Author's note: This chapter is rated Mature for content and language.

Chapter 20

Once Diana made it out of ICOs doors she immediately removed Agent 47's mobile phone from her purse and attempted to call him. A low curse came from her mouth when she heard a voice recording stating that the number was no longer in service. It was vital for her to contact Agent 47. The conversation she had with Mrs. Gateson was imperative to their plans. Unfortunately, it looked like she had to wait until he contacted her.

Her lips curled into an excited smile once she saw her lover enter the living room. The somber expression on his handsome face caused her smile to falter. It was the first time she had seen him look grave.

"Hey," she got off the couch and held his hand, "what's wrong?"

He looked into her worried eyes and pondered whether or not he should tell her the truth. His hand gripped hers as they sat down on the couch.

"How bad is it?" she asked him.

His other hand clasped her free one, "I didn't tell you everything last night."

"Like what?" she tried to prepare herself for the worst but hoped whatever he said wasn't going to be as horrible as she imagined.

"The attorney..I was jealous of him."

His admission confused her, "Why? He was a piece of shit."

With calm certainty and fearless honesty he told her, "He had a wife and children who loved him. I want that. Do you?"

To hear that he wanted a family and life with her was overwhelming. Her heart swelled with happiness as she spoke, "Yes, very much."

The elation in her eyes pleased yet pained him, "My life right now..it's not possible."

She agreed with him, "I know. The girls they asked about you every day. We can't do that to a child."

"The Organization is still after me. I can't stop and live here with you."

"They haven't found you."

"Not yet. If something happened to you or the girls I.." he couldn't finish the sentence because the mere thought of harm coming to them was frightening. He couldn't fathom it.

Despair grew in her chest and flooded her eyes, "Then what can we do? End this?"

"No. There's a way for this to work," he glanced at the floor hating his situation.

"How?" she eagerly asked him.

"The president of ICO..He wants me to find and kill an agent for him."

"Why?"

"In 1973 Agent 18 asked to be released from them and they refused. He left but took some of their clients with him."

"So.." she tried to figure out what he was trying to tell her, "if you bring this agent to your boss…you'll be free?"

He slowly shook his head, "There'll be an ambush waiting for me."

The thought of him being attacked by his fellow assassins horrified her, "Forget it! Ok, you killed four last time but an ambush? No, I can't lose you." she tightened her grip on his hands.

"You won't. After I kill Agent 18 Diana will help me plan a counterattack. She's my advantage," he tried to assure her.

Her head nodded as he remembered their time together in Russia and how successful he was at executing his hits, "This is good!"

His head slightly pulled back, he didn't expect that type of reaction from her, "Really?"

"Yes, you're the BEST assassin they ever had, I've seen it. Now you have Diana's help. Have you found him, Agent 18?"

The hope and confidence in her face and voice was hard for him to watch. He quietly answered her, "Yes."

"What's wrong then? You look sad about it," she told him.

"He's Karissa's father. She just told me," the dejection in his voice and soul was a new feeling for him; he despised it.

Once he spoke she felt her heart sink, "He is?"

"Yes and he's accepted it."

"He won't fight you? Really?"

"Yes."

Tears streamed down her beautiful face, "This is horrible. I want a life together and I hate that it has to be like this..but there is nothing else that can be done," she shrugged then embraced him.

"I know." he rubbed her back sharing her sadness.

She held his hands and looked at him, "Will he suffer?"

"No, I'll use a syringe and his heart will stop."

"I see..and Karissa?"

The look of anger and lament on Karissa's face entered his mind as he said, "She wants nothing to do with me."

Her delicate hands held his face and stared into his dark depressing eyes.

"I don't blame her," he heard a slight quiver in his voice and guilt grow in his heart.

Unsure of what to say or do, she simply took him into her arms hoping to somehow assuage his sorrow.

Tiska's soft fur comforted Agent 47 as he petted the yellow Labrador. For a brief moment he was envious the canine. His needs were basic and the relationships he had were simple unlike Agent 47's life.

"Hi Frank," Mai said when she joined him in the living room holding her math textbook and notebook.

"Hello Mai, how was school?" he greeted her then moved to his left allowing her to sit on the couch.

With a grin and then a small grimace she answered, "It was good except for math. I don't get how to use this formula and Mom is helping Madison with her homework so she told me to come to you because you're supposed to be really good at math. So can you help me, pretty please?"

Seeing how she needed his help brought a half smile to his face, "Of course. Let me see."

She opened the book and explained to him why she had trouble understanding the formula. He immediately knew why she was having difficulty with it and showed her an alternate way of solving the equation.

"Oh my God, that's so much faster and easier then what Mr. Moreno taught us in class!" Mai happily said.

"Sometimes people are used to a certain way of thinking they don't look for alternatives," he told her.

"Well I like your way soo much better. I'm gonna try this way. After I finish can you check to see if I got it right?"

"Of course," he tipped his head and watched her work.

"I'm done!" she handed him her notebook and looked at with anxious eyes.

After he finished checking her work, he handed her back the notebook. With pride he told her, "You did very well."

"Really? I got it right?"

"You did," he grinned.

"Thanks to you!" she immediately hugged him.

He held her and briefly stroked her dark hair. The gratitude she showed him felt wonderful. It was the first bright spot in what had been an otherwise dismal day.

"You're welcome," he quietly replied.

"Ok, I have to finish the rest," she spoke as she let go of him and returned to her homework.

In silence he watched the 12-year-old focus on her work and then remembered his school days. His instructors were not as patient and essentially forced the agents to figure out the problems for themselves. He couldn't help but wonder how different things would have been for him if he had been raised by his parents. The moment he just shared with Mai was a form of consolation for him.

"I finished, can you check my work please?"

"Yes, I will," he then looked at her homework, "Perfect."

Unbeknownst to them, Nika stood on the staircase and watched them in absolute adoration. She couldn't believe how much he had changed and yet seeing him interact with Mai felt natural.

"Awesome!" she beamed then stood up. "That must be Elaine's car, she's back with dinner. I'm gonna go help her!"

"Ok," he said as he watched her bolt out the door.

"Hey you," Nika finally spoke while walking down the stairs.

He stood up and met her at the bottom of the stairs, "Nika.."

"Yes?" she embraced his neck.

"How did you know I was good at math?" he held the small of her back.

Her shoulders rose then dropped, "Your job."

"You're right," he brought his lips close to hers but didn't kiss her.

"And you owe me."

"For what?" he pulled his head back.

"On the drive to school today Mai was playing with buttons..the same buttons that came off your dress shirt last night in the kitchen. She found them before breakfast this morning," she smirked.

He successfully hid his embarrassment, "What did you tell her?"

"That Trent dropped them when he came over to help Madison get ready for the dance."

"How clever of you." he held her close.

"I try," she kissed him. When their lips parted she spoke again, "Come on, let's set the table for dinner."

Seeing him on her bed was a comforting sight for Nika. There wasn't a need for her to get used to the idea of it becoming a part of their usual routine, she gladly accepted it on his first night back.

The white satin nightgown she wore made her look like an angel, an alluring one at that. He enjoyed watching her flawless face and perfect figure crawl onto the bed and towards him.

"Get on your stomach," she instructed him.

Curious, his left eyebrow rose.

"Trust me," her hand briefly stroked his cheek.

He turned over and laid down on his stomach for her. A content sigh emerged from his mouth once she straddled him and began to massage his bare back.

"I've done some reading of my own," she seductively told him as she continued to knead his rippling back muscles.

"I can see…thaaat," he felt some of the tension ease from him.

A triumphant grin pulled at her lips, "You're tense…not that you shouldn't be."

The feeling of her gentle yet skilled hands soothed him. Her touch was one of the many things he had yearned for while traveling. He made sure to remember every caress in hopes that his memories would sustain him.

"I'm sorry," he quietly said.

His apology to her was unexpected so much that she stopped massaging him and answered, "For what?"

He turned over and put his hands on her thighs, "For being rough with you..in Russia."

The guilt in his eyes and voice moved her yet she also felt empathetic, "Don't be. You were a different man then," her hands held his.

Her attempt at lessening his shame struck his heart. He still felt the need to explain himself to her and did so.

"I didn't know how to..I shouldn't have handled you like those other men did."

"You were a pussycat compared to them."

"Still.." He let got of her right hand and touched her tattooed heart with his forefinger.

"Why are you talking about this? I'm not mad at you." she tightened her grip on his hand.

His eyes fell before returning to her gaze, "I tried to comfort Karissa. She said that she didn't want me to touch her..Do you ever feel the same way, knowing what I do?"

Astonished and a bit saddened by his question she took a few seconds to respond, "Never. I love how you touch me," her eyes became wet.

Once she answered him he stopped touching her tattoo and brought her face down to his capturing her kiss. In one fluid movement he rolled on top of her.

That's when it donned on her, "Wait..is that why you always want me to come first?"

"No."

"Then why? I'm not complaining but I have to know."

After a brief pause he said, "When I touch you it lets me know that I'm more than a killer."

She felt exultant yet understanding tears escaped her eyes, "You are," she held his face.

He quietly looked into the eyes of the woman beneath him. She not only accepted but embraced him for all his flaws and strengths. There was no one else that he wanted to be with and he made sure to let her know it.

Concerned, she asked him, "What is it?"

"I love you," his voice was soft and blissful.

Her heart almost burst with elation, "I love you too."

He smiled at his beloved and his heart grew with the loved they shared. As his mouth seized her full pillow lips, his hands undressed her before stripping himself of the boxers and black drawstring pants he wore. His left hand cupped her face while the other traveled down her body then began stroking her desire.

Her hands held the back of his head as she endured the gratifying feeling his touch gave her, "Yes…ooohh.."

The sight and sound of her enjoying him was burned into his mind. With his lips he relished the taste of her soft silky skin with each kiss he planted on her neck, breasts and stomach.

"Please," she breathlessly begged him, "make love to me."

When he heard her request, he held her hands against the pillows and locked eyes with her.

"I need you.." she exhaled.

He slowly entered her and savored the feel of her love encompass his body and soul. Being intimate with her always made him feel alive and fulfilled.

The moment their bodies bonded she arched her back and whimpered. Having him inside of her always felt natural and right, she loved every second. Every time they made love she made sure to soak in the feel of his flesh against hers, his masculine scent and gentle moans, tonight was no exception.

In unspoken admiration he watched her close her eyes reveling in every part of him. The image of unabashed pleasure on her face was always a sight to behold. He knew that no other man would ever be able to elicit such a splendid reaction from her. Wielding that power was a privilege that he held close to his soul.

Her eyes opened to the lovely vision of him gazing deep into her eyes. The way he stared made her feel precious. No one ever had such an effect on her before and she knew that he would be the only one.

"Don't..Don't stop.." she said in between short haggard pants.

"Never.." he groaned holding back his need to climax until she met hers.

Underneath him, her lithe physique shook as he quivered before laying himself on top of her. She then brought his mouth to hers showing her love and appreciation. His fingers combed through her soft chestnut tresses causing her spirit to rise. They basked in the afterglow of their lovemaking not caring about what tomorrow would bring them.

Agent 47 patiently listened as Diana's phone went to voicemail. It was odd for her to not answer her mobile phone but he decided to leave a message anyway.

"Diana," he watched Madison and Mai fill their backpacks in the kitchen, "I've found Agent 18. Call me back immediately. Goodbye."

Thousands of miles away, Diana's mobile phone vibrated underneath the passenger seat of her car.

During the car ride to school, Agent 47 helped Madison study for her vocabulary quiz. Nika signed a field trip permission slip for Mai while listening to her other daughter and her lover study.

"Good," he complimented Madison on her correct answer. His eyes looked out the tinted window, "We're almost there. One more, sing."

"Sing.." Madison repeated his statement and carefully thought about her answer.

"You know this," he gave her a slight nod.

His faith gave a boost of confidence, "Sing..chanter?"

He grinned, "Correct."

"I am? Great!" she smiled.

"We're here." Carl said as he pulled up in front of their school.

"Thanks Frank," Madison hugged him and then kissed his cheek.

He smiled not expecting to receive such a sweet gesture, "You're welcome. You'll do well, don't worry."

"I hope so, bye Mom." she kissed Nika's cheek before Carl opened the door for her.

"Bye Mom. See ya later, Frank," Mai pecked Nika's cheek then did the same to Agent 47.

His smile grew wider, "Have a nice day, girls."

"Bye girls!" Nika waved to her daughters as she closed the car door. She then held his hand and leaned against him.

"That was new.." he said.

She smiled, "I can't blame them. You're very kissable," she pecked his cheek.

His brushed his lips against her mouth before kissing her forehead.

Her chin was on his shoulder, "I can't promise you that it'll be like this every day. But I'll try my best to make it so." she locked her gaze with his.

The earnestness in her voice pulled at his heart. He held her face and spoke, "So will I."

With that said, she kissed him knowing that it would be their last until he returned to her.