Partners In Crime

"Did that car crash addle your brains?" Katie hissed, barely even regretting it when Melissa flinched. "You know what will happen if I get caught with a gun again. Especially the gun belonging to the guy I'm supposed to be getting rid of. How can you ask me that?"

"Because you promised to help me protect my son," said Melissa fiercely. "I got myself into this mess with Kevin when I was young and stupid. Bobby didn't ask for any of this and deserves better. How can you look at him and refuse?"

Glaring at her sister, Katie moved to the single bed in the room, where her nephew sat toying with a loose strand of thread in the sheets. "You might not want to touch those," she warned. "This place is really gross. Failed tennis stars can't afford the high life." She sat down beside Bobby and slipped her arm around him. "Can you look at me, buddy?" The mixture of resignation and anger in Bobby's eyes stirred a tornado of emotions in Katie's gut. "Is this what you really want?"

Bobby stared at his mother, biting nervously on her thumbnail. Her eyes seemed to be begging him not to speak, so of course, he did the opposite. "I just want it all to stop," he said quietly. "Dad's temper is a ticking time bomb. Please, Aunt Katie, you have to do something!" A single tear rolled out from each eye, and that was the breaking point of Katie's hesitation.

"I've got you; I promise." With her arms tightly around Bobby's shoulders, Katie looked up at her sister. "Didn't you say Kevin has been out of town a lot lately? Where can I even find him?"

"My school," Bobby answered before his mother could speak. "It's Tree Hill Elementary's Career Day next week. The principal invited some cops to represent the job, and he'll be attending to talk about detective work."

"Right, getting a gun into your school isn't asking for trouble at all," Katie muttered sarcastically. But the pleading desperation in Bobby's eyes didn't let up, and the blonde forced herself to look at Melissa instead. "You've created a monster, sis. I love him too much to say no, but this plan is insane! And that's coming from me, who's literally shot people who pissed me off before."

"That's exactly why he believes you can do it again," said Melissa tonelessly, visibly despondent. "I don't know what to say to you anymore, Kate. I'm exhausted and just trying to stay afloat here. You either let him down again, or don't, it's all on you."

Katie sighed, but then Bobby clambered onto her knees, clinging so hard it eclipsed her reservations. "Alright," she said, half talking to herself. "I can do this. For you, I can do this. It's gonna be okay, trust me."

The following week, Clay cornered Nathan at work. Fully aware that Callie was watching them, he ushered his best friend into a meeting room and shut the door. "Listen, I just wanted to thank you for picking up the slack last week. I'm sorry I screwed up with the kid in Memphis. Did he sign with us?"

"He did," Nathan confirmed. "It's fine, man; basketball players always connect with me. Everything worked out in the end. How did it go in Raleigh? Quinn told me you got yourself sick going out in the rain. Very dramatic of you."

"She exaggerates," Clay muttered. "I was upset, but I'm fine now. That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Logan asked me if we would come by his class for Career Day tomorrow. I figured I could do that to make it up to you for having to fix my mess."

"Clay, you don't have to settle scores with me. We're partners, remember? Things always balance out in the end. I've got your back, like it or not."

"And I love you for that, buddy. But I still want to make up for screwing up last week. I've never let being sad interfere with the job before. In fact, when Sara died, it was the opposite. The agency forced me to scale back because I was so intense about working all the time. Helping people was an escape then. I guess it still feels that way sometimes. I can handle it! Let me go do the talk at school, okay?"

"Okay," Nathan agreed reluctantly. "I just wanted you to know I'm around if you ever want to talk. You don't have to run home to Raleigh every time things get hard."

"Thanks," said Clay softly. "That means a lot. But I'm good, alright? Don't let Quinn convince you otherwise. We both still have ups and downs; it's a process. I've got Career Day covered; Logan is so excited I couldn't miss it even if I wanted to. It'll be fun. What's the worst thing that can happen in a second-grade classroom? I'll take Callie; she can give some insight on the secretarial part of the job."

"You are a badass, Evans. Don't you ever forget that." Nathan offered him a fist bump and moved for the door. "I guess that leaves me free for more scouting. Have fun out there!"

"For sure, I might even find our next big star in a room full of eight-year-olds," Clay laughed. "See you later."

And so it was that Clay and Callie found themselves at Logan's school the next day. "You're giving me that look again, Callie," Clay grumbled, sensing her gaze hovering over him as they waited in front of the classroom. "I told you, I'm fine, and everything will go great. All we have to do is teach these kids the motto of our business."

"Which is?" Callie probed, tilting her head curiously.

"Character, integrity, and heart," Clay recited. "Whether agents or athletes, that's what we look for every day. The magic words."

"Sara's words, you mean." Callie placed her hand on his shoulder. "I know you have Quinn to tell you this now, but I'm proud of you for what it's worth. And I know Sara was, too." She gestured at Logan, sitting in one of the middle rows when they were granted entrance. "Just look at that kid. He hero worships you, just like Sara always knew he would. You've got this."

April 2010 – Nine Years Earlier

Clay had just finished practicing his pitch for a new client on Sara, how he always did, and fell silent, waiting for her feedback. "That was," she began slowly but lurched up from the couch and ran for the toilet. Clay ran after her and hovered nervously in the doorway until she was finished. "I'm so sorry," she said after rinsing her mouth. "That was really good, well done."

"Are you okay?" he asked. "My pitch wasn't literally nauseating, was it?"

"No," she laughed. "And you can stop looking so freaked out. I wanted to wait until it was more certain, but I have something to tell you."

"What?" he pressed urgently. Sara re-tied her ponytail and moved closer to him, kissing him deeply before answering. "Speak, you tease!"

"Well," Sara began, her smile so wide he had a hunch what was coming. "In about six months, I won't be your only cheerleader in this house anymore. I'm having your baby, Mr. Evans."

"Really?" he said in an awed voice, his hands shaking as they slipped around her waist. "Oh my God, I love you!"

"The next six months are the only time in your life you'll get away with calling me fat," she said teasingly.

"Not in a million years," he promised. "You're gorgeous from head to toe, before and after, and forever."

"When my son was little," Clay began: "he thought that sports and secret agents were the same thing. I may not be as cool as James Bond, but we call ourselves dream merchants at Fortitude Sports Company. It's our job to make your dreams happen; all you have to do is work hard to be the best, and we handle the rest." He let Callie talk about the administrative aspects of the job while he locked eyes with Logan, who was beaming proudly.

Logan's teacher led a round of applause when he was finished, but Clay only had eyes for his son's giant grin. "That was the coolest thing ever!" he cheered when they were dismissed for a break with the promise of a talk from real detectives next. "Sports agents are totally better than secret agents."

"As long as you think so, that's all that matters." Clay hugged his son tightly. "I love you, buddy."

"Are you feeling okay?" Logan frowned suspiciously. "That was kind of sappy."

"I'm not a big fan of guns," Clay muttered. Kevin and his partner had now taken to the front of the classroom and were demonstrating safe gun usage.

"Me neither," Logan agreed, glancing nervously over his shoulder. "The last time we had to talk about our families at school was when Bobby Ryan told me that Mommy was happier dead than with me. Mama Q talked to his mom about that recently. She was awesome!"

"She is awesome," Clay corrected. "Did that talk make a difference? Your pal Bobby looks more than a little tense over there."

"He's not my friend," Logan said emphatically. "Nothing major has happened since that talk, but he's a weirdo. I mean, now I know that Mommy didn't leave me on purpose, and I'm not losing you ever again. So that helps, but the fact that he even said it makes me mad. I just avoid him."

"Good!" said Clay firmly. "There's no point picking a fight with kids like that. Nothing you do can change their minds. You know who you are. That's all that matters. I'm proud of you, Wolverine."

When the detectives had finished their presentation, the class was dismissed, and the crowd dispersed. A hauntingly familiar figure blocked the door before Clay and Logan could reach the exit. In one of her short tennis skirts, Katie could have passed for one of the parents here to give a speech on pro athleticism. "Riley!" she snapped. "You're finished. Is that clear? I won't let you ever touch my family again."

"We should probably take this outside," Kevin's partner Oliver suggested tactfully. "Hostility doesn't belong in a classroom." Kevin nodded absently, but no sooner had Oliver lifted the re-packed bag of ammunition from the desk than the furious detective pulled out his gun. "Or…not?" Ollie added nervously. "Kev, seriously, chill!"

"I've had it with this bitch," Kevin snarled. "My family is my business. She has no bloody say in the matter." Katie was already reaching for her own gun, but the detective was faster.

"No!" His son's voice broke Kevin's enraged focus just as he pulled the trigger, and his bullet missed Katie and ricocheted off a standing lamp in the corner of the room. "Leave her alone!"

"I really don't think this is appropriate," the teacher objected in a dithering voice. "Let's all just put the weapons down and be calm now."

"I'll be calm when this guy is in jail!" Katie snapped. Knowing how futile her rage was only made her angrier at the dire situation. "He must be stopped, not teaching more children to be like him." Bobby ran to her side, and she clutched him protectively. "It's okay, kid. I've got your back, I promise!"

If Clay hadn't been frozen in terror watching this entire exchange from the back of the room, the teacher's pitiful excuse for crisis intervention would have been almost funny. He vaguely heard Callie squeal somewhere behind him and was about to take her hand in a gesture of comfort. But suddenly, there was a little gasp from near the door. Kevin's bullet had bounced off the lamp's metal rod and found a new target. Clay spun around just in time to see Logan crumple to the ground, one of his little hands pressed to his stomach. And just like that, his whole world came to a crashing halt.

A/N Every time I think this story can't possibly hurt any worse my mind takes it even darker, pain! xx