Ending 1 – Part 5 (or Part 67)
Over the next few weeks Michael began making arrangements to leave his universe and travel to Maria's. He was taking his time as he sorted through the shop and house, preparing to disperse his belongings and liquidate his assets. He hadn't decided what to do with the motorcycles or the house and property yet, but he knew he still had time to figure it out. He didn't want to rush through any of the preparations, concerned that moving too fast would appear suspicious.
He didn't want to alert the people he worked for that he was leaving because they didn't just let their agents retire without a good reason. Gabriel had left the Company because he had started to empathize with the human contingent and he had become a liability in the field. Indigo had only retired because he had lost his arm in an explosion, making it impossible for him to maintain the dexterity he needed to disarm explosive devices. Marcos had finally retired, but only after his eyesight had become too compromised for the Company to risk allowing his involvement in operations even in a limited capacity. Even Sanchez had been granted retirement, but only because he had given them 20 years as one of their top interrogators and he had finally lost the edge he needed to remain effective in his field. No one in their line of work retired just because they wanted to.
It was a Thursday night and Maria was working for a few hours, covering for one of the other waitresses who was coming in late for whatever reason. He had dropped her off, telling her that he had business to take care of and he would be back before her shift ended.
The evening was warm as he parked next to the small cemetery where Stone had been laid to rest next to Azrael. He stepped out of the truck and slowly walked through the open gate, quietly moving between the headstones that peppered the landscaped property. He wasn't given to fanciful thinking and he had no strange notions that Stone's ghost was lurking among the various graves, waiting to jump out at him or just float by and make some smartass comment.
Although, if anyone he knew was gonna do that it'd be Stone, he mused as he finally reached her headstone.
He crouched down next to her grave, right hand resting on the marker placed at the head of the plot. "I'm leavin'," he said after several minutes of silence. "I just wanted to let you know I'm doin' my best to keep my promise to you." He reached into one of the pockets on his cargo pants and pulled a mangled bullet out, holding it in his palm as he stared at it for a few minutes. "I owed you for this one." He placed it on top of the headstone as he stood and stared down at the marker before giving it a single pat. "Give 'em hell, Stone."
The wind picked up for a moment, lifting his hair as Michael looked around at the many granite and marble headstones that identified more agents that he had known and he shook his head. Most of them he only knew professionally, never caring to get to know them on a personal basis; very few people had ever been allowed to get that close to him and that was the way he liked it. He glanced at his watch, deciding he needed to get back to Azrael's Sanctuary because it was nearly time for Maria to get off work. He had taken the bullet out of his trophy case before leaving the house, but it wasn't until he had finished his business that he had made the decision to stop by the cemetery.
He walked back to the truck and slid in behind the wheel, shutting the door as he started the engine. That just left a few select others that he needed to speak with before leaving, but he would save that for another day.
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Gabriel was sitting behind the bar, going over his inventory list and adjusting his order when the door opened and his right eyebrow lifted when he saw Indigo swagger in. "What're you doin' in town?"
Indigo shook the big man's hand and took a seat on one of the stools. He nodded when the bar owner motioned to a bottle of whiskey. "Called Guerin to see if he wanted to hang out since I'm gonna be in town for the night." He tossed the shot back and slid the glass towards Gabriel so he could fill it again.
"Guess you already know he's comin' in this afternoon then."
"Yeah, said he needed to talk to both of us. Didn't wanna talk about it over the phone though. Got the feelin' something's up," he said cautiously.
"Um-hmm." Gabriel poured a shot for himself and leaned on the counter. "Any idea what's goin' on?"
Indigo glanced at his watch. "Nope, but I'd be willin' to bet it's got somethin' to do with Maria."
They talked for a while, enjoying the rare opportunity to catch up and before long a couple of hours had passed. They had moved to the table at the back, giving them privacy from the few patrons who had started to filter in since the bar had opened for the night and they looked up when Michael stepped through the door.
He nodded in their direction and stopped at the bar to order a beer before joining them. "Good, you're both here." He pulled a chair out and flipped it around, straddling it and resting his forearms on the table.
"What's up, Guerin?" Gabriel asked.
"Wanted to talk to the two of you," he said as he took a drink from the bottle in his hand. "I've got some stuff goin' on and you guys aren't gonna be seein' me around."
Gabriel and Indigo exchanged a look. They knew without asking what he was telling them; he was planning to go renegade and there was only one reason they could think of for him to consider such an action.
"Guess I'll be needin' to look for a replacement for one of my waitresses soon," Gabriel muttered.
Michael shrugged. They wouldn't ask for details and he wouldn't offer them. It was the only way to protect all of them and he would never risk putting them in danger on his behalf. He tossed a small key to each of them. "Safe deposit boxes at Pacific Regional and Central National downtown."
The conversation turned to other things as afternoon quickly turned to night and Michael glanced at his watch when thunder rolled and the lights flickered around them. He tossed a few bills on the table as he stood up. "I'll catch you guys later."
Gabriel and Indigo saluted him with their glasses, wondering if this would be the last time they ever saw him. They silently wished him luck, knowing that leaving their field wasn't an option and if Guerin were to be caught after going renegade the people they answered to wouldn't go easy on his punishment.
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Maria was pacing in the living room, her heart pounding like crazy as the thunder clapped again and lightening flashed across the night sky, lighting it up for a brief moment. It didn't storm that often, but when it did the wind howled and the rain came down in sheets, and it made her edgy if Michael wasn't home at those times.
She knew it was an irrational fear, but she couldn't stop it no matter how hard she tried. The only thing that would allow it to dissipate was seeing for herself that he was alright. He hadn't told her where he was going when he left but he had been gone for hours; she had tried to call him several times, but she wasn't getting a signal and it was only further fraying her nerves.
A pair of headlights cut through the darkness and within seconds the garage door was activated and the tight feeling in her chest suddenly began to ease. She rushed through the house and pulled the door open as he stepped out of the truck, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly as soon as he stepped up on the first step.
"What's wrong?" he asked, unsure of her reaction. Put two and two together, moron, his conscience taunted. She's associating the rain with the loss of your double. He wrapped his arms around her and maneuvered her back inside the house, closing the door after them and pushing the lock into place with his elbow. "You already made dinner?" he asked to distract her.
Maria's fingers were clenched in his shirt as she held him close and she shook her head negatively. "It just needs to be put in the oven for about 45 minutes."
"Alright, well… why don't you get dinner goin' while I grab a shower and then we can talk," he suggested. He looked down when she didn't move and his right hand came up to cup her chin, tipping her face up. "I'm here."
She stared up into his eyes and she lifted her own hands to cradle his face. "I was worried," she admitted as her thumb traced over his lips.
"I'm here," he repeated, "and I'm still in one piece."
She nodded and exerted just enough pressure for him to lower his head and she stretched up to press her lips to his. It was the first time they had kissed since the night they had made love and she could feel the hesitation in him; he would never admit it aloud, but she knew he was afraid of opening himself up and being rejected again. "It's okay," she whispered against his lips.
Michael pulled back for a moment, staring down at her as his hand slid around to settle at the back of her neck. He lowered his head, kissing her slowly and deeply for several long minutes. He smoothed his thumb over her bottom lip when he lifted his head and he took a couple of steps back. "Next time… next time there won't be any regrets." He drew in a deep breath, bringing himself under control. "We'll have dinner after I shower."
Maria stared after him when he turned and walked out of the room without another word.
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Michael paced in front of the desk where Xavier's secretary sat, busy typing reports and answering phone calls. The call had come in that morning; the request to come in and meet with the old man had been unexpected and he wasn't sure what was going on. He looked up when she cleared her throat and replaced the receiver.
"Mr. Coulson will see you now," she said, her words crisp and precise. She stood and opened the door to the inner office, closing it behind him as soon as he had stepped inside.
Xavier was leaning back in his leather chair, his fingers playing over the gold-plated pen as he watched one of his top operatives cross the room and take a seat.
"You finally clearin' me for active duty?" Michael asked.
"You have any idea how much I fucking hate paperwork, Guerin?"
"Judgin' by the constipated look on your face? I'd say a lot." Michael forced his posture to appear relaxed as he stared back at the head of the Company. He had a bad feeling about this meeting and Xavier's opening question wasn't doing anything to settle that feeling.
Xavier narrowed his eyes as he studied the younger man; assessing his body language, gauging every nuance in his voice, and measuring his knowledge of the operative's behavior six months ago against what he was seeing today. "Do you know how much paperwork is involved when an operative deserts their service to the Company?"
Keep your cool, Michael! "I wouldn't know," he muttered insolently.
"I've been in this field for quite a few years now, Guerin, and I've never had an operative go rogue without being caught on my watch. Do you know what the punishment is for a rogue operative?"
"I've heard rumors." He shrugged. The only people who really knew were those who had been captured and those who handled the punishment. "Suppose if I really wanted to know I'd take off for parts unknown and give your retrieval team a run for their money."
"Civilians caught on the run with rogue operatives are nothing more than collateral damage, Guerin; it'd do you well to remember that."
It took everything Michael had to keep his expression neutral and remain seated at the old man's threat. "Like I give a shit about civilians beyond my job and the occasional fuck from some nameless piece of ass," he muttered.
Xavier's eyes narrowed as he studied Michael and despite his determined stare he didn't see so much as a flicker of emotion in the operative's features. "Very well, then." He sat up and reached for the folder on the corner of his desk. "I've got another assignment that needs your skills," he said as he tossed it to land on the edge of the desk in front of Michael.
For the next hour they discussed the particulars of the assignment and when they felt that all angles had been sufficiently covered Xavier dismissed him. It was a sniper job that would take him out of the country for an unspecified amount of time and he had 48 hours to prepare for transport.
Michael's mind was running in so many different directions as he got into his truck and drove home, mentally scrambling over the last minute things that needed to be done before he and Maria could leave. He wasn't going to have time to worry about the house and motorcycles so he stopped off at his lawyer's office to have the papers drawn up to leave them to Gabriel and Indigo respectively.
After a stop at the banks where he had secured the safe deposit boxes and leaving the documents inside he took his time driving through the city. After that meeting with Xavier he knew it was the last time he would see Los Angeles in his universe and he had no idea how different it would be in Maria's universe.
He took his time driving home, soaking up the area he had lived in most of his adult life, and realizing he had never really appreciated it. He turned into his driveway and pressed the brake, letting his gaze take in the home that he would never see again after tonight. He knew they couldn't risk waiting any longer; the old man had made it clear that his failure to show for his next mission was not an option. Xavier wouldn't waste resources having him followed for the next two days, so they had to disappear as soon as possible.
He trusted Gabriel and Indigo so he knew they hadn't betrayed him, and no one else knew that there was even a possibility that he might be thinking about leaving, which meant that he had given himself away. Xavier was a shrewd man and nothing got by him; Michael hadn't missed the way the old man had been studying him and it wasn't the first time he had been aware of the man's scrutiny. He knew he had changed since the day Maria had come into his life, he just hadn't realized that anyone else had noticed it.