12:00:03

12:00:02

12:00:01

12:00:00

Fiona drove the van into the storage facility; the rent-a-cop that should have been in the booth at the front was nowhere to be found. Instantly she was more alert, looking towards all the shadows, checking to see if anyone else was hanging around. It would be just their luck if somebody else was planning a break in the same night they were.

Driving down to the fifth row she reversed in, blocking the view of the camera that was pointed on locker 506. Harry Lattimer's locker. Jumping out of the passenger door she went and opened the back doors to let Sam, Nate and Michael out.

"Guard give you any trouble?" asked Michael.

"He wasn't there," shrugged Fiona. She watched as Michael's lips tightened. It was the only noticeable thing that told her that he might be worried. The rest of him still looked completely relaxed. But she knew he wasn't. They were less than two hours into the job and something wasn't going to plan.

"Nate," Michael called turning away from her. "Keep watch."

"On it, bro."

Fiona watched the two brother's move past each other. No arguments, no debates they just did it. If the circumstances had been less tense then she might have smiled.

The sound of metal snapping brought Fiona's attention back to the job at hand. Taking her eyes off Nate, who was standing at the end of the row she turned to see Michael with a pair of heavy duty bolt cutters. The padlock on the door now in pieces on the floor.

Fiona turned her flashlight on only when Sam had opened the door. She had the thought that anybody who had this little security guarding their property deserved to get robbed. Not that she said anything out loud, they did not need to jinx this.

Pulling out the list from her jeans back pocket she started to rattle off what they needed while Michael and Sam started checking the crates. They were taking ten crates from each target. It would reduce the time they were at each place and the weight they were carrying.

It was a good plan. Not that she told Michael that. After spending the last two days with him she couldn't decide if she was still mad at him or just happy he was back. She kept thinking it over. Would he stay this time? Would he leave again? Should she care?

-BN—

"Time to go," said Nate running back to the van.

Michael looked up at his brother's arrival. He'd just finished loading the third crate onto the van.

"Guard is on his way," Nate warned.

"Help Fi with that crate." Michael pointed to one on the floor by the far wall. Sam was already at their final crate that needed to be loaded. They had a few minutes left to get both crates on to the van and close the locker door and drive away. And all without the guard realising what had gone on.

Fi was already running to the driver's seat when Michael shut the locker door. Putting on a new padlock which was near identical to the original lock, he was about to jump in the back of the van where Sam and Nate were securing the crates, when the security guard came around the corner.

"Hey," shouted the guard, his hand already on his weapon at his hip.

Michael cursed under his breath. This was their first hit of the night and it was already going against the plan. It did not bode well.

Michael gave a warning to Sam and Nate to stay where they were before he turned to face the security guard, a fixed grin on his face and his hands up showing that he wasn't armed.

"What are you doing here?" asked the guard.

"It's alright, Lattimer sent us. Just checking his stuff."

"No. That's what I'm for," disagreed the guard, his grip on his weapon tightening.

Michael lost his grin, frowning slightly. He dropped his hands and stepped forward. "So where were you?" he growled.

The guard stayed silent, his eyes darting back and forth between Michael and Fiona who was still in the driver's seat.

"Where were you?" shouted Michael taking two steps closer to the guard.

The guard pulled out his weapon but only got it half way up and aimed before Michael was on him.

Michael grabbed the guard's wrist, bending it forward so he lost his grip on the gun. Michael twisted so he manoeuvred the man's arm behind his back so his joints were locked. One more twist and he could dislocate the man's shoulder Two more twists and he could dislocate the man's elbow.

"Michael," said Fiona in a warning tone. She was out of the van and standing in front of him and the guard. She could see that look was in Michael's eyes again, the one where he couldn't see the line anymore.

She watched him take a deep breath, the guard let out a whine as Michael's grip tightened.

"Get back to your post," Michael growled in the guard's ear. "And I won't tell Lattimer that you screwed up." Michael let go of the guard, pushing him forward so he fell to the ground.

Michael didn't say anything to Fiona as he walked past her to the back of the van. He gave Sam and Nate a quick nod before closing the door. Fiona was back in the driver's seat when he got in the passenger side. He gave one last glare to the guard as they drove off, only letting out the breath he had seemingly been holding when they were back on the road and heading towards the docks.

-BN-

"What is wrong with you?" snapped Fiona after several minutes of driving.

Michael looked over to her, not answering. What could he say?

"Damn it, Michael. Do not go all weird on me in the middle of a job," she huffed.

"Weird?" he asked looking over to her.

"Yes, weird," Fiona glanced at him before looking back to the road. "Ever since you got back you've been different."

"Things change," Michael practically whispered.

"Not that much," Fiona said disbelievingly. "What is it? Not getting enough sex?" she snapped, annoyed that he wouldn't give her a straight answer.

The corner of Michael's lips turned up slightly in amusement. "I had a girl once," he looked back out the window. "She was great." His last few words were barely more than a whisper.

Fiona's breath hitched as he said those words, her heart pounding in her chest. She thought it was over. She'd missed her chance. He'd left, he'd not looked back. But he was back now, he was back.

"Michael..." she choked out.

"We're here," interrupted Michael.

Fiona stopped the van, not bothering to pull over to the side of the road. They wouldn't be stopped long.

Michael was out the door and walking to their next car before she even had the handbrake on. She could feel her eyes prickling with impending tears. Damn it. She would not cry. Michael had had too many of her tears over the years.

Taking a deep breath, she got out the van. They had a job to do.

-BN—