I didn't swallow a bite of food for two hours straight. It was well into the night and people had evacuated the dining area already, yet our table sat and kept the atmosphere alive.

"Hey."

I felt Liam nudge me. I didn't avert my gaze from Rosella nor Ben as they played around with their food, entertaining each other. Just an hour ago the woman had her attention all on Liam, engaging in adult talk that made me uncomfortable, yet he held out pretty well.

I perked my ear, the one closest, so that it tilted towards him.

"You have to eat something, Lennon," he frowned, eyeing my untouched plate of food, "I don't need you slowing me down later on just because you have no energy in you." He gazed at the side of my face in a slight disapproving look before turning back to the front.

I gritted my teeth as Rosella looked up and met my eyes, a twisted smile playing on her plump lips. She had been stealing glances at me every now and then and presented these sinister, uncomfortable smirks that kept making my stomach want to lose it's week-worth of food.

"No," I maintained the eye contact with the woman as her eyes traveled down where Liam's and my two arms were always lingering next to each other's, "If I stuff anything down there it's going to be a bomb in her throat."

He sighed out silently and checked his phone for the time.

"Jason babe," The woman's voice broke through into our bubble of comfort silence.

Liam stopped his eyes and slowly turned off his phone from under the table, looking up to Rosella in a side-smirk, act on.

"Why don't you come here? I get it, stop clinging to him you slug!" Rosella turned the blame on me. My eyes twitched as I formed a thin line of what I presumed was a smile.

Analyzing the situation, it took me back to all those years of being looked down by pathetic people who'd have their eyes burned out if they were in my territory. Once again, I felt like a student in glasses. And once again, Liam Carter was putting on an act. Time had changed. But have we? It seemed like everything was going in a circle

Liam and I met eyes and a fraction of panic sparked between us as we realized we couldn't separate. My right hand curled into a tense fist as I struggled with the cuffs out of Rosella's sight.

Shit. My eyes tried to tell him in a frown. I angled my head at him. What now?

Liam had on a blank expression now as he looked back at Rosella and said, "hm."

And my eyes dilated abruptly as I felt his body rise and bring me along with him.

What was he thinking? I followed the lead of the man before me. He was going to go to her? What about me?! I don't want to be near her!

We walked to her side of the table and had a wider view of the close contact between Rosella and Ben. I turned my head away and hummed silently in my head to block out any unnecessary sounds. Before the woman could question why I had followed him, Liam made his move.

My breath hitched and my throat tightened as I saw that before me, Liam was closing his body into Rosella's. He was currently in the process of stalling. Stroking her arms, gazing at her eyes, angling his head, cupping her checks, he was going through anything and everything possible before sacrificing his own lips.

I noticed Ben sitting to the side with a nasty look on his face. His eyes bore into Liam's and it dripped with malicious emotions as he watched Liam perform.

Then his eyes went to mine.

Then there was a pause.

I saw his parted lips twist into a side-smirk as his eyes abruptly changed shape.

Don't come near me.

My eyes widened as he began advancing from seat to seat, getting dangerously closer to where I was standing. My free hand lingered at the gun well-hidden in the pockets of my pants as I eyed him cautiously, backing away.

Don't look at me.

He scooted to the last seat and paused. When he looked up my stomach turned uncomfortably as his eyes started filling themselves with hunger and thirst for something I did not know. My reflection came back at me through his dark orbs, standing there unable to pull out my damn gun and end it all.

Don't touch me.

His hands reached out towards my legs and I gritted my teeth as I pressed myself to the air gap between me and Liam. I kept my stance, but I knew that the man could sense the fear from my eyes. Damn it all. My movements shook the cuff chains and I could feel Liam pausing where he was. Rosella's lips were mere millimeters from his. Both of their faces were angled in the perfect position, their bodies in sync. Then he spoke up.

"This," he whispered to the woman, glancing down at their lips almost touching, "We'll save it for later." His teasing act and charming smirk made her eyes widen in opposition as he backed away, to little did she know that behind him he had reached for my arm and pulled me further behind him.

Ben's growl interrupted Liam's gaze and he glanced down at the man's position, holding back a sickening frown.

"You aren't heading home away from me... are you?" Rosella's chilling voice echoed throughout the restaurant, "Come ride in my car."

I tried to keep my dark thoughts down as I imagined a car ride with Liam in the front, his hands drooped to the side of the car so that I could sit behind him and still hide the cuffs. And then the other man with the hungry eyes came into the picture. He'd be sitting next to me, we'd be alone, in the dark, in close contact.

The cuffs rung quietly as I jerked my hands away and caused it to strain, allowing for Liam to know that I couldn't go through with her decision. I needed space. I needed to talk to him alone about what was going on. Otherwise, I might go crazy.

"For next time, my love," Liam answered, grabbing her hand and kissing it gently, "I'm afraid your man might cause us to never make it home if I were to throw myself in there. I'll get going to the house in my car. Drive safely."

Rosella seemed disappointed, very disappointed. She glanced at me while he was talking and I swore I saw a glint of murderous intent flash across her little pupils.

These people were... crazy. Creepy almost.

And I don't do creepy.

Our group finished up with the cashier and headed out into the night. Pitch darkness welcomed us the moment we were outcasted from the warmth of the restaurant's lights. Rosella and Ben took their time oozing and teasing each other intimately in front of the restaurant. That gave us hand-cuffed pair a chance to beat it to our car and head out faster than you could say... "Go save that buried child."

-

There was complete silence as we entered back into the car and were alone again. Liam was driving, so that put our arms in an odd and uncomfortable position, almost like we were reaching over to hold each other's hands.

But it was nothing like that.

We drove for 10 minutes straight with no sound or spoken words exchanged. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. "What is going on here?" I raised my voice on instinct, "Back there... just... what?"

Liam looked in the front rear mirror and let out a small sigh as he watched me grow angry at the situation.

"Did he hurt yo-"

"Why did they bury their CHILD?" I interrupted him with a snap at no one in particular, "Do they think babies come from the sky? Is it so hard to treat a child right? What in her right mind gave her the permission to harm her? How old is she, the little one? Why haven't you done anything? Why are we waiting? There were so many chances last night that you could have pulled that damn trigger, so god fucking help me why didn't you let me shoot a bullet down her damned throat! You're giving the mother-fucking parents a chance to decide her fate? How bold."

This time he did rest his hands on top of mine as he attempted to calm what I had been bottling up inside for the past few hours.

"Relax, please," He frowned and emphasized the last word as he glanced at me and analyzed my reaction, "I thought you were a professional at this, Lennon."

"Ha?" I scoffed, turning my head to the roof of the car as I gazed at it in amusement. "You were lucky I didn't take matters into my own hands and bring back two corpses like they damn right deserve," I hissed irritably as I closed my eyes and quieted down.

Liam shook his head slowly and focused his mind on getting us to Rosella's house safely.

"Listen, Agent W," he started in a serious tone, "Don't talk. Just listen. You saw tonight how mentally degraded their minds and actions were. All the more you better swallow down that stubborn attitude of yours to jump on anyone you deem dangerous. Different situations call for different methods. If we were going on one of your missions— and I swear to god that that never happens with a woman like you— then we can play it your way. But this is mine. And we play by my rules, by my command, by my method. Test them again and that little girl you have your eyes on saving will be beat to death, do you hear me?"

Liam paused as if not even fully aware that he had just said all of that in one go. My head was down in silence as I heard his next words.

"Everything we're doing for the next few days is setting up a chance for me to completely cut ties between her and her mother. You must not... hinder me in any way. If you can't control your morales then stay away... and stay out of it."

What he had forgotten in that split second was that I in fact could not 'stay out of it' when I was cuffed with him for who knows how long. But I grimly came to realize that I didn't need to argue. Liam was right. I needed to open my eyes and realize that I was now working with someone on a mission. There was no more solo. That was the past. I needed to... trust him. Depend on him. Work with him.

How weird it sounded saying those three things to myself. I shoved 7-year old Jamie down my throat and secured 20-year old Jamie Lennon in the back of my mind.

Agent W had no feelings. Agent W had missions. She had no relations. She had her gun. And she had no defeats. She called game over.

Jamie Lennon was just a pitiful woman in a soldier's armor. She had no place in there.

-

We made it to the house without anymore words exchanged. Without actually going anywhere near the building, my two feet rushed out of the car along with Liam climbing out my side of the door. We were getting better at the handcuff thing as well, I now have a strange feeling that we can do this.

It was dark and damp outside, and I relied on my old vision to see far. Liam and I carefully made our way to the backyard of the house and we were immediately met with a foul smell. I covered my nose and mouth with the sleeve of my free arm as Liam and I glanced at each other with a frown.

"It smells like," I started slowly, looking around at the ground, "something decomposed here..."

My eyes widened as the girl came to my mind.

"Carter!" I stressed at him, "That's not her, is it? That can't be her? Oh my god what the actual fuck." My hands tensed in disbelief and I scowled at the couple that weren't here.

"I don't know," Liam cursed and started leading me further into the yard, the both of us searching with our eyes for a sign of life from a young child we believed was dead.

"... careful not to step on her," Liam reminded, gritting his teeth at the grim note.

"This family is crazy," I muttered, "Absolutely insane. The moment we get this one far away from them no matter where I am I swear I'll send a bullet through their thick skull."

And that's when we heard it.

"Lennon... here," Liam found the source of the faint breathing and muffled whimper as we neared a shovel and a dug hole that was covered up with new soil, big enough for a small child. We crouched down and my eyes widened at little fingers sticking out of the soil, trying to grab onto something. I gently touched her fingers to let her know we were here, but just as I had expected the girl froze upon contact and stopped struggling.

"She's alive," I closed my eyes and tried to regain my breath as Liam began digging with his bare hands to get to her, "... she's scared."

"Sunshine, it's me... I'm going to get you out," Liam started calling to the ground with a new tone of voice I wasn't used to, all the while we both feverishly dug up layers of the ground, "Alright? Stay strong. Mama's not here."

And that's when I heard her whimpers come back. It was a different kind of whimpering, more like longing. She broke out in muffled sobs and her fingers began moving again to grab at the air, though exhausted.

I felt something heavy drop in my heart and my chest tightened in discomfort. From the corner of my eyes I saw Liam glance to make sure I was mentally fine. I really couldn't believe this was happening. The things the world does... amazes me. People like me have to go fix their dumb-brained mistakes.

I wrapped her fingers into my hand and for a moment she had froze again, then she curled her hands up inside my palms. That's when we reached her head and I swiped away the dirt on her hair, eyes, nose, and throat.

She was a little girl of about four. Fair, black hair contrasted the earth-brown soil and her eyes shone an amber-sunlight glow from the moon's light. She was heavily exhausted. The child reminded me of... Cherish. They should both be around the same age, and the thought of Cherish being in her place made me break down.

Liam wrapped his hands around the little one and we pulled her up together, carefully taking note of her fragile state. Once she was up, I saw that she had been forced into a pillow case, with the closed side having a hole in it along with the sides so that her head and limbs could poke through. My eyes flashed concern as I took in her state. Even from the dim-lit environment, I could make out fresh red scratches from her neck and cuts and bruises on her arms. Her toes were bleeding and her whole body mixed with dirt, sweat, and blood. Her pillow case... had blood splotches where her stomach was on the other side.

Her head leaned limply in the air to the side as she coughed up large amounts of dirt from the ground and tried to spit them out, much to her disadvantage that she had no strength to.

"Mama..." the little girl startled the both of us as her unstable voice broke out, "home...?"

Liam enclosed her into an embrace as she leaned her body into him and breathed out in unsteady patterns, but otherwise not making much noise. He patted off the dirt from her lower body as I continued dusting off some on her head and in her face.

"She's not here, Ash," Liam soothed her as he leaned back and looked her in the eyes, "Not home. Not yet."

The little girl seemed to recognize him and she relaxed a bit. "Mama angry with me," she coughed up more dirt and we both wiped it away without a second thought, "I was bad."

"Why was she angry with you, Sunshine?" Liam raised his brows as he waited for the child, stroking her hair reassuringly.

"My..." she began as her eyes drooped in exhaustion, glancing down at her stomach, "It made loud... noises. Ash was scared... and Ash wanted.... bread... please don't blame Mama... she didn't do anything to Ash, Ash climbed in the hole herself..."

My eyes dilated as I looked at her form, "She's starving. When did you last eat?" I tried asking her, but she was beginning to close her eyes and cuddle into Liam's chest.

"Three days," Liam answered, "Last time she had a proper meal was three days. I fetched her stuff from the R.U." He brought out of the inside of his suit a bundle of something that instantly sent a sweet aroma in the atmosphere. I glanced at it and suddenly remembered the restaurant.

"You..." I stated softly in awe, catching his eyes, "Didn't eat did you? You saved the food for her."

He grimly smiled and we both turned back to the girl who fluttered her eyes open once the smell of honeyed bread and a million other things hit her.

But then we heard the sound of an engine going off, and doors slamming.

Liam and I snapped our heads to the front and could make out that the car headlights from someone's car had just turned off as well.

Rosella and Ben were home.

Our hearts jumped and I could hear the pounding in my chest rise. We couldn't do anything but continue staring at the distance and wait till two menacing forms popped up. It was a matter of seconds now.

Ash seemed to recognize the sounds too and her head perked up tiredly.

Footsteps began making their way to the backyard, all of a sudden.

"... They're going to catch us," my eyes widened, beginning to shift my body in front of the child's.

A moment later I heard Liam breathe in and announce firmly, "No... they're not."

I heard heels crunching on twigs and the loud boot of Ben's as their figures began showing. It was any second before they saw us too. Before I could react, I heard the swift sound of something like a blanket and my upper chest was pushed down to the ground.

In the midst of shock, I heard the voices of Rosella and Ben talking from afar.

"He's such a player," I heard Rosella say, snickering, "Look how he handles her. He's warming up for me, darling."

"You're just going to leave him there?" Ben's rough voice growled next to her.

"Let him be a bad boy," Rosella chuckled, "I'll punish him in bed. Besides..." she trailed her hands across his jaws and down his chest, "I have you. It'll only make it 'fair' if he has a toy too."

And they walked off into the house.

I... couldn't believe they just saw the scene and thought nothing of it. Dumb, dumb idiots.

How could they not see the suit jacket that was on Liam spread out on the ground over the little girl that they tossed away? That we were in front of the hole, completely blocking their view?

How could they not see, a Liam in dress pants and a white long sleeve, with a just-now-made loose tie hanging from his neck, hovering over me?

How could they not see... that his were on mine?

-

- M I N N A