I've been waiting to write this chapter for a while. Hope you like it! Please read and review!

Liette did not show any hesitation as she reached the door of the interrogation room for the second time. Debra stood behind her, supervising Liette's entrance until the door was closed behind her. Liette said nothing to Debra and did not look for advice or encouragement. On the drive over Debra had told Liette she was to try and get whatever information she could out of Joe, no matter how big or small it was. Debra and the others would be watching. The interrogation room would be visible to her through the feed but aside from that Liette was all Joe's once again.

Liette stepped into the room with a new confidence or at least a falsely placed one. She used her anger to her advantage, using the mistrust she had garnered from her teammates as a shield against Joe. She had something to fight against, more than just Joe. Her team was practically building against her, prepared to use her as live bait or ready to pounce if she said one thing that suggested she was working with Joe. Years with the bureau didn't count here, even the smallest of friendships had faded away as Liette had become but a pawn in everyone's game. It was yet to be seen if she was coloured black or white.

"Liette." Joe's eyes widened with joyful surprise, shocked to see the young woman before him in the place of Ryan or Debra. He had expected an intensive interrogation from one of the two after they had recovered Agent Weston. Joe figured they were successful because he hadn't been awoken in the middle of the night to be yelled at. If Weston had died they would have taken their rage out of him because lord knows they weren't competent enough to catch his men.

"Joe." Liette returned the greeting as she folded her hands together on the top of the table.

"Back so soon." it was just a statement, one that showed Joe's happiness to find himself in this situation once again. "I would have cleaned myself up had I known it was you, but alas it would have been more drab orange." An attempt at a joke. Liette wasn't laughing. A grimace came over Joe's lips as he realized how quiet she was. She wasn't trembling, she was just still. The image of a porcelain doll sat before him and although she was beautiful she was nor entertaining. He longed for their conversations, the freeness of words that had once flown between them was stagnant in the air. He needed that to change.

Joe grasps at words like straws, trying to find a conversation that might require Liette's responses. "Is this the kind of thing you wear now?" he asked, his eyes fully getting acquainted with the white dress that clung tightly to Liette's body.

"Yes." Liette responded quickly, the single word not nearly enough to wipe the frown off Joe's lips.

"You're lying to me. We can't have that." he clicked his tongue at her with disapproval.

Liette swallowed realizing if she was going to be part of this game she would actually have to play. She would not be the useless king on the chess board, hopping one space at a time with one word responses. Joe had made her the queen. Her moves were limitless and that made them important. She had to move with action and purpose. "I had to come without notice, I couldn't bring my own clothes." she told him the truth.

"So they dressed you in this?" disgust fell from Joe's lips. "Very crude agent Parker, very crude." he spoke to the camera but Debra could feel his eyes baring into her through the screen. Joe wasn't pleased at all, their little game hadn't thrilled him in the least. Joe looked at beauty as a young woman slain and split open, he had taken college girls who had worn dresses almost identical to the one Liette wore now and split them open to create art. It was what Debra had been going for and yet it had failed her because somewhere there was a disconnect with Liette for Joe. There was a space between her and all the other girls that hadn't connected yet. Debra had messed up and from the look Joe was giving the camera she figured it was a mess up she'd pay for.

Luckily Liette wasn't worried about the mishap, she took control for the first time and reigned Joe back into her. "So I look bad." her voice rang with hurt and insult, capturing Joe's attention right away..

"No, no, it isn't you!" He practically leapt forward to assure her that she had taken his words the wrong way. "You look luminous. The dress just doesn't suit you." he clarified, his fingers flexing forward as if he wanted to hold her hand in comfort. She could feel the warmness of that longing touch without actually feeling it. Her memory for Joe's fingertips against the back of her hands was surprisingly refreshed with just the view of his hands. She would not give him the touch he longed for but the conversation she could do.

"I know." she said, allowing herself into the conversation with a bit of ease. She was supposed to find a way to throw him off his guard which meant just talking to him was the best place to start. She was not completely comfortable with the idea, but just as she hadn't been comfortable with the dress she slipped it on anyway. "I'll pick up some things for myself tonight."

"I hope to get to see you in them." Joe smiled. "We'll be seeing lots of each other soon enough."

"What do you mean Joe?" Liette asked, surprised how quickly they were going to get into a conversation that might actually mean something. Talking about her clothing was useless but Joe describing her role in his plans might become important.

"You're part of the story I am trying to tell with Ryan. It's important to keep your readers intrigued so I couldn't just rely on the cookie cutter hero story, no I needed twists and turns that no one would expect. The readers will hold their breath as they get to you, wondering what could possibly happen next."

"And what's that?"

"Slow down, we have all the time in the world." it was a reminder to himself but also a warning to Liette. He wouldn't have her jumping down his throat for answers like some trained police dog, biting away at the cage. Joe had protected his plans in many ways, burying them with other people and hiding them away on different levels. No one person knew everything, even he wasn't fully aware of the full extent of everything that happened outside of this prison. The skeleton that propelled the body of the cult into action had been created by Joe but he had placed some trust in them to expand without direct orders. He had no idea how many of them there were now but he felt that the numbers were much greater than he had ever imagined.

"Now this is the point. You fancy me mad."

"I'm not really in the mood to discuss Poe right now." Liette shook her head.

"You used to love when I recited his poems to you." Joe frowned "Tell-tale heart was your favorite." he remembered every detail he had ever learnt about her. When Joe was fixated on things he studied them until he couldn't anymore. He had focused so much of his attention on Liette when he had had time with her. Ten years had not made him forget.

"Of Poe's, you know I prefer-"

"Chaucer, I know." Joe cut her off quickly. His racked his brain for a moment before he spoke again, trying his best to recall the words from Liette's favorite work by Geoffrey Chaucer; The Canterbury Tales. "Wommen desiren to have sovereynetee, as wel over hir housbond as hirt love." he finished his tongue rolling in his mouth, the old language sounding proper on his lips but actually quite messy if you knew what it was supposed to sound like.

"Your middle english is still sloppy."

It wasn't a scold, it was a tease and it came with a smile that Joe longed to look upon. He stared at her lips as if they were made of gold, the treasure of his world but nothing compared to the rubies that were her eyes. Still his gaze lingered on her lips, taking her teasing in with a smile of his own.

Liette knew she had hooked him, not fully but enough that he would chase that little smile on her lips with little hesitation. It had been easier than she had expected and that worried her. Joe was not a fool, even if he might seem like one in her presence. Liette knew better than to get arrogant. She would have to lead him through this as if she was in control but deep down she knew Joe called the shots in the end. If she asked the wrong question he'd shut down on her and she'd be left wanting answers he wouldn't give.

"How is agent Weston?" Joe asked, taking the reigns back almost as quickly as Liette had felt them fall into her hands. She was right to feel apprehensive about any perceived control she had. For Liette it was terrifying but she had to trust Joe to lead.

"Recovering from what I've been told."

"You didn't go see him?" Joe wouldn't show jealousy if she had but he was pleasantly surprised to see Liette shake her head. It was early in the morning which meant she must have showered, dressed and come straight to him. Even if that had not been Liette's call, Joe felt at the top of her list and he couldn't have been more pleased. "Agent Weston will need rest, there's still lots to come."

"I always hated cliffhangers." Liette reminded him.

"Yes, yes you did." Joe's chuckle fell to the ground as he looked down upon his hands, like Liette he had finally found some way to control the shaking. He could sit across from her without the obnoxious trembling that caused the chains to shake. That noise had disturbed the room, a constant reminder that he was indeed shackled down. "I wish I could tell you everything, I just can't yet." he needed to trust her before he'd freely give any information that she could use against him. His trust wouldn't be earned easily even if she held his admiration.

"We should talk about something else then." Liette suggested, diverting the conversation in hopes that she could sneak Joe back into something important by distracting him by small talk. Joe nodded but his lips didn't move again for quite some time. His gaze danced upon Liette, a slow moving focus taking in every inch that was visible to him. He lingered on her jawline, tracing it with his mind before he moved to her lips. His tongue flicked over his own lips absentmindedly before he let his gaze move up to her eyes. Brown circles blinked at him, suddenly not so confident or sure in the moment as she felt herself being observed. She felt more caged than ever, a prized bit of game captured in the hunt. Now the hunter admired it's catch even if she had put herself in the cage willingly.

"Joe?"

"There are some things you need to know." As if he was lost in her eyes, completely entranced by the swirl of chocolate brown that disappeared behind her eyelid every few moments when she blinked. "I think you're ready. You're upset with Agent Parker, you've been betrayed, it's time for you to understand." he straightened, tearing his eyes away from her so he could focus. His chains rattled for the first time but the echo of their clanging was soon lost in the room. Silence fell. Without probing Liette had triggered something in Joe and she was about to find out what.

"I'm listening." her voice was soft, begging him to continue. This was why she was here. She'd get whatever Debra needed out of Joe right now and prove her innocence.

Unfortunately what Joe had to say wasn't going to help with that at all.

"It was...it is...it's all for you Liette. All of it."