Francesca looked up at the clock. It was three in the morning. She was still awake, couldn't sleep, not that the floor was very comfortable. All four of the men had dozed off while she had been washing blood out of the towels which was not an easy task.

Now she was staring at blank television screen. It was the kind of stare where you saw nothing and everything at the same time. In the reflection, she saw someone stirring in the bed. She turned a little.

Murdock rolled off to stand up. He looked down at her, "What're you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep," she whispered.

"Oh," he plopped down beside her. "You might as well turn the television on, these guys sleep like logs. Especially Hannibal."

Francesca picked up the remote, "Oh, I know."

"Yeah, you would, wouldn't you?" he smiled. "I was surprised when everything ended."

She shrugged, "It was bound to. I really should've seen it. But I didn't. I was 'young and naïve'," she quoted.

"If it's any consolation," he said in the most sympathetic of tones. "Hannibal seemed happy."

Francesca leaned back on the foot of the bed, "If he had been happy, he wouldn't have left. And if he wouldn't have left I would have never-" She stopped herself, "Never mind."

"Never what?"

"Nothing."

Her stomach ached, but not from the lack of food or anything, but because of the bullet wound. Every so often, it would give her terrible cramps. Sometimes she could withstand the pain and continue on. Others, she had to stop and wither away. Francesca stood up, doubled-over and breathed deeply.

"You okay?" Murdock looked up.

"Not really," she went into the bathroom and sat next to the tub. She rested her head on the ledge. The cold soaked through her skin.

Murdock stood in the doorway, "What's wrong?"

"Just go to sleep," Francesca's eyelids finally felt heavy. "I'll be fine."

Flashback-So Happy I Could Die

Francesca hurriedly buttoned the last button on her shirt before the elevator doors opened. She looked over at Hannibal who had his hands rested behind his back. He took a deep breath, "That was fun."

"Yeah," Francesca smiled. "That was…" The doors slid open and they both looked picture perfect. They stepped out of the elevator. "Did I ever ask you-"

"I'm very well," Hannibal cleared his throat.

She blushed as they went toward the swanky restaurant at one end of the lobby, "I'm sorry. I was very caught up in the moment."

"I don't blame you," he smirked.

Francesca stared into the restaurant and saw Tommy sitting at a table near a tall window. Going forward, she made sure Tommy caught her eye. He stood up, his mouth a little wide.

"You've heard I take it?" she crossed her arms.

Tommy shook his head, "I can't…"

She rolled her eyes and threw her arms around him, "You're silly."

He staggered back for a moment. Hannibal came up slowly, laughing at Tommy's shocked face, "Congratulations."

"Thank you," Tommy sighed, wrapping one of his arms around Francesca. "I'm actually going home."

Francesca frowned, "You can do that?"

"I don't really care," he scoffed. "I'm going home on the next flight to Portland."

"Well, then you better get going," Hannibal glanced at Francesca. Here eyes widened.

She sighed, "You have to go?"

"Yes, I do!" he laughed.

Tommy kissed her cheek, smiling boldly. He then patted Hannibal on the shoulder as he skipped off in elation. Francesca fell into one of the chairs at the table.

"You alright?" Hannibal sat down across from her.

"I just need some alcohol," she pursed her lips and leaned back in the chair. Francesca looked out the window at the overcast day. "I will then be peachy."

Smiling, Hannibal opened a menu on the table, "I understand."

"I can't stand meetings. I used to come to New York to dance and to live. And now… Pffffftttt," Francesca leaned on the table.

"Well, we've got tonight."

"Tonight," she smiled. "Yes, we do have tonight."

End Flashback

Hannibal woke up out of his sleep. The sun let in a little light through the dusty windows. He rose and looked into the bathroom. Francesca was curled up against the tub, sleeping.

"Francesca?" he crouched down and knelt on the floor.

Her eyes opened slowly, "What- Hannibal? What's going-" She stopped. Her head was throbbing. Breathing, she tried to bring everything together, "What?"

"We should get moving," he said quietly.

"God, five more minutes and I would've been golden," Francesca sat up, holding her forehead in her palm.

Hannibal sighed, "Well, I'm sorry."

There was a pounding sound and some worried, quiet exclamations from the others. Hannibal peaked outside the bathroom. Someone was trying to get in. "Guys, get in here."

B.A. was raising Face off the bed, who could walk, though he flinched every time he put his wounded leg down. Murdock rushed in.

Getting up, Francesca turned to the low window. She took Murdock's baseball cap and burrowed her fist into hit, "Step back." She thrust her fist into the window, which seemed to crash the moment she touched it. "You guys go out now. There's a dumpster not too far down."

"What about you?" Hannibal frowned.

"Oh, I'll be out in no time," Francesca crossed her arms and helped Murdock jump down. "You three go down, I'll help Face."

He gave her a look of concern, then another of relief. "Okay."

Francesca gave him a thin smile as she pushed another piece of glass of the sill. Hannibal crawled out the window too, followed by B.A. They all kept there eyes on Face as Francesca helped in crawl out carefully. "You're not going to push me or something, are you?" he narrowed his eyes.

"No, no I'm not," she gave him a serious gaze and then helped him get his bum leg out the window.

Face nodded slowly, "Alright."

Suddenly, she heard the door collapse into the room. "Damn." She went into the next room and found three men in black, with a bright yellow sliver on the jackets. They all held guns to her.

"Hey, sweetheart," one of them twanged, putting down his gun. "You look forlorn… Do you need someone to make it better?"

Francesca pursed her lips and didn't respond.

"Did they hurt you?" another came closer and pushed a lock of her hair away from her face. "Huh?"

"What do you want?" she drew back.

The first one spoke again, "Where are those men that held you here?"

She felt like they were dealing cards right into her hand. Francesca let her lower lips quiver, "They went out the back window."

"Can you show us?" the last one said in a not so consoling tone.

Francesca went to the bathroom doorway and pointed to the window. All three of them followed her finger. She crept up behind them and grabbed the one in the middle first by the coat. In her other hand, she twisted her fingers through his dark, greasy hair. He shouted in pain and fell back on the bathroom floor. Francesca then reached around and found two pressure points on the others necks, squeezed and began to climb out the window as they fell.

"Not so fast," the man on the floor sat up and grabbed her ankles.

Holding onto the sill, Francesca grit her teeth as the man pulled her back. She felt a piece of glass slit her wrist, "What the Hell do you want?"

"Just a few minutes of your time," he got his grip around her waist and pulled her into the bedroom. "Now-"

"Why are you after us? I mean the Alpha Team… and me," Francesca ripped another scrap of her shirt to tie off the wound.

He cackled, "It's been a long time coming."

"But… why?"

"Let's just say they were in the wrong place at the wrong place and just killed the wrong guy."

Francesca began to nod, "Well… that makes so much sense."

The man then forced her against the wall, "So am I going to have to force this outta you or what?"

"Force," she stated, trying to swallow.

"Yeah," he put his hand on her waist and moved closer, making no space between them.

Outside, Murdock had started to hotwire a black SUV. Hannibal stood over him, tapping his foot. He was worried about Francesca. "You think she's okay?"

"You know her," B.A. smirked.

"I think she can handle herself. I mean," Face relaxed into the back seat. "I don't know."

Hannibal moved back and ran up the staircase toward the room. He pressed his ear up to the door and pushed his way through the five people who stood in front of the door, staring and probably waiting for the police.

"Let…let go of me!" Francesca's voice choked out.

"Relax, kitten," a man's voice drawled. "You're in good hands."

Then, he could hear a struggle and a screech. In a panic, Hannibal forced the door open. The first thing he saw was Francesca on the floor, reeling in pain.

Hannibal watched blood trickled down her face from her left temple and across the corner of her lip. Francesca looked up at him. Her eyes were wide and watering. She whispered, "John…"

The man turned, held his gun up to the colonel, "Well, well, if it isn't Colonel Smith?"

Reaching toward the gun, Hannibal ducked and punched him in the gut, "You son of a bitch."

Francesca reached for the man's ankles and pulled his feet from under him. He hit his head on the corner of the TV stand. Hannibal bent down to Francesca, "Are you okay?"

She blinked a couple times and nodded, "I think so."

"Are you sure?" he smiled. Hannibal pulled his cuff, rubbing the blood off the left side of her face.

Francesca breathed in deeply, "You saved me."

"You could've easily saved yourself."

Leaning forward, Francesca put her arms around him and said, "Thank you."

Hannibal rested his chin on the top of her head and tried to catch his breath.

I hope you're still intrigued. I'm having fun writing it! Please review!

DG