A/N: Hi! I'm back after a bit longer break (tight schedule) but I hope this chapter will be worth your wait. Enjoy :)
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. All rights to Marvel Cinematic Universe, etc.
Chapter 11
SO CLOSE YET SO FAR
"Things do not always happen the way I would have wanted, and it's best that I get used to that." - Paulo Coelho
1
The next day Natasha woke up with an unknown feeling dwelling inside her, as if she had done something she could not reverse. Still a bit drowsy, it took her a while to figure out what happened the evening before. And then the realization hit the spy like a train.
Steve Rogers invited her on a date.
She had never been on a date before. Thanks to the Red Room the spy knew well how to fake emotional or sexual attraction, but it has always been a facade, a way to seduce and manipulate men with power. She would use those techniques to obtain information for her former superiors, to gain the other person's trust; it became her job description and doing so through emotional attachment seemed like a perfect strategy. Not once, however, did she feel it was something true, something more than a lie. Until now. After the heart-to-heart conversation, after all the shit she had gone through, Natasha realized that Steve's invitation awoke real feelings in her and she experienced a multitude of them at the same time.
Excitement, nervousness, joy, shyness, desire, uncertainty. Finally: fear.
"Oh, boy." The spy muttered to herself as she went to the bathroom to get ready for the day. Last night, during dinner, the redhead promised Lila they'd both go ice-skating in the morning. She took a quick shower, fixed her hair into a single braid, brushed her teeth and put on light make-up. The redhead changed into something comfy and with that headed for her god-daughter's room. She knocked silently on the door and peeked inside when she heard a silent 'come in'.
"Hey, kiddo. You still up for our little adventure?"
Lila nodded her head, stifling a giant yawn.
"Careful there. You could devour an elephant." Natasha winked, earning a chuckle. "Get ready for breakfast in ten minutes."
Natasha headed to the kitchen and took supplies out of the fridge and closets. She wasn't overly sophisticated when it came to cooking, certainly not as Steve, but she did a pretty decent meal. Sunny-side up eggs with bacon, extra-crispy toasts with butter and tomatoes as well as freshly squeezed orange juice. Nothing fancy but surely delicious in its simplicity. The redhead just finished when Lila came down with two pairs of ice skates in her hands.
"Mom said you're her size so they should fit just fine."
"Thanks." Natasha nodded with a smile. "Now let's have something I like to call 'breakfast of champions'. You'll need it to show me those famous skills of yours."
Lila rolled her eyes. "Dad told you, didn't he?"
"He did." Natasha replied with a grin. It was something truly wholesome to hear Clint Barton, one of the most dangerous agents S.H.I.E.L.D. had to offer, bragging about his daughter's skating feats.
Having emptied their plates they headed for the frozen lake, while Clint and Laura were still fast asleep upstairs. Natasha left a small note on the table, just in case, and smiled at the thought of spending time with her god-daughter. Uninterrupted and unsupervised, as it should be.
The lake was a good fifteen minutes of walking from the farmhouse but definitely worth it. The body of water was covered by a perfectly smooth sheet of blue ice which only asked to be skated upon. Its mirror-like surface reflected the ring of spruce trees around and the sun which shone brightly.
Lila and Natasha put on their skates and stepped onto the lake. Fortunately the winter temperatures remained very low for several days, freezing the lake almost completely so there was no risk of falling into the water.
Younger girl immediately began to speed around, an obvious sign she hasn't been doing it for the first time. Meanwhile Natasha recalled the memories of her ballet training in the Red Room. No matter how ridiculous it sounded, she was grateful they taught her how to dance and maintain equilibrium. She was glad she could put those skills into use other than spy-craft or fighting.
After a few longer minutes Natasha was chasing Lila, not far behind, picking up the basics quickly. The redhead realized how much fun it was since she has never skated before. It brought her a sense of freedom she would rarely experience in recent days.
When they got all tired and sweaty Natasha decided it was time for a little break. She called for Lila, who did one final loop and joined her on land. They both sat on a fallen long close to the lake and drank the hot tea Lila brought in a thermos flask. Sun was high in the sky, which meant they must've been out for a few hours now.
"Aunt Nat?"
"Just call me 'Nat'. I think we're past the 'auntie' thing." The spy said with a wink.
"Sure. So, Dad's been worrying about you recently. A lot." Lila said, studying the spy's face carefully with her chocolate eyes. "Can I ask you why?"
Natasha sighed but decided no to hold it inside, she grew sick of it, and it was time to be a bit less of an emotional freak and more like a normal, feeling person. Especially now when Steve was to be a large part of her life. "I have a few problems with my love life, Lila. I just don't think I'm prepared for this, that's all."
"Why wouldn't you?" Lila asked with complete disbelief. "You're the most beautiful woman in the world, Nat. I'd like to be like you one day."
She was told that before, true, but it was not the outer appearance that bugged her. "Thanks, kiddo. But looks isn't everything."
"I know but-" Lila stopped and was quiet for a moment. "I just wish Dad told me more about your work, but he says it's too dangerous for me to know too much. If I did, I could at least understand why you're upset."
The redhead smiled warmly at the girl. She was very perceptive for her age.
"He's absolutely right, Lila. You'd be surprised what can happen if you know the things you shouldn't. It's better for you not to get involved." Natasha resumed her look at the lake. "What I meant was that I don't think I can mentally handle this situation. I'm just completely at a loss when it comes to dating and so on."
Lila's brows furrowed. "Why? You are smart and kind person, Nat. Plus Steve's a perfect match."
The comment was so unexpected that it almost caused the spy to spill the hot tea onto her lap. "You little devil. You've been eavesdropping, haven't you?"
Now it was time for Lila to sport a sheepish expression. "Just a little. I swear I only heard you like Steve, that's all."
The spy smirked. "Then it's okay, it would have gotten out sooner or later. Besides, I'm not gonna pretend I don't."
Barton's daughter smiled toothily. "On a scale from one to ten, how much?"
"Too much." Natasha replied and they both laughed.
"Dad always said that you'd find the right partner in the most unexpected moment. Better late than ever, huh?"
The redhead couldn't help but quirk a faint smile. Well her god-daughter definitely took after Clint in terms of sassy banter. "Did he tell you anything else?"
"That you're crazy, reckless and rude." Lila replied with a devilish grin. "And that he loves you like a sister."
"Well…" Natasha ran her hand through her red locks. "He ain't wrong kiddo…"
They sat in silence and enjoyed the winter landscape view for a few more moments, before Natasha stood up and stretched her arms. "Well, I think it's time to go home. Your dad's gonna freak out if his little girl doesn't make it before dinner time."
Lila nodded her head. They changed their boots and headed back to the farmhouse, trekking through the fresh snow. Soon they were sweaty with red cheeks again because of the frost and they both had only one thing in mind: a hot bath.
"Where have you two been, huh? Do you know how late it is?" Clint asked with a smirk when he saw his best friend and daughter walking inside the house, snow on their hair and coats. "The note said you'll be here three hours ago."
"Ooops." Natasha said with fake surprise, then she glanced at Lila and they both giggled like a couple of high school girls.
"What have you been doing for so long anyway?"
"Oh, you know. Girl talk and stuff. It takes time."
Clint crossed his arms on his chest and so did his wife. They both tried to look intimidating but failed miserably.
"Am I the only one who thinks they're both up to something? Again?" The archer asked, while his wife stifled a laugh.
"Nope."
2
Steve exhaled deeply, wiping beads of sweat from his forehead. Who would have guessed that asking someone out could give him a mild anxiety attack? The serum removed a great deal of his physical ailments but not his nervousness apparently. For a split second he felt like the kid from Brooklyn again. After a lengthy conversation with Sam, his friend managed to convince the soldier to ask Natasha for a date and boy did he get stressed out about it. Now he was standing in front of her apartment, mustering all the strength needed to knock on the door.
He wanted to start slowly, with dinner at a restaurant, followed by a walk in the park. A bit cliché but somewhere inside Steve knew that both he and the spy just wanted to spend time together regardless of the place and time. None of this helped him in overcoming his shyness though.
His mind raced with the speed of sound, all doubts resurfacing over and over again. "What if she says she doesn't want to go out with me, after all? Maybe she changed her mind? Maybe she doesn't want-"
"Steve? You okay?"
The soldier snapped out of his pesky thoughts. "Oh, hi Nat! I'm sorry, I got lost in thought."
How on earth he didn't hear the door opening?
"I can tell. Everything's fine?"
"Perfectly fine. I was just about to knock."
Natasha gave him a watchful glance but she dismissed it shortly. It looked like she wasn't the only one nervous about this whole dating thing. She forgot about it though, when Steve gave her one of his dorky smiles.
"So… you ready to go? There's this lovely restaurant in Queens and I know for a fact that you love French wine."
"You've got a really good source of information, soldier." Natasha raised her eyebrows. "I wonder where it comes from."
Steve raised his hands. "In my defense I didn't interrogate Clint this time. That'd be a bit creepy to ask him everything there is to know about you. It was just an observation."
Natasha couldn't help but to quirk her lips ever so slightly.
"Shall we?" Steve said offering her his arm.
3
Nick Fury rubbed his face and sighed with exasperation. It was late in the evening but he was still trapped in his office and everything led to the conclusion he would be spending a lot more time here. The only thing he wanted to do was to get everything done already, after such a strenuous week he deserved a break for god's sake. His plans, however, were quickly thwarted by Phil Coulson who has just informed him of yet another agent's disappearance.
Fury glanced at all the files lying on his desk. Big red words MISSING IN ACTION written across the covers made the director more than worried. After all, it was highly unusual for three skilled spies to just vanish into thin air. Each one of them was sent on a special assignment, true, but they were handpicked by Nick, who trusted in their abilities for a reason. Now all of them were gone and he had an unpleasant feeling that something was slipping through his fingers.
"Were you able to establish what has happened to agent Carter?" Fury asked, rubbing his temples.
"We know for sure that she landed in Venice as planned and managed to reach the randez-vous point, but we've had no contact since. She didn't extract the data and my team could not locate her." Coulson explained. "I fear this can't be an ordinary HYDRA activity. I suspect someone far more dangerous to be behind these disappearances."
"So I thought. We should dispatch a search team to look for her." Nick scratched his beard. "I suggest agent Romanoff and Captain Rogers. They make a good duet."
"Should I inform them, now?"
Fury nodded his head. "Yes, we can't waste time now that we know something's afoot. We shouldn't be keeping agent Carter waiting either, provided she's been captured."
"Yes, sir."
"That'll be all, agent Coulson. Thank you."
4
"Is there a specific reason why you chose fondue? Natasha said, putting a particularly tasty piece of cheese-soaked bread into her mouth. "I can't believe I didn't try this earlier. It's delicious."
"Well there is this one story involving the fondue, me and… Peggy." The soldier said sheepishly not being sure if talking about his ex-love on their actual first date was a good idea. Natasha was a good sport about it though and had playful sparks in her eyes.
"Oh, that's bound to be a good story."
Steve chuckled quietly. "It is. My friends in the army would frequently tease me about it, especially Bucky. By God was he annoying at times."
"Why doesn't it surprise me?" The spy rolled her eyes. "What did you do?"
"First of all it was a big misunderstanding, just to make it clear. One day, after training, I was called by Tony's father to discuss some technical issues. When I arrived he happened to be talking with Colonel Phillips so I had to wait and while I did I was… uh… cornered, yeah, that would be the best way to describe it, I was cornered-" Steve stopped for a moment when he saw Natasha leaning towards him as if she didn't want to miss any of his words, her eyes fixed on the soldier's. He suddenly was acutely aware of how red her lips were. Just like the Bordeaux she was drinking. "... by the Colonel's assistant. She basically hit on me and not at all discreetly."
Natasha smirked jokingly and took a sip of her wine. "I didn't expect you to be a ladies' man."
Steve shook his head, trying hard not to blush. "I panicked. She was into me only because I was famous even though I didn't ask for this. And I've already undergone Erskine's project by that point so I knew well what made her so suddenly interested in me."
The spy tilted her head to the side. "I take it that Peggy wasn't happy about it?"
"We have never been together so technically she shouldn't have… but I understand what she must have felt. The assistant didn't waste any time and straight up kissed me in front of her. Peggy was furious." Steve said with a hint of guilt in his tone, which earned him a soft look from Natasha. "My explanation didn't help that much, in fact it only made things worse."
"And how was the fondue involved in all of it?"
"In my self-defense I stupidly asked if she and Howard were still fonduing as I heard Stark and Peggy talking about this once. I thought there was a thing between them." The soldier now looked extremely embarrassed which only intensified when the spy couldn't help but giggle. "Hey, at least you could keep it down. People are looking at us."
"Relax, soldier. It's not a crime to have a good laugh. And you gave me a good reason." Natasha said with a grin, but she stopped laughing upon seeing that Steve actually got a bit uncomfortable. Gosh, she just loved to tease him and Carter seemed to have enjoyed it also. "What did Peggy say?"
"That I still don't know a bloody thing about women. Then she stomped off only to empty a full clip on me a while later. Thank God I was testing the shield Howard made for me or else no serum would help me." The soldier finished in a blank voice, while the redhead did her best not to burst out again.
"How come these kinds of stories weren't featured in your file?"
"I would've killed Nick personally if he kept them in." Steve replied in a serious tone. "You and Tony wouldn't drop this topic for weeks."
"That's probably true." The spy winked gleefully at the soldier who turned red as a beetroot. But before he was able to answer Natasha's phone rang. She gave him the 'I don't believe this' look before she hit the green button. She wanted to reject the call badly but it was from S.H.I.E.L.D. and duty came first, no matter how much they hated it.
"What?" She said in a rather rude manner, only to hear Phil Coulson's voice coming from the other side.
"Agent Romanoff I am terribly sorry to interrupt your leave and at this hour but there has been a situation which requires your immediate attention."
The spy raised her brow. There were always missions which required her special attention. But none of them had interrupted her date before so she didn't feel the need to be overly polite. "What can be so important right now, Phil?"
"I'm afraid I cannot explain this through a phone call, agent Romanoff. Director insists on meeting as soon as possible. Preferably with Captain Rogers, if he's nearby."
"He is." Natasha replied, looking at Steve. How did Nick knew she was with Steve at the moment?
"Very well. Report to the HQ in fifteen minutes. Again, I'm terribly sorry, but this is a rather serious matter." Coulson responded and hung up.
Steve let out a sigh of frustration, cursing his job. "Please, don't tell me…"
"I'm sorry Steve but our date has to wait. Fury called for us. Directly." Natasha explained, a hint of sadness on her face as well. She was looking forward to this evening, she had envisioned it hundreds of times and now they were being sent somewhere far away to deal with yet another problem. "I don't like it any more than you do."
"I know. I just wanted you to have a good time." The soldier muttered under his breath, to which Natasha smiled slightly. Yeah. Steve was something different.
"And I did. At least we're in this mess together."
Steve couldn't help but smirk, despite his disappointment. "Since when you're the optimistic one?"
"Don't insult me, Rogers."
Steve rolled his eyes. "Just like good old times, huh?"
"Better." Natasha said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. She finished her glass and signaled the waiter.
5
Fifteen minutes later they were both sitting in the director's office while he updated them on the current mission.
"You'll be flying a regular plane this time. I don't want you two to attract any more attention than the other agents already have. I fear this is no coincidence and the enemy will do everything to lure you into a trap." Fury explained pacing back and forth. "Be careful. I've a bad feeling that as soon as you touch down in Venice, you'll have company."
"So you think that Wasilewska is behind all this?" Natasha voiced the suspicions both she and the director shared. "After all she's the kind of person who'd travel a thousand miles just to personally sink the knife in my throat."
"Then it makes two of us." Fury replied, still walking in circles.
Steve remained silent. He didn't have the pleasure of meeting Irina Wasilewska and he didn't press Natasha too much about it, considering the redhead almost lost her best friend to the brain-washed rogue widow. He opted to read the scarce information Phil provided him a while ago instead. The stuff he learned made him uncomfortable to say the least.
"There will be an art banquet held at Villa Borghese in Cannaregio district." Fury continued. "Your job is to pose as buyers interested in Italian renaissance paintings which shouldn't be that difficult given Captain Roger's hobby and your flexibility, agent Romanoff."
The soldier and the spy nodded in unison. An infiltration mission. They've handled worse.
"Now for the more important part. My sources report that a wealthy art collector from Russia will attend the party as well and we have every reason to assume he's an undercover HYDRA operative." Nick displayed the photo of the man on the big screen behind his desk. Green eyes, blonde hair and small goatee. Nothing extraordinary. "Of course the banquet is just a cover for an illegal information exchange which will take place at midnight. That is when you two must interfere and take control of the situation."
Fury expression turned stern. "But there is one small detail. Agent Carter was sent to do it in the first place and I am pretty sure she's being held captive as we speak."
"How can we be sure she's still in Venice?" Steve pointed out. "HYDRA could have already transferred her elsewhere. From what we learned recently they still have a number of hideouts in many places across Europe."
"We can't, Captain. We have to assume agent Carter is still in Venice and that's why you two must depart immediately. The other two agents are already being looked for by Hill's team, but your task is to get Sharon to safety, data comes after it. If you do it quickly then there might be a chance to clear this mess up. Understood?"
The soldier and the spy looked at each other, then at the director. "When does the plane leave?"
"In two and half hours. You can learn the rest of the info on the plane, just remember to destroy it afterwards. I trust Natasha to do it properly." Nick replied, handing them a folder and an envelope with two tickets. Economy class. "Be careful you two. I'd hate to send another rescue party if you get caught."
"Don't be so nervous Nick. We know what we're doing." Natasha smirked, already feeling her blood boiling at the thought of a possible encounter with Wasilewska. The redhead would gladly kill the rogue widow as soon as the opportunity arose, it was a matter of revenge for Clint's tortures.
The director still had a rather grim expression on his face as he motioned them out.
They left his office and beelined for Steve's car. The soldier dropped the spy at her apartment and drove home. Tight schedule or not, they had to grab a few pairs of clothes and something fancy to wear so they could actually pose as some snobbish art connoisseurs. It pained them both that they had to waste time on such stupid things but they couldn't afford to blow their cover and they had no idea how long the mission would last.
Steve grabbed a military bag he kept under his bag and stuffed it with all necessary clothing, including a black suit which he made sure to tuck in nicely. Because the weapons were to be delivered to Venice separately, again to avoid suspicion, he was finished in ten minutes. Steve called a taxi and went straight for Natasha's place to pick her up. The spy was already waiting on the sidewalk as the car pulled over and she immediately jumped in.
"Well, that was quick." She huffed, taking a strand of her red locks out of her eyes. "I just hope we can make it in time. Considering what they did to Clint I don't wanna think what they'll do to Carter if we're late."
She didn't finish and the soldier knew better than to comment. If Wasilewska was a real threat, then this mission wouldn't be a walk in the park. They were going to be in serious shit soon but Steve wanted to make sure she'd know she wasn't alone in this.
His hand absent-mindedly found hers and their fingers interlaced. Natasha didn't avert her eyes from the car's window but Steve could see a small smile gracing her red lips.
6
Meanwhile, a few thousand kilometres away, in a dimly-lit and cold room, Sharon Carter slowly began to regain her consciousness. It was accompanied by a headache and nausea so strong she almost threw up. The fact she was hanging upside down, swaying from side to side, did not help in any way.
When she finally stopped, she tried to open her bruised eyes wider only to see that everything was blurry, as if hidden behind a strange red veil. The agent quickly realized that it must have been the blood smeared all over her face, which had already curdled. It was safe to assume then, that she's been kept here for at least a few hours.
Sharon tried to move but the rope bounding her to the ceiling proved to be rather durable. Not to mention the fact that even if she did manage to free herself, she'd fall onto the floor two metres below, head first. It wasn't an enticing scenario.
She also realized she was stripped of all clothes apart from her black underwear. Her wrists and ankles were swollen and covered in red marks, which looked as if she was forcefully held by someone, held so she could not resist. It didn't take long for Sharon to come to a disgusting conclusion; she closed her eyes again, praying that the captors didn't have their way with her while she was knocked-out. Feeling of hopelessness invaded her to a point she started sobbing quietly.
Hot tears meandered through the crust of blood covering her forehead, falling to the concrete floor below. After a period of time which felt like days, she heard commotion followed by a loud metallic sound of the door to her cell opening. A naive thought in the back of her mind hoped it would be someone to break her free but the reason told her otherwise.
A group of people came inside, including a woman with slim figure and tar-black hair. She was beautiful despite a nasty scar on her left cheek. Sharon recognized her immediately.
"How's it hanging, darling?" Wasilewska asked in the sweetest voice possible, tilting her head to the side.
Sharon gathered all the strength left, restraining herself from any comments. If it was to be her end, then she wouldn't give them any satisfaction or get into pointless discussions. Her silence seemed to be taken as a hint because the rogue widow's eyes narrowed with disdain.
"You can spare me your silent defiance, agent Carter. I want you to know that you're just a way of achieving my goals. I'm sure Captain Rogers will come to your rescue, as he always does, and where there is Rogers, Romanoff follows. It's gonna be really easy, thanks to you, darling." Wasilewska unsheathed one of her knives and started fiddling with it. "As soon as I get what I want, you'll be disposed of, so please don't try anything stupid. If you comply I'll consider giving you a quick death."
Then the rogue widow ordered one of her men to lower the rope Sharon's feet were attached to, so that Wasilewska could look into the agent's eyes.
"I can promise you one thing though. Romanoff and Rogers will be dealt with in a more sophisticated way. Do you really think I don't know what they were sent here for?" She smiled ironically. "I have a small parting gift for them. There will be no witnesses."
With that being said, Sharon was elevated higher into air once again.
"Well, then, agent Carter. Now that you have something to keep your mind occupied I hope it's the last time we see each other." Wasilewska turned on her heel and marched out of Sharon's cell.
"Steve, hurry up, please." Was Sharon's last thought before she drifted away into nothingness.
7
Twelve hours later Steve and Natasha arrived in Venice and while the flight was uneventful, the fact they weren't able to use the quinjet put them both on edge throughout the whole journey. They could've been at their destination much earlier had they used S.H.I.E.L.D.'s aircraft.
On the other hand, the enemy could have already been expecting them, given the fact that Wasilewska was most probably coordinating the data exchange at the banquet. Maybe Nick was right about using the conventional means of transport, after all. It was less prone to be tracked.
Steve grabbed their luggage while Natasha quickly called a cab which would take them to the address given by Fury. It was located in Mestre, the industrial district of Venice, where they could mix with the crowd easily and avoid unnecessary attention before the assignment. Rush or not, you should never venture into the enemy's territory without preparations.
Their apartment turned out to be rather small, consisting of a living room with a sofa, tiny kitchenette and bathroom with shower, so nothing too fancy. They didn't complain, though, they were both accustomed to much worse conditions. As for the weapons, they were delivered prior to their arrival and Natasha soon found a secret storage beneath the floorboards in the living room.
"Now we're talking." The redhead smirked under her breath.
There was nothing more heartwarming for the spy to see her dual glocks and a set of twelve combat knives of different shapes and sizes. Her widow-bites were fully charged and ready to be equipped as well. Her regular combat suit was in her suitcase as it didn't alert the metal scanners at the airport and could be transported without much trouble.
The soldier on the other hand expected only his trusty vibranium shield so he was surprised to find a small suitcase without any distinctive features apart from his name engraved on the lid. Steve opened it and saw a neatly folded tar-black material with a letter sitting on top of it.
"What's that?" Natasha asked, peeking curiously from behind his shoulder.
"No idea." Steve said reaching for the piece of paper.
"Capsicle, I had this prepared for some time now so I thought you might as well test it in the field. This suit can be worn underneath normal clothes and will stop any toxic substance, fire, grenade shard or bullet as long as the caliber is 0.50 or lower. Have fun there and tell Little Red I said hello. Tony."
"Well, that was unexpected." Steve smiled, unfolding the material. It had a distinctive texture, resembling hexagonal scales and felt very light, almost as if it was just a regular piece of clothing. It didn't concern the soldier that much since he knew what Tony's designs were capable of. "Thank God, it's not blue, red and white."
"What, you don't like national colours? You, Captain America, of all people?" Natasha said, putting her hand on her chest in a fake gasp.
"Believe it or not, but not everything I wear looks like american flag. Anyway, how long before the banquet start?"
"Six hours. I think it's best if we rest now. Who knows how long this'll take."
Steve nodded his head but then his eyes rested on a sofa which was definitely too small for both of them. Before he could voice his opinion though, Natasha did.
"You're not sleeping on the floor." She said firmly, putting hands on her hips. Suddenly she was much taller and more intimidating than usual. "Don't even think about it."
"Natasha, it's too small, even for you." He tried to reason but it was already a lost cause.
"I don't care. We'll figure something out. Now get in there."
"Nat-"
"Will you just listen to me?"
A faint smile curved the soldier's lips. "Haven't I always?"
A/N: What's your take on this one, guys? They were in the middle of a date, then another assignment popped up… We'll see how it turns out in future chapters. I'd love to see new reviews (criticism is welcome as well) and I hope y'all having a good day (or night). See you around. / WS