Chapter 15

With the case closed and Steve finally out of danger, Danny has given everyone a day off. He wants to finally take care of Rachel and the kids, but later he also wants to check in on Steve.

Catherine has used the day for some errands and goes to Steve's in the evening. Later she has an appointment with the others at Rumfire. When she arrives at the station, the space in front of Steve's room is empty. The guard has been removed. Quietly she enters Steve's room. As she gets closer to his bed, she is startled. Something is different. The tube. The breathing tube is gone. Nervously, she looks around to see if this is right. But the device is not there either.

"Hey, Cath."

She freezes. Then her face begins to glow.

"Hey, Sailor."

Her hand rests on his cheek and her eyes get lost in his. He puts his arm around her and pulls her into a careful embrace. He doesn't dare kiss her; he was still with Lynn, after all. And presumably Catherine would leave again anyway.

She takes the decision from him and puts her lips on his. And as if she knows what's going on in his head right now, she whispers against his lips, "I'll stay with you if you still want me to."

In response, Steve deepens the kiss.

"I love you, Catherine."

"Me too!"

Then Catherine tells about the case and that it was all a terrible mix-up.

Steve's look turns sad as the subject of Lynn comes up.

"Lynn is dead?"

Catherine nods.

"Yes. She must have killed her weeks ago and then taken her place."

"And I didn't even realize it."

Dejectedly, he looks out the window.

"I ..., I've been thinking about you a lot since you were there a few weeks ago and thinking about how to break it to Lynn gently that I can't be with hers anymore. ... At the same time, maybe she wasn't by then. I should have realized it and gone looking for her."

A tear comes loose and runs down his cheek. Catherine takes his face in her hands and wipes the tear away with her thumb.

"Steve, there was nothing you could have done for her. You killed her outright."

More tears come out of his eyes and a crying fit shakes him. Wordlessly, she takes him in her arms, tears in her eyes as well. After he calms down, she lets go of him again and looks at him intently, "It's okay."

He nods and takes a breath.

"Yeah."

"You look tired."

Again he nods.

"Then keep resting. If Dr. Carter catches on that I got you all worked up, I'm sure I'll be banned." A faint smile crosses his lips. He whispers, eyes already half-closed, "I dare him."

"I'll come back later, ... Steve?" But he has already fallen asleep.

When Catherine arrives at Rumfire, the others are already there. Glad to finally be able to report something positive, Catherine tells them that Steve is finally awake again. Enthusiastically, they all arrange to meet at the hospital tomorrow. They all missed him.

For a long time they sit together and plan who should bring what tomorrow.

Steve startles, he has dreamed something, something confusing with Lynn. His room is dark, only the appliances give off a slight light. He senses a presence, but can't see anyone.

"Is someone there?" A movement in the corner makes him flinch briefly.

Then she stands in front of him. The pistol pointed at him.

"You?"

"You weren't expecting me, were you?"

"Honestly, no. What do you want?"

"I'm amazed you can't think of that."

Confused, he looks at her.

"Because of that time? Greer, that was ages ago. It just didn't work out between us anymore, both of us spread out somewhere in the world and me on a new assignment."

"That's not what I mean, although you could have stayed closer to me."

Expectantly, she continues to look at him. When he still doesn't respond, her face grows even more somber.

"You really don't get it, do you?"

"No, I don't understand. What makes you hate me so much? Was it you too who sent the killers after me?"

Without taking her eyes off him, she sits down on the armrest of one of the visitor's chairs, her left hand always under her right armpit.

"I needed your help, Steve. But you had nothing better to do than to make eyes at this blonde. I told Catherine back then that you were incapable of a relationship, and I told Blondie the same thing. She should send you a message from me."

"What kind of message? I never received anything."

"Don't lie!" she yells at him.

"Greer, I'm not lying. You know me, ..."

"Shut up!"

Furious, she trembles all over her body.

"You exposed me, and instead of the Agency standing behind me, it got rid of me. And then you let me down too. Two days after I got here, they took me and put me in the last hole. For months I struggled, always hoping you would come. But you didn't come."

Tears run down her face and her trembling becomes stronger.

"They broke me, Steve. I told everything, everything. I didn't care so much. They just needed to stop already."

In her rage, her left arm has slipped out of her armpit. Horrified, he sees that her hand is completely crippled.

"Then they got the idea that I could still be used. The last straw, Steve, and I grabbed it."

She focuses on him with an angry look.

"I accepted many orders without questioning them and earned their trust. Now, finally, I got the opportunity to take revenge. I should have done it myself right away and not left the field to these dilettantes. It took me a lot of work to clean up after them and put the misinformation on the laptop." Satisfied, she smiles.

"At least that worked out well."

She stands up again, gun firmly in hand.

"Greer, honestly, Lynn never told me anything, or gave me anything. I..."

"Steve, I don't care. Say hi to Blondie for me."

Firmly, she looks him in the eye and slowly pulls the trigger.