Disclaimer: I own nothing of King Arthur, bla, bla, bla.

Author Note:

Beautiful Enigma: Men with good hygiene habits? Ha! One can only hope! Well…if they are good enough to shag I suppose they would be good eh?

Cardeia: I've heard of this new open bad in London where everything is made if ICE! Even the glasses! You wear cloaks and coats when you go in! It's awesome!

The music in the bar was laid back, but not jazzy, I hate that stuff. I'm more of a heavy metal girl myself. I felt it as being a dark room, but really comfortable with a really snazzy bar….sorry if I didn't give it enough description. Hopefully this chapter is better.

I'm glad a managed to catch Vanora's flashback well. I wanted to show her in full emotion and pain. It's a hard time emotionally, I would imagine, so I'm glad I did it justice.

Caprichossa Pizza is the one with mushrooms and ham? Napolitana is that plain one, with cheese and sauce.

Thanks for your help on this.

Makyala: Is that your name? It's beautiful. I'm very glad you enjoyed that chapter.

To all:

Thanks for reading. Enjoy this chapter

Talking

The Bus

Ania threw her pen on her desk in frustration. She had been going over all the paper work collected by both MI5 and SIS teams on the Honorius case but could find nothing to help them with the investigation. There was nothing new. Everything that she was reading she knew already. The SIS had exhausted all the ends of trying to catch the Italian terrorist. He was too well guarded.

She looked outside of the window, trying to make her mind think of something other than work, and watched a large oak tree move with the wind. She felt so lonely at that moment. It was like everything around her was falling apart and did not want to work. She prided herself on having control over her life and how things went about around her, but right now; she knew nothing.

Tristan stood in the kitchen of the bus holding a mug of coffee in his hand. He was watching Ania staring out of the window through the gap between the door and the wall.

They were the only ones in the bus because everyone else was either at home, the office or following Anderson. He hadn't been able to string two words together since they had been left alone. It was as they didn't even know one another.

If truth had to be told, he didn't know her anymore. He'd watched her wield a gun as if it were second nature the other night; she was never an aggressive person. He knew a woman with beauty such a as hers would use her assets to complete her missions and he couldn't deny that she didn't have assets.

For hours he'd watched her read the papers and type notes on her computer through the corner of his eye. She had not even looked at him. It was as if she was cold.

'What the fuck is wrong with you?' he asked himself as he poured his stone cold coffee in the sink.

He walked back into the office part of the bus where Ania gave him a small smile and went back to looking out of the window. "So…how have you been?" she asked him in a small voice.

He froze halfway into sitting down and looked at her. "Good," he said after a moment.

She looked at him and nodded once.

"You?" he asked, feeling it was only polite to steer the conversation to her.

"Fine, fine," she said dreamily. "As good as I can be."

He looked at his desk blankly wondering if it was his turn to say something. 'It was never this hard to talk to her!'

'You've got mail,' Ania's computer sang. She lowered her legs from on top of the desk and clicked on her inbox. It was a video message from the office.

When the file opened, Andrew Henderson's head came into view and gave his usual toothy grin. "I know you're working but you should know this. Anderson has purchased a one way ticket to Italy, Rome. The details are in the email but Gov wants me to tell you that you're going too. Call me. It's 1800 Oral."

Ania glared at the screen and clicked the exit button. "Stupid little, puffed up…" her words were drowned as the phone picked up on the other line. "I have your message."

'Knew you'd love it,' Andrew said huskily. 'You're leaving in 6 hours.'

"Where's my stuff?" Ania asked.

'Emailing now. You have to come to the office to get your toys though.'

Ania looked at Tristan who gave her a brief smile. "I'll be in, in half an hour. Am I flying solo?"

'Nope. Guin is going with you. She's here preparing. Kisses.'

"Bye, Henderson," she said into the phone.

'By the way. What are you wearing?'

"A chicken suit," she slurred, knowing his little game.

'Ta ta.'

0-0-0

Next Morning: The bus

Vanora sat behind her computer and watched the video feed coming directly from the airport security cameras. "Ok, Ania. I'll have full view of you on the plane and sound feed. You ready?"

'Yes,' Ania said. 'Boarding now. By the way…Guin looks like a whore in her flight attendant outfit.'

"I know," Vanora laughed. "She wanted the cheap effect."

Galahad sniggered as he typed the security codes into his computer to unlock the plane security camera.

Tristan zipped his night bag and made his way to the door. "Ready?" he asked Dagonet.

Arthur had prepared for Lancelot, Tristan and Dagonet to follow the girls to make sure nothing entirely wrong was going to happen in Italy. They would be flying by jet plane so they would arrive at the same time as the girls in the Italian airspace.

"Ready," Dagonet said as he opened the door.

Vanora winked at the guys and waved goodbye as she heard the sound of plane doors closing from her ear piece. "Make sure my girls stay safe!" she called to them.

0-0-0

Rome, Italy: Airport

"Feel better?" Ania asked Guinevere as she walked out of the bathroom.

"It was good to get the heels off," Guinevere muttered. "Let's go to the hotel eh?"

Ania picked up her carry back and walked with Guinevere to the airport doors where there was a man in a brown leather jacket and jeans holding up a sign that said, 'de Laurent.'

Ania approached him suspiciously and asked, "Signiore Ciccone?"

The man smiled and held out his hand. "Ciao. I'm Phillip. I can speak English."

"Oh, good. I can speak Italian," Ania said. "Badge?"

"What? Oh…yes," he said as he pulled out his secret service badge and showed her and Guinevere.

"Wonderful," Ania said happily. She was never one to go anywhere with anyone unless she knew who they were for certain, but in her line of business, you don't ever know.

0-0-0

"There they are," Dagonet pointed to the doors of the airport. "Should we follow them?"

Lancelot shrugged. "We are staying in the same hotel. Let's get a taxi and take it from there." He looked around and leaned into Tristan and Dagonet. "Do you…er…know how to speak Italian, wow." His eyes became glued to the backside of a tall attractive brunette who was standing in a very small summer dress.

Tristan closed Lancelot's mouth with his index finger and gave him the 'its-not-the-right-time-to-fuck-around' look. Lancelot composed himself and ran a hand through his hair. "Were in body heaven," Lancelot said happily.

0-0-0

Hotel: Ania and Guinevere's shared bedrooms

The lavishly decorated room's first blinded Ania and Guinevere when they arrived. Everything around them seemed to be hand made and painted in a time where the rich were rich and the poor were poor.

The taps in the bathrooms seemed almost untouchable to them, and the girls came from families with money! The beds were covered in sheets with silk that seemed to come from another planet. Guinevere's room was an assortment of green and purple furniture and Ania's was red, yellow and black.

Their separate bedrooms were connected to an adjoining door which led to a shared lounge room. It was a giant suite.

Ania flopped down on her bed and closed her eyes. All those hours of flying had taken their tole. She was exhausted!

She looked at the ceiling and felt the feeling come again. The alone feeling she usually had when she was alone at night, with no one to hug her. It had been that was since she left Tristan. It was not unusual for her to cry herself to sleep. It was all she had really. Memories and tears to help subside her pain.

But now working beside him was making her life 100 times harder. She had time to think of this on the plane.

"Ania?" Guinevere asked softly as she walked into her room. She heard sniffing sound and the movement of bed sheets and ran into the room and onto the bed. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Ania said tearfully. "No. I'm not!"

"It's okay," Guinevere told her softly as she hugged her cousin tightly. "You'll be alright Ania. Its only for this assignment."

"But we can't even be in the same room together," she said through her tears. "There's that…uncomfortable silence and I hate it!"

Guinevere kissed her hair. "Its going to be okay. Maybe…you might even get a chance to get back together because of this."

"It'll never happen, Guin," Ania said softly. "It's over because I was too stupid to listen when he asked me to!"

0-0-0

London

"Yeh' hungry, Van?" Bors asked uncertainly.

Vanora looked up from her computer and pulled off her glasses. "Starving," she said, smiling shyly.

Bors scratched his head and asked, "You wanna get something to eat?"

"Okay," she said quickly. "I'm in the mood for chicken."

Bors grinned. "Right O."

They arrived at a restaurant a short while later, Vanora had her phone on the whole time just in case her 'girls' called. Bors sat down after pulling Vanora's chair out for her and looked at the menu. 'Damn London restaurants. What's Brusscetta?'

He glanced at Vanora who smiled at him kindly before going back to her own menu and picked the first thing he knew would taste good.

"Beef burger, thanks," he said to the waiter. "And a cold one."

The waited looked at him oddly before looking to Vanora to see if she would 'interpret.'

"Beer," she said under her breath to the waiter. "I'll have the mushroom chicken and a house red. Thankyou."

She and Bors shared a moment of uncertain silence before Bors managed to clear his throat and ask, "So…how have…you been?"

"Good," she smiled and bit her lip. "You? I suppose you must be busy because of…you know."

"Yeh'," he scratched his head, smiling sheepishly. "You know. I'm the field agent so…I get to knock a few heads."

Vanora giggled. "I was never built for it. Ania and Guinevere go the killing for me."

"So you don't hold a gun?" he asked.

"Yes." She nodded quickly. "I do but I don't use it."

"So how are the girls? I feel the tension in the room when Tristan and Ania are in the room," he said, flashing a toothy grin. "He should get his act together."

Vanora arched and eyebrow. "Yes, he should."

Bors realised where her words were going. What could he do now? It had been over between them for years. Would it work now that they were fully grown adults? "Listen, Van," he began.

"No Bors," she interrupted. "I just want you to know, before you say anything, that…I have no regrets about breaking up. My life has turned out how I wanted it – maybe I pictured you in it before we broke up but…," she bit her lip and leaned forward slightly, "I'm happy. And I'm so glad you invited us to your birthday party. It was really sweet."

"Well hopefully we'll be able to have it when they get back eh'?" he asked happily. "I'm happy with my life too Van. I know that your decision worked out for the best really but I can't deny that I was hurt in the beginning. But I've…moved on, since then."

"You're seeing someone?" she asked, trying her best to sound excited.

"Yeah," he said casually. He watched her eyes look uncertain and her cheeks flush. "For a while now."

"That's great!" she said. "I'm really happy for you. I was hoping you would be able to."

"And you?" he asked her.

"Oh, no," she said, laughing a little. "I'm far too busy. It hasn't even entered my mind." She chuckled and tapped her head.

Bors' heart sank. 'She's so beautiful.'

0-0-0

The Bus

Arthur threw his tea spoon into the kitchen sink and carried his mug of coffee to his desk. He watched his Windows XP screen saver on the screen dreamily as he leaned back in his desk chair.

Vanora and Bors were out to dinner, Galahad and Gawain were out to a soccer match, on call of course, and everyone else was in Italy. He was alone; as usual.

He and Guinevere had managed to talk in private before they began working together. They made it clear to one another that they were not harbouring feelings of guilt or anger toward the other. It was important to Arthur to make sure that she was alright with working with him. They did, after all, have a past to deal with. A past that would be better off left as a past but…they were adults now and things could be worked on again.

Arthur groaned and rubbed his forehead. "What a life," he sighed.

Arthur and Guinevere had a kind of…love hate relationship during their years in primary school. They could be the best of friends at times, but then they would be wrestling and trying to bring the other person as much pain as possible. It changed, of course, in high school when they began seeing one another when they turned 16. It wasn't all roses.

When she found out he had slept with Isolde, the school tramp, who had had it off with every man in the school she was heartbroken.

He could still remember her screams. How she told him she'd never been so humiliated in her life and that she wouldn't have minded so much if he had slept with her before they were together.

Arthur sipped his coffee. He and his friends had never had much luck with the women they loved. What was the point of having love if it was going to be ripped away from you because of one, stupid act of selfish lust?

0-0-0

Vanora and Bors' Location: Restaurant

"Thanks, Bors," Vanora breathed as she stepped into the chilly night air. She pulled her coat around her tightly and smiled. "It was wonderful."

"I'm glad I get to see you again," he told her truthfully. "I'm happy you moved on Van."

"Me too Bors," she said softly. She looked into his eyes, longing for him to say something stupid, the way he always used to.

Bors put a hand on her arm and kissed her cheek. "I'll see you in the morning. I'm staying with Arthur in the bus."

Vanora laughed. "Slumber party. Have fun then."

Bors snorted. "Right. Bye Vanora."

"Goodbye Bors."

She walked to her car and closed the door. She threw her keys on the dashboard before locking the door impatiently. Tears came to her eyes and she pinched her nose trying to hold them back. "I know how you feel Ania," she said to herself.

She knew what it was like to see someone you loved, and were still in love with, after all this time and have to hide those feelings. And he was seeing someone! Well, could she expect him to have waited for her? No.

0-0-0

Italy: Tristan's Room

Dagonet plugged his laptop into the power point and sat down on the couch beside Tristan. He downed a glass of brandy.

Tristan scratched his forehead as he vaguely listened to the mandolin music playing outside in the hotel courtyard. He hadn't been able to think of anything but sex since he arrived in Italy. Sex and Ania. This equalled; problem.

Lancelot stood on the balcony watching the women of the hotel laughing and dancing with the fast music as everyone ate and drank. It was a completely different lifestyle to that of the one he was used to. If the women in England danced the way these women it…well…they'd get a lot of action, he thought.

"What the-" he muttered as he watched two incredibly beautiful brunettes walk out into the court yard. "Hey!" he hissed to Tristan and Dag. "Look at this."

Both men jumped off their seats and walked steadily to his side. "It's Ania and Guinevere. Nice dress," he added as he noticed Ania's red dress.

Tristan gapped at his ex girlfriend who was smiling and laughing with some of the men in the courtyard. What a dress! What a body! He turned from the balcony and went to the ice bucket by the alcohol. He needed something very cold.

He dragged the ice over his forehead as the sound of a smirk filled his ears. Lancelot stood by the balcony doors looking at him with a smug expression. "You still love her don't you?"

Dagonet turned slightly and looked at the two before turning back to the courtyard and looking at Guinevere and Ania.

"Yes," Tristan snapped. "Now shut up."

"Why don't you go to her?" he asked indignantly.

Tristan glared at him and wiped his wet hands on his shirt. "It's not that simple."

"Yes," Lancelot laughed, "it is!"

Tristan stalked out of the room in fury, slamming to door behind him.

"Well!" Lancelot breathed as he put his hands on his hips.

0-0-0

The Court Yard

"Guin!" Ania shouted.

She spun around and around trying to find her cousin but could not find any sign of her. "Guinevere!" she screamed in to the crowd.

Everyone began to look at her curiously as she searched the crowd. "Guinevere!"

Still there was no answer. Ania went inside the hotel and stood at the front desk. She pulled out her badge and said, "Lock down the hotel."

"Is there a problem?" the man asked her casually.

"I said, lock down the hotel! No one goes out and no one gets in!" she shouted.

Seeing her anger the hotel manager picked up the phone and began making orders. Ania pulled her phone from her hand bag and called London's office of the SIS. "This is Agent S. Pin code: 152292567. We have a missing Agent. Requesting backup."

'Hold on Agent S,' said the telephone secretary. 'Patching you through.'

Ania tapped her foot impatiently and sent the hotel manager a glare asking him of everything was in order. He nodded quickly.

"Gov! Guinevere had been kidnapped!"

'What do you mean?' he shouted over the line.

"I don't know how it happened," she said urgently. "She was with me one second and then next she was gone!"

"Okay," he breathed. "Keep it calm. There are MI5 agents with you there."

"What!" she growled. "Where? Who?"

"You'll see. They have orders to help you now," he said calmly. "Keep me updated."

"Alright," she sighed and slammed her phone closed. She looked at the hotel manager. "I want every single staff manager down here in five minutes."

"But Madam-"

"NOW!" she ordered.

Author Note: So Guinevere is missing. Review please!