Face stepped out on Maggie's porch to join Hannibal. "Morning Colonel."
"Face." Hannibal turned to nod at him and took a drag of his cigar. "Rough night?"
"I've had worse, but I doubt she has." Face stared into the morning sky. "She gave up on us, Hannibal. She didn't think we were coming." He let out a long sigh. "She truly thought we weren't coming."
"She tell you that?"
"In her sleep she did. Nearly killed me, Hannibal. I don't think she's going to want to go back to her apartment for a while."
"Probably not," Hannibal agreed. "I'm sure Maggie will let her stay as long as she needs. We can get what she needs from there for her this morning."
They stood together on the porch for a few minutes, each just taking in the morning. Finally, Face spoke again. "I'm going to go check on her."
Hannibal watched him disappear into the house. He chuckled, able to read Face's eyes. This went above and beyond his normal level of concern. His Lieutenant had it bad.
"Face, I want to go home."
Amy's statement surprised him and he turned around to face her directly. "I don't think you're ready, Princess."
Princess. That grated on her nerves like nothing else. They way they treated her sometimes, like this was out of her league, like she needed to be handled with kid gloves. Didn't she pull her own weight back when she worked with them? Didn't she move to Jakarta all alone and have a successful career over there before deciding to return? Didn't she still call in favors for them occasionally?
It all started when Hannibal had referred to her as "a princess in a world of dragons" all those years ago when she first tracked them down and hired them. Over the years, it had became their nickname for her when she needed to stay of out of things, when jobs got to dangerous...like Hannibal thought she was a diva or something. "Leave the princess out of it," she could hear his voice in her ears now.
"I don't want to disturb life here. I need to face it and get over it," Amy was insistent as she tried to convince Face and herself. She was terrified and they both knew it, but she refused to acknowledge it and wasn't about to verbalize it to Face and appear weak and needy.
He took a few steps until he was standing so close to her she was afraid he would see her heart pounding out of her chest. His presence, his scent, his proximity...it took her breath away. Get a grip, she reminded herself. He's a player, you're no where near his caliber.
Standing right next to her, his desire for her nearly got the best of him. Her brown eyes wouldn't meet his and he knew why. She thought she was beneath him, that she didn't measure up. to his dates-of-the-week. Little did she know, he realized. But he didn't know how to make her believe him when all she knew was his con man ways and his ability to naturally charm anyone out of anything. He stared at her for a minute. She was still in Emma's pajama shorts and Murdock's old Tshirt, her hair pulled back into a messy twist that left some pieces loose around her face.
"If you want to go home, I'll take you home. And I'll stay if you want. Whatever you need, Amy." Face brushed a tendril of hair back behind her ear and waited until she made eye contact with him. "Whatever you need, princess," he leaned in close and whispered the final words into her ear before turning and walking away before his desires got the best of him. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to push her up against the house, kiss her, and promise her he would fix everything. But he didn't. He couldn't.
Amy watched him go as she slumped against the siding, heart racing, trying to catch her breath. She had been so close. So very close.
Face unlocked Amy's door and held it open for her, relieved to see that BA and Murdock had put everything back together. It looked like the struggle in her apartment never even happened.
Amy was skittish as she stood behind him nervously. Face had convinced her to stay for 2 more days in Bad Rock, but it was finally time. She had to do this.
"New locks, see?" Face gestured at the door, then caught a glimpse of Amy's face. "Amy, wait. You don't have to do this yet."
"Yes," she argued with him. "I do. I'll be alright, Face. For heaven's sake, I'm not a child. It's over and done with," she quickly brushed past him and stepped into her home and took a look around. She had to admit, they had worked hard and fast to make it normal again.
"I'll take a look around for you," Face offered. He had a feeling she'd put up an argument, but knew ultimately she'd feel better.
"Face," Amy rolled her eyes, putting on a brave front. "You don't have to coddle me."
The fake attitude she gave him nearly made him laugh, but he kept the smirk off his face. He'd play her game if that was what she wanted. "Ok, princess, you think you're so tough," Face withdrew his gun from his holster and handed it to her. "You go check all the nooks and crannies yourself. I'll just sit here and pour myself a glass of wine."
Princess. There it was again. He was mocking her. She stepped close to him and stared at him, eye to eye. For a second, she almost lost her bravado and composure standing so close to him. She reached for the gun in his hands, forcing herself to breath normal. She wouldn't let him get the best of her.
He smirked as he released it from his grip into hers. He'd let her have her way just to prove his point. "Be my guest," he gestured to the rest of the apartment, then sat on the couch with his feet up on her coffee table.
Amy looked at him for a moment, then at the gun in her hand. She flipped the safety off and disappeared from his view. He closed his eyes for a minute, his hands behind his head. He knew she wasn't ready. He had slept in the chair in Maggie's spare bedroom for the last 2 nights. She wasn't waking anymore with nightmares, but needed someone in the room with her. He had, of course, volunteered.
He felt her place the gun on his lap. "Want me to go check for you, Amy?"
"You don't think I did?" She was defiant as she plopped beside him.
He smirked. "You stood around the corner until you thought enough time passed."
"Face!" Amy gave him a playful smack, then sighed. "Ok, you're right. Go do your thing."
"Anything for you, Princess," he winked as he rose from the couch.
Amy looked around and surveyed her home while Face did the quick walk through. She knew it was totally unnecessary, Murdock and BA had just been there hours before to replace the locks and straighten up for her, however she liked having Face around and liked having him be so protective of her
He had barely left her side over the last few days and she didn't understand why. Surely he had a blonde to wine and dine, surely he needed to work his charm on some young unsuspecting thing. But by her side he had stayed. It made her heart skip a beat to think about it. Here she was, the bruises and markings still relatively fresh, just plain old Amy. It was her thoughts of him that had given her any source of strength during those days, his words of encouragement ringing through her mind, the memories of their time together when she doubted she would ever leave.
"All clear," Face interrupted her thoughts abruptly as he stood before her with his hand outstretched to her. "Come on, Amy. I'll show you."
She took his hand and allowed him to pull her up and she suddenly found herself standing close in front of him. Too close. Her palms got sweaty and her mouth dry as she felt his breath on her. Butterflies swarmed in her stomach. Having him right there was intoxicating, but he was out of her league.
Face brushed the loose hair behind her ear. The way she looked at him made him crazy. He couldn't help but respond to her presence. "Amy..." his voice was quiet and calm, smooth as always to hide the passion in him. He wanted to kiss her. He needed to kiss her.
The 2 days spent searching for her after they learned of her disappearance made him determined to give things a shot with her, no matter her initial response. He couldn't live without at least trying. But now, with her so close to him that he felt her nervousness, he realized wasn't the time. She was recovering from something traumatic. While normally not afraid to pull out his smooth charm, he knew she saw straight through it. She needed him for a strong, steady friend. That was all.
"I have a prior commitment tonight, Amy. Since I'm back in the city, I need to keep it. But if you need me, need anything...anything at all...call me and I'll be here. I'll call you later to check in on you." Face released her hand, kissed her cheek like he had hundreds of times over the years, and walked out the door before he changed his mind and before she could say anything.
Charlene. His prior commitment was Charlene. They had dinner plans at the new French place that just opened and he had promised to take her there. He would go. He had to go. Charlene was a distraction he could lose himself with.
Amy watched him go, then sank down into the couch and let the tears overcome her. For a second there, she thought there might have been something between them, then it was gone. Everything she wanted and needed had just walked out her door.
She knew Face. She wondered what her name was.