The Mission From Hell
Chapter 2
"The First Night... Brrr..."
By: Deep Shadows and EckoStalker


Alexis and Severus sat across from each other at the table once again, finishing up a simple dinner of hot dogs and Macaroni and cheese. They were silent as they ate relatively slowly, occasionally looking up at the clock situated above the kitchen sink.

Finally on one such check, the clock ticked 10:00 pm. Severus coughed softly, picking up his plate and setting it by the sink. Alexis looked up at the clock just after him, and then also picked up her plate, setting it next to his. They looked at each other silently for a moment, and then both nodded, both walking simultaneously to their bedroom.

Severus went to his dresser drawer as Alexis rummaged through her half unpacked suitcase, both pulling out a set of black clothes and a leather pack of sorts. Alexis snagged the bathroom before Severus could get up, and Severus merely rolled his eyes as he closed the bedroom door and set out his own set of clothes.

Alexis set up in the bathroom and donned the black pants and halter top, pulling on the warm black jacket over it as she shivered. She sat on the edge of the bathtub then, pulling on a pair of warm black socks and lacing up a pair of black combat boots. Standing in front of the mirror, she pulled out a small canister, twisting it open and smearing her fingers in it. Smirking, she wiped the black paint under her eyes in two thick lines, nodding in approval. Setting the leather pack she brought on the sink, she pulled out several small devices, hooking the small walkie-talkie ear and mouthpiece firmly around her left ear. She pulled out her beloved nunchucks, snapping them onto her black leather belt that was pretty much a utility belt, glad that she had already equipped them with a silencing charm to muffle any noise. She made sure her belt was secured tightly around her; the several or so tools in there might become crucial.

Two daggers she fitted into each boot, and another larger one on the other side of her belt, just for precaution. Posing in front of the mirror, she smirked. "Agent Whyte... damn, what a bloody contradiction..."

She gathered up her other clothes and such, and then opened the door, posing in front of it. Severus looked up from where he was situating a pair of black sunglasses on top of his head, clad in the same black attire, and rolled his eyes.

"Oh yes, the black paint's really going to make a difference... you aren't going out like that are you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Alexis pouted, crossing her arms. "I like the paint thank you, what's so wrong with tha-"

"Not the paint you imbecile. What's the point of going out all in black when your hair would be a dead giveaway?" He mused, and Alexis looked in the dresser mirror at her dazzling, pure white hair.

"Oh damn, forgot about that... um... aha!" She exclaimed, pulling out a black bandanna from a pocket. She tied it over her head like a biker's, hands on her waist then as she posed in the mirror with a triumphant smirk, her head now covered. Severus rolled his eyes and nodded, readjusting his own walkie-talkie earpiece and straightening his black jacket.

"Good. Ready then?"

"Aye Aye Cap'n." Alexis spoke chipperly, and Severus turned off the bedroom lights, leaving the house in total darkness. He then silently made his way out of the apartment, Alexis following behind like a shadow.

They made their way to the alley beside their apartment, stopping in the soft snow as they gained their bearings. Severus shook his head as he looked around, grumbling lowly. "You know, dressing in black was really redundant..."

"The harbor, which is our target, will be clear of most snow Severus, so dressing in white would've been even more idiotic. And then you'd have to wear the bandanna." Alexis told him with a snicker, and Severus merely looked away with a grumble.

Alexis then went into spy mode, pushing aside her snarky comments and focusing on the task at hand. She looked at Severus, flicking on her earpiece as Severus did the same. She whistled into the mouthpiece part, and Severus winced painfully, glaring at her.

"Yep, it works..." She spoke, smirking at him. He shook his head, turning deeper into the alley and blending into the surrounding shadows, Alexis tailing him as they took the back streets and alleys to Boston's harbor in complete silence.

The seaport was vacant and dark once they arrived, materializing out of the blackness beside one of the many grungy and wide warehouses that lined the old wooden docks. Huge cargo ships and smaller tugboats swayed ominously above the buildings, the creaking of wood and slapping of water against their huge sides the only loud noises that muffled the distant hum of vehicles and city life behind them.

This was to be a simple recon mission for this night, merely to scope out where their targets had decided to set up their base of operations and get a general gist of whom they were up against on this assignment.

Alexis looked up, scanning the tops of the warehouses and the spaced out dim lamps. She immediately picked out several newer looking surveillance cameras as they swept back and forth across the empty docks, and she nodded to Severus, gesturing to them. He looked up, seeing them as well and Alexis signaled him to stay out of sight. He cocked his head curiously as Alexis stood back from the wall of the warehouse, the space between this one and the one beside them only about five feet. She jumped forward, bouncing off that wall to the other, then again until she was able to get a hold on the overhanging tin roof about ten feet above. She gritted her teeth as she pulled herself up and onto the roof, looking down at Severus, who gawked up at her with surprise. She smirked, then crouched down, sidling up behind the camera situated on the corner of the building. She pulled out the small dagger from her boot, cleaning slicing the wires, then taking them and plugging them into a few different slots. Nodding as the device whirred with new information and continued scanning, she stepped back a few paces, then ran and jumped onto the roof of the adjacent building, sneaking up to the camera on that one and rewiring it as well.

She found a drainpipe along one side of the building, and slid down it, landing on her feet on the ground without a sound and sprinting up silently beside Severus, who shook his head at her and mumbled. "You're a damn monkey..."
Alexis snickered at him, speaking quietly. "I could only get to the two cameras on this side, those on the lamps are scanning the docks around the ships though, so if we stick close to the warehouses, we should go undetected until the next set of buildings. I rewired these ones to play a loop of the empty docks around the warehouses, no one should catch on for a good long while."

Severus nodded, adding in. "Look for ground alarms as well, it would be just our luck if we were to go through all the trouble of downing all the cameras and trip a silent alarm..."

"We? You mean me right. I'm fixing all the cameras. You'd probably freak out about the height and end up plugging something into the wrong slot and either blow it up or set off another alarm." Alexis sneered at him and he glared at her indignantly. He shook his head and started off along the walls of the building, Alexis rolling her eyes and following him, climbing up and rewiring cameras when the occasion called.

-------------------

Severus ignored that nagging annoyance he had when he went anywhere with Alexis as he glanced around them, searching for any guards. Severus shook his head in dismay as Alexis leapt down from yet another roof, smirking in satisfaction. Severus stayed in the shadows, using years of observing students and Deatheaters alike to blend perfectly with the darkness. Alexis kept her eyes upward bound, watching for more cameras and Severus kept his eyes out for ground alarms and foot guards. Alexis stood on the other side of the alleyway and she spoke into walkie-talkie, making his ear scream. He really hated these blasted things.

"Hey, my spidey senses are tingling." Her voice stated over the quiet static and he looked at her rolling his eyes as he replied.

"What are spidey senses?" He asked and she sighed, shaking her head at him, gesturing for the building. Severus questioned her no further as he followed her lead to a back door of one of the warehouses. He picked the lock with no difficulty and opened the door, immediately clinging the shadows. The room was dark and Alexis swooped in behind him, moving to the other side of the door. He looked around for any signs of people or creatures alike. The last thing he wanted to do was walk into a dragon-breeding cage. Seeing nothing Alexis stepped forward and Severus saw a red laser going across the floor at the last second. He grabbed her shoulder and slammed her back toward the door and she glared at him.

"What the-" She began and he held a finger to his lips, pointing to the floor. She looked down at it and sighed, leaning her head back against the wall. Severus moved along the laser line, coming to a wall. He knelt by its source and, remembering how he had learned to disarm these simple muggle devices, he turned it off. After that he stood back up and looked at Alexis, who was watching him with apprehension. Ignoring the fact that they were basically acting out one of her action spy movies, he signaled her to come over toward him. She nodded at him but held her hand up to him, gesturing for him to stay down as she clung to the wall again. He watched as she climbed up on a box and lunged for a rafter, catching it with some difficultly. She balance-beamed it as she crossed the ceiling, moving to a far wall. Severus looked to where she was heading and saw the roving red light of a video camera. She disarmed it and then leapt the floor where he could not see her.

"Hey, I found a crate. Get over here." His earpiece buzzed and he shook his head, ignoring the fact that Alexis's voice was technically in his head. He got up and walked over to where she was crouched, a mini flashlight in her mouth as she was looking at the side of a box. Severus knelt and read the box.

It was addressed to a remote location in England, to a 'wildlife preserve' there.

"This is a bogus preserve. I know all the preserves, muggle and wizard and this one does not exist." Alexis told him lowly and he nodded, pulling the damned sunglass camera off of his head. In the midst of untangling it from his hair, it flashed at him and Alexis covered them quickly, glaring at him.

"Turn the flash off." She snarled and he sighed.

"I don't even know how these damn things work." He told her and she sighed, taking them from him and clicking a button, snapping a picture of the address pane on the side of the massive crate. After that she handed them back to him and he rolled his eyes at her. She stood and walked around the crate, knocking on it softly. He looked around, knowing her noise would draw some attention, but luckily it did not. She opened the crate with amazing silence and got on her hands and knees, peering in with her flashlight. He watched around them, praying that she didn't get them caught their first night. Alexis crawled back out, pocketing something that looked like a shiny piece of shell and then looked at him with determination.

"This is definitely the place. They had Occamy in here." She told him and he sighed rubbing his forehead.

Severus spent most of the night playing look out for Alexis as she confirmed that there had been Dragons and eggs in at least three crates, and that there were Chimera eggs in another crate. Alexis swore that they were transporting chickens too, but he had to remind her that to hatch a basilisk, a toad must sit on a chicken egg. They took pictures of their evidence, though Severus swore he took more pictures of himself than the evidence.

It was getting late and Alexis had climbed up in to the loft area of the warehouse on a whim. He stood on the ground, leaning against the wall, his hand on his wand and the other on his ear, waiting for Alexis to call him to help her down.

"Se, Harr, aw damn it... hey, Asshole, get over here and let me down." Alexis's voice rang through his ears and he snarled at her, shaking his head.

"Bitch." He barked at her and she snickered in his ear as he walked over to the edge of the loft.

"Look, we have new covert names. Bitch and Asshole. Or Ass for short." She told him snarkily and he snorted, seeing her standing on the edge of the wooden walkway. She leaned over the edge, lowering herself down slowly until he could grab her ankles. Then he helped her down to the ground and she shook her head roughly, getting dust all over him.

"There is an office up there, but it's bolted. I can't pick it." Alexis told him and Severus sighed, shaking his head. He looked down at his wristwatch, seeing the green numbers glowing that it was two in the morning.

"We can deal with the office later. We are supposed to be back at the apartment at two and it is two now." Severus told her and she pouted.

"But... It's a locked door. I can't stand locked doors." Alexis whined and he grabbed her arms, yanking her out of there. He would be damned if he let her whining get them caught. She yanked her hands out of his and began to walk on her own, moving out of the warehouse with silent ease.

"You ass." His earpiece rang again and he snickered.

"Bitch." He replied as they moved back into the shadows, heading to the apartment.

---------------------------------

They made their way to the alley beside their apartment, having made sure no one had tailed them there by doubling back once or twice on their way home. They turned off their ear pieces as they stamped their numbed feet in the dirty snow underfoot, Severus whistling loudly into his this time, the noise lancing through Alexis's tired mind, and he turned it off before she could return the favor. He smirked at her and Alexis rolled her eyes, pulling out a key and unlocking the doors leading into the stairs for the apartment rooms. They trudged up them, reaching their own door and checking around once more for any signs of being watched.

Sure of their cover, they entered their apartment, locking the doors behind them. Severus trudged into the Kitchen, mumbling. "I'll make us some hot tea real quick..."

Alexis yawned and nodded without question, heading to the bedroom and grabbing some joggers and tank top for pajamas and stumbling into the bathroom, surprised that Severus let her get it first this time. She changed quickly in the coldness of the small bathroom, cursing herself for not packing warmer nightshirts, and washing the black paint from her face after returning her spy gear and outfit to their bags. She walked back out of the bathroom and headed into the Kitchen, where Severus handed her a warm cup of tea. She smiled at him gratefully, sipping it slowly, a tingling coursing through her chilled body. Severus had already finished his drink and had retreated to the bathroom to change. She trudged back to the bedroom tiredly in time to get hit with a pillow.

She stumbled, glaring at Severus in confusion, who was sitting on the bed, dressed in his nightclothes. He looked at her, then at the bed with a raised eyebrow, and Alexis sighed.

"Fine, I'll take the couch, but I get the bigger blanket."

"Deal." Severus agreed, handing her the blanket as he pulled over his own pillow, collapsing into the bed with a sigh. Alexis rolled her eyes, trudging out of the room and shoving some books off of the couch, tossing her pillow on it and falling onto it, curling up with the blanket tucked under her chin. She yawned again drowsily, calling out wearily.

"Night Harry."

"Goodnight Lindsey." Severus called back, and it wasn't long when Alexis heard soft snoring from the room. Se snickered to herself, turning into her pillow and drifting off into sleep.

-------------------------------------

Severus got great enjoyment from making Alexis wince in pain because of his whistling. He was freezing and any distraction was welcome. They walked into the apartment, Alexis opening the door and Severus remembered that he had taken a big risk last night in not drugging Alexis. He had to start her on her drugs tonight, because he was not risking a torch fest. Severus trudged into the Kitchen, mumbling.

"I'll make us some hot tea real quick..." He stated and watched as Alexis nodded and headed for the bathroom. He boiled a pot of water and made the tea, mixing the elixir for Alexis in the tea. She would not like it, and she would never agree to it, but it would definitely blow their cover if Alexis burst into bright green flames due to one of her hissy fits. The elixir blocked her power, not allowing her to summon her magical fire.

She walked out of the bathroom and he handed her the cup of tea, surprised that she wasn't questioning him. Shrugging, he downed his own tea and headed back to the bedroom/bathroom to change. He pulled out his warmest pants and a tank top shirt and changed for bed quickly, not wanting to be disrobed any longer. Surprisingly though, the bedroom was far warmer than the living room or kitchen. He quickly placed his gear in the pack it came from and placed it under the bed, placing his wand under the mattress. He sat on the bed and Alexis began walking in the bedroom tiredly and he assumed she thought that they were both sleeping in the bed. He would have to correct that thought quickly. Severus picked up a pillow and threw it at her, having already claimed the bed for this night. He looked at Alexis and then glanced at the bed with a raised eyebrow, insinuating that only one person was sleeping in that bed tonight, and that person was him and him alone. Alexis sighed at him and then surprisingly agreed with no argument.

"Fine, I'll take the couch, but I get the bigger blanket." She bargained and he was more than happy to oblige if it meant he didn't have to sleep on the couch.

"Deal." Severus agreed, throwing the thicker comforter at her as he grabbed his own pillow. He collapsed into the mildly comfortable bed with a sigh, ready for sleep. He heard Alexis leave the room, turning off the light, but she continued to make noise as she moved around into the living room. He was about to hex her to oblivion when she called out into the darkness.

"Night Harry." She stated mid-yawn and it took him a minute to register that she was talking to him. He was just that tired.

"Goodnight Lindsey." Severus called back to Alexis with her undercover name and he closed his eyes, covering up with the blanket as he dozed off into sleep.

---------------------------------

Later that night, Alexis's own shivering woke her from what was suppose to be a pretty good sleep. Begrudgingly opening her eyes, she shivered uncontrollably, seeing her breath steaming in the air. My god, it's like, ten degrees in this bloody room! Alexis thought tiredly to herself, her teeth chattering in her head.

She pulled the blanket tighter around her bare arms and neck, curling into a tight ball on the small couch, hoping to create a ball of warmth. All she managed doing was finding a colder spot on the couch, not knowing that was even possible. She sat up, clutching the blanket around her, and rubbing her numb feet together as she vainly tried to think of something to make her warmer. She spied the busted heater in the corner of the room, and lowly walked over to it, picking up a book and whacking it a few times. She pushed all the buttons and spun all the dials, but the heater merely sat there in all its silent mockery.

She glared at it half heartedly, shivering to the point that it hurt. She looked to the bedroom wistfully, figuring it had to be at least somewhat warmer than this blasted room. She might as well be sleeping outside for all the good these four walls had of protecting her from the elements. A thought suddenly came to mind, and she fought with herself, as it appeared more enticing by the minute.

Severus has the bed... which has sheets as well as a blanket... he would kill me though... but if I don't, I'll probably die of frostbite or something... and he's probably all warm and such...

"Ah h-hell, he'll have to live w-with it... I'm not going to f-freeze just so he can have t-the comfort of sleeping alone..." Alexis grumbled with chattering teeth, stomping over to the bedroom and quietly opening the door. She stood there for another moment of uncertainty, then shook her head and silently crept up to the other side of the bed.

As softly as she could, she slipped under the covers, blessed warmth washing over her chilled body. She curled under the blankets, sidling closer to the source of warmth under the blankets, which was Severus.

Accidentally, her cold bare arm pressed against Severus's half exposed back and she was bombarded with a surprised yell as Severus jumped half out of the bed, shouting with unbelief as he stared at her with unfocused eyes. "MY GOD! You're freezing!"

Alexis glared at him slightly as she snapped. "Naw, you t-think? It's cold enough f-for it to snow it the bloody living room. I'm n-not going to freeze to d-death, so you're going to have t-to scoot over and d-deal with it."

Severus shook his head, still shocked, and Alexis curled against a pillow, pulling the blankets up under her chin as she shivered. Severus grumbled something to himself, shaking his head as he crawled back into the bed, apparently still to asleep to argue on the subject any further, though he did mumble.

"As long as you don't cuddle... you're likely to freeze me..."

"I'll t-try... just don't take all t-the blankets...can't f-feel my limbs as it is..." She grumbled tiredly, rolling with her back to him as he lay back on the pillow, pulling some of the blankets over him.

"Geez, you're like a bloody Popsicle..." Severus commented lowly as he shivered, feeling her cold presence next to him. Alexis merely huffed, trying to fall back asleep as her body slowly warmed up, too slowly to her liking.

On the brink of dozing off and feeling slightly warmer, at least, more than before, she could've swore she felt Severus sidle closer to her. But as blessed warmth spread through her body, she drifted off into a contented sleep without a second thought.

-----------------------------

Severus was sitting in his wing backed chair in his room at Manor Dela Loyalty, the blazing fire in his fireplace keeping him comfortably warm as he happily read a copy of Potion's Monthly. The room was comfortably warm and he was content as he sipped a glass of wine... Severus was suddenly ripped from his dream mid-sip as some form of ice cube ran over his exposed spine. He leapt halfway out of the bed, shouting at the person who had just climbed into bed with him.

"MY GOD! You're freezing!" He shouted at he stared at her with unfocused eyes, slowly recognizing the shivering form as Alexis as she glared at him.

"Naw, you t-think? It's cold enough f-for it to snow it the bloody living room. I'm n-not going to freeze to d-death, so you're going to have t-to scoot over and d-deal with it." She stated through chattering teeth and Severus shook his head at her in his shock. Alexis curled against a pillow, pulling the blankets up under her chin as she shivered in the bed.

"Damn it." Severus grumbled as he crawled back into the bed, shaking his head. He didn't feel like arguing, he wanted to go back to his dream and its comforting warmth.

"Bloody America, Bloody mission..." He mumbled as he sensed Alexis's chill from almost two feet away.

"As long as you don't cuddle... you're likely to freeze me..." He stressed, feeling cold just by her presence in the bed. At least she brought another blanket... Severus thought to himself as she chattered another wearied reply.

"I'll t-try... just don't take all t-the blankets...can't f-feel my limbs as it is..." She grumbled tiredly, rolling with her back to him and he laid his head back on his pillow, pulling some of the blankets over himself. He lay there for a minute, commenting lowly.

"Geez, you're like a bloody Popsicle..." He stated as he shivered, feeling her cold presence next to him greatly. He heard her huff at him and she shivered once again. Bloody hell... At this rate I'll never get back to sleep... He thought and then she shivered some more.

Gods, she must be freezing... I'm not a cruel bastard... But, she is freezing cold to the touch... Damn me for giving a care... But I don't care, I'm doing it only because I want her to stop shivering so I can go back to sleep... Besides, she's nearly asleep anyways and can't taunt me about it later... Severus thought defiantly to himself as he moved closer to Alexis, holding his breath so he didn't yell at her frigidness next to him.

Damn... She is cold... Severus thought as he felt her and himself slowly getting warmer at their closer proximity. He closed his eyes after about an hour and went back to sleep once again.

----------------------------------

Alexis came to awareness that late morning warm, comfortable, and content, her arms wrapped around something solid. She felt herself also wrapped in something warm as well, and snuggled closer into it, hearing a steady heartbeat in her ears. She smiled lazily, speaking softly. "Ron?..."

She inhaled deeply, and her brow furrowed. This doesn't smell like Ron... She thought wonderingly as she opened her eyes, her head pressed into a man's chest, the man's arms wrapped comfortably around her, and hers around him. She looked up curiously, and her eyes widened as she recognized the sleeping face of Severus not three inches from her own. Her breath hitched in her throat and she stiffened in shock, Severus opening his eyes and gazing at her at that moment.

Oh my god... Was her only thought as she finally found her voice, yelling in surprise as Severus yelled also, both diving away from each other like they were scalded. But so small was the bed that when they dived away, they teetered on their ends of the bed, then toppled backwards in a jumble of blankets and pillows.

Alexis sat bolt upright, heart beating wildly in her chest as she looked across the bed, seeing Severus sit bolt upright on the floor as well, looking across at her over the bed with wide eyes. They were silent for a moment as they stared at each other in embarrassed shock, breathing shallowly. Severus finally regained some sense, coughing as he straightened himself, rising wobbly to his feet. Alexis stared at him as she pulled herself up as well, shoving the blankets off of her.

He looked at her with as much dignity as he could muster, and Alexis met his gaze defiantly, still a little shaken though by that odd awakening, as he asked quietly. "Um... breakfast?"
Alexis scratched her head, replying softly. "Yeah... t, that would be good..."

They both nodded at each other, Severus leaving the room and Alexis following after, neither one speaking a word.


A pretty good chapter don't ya think...
Now we've seen Sev in Spy mode, lets see what happens when everything starts to go wrong...
We all know we want to see a Drunken Severus, now dont we...
Reviews make the writers happy and happy writers mean better chapters...
Deep Shadows