened when he asked me to."

Guinevere and Vanora looked at one another, not knowing what to say. Ania tapped her lips. "Well, there is no point in thinking about it. What's done is done right?"

She rose from the table and went to the sink. She rummaged her handbag and pulled out a small plastic orange bottle, trying to hide it from view of the girls and took out a small pill.

"Ania….what are those?" Vanora asked as Ania filled her glass with water.

"Headache tablets," she lied before drinking the water with the pill.

Guinevere eyed her bag suspiciously. 'Prescription headache tablets?'

The door bell rang and Ania said she would get it. Vanora lunged for the bag and pulled out the small bottle. Her eyes widened. She put it back in the bag and looked at Guinevere. "Ani-depressants."

"I didn't know she was on those," Guinevere said as a numbed of footsteps were coming into the kitchen.

"Me either," Vanora said. "Why is she taking them?"

Guinevere shrugged as Arthur and Bors came into view, Ania behind them. Vanora's expression turned slightly sour as she saw Bors but Ania gave her a pleading look and upon seeing the apologetic look on his face she felt her anger leave.

"Hello Bors," she said with a smile. "Arthur."

"Arthur," Guinevere nodded. "Hi Bors."

A short silence was cut short when Ania offered coffee to everyone. Guinevere quickly hid the papers she was reading and disappeared into the living room for a moment as Arthur and Bors sat down around the table.

"So how have you been?" Vanora asked them, trying her best to remain calm and not throttle the man before her.

Bors cleared his throat. "Good, yeah."

"Were based in London now," Arthur said politely. "All of us."

"Really? Us too," Ania said as she brought a pot of coffee to the table. "Of course…..were hardly ever there. Travel agents, you know."

"How do you like work?" Arthur asked her conversationally, as Guinevere came back into the room.

"Oh, its great," Ania answered as she sat down. "Travelling and seeing all those places."

"So what are you doing back here?" Guinevere asked. "All of you at once?"

Arthur cleared his throat. "Well, were down….for a break. We wanted to get away from the city but not long enough to go overseas."

"Oh," Guinevere said, arching an eyebrow. "I haven't seen Galahad and Gawain."

"They're in London still," Bors said. "Workin' on a new case."

"Case?" Vanora asked.

"Bank," Arthur corrected. "A case for the bank."

The girls looked at one another. The phone rang. Ania jumped up and answered it before anyone could speak. "Yes, Sir," she said into the phone.

Everyone remained silent as Ania turned pale. "We'll be in, in a few hours. No Captain. Everything is under control. No we don't need it. Alright, bye sir." Ania hung up the phone and looked at Guinevere.

"Office?" Vanora asked her.

"Daisy is pushing them up," Ania said. It was a code, to tell them one of their agents had died.

"When?" Guinevere snapped.

"Yesterday," Ania mumbled. "Honorius's orders."

Bors and Arthur looked at one another wide-eyed. 'No fucking way these girls are agents.'

Ania smiled at them. "Sorry. We have to go back into the office."

"What about your grandmothers funeral?" Arthur inquired as he rose from the table.

"She won't miss me," Ania said calmly. She led them to the door as Vanora waved sardonically to Bors's back.

Author note: I hope you get a better feel for the story now. I'm trying to tie in the movie characters so it's not a complete OC.

Thanks Cardia for putting the story onto your C2. Anyone who hasn't read 'dust devils'….I strongly suggest you do. It's one of the best stories I've read. Review…..if you want to.