A/N -"Blowing out someone else's candle doesn't make yours shine any brighter." A rather poignant quote for the times we're living in. The world would be a much better place if we all showed a little more compassion and understanding towards each other! Just wanted to share that. xx

The darkness that surrounded Elizabeth wasn't a menacing kind of darkness. It was the kind that comforted and soothed. It was that beautiful time of day, an hour or two before sunrise, when the silence and tranquility hugged her like an old friend. It was her time to power down and allow herself to recharge. Not physically, but emotionally and psychologically. It was her time to release her fears, her worries, her anger and her frustrations without prying eyes watching her every move. It was her time to feel free.

Down time was something of a luxury, especially when being station chief meant that any break at all was a precious commodity. There were no bars or restaurants to meet friends at. No cinema's or cafes. No nature walks or golf courses. Only sand as far as the eye could see. There was an old projector and film night had started off as a good idea, but after the fifth showing of 'Casablanca' she had started losing the will to live and when she had read all the books she'd taken with her twice over, she knew she had to find something to occupy herself, other than laying in her bunk staring at a huge expanse of nothing.

That's where the gym came into play. Well, it was less of a gym and more of an unused space with a few weights, a rowing machine and a punch bag. But with very few people even aware of its existence, she could do as she pleased and never be disturbed. She had started out just enjoying the silence, a change of scenery when her mind refused to shut down and allow her to sleep. She tried the rowing machine but became bored incredibly quickly. All that pushing and pulling to go absolutely nowhere wasn't really her thing.

After a particularly challenging day, a few months after she first took on the job, Elizabeth had picked up the boxing gloves, slid her hands into them and took her frustration and annoyance out on the heavy leather punch bag that was hanging from a bracket. It had felt so good to be angry and violent without ending up locked in a cell, which had been a possibility a fair few times in those early days.

Gradually, what started off as something she would indulge in when she was feeling particularly pissed off, became a routine. She would get up before dawn and spend a few hours every morning punching and kicking until she felt relaxed. And she had been pleasantly surprised just how much her physical fitness had improved. Her body was more toned than it had ever been before and she felt strong.

The thud each time her gloved fist connected with the leather, bounced around the room, followed by a quieter whump as she lifted her leg and connected with her foot. She was feeling particularly frustrated and confused, with Henry's sudden appearance not helping matters so was pushing herself harder than ever.

Beads of sweat were trickling down her back and the few strands of hair that had escaped her ponytail were slick to her forehead. Her breathing was shallow as she used every last morsel of strength she had to project her emotions into the leather.

"Arghhhhhhh fuck." She didn't usually feel the need to scream profanities at the punch bag, but her current emotions seemed to warrant it. "Mother fucking son of a bitch —- Arghhhhhh."

Her arms were burning and the last knee to the leather had hurt a bit, but she didn't care. This was the only thing that helped and she wasn't going to stop until her body physically had nothing left. She settled into a rhythm of right jab, left jab, knee and kick — alternating between legs each time. Pushing and pushing until she could no longer rotate her left leg above her hip.

Perching on the wooden bench as she ripped the velcro on the gloves with her teeth, Elizabeth got the unnerving feeling she was being watched.

"You do realise how creepy it is to stand and watch someone — Don't you Henry?" She shook her hands until the gloves dropped off and dried her face with a towel.

"How do you do that? And I was merely observing your boxing style— You've got good form" Henry moved out of the shadows, one tentative step at a time.

"It's my job to notice everything." She drained the bottle of water in her hand and looked up at Henry "I didn't realise you were an expert. Kickboxing doesn't really seem like your sort of thing."

"I dabbled a bit in college. Few fights here and there."

Elizabeth was intrigued "Oh really? And how did that go?"

"Not very well. Turns out I didn't really like hitting people so it was a bit one sided."

"You're such a dork Henry." She couldn't help but laugh. "So, have you been standing there long?"

He shrugged "Long enough. I was scared to approach you, thought you might unleash one of those punches in my direction."

Elizabeth let out an unintentional snort "Don't tempt me."

Henry sat on the opposite end of the bench "Colourful language too. And here I was thinking you were such a sweet girl." It was meant as a throw away comment but Elizabeth tensed.

"Well, there's a lot you don't know about me Henry."

He knew that was true and he still didn't understand why she ever felt the need to keep who she was from him. There were so many questions he wanted answers to but pushing her right now would have a detrimental effect. Baby steps with Elizabeth was definitely the way to go.

They sat in uneasy silence for a while, neither one wanting to rock the already sinking boat. But Henry didn't want to waste the brief time he had alone with her.

"Was it the job you left me for — or was it Simon?"

Elizabeth turned her head sharply to look at him "What? When did Simon get involved in this?"

"When you kissed him in the park." He dropped his head for a second and then asked "Is that when you decided he was the one you wanted — Not me?"

"Fuck." She buried her face in her hands "You saw that huh? And you say I don't miss anything."

"Oh yeah, I saw that. I only went out for a walk to get some air. Wasn't expecting to see you in his arms with your tongue down his throat."

Elizabeth turned her body towards Henry "It wasn't like that! Don't make it sound so sordid. Yes, I kissed him back before I realised what was happening but then I pushed him away. I guess you didn't see that?"

Henry huffed "Funny thing — I didn't want to hang around watching my girlfriend make out with another guy. That doesn't really do it for me."

Elizabeth looked puzzled "I didn't even know I was your girlfriend. We hadn't put a label on it and I had no idea how you felt."

Henry shook his head "Elizabeth, come on — I may not have openly expressed it but surely you could see what you meant to me."

"I'm an analyst Henry, not a god damn psychic."

He narrowed his eyes at her, frustration getting the better of him "Don't be sarcastic Elizabeth — It doesn't suit you."

"Then get your facts straight before you throw accusations around." The annoyance in her tone was clear. "You didn't hear our conversation Henry so don't assume."

"I saw you kissing him. The guy who cheated on you and yet I was willing to give you everything and you didn't want it."

Elizabeth could see how hurt Henry was. She'd done the cowardly thing and left him with a letter so she'd avoided seeing the devastation left behind. But now it was staring her in the face.

"Can we please not fight." The whole situation was pulling her down.

"Why Elizabeth? Not got anywhere to run to this time?" As soon as the words left his mouth Henry regretted them.

"Touché Henry! I guess I deserved that."

"No you didn't, I'm sorry."

The silence returned and it allowed them a moment to calm their emotions.

"Henry — Why didn't you talk to me about Simon when it first happened? I could have told you exactly what transpired, but instead you've been thinking I wanted him all this time — I haven't set eyes on him since that day and I'm not planning to. It was you I wanted."

"Then why didn't you talk to me about the job? I would have understood. We could have worked something out." He scrubbed his hand across his face, the stubble scratching his palm "Jesus Elizabeth — Do you have any idea what that did to me? Finding you gone like that?"

"I know — And I've lived with the guilt every day since. I never meant to hurt you Henry — You have to believe that." She reached over and gripped his hand "It killed me having to go, but it's just something I had to do."

Her behaviour was a stark contrast to the hard nosed Elizabeth he'd seen in action. The one who argued with him in the presence of others and dismissed him in a heartbeat. This was the Elizabeth he knew and loved and he'd missed her so much.

Henry moved closer and looked at her — really looked at her for the first time since he'd arrived in Baghdad. There was remorse in her eyes that he knew was genuine. Her face was so close, he could feel her breath on his skin and her lips were enticing. So soft and sweet.

"I would have waited for you, you know." The words escaped as a mere whisper and his lips were almost touching hers when a bang from outside startled Elizabeth and she leapt backwards.

With a shaky breath, she looked at Henry and offered him a wry smile ""Thank god for interruptions! That would have been a really bad idea"

"I respectfully disagree. I think it's a perfect idea." He moved toward her but she backed off immediately.

"No! I can't — I have a job to do Henry and so do you. It's imperative I keep a clear head. Whatever you think might happen between us — I can assure you — It won't. Please respect that."

"What are you so afraid of Elizabeth? Actually feeling something? I'm right here."

Elizabeth leaned in and kissed him on the cheek "I'm so sorry I ever hurt you Henry, but we're colleagues, nothing more. We both need to accept that and move on."

Henry watched her walk out and shook his head. He could see that she was still so conflicted and his presence was making things worse. But he was in love with her and he knew she felt it too. He just had to bide his time until she was ready to admit it.

The working relationship between Henry and Elizabeth improved dramatically over the next week. She was finally willing to listen to his ideas and agreed with a lot of what he had to say. It gave her a clearer objective and more confidence to push for what she believed was right. It wasn't her choice to have him there, but she was starting to realise what an asset he was. Although she wasn't overly friendly with him, she wasn't outright hostile either which was beneficial for everyone. The atmosphere certainly wasn't as tense.

He'd caught her looking at him a few times and she had done the same. Nothing obvious and nobody else would have been any the wiser. But although they had discussed it and Elizabeth had made it extremely clear that nothing would happen between them, the gentle touches, eye contact and all round covert flirting said otherwise. They were skirting a fine line that was very close to being crossed.

The fact finding mission was set and Elizabeth was so close to getting Hassan Amari she could almost touch it. She had been gathering intel on him for months while still at Langley and, having seen what he'd been responsible for — The bombing of a school which had killed 32 children, all under the age of 11 — She was more than ready to take the lead on the interrogation. She'd seen the photographs and they had shocked her to her very core. She wasn't going to allow any more blood shed, not while she had the ability to prevent it. This is why Conrad had put his faith in her and she was more than ready for the task.

They certainly weren't in a position to relax — But strategically things were looking good and that alone allowed everyone to take a breath. With things a little calmer than they had been, Elizabeth was feeling rather wicked and decided to have some fun, mostly at Corporal Rodriguez's expense. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to show just a hint of her fun side once in a while. She leaned against her desk and smirked

"It's been a tough few weeks hasn't it Rodriguez?"

"Yes ma'am. But we'll get him, it's just a matter of time."

"Yeah, It's taken its toll on all of us. I mean —" She moved closer to him to catch his attention "I feel like I've been such an uptight bitch." She waited for her words to sink in and continued "Maybe all I really need is to find a release for all my tension — Wouldn't you say so Corporal?"

His eyes were like saucers and his mouth hung open.

Elizabeth grinned "But at least my ass looks good in fatigues. What more could a girl want."

Rodriguez looked sick as her words surrounded him like a vice "Ma'am — I didn't…"

"Oh but you did Corporal." She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, a more serious expression crossing her face "Always check who's listening before you decide to voice your opinions. I heard it all and can't say I was impressed.

"I didn't know you were there ma'am."

Elizabeth chuckled "Never underestimate the power of my intuition Corporal, I recognise your game before you even play it. Now, if I ever hear you speak about me or any other member of my team in that manner again you'll have your ass handed to you. Am I clear?"

"Yes ma'am — I'm sorry ma'am." His cockiness had dissipated slightly "It won't happen again."

"I'm glad we got that sorted. And please refrain from checking me out, it's not welcome."

She turned to look at Henry who was trying hard to hide his snigger. That was an exchange he had really enjoyed watching.

"And as for you Dr McCord — Or should I say Captain? We have another marine in our midst. You certainly kept that quiet." He could see the sparkle in Elizabeth's eyes and maybe he was just imagining it, but he could swear there was that hint of excitement he'd seen before.

"I'm here as an ethics adviser, nothing more and I'm no longer a serving marine so it isn't relevant."

"Oh I beg to differ. You have more strings to your bow than any of us realised and that makes you a really good asset. You not only have an ethical view but you can counteract with the military perspective. I was wrong about you — I apologise."

Henry had to fight every urge in his body to jump across the desk and kiss her. The more he saw her in action, the hotter she became and it was torturous. But putting all that aside — Being able to witness her analytic brain in action and work with her to achieve something was incredible. Henry wasn't sure he'd ever been as happy and he wasn't prepared to let her go again.

"Right — I need caffeine and I don't want to miss the sunset. You know where I'll be if I'm needed."

There was very little Elizabeth liked about her surroundings. She was pretty sure that she would never want to go on another beach holiday again in her lifetime as there was just no getting rid of the sand. And she'd had dreams about walking barefoot through wet grass, which she had just attributed to exhaustion. But — The one thing she did like was watching the sunset.

It was like observing a masterpiece come together on an artist's canvas. The rich hues of reds, yellows and oranges blending with subtle hints of purple and pink. A natural oil painting on the horizon that she had a front row seat for. There were many things she would carry with her forever — and this was one of them.

She let the beauty of it wash over her for a moment. Calming her in a way nothing else had been able to. It amazed her that in the midst of such conflict and violence — Something so breathtaking could still exist.

She turned to head back and caught sprout out of the corner of her eye. He was sat alone on an upturned crate, smoking a cigarette with a letter gripped in his hand. She was going to slip away quietly to leave him alone with his thoughts but when she heard the unmistakable sound of a tearful sniff, she couldn't bring herself to walk away.

She pushed another crate over and sat beside him "What's going on Private? Need to talk about something?"

"I'm fine ma'am." He was doing a pretty good job of stifling his sniffs.

She smiled and nudged his shoulder with her own "Thing is Noah — I'm CIA and I didn't get this far by being bad at my job. So — why don't you tell me what's wrong and I might be able to help."

"I'm so sorry for being pathetic ma'am." He took a drag of his cigarette "I got a letter from my sister — She's having a baby. I'm going to be an uncle."

"That's amazing. You must be so thrilled. Congratulations."

"Thank you ma'am."

She studied his expression, which was one of fear rather than excitement.

"It's okay to show your emotions at times private, it makes us human. Tell me — What are you scared of?"

"Is it that obvious ma'am?"

Elizabeth huffed out a laugh "Only to me. You see, I have a younger brother and it was usually me scaring him so I recognised the look."

"Amy has always been more like my best friend than my sister. She even wants me to be godfather but —" He took another drag, trying to keep the smoke away from Elizabeth "— What if I don't make it back?"

Elizabeth gave him an acknowledging nod "I hear ya — But you know what, the way the world is right now, you're probably safer here than you would be back home."

"Do you honestly believe that ma'am?" He threw down the butt and lit another one.

She watched him and laughed "You do realise that's your second cigarette in the space of 5 minutes. That's far more dangerous to your health than anything you may encounter here."

"Fair point — My girlfriend is always on at me to quit."

Elizabeth stood up and squeezed Sprout's shoulder "She sounds like a very wise girl." Shoving her hands in her pockets, she rocked back and forth on her boots "I take my job very seriously Noah — And I'm not about to lose anyone on my watch. Now put that out and get some rest — Big day tomorrow."

Private Lawrence did as instructed and left Elizabeth standing alone deep in her own thoughts.

"You made the right choice." Henry's voice jolted her from her musings.

"About what?"

"Taking this job. You're really good at it and they're lucky to have you." Henry stood by her side and looked out at the horizon.

"Sometimes I think so and sometimes I feel out of my depth."

"We all do at times — But you've got this Elizabeth. And I'm right behind you."

"Even though there is no us anymore?"

Henry kicked her boot with his own "There will always be an us Elizabeth — Fate has a bigger plan — We just have to wait and see what it has in store."

Elizabeth couldn't help but smile "You and your poetic heart."

"You wouldn't have me any other way though — Right?"

Her fingers brushed against his so gently that it was barely anything at all. She knew it was risky and she sure as hell didn't want to be seen by prying eyes… But somehow it felt worth it. "No — I think I like you just as you are."