chapter word count: 433

noir heart: forty-seven

Now it's Aster's turn to be taken aback. "I'll be what?" he gapes blankly. His expression hardening, Hans slowly walks towards him and invades his personal space to the point of uncomfortable, and his voice takes on a growl.

"You heard me. If Frost cuts any corners, commits any offence or even looks at the rules the wrong way, you are to inform me immediately."

That son of a bitch. "Go fuck yourself, Hans. I'm not gonna be your spy, mate." Aster hisses venomously, practically spitting the last word.

"Oh...but you are," the I.A detective gloats, "because you have something to lose...or is it someone?"

He can't. He couldn't. Not her, his heart, his love. "You bastard." he's barely able to hiss through a remarkably dry mouth. Trying to ignore the twisting of his stomach, he cracks, "Why?"

"Leverage, Aster. Your marriage is only eighteen months old, correct? So that means," Hans pauses to look away in faux-thought, "your lovely wife's green card is on a conditional basis, no? So, in six months' time, she must apply for permanent residency within...what is it...ninety days, or face deportation?"

Thickly swallowing down his nausea, Aster glares the best death glare he possibly can, and silently prays that the fear of losing Thiana chilling his spine isn't reflected in his face. Show him no fear, no quarter.

"It'd be a shame if her application was delayed...or denied."

He tries to think. To plan. Find a new angle, as Tadashi would say. He could tell Jack, but any shift in his partner's usual behaviour could tip Hans off. He could feed him false information, but the second Hans finds out...the risk is too great. His mind searches for a get-out clause, but the more he thinks the more he realises: there is none. All Hans would need to do is make a call to his brother Henrik in U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and Thiana would be deported - possibly never to return, depending on how vindictive Hans is feeling at the time.

The only way he can ensure Thiana wakes up in their bed in six months' time, and not on a plane back to Southeast Asia is by playing ball, by betraying his closest friend.

The consequence is a bitter pill to swallow, though; Jack's trust in him could be irrevocably damaged – or destroyed.

He has no choice, so with a long exhalation he lets his eyes fall away from Hans', closes them, and tries to ignore the voice of accusation as he admits defeat.

"You win…"

cheers, Whimsy, for the heads up. Speaking of heads up, the guy who was going to repair my lappy is going through...a family emergency, so I'm going to find another person to fix it.

special thanks to: jpbake, oninoko, whimsical acumen, stefalove and heartonfire for reviewing!