Betrayal (37 page)

Wednesday, April 30
^th

lex walked into the kitchen and spied Cassidy dancing and singing slightly off key to an unfamiliar tune. The teacher was clearly oblivious to the agent’s presence and Alex took the opportunity to lean in the doorway and enjoy the show. She could faintly hear the music playing in Cassidy’s ears and covered her mouth with her hand to keep from laughing. The past couple of days had been stressful. Alex was still in considerable pain, Dylan was waking often with nightmares of his own and Cassidy was reeling from everything. Watching her lover now, Alex felt as if the weight that had been pressing in on them all had finally begun to lift.

Cassidy spun around on her heels to grab a towel and caught sight of the agent. It startled her enough to scream and she jumped nearly a foot backwards. “Alex!”

The agent could no longer contain her laughter as she made her way to Cassidy, whose face had flushed to a bright shade of pink. “You are adorable.” Alex smiled and wrapped her good arm around Cassidy, who buried an embarrassed face into the agent’s chest. Alex kissed the top of a shaking head. “You’ve got some moves, there.” Cassidy pushed back and snapped the towel at the agent, poking at her cheek with her tongue in mock disgust. She pulled out her ear phones and tossed the player on the counter. “What?” Alex asked innocently. She mocked a little groove of her own and winked at her lover.

“You’re funny.”

The agent made her way back to the teacher and pulled her close. “Maybe I should take you dancing.”

“You are enjoying this, aren’t you?” Cassidy asked. Alex shrugged and smiled. “That’s what I thought.” Cassidy started to pull away but Alex pulled her back, slowly swaying them together. “What are you doing?” Cassidy grinned.

“I thought you wanted to dance.”

“Alex, there’s no music.”

“No?”

Cassidy looked up into the agent’s eyes and smiled. “Are you sure you didn’t hit your head when you fell? I don’t recall them telling me….” Her words were abruptly stopped by a soft kiss. She took a deep breath as Alex pulled back. “Alex…”

“Yes?” the agent asked as she leaned in for another kiss, running her hand gently through the teacher’s hair.

“This is not a good idea.”

“What’s that?” the agent mumbled as her lips traveled slowly along Cassidy’s neck.

“You are supposed to be relaxing…”

“I am relaxed,” Alex whispered heavily into her lover’s ear.

Cassidy sighed. “If you don’t stop…”

“Mm?”

“Alex…” Cassidy’s hands were gripping the agent’s head and she was finding it increasingly difficult to stand on her own power. “We shouldn’t…”

“No, we shouldn’t,” Alex mumbled, pushing Cassidy against the counter.

“Your arm…”

“Cass?”

“Mm?”

Alex ran her hand slowly along Cassidy’s side to the top of her jeans and released the button. “Stop talking,” she whispered. Alex lost herself in the woman she loved. She had no thought of the days that had passed, no sense of any physical pain. In this moment there was only Cassidy and she suddenly
needed to feel closer to her, to hold her, to touch her, to remind herself that this was everything in her world; this beautiful, wonderful, compassionate woman. The simplest moments with Cassidy took Alex’s breath away and she never wanted to let one slip by. “I need you.”

Cassidy tugged at her bottom lip, unable to form a coherent thought as Alex tenderly explored her body. There was something in the agent’s touch that told Cassidy that this was a moment Alex needed as much as she did. She had missed the closeness that they shared in the last few days. It wasn’t desire that fueled her. It was exactly what Alex had said. It was need. It was the need to know that Alex was real, that she was honestly safe. It was a need to know that she was part of Cassidy; the part that moved her beyond reason or logic. Alex looked into Cassidy’s eyes and as she touched her gently, tears began to roll down the teacher’s cheeks. “I never want to be without you,” Cassidy managed as she moved in time with her lover.

Alex took a deep breath and let the hint of a smile grace her face. “Never,” Alex whispered. There was something in the way Cassidy held onto her now that Alex understood was not simply passion. There was fear. The fear of losing this; losing each other. In their short time together both had looked that fear in the eye. Alex could feel the reality washing over them both now. Most of the time it felt like an eternity that they had been together, but in truth they had just found one another. “You are everything to me, Cassidy. I promise, I am not leaving you.” Cassidy gave over to the agent completely, unable to form words, she pulled Alex so close to her that she was certain even air could not exist between them. “I’m here,” Alex promised. She felt Cassidy collapse into her; the teacher’s tears racking her violently. “It’s okay, Cass.”

“Alex…I thought I’d lost you.”

The agent closed her eyes and held her lover against her as tightly as she could. Cassidy had been focused on taking care of everyone else. The anger the teacher felt over Alex’s
revelation about her ex-husband and the shooting prevented her from confronting the depth of her own emotions. Being close to Alex, feeling her, destroyed the wall Cassidy had managed to erect. Now that it had crumbled Alex understood that she needed to help Cassidy feel safe again. “Let it go.”

“Alex…”

“Come on.” Alex put out her hand. Cassidy looked at the agent and sighed. “Let me hold you now.”

“I need to,” Cassidy began to protest.

“You need to stop trying to take care of everyone else, Cassidy. Let us take care of you,” Alex said lovingly.

“I’m not the one…” Alex smiled and stopped the thought with a kiss. She took Cassidy’s hand and led her to the couch and removed her sling. “What are you doing?” Cassidy grabbed the agent’s hand.

The agent guided her lover down beside her and put her arm around her, holding Cassidy close. “I told you. You have held me all week. I am holding you now.”

“Alex…”

“Cassidy, just rest. Sleep with me for a while. I am not leaving,” she whispered. Cassidy’s tears were still falling freely as she nestled against the agent and caressed the hand holding her. “I can’t lose you either,” Alex admitted as she let her eyes close. “Je t’aime, Cass.”

“Je t’adore, Alex.”

The sound of the doorbell startled the agent from her sleep. Cassidy was not beside her. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and forced her feet to the floor, slowly making her way toward the hallway. Willing her eyes to open, she noted the time on the clock and smiled. “She went to get Speed,” she mused as she reached for the door handle. She squinted as she looked into the afternoon sun. “What the?”

“Alex.”

“Jane?”

The former first lady smiled. “I know that this is a bit unorthodox. I have my reasons.”

Alex nodded. “No, you know you are always welcome,” she stopped to regard the man approaching.

“I know…Alex,” Jane began, suspecting that the agent might bristle at his presence. She was surprised to see Alex’s shocked expression begin to soften as quickly as it appeared. Alex opened the door wider and gestured for the pair to enter. “I would have called…”

The agent shut the door and let out a sigh. “It’s all right,” she said. She looked directly at the tall man now standing in her hallway. “I guess I owe you a thank you.”

“You don’t owe me anything, Agent Toles.” Alex nodded.

“Alex? Is…”

“Cass will be back soon. She went to get Dylan. I assume you are not here to see her, though.”

“Actually, we are here to see you both,” Jane replied.

Alex raised an eyebrow. “Well, coffee?” she offered as she led Jane and Jon Krause to the kitchen.

“How are you feeling?” Jane asked with concern.

“Better.” Alex went about starting a pot of coffee and then looked to the tall CIA Agent. “So, you won’t mind if I ask you this, Agent Krause….Before Cassidy gets home.” He smiled his understanding. “Did you do it for him or for Cassidy?”

“Agent Toles…John was my brother, maybe not biologically, but….there is a lot we need to discuss. I promised to protect you…all of you.”

“So that’s why you took out Fisher?” Jane looked to Alex and then to the CIA agent in confusion. “Well?” Alex asked.

“Figured you would put that together,” he smirked.

“So?”

“John called me right after you called him.” Alex looked at him and nodded. “I was already on my way.”

“That doesn’t answer my question,” she said plainly.

“Both, Agent.”

Alex sighed as she heard Dylan’s voice outside. “I’ll be right back. I think it might be best if Cassidy finds out we have visitors from me.”

“Of course,” Jane answered.

The agent made her way back into the hallway and was quickly greeted by a sprinting seven year old. She squatted down and accepted his greeting. Cassidy caught the expression on the agent’s face. She looked back out the door and noted the black sedan parked on the street. The teacher’s raised eyebrow met the same expression from Alex. “Dylan, Mom and I have some company. Do you think you could go watch something downstairs for a little while?” Alex asked. He shrugged his agreement and started off toward the door.

“Hey,” Cassidy called after him. “That doesn’t mean you don’t have to do your homework.”

“I know,” he called back as he descended the stairs.

“So,” the teacher began as Alex moved toward her. “Who is our company?” Alex licked her lips. “Alex?”

“Jane.” Cassidy opened her eyes wider in an effort to implore Alex for more details. “Okay…and Krause.” Cassidy leaned in closer in disbelief. “Cass?”

“Pip is here?” Alex shrugged. “Why?”

Alex let out a heavy breath. “Cass, he did save me…and he was John’s best friend… and…”

“And what?”

Alex released a sigh and took Cassidy’s face in her hands. “And he cares about you.”

“Alex, that’s…”

“Look, Cassidy, whatever it is they want to tell us…”

“Tell
us
? Alex, what do I have to do with any of this?”

“Cassidy, you are Christopher O’Brien’s ex-wife. Dylan is, well John’s…and now there is me and what happened in France…”

Cassidy rubbed her face with her hands. “Alex…”

“Let’s just see what they have to say, okay?” Alex suggested gently.

Cassidy caught the faint smell of coffee in the air. “You’re making coffee?” The agent stopped and looked at Cassidy. “I think I might prefer wine,” Cassidy quipped. Cassidy’s hand affectionately squeezed the agent’s and Alex found herself feeling grateful for the morning they had shared.