Hello dear readers, LB here with the second part of LNL! And 2nd, for reviewing (you are amazing Dimonah Tralon!). What, haven't reviewed? :O Well, there's always a 1st time, right? :) Enjoy!

They headed across the street to the aforementioned pub. It had a good atmosphere to it, with catchy music playing loudly and people young and old alike singing along or talking even louder.

When they walked in, a burly blonde man in his fifties who looked like he belonged in the bow of a Viking ship rather than a pub came up and without pretense picked Beth up, spinning her around.

"If it isn't our favorite customer! Didn't think I'd catch your face 'round here after 'yer pal got himself in that spot of trouble a couple weeks back."

He spoke with a slight accent, but it was more German than Polish. Once Beth was properly on her feet again, she began introductions.

"AJ, this here's the reason I haven't gone plumb crazy in Poland—meet Gunter Heindrich, proprietor of the, well, I can't pronounce the Polish, but it means something like The Seven Fables."

"Siedem Bajek," AJ translated. "I like it."

"Oho, a nice Polish girl. Who's your friend, Beth?"

"This is AJ Grimes, she's actually a friend from back home."

"American, really? Well 'yer Polish accent's quite good."

Grinning, AJ said, "Dziękuję. Będę miał swój najdroższe wódki z sodą i lodu proszę."

He nodded, then turned to Beth. "Your usual, I assume."

"Right." Once he was busy preparing their drinks, Beth asked AJ, "Am I crazy, or did I hear the words 'most expensive' in there somewhere?"

"Am I crazy, or did you introduce me as AJ Grimes?"

Beth momentarily smirked, but in all seriousness said, "Precautionary detail. It's what happens when you hang out with people like me. Besides, it does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

AJ chose to ignore the question, and instead responded with a question of her own. "So what's your name then? Beth Casey?"

"Close, but no cigar. Bethany Garrett—I'm working at a crafts store—I live above it. My co-workers aren't always…the greatest."

"You can say that again!"

AJ looked over to Gunter who was busy setting their drinks down. Beth sighed, and AJ's curiosity was piqued.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, lil' fighter here brings in her co-workers for a drink. One of them couldn't shut his mouth—he lands himself a couple of men looking for a fight. He thinks he can take them on, ends up not fairing as well, so she steps in. By the end, they're all knocked out cold, and Beth has nary a scrape. The man tries to thank her, throws an arm around her shoulder, and she breaks his nose."

Roaring with laughter, AJ said, "That's our Beth for you!"

"'Yer mean she's always been like that?" Gunter asked.

"Oh yeah, as long as I've known her anyway. I could tell you some pretty wild stories…"

"Hey now, no fair ganging up on me!" Beth said, looking between the two. "Don't you have other customers to tend to?" she said to the later.

"That I do. But never fret, I'll be back in a bit."

When he was gone, AJ asked, "So who was he really, the guy whose nose you broke?"

"Well that…" She looked bashful, but only for a second. "He really was my partner. Or is. James Calgary, and a damn sight more annoying than John Casey ever was or will be. He never shuts up, is constantly making flippant remarks, and has insinuated more than once that the best way for us to be partners would be to share more than just our job. After getting us in that scrape, well, he deserved to get his nose broken. 'Sides, it wasn't a very pretty nose anyway."

"The guy sounds like a real card," AJ said, still laughing. "Though now I'm worried he won't watch your back in the field. Y'know, pull a 006 to your 007 and end up betraying you, all because you broke his nose that one time."

"Oh he won't…he's a bit scared of me, to be honest. He may act all tough, but the first time I mentioned John around him and Sondra, cause they'd asked who I'd worked with last, the group's eyes widened, and James asked if I meant the Major. When I told him it was Colonel now, well…" she smiled at the memory. "Let's just say he's pretty terrified. Not that I would need John—I can be a pretty scary gal myself when I need to be. They know I have a temper—got to see it firsthand after Beckman's last orders."

"And what orders were those? Er, I know you probably can't give me specifics…"

"It's okay—it's nothing too mission-like. We were going to some black-tie affair shindig, and Beckman said that James and I would pose as a couple. I nixed the idea, saying I work alone in those types of situations—I'd be waitress and Sondra could get field work. We had an argument over that, I ended up telling her if she wanted the mission completed so damn much, she could go as James' date."

AJ gave a low whistle. "Shieße, Beth, and you haven't even been here a month yet? Who knew you were such a troublemaker?"

"Certainly not I."

The girls turned to see a man who couldn't have been more than six foot fast approaching them. He had the looks of a classic playboy—more college frat than CIA agent, but there was no doubt he must have been James Calgary, if Beth's muttered curses were anything to go by. He took a seat next to Beth, snapping to get Gunter's attention.

"Miss me?"

"Like the plague. What're you doing here?"

"Came to see you of course! You didn't come back to…you know, the office. So I thought I'd search you out. Didn't know you had such a lovely friend. I'm James Calgary, I work with Beth at the cra—"

"—cut the crap, Calgary, she knows what I do. And she's not some ditzy blonde who'll fall for your charms. You can shut up now."

Extending a hand, AJ introduced herself. "AJ Grimes, nice to meet you. Heard a lot about you."

"All good I hope."

"Quite the opposite actually. But hey, I did get a good laugh out of the fact Beth knocked you on your ass. The doctors did a good job fixing up your nose by the way."

"I'm sure she was just having a bad day," He started to drape his arm around her, and she stiffened.

"I've told you before, I have a no-touch policy; I'll thank you to keep your hands to yourself."

"Really Beth? When did that happen? Didn't have that with Casey, did you?"

"She knows Colonel Casey?" he asked, slightly taken aback. "And what does she mean you didn't have that policy in place—I mean, it's not like he would touch you."

AJ laughed outright, and Beth sighed, muttering an "I'm gonna kill her."

AJ managed to, in between her laughter, get out what she wanted to say. "Maybe it's because they were roommates. You know, the whole 'she'd wash his underwear, he'd cook her dinner, they'd watch Bonanza together on the weekend' deal. Honestly, James, I don't think you could ever compete."

"What's there to compete for? I mean, c'mon, he's like what, fifty?"

"No," Beth spoke sharply, "He's forty-three. And if I was in a relationship with someone, and I'm not saying I am, I'd rather take an older man than some young hot-shot any day. The reason there isn't a 'no-touch' policy in place with John, not that it's any of your business, is because we were roommates, and we are friends, and—" her phone started ringing "Secret Agent Man" and she allowed a momentary smile before speaking quickly. "And that is John calling now, so if you'll excuse me for a couple, I'm gonna take this."

She didn't wait for a reply, instead heading to the back where it was quieter.

Turning back to James, AJ whispered conspiratorially, "They're so in a relationship. And you're so in over your head."

"What about you then, what's your story? Which agency do you work for?"

"Actually, I'm a free agent, private contractor, y'know."

"I see," James said, waggling his eyebrows. "And I suppose you're a free agent in all respects then?"

AJ glared at him. "If that was your attempt to hit on me, don't."

He sighed. "Fine, fine. How long have you know dear Bethany then?"

"Oh, well, I met Beth and the Colonel while she was on her last assignment."

"Were you there when she got shot then?"

"She got WHAT?"

Of course, Beth chose just that moment to return. Seeing AJ's shocked face, she gingerly took her seat. "Um, so, well, John's doing well. What did I…miss?"

"Oh, I don't know, Beth, maybe just the fact I just learned you were bloody shot!"

Glaring at James, she hissed, "You told her!"

"I assumed she knew, since she did know about you and your Burbank mission."

"Calgary, I swear, one of these days, I'm gonna break something more than a nose on you." She turned to AJ, who was scanning Beth, trying to pinpoint where she may have been injured.

"You won't see it. Left shoulder. Nothing too major."

"When?"

"After the, uh, wedding mission."

"You mean the night I left? You couldn't have called, or texted? I cannot believe—" AJ cut off and turned to James. "Leave. Now."

"What, why? This is just starting to get interesting."

"You think Beth is the only one around here who can throw a punch? I said, leave."

Hands in the air, he backed off, though still grinning. With a parting, "See you around, Beth!" he exited the pub.

"Why didn't you tell me?" AJ continued as soon as he was gone. "I would've stayed, at least until I was sure you were alright."

"I was fine—besides, I didn't know whether you were on the plane or not; no way to really get in contact. And you seemed so set on leaving. Enough people fussed over me that night. I honestly wasn't worried about my injury; I mean, there was Sarah to worry about—losing Bryce I mean. And Chuck had just…well, Chuck was getting…a lot back. Plus John had just lost his men…I didn't want the fuss. It didn't really do major damage, so I just kinda, pushed it to the side."

"Still, I can't believe you didn't tell me," AJ said, taking a large gulp of her vodka and trying not to sound too resentful. "Here, do you have your phone? I'll give you my number so that next time you get hurt, I expect to be the first to know. After Casey, of course."

Taking out her phone, Beth motioned for AJ to type in while she spoke. "I'm sorry—I didn't mean to purposefully leave you outta the loop. Promise: any more injuries, and I'll be lyin' on the stretcher shouting that they need to call AJ, she's gotta know I'm hurt. Though, I don't expect any more wounds anytime soon. Ones that are inflicted upon me, in any case."

"Good," AJ said with a nod, finishing uploading her contact information before handing the phone back. "Now, James doesn't seem half as bad as you made him out to be."

Choking on her drink, she looked up in shock to see AJ grinning at her. "Oh thank God, for about point-five seconds, I thought you were serious. I thought I was gonna have to wonder if you'd hit your head during your travels or such. As for Calgary—"

"You call him by his last name? Even though he's your partner?"

"Well, for one, most ones like us do. But second, if I start calling him by his first name, he reads too much into it—and lord knows I have enough problems keepin' him to stay on his side of the mission."

"You mean his 'winning' personality didn't win you over?"

"Oh yes!" She clapped her hands in mock-delight. "He's just so dreamy!"

Snickering, AJ said, "You call John by his first. Sarah and Chuck too. You should try opening up, maybe you'd like it here more then."

"I thought we agreed we wanted to be going home, not makin' nice here."

"Still, unless you plan on becoming an alcoholic, you should at least try and make the experience more tolerable. You're a friendly person. So make friends."

"I have made friends. Haven't I, Gunter?"

Gunter, who'd come over to see if the girls needed refills, nodded. "It's true—she's become a regular here—has gotten to know myself, my daughter Theresa. And that girl you often bring here, what's her name?"

"Sondra. Sondra Smith. We work together—she's a sweetie. Not near as bad as Calg—fine, James. See, I've made friends! And Gunter didn't even mention Ivan Sovboski."

"And who's Ivan?"

"The sweet older gentleman who owns the flower shop down the street from our craft store."

"And you and dear old Ivan go out clubbing, do you? Or maybe you and your coworker, dare I say it, have a girls' night?"

"Well, no…"

"Exactly! You need people to socialize with outside of work or a pub or a flower shop."

Beth huffed, then said, "What about you then?"

"What about me?"

"What about where are you going with all our friends? Let's see, there's no foreign men, you say—so that rules them out. Been to the clubs lately with some friends? Maybe travel together for awhile?" At AJ's look, she continued. "See? Pot meet kettle: you're just in the same predicament I'm in."

"Well, well, it's not like I really have time—what with always travelling."

"Not true—you could stay in one town for a bit—get to know the people for a bit. With modern technology, you can easily stay in touch once you go the next town or country. It's not like Europe is huge."

"I'm not just sticking around Europe," AJ protested. "I'm, erm, thinking of going to…Thailand next. And I don't speak Thai, so how exactly am I supposed to make friends there, hmmmm?"

"Well if you're not just sticking to Europe, maybe you should go look up some old friends then. I'm sure Javier would just love to hear from his old flame?" Beth said mischievously.

"Chinita, why do you keep bringing him up?"

"Because you won't accept your feelings for Morgan! Oh, sorry, I remember, you don't 'have' feelings for Morgan, in which case it'd be perfectly acceptable to spend some time with another man, like Javier."

"But I don't want to spend time with another man!"

"Because you like Morgan."

"Yes!"

Beth grinned triumphantly while AJ let out a colorful array of curses in a multitude of languages, none of which were English.

When she'd finally calmed down some, AJ said, "That was coercion and you know it. That doesn't count."

"Of course it does—people always say things truthful when under a heightened sense of emotion; that's why intimidation works so well."

"Still, you can't hold that against me. Of course I like him; he's my friend. If I didn't like him we wouldn't have stayed friends for so long."

"Not holding it against you—just pointing out a fact. And just because you're friends for a long time doesn't mean you'll always be. He's more than a friend and you know it. The sooner you admit it, the sooner we can move on to the next step."

"And what's the next step according to you, making out over breakfast? Then moving to opposite corners of the earth? Thanks but no thanks. Besides, I have a rule about not dating friends."

"Correction: we did not make out over breakfast. We simply kissed. And…our relationship is...complicated. Because of work. And what's that rule about not dating friends? Wasn't Javier technically a friend?"

"Again with the damn Colombian," AJ muttered darkly. "No, he was not technically a friend. He was a damn fine kisser, and good way to burn off some alcohol-heightened hormones. Oh gswno, I can't believe I just said that."

Shaking her head, Beth couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, again with the 'damn Columbian'. And I didn't need to know that, though I'll store it in memory just in case I need some blackmail. But I'm talking about the time he showed up in Burbank. If I recall, you called him merely 'a friend' before shortly afterwards we learned you were dating. Well, until he left again, but still."

"Oh, that was just to make Mo—re sense, since you guys didn't know him and all. But he was still my ex, and everyone knows you can't ever be just friends with an ex. Think about it, has that ever worked out for you?"

"Well…I'm still friends with Zach, but he was only my first boyfriend—and we grew up together. And then…yes, it has worked for me before actually. And don't think I didn't catch you were making 'Mo' jealous. I do believe you forgot a couple letters, hun."

"Fine, then I amend my rule to exclude exes," AJ said with a roll of her eyes. "Anyway—"

"Closing in ten minutes ladies," Gunter told them.

"Anyway, I guess it's time we go," AJ finished.

Beth shook her head. "Oh no you don't, I wanna hear more about this 'no dating friends business.' How about a nightcap at my place?"

"Alright, so long as you've got something decent to drink. You know those fruity things you drink don't do much fit if yor me."

"I'm sure I'll have something you can stomach."

"Let's go then."

AC here with a couple closing remarks. 1st, isn't James a total ass? And 2nd, don't you love Beth & AJ's quick back-and-forth? Review to let us know what you thought, pretty please with the Chuck character of your choice on top! :)