Intersection (16 page)

“Jesus, Alex…what the hell is going on? I’ve been trying to call you for over an hour.”

“Sorry… I must have left my phone upstairs.” Her voice was still groggy and she was yawning.

“Alex,” he hesitated, sensing that what he was about to say was not going to be received well by his partner. “Listen…”

“Fallon, what is it?” Alex heard her partner’s breathing become shallower and it seemed to wake her from her dreamy state. Something was wrong. “Brian… what…”

“There was an accident.”

Alex felt her heart drop in her chest as her thoughts immediately traveled to Dylan. She tried to respond as quietly as she could, “Dylan?”

Cassidy caught the tension in the agent’s voice and a look of terror swept across her face, she moved closer to the agent who swiftly placed an arm around her. “No,” Fallon answered soliciting a heavy sigh of relief from Alex that told Cassidy she could relax. Alex released her from her grasp and the teacher took a seat back on the couch.

‘Fallon, What? What’s going on?”

“It’s the congressman.” Alex unconsciously began running her tongue over her lips as she listened to her partner continue. “It happened on the way back to his office from the White House; some idiot barreled through a light and crashed head on into their car.” Alex’s hand now reached for her temple and Cassidy knew something was very wrong. “Alex?” Fallon called cautiously, beginning to become concerned about his partner’s uncharacteristic silence.

“How bad?”

“Bad… he’s in surgery now.”

“Fallon…how do you know this was an accident?”

“Well… Secret Service seems to think so. The kid in the other car is dead. Doesn’t look like anything but a reckless kid…just wrong place, wrong time.”

“Where’s Dylan?” She asked still rubbing her temple.

“He’s here with me in the lounge….I’ve got him watching a movie. I didn’t tell him much…just that his dad was hurt.”

Alex was relieved to know that the boy was with Fallon. Sometimes her partner drove her crazy but Brian Fallon had in many ways, become her best friend. He was a good man and a good father. She knew that he would take good care of Dylan until she could get Cassidy there. “Good…Brian…”

“Yeah?”

“I need to ….”

“Yeah…I know.” Brian Fallon knew Alex as well as anyone could. He had never seen the look in her eyes that was there earlier that morning when Cassidy saw Brackett. Alex was notorious for attracting all kinds of women but he could tell by his friend’s painful expression something was different. Hearing their exchange as his partner took the phone; Fallon had begun to wonder if maybe, just maybe someone had finally tamed Agent Toles’ reckless heart.

“Stay with him, okay? I’ll call you back in a few.” Fallon heard the deep concern in his partner’s voice.

“Alex,” he said cautiously.

“Yeah?”

“I don’t know what’s going on, but it really does look like an accident.”

“Yeah. I’ll call you in a few,” she hung up the phone and her eyes were immediately met by the alarmed stare of the woman she loved. It seemed they had just found a moment’s peace and here she was having to deliver more bad news. She covered her mouth with her hand and pulled her bottom lip with some force. She sat down beside Cassidy and took a deep breath.

“Alex… is Dylan…”

“Dylan’s fine…he’s with Fallon,” she paused not certain of how Cassidy would handle the news. “It’s the congressman, Cassidy….. There was a car accident.”

“Is he…”

“No…he’s in surgery… that’s all I know.”

“Was it deliberate?” Cassidy asked. Alex rubbed her temple again. She had heard all that her partner told her but somehow it just seemed too convenient. Something felt ‘off’ and she wasn’t ready to discount any possibility; not particularly if Cassidy or Dylan might be at risk. “Alex…” Cassidy implored the agent to answer with her eyes.

“Secret Service believes it was an accident – some kid who ran a light at full speed.”

The teacher studied the face of the woman before her. “But you don’t think so, do you?” For whatever reason Cassidy seemed to be able to read Alex Toles like a book. It was uncanny, really. When Cassidy allowed herself to completely let go of her conscious thoughts, it felt to her as if she had always known Alex. The sensations, the attraction, it was new and when she was away from Alex her feelings could confuse her, but in the agent’s presence she felt a unique sense of connection and comfort.

“I don’t know what I think… All I know is we need to get you to D.C. and to Dylan.”

Cassidy reached for the agent’s hand, “Alex…” Alex was focused now and she was dialing Fallon back.

“Hey,” she said. “Put Dylan on so Cassidy can talk to him.”

Cassidy took the phone and Alex took the opportunity to head back to her room. She opened her cell phone and immediately made reservations for her and Cassidy to fly to D.C. that night. She took the liberty of booking a flight for Rose the next morning. She could hear Cassidy chatting with Dylan as she picked up the phone again to dial the woman’s mother. Rose reacted as Alex expected, concerned for everyone involved and more than appreciative of Alex’s thought. As she hung up, she felt Cassidy’s gaze upon her. “Who was that?” Cassidy asked.

Alex turned and narrowed her gaze at the blonde woman in her doorway. “How is Dylan?” She asked, clearly worried about the boy that she had grown to adore in their time together.

“He’s watching cartoons. I don’t think he really knows what is going on,” she answered, studying the agent’s face carefully. “Alex…who were you talking to?”

Alex scratched her eyebrow, “your mom.” Cassidy looked at the agent in disbelief. The agent just smiled. “I booked us on the 7:00 pm flight out of LaGuardia to Dulles….I thought….I thought your mom could help….I got her a flight tomorrow morning.”

Cassidy couldn’t move at first. “The FBI let you book a flight for my mother?”

Alex turned away slightly and started putting some things together. “Cassidy… don’t worry about it.”

The blonde woman slowly made her way to the agent and tugged on her arm until she turned. “You booked those tickets yourself, didn’t you?” The agent shrugged, feeling a bit embarrassed by the woman’s discovery. Cassidy reached up and looked at the blue eyes above her. She thought perhaps she could swim in them they were so blue. There was not one conscious thought passing through her mind as she guided
the agent’s lips to her own, only an understanding that this woman before her was sweeping her away. She heard a slight gasp escape from the agent and felt her body tingle at the response. As she pulled away Alex stood looking at her in a way that she was certain no one ever had. The smaller woman smiled. “Thank you,” was all she could seem to summon.

Alex hated hospitals. They reminded her of a time when she had been helpless and that made her extremely uncomfortable. As they approached the lounge Cassidy noticed that the normally composed agent was fidgeting with her phone, her holster, her ponytail; constantly fidgeting. “Are you okay?” Cassidy asked.

“Yeah,” Alex said, realizing that she was displaying her anxiety. “I just hate these places.” Cassidy was curious but this was neither the time nor the place to start that conversation. The lounge came upon them suddenly and the pair caught sight of Dylan sitting on the floor watching the television. Agent Fallon rose from his seat on the small couch when he heard the slight rap on the window. He opened the door and Cassidy looked at Alex. The exchange was unmistakable to the senior agent. He couldn’t imagine how it had happened, but he was certain now that Alex was in love with the congressman’s ex-wife, and judging by the look in Cassidy O’Brien’s eyes; the feeling was mutual.” Go on,” Alex encouraged the smaller woman, feeling Cassidy’s hand slip in and out of her own briefly. The agent made no attempt to censor her emotions in front of her partner as she watched the woman kneel beside her son. She gestured to Fallon to close the door and give them some privacy. “I don’t like this, Fallon,” she said very curtly, still focused on Cassidy.

“I told you, Alex… it was an accident.”

“Doesn’t that seem just a little bit TOO much of a coincidence to you?” Agent Toles answered abruptly.

“Are you sure your personal feelings aren’t clouding your judgment?”

“My personal feelings?”

“Oh, come on, Toles…I saw how you looked at her just now…Christ, you can’t keep your eyes off the woman.”

Alex nodded. “Fallon, what I feel for Cassidy is not the point.” He was stunned at her off handed admission. “It doesn’t make sense.” Before she could continue Cassidy was opening the door.

“He wants to see you,” she said to the female agent with a heartfelt smile. Alex looked over at the boy and then at Fallon. She nodded and headed directly for Dylan, leaving her partner and the woman she had fallen so deeply in love with an unlikely pair of observers.

“Hey there, Speed Racer,” she said. “Whatya’ watchin’?” He didn’t answer her. “Dylan…” she put her hand gently on his shoulder and began to bend down when he threw himself at her physically. Cassidy choked back a tear as she watched the agent gently scoop him up and pull him onto her lap. “Hey… what’s this all about?”

“Daddy’s gonna’ die, Alex.”

“What? Hey… Why would you say that?”

“You and Mom wouldn’t come here if he wasn’t.”

Cassidy stood in the doorway with Fallon watching, both moved by Alex’s response. “Your mom would be anywhere you needed her to be, any time…and I would be there for you and your mom no matter what, Speed Racer. We just didn’t want you to have to be alone playing with Barbie dolls,” she kidded him, encouraging a slight giggle through his young tears. Agent Fallon looked at the woman next to him. A tear was rolling over her cheek and he couldn’t help but smile at the realization that, indeed, Alex had lost her heart.

“Excuse me?” A voice called from behind. “Are you Mrs. O’Brien?’

“Yes.” Cassidy answered as she turned to see a tall man in a white coat.

“I’m Dr. Crenshaw. Your husband is out of surgery. He’s pretty out of it, but he did ask for you. You can see him if you like.” Alex looked over and saw Cassidy’s face. The teacher suddenly appeared very emotional as she followed the doctor away, glancing only briefly at Fallon as she left. It occurred to Alex that this was not her family, this was Cassidy’s and the congressman was an equal part of that. She set Dylan back in front of the television and approached her partner. He reviewed all the details of the accident that he could for Alex and she did her best to listen. She was suddenly feeling insecure about Cassidy. They had only just met and here was her ex-husband, the father of her child, a man she’d been with for 15 years, the person she’d shared her life with until recently fighting for his life. Maybe this was not the agent’s place. At the same, time she feared this had been no accident. Everything inside of her told her there was more to this, and no matter what she needed to figure it out, and quickly.

Cassidy had been gone a while and Alex needed to move. She walked down the hallway of the ICU with her badge on full display. On the right hand side of the hallway something caught her attention. There she was, Cassidy O’Brien. She had her face in her left hand as the congressman grasped her right. Alex thought her heart might have completely broken in that one moment. What else should she expect? Who was she to bring more upheaval into this woman’s life? She was supposed to protect her. She felt a hand on her shoulder. “Toles?” Fallon said gently, noticing the scene in the room. He looked down at the boy that met his hip. “Here you go…right over there.” Dylan looked up at Alex who just smiled at him as best she could.

“Are the original letters at the office?” Agent Toles asked in an extremely professional and direct manner.

“Yeah, but Toles…”

“Can you please get Cassidy and Dylan to the congressman’s apartment? I know there is security there. I need to go look at the letters….send me that accident report too,” she glanced back in the room where Cassidy had stepped closer to the congressman’s head, his hand still holding onto hers. She closed her eyes momentarily and then started to leave.

“Hey,” Agent Fallon grabbed hold of his partner’s shoulder. “Alex… that doesn’t mean…”

Alex just shook her head. “I’ll call you later.”