Six Years Ago

"VIV!"

The scream tore out of her, the most emotion she'd shown in eight months, though not all that she had felt. Tess had been in a constant state of turmoil, grief and rage swirling around inside her like she was a broken ice cream machine at McDonalds, so backed up with it all it was a wonder she didn't explode. And when she saw the AK-47 pointed at her best friend, the woman she'd called a meddling cunt just this morning when she'd caught her staring at a photo of Jay and made a snarky comment about being able to let go of everyone but the person who actually deserved it…

She erupted.

Michael didn't like that she'd taken to carrying her miniature grenades on her at all times, made easier because she'd been able to make them even smaller, but he couldn't deny they came in handy. He just didn't like that she used them more often than she needed to, and that she used more when less would get the job done but at least he'd stopped the lectures and had moved onto disapproving looks. The old her would have grinned at him when she took them out, even as she felt that twinge of remorse for being the cause of his disappointment but these days there was no space for teasing in her heart, or mirth or joy, anything but patience, anger and sorrow really so she didn't bother to look at him as she whipped two across the shipping yard. It wasn't like there were civilians around, just an arms dealer and his minions- and the other one. The dark skinned man who side tackled Vivienne out of that spray of bullets just in the nick of time, an action that made her tremble with relief, then with something else entirely as she realized who he was.

Dean.

Dean Campell, the British-Jamaican mercenary Viv had met while still in the air force.

While he'd been in the British air force, before he'd been discharged and decided he was going to use his skills to fight for himself.

They'd met a few times, and she'd always liked him, he was a massive flirt, which he claimed was genetic since his grandfather had swept his grandmother off her feet when he'd immigrated in the 50's. It was hard not to like a guy who spoke so sweetly of the grandparents who'd raised him, especially after his parents had died in an accident similar to hers, though while he'd been much younger. And when he'd also lost his grandparents young.

And, if she was honest, when he spoke in that accent.

The way he looked at her was another thing, a thing she didn't like, didn't want to, but since the explosions had scared off their targets she had no choice but to meet his stare when he and Viv got to their feet.

"Nice trick Resa."

She definitely did not like his nickname for her.

She let the others do the talking as the merc was forced to explain he was working with the arms dealer to get the same hard drive of information they were after, with plans to take what he wanted and delete what his fair weather friends needed. Pretending that either it had never been there in the first place or had been destroyed in some subsequent event. Dean was good at working on his feet. Their team didn't trust him, he wasn't a bad person as his rescue of her best friend showed but he'd also once left her stranded in a brothel in Vienna so he could make off with the blood diamonds she'd been meant to retrieve so they were hesitant to work with him. It wasn't going to stop them from doing so, it just meant they were just going to be keeping a close eye on him.

And hopefully he'd be keeping his off her.

He was arrogant. And stubborn. And the biggest flirt she had ever known. He flouted every societal rule, every person and symbol of authority. Dean Campbell did what he wanted, when he wanted, where he wanted, how he wanted and he didn't let anyone or anything stand in his way. And he did it simply because he wanted to. Because he had wants.

And Tess envied him for that.

For his freedom.

For the fact that all the restraints placed upon her were entirely self-imposed but she was going to keep them anyway.

So she was going to let him steal from them.

They'd finally gotten the hard drive last night, late last night and since the sun was just coming up if he was going to make his move it would have to be now. She'd already copied everything onto another device and taken any information she didn't think he should have, and added a program to let her know just what he took and what he did with the rest. And would make sure to find out what he did with it once he left. And if he chose to sell information on bad people to other bad people… That was something she had decided she didn't have a problem with. So when she got the alert he was doing what she'd figured he would she watched on her phone as he took his desired data. And left the rest for them.

No, not a bad person.

Just his own.

An admiration she couldn't deny drove her out of her bed onto the roof where she watched as he slipped out a window, smart because Nysa had quietly rigged all the doors, and meandered down the block, whistling a tune she didn't recognize but wanted to find out as he went. Before he suddenly stopped halfway and turned to meet her stare. It felt like eternity that they stared at each other but she knew it was only seconds, a minute at most but it was long enough for him to realize what she'd done. What she was doing. And she knew then that if she wanted to she could follow him. It was so clear, an entire future laid out in front of her, beautiful, bright and alive. If the step he took towards her was any indication he saw it too and for a moment she really thought she was going to do it. Even as Tess knew in her core that it wasn't the path for her, that it wasn't the end she was still hoping she'd one day find she wanted to take it. But instead she took a slow step back, something blooming in her chest when Dean inclined his head. A promise that they would see each other again and as he turned back around and walked into the sunrise she realized what she was feeling.

Hope.