Hey, *SPOILER WARNING: SMALL BERICA SSR SPOILERS, PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK*, his outfit is above, but he has a jeans jacket with a hood instead of the blazer :)

Best Western
Thompson, Manitoba, Canada
7:45 PM
Sunday
February 6th

Mike's POV:
I put on some casual clothes, dark tight jeans, a tight white collared tee, and a dark blue jeans jacket with a gray hood attached to it, with some white Adidas shoes. I was just gonna take her for lunch at some local restaurant and then go for a walk around the pier with some ice cream.

I got there 5 minutes early and knocked on the door.

"Name?" Mr. Williamson said.

"Solomon sir. Solomon Parker."

"Business?"

"I'm here to see Charlotte sir."

"Daddy! Is Solomon here?" She called from up the large staircase.

"I believe so dear."

"Hi Sol! I'll be right out!" She said, waving.

"Okay." I smiled, waving back.

She came down and slid some shoes on.

"Who is he darling?"

"Daddy this is Solomon. But his friends call him Sol."

"Okay, and he is?"

"The guy I told you about. The one who asked me out?"

"Oh. Alright, well, have fun sweetheart." He said simply before hugging her and going back inside.

I thought they said he'd be upset. That's a little strange.

Everyone back at the hotel was listening via my air-pod earpiece I had.

"Shoot I forgot my phone, be right back."

"No problem at all. I'll wait right here for you."

She smiled and jogged back to grab her phone. Once I was sure no one could hear me, I muttered and looked away.

"Guys... you catch that?"

"Yes we did dear."

"Catherine, wasn't that a little strange?"

"Indeed it was."

"What if it's because he's just gonna kill me soon so it doesn't matter?"

"Calm down Mike, I'm sure it's not that." Ben laughed. "Zoe, Cyrus, can you two do some research and figure out how her previous relationships ended and how he reacted?"

"Already on it."

"Sure kid."

"Cyrus, I'm 23." Ben laughed again.

"Whatever. I was in this business fighting the Russkies in the Cold War when your parents were in diapers, you're still a kid by comparison."

"Okay then." He laughed.

"Mike, I'll tell you when we find out, for now just try to get information about her without being super sus and constantly asking about her father. You're on a date with her, not her dad."

"Gotcha." I laughed.

"Mention something about your dad like a while into the meal after asking about her a lot to get on the topic, and then ask what he does, but don't push it."

"Roger that. She's coming back out now. Bravo 6, going dark."

"You're such a nerd." Ben laughed.

"Hey, takes one to know one. And at least I'm a hot nerd."

"And I'm not?" He teased.

"Of course you are, but I've been hot."

"And I am. I'm living in the present baby, so BOOM. Sure you're hot, but who cares about the past? The now is where it's at man, and in the now, I'm stronger, smarter, and hotter. Nerdy or not I could kick your ass and outwit you any day." Ben joked, and I swear I could almost hear him grinning.

I heard Erica laugh in the background.

"You two are ridiculous."

"Sometimes I wonder why we put up with their craziness."

"Because, ridiculous or not, you love us." I countered.

"Sure." Zoe said.

"Uh... ow."

"Kidding. Now could you two stop flirting, focus, and get to work?" Zoe asked, laughing hysterically.

"Hey, we weren't flirting, and it's not gay if it's with the homies, so boom. Either way, we win, and you lose." Ben laughed.

"Whatever, but seriously she's probably coming back out soon and will be really upset if she sees him on the phone laughing and complimenting someone a ton."

"Shoot she is coming."

"Good luck man." Ben said encouragingly.

"Thanks."

I saw her walk back out and jog to me.

"Okay. Ready to go?" I asked.

"Definitely."

"Where we going?"

"You'll see." I smirked mysteriously.

I put my right hand in my pocket as we walked, since she was on my left.

"So... why'd you come here of all places?"

"I don't know really. Just felt like the right place to go."

"So you just chose randomly?"

"I just googled where to find the cutest girls." When I saw her look of jealousy, I smirked. "What's with the glare? I was being sarcastic Char. I already found the cutest one. But anyways, yes, it was totally random. I'd worked hard, and decided to take a vacation. I threw a dart at a map and it landed dead center in Thompson, Manitoba."

"Wow. That makes it sound like it was-"

"Fate? My thought too." I said, biting my lip gently.

I saw her smile brightly and then bite her lip as she blushed.

I felt bad about what I'd done, but I knew she was hooked. Even though I'd have to break her heart for the mission, it was still breaking her heart. But, I'd completed my part. Now it was up to the others to get Ben and Erica in, and Zoe to become friends with Sofia.

After we went for dinner and ice cream on a walk, I walked her home.

"So..." She started.

"So..."

I noticed her look at my lips and then back to my eyes. I took this to mean she wanted me to kiss her, but I hesitated. She stood there staring into my eyes dreamily, but I also saw that she really wanted me to. So I leaned in and kissed her. It was just a simple kiss but she seemed thrilled I'd gotten the hint.

"Goodnight Sol."

"Night Char."

I went back to the hotel and up to our rooms.

"Hey Mike." Ben greeted me as I walked in.

"Ben, come here." Cyrus called.

"Coming."

"Hey." I saw Zoe at the desk. "Hey babe."

"Hi."

"You okay?"

"Wonderful."

"Stop that. What's wrong?"

"You kissed her didn't you?"

"I had to. She kept staring at me and wouldn't go inside. So I quick kissed her and she went in."

"Knew it."

"Zoe, I love you. Not her. I've never loved anyone as much as I love you. I promise you I'm not in love with her. She's not my type." I knelt down beside her and held her hands in mine. The ring was in my pocket. And I was gonna do it.

"Oh and I am?"

"You are my type Zo."

She blushed and smiled.

"I don't want anyone but you. I love you so much. Will you-"

"Would you two lovebirds get back to work? And plus, come here, I just found something you're gonna want to see." Cyrus grumbled.

I SWEAR TO GODS. WHY! WHY ME? I WAS 2 WORDS AWAY OMG!

"What's up?" She asked, walking towards them.

"Look at this. I did some digging, Sofia isn't Sofia Williamson. She's Sofia Harper."

"Who's that?" I asked.

"No it's not someone famous or anything, she's not really Charlotte's sister. She's her best friend. She lives with them because her family... wasn't kind to her. And the Williamsons took her in, since she was Charlotte's best friend."

"Wow. That is big. Now Ben, can I talk to you? In private?"

Zoe narrowed her eyes at me suspiciously.

"Sure man. Let's go next-door. You heard what E said about going downstairs together."

We went into the bathroom.

"DUDE I CANNOT BELIEVE CYRUS!"

"What's wrong?"

"I got so close and then he interrupted." I put my head in my hands.

"Shoot seriously? Wow. Well as someone who's proposed, just go right out and say it. It makes it easier I promise."

"Alright." I said confidently. "Nope never mind, I can't do it. I'm just gonna wait until the mission is over. Then there'll be no distractions and it'll be more romantic."

"Whatever you say. But if you change your mind, I got you."

I nodded and we walked back into the other room, where we saw Zoe and Erica talking in the corner, the latter of which seemed to be choking.

Erica's POV:
I saw Zoe's look of suspicion.

"Come here Zoe."

"What's up?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing-" She saw my look. "Fine, I don't know what's going on but Mike is being super sus."

"You really think he's gonna leave you? you guys have been dating almost 10 years."

"8 and a half, but maybe. I don't know. I mean I remember how he was when he was younger, he would go through girls like 5 or 6 a week. He'd just date one for a couple days, maybe weeks, and if they were really lucky, maybe even a month."

"And you've been with him for 8 and a half years. So what's the problem then?"

"What if my time is up?"

I shouldn't have, but I actually laughed.

"It's not. It won't be."

"How do you know?"

"He loves you more than anything. I see the way he looks at you and so does Ben, and everyone else does too. He loves you so so much Zoe. Ben once told me Mike's never been so happy and in love before. He went through the other girls so fast because he didn't really love them. But he does love you. Give him some time to prove it."

She nodded. "Alright."

"You won't regret it." I said as I tried to go back to work.

"Erica, wait."

"What's up?" I asked before taking a sip from my water bottle.

"Wouldn't it be amazing if he proposed?"

I choked and started coughing.

"Uh huh."

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm great."

She saw Mike and Ben walk in.

She walked over to them, and I went back to work. Ben came and sat next to me.

"E?"

"Yeah?"

"Cyrus messed Mike up."

"What'd he do?" I asked cautiously.

"Nonono Cyrus interrupted Mike when he was trying to you know what. Mikehad two words left."

I laughed and shook my head.

"Of course he did."

"Hey! I mean in his defense, It was an accident."

"What was?" Zoe asked.

"Huh? Oh uh... nothing."

"What was an accident Ben?" She asked suspiciously.

"I- forgot to water the plants on accident before we left so they're probably dying." He said.

She nodded, but still looked suspicious. She went over to her workspace area.

"Wow Ben, you're getting a lot better at making up excuses on the spot. Little hesitant but you got there."

"Thanks. But I might have actually forgotten to water the plants, hence why I thought of it."

"I did when you were packing."

"Oh good. I thought I might have killed Fernando."

"Which one was that again?"

"The fern? Because FERNando." He grinned.

"Oh yes. Fernando the Fern. My bad."

"Yes it is. Fernando is a very important part of this family."

"I apologize." I said, trying to keep a straight face.

"Don't apologize to me, apologize to him when we get home."

"Okay." I said, unable to hide my amusement.

He smiled showing he was joking and kissed me.

"Our expanding family at that."

"Indeed it is. First you and me, then Mav, then Fernando and all the plants, and now a kid's on the way. Later on we have to talk about how we want to handle that though. We can either try to let him or her have a normal life and keep their existence secret except to our friends and family, or we can train them early so they can take care of themselves and be able to become a spy like us."

"What do you think? As much simpler as my normal life was, it was also really boring and kinda lonesome. I had Mike, but that was kinda it. I think it'd be good to train them and let them make their own way here."

"Honestly I'm a little scared to train them because we can't always protect them, and that bothers me, but I also agree that we'd have to be a lot less secretive and they could be like us and go to Spy School. We can ask Trixie since she was in the situation where she had a normal life and then was brought into our world, she'd probably have good ideas on that topic."

"That makes sense, but, let's teach them for now, and we can make that choice when the time comes. Either way it'd be good for them to know how to fight."

"Agreed. Now, let's change the subject before the others catch on."

"Alright." He nodded.

"What do you wanna talk about then?"

"How much I love you?" He said as he kissed my neck. "Because that'd be something we could talk about for a while, seeing I love you more than anything else."

"That sounds like a great topic, though how much I love you would be better seeing as we could talk about it for longer. But we should probably get back to work or go get some rest now though."

"Boooring." He teased. "Let's play a game then. I'm really bored."

"That's because you have the... attention... span... of a... goldfish? What are you looking at?"

He'd walked over and was staring out the window at something.

"I sensed a squirrel."

"You sensed a squirrel?"

"Yes."

I walked over and stood next to him. He was staring intensely at a tree. I noticed a squirrel climbing up it in a spiral around the trunk.

"Boom. Told you I sensed a squirrel."

"And proved my point. You have the attention span of a dog around a squirrel."

He shrugged.

"Maybe so, but short attention span or not, I still won you over, so I think I'm doing pretty well."

"Always were a smart-a-"

"Ben."

"Huh?"

"I always was a smart Ben. Because if you recall, I was the less snarky and smart-ass one of the two of us as kids. And less of the ass in general, considering you told me to stop pining after you because it could never happen, and then preceded to get mad at me for listening and focusing more on Zoe."

"Hey! I wasn't that bad, and ever heard the saying 'If you love something, let it go?' Well that's what I was-"

"I have heard it, it just didn't fit with our situation, and hold on a sec. You loved me?"

"I- um... well not really... I mean-"

"You totally did!" He laughed. "I knew it!"

"Anyways, remember when you cleared my name for trying to almost kill you?"

"Yep. That was fun."

"Don't even. I saved you and cleared your name so much more. And don't act like you didn't like being the knight in shining armor; my hero."

"So I'm your night in shining armor and your hero? Wow that mission really did go better than I thought."

"Yeah, and we also almost kissed 3 times."

"Yep. Once when you got flung off the book inventory belt at me, and then when we were in my dorm and you actually opened up to me, and I was about to kiss you when Chip barged in, remind me to kill him when we get back, and then in DC when I almost died trying to stop that crazy happy lady with the chicken sculpture thing."

"You remembered all that?"

"Of course I did. Though I remember your comment before almost kissing me after you saved me and were doing like basic first aid."

"You do?"

"Uh, yeah. You literally responded to me asking if you knew basic first aid, by saying and I quote, 'I know exactly how to make you feel better.'"

"Oh yeah. Guess I did, didn't I?"

"What caught me so off guard was how I was sitting there wounded badly because of the whole plan to save you, prove your innocence, and save America, and you made a remark like that. And it wasn't your usual cold voice. You practically smirked as you said it flirtatiously. Erica Hale didn't flirt back then."

"I did too. You just didn't notice."

"Maybe because you thought a simple hint of a smile at me was considered flirting. Meanwhile I'd done all but tell you I loved you, though you no doubt knew."

"Well I also told you you were the only one not in my family that I trusted."

"Only after saying that you wouldn't be able to be sure I was innocent had the tables been turned."

"Because I'd been betrayed before. Hurt too."

"Which I knew. But you just coming and talking to me? That meant more than you'll ever know. At least then I got to see another glimpse of normal Erica. Honest Erica. Because you often lied to me and manipulated and tricked me. Which really hurt to be honest."

"I know, and I'm sorry."

"It's okay baby. But what made you decide to talk to me?"

"I just felt like I had to. Like... it was time to stop running from it and accept that I really liked you, and to try to be more honest. It was hard, especially since you two dated after we got back from Europe, though gonna be honest, I wasn't that upset about you guys breaking up, even though it was selfish. But it took all the strength I had and some to go there and tell you."

"I remember. I'd fallen asleep at my desk when I woke up suddenly and you actually said, 'It's only me,' instead of just appearing and scaring the crap out of me."

"And you just assumed it was something about the mission."

"Because it always had been before."

"Fair."

"I remember you said I never doubted you."

"Why didn't you?"

"I told you then."

"No you just said I'd not have doubted you either."

"Oh." He said thoughtfully. "Well. You were my best friend for starters. And I knew you well. If you'd wanted to kill me, I'd have been dead. And that you wouldn't have gotten caught on the security cams. It seemed sloppy, and especially for you."

I nodded and listened.

"And I was in love. Though the others were more reassuring."

"Remember what I said about Trixie?"

"You used to pity her for not being a spy, but envied that she didn't have to worry about people being trustworthy, and that she'd never have to run away from a relationship because they were dangerous."

"Yeah."

I changed into my pajamas in the bathroom and we laid down in bed quietly. Everyone was asleep so we could talk quietly. Though we were both silent until he spoke up.

"What did you mean by that last part?"

"Huh?"

"What did you mean by the last part?"

"I don't know really."

"Did that mean you were ready for a relationship? Or that you wanted one but knew you couldn't/really shouldn't? Or that you were still scared of one?"

"Kinda a mix of all of them."

"Because you said that and all I could think was how much I wanted to kiss you." He paused with a small smile on his face. "Like I do right now. Did you want me to kiss you when we stood there?"

"A little. And you froze, so I decided I'd kiss you, but then I heard Chip coming and dodged away."

"I remember. It was the first time in a while I'd had the urge to strangle someone."

I smiled and shook my head as I fell asleep next to him.

Okay good gods that took forever to finish writing.