Ok i've finally updated! Here is the next chapter...

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot

Now to my reviewers...

Glitter Stars:Thanx for the review.I'm pleased you enjoyed the chapter. i hadn'tupdated for ages before that i'm pleased you enjoyed it. As for the confrontation there will be on but as to when you'll have to wait and see... Read on...

Princess Stressed: Thanx for the review.I love Rashel and Quinn they are by far my favourite couple apart from my own made up couple but that's another story for another time. I'm pleased you are enjoying the story here is the next chapter read on!

Anna: Thanx for the review. i'm pleased your enjoying the story. As for the flashback of Quinn getting the bullet yes there is one. And yes it will be soon. Actually all my Night World stories are linked to my first one Not Too late For Love. You don't have to read this to know what's going on because the stories are stand alone but the mission Quinn was on when he recieved a bullet to his chest is in there. But as i said you don't have to read it because there is a flashback coming shortly. I'm pleased you enjoyed it read on...

Now that i've babbled on enough here is the next part of the story...

The Best Offence Is Defence

Chapter three: Stalker

Ash was driving for the first leg of the journey. Mary Lynette sat in the front and Quinn and Rashel sat in the back. None of them voiced their concerns but they all felt safer now they were in one car. It seemed stupid. They were all trained agents.

Quinn, Rashel and Ash were field agents and Mary-Lynette although wasn't specialised as a field agent had had training as one. They were all trained and well aware of what they had to do.

But before they had had a solid enemy.

Right now they were running from shadows and it was making everyone of them jumpy. They liked to have at least some sort of control and at that present time they had exactly none.

"So where we going next?" Mary-Lynette asked after a short period of silence. "Anywhere, and everywhere." Quinn said quietly. "If Hawk is after us then we need to be invisible."

Rashel inwardly flinched. Not much could make Quinn on edge. He was one of the best field agents for that reason.

Hell, he had taken that bullet for Rashel without blinking an eye. Rashel hated thinking about that. It only reminded her of how close it could have been. That mission to get Kaitlin had been important.

And she didn't blame Kaitlin. But it had still shaken her as to how close she had came to losing him.

She blinked and unbidden the images came to her mind:

"Damn I'm out!" Ash hissed "Here!" Lupe passed him another magazine before returning fire. Quinn and Rashel were performing miracles ducking in and out of cover but they were still pinned. The whirl of bullets were whizzing past them making it hard to make a stand.

"AGENTS DOWN!" The scream came from Morgead "Who?" Ash demanded "Poppy and Winnie." Morgead said and then he yelled "Hell I'm hit!" "Morgead!" Jez said "Jez!" Thierry's voice said "Stay were you are! Delos offer cover fire we're almost out."

"We're in the truck." James said his voice full of pent up emotion. "Leave now." Galen said "No." Jez and James and Thomas said at the same time. "We'll finish what we came here to do." Jez said, "They'll be ok. All of them."

"I'm out!" Rashel said at the same time Lupe screamed, "I'm out!" At that moment Quinn dived in front of a bullet meant for Rashel and shielded her yelping as the sliver bullet slammed into his shoulder and collapsed.

"Quinn!" Rashel screamed, "I'm out!" Ash yelled desperately staring numbly at his friend. "Here!" a voice yelled above the din. Eric threw three cartridges and Ash caught them and passed one to Lupe who loaded her gun. Thea dived for Quinn.

"I have to get him out of here!" "Then go!" Keller yelled as Eric gave the teams all his and Thea's cartridges. Thea closed her eyes touching Quinn and holding hands with Eric who still had his gun pointed in the direction of the door. Rashel had hold of Quinn's hand and they all faded out.

Rashel felt the air collapse in around her and suddenly Thea was yelling at her to run. They ran out through a back door and suddenly the van careened into view. Delos was out of the van before it even stopped rolling.

Rashel saw the blood begin to run and then her vision went starry, as the blue fire was unleashed on those behind her. Then James and Thomas were hauling her inside the van.

"GO!" Galen and Keller's voice screamed over the microphones.

"No." Rashel said "Quinn loves Kaitlin like a sister and if he finds out we left without her he'll go ballistic." "Shut up Rashel." Keller said "You know as well as we all do that if Kaitlin finds out four agents were hurt trying to get her out she'll go ballistic."

Rashel looked down at Quinn as he lay in the truck. He didn't look like Quinn at all. But she also knew that if they left there would be no way for the others who were still in the Bunker to leave.

In the end Galen had ordered them to leave. So they had left. Now there was only Galen, Keller, Lupe and Ash left to free Nilsson and Kaitlin.

But they had a better chance if the Night Worlders thought that the danger had passed. Rashel felt guilt at leaving a mission that had not been completed but like all the van heading back for the mansion she realised that her part in the mission was over.

It was up to the others now.

After that Jez had pulled some of the best driving skills Rashel had ever seen. They had to play escape and evade and it looked dicey for a few minutes. But Jez proved to be the better driver and then they were free.

They had practically flew back to Daybreak after that and the next few hours went by in a blur. She couldn't remember half of it.

Time seemed to stand still. She knew she wouldn't survive if Quinn didn't pull through.

He had too. Finally after what had seemed like forever Thea came to get her. "He's fine Rashel."

With those words Rashel thought she would collapse with relief. She had never been so happy about anything in her life.

"Stop thinking about it Shelley." A voice startled Rashel out of her thoughts. She turned and saw Quinn looking at her intently.

"I can't help it." She whispered.

She tried to clear the images from her head but they weren't having any of it.

They flashed before her eyes and her heart clenched again at the sight of Quinn hitting the floor in front of her.

She had never thought she might have to face the prospect of living without him and now she had had to deal with, even if it was for the shortest amount of time, that situation she realised just how much Quinn meant to her.

She had never told him. Not really. And it was stupid. The only one she had been fooling was herself. Because Quinn knew exactly how she felt about him and how much she loved him. It was just her human side clinging to the last threads of control she had in a world where everything had changed and turned totally on its head.

Rashel listen to me.

Quinn's voice drifted across their link and into her mind. She turned and looked at him. His dark, almost black eyes were calm as they stared back at her. He rubbed his hands up and down her arms and Rashel smiled at him.

You need to forget what happened Shelley. I'm fine. Nothing happened. Rashel stiffened and before she could stop herself she yelled across the bond,

BUT IT COULD HAVE. And I did nothing. Nothing Quinn! You could have died and I didn't do anything. Quinn smiled at her. I never knew you cared.

His laughter filled her ears and she smiled shaking her head. He knew exactly what to do to make everything seem ok. How could he seem to just know? It was amazing there had been a time when she had lived without him.

Hated him. She cringed inside. She had had reason but now she just couldn't ever hate Quinn. Sure they argued. They screamed and yelled at one another until they were horse but it was simply the way their relationship was.

They had difference in opinion and they always would. Give Rashel that difference in opinion any day. She couldn't live without that as much as the sunny parts of their relationship.

It was what made it…interesting. It was what made Quinn, Quinn. She wouldn't change it even if she had the choice.

As she was thinking this she remembered what Quinn had said. I never knew you cared.

It echoed round her head and she made him look him in the eye. You never knew I cared because I never let you know. That's my fault. I'm sorry you need to know that I-…

She never got to say the rest of the sentence because Ash interrupted her panicking slightly.

Ash and Mary-Lynette sat quietly in the front of the car. Mary-Lynette was musing over a map and Ash was concentrating on the road. Mare glanced in the mirror and noticed the absence of quiet murmurs from the back of the car.

I think they're making use of their connection just now. She mused to Ash across their bond.

"What?" He asked taking his eyes off the road for a moment and looking at his soulmate. Mary-Lynette silently indicated to the couple in the back taking a sweet from the bag on the dashboard.

"mmm." She giggled happily. "Chocolate." "Want one." Ash said quietly silently agreeing with Mary-Lynette.

The soulmate bond defiantly came in handy for privacy. Mary-Lynette red him a chocolate and he kissed her fingers before saying a muffled "fanks." Through a sticky mouthful.

Ash's ever changing eyes locked with Mary-Lynette's cool ones and they stayed like that for a few moments before Ash realised he should probably watch the road and feeling breathless turned his attention to more important issues.

Like driving.

Concentrate Mare's voice echoed in his head and the sound of her laughter filled his ears.

He was finding it difficult to do as she said. When you're laughing at me its kind of hard to accomplish! Ash huffed. I'm a good driver. He finished lamely.

He sighed. Point to Mary-Lynette.

Yet again.

Mary-Lynette seemed to take pity on him and said; I never said you weren't Ash. You're a good driver, a good agent, a good everything. There was a brief pause and then she said.

You're my everything.

Ash's heart melted just as it did every time Mary-Lynette told him exactly how much she meant to him. He hadn't realised that someone could be that important to him or that someone's opinion of him could mean so much.

But it did. And not for the first time in his life Ash was pleased he had gone to Briar Creek his search of his sisters and pleased he had been strong enough to choose Daybreak over the Night World.

He still had problems. It would be stupid to pretend he didn't. Ash was the Playboy spy and as a result he ended up back in many of his old haunts pretending to be everything he used to be.

It was difficult because it made him gag to think he used to enjoy having the power over humans and make them do as he pleased. It was difficult because had been at home doing what he did.

And now he had to go back knowing exactly what it did to those people he had once labelled vermin.

Ash's fingers clenched on the steering wheel.

Mary-Lynette watched Ash's eyes darken and his knuckles turn white as he clenched the steering wheel. She sighed. She knew it was hard for him but she wished he wouldn't bottle it up.

She knew fine well what was expected of him and was proud that he could go back and face those demons without becoming attached to them like he had before.

Ash I'm proud of you and I'll love you no matter what you have to do. Remember this is so we can win this war. It's so we can be together. I'm proud of you.

Ash's hands slackened on the steering wheel and even though he didn't look at her he smiled and Mary-Lynette knew that smile was for her.

Thank-you Mare. Thank-you for understanding.

Mary-Lynette smiled and then turned her attention back to the map in front of her.

Suddenly Ash cursed. Mary-Lynette looked up startled. "What is it?" She asked. "We're being stalked." He said being gritted teeth.

"Are you sure?" Mary-Lynette said fearfully. This could not be happening. This really couldn't be happening.

"Positive." See that white unmarked car three cars back from us?" He asked. Mary-Lynette studied the queue of traffic without appearing too and nodded "Yeah." "Its been following us for the past hour."

"HELL!"

"So it would seem. Get Quinn. He'll have to drive us out of this. He's the best driver."

Mary-Lynette turned round trying to keep calm. Quinn looked up feeling her panic. "Mare what is it?" "We've got a tail." Mare said quietly.

"WHAT!" Quinn and Rashel demanded. "Where?" Quinn started scanning the road with the discretion of a pro. "Three cars back the white unmarked one. Ash doesn't think he'll be able to hold them off."

"We can't stop we're gonna have to swap moving." Quinn said grimly. Looking between Mare ad Rashel's faces he laughed.

"We've done this before right Ash?" "Me and Quinn have played swap the driver before just make sure there is a space for me to move too once I get out the driver's seat."

Mary-Lynette and Rashel looked at each other and then at their respective soulmates and just nodded because they really had no idea how this was going to work.

But they trusted that it would and so did as they were told. "Put it on cruise control." Quinn said. The mechanisms in the car made it easier but they were on a busy highway and they had to pretend that they hadn't spotted their stalker yet.

Quinn looked at Mary Lynette. "Mare you're going to have to swap places with me. Mare looked at Quinn owlishly for a moment. It wasn't such a big deal. Mary-Lynette was still trying to get her head round the fact they were being followed.

She nodded after a moment though and in seconds she and Quinn had swapped seats and Quinn and Ash were getting ready to swap drivers. "Don't take your foot off the accelerator until the last minute." Quinn said

"I know." Ash snapped keeping his eyes on the road and occasionally snapping a glance in the mirror. "Quinn its now or never they're gaining." Quinn nodded and said, "Right ready?" Ash nodded and Quinn counted down, "Three. Two. One." Ash slide off the driver's seat and Quinn's hands grabbed the wheel and then Ash moved his feet and Quinn's replaced them.

Ash sat in the passenger seat and turned round. "Belt up girls things are going to get dicey for a few minutes."

Rashel and Mary-Lynette didn't question it simply did as they were told and waited for Quinn to out do the Night Worlders.

Quinn looked in the mirror and cursed as he watched the white car cruise into a space one car behind them. They were on a highway it was a straight road for another five miles he just hoped they could hold them off until then.

Then the car moved in behind them.

"Shit."