Aidan was there waiting when Cal stepped off the plane.  "Hi."

"Hi."  She smiled a little warily and held out her arms to him.

He hugged her briefly.  "Where have you been?"

"They took me...James...he shot me with a tranq gun..."

"And you, the world-class thief, so proud of your accomplishments, couldn't get out?"  Aidan raised an eyebrow.  "I doubt it."

"I figured I'd use it to get information."

"And you just look like you've been tortured this last month."  His tone dripped with sarcasm.

"I did what I could to stay alive!"

"Right.  Get in the car."

Cal looked at him, hurt, and got in.

"There are people you need to meet," Aidan said, sitting on one side of the car with a young blonde Cal had never seen before.  "That's Agent Peter Jenkins, he's replaced Agent Kincaide.  Krit may be looking but she's been reported as KIA as far as I'm concerned.  And this is Agent Meredith Reynolds."

The blonde looked Cal up and down and placed a hand on Aidan's leg.

"Nice to meet you...and Cass isn't dead.  But I don't know where she is." Cal glared hard.

"If she's alive then she's either been tortured to within an inch of her life or she's turned on us.  So she's either no good or our worst enemy in Spencer's organization." Aidan slipped an arm around Agent Reynolds.

"Cass probably doesn't give a shit about you..."  Cal eyed him again, trying not to say anything about his affections with the girl.

"She's probably feeding Spencer information, and if I can convince the higher-ups that she's alive, the entire IMF will be reworked.  She knows too much."

The new agent whispered something to him, and Aidan grinned slightly.

"So...how long has Reynolds been with you?"

"She was brought on to replace Scarlett the day you left."

"And how long before you started fucking her?"

"None of your goddamn business."

"Oh it's not?!  Excuse me Mr. Hissy Fit.  What was it you said?  I'm yours?  I belong to you?  Was that it?"

"You don't want to do this now," Aidan warned.  "We don't know where you've been, if they're trying to replant you, if you're telling the truth, and we have no way to know because you've been without a tracer."

"Yeah and look at this!"  She pulled up her sleeve and took of the bandage, revealing an obvious scar.  "This is from where they ripped it out!"

"To keep you hidden from us.  Because they didn't want to be found, or because you were undergoing basic training?!?"

"BECAUSE THEY KIDNAPPED ME YOU STUPID SHIT!"  She began to cry.  "And I just kept thinking you'd come save me...and you didn't...you didn't give a shit… you just found some little kid to fuck!"

"You'll have to report your whereabouts to one of my superiors," Aidan said coldly.

"And I'll tell them that you're a shitty boss, who only wants to get in the pants of his female agents."

"And you'll be brigged for insubordination.  Where the hell is your new friend keeping my agents?"  Aidan demanded.

"What new friend?!  It was all I could do to not be killed!!!  And the thought of you got me through it..."

"Bullshit!  Where's he hiding Cass Kincaide?"

"He's not hiding her!  THEY FUCKING GOT MARRIED YOU SHIT!"

Aidan was silent a moment. "Fucking shit."

"You never came for me..."

"We couldn't find you if we wanted to.  Every time we take a step, Spencer runs a mile."

"So instead you just forget about me?!"

"I kept doing my work."

"Yeah...your work...let me out of this fucking car."

"We're here anyway."  Aidan opened the door and walked out.

Cal got out and looked at Aidan.  "Let's talk in your office."

"Fine."

They went up, and Aidan closed the door behind her.

"What the hell are you doing to me?!"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Why...just answer me that."

"Why *what?*"

"Why did you leave me there?!  Why'd you leave me in France?"

"You vanished in France and were declared MIA."

"So you just decided to abandon me?"

"You were the second agent to vanish within a pretty short period.  I have a unit to worry about, and I'd just received two new people."

"Yeah and you were worried about getting in the pants of one of them?"

"If you want to look at it that way."

"How long did you wait Aidan?"

"I didn't."

"I thought you...I thought WE..."

"Within a week of her arrival."

"FUCK YOU!"

"You asked." Aidan shrugged.

"So what about all that shit about me being yours?  What about the last couple of months?!”

"You were mine.  But you weren't here."

"And now I am, so now what?"

"Now she's here."

"So I just get pushed aside?"

"There's a new guy.  And if Kincaide went turncoat on us, help yourself to Krit when he comes back."

"I'm going for a walk."

"Be back in an hour so you can report in."

"Yeah."  Cal stormed out, running into town as fast as she could.  She had to find James...

~*~*~

"She was boarding as I got to the airport," James said, trying to keep his composure.

"Shit...so we lost her...and she knows so much..."

"I think we'll be alright." James seemed somewhat absent, as if his thoughts were elsewhere.  And oh, but they were.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing.  We emptied the base before they got there.  How'd your meeting with Agent Lee go?"

"James..."

"Yeah?"

"What’s wrong?"

"She was growing on me," James said simply.  "What happened today?  And for that matter, where's the Mrs.?"

"She's out taking care of things..."

James caught his meaning.  "That must have impacted your meeting with our friend."

"It did."

"How'd that all go?"

"It was fun."

"I guess heartbreaker is another title to add to your resume."

"Are you going to get her back?"

"Who, Cal?  I'm going to try."

"James...tell me honestly.   What are your feelings for her?"

"I love her," James said quietly.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Then why the hell are you here?"

"To tell you I'm leaving."

"Good.  Go."  He said, just as James' cell rang.

James got it.  "Hello?"

"James...come get me...please..."  Cal cried.

"Where are you?"  He asked, already getting to his feet.

"Back at the headquarters...he's...he's such an ass and I just...I want to be wtih you...I love you."

"I'm on my way... I love you too.  Keep talking to me, I'm driving to the airport now."

"They're going to find me...they're going to lock me up...James hurry…"

"How far away can you get?"

"I don't know..."

"Boss, can I borrow the other jet?"  James yelled through his communicator.

"Yeah go ahead."

James did so, taking off as fast as possible.  He had someplace to be.

Cal hung up and slipped into an alley.  She had to get to an airport...

~*~*~

Garrett walked into Cass's bedroom.  "Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

He climbed into bed and held her tightly.  "I'm so sorry..."

"I just feel... empty."

"I shouldn’t have made you..."  He looked about to cry.

"You stayed in Paris... did you meet him?"

"Yes."

She gently caressed Garrett's face.  "I miss having a baby.  I know it wasn't yours... but I just miss that there was a baby there, and now there's not."

"I'll give you a baby."

"I want you to."

"But not until you're okay."

She nodded.  "I know."

"I love you."

"I love you too."  She paused.  "Any word on Cal?"

"Yeah... James is going after her... he does love her after all."

Cass smiled a bit.

"That makes you happy doesn't it?"

"Yeah."

"You're nicer than you think."

"Only sometimes.  Don't let it get around."

"I won't."

"Cass Kincaide's not very nice, but Cassidy Spencer can be sometimes."

"Yes she can.  But her husband can't."

"No?"

"Nope."

"What about to her?"

"He doesn't deserve her.  He was an idiot and ruined her life."

"She loves him more than anything."

"Why?"

"Because he makes her feel safe.  And loved.  And wanted."

"She is loved, and wanted...and safe."

"I love you, Garrett."

"I love you too."

She snuggled up close to him, inhaling his scent and trying to forget.

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