Disclaimer: blah blah blah

AN- This chapter is mainly for my benefit! I wrote it randomly, not really sure where I was going with the story or if i was going to use it at all (tying up loose ends can be a real hassle when you have a million of them.) Anyway, take this update as my Christmas present to you wonderful readers. =} (And the next chapter should be up in a day or so... so keep your eyes peeled!)

Annie POV

The interrogation room was exactly like in the movies: Harsh fluorescent lighting, a table and two chairs, and gray walls. Agent Smith glared at me from across the table, sweat glistening on his forehead. "Where are the MacManus brothers?" asked the agent for the hundredth time. I held in the sigh I wanted to exhale- he had asked me the same set of questions at least ten times, and my answers hadn't changed. My mind was fried, however. How in the fuck I manage to get into these situations is beyond me. Somehow, probably due to my notorious bad luck, I was in the custody of the FBI not even a full two hours after they had apparently fled- All because I was known to have had limited contact with Murphy and Connor. If this is how the Feds treat me, imagine how they're treating Ericka. Well, assuming they managed to get their hands on her, that is. I wasn't too sure, but I had a feeling she was nothing short of a fucking ninja- she could get out of almost anything and vanish at the drop of a hat.

Fucking convenient for her, isn't it?

I could kill the girl, I really could. It was her idea for the brothers to off Papa Joe in the courthouse. Not that I knew of the plan beforehand. All they told me the night before was that it was her idea. Of course, they didn't have to actually take that suggestion seriously. Fucking idiots. If I ever see any one of them ever again, I will beat the ever-loving shit out of them.

I turned my attention back to the disgruntled agent in front of me. He had overgrown eyebrows; they reminded me of hairy caterpillars. I felt my lips twitch involuntarily as he raised his eyebrows at me- the caterpillars were wriggling. Or maybe they were dancing. Can caterpillars dance? Wonder how they feel about the tango.... "Young lady, this is not a laughing matter, so I would suggest you wipe that smirk off your face fast."

"Look, Agent Smith, I will answer your questions. One. Last. Time." I punctuated the last words in irritation. "And then I would like to either be charged with a crime or released, because this is a giant load of horseshit."

"Are you saying you have committed a crime?" He puffed his chest out; apparently he was proud that he backed me into a corner.

Time to fix this fucker's little red wagon.

"No I haven't, but y'all seem to think I have, or else you wouldn't have kept me in one of your fancy interrogation rooms for ten hours straight. So please, do enlighten me as to what my crime is, Special Agent Smith." I spat. He looked surprised.

"You're accused of harboring the MacManus brothers, which, as I'm sure you know, that harboring a fugitive is a felony."

"Well, you can search my place. You'll find their fingerprints there, but that doesn't mean I've been harboring them."

"Yes it does."

"Actually, no, it doesn't. What it means is that yes, they were in my place at one time. In order for it be considered harboring, I would've had to have had prior knowledge of their crimes, which I had none, not until you told me."

I'm a girl of many talents. One of them is being an exceptionally good liar.

I folded my arms over my chest. "So, ask me the damn question again, and when my answers don't change, tell me what you're going to charge me with. Please. Don't leave me in anticipation."

He cleared his throat. "Do you have knowledge of the MacManus brothers' whereabouts?"

"No." Honest answer. I had no idea where they were, or where they were going.

"When is the last time you saw them?"

"I saw them last night. We met up at a bar and talked over drinks."

Smith's left eye twitched. "And what did you talk about?"

"Well, they mentioned nothing about rushing into a courthouse and executing Yakavetta. What they did tell me was that they were leaving town and heading south, towards Texas or New Mexico. Something to do with better weather and better jobs." I lied smoothly.

"Where's Ericka Engel?"

This question renewed my hope a little. They don't have her. Whatever her plan was, it had worked thus far. "I have no idea." I shrugged.

"You two were close, were you not?"

"We were coworkers." I said shortly. "We'd get a drink after work every once in a while, but when you're a nurse, you have little time for a social life."

"Did you know Ericka was dating Connor?"

"Of course. We all knew, they were the perfect couple. But," I weighed my words carefully. "After Ericka had a miscarriage, there was a rift between them. There are some things you can't come back from. They split about a month ago." This, too, was a lie. Their relationship was as strong as ever. Unless I had totally missed something, but I sincerely doubted it. Useful talent number two- the ability to read people like a book.

"And what about you and Murphy?"

I groaned aloud, getting tired of the redundant questions. "We were just friends, we never slept together or dated or nothing. Like I told you the last ten times you asked me."Lie. Big fat lie. We had slept together once- and it was by far the best drunken-sex I had ever had. But the Feds really didn't need to know the details of what I did in the bedroom."

I threw my hands up in the air. "Look, my answers are not going to change. So charge me or let me leave."

Smith opened his mouth when a door swung open. Agent Smecker walked- no, he strutted into the room. "You're free to go, Ms. Anderson."

Smith's eyes seemed to bulge out of his skull. "What the fuck?" he yelled, literally blue in the face. A blue caterpillar. Interesting.

"She has had no connection to the murders the boys have committed. Therefore, we have no reason to keep her." He smiled down at me. "Allow me to escort to you, ma'am." I stood up and smiled back. "That would be kind of you, good sir." As we walked out of the room, I couldn't resist the urge to turn back to Smith one last time. "And thank you Agent Smith for the stimulating conversation we had today."

Smecker chuckled under his breath as we walked down the hallway. "You really have quite the silver tongue there." I narrowed my eyes at him.

"So...where is she?"

He smiled serenely. "Ericka Engel has agreed to help me with a special project of mine."

Whatever the fuck that means.

"And the boys?" I asked impatiently.

"Hiding out. And thanks to your information, we'll have people scouting the southern United States for them." He raised his voice as another agent in a suit passes by us, looking focused more on his steaming mug of coffee then his surroundings.

"Right…." I took in a deep breath, attempting to rid myself of my annoyance. "Are they done for good?"

Smecker took a good minute to reply. "As far as I know, yes." He said finally. "But stranger things have happened."

We stopped at a set of glass doors that led to the outside parking lot. "Well, Annie, there is a car waiting for you right outside here. I just have one last thing to ask you."

I raised my eyebrows. "Okay?"

"What is the one name you absolutely hate?"

I looked at him. "What kind of question is that?"

"Just answer the question."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Eunice." I said. "I used to have a step mother with that name. Vile woman." I shuddered. "Is there a reason you're asking me this? Like, is this the first in a series of questions that eventually lead to the real question you want to ask? Because that reminds me a lot of bad sex. And I'm really not a fan of that. I don't think anybody is."

He rolled back and forth on the balls of his feet, hands buried deep in his pockets. Actually, he looked pretty cute whenever he broke out a snarky look. Too bad he was blatantly gay. It seemed to add to my theory of all the good men being taken or gay. Or criminals. Damn Murphy. I thought wistfully. If only you didn't kill people. I shook my head a little, focusing my attention on Smecker again.

"Just curious.'" He said simply, opening the door for me. "I'll be seeing you, Annie." He said.

I nodded at him. "Goodbye, Agent Smecker." I said, walking outside to the car. I climbed into the shiny black automobile, hoping to high heaven it was the last time I saw the agent.

But, knowing my luck, it wouldn't be.