A/N: wow, I can't believe this is already the 15th chapter! thanks to everyone that's been reading/reviewing. just to let you guys know, i'll be probably wrap this story up within the next few chapters :)

Alex stood in front of the full-length mirror, carefully examining her reflection. She was wearing a tight, strapless red dress that hugged her figure and ended several inches above her knees. She tilted her head and ran a hand over the silky material—she had never in her life owned something so…exquisite.

"Stunning," a deep voice said from behind her, "But can you fight in it?"

Alex gasped and whirled around to see Michael enter the room, his eyes appraising as he studied her outfit. He cleared his throat, "Has Amanda debriefed you yet?"

"She just said something about a wedding," Alex responded quickly, crossing her arms in front of her. "Then she told me to pick one of these dresses…where did she go, anyway?"

"Amanda had to attend to a prisoner downstairs," Michael replied, shutting the door behind him. He glanced at the rack of dresses that Amanda had left in her office, and raised an eyebrow. "So, is that the dress you've chosen?"

Alex shifted, suddenly uncomfortable. "Why? Do you think it's too much?"

His lips twitched, as though he was hiding a smile. "You wouldn't want to outshine the bride, would you?"

She flushed, "Okay. Point taken. Too much?"

He shrugged in response. "You haven't answered the question. Can you fight in it?" Then—to Alex's extreme bewilderment—he crouched slightly into a combat pose, his hands raised into fists. He raised an eyebrow at her, "Scared?"

Alex brushed off her initial shock, and smirked back at him nonchalantly, "Never." She shifted her weight forward, and lunged at him. She was a little taken aback when he matched her every attempt to get past his defenses. She glimpsed his expression briefly as she ducked to avoid his fists—he was definitely enjoying this.

As a last resort, she attempted to kick him backwards so she would have the advantage—momentarily forgetting that she was wearing a skin-tight dress. She gave a gasp of surprise as she stumbled forwards, tripping on her high heels.

It took her a second to realize that she hadn't fallen flat on her face; then, she realized it was because Michael had caught her in his arms. "Thanks," she mumbled, straightening herself out. She was breathing hard, and was annoyed to see that he hadn't even broken a sweat. "I guess this wasn't the right dress after all."

He raised an arm towards the rack of dresses with a grin, "Give me your best shot."

.

.

Several dresses later, Alex had successfully pinned Michael against the wall. He grinned at her as she pressed her arm against his throat, "You got me."

She didn't release her hold for several seconds, and brought her face closer to his. "Damn straight," she breathed, before letting go. She grinned as she took several steps backwards and whirled around, so that her dress flared in a perfect circle. "What do you think?"

"Wonderful choice, Alex," Amanda announced as she suddenly appeared at the doorway. She circled Alex, examining the dress critically. "Well, I certainly approve. What about you, Michael?"

He shot her a look before turning back to Alex, "It's beautiful."

"Thanks," Alex replied, adjusting the dress self-consciously. The top half of it was white and it cinched at her waist with a navy blue ribbon. The rest of the dress flared out from her hips in some sort of flowy material—perfect for concealing weapons in. She focused her attention back on Amanda, "So, what's the mission?"

Amanda's heels clicked across the floor as she walked over to her desk to retrieve a folder. "The target is the ambassador," she explained as she handed the folder to Alex. "His daughter is getting married tomorrow. Prior to your involvement, I had already infiltrated the wedding party as the main wedding photographer."

"So...I'm supposed to be your assistant or something?" Alex frowned as she flipped through the file. It didn't bode well for her mission that Amanda, of all people, was going to be there. She glanced at Michael, and saw that he was also frowning slightly.

"Since when do you go on missions, Amanda?" he asked, eyeing her suspiciously. "Were you not able to find anyone else to take the photos?"

"No one else fit our prototype," she replied smoothly. "And to answer your question, Alex, no you will not be my assistant. In fact, it is essential that we make no contact during the party. Thom will also be there serving drinks. It is imperative that you act as though you have never met either of us before."

"Okay," Alex said slowly. "So, exactly how am I supposed to get into the wedding party?"

Percy suddenly walked into the room, his expression unreadable as he glanced over Alex. He nodded at Amanda before turning to Michael, "Has Amanda told you the change in protocol for tomorrow night?"

"No, sir. Amanda was just filling Alex in on her mission." He paused, "What's the change?"

"We have spoken to the ambassador about security detail," Percy clapped a hand on Michael's shoulder, "So we wrangled you an invite to the wedding party. You just have to blend in as one of the guests."

"Of course," Michael took the change in plans in stride. "But how is Alex going to blend in if she's not invited?"

Percy smiled coldly, "As your date, of course."