Authoress Note: Story takes place in the future. Some event changes will be explained in thoughts and all that jazz, so if you get confused, I apologize ahead xD Also this is prolly gonna be only three chapters or so... We'll see.

Authoress Extra Note: I really like writing Ames for some reason.. She's fun to me and I'd have liked to see her character grow and change if the season had continued. Also, awwww! Thanks for the nice comments cedricsowner and veniceit! They made me smile and made me feel bad cause I don't know if I'll live up to the expectation ya'll have set for this fic, but aww thanks :D

July 18, 2011

Oh man that is so not good!

Ames was a fast runner. She had years of practice running from cops and the nuns of her orphanage when she was in trouble. She had even done track for five years of her youth. She was also quick at finding quicker routes through the city. Contrary to Guerrero's constant belittling, she had lived on the streets, had experienced a hard time, and did know most of what she was doing when it came to getting around.

Her breathing was even and slow, as she ran up to where Chance was. She needed to warn him! Her earpiece was cutting out and she didn't have time to text him! It was a straight out trap! The bad guy wasn't in the building at all! It was a decoy! They were waiting for Chance to come in to try and save little Alice Bloom, daughter of wealthy fashion designer Paula Bloom and rookie race-car driver Owen Bloom. Only she was in the building two blocks down.

"Chance!" she hissed, letting him know she was there. He turned his head in surprise and looked ready to tell her to duck, when bullets started flying! Shit! They'd seen them early! Shit shit shit! "Ames! Get down!" She'd barely had time to catch the order, when Chance had tackled her down, grunting as a bullet caught his leg!

He hissed above her, and still in pain, he rolled over and shot, hitting their shooter it seemed, for the bullets instantly stopped. Chance fell on his back and grit his teeth, as Ames tried to sit up. "Ames, what are you doing? You were told to stay back with Ilsa and the Bloom's!"

Ames waved off his obvious disbelief at her actions. "It's a trap! I heard his goons talking, they walked right past my position! They have Alice in a buildings two blocks down!" she shook her head and let out a puff of air "Wow! That was totally insane..."

After quickly using a piece of his shirt to tie up the bullet wound on his leg, Chance hobbled to his feet and helped her up as well. "I appreciate the information Ames, but you could have gotten me and you hurt. You should have relayed it to Winston or Guerrero..." he trailed off as he picked up his gun and reloaded it.

Ames shook her head. "You would have been inside by the time I got to th-" Chance cut her off. "Possibly, but I would have been able to get out still. This was reckless." Ames felt a sting at his words. Chance had always been the one who had encouraged her crazy acts, because he himself performed them... And yet now he was getting onto her for it? Was it because he had gotten shot?

Ame stood quietly as Chance talked into his earpiece, informing Winston and Guerrero of her presence and her news. She barely payed attention, as Chance told her to stay and wait for Guerrero to pick her up in the Camero, before he made mad dash around the corner towards the building Ames had pointed to, leaving her alone. Sighing, she shook her head and leaned against the building. Again! They were doing it again. They were treating her like... Like some child! OK, so she hadn't been at this kind of thing as long as them, but she had some skill! How could she prove herself if they were just going to keep-!

"That was pretty reckless, alright," a voice to her left caused her to jump off the wall, and whip her head to their direction, eyes wide. "But not stupid. Just not well thought up. Did you just think you could sneak up to him and give him the bad news and everyone would be safe and OK? You could have been shot. You had no gun to protect yourself. And even if you did, I get the feeling you couldn't shoot the broad side of a well lit barn, aiy?"

Ames stared dumbfounded, as an attractive male stepped out of a parked car she could have sworn had been abandoned. His hair was long and wild. He was tan, and wearing a simple black muscle shirt and jeans with a big buckle in the shape of a silver skull. Kinda tacky, especially with the black cowboy boots, but it worked on him.

"Uh.. Who are you?" Ames asked, befuddled at the mans sudden and random appearance. The male smiled and cautiously, but calmly, approached her. "Names Silas Veder. I'm an old college of your pals, Guerrero and Junior."

If that was suppose to calm her, it didn't. It actually just made her even more guarded. Guys from Chance and Guerrero's pasts tended to be really annoyingly bad and dangerous. He seemed to since her discomfort, and chuckled. "Easy. I'm not that kind of man anymore. If I can help it, at least," he stuffed his hands in his front pocket. "You're name is Ames, correct. Seems only fair we both know each others name, right?"

Ames nodded, letting herself slowly relax. If he wanted her dead, he could have done so and not have to reveal himself, right? She should be safe... Hopefully. "What do you want? If your looking for Chance, he went that way," she gestured to the building two blocks from where they stood. "And Guerrero is on his way to-" he cut her off. "I'm not here to see them. I heard of this case through a... 'Helpful'... Source of mine. Had come to check it out, when I witnessed your little attempt at heroine fun."

Ames scowled and crossed her arms. "It's just been an off day. I could have totally handled getting to Chance without those guys seeing me any other time." Silas gave her an amused smile, shrugging indifference. Ames scowled deeply. "Why are you still here, then, if you came to check out the case?"

Silas gave her an even look. "I was gonna leave you here and let you go on with your life, but... Truthfully, I think... That you could use my help." Ames's expression became that of confusion, a brow raised and head tilted. "Your help?" she began, crossing her arms. "Your help with what?"

He sighed. "Everything. Look, you're young and you have a lot to learn... But you aren't gonna learn it here. Not with Junior. He'll shield you too much-" Ames cut him off. "He doesn't go by that name anymore." He hated that name. The day she had asked him about the name, having "accidentally" come across it in Guerrero's briefcase when her and Ilsa had cracked it. He'd looked... Almost angry and lost and sad.

"My apologies," Silas chuckled, seeming amused. "Chance. Chance will continue to shield you. Just that little display was enough for me to read that your part of an obstacle to him." She felt her stomach churn. She knew he was right... But hearing it aloud sucked. To Chance, she knew, she was just a charity case. A chance for him to help her stray to a better path. And the others? To Winston she was just the same kid he had tried to help years ago. Just some punk.

Ilsa was the same. To her, like chance, she was a slight case for her. She may have had her mistrust of Ames, but now Ilsa saw her as a new job for her and her deceased husbands foundation. And Guerrero... To him... She was just the punk JV. Nothing. A waist of time and his space. No matter how many times she'd helped him, had helped the team... She was just an extra hand that nobody really wanted, but dealt with.

She slouched and hugged herself just slightly. She was startled when a large warm hand found her shoulder. "I can change that," he mumbled, sympathy in his eyes. "Why? Why help me?" Ames grumbled. Silas chuckled. "Easy, lass. Cause everyone deserves a chance to show their stuff. Corny that may sound, but it's what I believe."

After that, she was hooked. He gave her a card with his cell number and told her if she made her choice, to come meet him at the west side peers with one bag of her belongings that she had to carefully choose, before he left her just as Guerrero showed up. She'd been able to hide the card and act like what happened hadn't.

But everyone knew something was up... Because she was quiet. The mission was complete and Alice was saved and safely returned to her parents, who couldn't thank Chance and his team enough. Alice, being only three, had a hard time letting go of her new friend Mr. Chance and the "funny looking Mr Guerrero", as she had giddily called him, as her parents scooped her close between them and said their goodbyes.

Ames had left right after them, doing her best to quickly and without being seen, clean out her locker into her bag, before heading home without so much as a goodbye. She'd packed her stuff and headed to the peers, deciding to take a bus instead of her car, leaving everything at her small rented apartment, paying out the next five months with the check Ilsa had given her.

o0o

July 18, 2016

"And you just left, not knowing anything about this guy? He could have been a psychotic mass murder or worse! He may not have even really known Chance or Guerrero! What were you thinking?"

Ames drank her second cup of tea offered by Ilsa, smiling as Winston stormed back and forth, ranting and hissing. She knew he'd be mad. She knew they all would. But it was too late to do anything about it. Five years had gone by already, and nothing she said would bring that time back and delete her absence.

"It wasn't smart, no," Ames cut in, stopping his next wave of ranting. "I realize that now. I knew nothing about him. All he said could have been a lie, and I could be dead right now. But I'm not. It's all over with. I left because I wasn't going to get the training I wanted and needed here, and don't look at me like that Chance, you know it's true." She fixed the older male with a look as he'd made a small gesture to cut her off at that opinion.

It was the truth, and he knew it. None of them were going to take her serious. She needed someone who would and that had been Silas. She was grateful to him. He'd changed her for the better. She didn't feel weak or lost anymore. She understood things now, knew code words better. And she was faster and stronger. Her body had adjusted and her skin had hardened. She wasn't a burden. She could now be a true member of the team.

Ilsa and Guerrero, surprisingly, remained pretty quiet as she talked. Chance had asked her a few questions about what all she know knew and how her training went. She'd been happy to tell him, and she could tell he was slightly impressed that she had survived some of the methods she mentioned. "Falling down the side of Mt. Fujiyama had to be the worse," Ames finished. "I dislocated my leg and left shoulder blade as I went down and caught myself on a large rock jutting out of the side. It took Silas almost a week to find me and help jam them back into place." She rotated her shoulder as she talked, recalling how relieved and proud she'd been to survive.

"I don't understand the purpose of such a test," Ilsa sighed, as she sat her cup down. "It's a test of climate and failed situation survival," Chance answered. Ames nodded. "And it's helped me out greatly, I can promise you that. Especially the fighting and immobilizing training," she grinned at Chance and then glanced at Guerrero, "I could probably take you two down... Not together, but separate."

At this Chance chuckled, a boyish grin appearing. "Don't get cocky, Ames. Five years of training is a start, but you've still got a lot to be taught." Ames frowned, inwardly foaming. That made her mad. There it was. That useless feeling. He was doing it again. No way! "I'll prove it," Ames stood up and gestured him towards his training mat he still had out from his morning exercises. Chance blinked in surprise, as she walked over to the mat and slid off her jacket, revealing more of her back, lines of scars big and small seen peeking out from behind the material of her tank-top, which she pulled off and now stood in her shorts and a sports bra.

She felt them all staring at her back, which now revealed more scars than they thought. She sat her jacket and top on the back of the couch, facing them. Her stomach was taunt and hard, her arms and leg muscles hard and ready, as she waited for him to come over.

"Ames I'm not fighting you," Chance sighed, holding up his hands in surrender, keeping his distance. Ames popped her arms and legs and grinned. "You wont hurt me. Silas would come at me full force. You can do the same." Chance furrowed his brows, before shaking his head and sighing in defeat, heading over to the mat, kicking his shoes off and away after untying them quickly.

He stepped onto the mat, and Ames could see his unsureness. "Trust me, Chance. You wont hurt me," she promised, keeping eye contact with him to reassure his worried expression. "Mr. Chance, Miss Ames... I'm not comfortable with this!" Ilsa exclaimed finally, standing up and looking between them as Chance put up his defenses, though Ames could see he wasn't being full serious at the moment. Annoying! That really bugged her.

"Come on, boss," Guerrero cut in. leaning against the arm of chair he sat in, his eyes on them. "Let see how much JV has learned." JV! He was still seriously gonna call her that? She was twenty-seven years old and almost fully trained now. She'd free fallen into the grand canyon, swam in shark waters, had her head slammed into walls and floors multiple times, got her ribs broken three or more times by a kick boxer, and now knew fifteen different ways to take down an opponent! She was no damn JV anymore!

She scowled and lowered her stance, but did her best to stay calm and push away her annoyance for now. Letting out a low, steady, breath of air, she narrowed her eyes and made the first move, charging forward to swing her foot at his head, her leg stretching up. He went to grab her leg, only for her to swing it down so that she was now in his space, throwing her first out to catch him in the chest and hook up for his face, only to have her fist caught and be twisted quickly behind her back as he went to slam her down.

Ames quickly wrapped her legs around his and used her stomach and legs to flip him over her and twist to be on top of him, pinning his arms behind him and pushing him into the mat. However, Chance was bigger than her, and had more muscles and training, so she was unprepared for him to be able to ram his elbow back, even with hi arm secure, hard into her inner thigh, catching her off guard and throwing her back as her grip loosened.

As soon as her back hit the mat, Chance was holding her down with his left arm pinning her upper chest down, and pinning her legs. She made to swipe up at his face, but she found he was pressing his weight down to keep her in place. Thinking as fast as she could, she made to thrust her body and her head forward, ramming it into his chin, causing his grip and weight to lessen, and her to free herself enough to sit up and try to slam him over, but found her legs were still trapped as she used his now unbuttoned shirt to pin his hands back, leaving them both trapped.

Ames and Chance starred at each other, before an amused and impressed grin spread across his face. She couldn't help but grin along with him, laughing, as Guerrero and Winston stared at them Ilsa looking shocked, as they pulled apart from each other. "I'm impressed, Ames," Chance finally said, as they helped each other to their feet. Ames popped her arms and shoulders with a smile, sweat on her tan brow. Her muscles felt stretched, but in a good way. Chance was good. He was winning, even if she had pinned him. But what could she expect. He hadn't used full out force with her, so of course it had seemed easier than it should have been.

"Why'd you go easy on me?" Chance gave her a sheepish smile but simply shrugged. She shook her head and walked to her bag, picking through it until she found a sweat rag to wipe her face with, her body slowly coming down from the small rush she'd gotten out of that.

Silence fell between her and the others, as Chance and Guerrero shared a glance. "Miss Ames," Ilsa finally spook up, approaching her. "While I am most glad to have you return to us safely, a matter must be discussed of you leaving without properly telling anyone of your absence. In a normal working environment, not showing up for five years would have you fired," Ilsa locked eyes with the younger woman, "my question is; what do you plan to do now?"

Ames tilted her head slightly and sighed. "I was hoping to return and be a part of the team again, but if my service isn't needed, I could go freelancing... Course I'm more worried about finding an apartment. I had to get my stuff moved to a shed after my lease was up," she shrugged and pulled her tank-top back on.

"Well," Chance fuax sighed, "you could crash here. You know, until you find a place. I got no problem with you returning... Course," he glanced at Ilsa, "it's up to the boss." Ames smiled slightly, and turned to Ilsa. "I know me leaving without properly saying goodbye and all that was wrong, but that's in the past. I just wanna get on with my future.. And I'd like to do that back here with... With my family..." It was cheesy, but true. They were all like her family. Admittedly a messed up and strange family, but family none the less.

Ilsa sighed, trying to look annoyed, but smiled none the less. "Very well. It would be a pleasure to have you back. I could use some more feminine touches around here besides myself." Ames chuckled and nodded. "I think I can handle that... But I have one request," she looked at all of them, mostly locking eyes with Guerrero, knowing he was the one that was going to be the most trouble to deal with. "No more calling me and treating me like a JV. Let me help for real. Let me be out there working with all of you. No more treating me like a charity case kid, OK?"

Chance shifted in slight discomfort in her peripheral vision, but she kept herself trained on Guerrero. He was the one who was worse at not letting her do more. He'd always treated her like a burden and nuisance and now she wasn't going to stand for that. He kept his gaze even with hers, as Winston cut in finally. "We'll try... It's gonna be a hell of a lot for us to adjust to, Ames... But we'll try."

Ames finally looked away from the older male and smiled at her taller friend. "That's good enough for now." Ilsa stepped forward. Yes but something else must be discussed as well, miss Ames," Ilsa held up a note with a non to pleased expression. "I believe Dr. Yale would sleep better if he knew the museum was no longer being... Pranked... By a highly trained thief."

Ames chuckled, and reached in her back pocket to pull out her iPhone. "I was just trying to get everyone's attention, relax...But OK, I'll make one last call and make him think he was just being tested and he passed and I'll never bother him again." Ilsa's lip twitched just slightly into a small smile, but never the less keep a stern expression.

"See that you do."

R & R.

Sorry if this makes no sense! I warned you! :P Also, no close update until I can get the next chapter to work out for me, caus eit's not writing how I want it to -Glares at the chapter-