Devineaux crept through the forest, tracking the red blur weaving in between the trees, no backup. Alone.

Well, except for Carmen Sandiego.

She glanced behind her and smiled, hopping into an open clearing littered with branches and...stopping.

Devineaux growled and ran at her.

"Carmen SandiegoOoOOO-!"

Before the floor fell from underneath his feet and he landed in a large pit with a grunt.

Carmen poked her head over the hole. "You alright, Chase?" She teased.

Was she teasing? She looked sort of concerned.

"Carmen." Chase hissed.

She looked mildly surprised. "First name! That's an upgrade. Glad to see you've fully recovered. I was worried when I didn't have you screaming on my tail for so long."

She sat cross-legged on the side of the pit.

Devineaux grunted and leaned against the side of the hole, recognizing that he was stuck. "Julia says hello and thank you." He said stiffly.

Carmen's poised and confident figure dissipated and was replaced with something like a worried child. She flipped onto her stomach and stuck her face in the hole.

"You talked to her? Is she okay??" Her voice squeaked a little.

Devineaux was slightly amused. This was a side of her he'd never ever seen. "Yes...thanks to you, I hear. She is conscious and will be fully healed in a few weeks."

Carmen sighed. "Oh, thank goodness. I was really worried."

She moved to get up off the ground by pushing off with her left arm, but she let out a little strangled yelp and smashed to the ground. She got up with the other arm.

Devineaux frowned. He remembered Julia saying that Carmen was injured. "Did you never get medical attention after you dropped Julia off?"

She grimaced, looking away. "I got attention enough."

He laughed a little. "Julia said to say thank you for her when I next saw you. I was skeptical that I would. I should have known better."

Carmen smirked. Smiled? "How could I not say hello to my favorite name-caller?"

"Urghh." Chase growled. "I do not see why Julia likes you so much."

Carmen's face fell. "I don't know how she can either. I nearly got her killed."

"She doesn't think so." Chase said as gently as he could. He checked himself. He was reassuring the thief! The agent sighed.

"Really? I just...if it weren't for me, she wouldn't be in the hospital, or have gotten kidnapped." Carmen exhaled and shook her head. "Can't do anything about it now. Hey, is there anyone who can come get you out?"

Chase shook his head. "I did not bring my pen."

Carmen chuckled. "Of course you didn't." She took out her grappling hook out, and hooked it to a nearby tree. Then, she took out the line and dropped it into the hole.

"It's very reliable." She assured him, watching as he struggled to get out.

As soon as he was close enough to the top, she reached out an arm and helped him out. He glanced at her, and his grip tightened. He tried to, like, twist her arm and fling her to the ground, or something.

She hissed in pain and wrenched her arm out of his grasp.

"Hey, what the heck? I just helped you!"

"I'm still an agent of ACME. I would be breaking the law if I didn't try to arrest you. Eh, it was a slim chance anyway."

He stepped back. "Thank you for your assistance." He said stiffly.

She flashed a grin at him. "I'm just glad it wasn't my bad arm. But you aren't allowed to tell anyone about that." She disappeared into the woods.

Which left Devineaux standing awkwardly in the middle of the trees.

A woman walked into the hospital.

To a normal eye, she was a young woman with medium length black hair, freckles, and high cheekbones.

She was most certainly not Carmen Sandiego, to the normal eye.

But she was under the makeup.

She walked to the front desk. Audric Fournier. He was the same one who had helped her out, and updated her on Julia's condition.

Things couldn't be smoother.

She walked to the desk. "[Hello!]" She said, smiling.

"[Good afternoon, how may I help you?]" He said. Then he looked up.

His eyes widened.

Her eyes.

She didn't look like the red woman (Carmen Sandiego, the angry Frenchman had called her), but her eyes were exactly the same. Such a unique silver-purple. He remembered them because of the look of complete anguish they had held when she brought Julia in.

He glanced down. Yes, she was favoring her left arm, too.

The young man leaned forward. "Carmen Sandiego?" He whispered.

His hunch was proven correct as she flinched a little bit. "[Was it that obvious, Audric?]"

He smiled a little. "[I recognized your eyes.]"

She frowned good-naturedly, slightly wary. "[I'll have to put in contacts next time.]"

He sat back a little. "[I assume you are here to see Julia? I think she's been hoping you would.]"

Carmen nodded. "[Can I?]"

He puffed out a little breath. "[I am supposed to alert the agents of anyone who wants to see Julia, and get their permission to send them up. I am especially not supposed to send you up, I think.]"

Carmen's face twisted a little. "[Oh, well, I-]"

He held up a hand. "[I don't think you are exactly who you say you are; however, I trust you. I don't know why; I think its because of the sheer panic you were in when Julia was injured. I won't tell the agents if you go up; you just have to be fast.]"

Carmen looked at him scrutinizingly. "[You're observant. I'm glad you're with me and not against me. Thank you, Audric.]"

"[Of course. Be careful. She's in room 407 on the fourth floor.]"

Carmen nodded. "[If I'm caught up there, tell them I threatened you to get up there, okay?]"

Carmen went to the elevator confidently. She had learned long ago that if you pretended like you belonged, most wouldn't question you.

The policemen glanced at Audric, who gave a thumbs up, and Carmen stepped into the elevator.

She stepped off at the fourth floor, and followed the signs to room 407. She opened the door near-silently.

"Jules? Its me."

Julia's head shot up and towards the door. "Carmen! You're in disguise!" She said quietly as Carmen came over, the thief fiddling with her sleeve, the agent's eyes lighting up. "I'm so glad you came."

"Jules, I'm so sorry! I got you kidnapped, and nearly killed..."

She glanced at the bandage lump and put her head in her hands for a second. "I am so, so sorry, Jules, I've haven't been careful enough, I-"

"Carmen!"

Julia drew back as Carmen stopped, her face scrunched. Carmen had never shown much of herself around her, much less like this.

What could she do, or say to reassure her?

To tell her completely, without a doubt that she didn't blame her, and knew she'd saved her life?

Julia hesitated, then reached up and kissed her.

Carmen froze for a moment.

Then she melted.

They broke apart only when Julia's chest began to ache from being in such an awkward upright position for so long.

"Wow." Carmen and Julia breathed at the same time.

They paused, both red.

"I was really hoping you like girls, Jules." Carmen whispered, flustered.

Julia smiled, pleased and slightly terrified at what she'd just done. Well, she smiled until her injury gave a particularly painful throb of protest, and she groaned, leaning back into her pillows. Carmen was there in an instant, holding her hand.

"How are you doing?" Carmen asked awkwardly. Julia smiled again. It seemed she flirted better unintentionally.

"Don't try to small talk me, Carmen! Was that your first kiss?" She was slightly giddy. It was all happening. What she'd dreamed of. Carmen hadn't rejected her.

"Am I that bad of a kisser??" Carmen squeaked.

"No, no! I just...you know...world travelling thief and all?"

"...yeah." Carmen said. "It was."

Julia hugged her. "That was amazing." She kissed her lips briefly again. "Wow."

Carmen still looked flustered, but incredibly happy.

"You don't know how long-" They both started at the same time, and then broke off into giggles.

"Ever since..?" Julia whispered.

"The train.." Carmen finished.

They just sort of smiled at each other for a moment

Carmen and Julia lost in each other's eyes.

Until there were thunderous footsteps heard echoing down the hallway, towards the room. The moment cut short, Carmen gasped.

"I really shouldn't be here- I didn't realize-"

She got up as the door was flung open. "Carmen Sandiego, stop right there!" Shouted an agent. There were tons of them- hospital workers too.

Audric stood in the back, and shrugged apologetically, a wince on his face. [They recognized you on the security cameras.] He mouthed.

Carmen cursed in her head. Now Audric's job was on the line too. He just hoped he had the good sense to stick to saying she'd threatened him.

"Don't think I will." She said nonchalantly, stepping backwards towards the window. The flustered, soft Carmen was gone. She was all survival, all business, all seriousness now.

The agents advanced, and Carmen glanced backwards. No time to try to open it. She dove through the glass.

It shattered and she plummeted out the window, barely deploying her glider in time from the short but dangerous drop. Julia bit back a shriek.

All the hospital workers let out terrified and horrified gasps (except for Audric, who looked slightly awed).

The agents turned in near-unison towards a still-blushing and now nervous Julia on the bed.

"What did she do to you!?"

"Nothing!" Julia squeaked. "She had just arrived when you came!"

"Liar." Snarled the lead, Agent Porter. "The security tapes are from fifteen minutes ago." She advanced on her, getting close.

Julia shrank into her pillows. "I don't know, maybe she got lost?"

One of the nurses bustled over. "Please, Agent, she needs her rest if she's going to get better. Leave her be." She said in an accent.

Porter growled. "Fine. I'll be questioning you soon."

She whirled out.

Julia slumped into her pillows once everyone was gone. "So much for a perfect evening," she muttered, turning on girl in red.