~~ Then You Fall… ~~

"You're quiet," Larabee glanced at Kate as they entered the city limits and pulled up to a red light.

The drive in had been nice. Subdued contemplation was definitely called for after their romp in the shower that morning. Lansky had been aggressive as they got out of bed, yet, afterwards, Chris was left with the feeling that somehow, she'd been holding back, but on what level, he wasn't sure.

"Just watching the scenery," she answered casually as they pulled away from the stop.

The man frowned…

A few minutes passed before he spoke again. He'd wanted to ask, and now seemed the perfect time. "What did you mean…? When you said, I had no idea?"

None too subtle in her answer, Lansky pretended not to know what he was talking about. She scowled as she glanced at him, "What do you mean?"

Chris studied her carefully as she turned away again. He was a damn good ATF agent and investigator. He'd questioned the best of the best when it came to deception, or so he thought. This woman… the woman he loved… was confusing the hell out of him.

He'd always thought Lansky had spoken the truth when they discussed things… everything… but the last few weeks had led him to believe otherwise. He'd learned to question Kate and, to a degree, that made him uncomfortable. Yet, the more he pushed, the more he was willing to, and even more, he wanted the truth, no matter the cost.

Was it the emotional involvement that made him so confused? Well, if there was one thing he'd learned in the past few days, it was to keep pushing, even when she seemed nonchalant about things. "I know a threat when I hear one, Kate, and you adding your 'you have no idea' on top of it… Exactly what did you mean?" he asked a little more forcefully this time.

The turn of her head was so casual, the gentle smile spoke of a 'not a care in the world' attitude. "Oh come on now, Chris… I was joking. Geez, I would've thought you knew me better by now."

The man in black met her eyes as he pulled up to the next light. "So would I," he said in a low dark tone.

The frowned was sharp. "Just what the hell is that suppose to mean?"

Keeping his focus on the road as they started again, Larabee took a deep purposeful breath. One thing he had learned was that Kate's language deteriorated rapidly when she was on edge. "Just what I said," he replied. "See, that's the difference between you and me. I always mean exactly what I say… Somehow, I get the feeling you've been hiding from me from the very beginning."

The statement was truer than Larabee knew, but there was no way Lansky would ever admit it. "Hiding?" she turned around fully in the seat to face him. "That's funny, Chris… You know more about me than anyone alive."

In his mind, the blond was keeping close track of the exact words she was using. She had left him a lot to think about on Friday and he'd spent the weekend thinking about her remarks… and his.

It had become clear that Lansky was very good at concealing information. Maybe even better than Standish, but Larabee was no longer in the mood to care. He hated it when people weren't up-front with him, as Ezra well knew. "No matter how hard you try, Kate," he said calmly, "you're not pushing me away."

Concealing her annoyance behind the huffed laughter, Kate sneered. "You are so conceited, you now that?" the woman turned back to look out the window. "I'm with you because I like you, nothing more."

Chris wasn't buying her uncaring answer this time. "That's it," he nodded, "you keep on trying to hide all your feelings and all your secrets, whatever they may be. Maybe if I ignore all the bravado and innuendoes long enough, you'll finally really talk to me."

Folding her arms across her chest, Kate snickered again. "Don't hold your breath," she forced a curt smile as she glanced at him.

"That advice goes both ways," the blond shot back.

Seeing her turn towards the window again, Chris mentally chalked a point for himself on his 'scoreboard'. He'd lost once, and he was more determined than ever not to lose another woman that he loved.

Ten minutes later, they cleared security in the underground parking garage and stopped in Larabee's assigned spot. Not waiting for him, Kate slammed the truck door and headed for the elevator.

Catching up to her before the door closed, the blond smiled sweetly at the unimpressed look on her face.

The design of this and all Federal Buildings had the lower level elevators stopping on the ground floor. Everyone was required to have their identification scanned, declare their weapons and clear the metal detectors before entering the main office areas. It was a routine that everyone knew and hardly even noticed anymore, but as Chris deposited his badge, gun, and keys in the tray, he caught himself frowning.

Collecting his property on the other side of the security arch, he turned to see a satisfied look on Lansky's face as her ID card scanned through security and she happily followed him. Watching the green light on the metal detector, Larabee focused his attention on the security guard that collected Kate's backpack and ran it through the X-ray machine.

"Is something wrong, Agent Larabee?" the young guard asked as she picked up Lansky's bag and turned to see the man in black frowning as he studied her monitor.

Snapping himself out of the momentary daze, Chris smiled politely. "No," he answered as he shook his head, "just never paid much attention before."

Unable to find an appropriate response to the reply, the young woman just smiled as she handed back the pack and wished them both a 'good day'.

Riding the elevator to the Seventh floor, Larabee looked at Kate questioningly. "No keys today?" he suddenly asked his companion.

"What?" the blonde frowned.

Pointing to her backpack, Chris started adding things up. "No keys in there," he remembered the monitor of the x-rayed bag. "You put your key pouch on this morning, but you didn't set off the metal detector as you went through."

Listening to Larabee's pointed questions, Kate instantly became incensed. She scowled as she shuffled and twisted, covertly concealing her movements. "What is this, twenty questions? Since when do you care if I have my keys or not?"

Running his hand across his eyes, the man in black tracked the digits across his scalp as he tried to add things up in mind. "I've never seen you without that pouch," he countered thoughtfully.

Cocking her head to one side, Lansky raised an eyebrow and smiled casually. "See, I knew you never look at me when we have sex."

Sneering playfully, Chris swallowed a little. Apprehensively, he pushed on, "Answer my question, Kate."

The disgruntled look was harsh. "What question? Where are my keys?" she put down her pack angrily and reached around behind her. Making every obvious movement she possibly could, the woman fumbled for a second and then produced a small ring with two keys on it. "There, are you satisfied… one for my apartment, and one for my car. Jesus, Chris… you know I hate carrying shit around in my pockets and I wouldn't be caught dead with a purse."

For a moment, the agent was about to concede the point and apologize, but he suddenly realized that she'd avoided the obvious query. "You're good," he stated so matter-of-factly it stung. "You almost had me, but… that still doesn't answer my damn question! How did you get the keys through security?"

As the elevator door opened on their floor, Lansky picked up her backpack and glared at the man. "I think you need to take your suspicions to Travis, Chris. I'm sure he'll find them as fascinating and annoying as I do…." Stepping out of the car, she turned as the man followed her. "For whatever it’s worth… the keys went through in a tray, same as they always do… but I'll be damned if I'm going to stand here and be accused of smuggling me 'oh-so-dangerous' key ring into this building." Slinging her satchel over one shoulder, Kate shot Larabee a smug glare for good measure as she left.

Growing increasingly frustrated, Larabee stood in the hallway and watched Kate as she entered the bullpen. 'That was really dumb' he chastised silently. He'd let his suspicions get the better of him without thinking things through. Lansky was smart, and although he hadn't seen her remove her keys downstairs, there was the very real possibility that he had missed her taking them out.

'And replace them?' the question popped into his head instantly.

Almost growling at the way his mind was thinking lately, the blond shook his head angrily. Lansky's curt defensive language told him he was on to something yet, she was right. Her keys certainly weren't considered a dangerous weapon.

Resigned to the fact that he'd get no answers stumbling around in the dark, Larabee tried to set aside his personal problems and concentrate on work.

Clearing his thoughts as he entered the bullpen, he sighed as he remembered the missing Prichard report. The DA was hounding Travis for a consolidated summary and, along with Mason and Tierney, Chris was supposed to prepare a brief for Orin to present on Friday. Feeling his displeasure mounting again, the man in black glanced skyward and huffed loudly. The AD's new secretary wasn't providing him any answers as to when the document would be ready and actually seemed to be putting up roadblocks just to piss him off.

As Kate had so clearly pointed out at yesterday's meeting, the psyche evaluations that they were now being subjected to, were, mostly likely, Delaney's idea of 'payback' for Team Seven's involvement in bringing her to Denver. One would think she'd be grateful for the new job, but…

Thinking over the apparent dilemma between Ezra and Adrian, Larabee huffed. 'Alright', he mused, 'so, maybe things haven't gone as planned, but that's no reason to…'

Realizing he was trying to justify an improbable chain of events, Chris growled as he entered his office. There were two women he needed to get control of today and he was hoping things would turn in his favor.

For all intents and purposes, Nathan and Josiah looked to be working. Their desks facing each other in their shared office, they were apparently both going over reports and preparing notes. Suddenly, the older man casually tossed his papers aside and sat back in his chair with a huff.

Looking at his friend curiously, the medic sighed, "Okay, what's eating you?"

His eyes looking out around the bullpen, Sanchez finally refocused on the other man. "You get the feeling something just isn't right, Nathan?"

Jackson could only smile as his chin dipped. Looking back at Josiah, he too, deposited his work on the desk and leaned back in his chair. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

Looking at the smirk reflecting back at him, the profiler matched the toothy expression. "You noticed, too, huh?"

Nathan turned in his swivel chair to look out at the bullpen. "Kind 'a hard not to," he teased as Sanchez matched his pose. "Ezra's still all riled up about Adrian movin' out on him. Buck's over there pacin' 'cause JD's in doin' his psyche eval. Vin ain't talkin’ ta no one about what's eatin' him, and every time Chris sends another uppity message to AD Travis about that missin' Prichard report… Well, Kate does try to run interference."

Josiah considered the long list that Jackson had just rattled off. "You, eh… You think Kate regrets being info'd on all his outgoing correspondence?"

The medic cocked his head. "About now, I think Kate regrets ever takin’ this job."

Josiah frowned, turning to look directly at his friend. "More than we know, Nathan… more than we know."

Raising a hand to give his lips in a tight squeeze, the younger man scowled, eventually relaxing his grip and returning his hand to folded arms. "Why is it… I think you know more than you're sayin'?"

The profiler smirked. "Wish I did, my friend," he straightened in his chair. "I've been watching, and waiting… but, well… let's just say I'm more determined than ever to get everyone over to my place Saturday."

Jackson nodded. "So you do have ulterior motives."

"Nope," Josiah denied emphatically as he returned to his desk. "My yard needs a good seeing to. When that tree came down in the spring, it took out part of the fence… didn't miss the house by much either." Watching the younger man turn to his workspace as well, the profiler continued. "Today's a perfect example, Nathan. Sun's shining now, but by three they’re predicting a storm will roll in. I want that other old oak on the ground long before the winter storms really hit. Getting the blackberry bushes under control would be good, too."

After careful consideration of his friend's words, the medic licked at his bottom lip. "Sounds like valid excuses to me."

Sanchez frowned and cocked his head yet, as the two men held each other's stare, they both began to smile. "I thought so," the big man chuckled, picking up his report and returning to work once more.

Larabee came out of his office, Wilmington at his side.

"Sure, Stud," the surveillance man was saying as he clapped his boss on the shoulder. "I need somethin' to distract me till JD gets back. Don't you worry none, ol' Buck's on the case."

"Appreciate it, Buck," Chris plastered a quick smile on his face as his oldest friend headed for the main doors.

Spying the blond through narrowed suspicious eyes, Lansky sighed. "What are you up to, Chris?"

The smirk on Larabee's face grew as he turned slowly to raise his eyebrows at his assistant. "When you're ready to answer that question, Kate," he shot her a smug glare. "I will be, too." Not waiting for any reply, Chris headed back to his office and promptly closed the door.

Disgusted with the man's response, Lansky pursed her lips and turned back to her computer console. She was readying to resume work when a low voice spoke from behind her.

"He's wisin’ up to ya, Kate."

Instantly guarded against the threatening undertones of the message, Lansky's chin dipped but the woman refused to turn around and face her aggressor. "Best you both back off then, I reckon," she answered in her own insistent tone. "Take my word for it, Vin… knowing me, ain't worth your lives."

As he watched the blonde casually return to the inter-office memorandum she was preparing, Tanner tensed slightly, his ingrained warning system alerting him yet again, to danger unseen.

Vin's instincts were rarely wrong. Born to him as a survival mechanism when he took to the streets as a child, the sharpshooter's intuition had only grown stronger during his time with the tribes who took him in. He'd used those skills wisely in the Army Rangers, honing them to perfection and utilizing those 'gut' feelings to capture many a bounty after he was discharged and then again, after joining the US Marshals.

Now, at that moment, the Texan had the strangest feeling he was taunting a caged beast… a creature that might escape without warning, putting an end to all that he knew…

"Might I inquire as to your mood, Mr. Tanner?" Standish sat at his desk, fingers locked on the surface in quiet contemplation.

The sharpshooter had returned to their office more than fifteen minutes earlier. Silently sliding into his chair, Vin's eyes had been locked hard on Larabee's closed door ever since.

Ezra knew he'd missed a lot of the office interaction over the passed several weeks. Resulting from Delaney's departure from his abode, his own distraction had clouded his thoughts and the undercover agent was beginning to suspect that he'd missed more than was acceptable.

Tanner was always quiet… unassuming and confident in his own right. Yet, the southerner had spent a lot of time studying his office mate and considered their friendship a unique gift. To Ezra, Vin was the rock that steadied him when he was unsure… a sounding board, as it were.

Of course, neither man would openly admit the bond they felt. Both, however, suspected that others knew how close they really were.

"How do ya hide it all inside when ya go undercover, Ezra?" Only Tanner's head turned as he posed the question to one of the few men he trusted implicitly.

Frowning at the query, Standish was about to request clarification when Wilmington's entrance to the bullpen drew his attention. The rogue was muttering and complaining and the mention of Delaney had Ezra more than curious.

"Last time I do you a favor, Chris," Buck grumbled as he pushed his way into their boss's office.

Larabee's curt reply had Vin and Ezra grinning at one another as they got to their feet and took up comfortable positions in the main work area. The occasional 'show' the two old friends put on was always worth a moment of the team's time.

"Now don't you go actin' like you don't know what the heck I'm talkin' about, Stud."

"Well, as a matter of fact, I don't." The man in black emerged from his office to deposit papers on Kate's desk. "Why don't you explain it to me, Buck? That way we'll all know what's got you riled up."

"Riled?" Wilmington questioned indignantly. "Well, hell… bein' set up by a man's best friend can do that to a fella, ya know?"

"Set up?" Chris narrowed his eyes to glare. "What are you talking about, Buck? I just asked you to do a little checking."

By now, several of the office workers had conveniently left Team Seven's workspace for parts unknown. Vin and Ezra were trying to look inattentive, and Josiah stood at his office door, hands placed firmly on his hips.

"Checkin'… on a certain report?" Nathan queried quietly from behind the profiler. They all knew how badly Chris had been after the Prichard report and the medic came to an obvious conclusion. "Sounds like a set up to me," he snickered.

Sanchez rolled his eyes and returned quickly to his desk, the door closing smartly behind him.

Gazing up at the two men strutting above her workspace, Lansky pursed her lips. "You sent him upstairs to do your dirty work?" her practiced disapproving look was aimed directly at Larabee.

A finger moved to point in the woman's direction. "You stay out of this," Chris replied without looking at his assistant.

"See, they all know I was set up," Wilmington took his cue from Kate's supportive query.

"Funny… you went anyway!"

Both men turned to glare at Lansky.

"Please tell me you didn't try to hit on Miss Delaney, Buck."

Off to one side, Ezra's ears perked up awaiting the rogue's response and the sudden attentiveness didn't escape the sharpshooter's attention.

Chris folded his arms across his chest and waited for the ladies' man to answer Lansky's question.

The men exchanged innocent quizzical glances before the tall agent finally shrugged. "What?" he complained. "I wasn't hittin' on her… I was just… just bein' my, charmin', handsome self is all."

Lansky rolled her eyes as the rogue shot her his infamous smile. Looking from Buck to Chris, she sat up smartly at her desk and sighed. "I don't believe either of you." She continued as the men glanced at each other. "First, you hound Adrian constantly about that damn report," she directed her scorn at Larabee. "Then," she waved a hand at Wilmington. "Then, you continue batting a thousand by sending Mr. Smooth here, up to try and sweet talk the document into your hands."

Standing, Kate shook her head at the two men. "When are you going to learn, Chris? These things don't just appear out of thin air. A report that comprehensive takes time. Especially for someone new to the job."

"Delaney is stalling," Larabee started to reply before the rogue set his hand in the middle of the man's chest.

"I forgot, Chris. She said to give you a message."

Lansky rolled her eyes again as the man in black demanded to hear what Adrian had said.

"Well," Wilmington cleared his throat. "Near as I can recall…." He paused, frowning when Chris glared. "She weren't exactly polite, ya know."

"Spit it out, Buck!"

Swallowing hard, the ladies' man seemed to think for a moment before continuing. "Ain't word for word now, but I reckon she said you'd get the report when it was ready, and… if that was a problem… well, then you could just take it up with her… personally."

Kate cocked her head. "Well, that wasn't exactly rude, Buck," she suggested.

Wilmington forced a smile to his lips. "There was one last little bit."

A heavy sigh signaled Lansky's defeat. She'd tried everything she knew of to keep Larabee off Delaney's back while the brunette tried to get the hang of her new job. However, losing your cool around the Federal Building wasn't exactly a smart thing to do. If Adrian needed to learn that lesson the hard way, then Kate was all but powerless to stop the onslaught that often went by the name of Larabee. "Spit it out," she echoed the blond's words from moments ago.

Once more, Buck cleared his throat. "Well… the last thing she said was that she didn't like being hounded… and that if Chris kept it up…"

Larabee was listening intently; his building anger held a bay beneath a calm exterior. "Buck," he encouraged rather loudly.

Although it was against his better judgment, Wilmington continued. "She said that if you kept it up, Chris… she'd bury the report so far down it would take months to find. She said she didn't care if it ruined the case… and then… something about not liking to be pestered all the time."

"Pestered?"

Looking hard at his boss, Buck clarified. "Think she may have said… badgered?" he shrugged.

On the other side of the bullpen, Standish glowed with pride and Tanner looked on curiously. Larabee's continued rant no longer interested Vin, his previous mood summarily dismissed. He was now totally absorbed with the southerner's sudden amusement and the delight shining in the man's eyes.

It took some time, but Lansky finally managed to convince Chris that he shouldn't go to Travis in person and complain about Delaney. She reminded the senior agent of the private telephone number they both had access to for 'urgent matters', and although she didn't think this particular circumstance fit the bill, she stood in silence while Larabee left a scathing message on the AD's answering machine.

The receiver slammed down hard on its seat and Kate shook her head.

"What?" the senior agent barked at his assistant. "You don't expect me to accept that kind of insubordination do you?"

"Only from me," the blonde said matter-of-factly. She sighed heavily in disgust. "Mark my words, Chris. This is gonna come back to bite you. You can't treat regular people like this."

"Regular people?" Larabee sneered. "Delaney is one of us now and she needs to realize that, or find another job."

Heading for the door, Kate paused before opening it. "Adrian is as competent as I am, Chris," she offered. "She just needs some slack right now, I'm sure of it."

Before Lansky could complete her exit, Chris snorted loudly. "We cut our own slack around here, Kate. Sink or swim, we do it as a team… no different than the service. If you can't be part of the team, you don't belong."

“Yeah!" the woman sneered at Larabee. "Maybe you should think about that yourself."

Chris glared as the door slammed behind Kate. For all her stubbornness, he couldn't fault the woman. She was right. He was being too harsh on the newcomer, but he had deadlines to meet and he wasn't too concerned that his mood was rubbing the wrong people the wrong way.

'It's all your fault' he cursed at the closed door. Sure, Lansky was right, but his mood was her fault to begin with. Too often, he'd found himself wondering what was going through his assistant's mind. Too often, she was her regular, everyday Kate… the same woman he'd watched go about her daily business for almost three years now. The same woman he'd shared 'buddy' time with and the same woman he's slowly fallen in love with.

'God!" he cursed aloud, angrily spinning his chair away from the door. "I don't even know who you are anymore."

Head hung, the pain clear in his scrunched up eyes, Chris covered them and tried desperately to clear his head.

The afternoon started out relatively smoothly and for that, Lansky was eternally grateful.

JD had returned from his psyche evaluation apparently unscathed by the event and Kate could only hope that the other appointments went as smoothly. Wilmington was doting over the younger agent as he dragged him off to lunch. Upon their return, they'd disappeared into their shared office, the door closing soundly behind them.

It was just past two when Dunne emerged from the closed room and went to seek company with Sanchez and Jackson. The blonde grinned to herself as the rogue followed the three men to the coffee room. “Maybe Buck is the one we should be worried about" she giggled to herself.

Watching his teammates dispatch themselves to the break room, Standish frowned and glanced at his office companion. "It appears that Mr. Wilmington is attempting to acquire information from Mr. Dunne regarding our appointed rendezvous with the physiatrist," he said quite casually. "Perhaps the information might make you more at ease, as well."

Tanner looked up from the photographs he'd been studying since before lunch. "What makes ya think I need ta be at ease, Ezra?"

"Well," the southerner raised his eyebrows briefly. "If I'm not mistaken, you were inquiring earlier as to how one conceals themselves in the presence of others who supposedly know them."

Vin set down the picture he was holding and got to his feet. He'd forgotten the question he'd posed before Wilmington’s confrontation with Larabee this morning, although he hadn't forgotten his real reason for asking. Standing in the open doorway, his eyes drifted from Lansky to Standish. "Is it hard to be someone else?"

Confused at his companion's low tone, Ezra got to his feet. Frowning, he approached somewhat cautiously. "Come now, Mr. Tanner. You yourself have had more than one occasion to accompany me undercover. You seem quite able to handle the rigors of role-playing."

His eyes glancing their way to the southerner's green pools, the Texan blinked. "Ain't the same as goin' deep… is it?"

Standish frowned, his eyes scowling and then widening, as he comprehended the question completely. "We're… not just talking about deceiving a physiatrist now, are we, Vin?"

The sudden tension in the air was shattered as JD came up to the sharpshooter, "Hey, Vin," he interrupted without realizing he was doing so. "You're not bothered by the shrink, are ya? Tell Buck he's got nothing to worry about. If I can do it and you ain't worried, then he'll be fine."

The kid's disturbance clearly caught Tanner in mid-thought and Ezra interceded on the Texan's behalf. Gauging the two interlopers, Standish responded succinctly. "Mr. Dunne is quite correct, Mr. Wilmington," he smiled at the ladies' man over JD's shoulder. "Clearly our young friend's interview went well. He is displaying no adverse reactions from the encounter and neither Mr. Tanner nor myself are bothered regarding our upcoming appointments."

"I ain't worried none," the tall agent scowled. "I was just tryin' to get JD to spill the beans about what they asked him."

Dunne turned around to face his roommate. "I told you, Buck. There ain't no way he's gonna be asking you the same things he asked me. They have our files. They know we live together and…"

"And they know you will undoubtedly want to compare experiences," Standish interjected.

Glancing at the southerner, JD turned back and slapped Wilmington on the chest. "See, even Ezra knows the tricks."

Eyebrows rising slightly at the commonality of the accusation, the undercover man cleared his throat. "Perhaps you gentleman should elicit more faith in our medical practitioners. They, too, have a job to do and they must fully understand those they service."

"Easy for you to say, Ezra," Wilmington scoffed. "You got 'em eatin' out of your hands before you open your mouth."

Standish was slightly confused at the statement. "I will seek to disillusion no one during my interview, Mr. Wilmington," he protested.

"You don't have to," Buck replied with a smirk. "They wouldn't know the difference anyway."

Throughout the entire exchange Tanner had remained quiet. Now he chose to speak, "Buck's right, Ezra… You can hide whatever you want… whenever you want to." The sharpshooter held Standish in his gaze for a long moment before relinquishing his stare.

The rogue realized he'd missed something in the brief interaction but his thoughts were distracted when Josiah called from the bullpen. Acknowledging the summons, the four men gathered to go over the notes they'd compiled in their effort to assist Chris in trying to tie up the Prichard case. All unrelated conversation was quickly forgotten as the team focused on their task.

Just before three o'clock, Lansky quietly proceeded to the reception area and reminded the three assistants working there about the clerical meeting down on the third floor. Careful not to disturb the six men as they discussed Nathan and Josiah's notes, she called down to Miss Montgomery and gave her the go-ahead to helm the scheduling discussion. Kate was fully confident that Debbie could handle the task. She'd sent out another inter-office memo that morning to make sure everyone attended and was only planning on sitting-in on the last few minutes of the meeting.

Back at her desk, she had another spreadsheet ready to be worked on but glanced at Larabee's closed office door instead. It had been sealed since she'd slammed it during lunch and she was reluctant to disturb the brooding leader.

Closing her eyes, the woman's mind unexpectedly wandered as she suppressed the guilt that reared its ugly head. It had been too long since she'd dealt with these leftover feelings.

More than ten years had passed since Dessert Storm. That was the last time she'd faced a man that professed his love for her. She'd come to terms with his deception, believing that Cole had had no choice, convincing her conscience that the man was a coward, a traitor… She'd done the right thing.

The circumstances were so different, but Chris was unwittingly bringing all of those emotions back… and all the agitation that went with them.

None of this was Larabee's fault.

There would never be a way for her to explain.

Nothing was worth the truth when the lie was so easy to give credence to. Everyone had believed the fabrication… Everyone, most recently Chris, and the ultimate punishment was for Kate to live, alone, with the truth for the rest of her days. After all, she could never let go of… 'God!'

In that instant, Lansky realized that she didn't even have words to describe the manner in which Cole had died.

Completely lost in the horrors of her life, Lansky blinked as she realized Adrian Delaney had just marched through the bullpen, making a beeline straight towards the senior agent's office. With a package held tightly in her grasp, Orin's assistant seemed intent on her task and Kate came back to the present, a growing smile forming as she realized Chris was about to receive his long awaited report… apparently, with attitude.

Larabee's door flew open and Adrian stormed in without regard for the portal or the man who immediately engaged her within.

Sucking in her bottom lip, the blonde tried to hide her smirk.

Breathing deeply, Lansky glanced up enough to note that all of Team Seven's remaining members had stopped working and were obviously paying as much attention as she was. Maybe even enjoying the confrontation as much as she was. It wasn't as though she hadn't tried to warm Chris…

Lansky was impressed by Adrian's fortitude, not only for putting Larabee in his place, but obviously not letting the man get a word in edgewise either.

Kate's eyebrows raised and the smile died on her lips. 'What did I do to you?' she questioned silently.

In the middle of taking a deep breath, Lansky's cheeks puffed as Delaney's words filtered out.

Kate's eyebrows rose indignantly.

A deep frown furrowed the blonde's brow.

Abandoned in the desolate wasteland she'd instantly been plummeted into, Kate watched, mortified, as Delaney storm passed her and disappeared from view. She could feel all eyes glued to her and panic struck for a moment before she regained what little composure she could muster.

For years now she had painstakingly tried to forget the desensitization training she had been subjected to. She'd fought for her freedom and finally convinced 'him' that she could be 'normal'.

Every ounce of her energy in the last few years had been put in to maintaining that façade of normalcy.

All of that… everything… was shattered in an instant. Propelled backward in time, Kate Lansky hardened, and the ‘real’ world she had fought so hard to re-enter, ceased to exist.

Sitting up straight in her chair, the assistant barely registered the familiarity of a voice as it hollered. "Kate, GET YOUR ASS IN HERE, NOW!'

With the calm of any doting secretary, she took up her notepad and pen. Standing, she confidently walked into Larabee's office, smiled, and then took a seat in front of the big desk.

Chris was seething as he watched Lansky come into his office as though nothing had transpired. He glared as she sat, and then sneered as she offered a casual grin.

Several minutes passed as he attempted to gather his thoughts and calm his anger. He tried to remember that this was the woman he loved…

He had finally been able to admit to himself that this was the woman who had made him live again… made him want to be something other than a drunk, vengeful old man lost in the sorrow and despair of tragedy.

As he looked at her, Chris closed his eyes and begged for strength. When, in the last three years, right under his nose, had she had time to entertain his undercover agent? "Is it true?" he finally asked, trying to keep the growl of his voice to a minimum. The uninterested way in which Kate raised her eyebrows incited the venom he was trying desperately to suppress.

"Apparently!" was her nonchalant answer.

"Yes or No!" he snapped.

The sharp edge of his questioning didn't faze the blonde at all. "Yes," she confirmed without emotion. The lack of feeling was a true reflection of her state of mind.

Clenching his fists, Larabee straightened, took several much-needed deep breaths, and then rounded the desk to position himself directly in front of his assistant. "When?" he growled in a low menacing tone. Chris, too, was reverting to his old ways.

Standing to meet the intimidation head on, Lansky looked up into the green eyes that seemingly towered above her. She wasn't about to give in to him, yet this reaction was too strong, too reminiscent of her normal response to Larabee's bullying. Desperately, she tried to hang on to her uncaring persona. "Why does that matter?" she said quietly. "Years ago… yesterday… it's none of your business."

Chris reacted without thought. As she turned away from him, he grabbed her shoulder and whirled her back to face him. "It matters… it is my business. When?" he repeated. "When did you and… he…?"

More for her own peace of mind than his, Kate refused to meet the torture in the blond's eyes. Focused instead on the hands that held her shoulders firmly, she glanced from one to the other and then, finally, at the man who held her. "You are my employer, Mr. Larabee. I am your assistant, not your personal possession. Please unhand me."

"Cut the crap, Kate," the senior agent sneered as he released his hold. "This isn't a game."

Lansky smiled ever so slightly and then glanced back at him from downcast eyes. "Life is a game, Chris… the rules, however, are subject to interruption." Her answer given, she turned and headed for the door… Chris didn't see the way her expression faltered.

"Don't you walk away from me," Larabee commanded as he followed her into the bullpen. "We're not done."

Trying hard to ignore the dictatorial tone of his voice, Kate went about clearing her desk and preparing to leave. For more reasons than she could count, she desperately needed to get out of there. "Oh, we're done," she answered more confidently than she felt. "We were done before we ever got started."

"You're still running away," Chris countered forcefully as he maintained his claustrophobic presence at her side. He wasn't thinking clearly at that moment but something inside of him refused to let this woman win any more rounds.

Closing her programs and setting the computer to shutdown mode, the blonde glanced up to find the bullpen devoid of life. 'Cowards' she thought. A piece of paper in Larabee's 'in-box' caught her eye and she frowned, knowing she'd cleared it earlier.

"What happened to all of your bravado, Kate?" the man in black pressed on as his assistant retrieved a sheet of paper and read it quickly.

Lansky took a deep breath, her eyes rising to meet the stare of her boss. "It ran away, Chris," she answered sarcastically. "Is that what you wanted to hear? It ran away, along with all the big strong tough men on your team. Did you notice?" she indicated the empty room behind them. "Of course, if you really want, I can hand in my resignation in, too." Shoving the letter into Larabee's hands, the woman pushed her way around him and reached for her duffel bag.

The sudden surge of emotion clearly audible in his assistant's voice hadn't escaped notice, but the senior agent was distracted by the document she'd handed him. Allowing her to leave team Seven's work space, Chris glancing at the words on the page...

Sitting in her van in the underground parking garage, Lansky was vibrating from the turmoil whirling inside her. She couldn't figure out when she'd lost control of her life… Had she really ever had control of it? Was that bastard right after all?

Her breathing labored, stopped, and then labored again as countless random thoughts wreaked havoc with her emotions. She seemed to be experiencing them all… all at once. Anger… pain… hatred… sorrow… love… betrayal… fear… rage

Looking around wildly, she growled, expecting to see the General’s smug face reminding her that he was right after all. Her flight instinct kicked in and she violently turned the key in the ignition. Shoving the vehicle into gear, she reversed and then peeled away, heading for the gate.

As the protection grid came down, the young security guard stood frowning at the departing van. He knew Miss Lansky… everyone did… but he'd never seen her in such a dark mood before. She'd practically pinned him to his booth with her sneer and all he'd done was smile and offered his 'have a good night'. The menace in her blue eyes had made him swallow hard.

Allowing the vehicle quick exit, he now stood wondering what the hell he'd just witnessed.

The city blocks were a blur as Kate made her way through the downtown core towards her apartment. She was uneasy at the outset of her journey, but as she progressed, her irritation grew, thoughts drifting to recent events…

Delaney was the first to receive a mental lashing.

"Bitch!" Lansky muttered somewhere along her route.

Slamming on her brakes to stop at a red light, the blonde's anger lapsed for only a moment. "How the fuck did she know anyway?"

A horn from the car behind drew Kate from the disturbing question. Giving the driver the finger before screeching away from the stop line, she cursed aloud to no one, and everyone.

The 'how' brought Standish to mind.

"Fuck!" she voiced as she considered the possibility that the southerner had spilled the beans to his woman and then begged her forgiveness.

A loud huff saw the corners of her mouth sneer in disgust.

A sudden thought had her head cocking, the disdain of her expression mellowing slightly as one eyebrow rose.

The softening of her musings quickly disappeared.

She tried to rationalize.

The sigh was audible.

Stopping at another light, Kate closed her eyes to push away the memories of last Friday night.

She'd played the scenario out in her head too many times afterwards. Blind intoxication wasn't something she could honestly claim as a defense. Yes, she was pissed… extremely 'happy' as it were… but intense training prevented her from ever being too far gone not to know what she was doing.

And, no… she hadn't gone to the Saloon to seduce Ezra.

Pulling away as the light turned green, Lansky held contempt for no one but herself.

No, she hadn't meant to, but now she would acknowledge to no one but herself that any man might have done. If another man had been as drunk or as willing, her bed partner that night wouldn’t have to have been Ezra.

He just happened to fit the bill.

Familiarity was just a bonus.

The anger she felt was still directed inward.

She hadn't set out to do it.

She hadn't meant to do it.

The alcohol certainly made it easier to think on the subject as the night wore on though.

But… in the end… she knew what she was doing…

Kate had taken advantage of the southerner's state. Feeding off the sexual energy he'd offered without thought and nurturing their mood until circumstances brought them to the inevitable conclusion. She'd used him… used him in her bid to push Larabee away… forever.

"Fuck!"

Slamming on her brakes, Lansky backed into her stall at her apartment complex and threw the van into park. Shutting off the ignition, her eyes closed and her head gradually made its way to the steering column.

Slowly, and with a heavy sigh, the blonde momentarily admitted defeat. This thing with Larabee had her so screwed up!

The plan had been hatched in a drunken stupor, born out of anger, desperation, and finally, lust. And then, it was executed without any forethought or precision.

Was it a wonder the scheme had failed so miserably?

Angrily shaking the unwanted thought away, Kate reached back for her pack, got out of her car, and then slammed the door closed behind her. Looking skyward, she cursed aloud as the rain started to fall. "Just fucking perfect!" she stormed into her building.

Again, a door crashed shut behind her and for once, Lansky failed to secure her multitude of latches. Marching to her bedroom, she angrily tossed her bag at the headboard, ignoring the crash as several books went sailing to the floor.

Standing in the middle of the room, the woman seethed. Her breathing labored… her hands clenched and released repeatedly at her sides. Then, arms rising slowly in the air, her fingers outstretched at grotesque angles.

The growl that emitted from the pit of her stomach was deep and full of hostility, almost inhuman…

The vocalization seemed to shock Kate a little and she swallowed, sluggishly realizing that she couldn't be anywhere civilized right now. Her hands clenched in frustration, knowing her instinct at the moment would have her lash out at anything within reach.

'Stop it… Get a grip, Lansky!' she ordered silently.

Eyes closed tight as she purposely slowed her breathing enough to move.

Temporarily under control, Kate untied and then kicked off her boots. Stripping, she exchanged her work clothes for the sleek one-piece jogging suit she wore for serious runs. Slipping her sneakers on, she cinched them securely.

Now standing at the foot of her bed, she glared down at her key pouch. Contempt held begrudgingly at bay, she obediently retrieved the lifeline to her unwanted past and secured the pouch in its ever-present position in the small of her back.

The rain was a constant as she ran. The storm grew steadily worse, yet she was oblivious. Each footfall pounded the pavement, purposely trying to grind a screwed up reality into obscurity.

Awash with conflicting images, Kate's mind slowly began to regress, to shut down, blocking out anything and everything that wasn't acceptable. By the time she reached the outer limits of the park, the blonde wasn't thinking at all. All she could see… all she wanted to see was the trail in front of her, and the darkness beyond.

Everything else was too much to deal with. The life she'd fought so hard for, now too painful to acknowledge…

"No."

The single word slipped aimlessly from her lips and Kate felt her life in Denver being stolen further away.

Delaney wasn't a bitch. She was merely a lady who had offered friendship, and was rewarded with betrayal.

Ezra Standish was a friend and certainly, no matter how hard she tried to make him the heavy, wasn't to blame for what had happened.

And as for Larabee…

Chris Larabee was the man she loved!

A single tear joined raindrops on Lansky's cheeks, yet her expression failed miserably at showing her grief as all her years of training took control once more.

Her mentor had been right.

He had warned her that she had no chance for a normal life, even gone to great length to explain why. She had apparently excelled at 're-education', even her first 'task' achieved without difficulty or doubt…

There was that damn subtle grin of his again.

A clap of thunder drew Lansky from her remembrance. Eyes flaring, she scanned her immediate environment through the wind tossed rain and quickly fixed position. Even with the storm raging those damned ingrained instincts told her exactly where she was and what surrounded her.

The word echoed like some undeniable revelation. The inevitability dictated by survival and the stuff nightmares are made of.

Survival, or the nightmares… which had come first…?

Those first few months were a different kind of living hell, overseen by a different kind of master.

Garrett had told her years later how he'd eagerly watched her 'progress'…

Suddenly finding herself out of breath, Kate's pace slowed and then abruptly stopped. She panted, bending at the waist, fighting for air, and wiping her mouth.

Again the word echoed in her thoughts and she screamed her objection into the swirling night sky.

"No…" she repeated, this time almost at a whimper.

Still struggling to breathe, reality checked back in and she tried desperately to take stock in her surroundings again. The rain, driven by fierce winds, caused her partial blindness. Sheltering her face against the storm, Kate located a small clearing a short distance off the path she had been following. Instinct told her that this was no place to be in such terrible weather. Getting out was priority one!

With thunder almost on top of her, she ventured toward an opening in the trees, hoping to pinpoint her location and a way out of the forested parkland. The trees were tall as she glanced upward, receiving a face full of torrential rain for her trouble.

A clap of thunder, accompanied almost simultaneously by a lightening flash sent Kate once more sprawling backwards into the woods to seek cover. The roar of the storm masked the loud crack and the burning branches were on top of her before she could react…