Cal, now dressed, fixed her makeup while she waited for James to come to her room.

There was a knock on the door.

She opened the door and smiled.  She was wearing a burgundy Spanish style top.  It was off the shoulder and had bell sleeves.  With it she wore a black skirt.  "Bonjour."

"You look great."  He smiled.

"Merci."  She smiled.  Her hair was up in a twist and she kissed him softly.  "I am sorry if I bored you at the shoot today."

"Not at all.  I enjoyed watching you work."

"You enjoyed me not having much on."

"That too."

She laughed.  "Allons-y."

He offered his arm once more, and off they went.

Cal laid her head on his arm for a second.  "It was very nice of you to come.  I won't be as busy tomorrow."

"Good.  It was my pleasure to come."

"They told me I need to lose more weight..."

"I think they're full of it, you're absolutely beautiful as you are."

"I think they're mostly mad because I won't agree to do the shoot nude..."

"You have that right.  It's your body."

"I just...I can prance around and show off my breasts all day but I don't want to be completely naked for men to stare at."

"And you're entitled to that."

"Well...sometimes I like to be naked.  But only for one man at a time."

"Good to know."  James smiled and kissed her cheek.

She laughed.  "Tell me more about you."

"More about me... what do you want to know?"

"What's your favorite thing to do?"

"My favorite thing to do?  Take beautiful women out to dinner, like I'm doing now."

"Ah...so I am a hobby to you?"

"No.  My favorite thing to do happens to be a rare treat."

"Ah.  Of course."

"I spend a lot of time working."

"I can imagine a Vice president would.  So you said earlier you like art.  What kind of art?"

"Any art.  I like the classics, sure, but I like contemporary stuff.  And the arts.  Music, theater."

"J'aime le theatre..."  She smiled.

"I'll keep that in mind."

"I would love to get into acting."

"You could do it."

"I don't know...we will see."

"We will."  He smiled. 

~*~*~

"You called?"  Cass greeted, walking into the office.

"Would you like to go see La Boheme tonight?"

"Yes."

"Good.  Be ready by 7, is that okay?"

"Absolutely.  And you, sir, may prepare yourself for a surprise."

"Oh can I?"

"You can."  She smiled.  "I've scoped out my closet and bathroom this time."

"Oh really?"

"Yes.  You're admirably well-equipped."

"I know."  He winked.

She laughed.  "I'm going to go, I need to shower."

"Alright.  I have work to do anyway."

"It'll be worth it to you later."  She smiled and headed for her room.

Once there, she pulled out another deep green dress - not the same one she'd worn the last time, but very much the same style.  The strapless dress set off the emerald choker Garrett had given her nicely, she decided.  She pulled her hair up elegantly and put on the earrings she had found which matched the choker perfectly, went through the routine of makeup, and was ready five minutes early.

Garrett was waiting downstairs.  "Cass?  You ready?!"  He called

"Yeah," she called back, leaving the room and heading downstairs.

Looking at her almost took his breath away.  "You're..."

She smiled at him.  "Ready to go?"  She offered to complete his sentence.

"Yeah..."

Cass kissed him softly. "I wanted to look pretty for you."

"You succeeded."

"Well thank you."

"I love you."

She smiled.  "I love you too."

"Feel like going to an opera?"  James asked.

"Really?"  Cal asked, her eyes lighting.

"Really."

"I'd love to!  Oh James!"

"La Boheme, later tonight.  What do you think?"

She hugged him tightly.  "You are the best!"

He laughed.  "Well I aim to please."

"You hit the bullseye every time."

He kissed her.  "Shall I let you get ready?"

"Yeah..."

"Come get you at seven."

"D'accord."  She kissed him.

He kissed back a moment then left wearing a smile.  Seven it was.

~*~*~

Cassidy could feel that Garrett was still watching her.  Good.  That had been the plan.  "You like this dress."

"I like you."

"I knew you'd say that." She glanced across at another box as they sat.  "That's..."

"What?"  Garrett asked.

Cal smiled, scooting close to James.  She glanced across the way and squinted.  She pulled out her opera glasses.  No...it couldn't be.  "I need to use the restroom..."  She whispered.  She had to tell Aidan.

"It's Cal.  And James."

"Shit...I hope she didn’t see you."

"She got up and walked off..."

"So now we have to decide.  Do I send you out after her to stop her from telling...or do we hope she didn’t see?"

"We'd better do something... she saw, she looked directly up here."

"Go talk to her."

Cass nodded and kissed him briefly.

"Aidan."  Cal whispered in the bathroom.  "Dammit...come in."

"Good luck."

Aidan did, as if on cue.  "Yeah?"

"Cass is here."

"Thank you.  Love you."  She hoped to God Cal hadn't already called someone and gotten people called in... it could be the last time she saw him, she realized, if Cal had.

"What??  And where are you?"

"At the opera.  With the guy I met.  But I saw her!"

"With the guy you met?!?"

"Yes.  His name is James Richardson.  He's smart, he's funny, he's rich, he treats me like a queen.  That's besides the point."

"You're there looking for James Walker, not to fuck around with tourists!"

"I can fuck whoever I damn well please!"

"I send you out on a mission because I trust you and this is how you spend your time?!?"

"Why do you even care?!"

"Because I care!  You're on a mission!"

"You fucked Cass on your mission!"

"That was entirely different!”

"How?  You don’t even give a fuck about me as a person."

"I'm not doing this with you.  Get the hell back to work."  He hung up.

Cal felt tears hit her eyes, a combination of hurt and sheer anger.  She walked out and tried to reapply her eyeliner.

Cassidy knew that if Cal were going to call, she'd go to the bathroom to do it, and so that's where she headed.  "Cal."

"What are you doing here?!  Come on, we have to go." She swiped at the tears.

"No.  Listen, I know you're all wondering where I've gone, but I'm here for a night and then leaving again.  I'm fine, I'm safe."

"How are you safe?!"

"I'm safe, that's all I can tell you.  Would I be out here in a gown at an opera if I feared for my life?"

"So instead we all fear for you right?  I'm here alone trying to help find you.  Fucking Krit is back at the IMF distraught because you're gone."

"I'm telling you not to.  And stop looking.  If you come across me it'll be like this; someone's oversight."

"I can't just stop looking.  Come with me, let's go."

"Tell Krit I'm safe, and tell Aidan I'm safe and to get a one-way ticket to hell.  I'm not leaving."

"Aidan doesn't give a fuck about anyone but his own damn self."  She squeezed her eyes shut at this.

"Then stop dwelling on him.  I warned you.  Go back to your date."

"Why?  So he has more to bitch about?"

"He doesn't matter.  He's no good for anything besides an occasional fuck and his talent for always being pissed."

"Cass...was that Spencer you were with?"

"I'm safe, Cal."  And with that Cass fled the bathroom, heading back to the box.

"How'd it go?"  Garrett asked.

"Alright, I think."

Cal calmed herself and then fixed her makeup.  "Miss me?"  She asked, sitting down.

"Always."

"Did she tell?"

"When do you leave Paris?"  Cal asked him.

"She tried, I think.  She looked upset about something."

"I still have a while yet, I think."

"Do you know what?"

"Bien."

He smiled at her.

"No. I didn't hear her talking to anyone or anything," Cass said.

"Great."  He sighed.  "Question.  Who's Krit?"

"A man in the unit."

The opera started and kept him from asking any further questions.

As it ended, James turned to Cal.  "Come back to my place."

"Okay."

"We'll order room service and sit around for all I care, but I don't want to part company with you for the night yet."

"I don't want to either."  She smiled and took his arm.

Garrett didn't say much as the show ended.  "Come on."

James smiled at her and escorted her to the car.

Cass got up, walking close beside him.  The evening had started so well, and yet now she wondered if she was about to get punished for something.

"Tonight was wonderful."  Cal said.

"I thought so too."  James smiled.

"I heard the conversation in the bathroom.  You kept things from me."

"What did I keep from you?  That she reacted badly to mention of Aidan?"

"Merci.  This is the best thing anyone has done for me."

"Glad I could be the one to do it."

"That, yes.  Which helps me because I can tell James that.  But you kept it from me."

"Moi aussi."  She kissed him softly.

"I didn't get much time to talk to you, either."

He kissed back.

"I asked you and you withheld it."

"I can't wait to get you alone."

"Well then I apologize, Garrett."

"Tell me what you know about Johnson and Callahan."

He smiled.  "I have to say I'm looking forward to that myself."  The car stopped and he got the door for her.

"I know they screw.  I know she was wavering on attachment when I left."

"This has been the best week of my life."  Cal said, knowing full well her communicator was on.

"Was she crying in the bathroom?"

"Mine too.  I don't think I'll ever think of Paris the same way..."

"Fixing her makeup."

"How much further?"  Cal whispered.

"That's it?"

"Fixing it because she had been crying."

"Not much at all," he told her, unlocking the door to his room and pushing it open for her.

"I need to tell James..."

"I wouldn't call right now, judging from when they left."

Cal walked in happily and smiled.  "Nice room."

"Well thank you."

"Fine."

"Nice big bed..."  She commented.

She seemed slightly taken aback at his rather short answer.  "What'd I do?"

"That it is," he agreed, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her.

"You didn't do anything."

"I want you..."  Cal whispered.  Take that Aidan.  She hadn't even fucked him yet.  But now she would.  So he could hear.

She simply nodded.  "I love you."

"Then come over here, beautiful," James said.

"I love you too.  And so does this Krit person."

"What?"

Cal unzipped her dress and let it fall to the floor.  "I've never wanted any man like I've wanted you."

"Agent Lee."

"You... are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

"I know who you mean, what do you mean he loves me?"

"And you, sir, are the most handsome man I've ever laid eyes on."

"He does."

"Hardly, he's a little naive sometimes and he definitely cared more about me than I did him, but he doesn't *love* me."

James scooped her up and gently placed her on the bed.

"He does."

Cassidy suddenly felt the distance between the two of them in the back of the car.  "I don't love him."

"Okay."

"I dressed up for you tonight, Garrett, because I love you and I trust you and I want you.  And I want you to love me.  Don't stop loving me..."

Cal made sure to be as loud as she could throughout the whole thing.  "You are...the best I've ever had..."

"And you're the same," he kissed her softly.

Back at the IMF, Aidan hurled a book at the window, shattering it.

"I never stopped.  I never will stop."

Cal kissed him deeply.  "Good."

"Can I sit by you?"

He gently brushed curls out of her face.

"Yes."

"I want to stay here tonight."  Cal said.

"Then stay."

Cassidy slid down to sit close by his side, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry Cass."

"Hold me?"

"As long as you want me to," James replied, holding her close.

"It's alright... you just caught me off guard."  She paused.  "You heard the bathroom discussions, then you should know I love you and I won't leave you."

"I know."

Cass kissed him softly.  "I belong with you, Garrett, I belong to you."

"Forever?"

"As long as you want me."

"I want you forever."

"Then I'm yours forever."

To The Next Part