One Week Ago

Gloucestershire, England

Jimmy sat in the train carriage looking out the window, Mernae was directly opposite to him, staring out the window as well.

"Are we there, yet?"

"No."

"Alright. What is this Sandford place, and why did Mason choose it to serve as our headquarters?"

"It's won village of the year a few times, low crime rate. Any more questions?"

"Yeah, just how the hell is this the first time that I've known you're working with us?"

"Look, I've only learned this yesterday." said Mernae.

"What, you didn't know I was working with the opposition before today?"

"Right."

"Yeah, right." said Jimmy, "You're Jack Mason's sidekick and he didn't tell you who's working with him."

"I'm not his 'sidekick', and he never tells me anything about what goes on with the New York Cell. All we have to discuss is our work in London."

"And what is that, exactly?"

"None of your business!" yelled Mernae.

"AHA! But we're supposed to be working together now, you have to spill the beans!"

Mernae sighed.

"Alright, I do too many things to enumerate, but my most important job is to mind a mole we have in the League's main Headquarters in Regent's Park."

"What? Are you talking about Harmony Kendall?"

"You know Harmony?"

"She used to work in the New York Branch. We, the McManus brother and I used to handle her. By handle I don't mean anything dirty, though she and Murphy did get drunk one night and-"

"Yeah, I got it."

A few moments of strained silence passed before Jimmy asked,

"Are we there yet?"

Now

The Yellow Submarine

"Hatori Hanzo; the master swordsman and former secret service agent…. Sam Noir; a ronin private investigator … And Mashu O'Shaughnessy; highly trained assassin."

"An opposition cell in operation ahead of the branch; not bad, Captain." Said Al-Sheikh's image on the computer screen, "Not to mention it is an impressive roster."

"Yes, I'm sure they will be most adequate." Said Nemo, "Now, what has become of the minutemen?"

"They're investigating the drug shipment as we speak; based upon the intelligence gathered by the Gotham cell the shipment arrived at Baltimore sometime this week. Once we've found out exactly where is it heading the Black Pearl can intercept it and destroy the shipment."

"And when do you plan on dispatching them to accomplish what we've been discussing?"

"As soon as they are done, I'll know if they're up to it. Their past assignment, though legitimate and necessary were at the core a test. The bank job was meant to test their capacity for working in a high-risk confrontational situation, the Chestnut café meeting was meant to test O'Brien's ability at infiltration. This assignment will determine their competence as investigators."

One Week Ago

Sandford, Gloucestershire

Jimmy jumped back as the police car came shooting down the street, its tires screeching as it did a ninety degree turn at high velocity before disappearing behind the corner leaving only the fading wail of its sirens as it sped away.

"What the hell was that?!"

"The police." Said Mernae matter of factly.

"Not shit. I know it's the cops, but just what could they be after so fast."

"I dunno. Could be the N.W.A., two of them escaped from prison last month. Maybe somebody stole the goose again."

"Stole the what? Never mind… I can tell this is going to be weird all over."

"Have you eaten?" asked Mernae as she crossed the street.

"No, not since last night."

"Well come on then."

"Where to?"

"Pub."

"Pub? It's three in the afternoon."

"Well, this is England."

"Yeah, don't remind me."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, nothing at all." Said Jimmy as he followed Mernae to the pub up the street.

"Huh… There was a time when you said that the last thing you wanted to be was another American idiot."

"Look, when I signed up for this I didn't think I would be fighting for freedom from manipulation by the intelligence community in the middle of the countryside."

"I thought you choose to come here."

"It was either come here or serve as a crewman on the Black Pearl. I would have preferred to be back in New York, or backing the minutemen."

"Well, there's more to this cause than beating the snot out of agents and shake-downs. We'll be dealing with intelligence gathering and subterfuge."

"Look at you, little miss I-spy. Since when did you become Emma Peel."

"I've been doing this ever since…. Ever since…"

"Ever since you dumped me? Is that what you're trying to say?"

"Don't make this about us, Jesus."

"Don't call me Jesus." Said Jimmy as he followed Mernae into the pub, "My name is Jimmy, now."

The pub wasn't flowing with patrons, but it was in business with two or three groups scattered between the table as well as three at the bar.

"Fine, Jimmy." Said Mernae as she sat at the nearest table, calling to the bartender, saying, "Two pints of bitter, sharpish!"

"Now can I ask you question?" asked Jimmy.

"Exactly when did you start working for Mason?"

Mernae didn't answer right away, Jimmy could see in her eyes that she was looking for a way to dodge where the conversation was heading.

"I said…"

"I'll make this easier. Exactly when did Mason recruit you?"

"Wh...Why are you asking me?"

"Was it right after you left… or was it before? Answer me, M., you owe me that much."

"I don't owe you a thing, Jimmy. You want to know the truth? It was when we were together. I met Mason for the first time after you and I had a row at that Green Day concert. He filled me in on everything, said he could train me, give me a cause worth fighting for. At first I though he might be a dirty old pervert, but I knew I had to follow him."

"And you dumped me to be Mason's sidekick." Said Jimmy bitterly as the bartender arrived with two pints of beer.

"That's the thing, Jimmy. You and I, we just weren't working… I wanted to make a difference, you just wanted to get drunk, high and laid and yell 'Fuck the world'. You were starting to get to me and I wanted to quit, but I loved you and I couldn't do it. Mason gave me the spur that I needed."

Jimmy looked at her with no expression as he raised the pint to his lips and silently drank.

"This beer is terrible."

"Get used to it. I don't care. How Mason decided to recruit a drug-addict deadbeat like you is beyond me."

"I was working in a post office."

"Jimmy, what-"

"I wasn't Jimmy then, either."

"…You what?"

"When Mason recruited me. I was… Hell, you don't care."

"Jimmy," said Mernae, hesitantly placing her hand over Jimmy's and pressing it gently, "What happened?"

"No, M., you want to think that everything's been easy on me? Go ahead."

"Jimmy, what happened?"

Jimmy sighed.

"When I was Jimmy for the first time, after you left I got really desperate, got into hard drugs when the Novocain couldn't hack it anymore. After a while I decided to end the whole sham, I went and bought a gun, headed out to the bay and pressed the barrel to the back of my mouth."

"And what did you do?"

"It was Jimmy that closed his eyes and pulled the trigger, but it was Jesus that heard the click and opened his eyes. The gun was broken, it would only hurt someone if you there it at them, but it did the trick; Jimmy was gone. I moved back to Jingletown and found a job, a room at the motel and a bunch of video games to play with as my life expired one minute at a time.

"But some things you can't kill. I became Jimmy again, gradually. I didn't bother to quit my job and took a sledgehammer to the TV before moving to L.A. and joining an anarchist movement, I learned a thing or two before I quit and went solo. I crossed Mason's path eventually and he introduced me to the Boondock Saints, he told me we had a job to do in New York. The rest is history.

"Anything else?"

"Sergeant Butterman."

"If you say so."

"No, behind you."

Jimmy turned around to see a heavyset man in a police uniform coming through the door and heaving toward them.

"Miss Patrick, how are you?" said Butterman with a jovial smile as he took off his hat.

"Danny, hi! I'm fine. What was the business outside?"

"Oh, Sergeant Fisher is bringing a change of clothes to Office Thatcher up by the farm, apparently she's stranded there sans garment. Again. Who's your friend?"

"Oh, this is James Saint. He'll be staying with us."

"Hello." Said Jimmy as he shook Butterman's hand.

"Danny Butterman, it's a pleasure."

"Danny also helps my dad and I occasionally." Said Mernae.

"Your dad?"

Mernae kicked Jimmy lightly under the table.

"Oh, your dad, right."

"Yeah," said Danny, "but keep it to yourself, I'm not really supposed to be doing this kind of thing. But if you need to lookup anyone, give us a jingle."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."

Butterman walked away and headed to the back.

"Miss Patrick? Dad?"

"Mason and I are masquerading as a retired lit professor and his daughter who lives in London. John and Yvonne Patrick." Said Mernae, "Though some of the old crones are spreading gossip that we're, um, lovers."

"What the hell am I supposed to be, your pool boy?"

"We'll figure that out later." Said Mernae as she stood up, "Time to go see the boss."

"Hello?" said Mason as he pressed the speaker button on the telephone.

"Mister Mason?"

"Who is this?"

"This is Father Mackenzie, is this Jack Mason."

"Ah. Mister Gray, I've been expecting your call for some time. Have you thoroughly considered our offer?"

"Yes, I have… I accept."

"Excellent." Said Mason, picking up a cup of tea off his desk.

"What do I have to do?"

"Just sit tight, report anything that happens out of the ordinary. We'll contact you when the time comes. Good day."

"Goodbye."

Mason hung up. He then heard the squeak of the outer screen door of his cottage's kitchen, he stood up from the couch and walked into the kitchen to see Jimmy and Mernae come in.

R&R.

Next Chapter: Shaun's birthday. He celbrates by going out with two women, but finds himself back ni school, this time being educated by Prof. Jarrah.