Sorry for the delay, I was on a holiday. Please let me know if you like where this is heading.

/

The couple was walking toward the restaurant, hand in hand. Alice was glad she paid her man a visit this afternoon after she talked to Sarah. She felt she understood his attitude from the last week better; although the talk only made her realised she didn't know him so much. She was taken out of her daydream when her phone rang; she stopped to dig in her handbag.

"Hello? Yes, it's me," she answered. "Yes. Oh I can make it, I am really close. Thank you. See you soon."

"Who was it?" Casey asked.

"We'll have to make a small stop before the restaurant. The bank just called and I need to go and sign a paper. It's just across the street. Let's just go for a minute, don't you mind?"

"Yeah, no problem."

They crossed the street and made their way into the bank. They were showed to a line and had to wait; only a handful of people were in front of them. Alice grabbed his hand and felt his fingers tightened around her small hand. He raised his arm and kissed the back of her hand. He had never been into public display of affection, but he never had a girl like her. He felt proud to have her by his side and wanted to show everyone she was his.

His eyes turned toward the door just in time to see three men with hoods on their head, black sunglasses and large black bags on their shoulders. Still holding her hand, he led her behind him, in a protective manner.

"What?" she asked, worried when she saw the look on his face.

"ON THE GROUND! NOW!" one of the men yelled. "THIS IS A ROBERY. NOBODY DO ANYTHING STUPID AND Y'ALL BE GOOD."

Alice dropped to the floor second before him, her hands in front of her. Then she felt Casey's body almost over hers, making his best to shield her from anything he could. Part of her was reassured with his presence so close, part of her was petrified.

"Don't be scared. I am here," he whispered.

"I know, but I am so scared," she replied, looking in his eyes.

"I won't let anything happen to you," he said.

"I love you," she blurted.

"What? You-"

"SHUT UP, EVERYONE. NOBODY SPEAKS ANYMORE," one of the men yelled.

He grabbed her hand and squeezed it strongly. Did he just hear her right? She just said she love him.

"No touching. Your phones; in the bag," one of the men said as he presented a backpack and forced everyone to put their devices in.

Alice complied but Casey reluctantly put phone in the bag, grunting as he did.

"Do you have a problem with this? Do I have a problem with you, smartass?" the man said as he lowered one knees on the ground, over Casey's head.

Casey looked around; women, children, Alice. He could not risk doing anything just yet. He was not NSA anymore and it was not even a job NSA would take. He was not a hero anymore.

"No," he grunted.

"No who?" the man replied.

"No, sir."

"Good," the man concluded and walked away, carried on with his task.

Casey tried to think fast of how he could reach Sarah and Chuck. He looked at his watch, but he remembered he had to give it up when he was released from his NSA post. He was not used to wait to be rescue. He looked at the issues around, counted once again the number of hostages in the bank.

"Hey," a man lying down close to them whispered to Casey. "You and I, we can take them. What do you say?"

Alice grabbed his arm to get his attention before he replied.

"Don't do anything stupid. You are not supposed to," she whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"I spoke with Sarah," she simply said.

He lowered his eyes from hers; he could not stand it anymore. He suddenly looked back at her when she grabbed his hand back.

"It doesn't change anything for me. I just want you to be happy, whatever you do."

"I'll get you out of here," he replied "What it your plan?" he turned toward the man next to him.

Chuck was closing the store that night and the evening was slow. He came back from his break and found Morgan in the TV department. The news were on and the reporter was live from the commercial street, where a bank robbery was held. He came and stood next to his friend, looking closely.

"You know what is crazy? One of this hostage looks like Casey. Look when the show this window," he said when camera frame changed.

"Looks like you are right. Let me try to call him," Chuck said.

He hit the dial button, but the ringing ended on his voicemail. He quickly switched to Sarah and told her Casey might be in trouble.

"But Chuck, this is not a mission for us," she replied.

"Sarah, we cannot leave him like this. After every time he saved me, I cannot stay put," he said before he hung up.