Elle had gone for the night after what turned out to be a rather awkward dinner. Athos walked her to her car, and then headed for the barn to check on the animals for the night. His back was turned, but he heard footsteps approaching quietly.

"Did you need something?"

Rebecca halted her steps, propping her hip against the gate to one of the stalls.

"No, not really. I just wanted to see the horses honestly."

Athos turned around, his hair falling briefly into his eyes. "Do you ride?"

She took a step towards him, "No, but I've always thought horses were so beautiful. I'm intrigued by them,"

"Ah. Would you like to help me brush them?" He asked reluctantly.

Rebecca's lips upturned, "I'd love to,"

Athos passed her the brush.

"You'll have to show me how to do it right," she quipped.

Athos placed his hand over her wrist and guided her. "Like this,"

Rebecca leaned back into him subtly. She could hardly help herself. Athos was a handsome man, after all. She might as well make the most of her time here.

"Tell me, what makes your boyfriend so dangerous? Why's he so angry with you?"

The question seemed to stump her for a minute as silence filled the barn.

"Rebecca?"

"He's just...an angry sort of person. Violent. He always has to get what he wants," she turned her eyes on Athos.

Before he knew what was happening she pressed her lips firmly against his. Athos immediately took her gently by the shoulders and distanced himself.

"I'm sorry, but that can't happen,"

"Of course," she whispered in a low, sultry voice, "Forgive me. I've just been wondering what that would be like since I got here,"

She handed Athos the brush and walked out of the barn and back to the house. Athos stood shocked. She was bold, he'd give her that. Had he spent so much time alone he could no longer read women? He hadn't seen that coming at all.

The next morning Athos received a call from Detective Rivers.

"An alias?"

"I'm afraid so. The name she's given us isn't popping up anywhere. Maybe it's just the only name she knows him by, or-"

"Or maybe not," Athos finished.

"Either way, something isn't adding up here,"

"Any leads on his location?" Athos asked.

"No, but honestly there's not much looking going on. Probably have better luck asking your colleagues than me,"

"I understand. Thank you for getting back with me,"

Athos hung up the phone and relaxed himself into his office chair. So, the name of Rebecca's boyfriend was fake. The question was did she know? If she did...why lie? He needed to talk to Aramis, but right now he had a raging headache.

He heard the door to his office open and braced himself for more contact with Rebecca. However, the room filled with the warm scent of vanilla and he knew at once it wasn't his house guest.

"Morning," he said.

"Morning. You looked...stressed." Elle said. In fact, he looked a tad more than stressed. Elle wasn't sure that she'd ever seen Athos looking so haggard.

"I'm just ready for things to go back to normal. I'm supposed to be retired, you know."

"Yes, I do know that. Here." She sat down a bottle of ibuprofen on the desk in front of him.

"What's this for?"

She pulled her hair back into a ponytail before reaching for the trash can to change the bag. "For your headache,"

He wanted to ask how she knew he had a headache, but he was sure it was written all over his face.

"Can you bring me a bottle of bourbon from the cellar?"

"Sure," she replied, "If you'll give me the key I'll get it right now."

"It's still a bit early now, just some time before you leave. Take it to my bedroom, please. I'd get it but...nevermind."

He slipped the key ring into her hand. Elle fought the urge to hang on to his hand. She wanted this job over. Athos hadn't smiled since this whole thing started, and she didn't like that at all.

That afternoon Elle carried up the bottle of liquor for Athos and took it to his bedroom like he'd asked. It wasn't irregular for her to fetch things for him. Even his liquor. She knew tomorrow she'd probably be escorting the expensive liquid back down to the cellar.

As she rounded the corner to Athos's room she saw Rebecca coming towards her.

"What are you doing on this side of the house?" Elle asked point blank.

Rebecca gave her a sly grin, "I was just getting something for Athos. He asked me to,"

She slid her way past Elle and walked briskly down the hall. Athos's bedroom door was ajar. Elle knew something wasn't right. As she walked into his room and looked around she couldn't see anything obviously missing. She knew she had to tell Athos about this, but...what if he really did ask her to get something for him? Self doubt nagged at her until she decided to just let it go.

And that night, in her own bed in her own home she tried not to imagine the two of them alone in that big ranch house together.

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