Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own Human Target or any of it's Characters….I intend no infringements. Just want it to live on.

Quickly, Chance regained his control, "Wow, Allyson," he said. "It's great to see you." While it was Allyson he was addressing he was actually cautiously observing Ilsa. Then finally adverting his eye towards Allyson added, "It's been awhile, how are things?" He broke into a full grin and moved towards her.

An unmistakable smile crossed Allyson's face. Ilsa recognized it immediately, I've seen that smile before, she thought stewing inwardly but remained pleasant and professional on the outside.

"Well, lets just say a lot has happened since you disappeared from the steps of the Court House after giving me my life back." Her eye's sparkled as she looked at Chance.

Winston stepped forward, "Immediately after you and Allyson shook up the entire San Francisco Police department and the District Attorney's office, Allyson was elected from Assistant DA to DA." He informed Chance with a proud grin.

Chance nodded to Winston, then to Allyson genuinely smiling, hands on his hips, "That's great! Congratulations!" Truth was Chance already knew that.

He'd seen the big announcement on TV two years back. And had admirably but quietly continued to watch her career unfold on the nightly news as she put one bad guy away after another.

"Thanks to you," she replied humbly, "if it hadn't been for you I wouldn't even be alive right now."

Ilsa was beginning to feel like she wasn't even in the room.

"Ah, it was nothing, don't mention it." Chance smiled back. He was never good at accepting thanks from clients. He was just doing his job.

There were a few moments of awkward silence as Ilsa and Winston began to feel like third wheels.

Chance recognized this quickly and addressed the silence. "Um, you already know Winston," he nodded toward him then looked at Ilsa, "Did you get a chance to meet…?"

Allyson nonchalantly nodded towards Ilsa barely acknowledging her presence, "Yes, Ilsa, right?" She finally pulled her eyes from Chance onto Ilsa, "I'm sorry," she continued slowly, uncertainly swaying a finger back and forth from Chance to Ilsa, "are you two….um…Are the two of you…..?"

Chance knew where the question was headed. He was at a loss for words. Was this how he and Ilsa came across? After last night he wasn't sure how to respond. He needed to answer cautiously. He knew Ilsa was in a delicate state.

But before he could Ilsa jumped forward, "Oh, gosh, no, no!" She waved her hand in front of her face shaking her head. "Don't be silly, our relationship is strictly professional." She shot an unemotional glance towards Chance who in returned raised his eyebrows and cocked his head at her. She continued, "I finance this company, Chance and I are merely partners." She managed to give Allyson a convincing fake smile.

Allyson seem relieved but confused, "I'm assuming you had something to do with the updated décor. When I was here last time it was definitely a man's den." The two woman shared a little chuckle. "How did this partnership come about?"

Chance noticed Ilsa straighten and become tense. "Um, ya know Allyson, it's a long story." Chance quickly changing the subject and taking her by the elbow and steering her toward the board room. "Why don't you tell us why you are here?"

Allyson stopped him, "Chance, if it would be ok, I'd like to talk to you alone?" She asked quietly.

When she had first come to Winston those two years ago for help her immediate reaction to Chance was doubtful and questioning. Why him, why was he the best, what made him so special?

She soon found out!

After watching him first hand save her life several time, against all odds, in a matter of hours, Chance was the only person she completely trusted and felt safe around.

Chance hesitated. He didn't want to ruffle Winston's feathers and especially Ilsa's.

Winston chimed in, "no problem Allyson." Then directly at Chance, "when she contacted me she just said she needs your help, here is her file from her last case, thought you'd might want to look it over."

Chance took the file and nodded an unspoken thanks.

Ilsa just smiled pleasantly at them both, "I'll be in my office if you need me." She spun on one heel and clicked toward her office, wouldn't want to interrupt you two, she thought sarcastically.

Chance watched her walk away. Was she ok, he thought?

Allyson studied Chance as he watched Ilsa walk away, she was sensing something more then just a professional relationship, she hoped she was wrong.

Ilsa on the other hand was wondering if this woman meant anything to Chance? Or was this just a client. Try not to read to much into it, Ilsa told herself. Just because a beautiful woman appears here first thing in the morning and can't stop smiling at Chance and asks to be alone with him doesn't mean anything…..who are you kidding, she thought and rolled her eyes.

She took a seat at her desk pretending to work and watched Chance and Allyson enter the board room. Upon directing Allyson to a chair Chance slid the board room door shut.

The echoing sound of the door shutting caused Ilsa to close her eyes. When she dared to open them again she watched Chance take a seat beside Allyson, close, facing each other, not across the table like with other clients. This one looked personal, more intimate.

Shaking the image from her head she looked down and tried to concentrate on some work. She couldn't help but feel that the small window for her and Chance to explore their feelings had just been closed.

Allyson took the seat Chance directed for her and watched him close the door and walk to the chair beside her, swirling it to face her he took it and leaned forward, elbows on his knees, hands clenched together, giving her the feeling that she had his complete attention.

"Ok, you got me alone," he smiled teasingly trying to put her at ease. "Now why don't you tell me what's brought you here."

Chance had a thousand emotions running through his veins, none of them though could he discern.

He had tremendous admiration for Allyson. They had only spend a day together but in those intense hours she had revealed to him a strong, determined, honest and frankly impressive woman. Also, Allyson had opened up to him like she had never to any other person before.

As much as he was worried about Ilsa right now and her emotionally state he knew Allyson deserved this one on one attention

She leaned towards him, "I think someone is trying to kill me, again!" She whispered like this the most surprising thing she could say.

Chance sat back, raised his eyebrows, "Allyson, you are the District Attorney. It's probably a pretty safe bet there are a lot of people out there that would like to see you dead." He gave her a one sided smile.

Allyson was a bit taken back but couldn't resist responding to his smile with one of her own. He just had that effect.

"Seriously, Chance….really," She was still smiling as she said it. This wasn't a funny topic, why couldn't she stop smiling?

"OK," Chance held his hands out towards her, "Please explain." He scooted his chair closer to her still.

It felt good to see him and be close to him again. When he just disappeared that day she felt a big void, like they had unfinished business.

"Have you heard of CLAY?" She asked

"Sure, 'California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year'. It's an award …no, wait, you?" Chance eyes flashed with understanding.

"Yap, the one and only," She added proudly. "Only problem is someone wants me dead before I can accept it and I don't know if it's related or not." She looked down at her hands in her lap.

"Do you know this for certain?" Chance had a concerned tone to his voice. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Ilsa pace back and forth from her office to the kitchen a few times glancing curiously towards them.

Trying not to show his concern or interest in Ilsa's reaction to his private meeting, he stayed focused on Allyson. He always felt it was important to give the person he was talking to undivided attention no matter what the surrounding distractions might be; yet another clue to the type of man he was.

So he willed himself to stay focused on Allyson's eyes.

"Oh, yes, I do for certain, unfortunately there is no mistake here." Allyson's voice was shaky. "Yesterday there was a package for me shipped FedEx. But it never made it out of their warehouse" She paused and Chance listened intently.

She continued, with an obvious distress to her voice, "The procedure for U.S. Customs allows them to choose packages off the manifest, some random, others strategic, for exam. They open any package they decided to and determine if they are ok to be delivered are held for further scrutiny." Allyson hesitated, "They pulled my package for examine but didn't get to tape it back up." She was very emotional.

Chance waiting, tilted his head to the side and squinted his eyes.

"When they opened the package a highly sophisticated bomb, triggered by the opening, went off. It was meant to kill and it did, the Customs Inspector and the FedEx employee that was assisting him were both killed, instantly. Several others were injured and there was a lot of property damaged to the FedEx facility. It was clear this wasn't just a scare tactic or warning." Allyson sat very quietly looking down.

Chance leaned back in his chair. "There is no doubt this package was addressed to you?" Allyson nodded. "Do you know what type of bomb it was? Where the package came from? Obviously it was on an international flight or there wouldn't be a need for a Customs Inspectors."

"They are still trying to track it down. There seems to be some confusion, not surprising, the FBI is working on it. The bomb is being processed, not word on it yet, either." Allyson met Chance's eyes.

Chance studied her for a while. "Well," he finally said, "looks like you need some help." He gave her a reassuring smile.

Allyson felt better already. "I assume you handle business the same as before, ever though you have a new partner?" She tilted her head towards Ilsa.

"Um, yah, our technique is the same, we blend in, try to get the threat to reveal itself," He started to explain, somewhat confused. She knew the drill. Why ask this?

"You don't leave my side, until I'm safe, like before?" She added.

"Of course! Allyson, when you were in trouble before I told you then, I don't leave you until you are safe, not for a second, that goes for now too." He meant it, it's the same with any client, just because Allyson was beautiful and they had shared some pretty revealing truths about each other they never got to explore, doesn't make this any different.

Right?

His eye's glanced briefly toward Ilsa office. This did not go unnoticed by Allyson.

With a flirty grin in her eyes she added, "Good, the CLAY foundation is switching it up this year." She got up and walked around Chance so she was standing behind him, she place her hands on his strong shoulders and leaned down, close to his ear. "They are handing the awards out tomorrow, in Monaco, France."

There was a lot more going on behind the scene this year then was shown in the 13 episodes that aired. In the "Problem like Maria" EP Ilsa talked about how they have numerous law suites... there was way more cases then the 13 that aired...it's fun filling in the blanks and reading the other stories done by the great authors here filling in even more blanks!