Learning Curve

Tom joining Halcyon had been a bit of a learning curve. When Liz had encouraged it, she supposed that she thought their jobs would be separate, barely crossing paths if at all. She had never even heard of Halcyon before he mentioned it, after all, so why would they suddenly be working with them? It hadn't even crossed her mind that the fact that her team had worked with them while she was gone would open up that door, so when Scottie Hargrave called and offered an intel in exchange for the task force giving them a quick in, it had caught her a little off guard.

Aram had been like a kid looking forward to Christmas morning as he chattered on about their tech and their technician Dumond. Liz couldn't quite tell if he wanted to befriend the man or was a little jealous of all the gadgets he had at his disposal, but she found herself laughing right up until the point that the story somehow turned to an op that they had run to get them to Scottie Hargrave while Liz had been gone. An op that had had her husband kissing another woman to get the information from her computer.

She had managed to school her expression before Aram noticed the change, her smile natural and her tone even, but as she stood at the bar and sipped on a drink, waiting for things to roll into action for their assignment, she found mind focused on it. She didn't even know what this woman looked like or what her name was, but her image shifted from one knockout gorgeous woman to another - briefly flickering through her mind with Gina's face, but she didn't dare let that one stick - and she was gritting her teeth when a familiar voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Chuck Ruben just came through the main entrance. He'll have his key card on him. I've got the replacement one to switch out-"

Liz reached out and plucked the card from her husband's fingers. "Got it."

"I didn't mean you-"

"I said I've got it." She stood, looking over to where their mark was already trying to chat up a brunette on his way to the bar. "Anyway, babe, I don't think you're his type."

She could feel his gaze on her back and heard a choked laugh from him as she walked away. Ruben was finally giving up on the woman he'd been failing to flirt with and turned just as Liz was walking past him. She timed it just right, allowing him to plow right into her. The plan had been to switch the badge right there and call it an evening, but it was tucked into his front pocket and clipped, making it a bit more difficult to grab hold of and replace while he was sober. They weren't in a rush, and the last thing they wanted to do was tip the people that they were after off, so Liz flashed him a bright and flirty smile. "I am so sorry! I am such a clutz."

Ruben's irritation immediately faded and his grin replaced it. "No, no. I'm sorry. Did you spill your drink? Let me get you another one."

Her smile brightened, utterly fake but he would never know. She followed him back over to the bar, Tom having scooted down several seats and sitting with a beer. The next part was the part she hated the most. Liz had a decent tolerance for alcohol, but it was sheer luck that Ruben didn't. She was worried when he started chattering with her that it was going to take him all night to take a sip of his own drink, but the longer they sat, the more he drank, until when he stood, he stumbled forward.

It hadn't been her intention, necessarily, but things happened like they did when she was undercover and the opportunity presented itself. It didn't hurt that she knew Tom was watching from the corner of his eye and could see as Liz pulled Ruben in, kissing him. The man certainly wasn't against the idea and his hands came up to the side of her face, pulling her deeper into it. Her hands traveled down, fingers nimble and quick to switch the fake badge for the one they needed, and once she had it slipped into her own pocket, she pulled back. Ruben was staring at her with a dazed look on his face. "You, uh, want to get out of here?"

As if on cue, her phone buzzed in her jacket pocket and she held a finger up as she reached for it, a number she didn't recognize flashing across it. "One sec," she promised and slid to answer it. "Hello?"

"Smooth, babe."

Her gaze flickered past Ruben for the barest of seconds to see Tom turned away from them, his phone pressed to his ear. "Idiot," she grumbled and hung up. "I'm sorry. My obnoxious ex. He just can't take a hint."

"Idiot," Ruben agreed, his gaze a little hazy.

"I should really get going. You've got my number though."

"I do?"

"Yeah, I gave it to you a little bit ago," she lied convincingly. He wouldn't realize that he didn't until she was long gone. "Samantha, remember?"

"Right," he said slowly. "Samantha, and I'm-"

"Chuck. You said. Do you need a cab home?"

"Nah. I have some buddies coming from work here in a little bit."

Liz leaned forward and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before starting for the exit.

"Obnoxious ex? Thanks a lot, Liz."

Liz rolled her eyes as Tom fell into step with her outside of the bar. "Well, technically you are my ex. He doesn't know that I married you again." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, the excitement of the con still sending adrenalin coursing through her. "And you were being pretty obnoxious."

"Woh," he chuckled, "well let me make it up to you. Can I give you a lift, Mrs Keen?"

She rolled her eyes as he opened the car door for her, a cheeky grin tugging his smile wide. "Dork," she grumbled and slipped in. The rush was starting to wear off as he circled around and hopped into the driver's seat and she sighed. "Let's just get this back to Aram and Dumond and call it a day."

She had been laughing with him when they had left the bar to drive over to the helipad to catch a flight out to Grey Matter's headquarters. It was a simple op, but it'd been more fun than Tom had ever thought it could have been. He could get used to working side by side with Liz for short assignments like these. She was good. He'd always known it, of course, but seeing her in action like that always reminded him that it was in her blood. There were some things that just couldn't be taught.

Somewhere along the drive he found that he was still laughing and that she had gone quiet, leaned up against the passenger door and watching the road pass by them. "Hey. What's up?"

"Huh?" she asked and he shot her a look that said he wasn't buying the innocent act. Something was up. It took a moment, but she loosed a long breath and he could feel her watching him from her side of the car. "How did that not even phase you?"

"What?"

"Me. Kissing him like that."

Tom blinked hard, but kept his eyes on the road. "It was just part of the job, Liz," he said carefully, feeling like he was wandering into a landmine without knowing where any of them were buried.

"Yeah, guess it is."

He pulled in a deep breath and, without warning, pulled to the side of the road and flipped his hazards on. When he turned to look at her she looked surprised. "What are you-"

"I'm not sure what's pissed you off, but I'd be an idiot not to know that something has." He watched her expression shift ever so slightly under her mask of calm and he pursed his lips together. "Talk to me, Liz. We promised each other when I took this job that we wouldn't let the secrets come between us. We can't. Not after everything that's happened."

"It's stupid," she answered softly, her gaze drifting down.

Tom reached across the center console and his fingers touched her hand. Carefully, so that if she wanted to pull away she had the ability to, he lifted her hand towards him and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. "I love you," he murmured softly, "and that means even things that are stupid, if they're bothering you, I want to know. Babe, if I've done something, I can't fix it unless you tell me."

"Maybe it's something I need to just get used to."

"So tell me what it is and we'll figure that out together. Isn't that what you meant when you told me we'd help each other carry our baggage? I can't help you if you won't talk to me."

A small smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. "You're not moving until I tell you, are you?"

"Nope," he answered cheerfully.

Liz turned her hand over in his so that his fingers were against the underside of her wrist and hers were against his. Her touch sent shivers up his spine as they moved very slightly and she spoke slowly. "I get that stuff happens when you're undercover, and I get…. that it doesn't mean anything." She paused for half a beat before looking directly into his eyes. "Aram told me about the girl that you used to find someone that led you to Scottie. I don't know the details. A date, a jumpdrive…?"

Well that made more sense. A lot more sense. "Yeah. We thought we'd be able to hack her computer just by being near it, so I went to the coffee house that she was at. It didn't work, we started chatting, and the in presented itself." His voice was even, memories playing out. He'd been so damn uncomfortable the whole time, trying to slow her down and the woman had had no breaks whatsoever. "She kissed me, I initiated a kiss a few minutes later, but it was to get the intel. Liz, that's as far as it went."

"Would you tell me if it went further?"

"It wouldn't have. I wouldn't… Babe, I wouldn't cheat on you. Not even for a job that was to get back to you. To get Agnes back to you. Even I have limits when I'm aiming at a goal."

A small snort that might have been a laugh escaped her and Tom let go of her hand to reach forward, his fingers brushing her cheek as he pulled her close to meet him halfway. He kissed her slowly, everything that he hoped she knew he felt going into it, and he felt her fingers tighten around his jacket sleeve until they broke. "You are it," he said breathlessly. "From the first time we slept together until this moment, there's never been anyone else."

"Never?"

"Close," he forced out, the truth still sometimes more terrifying to him than the lies, "but I always stopped it before it went too far. You're the only woman I've slept with since that night with the movie and the take out and..." He flashed her a grin and she rolled her eyes. It faded, and his voice was serious again as he spoke. "And you're the only woman I've ever loved."

Liz nodded slowly and he was pretty sure she believed him. She swallowed hard. "Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"Because we've been a little busy," he chuckled. "I'm sorry, Liz. It really didn't stick with me. It was just another move to get back to you."

His wife leaned forward suddenly and kissed him again. "Okay."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

He pulled in a deep breath and loosed it before turning the key in the ignition, kicking the car back to life. "You're pretty good at that, by the way. You could have had him do just about anything. I think if you'd just asked him for your badge after that kiss he would have handed it over. No sleight of hand necessary."

"Oh my… you were jealous, weren't you?" she laughed.

"No," he said quickly, "just wondering how often you did that to me when we were married."

His wife smirked and settled back into her seat smugly. "We're married again."

"And I'm all yours."

"I know."

"Dammit, you did pull that on me, didn't you?"

She laughed as he pulled back onto the road and Tom grinned. There were a lot of things that meshed well with their new life and a lot of things that they were still getting used to. It was a learning curve, but life would get boring without those, and their life was anything but boring. As long as they could face it together, he didn't mind that anymore.

Notes: This little story was born out of a conversation on Tumblr over the fact that Liz has proven quite capable of using her charms to get men to do what she needs them to do, and pretty easily too. Ezra, the guy at the bar in 3A... Tom took a lot of flack in 3B for his 'date' to get the intel, but his wife is quite the charmer herself when she's undercover, so I couldn't help but toss them into the situation to see what would happen. I was actually pleased with the result. Hope you guys liked it! :D