Alec had been sitting in the hard, uncomfortable and damn cold chair for what felt like days, he was sure it was only a few hours. The cop who had brought him in was smart; his wrists were cuffed and respectively hooked to the arm rest. Even if he had had something it wouldn't have been picked easily.

"Mr. Hardison." Alec looked up and Agent Besley was grinning at him. He clicked his tongue, "I really wish we had something to hold you on." The balding man pulled the chair across from Alec out and sat down. "But Penelope Garcia is good at what she does, but you know that."

Alec's brow furrowed in confusion, "what?"

Besley shook his head, "you can act innocent all you want." He folded his arms on the table and leaned closer to Alec. "Maybe you helped her with all these hacks over the years, maybe you haven't. Either way you are dangerous Mr. Hardison."

"Penelope doesn't hack and hurt people." Alec would have crossed his arms over his chest but settled with jutting his chin out just enough to be defiant. "That's not her style."

"No," Besley shook his head, leaning back, "it's not. Though your hunny," Alec actually growled, "does like messing around in people's systems. Taking something here, something there. Nothing that would hurt someone, but enough to be a problem." Alec rolled his eyes, the guy was talking in riddles. "And she was very good to you. Never a trace of anything you've done over the years. Only your very legal work for some very influential people."

Alec yanked a little at his cuffs, "you said you've got nothing to hold me on?"

"That's right."

"Then let me go, now, asshole." Besley laughed. "What's so funny?"

"You think we're just going to let the protege of Penelope Garcia go? Do we look idiotic?" Alec almost answered but the agent beat him to it. "No, Mr. Hardison, it's time you served your country. Since we can't hold you, you've done nothing illegal, we will be letting you go. But," the prick smirked, "be expecting calls. You'll be needed."

"Needed for what, exactly?" Alec glared, he wasn't going to make this easy on them.

Besley stood up, "whatever you are needed for." He walked around the table and released Alec from the cuffs.

"What about Penelope, what's going to happen to her?" Alec rubbed at his wrists.

The agent chuckled, "she is much too dangerous to let go. No, we'll have to keep a closer eye on her. She's being offered a deal much like yours. Except her only other option is jail."

"I didn't get another option..." He knew it was petty, but curiosity was his weakness.

Besley smirked, "no you didn't, did you." Alec let it drop. "Ms. Garcia will be joining the Federal Bureau of Investigation."

"Penelope, a Fed? You really think she'd do something like that?"

"Yeah," Alec's head snapped up to meet Penelope's eyes, "she would." Besley excused him and it was the first time Alec had seen him look human. The sad look he gave the couple as he shut the door.

Alec took three large steps and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her lips, cheeks and forehead. "What's going on Penelope, what the hell happened?"

"Sloppy hack." She wouldn't meet his eyes, "I wanted to finish. Our anniversary, but..." She looked up at him with shinning eyes, "I'm sorry, Alec."

He wanted to keep the anger at bay and tried to ask calmly, "I thought you said you didn't teach me this stuff for illegal purposes?" His voice was tight and low, and a few tears ran down Penelope's cheeks.

"I wasn't stealing and I never took anything for someone that wasn't already stolen in the first place. Sometimes somebody only wanted to know the status of a case or read a personal e-mail from whoever was the It star for the week. Simple things." Penelope sniffed, "I never wanted you to find out."

"It couldn't have just been 'simple things' if it brought the FBI and who knows what other agencies down on your head." Alec protested and would have felt better if he thought, for a moment, his words were reaching her in any way.

"Listen." She pulled him close and muttered in his ear, "I can't tell you the things that got me here. I don't want you to go looking. Keep your head down and nose clean," God, she was like Nana sometimes. "I love you, Alec," she pulled away to look in his eyes.

A rock dropped into Alec's stomach and he said shakily, "I'm never...going to see you again, am I?"

Penelope rolled her eyes, "don't be such a queen." She kissed his cheek. "We'll see each other again, some day." The door started to open and Alec pulled Penelope close and held her as tightly as he could. "You've got to let me go, Alec," she whispered in his ear.

"Not yet." A throat cleared and Alec growled, "one damn moment." He pulled away enough to look her in the eye, "I love you, Penelope." She smiled sadly and let the agent who had entered lead her from the room.

Penelope didn't look back, and Alec was thankful for that.

Enjoyed?

Wasn't originally how I planned this story going, but muses are odd things. It's been sitting on my HD for a while and if I stare at it any longer it's not going to get posted. Sad, because I had a lot of fun writing this. I have two other fics in the works for this pairing plus some more commentfic prompts from ravenspear that I want to give my hand to.