oOo

After Theo hit the road, Charlie used the remainder of her break to recover from the encounter. She had actually started crying when Theo hugged her and told her she was more than 'just some woman'. She had been initially afraid when she saw Theo, thinking Hans must also be somewhere nearby, even after Theo assured her he wasn't. She couldn't shake the feeling that appeared when she saw him until a few days later when she realized that she had wanted Hans to be there too. She couldn't explain it. She both wanted to see him again, and also never wanted to see him again. What Agent Hotchner had told her all those months ago rang over and over again in her head for a while.

You regret staying behind.

Once again she forced herself to buckle down and focus on her work. Perhaps a little too much though, because when she went into her next obstetrician visit for her monthly check up, she was told that her blood pressure was too high. The doctor, who was a local man who only knew her as Anne Phillips, had advised her to take it easy for the next few weeks. That was much easier said than done. She had rent and bills to pay. However when she mentioned this to Mags, who had demanded an update on any more complications after the 'Amanda Incident', she immediately found herself stationed behind the register as much as possible and only waiting tables when they were short staffed. Within a few days her back and feet started to feel better. Brittney made the occasional joke at her expense, usually claiming favoritism, but she meant it in good nature. At least that's what Charlie hoped.

Charlie was starting to waddle as she walked and she hated it, her body didn't even feel like hers anymore but it couldn't be helped. As June ended and July began the summer heat seemed to be especially brutal now. Charlie thought she could get through her pregnancy wearing sweatpants and oversized T-shirts but by July she was quickly proven wrong. She grudgingly gave up the sweats for thinner fabrics and even summer dresses. To her chagrin they seemed to accentuate her bump but at least she wasn't sweating bullets anymore. Unfortunately it also showed off the scars along her arms and legs but even though she had seen people staring, nobody was brave enough to ask yet.

On the weekend of the Fourth of July, Charlie was trying to climb the stairs to her apartment when she was overcome by lightheadedness. She had experienced it a few times before when standing too quickly but this was more intense than that. She barely made it to the third floor- her floor- and plopped down on the top stair, panting heavily and seeing spots in her vision. She sat there for several minutes, gripping the railing tightly, afraid she would pass out and slip down the stairs.

What a stupid way to die that would be. She thought. In her womb she felt movement and tried to ignore it, just as she always did. It kicked sharply at her ribs from within. If you don't like it you're welcome to get out already. She thought as she placed a hand on her stomach.

"Are you alright?" A voice broke through her fuzziness.

A jolt of panic surged through her and she flinched, sitting upright to see who had snuck up on her. On the landing between the second and third floor was a man she had never seen before. Not that she knew all of her neighbors yet, she had actually been actively avoiding them out of fear they might recognize her from the news. In one hand he was holding a brown paper bag from the grocery store down the street and in the other he was holding a half eaten apple, and he was staring up at her curiously. When she flinched he smiled slightly.

"Terribly sorry! Didn't mean to frighten you." He said. He had a slight accent. Charlie couldn't quite place it but knew he definitely wasn't from around here. For a second she thought it could even be… No. I'm just stressed and tired.

When Charlie didn't speak he asked again. "Are you alright? Should I call a doctor or something." His eyes glanced down to her bump for a split second.

"I- no… No, I'm just a bit lightheaded. It'll pass." At least she hoped. She was already feeling a bit better so maybe.

"Ah! Good." He said jovially. Then after a second where he glanced over her shoulder, and then back down the stairs that he had just climbed, he asked "Do you… require assistance?"

Charlie was about to say that she was fine but she stopped herself. She wasn't fine. She was unbearably hot, exhausted and still seeing black and yellow spots in her vision. With a resigned sigh she said "...Only all I can get right now."

The man smiled warmly. "My wife- she's right behind me-" He glanced back down the stairs again. "She'll give us a hand." He climbed the last few steps and sat down on the top stairs a few feet from her. Not too close for comfort, she noticed, but close enough that if she did pass out he was close enough to grab her.

"I-I'm sorry about this-" She started to apologize but he stopped her.

"Oh, not to worry! It's not like I have anything better to do right now." He assured her before taking another bite of his apple. "My wife and I are new to the building, just moved in yesterday actually. None of our furniture has come in yet so we've just been sight seeing… not that there's really much to see here- ah, sorry. I don't mean to insult your town."

"It's not- that is, I'm not…" Charlie started to assure him that he hadn't actually insulted her hometown but then realized she was supposed to be Anne Phillips now. But where exactly was Anne from? She had memorized a fake background months ago but at the moment she couldn't even remember what state she was in. She supposed it didn't matter anyway and just told him enough. "This isn't my hometown."

"Oh good. For a second I thought I'd stepped in it." He said, sounding relieved with a small chuckle. "Where are you from then?"

Thinking quickly Charlie decided "Virginia. Where are you and your wife from?"

"Bulgaria." He said with a smile as he dropped the apple core back in his bag.

"What brings you all the way out here?"

"It's close enough where I work without being where I work."

"Where do you-?"

"Are you interrogating me?" He asked suddenly.

Charlie swallowed nervously, feeling a bit abashed as well. "No! Sorry. I'm just curious." She said softly. "I've been here for a few months but I've only met locals."

The man laughed. "I'm just joking!"

Footsteps approached from below and a blonde woman rounded the railing on the landing. She stopped short when she saw the two people sitting above her.

"Ah! There she is!" The man held a hand out as if to introduce her. And then he did. "Katya, this is… I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"...Anne." Charlie said. "Anne Phillips."

"Anne." The man repeated, as if testing the name. He reached his outstretched hand to her now, offering it to shake. "A pleasure to meet you, Anne. My name is Simon, and this is my wife Katya."

oOo

Simon and Katya helped her to her door and even made sure she was safe inside. Turns out their apartment was directly across from hers. Simon told her to 'come and give us a knock' anytime she needed anything. Katya said nothing at all. In fact over the next weeks she never said a word. Simon told her that she was mute.

Despite not wanting to, and wanting to keep to herself, Charlie found herself reaching out to Simon and Katya for the much needed assistance. Agent Hotchner had promised that he would help her in any way he could, he even mentioned that the entire BAU would do the same. But they were miles away and very busy. The few times Charlie had tried reaching out to them- through her handler- they had been too busy to even reply. And now with Karl's upcoming trial they were too busy to even get word to.

The next time she went in for her monthly check up the obstetrician had her in a dark room doing an ultrasound to get a visual on the… thing that was inside of her. Charlie was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't hear the nurse the first time.

"I-I'm sorry? What?"

"I said, do you want to know the sex?" The nurse repeated with a smile.

Charlie glanced up at the dark screen where she could see an outline of the baby, curled into a small ball inside of her. Her baby. Our baby… "N-No."

Yes! Yes, she wanted to know. But she couldn't know. She couldn't get attached. It would only make it that much harder when the time came to give it up. "I… I want it to be a surprise." She still needed to get in touch with an adoption agency but she didn't know how. She couldn't ask the doctor or anyone local because she had accidentally created this image of a pregnant widow and giving up her baby, the remaining piece of her fictional husband would raise questions.

The nurse smiled knowingly. "Do you have a few names picked out then?"

"No." Charlie said quietly, then added "I'm hoping it'll just… come to me when I see it." She nodded at the image of the baby on the screen again.

The nurse was still smiling. "Personally I think it should be a surprise. Like the old days, you know?"

Charlie disagreed but nodded anyway. She was dying to know. She had toyed with a few names once or twice but had to stop herself when she realized that the adoptive parents would probably have their own names picked out. The baby had become more active in the last few weeks and Charlie was finding it harder to keep herself emotionally distant from the thing growing inside her. One evening she was lying in the bath- since standing for showers was becoming an issue- and she felt movement. She had felt the baby move plenty of times by now but this time, without any clothes or her work apron to cover her belly she saw a tiny little bump race across her stomach. She was so surprised that she froze when she saw it, holding her breath and quietly trying to sense the life within. After a few seconds she felt and saw it again. She had sat in that tub for hours after the water had gone cold- or room temperature at least, since her apartment didn't have an air conditioning unit- watching and feeling and crying quietly to herself. It's real.

It was real. The baby was real. Inside of her was a part of him… and a part of her too.

Even now as she watched a live image of the infant, fidgeting and stretching, and feeling the corresponding movements as it did, Charlie felt like crying again. She could hear the electronic whooshing that represented the heartbeat on the machine. It already was getting harder for her to stay emotionally detached. More than anything in these last few weeks, Charlie missed her own mother. She wondered if her mom could have given her any personal advice. She wondered what her parents might think of her now, the situation she was in; Pregnant by a world class criminal. She doubted pride would be among their feelings.

Seeing Charlie fighting tears the nurse handed her a tissue which Charlie gratefully took. "I heard about your husband." She said gently.

Charlie froze for a second, then just asked "How?" This had been a common occurrence lately. People randomly offering their condolences on her loss.

"Small town, sweetie. Everybody knows everybody's business."

Charlie tried not to let her anger show on her face. She decided she'd be talking a lot less with the locals from now on. "I see."

"Not much goes on here so when new folks move in we get a little curious."

"Maybe too curious." Charlie muttered a little too loudly.

The nurse only laughed as she finished scanning and grabbed a few paper towels for Charlie to clean the lube off of her stomach. "Maybe." She agreed. "But you'll be old news soon enough, or at least til that baby gets here. Right now everyone's gabbin' about that new married couple."

It took Charlie a second to realize who she meant. "Simon and Katya?"

"Is that their names?" the nurse asked, suddenly very curious.

"I thought everyone was talking about them?"

"We are, but they haven't talked to anyone much so nobody really knows them."

"Oh, well… yeah. Simon and his wife Katya." Charlie repeated. "He said he works in a nearby town but didn't want to live there. Just close enough to make the commute."

"Where's he work?"

"I… don't know, actually."

"Well where's he drivin' to?"

"I don't know that either." Charlie admitted. "I just met them once." She lied, then added a truth to make it sound real. Just as Hans had once told her. "I got lightheaded climbing the stairs and they found me nearly passed out and helped me home."

"Aw. They sound like good folks then." the nurse said as she finished putting her equipment away. "I'll make a note of that lightheadedness for the doctor. Well, anyhow. The front desk will set your next appointment for you. Keep your activities to a minimum the next few weeks so you don't overtax yourself. You're nearly there now!"

Nearly there. Charlie repeated in her head and took a deep breath to steady her nerves.

oOo

Toward the middle of July, Charlie had begun experiencing an unpleasant situation. A heightened sense of arousal that would hit her at the most inopportune times. The first time it happened was as equally surprising as it was annoying. A regular customer came in one evening and something about the way he had trimmed his beard put inappropriate thoughts in her head. Next thing she knew she was trying- and failing- to flirt with the man. He politely brushed off her advances and she was left with only the spare change in tip as he had left as quickly as possible. She was beyond embarrassed with herself and soon also found herself distracted easily and began making mistakes at work again. Forgetting orders, dropping plates, ringing up tabs incorrectly, one time she brought the wrong tab to a table and the final straw was the third time she accidentally short changed a customer. As understanding as she had been the last few months, Mags had to mitigate the damage somehow, and she cut Charlie's hours back. Assuring her that it was only temporary and that Charlie would be welcome back full time after the baby was born.

At first Charlie was upset because she felt even more like a failure than ever before. But then she realized it gave her much needed time to sleep and rest. Unfortunately the loss of hours meant a loss of income and between rent, groceries and utilities, a hard decision was made. She had to cut down on food so that she only bought the absolute necessities. Nagging cravings had to be ignored.

One afternoon when she was climbing the stairs and hit with another dizzy spell, Simon once again found her sitting on the stop stair to the third floor.

"Lightheaded again?"

Charlie didn't even lift her head from where she was leaning against the railing this time, just groaned in response. She heard Simon move her paper bag of groceries aside to take a seat next to her.

"Beans and rice?" He asked as he noted the contents of the bag. "Is this a pregnancy craving?"

"It's all I can afford right now." Charlie admitted quietly. "I can't work because of my pregnancy- I'm supposed to be on bedrest! But I-I have bills!"

"Hey, hey!" Simon said gently and threw an arm around her shoulders, startling Charlie for a second. But in her vulnerable moment she allowed herself to relax, or maybe she just couldn't muster the fear anymore. She leaned into his embrace and sighed. "There, there. It will be alright soon enough. You'll see." He assured her.

From this position, and with her heightened sense of smell from the pregnancy, Charlie caught a whiff of a somewhat familiar scent. She couldn't place it but it was rich and cloying… and it went straight to her core. Oh, no. Not now! She thought fearfully as she suddenly found herself feeling very horny. And certainly not with a married man! She immediately tried standing up, she needed to get away from him before she made a fool of herself. Simon helped her up and then handed her the grocery bag from the floor.

"I n-need to go… lie down." She said as they walked down the hallway.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

She nodded but didn't meet his eyes. Already starting to blush. "Yes, I just need to rest and eat." She assured him.

"Speaking of food, Katya and I are having some friends over for dinner. Why don't you join us? I was going to stop by and invite you anyway and… It'll be far better than this," he gestured to her bag again. "I promise."

"...I don't know-"

"I won't take no for an answer!" Simon insisted.

"I don't have anything to wear."

Simon gestured to himself, wearing a plain white shirt and blue jeans. "You think I will be wearing a tuxedo?" He grinned, then before she could offer another excuse he added "It just won't do for us to be having a party with good food and good people while our good friend and neighbor sits alone across the hall eating beans and rice for two."

Charlie couldn't help the genuine smile that spread across her face. "Alright." She relented.

"Alright?"

"Alright." She repeated.

"Alright!" He said, a little too loudly. They had reached their respective doors in the hallway. "We're expecting them in about an hour or so. Why don't you go put your stuff up, do whatever you need and come on over when you're ready?"

Charlie took the time to put her things away, shower and get a clean dress to wear. She didn't have anything to bring to the dinner but figured Simon would understand. Once she was dried, dressed and had managed to get her hormones somewhat under control, Charlie walked across the hall and knocked on the door. Katya answered.

"Hi!" Charlie greeted in what she hoped sounded like a cheerful tone.

For a second Katya stared at her in a way that felt somewhat cold or indifferent, but then she smiled and stepped aside, ushering Charlie in with one hand. She didn't know exactly how Katya and Simon communicated, having never seen them using any kind of sign language, but she knew the other woman wasn't deaf. "Thank you." Charlie said as she slipped past her. Her ever growing belly accidentally bumping the blonde woman as she passed. Nearly there. Charlie reminded herself as she apologized to Katya.

Their apartment looked almost exactly like hers only the layout was inverted. There were already several people inside and before Charlie could really begin to take notice of them, Simon appeared. "Charlie! Glad you could make it. Let's get you a plate and we'll worry about introductions later."

He helped her put together a plate of some things she didn't recognize but smelled delicious, and then sat her at a long folding table between some strangers. The food was good, and Charlie was too busy listening to the conversations around her and enjoying the food to notice that nobody was actually talking to her. Not that she minded but later she would look back and notice it was odd behavior. Nobody asked who she was or how she knew Simon and Katya. They weren't even talking about anything really, just weather, sports and even a bit of politics. All things Charlie couldn't care less to hear about. She noticed a few European accents but wasn't paying close enough attention to really place them. Katya disappeared for a while and returned shortly before everyone started to leave.

Charlie stood carefully and made her way to the door where Simon was seeing out the last of his guests. When he saw her approaching he grinned and said "Leaving already? I hope you got enough to eat."

"I couldn't eat another bite if I tried." She assured him. "Thank you again, for inviting me."

"Of course! Let me walk you home. Wouldn't want you to get lost."

Charlie couldn't help the small snort that escaped in response to that. "You're too kind. I don't know what I would do without you and Katya. You've been so supportive of me these last few weeks when I have no one else, I don't know how I can ever repay you."

Simon opened her door for her and ushered her into her apartment. "Think nothing of it! After all, that is what family is for."

She was so caught off guard and confused by this comment that she didn't notice the other people already in her own apartment until it was too late. "...Family-?"

"Ah, I understand you've met my brother already." He held out a hand to a corner of the small area that served as her living room. Her gaze followed his hand to see someone sitting at her table that was barely big enough for two people.

A hand clamped over her mouth- Simon's- muffling her scream. "None of that please." He said as he wrapped his other arm around her torso, pinning her against his chest and using his much larger frame to keep her in place as she tried to struggle and run. "If any of our neighbors hear you, well… we will have to kill them."

The last thing she remembered before another wave of lightheadedness completely overtook her this time, was seeing Hans Gruber looking completely out of place in her tiny apartment. She felt all of the blood rushing from her face and ice in her veins. There was a ringing in her ears that got louder and louder as bright spots filled her vision, and then…

Someone was speaking. She vaguely recognized Simon's voice. "...this isn't the first time this has happened, just the first time she's actually lost consciousness. At least I think it is."

"Is she sick?" Replied a voice she hadn't heard in months except in her dreams.

"I am not a doctor." Simon replied and she could practically hear him shrugging. His accent seemed to be thicker now. Definitely German. Oh, I am an idiot.

Taking a deep breath, Charlie opened her eyes to see both men above her. Hans was kneeling over her actually looking worried, and Simon was standing behind him, a look of polite curiosity on his face. Immediately she tried to get up, to run to the door, but as if anticipating this response Hans grabbed her by both arms and pinned her to the floor.

"Don't move!" He snapped, leaning over her and using his weight to keep her still. "You've just fainted and if you don't take it easy it will only happen again."

Charlie blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Wh-What are you doing here?" then, as if the memories of the last few minutes were catching up to her, she looked at Simon and added "Your brother?"

"Calm down." Hans said slowly, then to Simon "Get her some water."

"I don't want water- let me up!" She snapped when Hans tried to keep her on the floor. He allowed her to sit up but nothing else. In fact he had to help her sit up since her torso was getting too heavy and her belly too big to even do a sit up anymore. She scooted herself away from him but only toward the counter so she could lean back against something. After a moment to show them that she was being calm and wasn't going to try to run, she asked again "Why are you here? What do you want?"

Hans was still kneeling on the floor where she had been lying. He smiled slightly and glanced down to her belly. "Checking up on you. I heard an interesting rumor and had to see it for myself."

She suddenly felt sick- morning sickness hadn't plagued her in many weeks now- and even within her the baby seemed to notice something was wrong, it kicked or punched outward, perhaps stretching. Slowly her shaking hand came to rest on her bump, as if she could hide it from him. Instead it seemed to draw his attention to her belly and his smile seemed to deepen on his face.

"How did… Theo told you." She said softly with a grimace.

"Theo thought I had the right to know."

"The- The right to know?!" Charlie snarled. "You did this to me!"

"Which is why he thought I should know." He replied nonchalantly.

"Fuck you!"

"That is precisely what got you into this situation."

Somewhere out of her field of vision she heard people snickering.

"What do you want?" She asked again, feeling like she was on the verge of tears and yet… strangely she wasn't afraid. Confused, angry, and even slightly embarrassed for fainting in front of them, and also for being seen by Hans while pregnant with his baby. But she wasn't afraid. "You're going to kill me?"

Now Hans looked confused. "No… I'm not going to kill you. Is that what you think?"

"You gave me every reason to think that. Or did you forget?"

One of his eyebrows arched and Charlie hated that she immediately felt herself blush in response. She had forgotten how handsome he was. "I remember that we made an alibi for you. So I find myself wondering why you are in the FBI's witness protection program?"

"Th-They brought in behavior experts… to interrogate me."

He seemed a bit disturbed by that news, even glancing behind him at Simon to gauge his reaction as well.

Simon ignored Hans and asked "What did you tell them?"

"I stuck with the story we came up with." Charlie insisted. Then to Hans, she said "They just wanted to know about you."

He smirked again at that. "Naturally."

"They kept asking me how you were acting throughout the night. What your responses to things were."

"They were building a profile." Simon concluded. "They wanted to know how you think, what drives you."

"They think they can predict my behavior?" Hans snorted.

"They predicted that you'd try to come back for me." Charlie snapped and Hans stopped smirking. "That's why they changed my name and made me go into hiding."

"What else did they predict?" Simon asked.

"I-I don't actually know. I only overheard that part-"

"Out with it!" Hans snapped, his demeanor suddenly more like the criminal who had taken a whole building hostage.

"Really! I don't kn-know! They were more concerned with get-getting enough testimony to conv-vict K-Karl- who is alive, by the way."

"Yes, we know." Hans waved a hand in irritation.

"It's so cute when she stutters." Simon murmured with a condescending smirk.

Hans stood up finally, turned his back to her and began talking to Simon quietly in German.

Charlie still didn't know any German, and in this moment regretted not using any of the last few months to try. She doubted she would be able to understand much of what they were saying though. She only watched in confusion as they spoke, argued and possibly agreed judging by their body language.

"We do not alter the plan." Simon said in English after a few minutes, shaking his head. Maybe it was the way he said it, maybe it was just the words themselves, but when Charlie heard those words she was suddenly back in the Nakatomi building again. Hans was saying that to Karl.

"We do not alter the plan."

"And if he alters it?"

Not again! She thought angrily as a panic attack began slowly creeping up her spine. Please, not now!

Hans and Simon were still arguing quietly about something, whatever it was she didn't want to find out, but neither one noticed the change in her demeanor. Instead it was Katya, who Charlie hadn't even seen until she walked over to crouch next to her, holding out a glass of water.

"I-I d-don't want it." Charlie shook her head. Her breathing was already beginning to hitch as she gasped. Katya only held out the glass even closer to her.

"Please…" Charlie shook her head. She wasn't even sure what she was trying to ask the other woman.

Katya grabbed one of her hands and put the glass in it, then guided it up to her lips. Charlie took a few sips and the cool liquid felt good on her throat. She didn't realize how thirsty she was until right then but she didn't trust herself not to get strangled on it while panicking. Katya stood and made eye contact with Simon who finally realized that something was wrong with Charlie.

"What is this? What are you doing?" He asked, interrupting whatever Hans was saying to him. Now everyone was watching Charlie and she felt even more embarrassed and it did not help her to calm down. She sat the half empty glass beside her on the floor and tried to sit more upright against the counter. The position was beginning to hurt her back and tailbone. As if sensing her distress, the baby moved.

"Looks like a panic attack." One of the voices came from somewhere in the room.

"Really?" Hans asked in a way that sounded more annoyed than curious. "Of all the inopportune times-"

"Can-can you please sh-shut up?" Charlie managed to snap at Hans with a glare, then adding "Asshole!" for good measure.

Simon grinned at this and gave a hearty laugh. "Yes! I see why you like her!"

Hans rolled his eyes. "Not now, you're going to get her excited and then she'll probably faint again." Then he muttered to himself, but still loud enough to be heard "Just what we need…"

"These things pass in a few minutes or so. Just leave her alone." The voice advised.

In the time it took her to calm down again, Simon and Hans continued their discussion as if she wasn't even there. Occasionally one or two of the other people out of Charlie's field of vision would interject into their conversation but that was it. Finally some sort of agreement was made, if their body language and tone of voice was anything to go on.

Hans turned to her and asked "Tell me the truth. The FBI, do they check up on you?"

"N-Not really. There is this guy- my handler- he just calls me every week or so to check up on me."

"When did he last contact you?"

"A few days ago? It's probably about time-" a thought occurred to her just then and she added quickly "He'll know if I go missing."

Hans smiled knowingly at this. "I'm sure the FBI is more concerned with other things at the moment, what with the trial of the century coming up in a few days."

Karl. Charlie realized. And then, pieces began fitting themselves together in her mind like a puzzle coming together, drawing her to an idea. A picture began to form, an understanding dawned and she felt dumb for not realizing it sooner. They knew Karl was alive. "You're here to break out Karl." She said with a sigh. That was this plan they were talking about.

There was a short moment of silence, and then Simon grinned and said "Oh-ho! She is a smart one."

oOo

A.N.: We're getting to the finish line soon. I'm kind of kicking myself about this next coming chapter though because it's just getting so long! Hands down, longest one yet. Should I find somewhere to split it or do you all just want a really long chapter?