Promises by mardel Rated R at least maybe Nc-17 There is slash in this story so you've been warned Filler, spoilers for Enemy of my Enemy Bobby could have wrung her neck for challenging his authority in front of the assault team. But he could never hurt her. Then the moment was over and Darien was back safe. Claire was behaving strangely. Ever since Arnald had escaped. Bobby was worried about her. He was worried about his partner too, but he'd checked on Fawkes only a few minutes ago. He was crashed in his bed. Bobby had slipped into his apartment to make sure he was handling things. Bobby was sure Claire would figure it out. A way to save Darien's sanity and keep him alive. Claire was a genius every bit as much as Kevin had been. Bobby pulled the van into the street Claire's house was on. He was going to check on her too. But he was going in the normal way, he knocked on her door. "Who's there?" Claire's voice came shortly after his knock. "Bobby, can I talk to you for a minute?" "Bobby it something wrong with Darien?" Claire opened her door and looked puzzled when she saw he was alone. "Can I come in?" "Yes, of course." She stepped out of the door way to allow him entrance. "What did you want to talk to me about?" She asked, closing her door and turning to face him. She'd changed into a pair of loose leggings and a baggy shirt once he'd gotten home. Bobby had only seen her dressed so casually once before. She looked nice, but then she always did. He noticed she still looked troubled. "I'm worried about you, you're taking this all to seriously. Not that it's not serious. What I mean is it's not your fault that Arnald blew his way out, you were only trying to help Darien." "It is my fault. I'm the one who gave him the computer." She lifted her hand to the back of her neck and rubbed. Tension always seemed to settle in her shoulders. "You'll figure it out, I have faith in you." Bobby nodded. "I'm sure I could figure it out, given the enough time. But that's the problem Bobby, Darien doesn't have much time." "I know." "You realize of course that even if I do discover a cure or treatment for quicksilver madness, the Official isn't going to allow me to fix the gland. He still wants to have control over Darien." "What are you saying? He's not that ruthless, if it means saving Fawkes's life …" Bobby trailed off once he saw the look on Claire's face. "You figured it out already didn't you? You just don't have a way to keep Darien on his leash. So that fat bastard won't let you fix him. Damn it." Bobby cursed. "I didn't say that." Claire attempted to defuse his temper. "You didn't have to. He's threatening you with the loss of your job if you tell Darien isn't he?" Bobby searched her face for the answer. "Worse, he's promised to make me remove the gland if I tell Darien there is a way for me to treat the madness." "You could refuse." "He'd find another Dr. He's that determined to keep control over the gland." She stated, then sighed. Bobby paced down her hall then back to her. "There has to be a way, I won't let my partner go through that hell again." "Bobby, do you think Darien would stay if he didn't need the counteragent anymore?" "Yeah, I think he would. But he wouldn't want to if he found out about this latest bit of treachery on the Official's part." "You know there is one way to guarantee that Darien won't want to leave the Agency?" Claire suddenly had an idea, it had occurred to her before now but she'd considered it a last resort kind of measure. She grinned. "What are you suggesting?" Bobby had an idea, but he wasn't sure if she was thinking the same thing he was thinking. "The Official hinted at the beginning of this project that giving Darien another reason to want to stay with the Agency would be advantageous." "He wanted you to sleep with Fawkes just so he'd want to stay around?" "Yes, at I did consider the idea, but it seemed so unfair to him. His life was already out of his control he didn't need a pretend lover added to the mix. But it's been almost two years now, I've grown to love Darien as a friend. If it would help save him, I think we should give him a stronger reason to stay with the Agency." "Hold up there Keepie, we?" Bobby wasn't sure he'd heard her correctly. "Yes, we. It hasn't escaped me the looks you two exchange all the time. I've read Darien's entire file, even the confidential parts that only the Official is supposed to have access to. I'm sure you've picked up on the connection you and he have." "You're suggesting that Fawkes and I have been lovers?" Bobby couldn't believe she'd said that. He might think about his hunk of a partner in his head when he was feeling … never mind. But how did she know? "You telling me you haven't been?" Claire was sure she'd read the signs correctly. "No, we haven't. What makes you think Fawkes would give me the time of day if we weren't partners?" Bobby's usual low self esteem in the romance department was again rearing it's ugly head. "Wait, check that what makes you think I'd want him to?" "There is something magnetic about you Bobby. You grow on people, the only reason I've never taken you up on any of your passes, was I also have a rule about dating people I work with. My relationship with Kevin taught me that lesson." Claire moved a step closer to him. "And as for the a reason you'd want him to, because Darien is one of the sexist men on the planet. I've seen those soft expression you turn on him in times of crisis, that's not just concern Bobby." "Ok, so you caught me. But you think we should double team him?" "Yes, we need to give him as many reasons to stay as there are to leave. If we can fulfill him emotionally, I can give him the treatment, then we can pretend he's still suffering quicksilver madness. I'll develop a faux new counter agent. After several months, and Darien is still around. We'll tell the Official, proof that Darien will stay on his own." "What if Fawkes doesn't want us? Have you considered that?" Bobby worried. "I know he wants you Bobby, I've very good at discerning these things. I may be the one that is only a fling for a few times. Have you got a better idea?" "No." He considered the options, and he didn't have one other than killing the Official. That wouldn't solve Darien's problem, it would only postpone it. "I think we should get started tonight. Darien seemed very low when he left the Keep this evening. Not that I don't understand his reasons." Claire move towards her stairs. "I'll just go and change." Bobby was feeling happy, as he waited for Claire to rejoin him downstairs. He'd wondered about his partner, there had been times when he'd thought Darien might have feelings for him. But he'd always dismissed them as wishful thinking. He'd soon find out.