Georgetown

Washington, DC

Oakwood Apartments

December 19th, 2015

0700 hours

Alexander POV

After a very peaceful night of sleep, I opened my eyes to the sight of my lovely girlfriend next to me, fast asleep and still nuzzling my neck. I smiled as I ran my fingers through her mussed up brown hair.

'How did I let her go?' I wondered.

'It's called a divorce, pal,' my brain replied.

'Ah, shaddup.'

'You must admit, it's quite funny how your girlfriend is technically your ex-wife as well.'

'Ain't that the truth.'

Since Catherine looked so adorable while she slept, I decided to handle breakfast while she was. Unfortunately, there was one little problem: her arms had me in a deathgrip.

This woman never ceases to amaze me. Not only is she ridiculously soft and cuddly, she is also a badass with sniping and spying skills rivaled by few. Furthermore, while she isn't as strong as me physically (for example, I can bench-press and deadlift a bit more than her), her grip is somehow stronger than steel. Go figure.

I rolled my eyes but couldn't bring myself to be irritated with her. So instead, I decided to have some fun with her.

"Catherine?" I whispered into her ear, eliciting a shudder from her.

"Oh, Cathy?" Another shiver, with her grip growing tighter.

"Oh my sweet little Kitty Cat..."

"Alex," she groaned softly.

"Time to wake up," I told her in a sing-song voice.

"Nooooo," she moaned quietly.

"Time to wake uuuuuup!"

"No, Aleeeeex."

"But I'm hungry!"

"I'm sleeeeeepy," she whined.

'Oh well. Desperate times, desperate measures,' I thought with a sigh.

"How about this, then? How about I shove you against the wall and kiss you until your lungs are screaming for oxygen, then? Do you want to sleep now?" I growled.

Faster than a speeding bullet, her eyes shot open and her cheeks flushed red at my innuendo.

"You what?" she squeaked out.

"Nothing, my dear. Good morning, Kitten," I said as I pecked her nose. "Would you kindly release me from your arms? As much as I enjoy it... we have to get to work."

"M-morning, Alex," she stuttered as she hastily untangled her arms from around me. She then scrambled out of bed to change out of her nightie into some clean pants and a shirt.

"Uhhh, is that my shirt?" I asked teasingly.

She stiffened, only just realizing that the shirt she was wearing was significantly larger than her.

"... No?" she replied shyly.

"Whatever you say, Cathy. Although, I must say, you do look pretty cute in that."

Chuckling and reveling in her bashfulness (still, after all these years, it's nice to know only I have that effect on her), I followed her example, putting on my own shirt and pants. After we brushed our teeth in the adjacent bathroom, I looked at the list I kept on my bedside table. Unless we were eating out the entire time (which we weren't, especially since restaurants would be closed for the holidays), we needed to stock up on groceries. I added a few items before handing it to Cath.

"Some of these ingredients look familiar, Alex... are we looking at another explosive shepherd's pie?" she teased as she concealed her pepper-spray, knife, phone, G26, and spare magazine on her person, keeping the pistol and magazine in an appendix-carry holster.

"Well, hold the explosive," I replied, placing my G19 and spare magazine in a 3 o'clock holster and pocketing my phone and multitool. "Oh, by the way, I owe you something."

"What do you owe mMMMPHH!" she said before she was cut off by me pushing her against the wall, grabbing her face, and kissing her. I did this for thirty seconds or so before I pulled away, and was greeted by the sight of a very red-faced Cath gasping like a fish out of water.

"What can I say, Cath? I'm a man of my word," I told her with a grin, booping her nose before stepping out. Honestly, I love messing with her so much, especially since she's adorable while blushing and it's fun to catch her off-guard. She likes it too, though she will never admit it without being drunk.

"Agh... cheeky... devil..." I heard her mutter behind me as she caught her breath. I walked through the hallway into the kitchen, where I was met by the sight of—

"Ben? Chip?"

"Mornin,'" Chip said with a wave.

"Hi!" Ben said.

"What are you children doing?" Catherine asked curiously, having recovered from her blushing and breathless fit.

"Poker," the boys said simultaneously. Both were fully dressed and each had a hand, with a deck on the counter between them.

"Of course, Ben's still learning. So, five-draw and no money," Chip added, laying down his cards. "Four aces."

"C'mon!" Ben muttered as he laid down his cards: a pair of tens, nothing more.

"How long have you been awake?" I asked.

"Oh, a couple of hours. We couldn't sleep," Ben replied nonchalantly with a shrug.

"Nightmare," Chip mouthed to us while Ben was looking at the cards he was just dealt.

"Is he okay?" Catherine mouthed.

"For now, at least," Chip silently replied.

"Everyone awake?" asked a new voice. We turned to see Jawa, still in his pajamas as he rubbed his eyes.

"Mornin,' Jaw," Chip greeted with a fist-bump. "You're up early, brother."

"Dad always says: 'to be early is on time—'" Jawa started.

"'—to be on time is late,'" Chip finished. "Bro, you know as well as I do that I hear it all the time."

"Ah, military parents," Jawa chuckled.

"Do tell," Catherine giggled. "Dad was in the British Army. Heard it all the time, but I still quite enjoy sleeping in."

"Perhaps not the best habit," said a new voice. We turned around to see Dad, all dressed up for a cold winter's day.

"Morning, Dad," I greeted. "Hope you're not looking for coffee, 'cause I can't make any. Need to go on a grocery run."

"Right, right. Need a hand?"

"Uh, yeah, thanks. You ready?"

"When am I not?" he snorted, making me roll my eyes.

"Touché, Dad. Ben, Chip, you guys want to come, since you both are already dressed?"

"Wanna go, Ben?" Chip asked. "Good chance to stretch your legs."

'Asking for someone to tag along? This is new behavior for Chip, but not surprising,' I thought.

"Er... sure, I guess," he said. "When do we leave?"

"Now, dear. Boys, get your jackets and boots on. It's going to be cold," Catherine ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," they replied as they retreated to the living room to their duffel bags.

"Jawa, can you keep an eye on things here?" I asked.

"Yes sir, although Erica will likely take over when she wakes up," he replied.

"Whatever works. Here, O'Shea. Use this if necessary," Dad said, handing him a tactical flashlight and a sheathed straight-edge knife.

"Thank you, sir!" Jawa said excitedly, obviously happy to be receiving gear from the legendary Cyrus Hale.

"I want those back, O'Shea. I trust you to use them properly," Dad replied with a nod. A few moments later, Ben and Chip walked back in, all suited up for a cold day out.

"Alright boys, shall we?" Cath asked, holding up the keys to the SUV.

"Please, Your Highness, lead the way," I joked, eliciting a few chuckles from the group (except for Dad, of course).

Jawa POV

Now, I was alone with Zoe and Erica, who were still sleeping. Frankly, I was quite surprised that the latter was still fast asleep.

Oh, well.

I decided to use the peace and quiet to sit down in the kitchen and take care of some homework, namely for Conducting Warfare and Interrogations. For Conducting Warfare, I worked on math problems for sniping, along with reviewing terminology such as D.O.P.E. (Data On Previous Engagements; this includes, but is not limited to, the rifle, scope, ammunition, and distance of each shot) books, which are used by snipers to make the necessary calculations to take shots. For Interrogations, I reviewed rapport-building techniques, which have been found to be highly effective in exacting viable intelligence from an enemy prisoner.

'Obviously can't practice the former... perhaps I could practice the latter in our little matchmaking operation?' I wondered as I felt a smile creep on my face. 'Oooh, that'll be fun.'

"O'Shea," said a voice. I looked up to see Erica, all dressed up for the cold December day. Of course, I somehow missed her waking up and changing quieter than a mouse.

'Huh. 8:00 AM. I've never seen her get up this late before,' I thought.

"Good morning," I replied with a wave. "Going for a run?"

"Where's Ben?" she asked, ignoring my question.

"Grocery shopping with Catherine, Alexander, Cyrus, and Chip. They're fine too. Heck, I'm fine too, thank you very much!" I responded sarcastically.

"Oh, he's in good hands," she said.

'Of course the wonder girl is more concerned about the object of her affections!' I realized, mentally face-palming.

"But yes, I am going for a run. I'll be back in two hours," she said, finally answering my initial question as she turned for the door.

"Watch your six, Erica," I called.

"Affirmative," she replied before she left the apartment.

I shook my head before turning back to my assignment. I then realized that I had left my phone in the living room, and walked back.

"Oh, I thought she was never going to leave!"

I entered the room and was met with the sight of Zoe sitting up in her sleeping bag.

"Hi, Brainiac!" she said cheerfully.

"Morning, Zoe. Sleep well?"

"Yep! So... I synced my watch. We've got one hour, fifty-nine minutes, and forty-two seconds until Erica returns. I say we discuss this trip's secondary plan: Berica!" she squealed excitedly.

"Urrrgh," groaned Mike as he sat up in his own bag.

"Welcome back to consciousness," I joked.

"Thanks, Jawa, but can you guys keep it down?" he grumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"Are you serious? No! It is time for us to make sure that Berica sets sail! That, or we will be forced to abandon ship!" Zoe cried, waving her arms animatedly.

"I can't believe I'm agreeing with the group shipper, but yeah! Come on, Mike. Listen to your girlfriend!" I teased, eliciting a blush from the two.

"We're not a couple!" Mike spluttered as he weakly threw a pillow at me, only for it to fall short by about five feet.

"And somehow you're such an amazing quarterback when we play football," I deadpanned. "But in all seriousness, yes. Let's get this done with."

I heard by phone vibrate by the wall, where it was charging. I stood and walked over as the two younger students stretched.

"Okay, guys. Just got word from Chip: they'll be back by 9:30, 10:00 maximum. In other words, in the worst-case scenario, we've got about one-and-a-half hours to come up with something."

"Right, anyone got any bright ideas?" Mike asked.

"Chip came up with an excellent final contingency plan," I said. "Tie them up and lock them in a room until they confess."

"... still no sense of subtlety, huh?" Zoe sighed.

"Hey, it's a final contingency for a reason. Besides, I'm getting real tired of those two standing around and not doing anything."

"I wonder if the power of Flex Tape will fix this problem!" Mike remarked, making us laugh.

"Chip brought a few rolls of it... but unless we're sawing a boat in half and making them go on it, I don't think it will. Unless, of course, we fall back on the final contingency," I responded.

"What if we set up some sort of Secret Santa, but rig it so that they pick each other?" Zoe proposed.

"Honestly, it's worth a try," Mike said with a nod. "But I don't think it'll be nearly enough."

"Well, this day is going to be mostly busywork. I was talking to Alexander last night, and he said that it would be best if everyone could finish their homework today, so we'd have the rest of the break to have fun," I announced.

"How does this relate to the plan, Brainiac?" Zoe asked.

"It's simple. Ben might have some trouble with an assignment, and it might just be something Chip and I are unable to help him with."

"Ohh..."

"Yep. A little collaboration ought to help. Plus, Erica and I are both taking sniping classes for CW 601, and there is a lot of math involved in the calculations."

"Jawa, you sly dog!" Mike said with a grin. "You sound like a real ladies' man! Have you done this before?"

"No, I've sworn off love beyond friends and family so I could focus on my studies and career. Don't need any distractions. Later, but not now."

"Wow. Epitome of professionalism. And meanwhile Mr. Playboy here has gone through a dozen girls and he's not even eighteen!" Zoe muttered, making me laugh and Mike shout, "HEY!" in embarrassment.

'Hmmm... it seems that Lil' Miss Zoe sounded quite jealous at Mike's past girlfriends even though he's on the market,' I thought. 'I wonder if—well, Chip may have more than one couple to tie up to force a confession.'

One hour later elsewhere...

Erica POV

I always go on a run in the morning. Not only is it healthy, it's enjoyable, and it's quite pleasurable to go in the cool of winter.

This time, however, I needed to clear my head.

When I woke up in the morning, Ben was missing. I felt something rise up within me before I noticed that Mike and Zoe were still sleeping calmly. Of course, I had no reason to fear, since those two would be more likely awake and freaking out if something happened to Ben.

That's just it: fear. I felt fear, panic at the sight of Ben being, well, out of my sight. I didn't realize it, but when I ran into Jawa in the kitchen, the first thing I asked was Ben's status.

It was only after I began running did my mind replay all the events that took place, making me facepalm at my idiocy.

'I can't like him! Relationships are dangerous! I thought.'

'What about your parents?' the annoying voice asked.

'They divorced!'

'And they got back together! And it doesn't look like things are stopping anytime soon! Hell, you walked in on them and you know how serious they are!'

'Oh, shut up! What do you know?'

'What do you know? I am merely a voice inside your head. Thus, everything I know, I draw from you!'

'Be quiet, you idiot.'

'You still like Ben!'

'I. DON'T.'

'BULLSH—'

"OOF!"

As my argument with myself raged on, I didn't realize that I slammed into someone's back. Unfortunately, since this someone was so much bigger, it felt like running into an oak tree and I fell flat on my back.

"Oh, shoot! You okay?"

I looked up at the site of a large, muscular DC Metropolitan police officer, looking at me with a concerned expression and offering a hand up.

"Er, yes. Thanks," I answered, accepting the hand up. A quick analysis found him to stand at approximately 6' 5" with light skin complexion, green eyes, and a dark brown stubble, likely from a hasty shave.

"You fell pretty hard. You hit your head or anything of importance?" he asked as I brushed myself off.

"Nothing. Sorry, officer," I replied hastily.

"No, no, it's my fault."

"Oh, nice work, Rick!" exclaimed an older-looking, mustachioed officer as he emerged from a shop bearing two to-go cups. He was overall smaller than his partner, possessing a medium build, a dark skin complexion, light brown eyes, and a thin black mustache. "You had to be a brick wall and have some poor pedestrian accidentally walk into you... again! This is why the entire precinct calls you 'Rick the Brick,' and why I said you should go into powerlifting and not law enforcement!"

"C'mon, Damien, is it bad that I want to keep fit?" the first officer—Rick—replied as the second officer handed him a cup.

"You're too muscly for this job. Apologies for the actions of 'Rick the Brick,' ma'am. Damien Johnson, at your service," the second officer—Damien—said, tipping his hat. "This man here is Rick Mason. But don't worry! He's harmless and a big ol' softie. Loves working with kids and doin' all that community outreach work."

"Hi," I answered, puzzled by the duo's back-and-forth conversation and unsure of how to respond.

"You alright, Miss?" Damien asked.

"I'm... fine," I replied. I must've looked worried, because their cheerful expressions morphed into what appeared to be sympathy.

"Look, I know it ain't my business, but I find that one way for me to clear my head is to get a nice, tall hot cocoa from this cafe," Rick said, pointing at the shop—"Le Café du Quartier"—from where Damien just came.

"Run by a real nice lady, Mrs. Adalene Martin and her husband. 'Specially once you get to know her. Get one of her chocolate croissants, too! She makes 'em the French way!" Damien added.

"Bro, her family's from France, so that's a no-duh," Rick told him bluntly. "Pain au chocolat is what it's called, although people of the southwest region of France call it chocolatine. It's a big debate. But seriously, it's really nice. Some of the guys like hanging out here too, and we all bring our families from time to time. It's universally acclaimed!"

"Son, when did you become so smart?" Damien asked teasingly.

"You're only ten years older than me! Plus, I read!" Rick argued. "Anyways, we have to go. Seriously, though, try out some of Mrs. Martin's Le Chocolat Chaud! It is amazing!"

"What he said. Have a Merry Christmas, Miss," Damien said as he tipped his hat once more with a bright smile.

"You as well," I replied, maintaining cordiality.

The two officers walked away, restarting their banter while continuing their foot patrol, occasionally pausing to greet other civilians with a smile and a wave.

'Interesting fellows, almost straight out of a buddy cop movie... but they have a point. You do need to clear your head... and you do love hot chocolate,' the nagging voice said.

'Shut up,' I thought back as I walked into the shop. That phrase is becoming one of my favorites these days.

The shop was relatively small, with only a dozen tables or so. About a quarter of them were filled with small groups of people. Soft Christmas music played in the background, and decorations were up.

'Must be a local gathering place.'

"Oh, good morning!" said a female voice with a French accent, snapping me back to reality. Behind the counter was a smiling elderly woman. "How can I help you, Mademoiselle?"

'This must be Mrs. Adalene Martin.'

"Hello. I just ran into the two officers that were just outside—quite literally—and they recommended coming in here for hot chocolate and a chocolate croissant," I said.

"Ah, Rick and Damien! They're such nice boys, and they made a great recommendation! Would you like it in a large cup?" she asked.

"Yes please."

"Anything else?"

"No, thank you."

"Takeaway or for here?"

I checked my watch, before finally answering, "Takeaway, please."

'Better start heading back.'

"Very well. Un grand chocolat chaud et un pain au chocolat," she said as she typed it into the register.

"Chocolatine, Belle-mère! Chocolatine!" said a younger man preparing a drink behind her.

"You had to marry a boy from Toulouse, didn't you, Eloise?" Adalene sighed.

"Mère!" a young waitress—Eloise, apparently—gasped.

"I'm joking, my dear. Of course I like Adam! He's a good boy," Adalene chuckled.

"You continue that, Adalene, and you'll start a revolution. Only this time, you'll fuel the whole pain au chocolat-chocolatine debate!" said an older staff member with a French accent as he walked into the area behind the counter.

"Gabriel, it's fine! Un grand chocolat chaud et un pain au chocolat pour la jeune fille," she ordered.

"Tout de suite, mon chéri," Gabriel replied with a wink as he got to work.

"$6.50," Adalene said. I paid her, placing $2.00 of the change into the tip jar and then pocketing the rest.

"A fresh batch was completed recently, so it should be ready soon. Please, be seated," Adalene said, gesturing towards a bench by the window.

As I sat, I stared out the window as I considered the events that unfolded before me. I found it a bit interesting that there was some extra small talk (not much, but still) and a takeaway option. While this is common in America, from what I remembered about French culture, these two occurrences aren't exactly customary (Author's Note: this is based on research of French culture. Is this accurate?).

'I suppose in Rome, do as the Romans do.'

"Here you are!" said a male voice about fifteen minutes later. I turned to my left to see the son-in-law—Adam—holding a large to-go cup and a pastry bag.

"Thank you," I said as I accepted the bag.

"Of course. Good day!" he said with a nod before walking back behind the counter.

"Joyeux Noël!"Adalene called.

"Merry Christmas!" I replied before walking out the door.

This was certainly an interesting morning: somehow I went from waking up to walking back to the apartment with a cup of hot chocolate in one hand and a chocolate croissant in the other. While this doesn't seem bad or even strange for most people, it's the series of events in between that was quite shocking: the moment of panic and worry, the internal argument, and more. All because of Benjamin Ripley.

'What is he doing to me?' I thought furiously.

'He's making you want to do things to him,' the annoying voice replied, causing me to choke on my hot chocolate (which was excellent, just like the officers said). 'You know, stuff like—'

'NO, NO HE ISN'T!' I mentally screamed, feeling embarrassed at the dirty thoughts my mind was referring to. 'I DON'T WANT TO DISPLAY AFFECTION! I CAN'T!'

'Who said that's what you wanted to do?'

'I. DON'T. LIKE. HIM. LIKE. THAT!'

'Interesting... first you said you don't like him, period. Now you say you don't like him romantically. How did that shift occur?'

'I—well what do you know?'

'You dumbass, I'm literally part of your mind—a figment of your imagination, but part of your mind nonetheless.'

'JUST SHUT UP!'

'Oh all right,' the voice huffed. 'For now... just so you can enjoy the croissant and hot chocolate. Those are good!'

'At least we can agree on something,' I replied as I took a bite out of the croissant.

'Although I'm sure—with some candlelight, roses, soft music, and a few kisses—you want to share some of this with Be—'

'WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT SHUTTING UP?!?'

"I LIIIIIIIIIIIVE!" - Mushu, Mulan

It's been a while, hasn't it, folks?  I do apologize.  I don't get to check Wattpad as much these days.  Plus, while I've got plot ideas, I'm having trouble articulating them in writing, and I don't think bullet points make for a good story.

ETA on the next update?  No clue.  However, I've got a new idea for a Spy School-relevant book... not a story, but it's quite similar to the Vines book.

Anyways, Alexander and Catherine are still getting it on (in a PG/PG-13 fashion); Zoe, Mike, and Jawa are plotting; Erica is continuing to experience introspection; and everyone else's fate is yet to be known.  I plan on fleshing out everyone's character in the upcoming chapters, and this includes the creation of characteristics that are in no way canon.  However, I'm doing it for the sake of adding more to the story.

Once again, thanks for continuing to read!  If you've got any questions, drop them in the comments!  I'll respond when I can.

Until next time.  Stay safe, and don't forget to hydrate!

- ADF-2