Topic: Co-Operation

Meg Miller · Date: 2016-10-30 05:51 EST

In the world of intelligence and counter-intelligence, a week can seem like a lifetime. It can certainly produce the same results as several years of hard labor in many other fields of work. After the disaster that had been the operation in Paris, on both sides of the allies who should have been working together in the first place, the CIA and MI6 had been galvanized into action. Agents placed all over the world were tapped for information while MI6 invited the CIA to assist them in interrogating the double-agent so ruthlessly secured during the Paris operation. From him, they learned relatively little, but it was enough to start piecing together the puzzle that was coming to them from all over Europe. Had the hostage in question been alone, it would have been a purely MI6 matter; however, this British national had an American husband, and he, too, had been taken by the interested parties, making the retrieval a little more complex than usual.

As a result of internal pressure, mostly from the agents who had been in Paris at the time everything blew up in their faces, the two agencies had conceded the need to work together, pooling resources and information, until finally the CIA was invited to put together a three-man team and send them to London for a mission briefing. They were met in the foyer of the MI6 building in the capital city by a familiar face - Meg Miller, returned to her natural appearance by means of industrial strength hair dye stripper, and looking far less harmless in her own work environment. She was waiting patiently by the reception desk, chatting with the man on duty, when the CIA team was brought in.

The three-man team from the CIA was actually made up of two men and a woman. Agent Miller would recognize the men as Agent Doyle and Agent Riggs, but the woman was someone she might only know by reputation alone. Her name was Amanda Drew, and she was chosen for the operation in hopes of keeping the peace between Doyle and Riggs, who had a natural dislike of each other. What better way to make them to get over their personal animosity for the other than to force them to work together and depend on each other to stay alive"

AJ smiled as he sauntered into the foyer of the MI6 building, immediately recognizing Meg, despite the change in hair color. "Agent Miller, I love what you've done with your hair. It's very ....blonde."

Straightening from her lean, Meg smiled in greeting, the expression warmer than her colleagues would have expected from her. "Agent Doyle, still looking at the world from behind a wall of hair, I see," she complimented him in return, her eyes scanning the others he was with. "Agent Riggs, welcome to London. And you must be Agent Drew" Margaret Miller." She offered the woman her hand to shake, before turning to gesture for them to come with her. "How was your flight?" she asked, making polite conversation. "I understand one of you had to endure the horrors of premium economy due to budget constraints."

Drew returned the handshake with a smile that was more professional than friendly. "I drew the short straw, but Doyle here volunteered to take my place. I think it was only because he wanted to flirt with the stewardess," she told the other agent with the hint of a smirk.

AJ shrugged, neither confirming nor denying his motivation for swapping seats. "What can I say' I'm a nice guy."

Riggs snorted behind him. "And a sucker for a pretty face."

Meg smiled as she lead them into the elevator, swiping her passcard and tapping in a complex sequence of numbers too quickly to follow before the doors closed. It was a very professional expression, not betraying even a hint of the unexpected flare of jealousy over the fact that Andrew Doyle had spent the last few weeks apparently flirting with anything remotely female. "Your handler arrived this morning," she informed the trio of American agents. "The details of the mission have been hammered out, and I believe they are ready in the briefing room for us. It would seem as though speed is finally of the essence in this ridiculous situation."

And why shouldn't he flirt' No one had any claims on him thus far - certainly not Agent Miller, even if they had slept together. Even that had been business, at least, on her part, and who was to blame him for trying to exorcise her from his mind with a little harmless flirtation' On the other hand, he had also volunteered for this operation, not only because he needed to right a wrong, but so that he could see her again and see if the sparks he'd felt were real or imaginary.

"A ridiculous situation that wouldn't have happened if ....oooof." Whatever it was Riggs was about to say was cut off when Drew elbowed him hard in the ribs.

"After you, Agent Miller," AJ told her, gesturing with a hand for her to lead the way, and ignoring Riggs' remark.

"Oh, dear, Agent Riggs, you seem to have walked into Agent Drew's elbow," Meg said with sweet sarcasm. She was not exactly happy to see that particular agent again, it seemed. "I should watch where you put your feet here. It's terrible some of the injuries you can get from tripping in this building." She smiled her sweetest smile, nodding to AJ. "Thank you. This way, please."

They stepped out into what could have passed for a busy office floor, had they not known what that business was. Various faces looked up briefly as they passed by, only two of which rose from their seats to join them. "Agents Drew, Doyle, and Riggs, meet Agents Horner and James," Meg introduced them as they walked on together. "They are the final members of our team."

AJ led the way, with Riggs and Drew behind him, and thus was the first to offer a hand to each of the other two agents. "I'm Doyle," he clarified, before jerking a thumb at each of his companions in turn. "Drew and Riggs. Sounds like a bad cop show, doesn't it?" he said with a smirk. Hopefully, the English had a sense of humor. Riggs sure as hell didn't.

"Pleasure, I'm Horner," the taller of the two British agents nodded, shaking AJ's hand. He offered a charming smile to Drew as he shook hers, evidently as much of a flirt as AJ was thought to be.

Agent James laughed at the comment on their names as he shook Riggs' hand. "So tell me, Agent Riggs, do you peel out of a catsuit with ease?" he asked with daring humor, his grin deepening as Meg snorted with laughter.

"Larry, behave yourself," she warned, leading the little group into a quieter corridor and toward a heavy door.

Baffled by remark, Riggs only glared at the man, confused as to whether he was flirting with him or just trying to get a rise out of him.

AJ chuckled, getting the joke and nudging Riggs to explain it. "We're short another female to make it even, so I guess you get to be it," he teased, through from the look on Riggs' face, it was pretty obvious he did not appreciate the humor.

"Oh, lighten up, Jack. It wouldn't hurt if you smiled now and then," Drew remarked casually.

It probably didn't help Riggs' temper that all three of the British agents were smirking as well as they entered the briefing room, to be greeted by the CIA handler, and the British director of this operation. "Sir, may I introduce agents Drew, Doyle, and Riggs," Meg did the round of introductions once again. "Agents, this is our director of operations, Major Martin Lewis."

Meg Miller · Date: 2016-10-30 05:53 EST

Lewis nodded to each of them in turn. "Welcome to London, agents," he greeted them, gesturing for everyone to take a seat at the table provided. "As I'm sure you understand, speed is of the essence in this instance. The operation will begin tomorrow, and we hope for a conclusion before the end of the weekend."

Once the greetings and introductions were finished, the three American agents each claimed a seat at the table, with AJ somehow managing to maneuver himself into a chair beside Meg. It didn't pass Riggs' notice, but he said nothing about it for now, other than to scowl moodily. They might not like each other personally, but when it came to business, they knew better than to snipe at each other during a briefing.

The lights went down, and a projector lit up at the far end of the table, displaying pictures to illustrate what the major then went on to say. "There is a faction forming within the financial elite of our respective nations, as well as the European Union, that appears to support the destabilization of our respective governments in order to net capital gains at the expense of defense," he informed them. "As yet, we have no name for this organization; however, their activities would appear to have become more overt in the past months. This man -" he pointed to the picture on the screen "- Doctor David Chandler, a leading bio-geneticist and a British national, disappeared while holidaying on the Costa del Sol, along with his husband, Joseph, who happens to be an America citizen. We were not aware that his disappearance had anything to do with national security, until a ransom was made clear through unofficial channels, demanding details of our agents active in Europe in exchange for the safe passage of both Doctor Chandler and his husband back to British controlled territory. The operation to establish his location, as we all know, was a rousing failure, thanks in no small part to our agencies' distrust of one another."

He eyed the agents who had been involved briefly, apparently not noticing Meg's discomforted expression. "Rafe Pendennis, our captured double-agent, was kind enough to give us a few names, and thanks to the efforts of our agents on the continent, we now believe we know where Doctor Chandler and his husband are being held."

AJ knew there was nothing kind about Rafe, and he would have bet money that the man hadn't given up any information without at least a little encouragement from his captors and former colleagues.

"And where's that?" Riggs asked, not wanting to beat around the bush. It was no secret that he believed the blame for the failure belonged to both Miller and Doyle, and it annoyed him that they'd been invited along to partake in the operation to clean up their mess.

"Here, Mr. Riggs," the British director answered the question easily enough, gesturing to the projector screen. "The island of Spetses, in Greece. It is a haven for the rich and famous, as you can see, and also the home of one Stefanos Evchenko, whom I believe your agency has crossed paths with before." He nodded to the files that had been left out on the table for each of them. "Whatever Mr. Evchenko's political ambitions, we believe he may be harboring Dr. and Mr. Chandler as a favor for some shadier contacts of his. As Agent Doyle has had dealings with Evchenko before now, we floated through certain channels earlier this week that Doyle's alias is recently married. As such, Evchenko has extended an invitation to visit his mansion on Spetses and partake in a house party he is throwing for his better known friends."

"Doyle's alias," Riggs echoed, just barely keeping a lid on his temper. "I assume Agent Miller will be playing the part of the happy bride," he said with a pointed glance at the blonde. "So, what will the rest of us be doing while Doyle and his wife are sucking up to Evchenko?" he asked, emphasizing the word wife.

"I'm the only one with a connection," AJ pointed out. "It's logical I be the one to infiltrate the party ....unless you have a better idea."

The CIA handler shot Riggs a warning look, which clearly stated that it was not too late to send him home and bring in another agent to take his place. The British agents, however, ignored this obvious bit of internal wrangling as Major Lewis started speaking again. "Agent Doyle and, yes, Agent Miller will be infiltrating the house party," he said, pointedly adding, "Their combined experience in the field of deep cover make them the best choice. Their mission is to confirm the location of the doctor and his husband, and to transmit that location to the rest of the team, led by Agent Drew. You will then perform a covert extraction, while Doyle and Miller remain as guests to prevent suspicion falling on what is now a vital alias to maintain. You will find all the pertinent details in your files, agents."

The three CIA agents reached for the folders that had been provided for them that further detailed the operation and their part in it. As much as he didn't like it, Riggs was in no position to argue. He was a good agent, and he'd do what he was told, even if he didn't agree with how it was being handled.

"Evchenko isn't an idiot," AJ remarked. "If we ask too many questions, he'll know something is up."

"You both know how to work deep cover," the CIA handler pointed out. "You can case the main rooms in public easily enough, and with the floor plan memorized, you'll have a better idea of where to look when the party breaks up for the night. Don't forget that you're a military man, Doyle - covert doesn't mean passive."

"So, essentially, I'm the distraction to keep eyes off Doyle?" Meg asked mildly, not even looking up as she scanned the papers in front of her.

"That's the idea, Miss Miller," the CIA handler said confidently, completely missing the way the British agents bristled at the subtle lack of courtesy.

"It's not that simple," AJ interjected as he flipped through the papers in the folder. "First of all, Evchenko has so much security, you can't even blink without someone noticing. Secondly, he has an eye for the ladies, and being a newlywed might not discourage unwanted attention."

"What do you suggest, Agent Doyle?" Lewis asked, curious as to what the man who knew their mark best in the room had to offer to the plan. After all, every plan could always be improved.

"I suggest we stick together and lay it on thick. If Evchenko has invited us there, thinking we're newlyweds, he probably won't interfere with that, so long as he believes we're happily married," AJ remarked. "I know it sounds crazy, but the guy is actually a hopeless romantic."

"True, public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable," Meg agreed thoughtfully, grateful that AJ had stepped in somewhat to avoid what could be nasty tension between the allied sides of the Atlantic. "Even well paid security can be persuaded to look the other way for a moment or two rather than intrude on a private moment. Once we have transmitted the confirmation, you want us to remain in cover?"

Lewis nodded. "If Evchenko is deep in this faction, we'll need the connection he believes he has to Agent Doyle here."

"We could fake an argument, if you want an excuse to leave early," AJ suggested further. "But that might bring us some unwanted attention. We're probably better off letting it play out. The only problem is if I ever have to connect with him again, he won't forget that my alias is married."

"Given the widespread nature of this faction's threat, I doubt our agencies will fail to keep one another informed from now on," Lewis assured them.

"Yes, should you need me, I'm sure I can be flown out to drape myself over your arm at a moment's notice," Meg agreed, with a sting in her voice. She knew her value, but the implication shared by most people around the table that she was only window dressing for the male agent was beginning to annoy her.

Meg Miller · Date: 2016-10-30 05:54 EST

Her director obviously noticed, wincing at her tone as he rose. "Ladies and gentlemen, this operation will go into effect tomorrow. You have the day to assemble what is necessary from our various departments; rooms have been made available for your convenience for the night. Thank you."

AJ looked her way and furrowed his brows at her statement. Her assumption that everyone in the room thought she was nothing but window dressing wasn't quite correct. Her designated partner for the operation didn't think so, but then he'd seen her in action and knew she wasn't just a pretty face. Riggs rose as soon as the meeting was over, and Drew mumbled something quietly to AJ before chasing after him - probably to try and smooth the other agent's ruffled feathers.

It wasn't until the other two agents had left that AJ turned to Meg to address her remark. "This isn't about draping yourself over my arm, Agent Miller."

Left alone in the briefing room, Meg twisted in her seat to meet AJ's gaze, her expression carefully blank. "I'm glad someone realizes that," she said, sighing sharply. "It's an ongoing argument I'm having with my superiors, Andrew, it really has nothing to do with you. There are times when I do believe they consider me nothing more than a highly trained prostitute."

"AJ," he corrected quietly, though he didn't want to interrupt. "I've seen you in action. I know what you're capable of. To be honest, I'm gonna need another pair of eyes on this one, and there's no one I trust more watching my back." Sure, he and Drew could have posed as a married couple, but this was about both their countries working together. That meant working as a team, and this operation made them partners. "So, it looks like we'll be working together on this one," he said, with a smile. "You gonna be okay with that' Because I'm sure Riggs would love to take my place." Though he didn't have the in with Evchenko that AJ did.

"Darling, if Riggs tried to so much as plant the thought that he could take your place, he would be sorely disappointed," she informed him with a wry smile, knowing he could take that any number of ways and hoping he wouldn't automatically jump to the way she actually meant it. "Are you comfortable with this arrangement' You have very little reason to trust me personally, Andrew."

AJ arched a brow, mostly at the term of endearment more so than the rest of what she had to say. He sighed a little at her apparent insistence on using the proper form of his first name. She hadn't yet asked where the J came from, and he was just as happy not to have to explain it. "Why wouldn't I trust you? Besides, I could ask you the same question."

"I know," she assured him. "But we both need to be sure. We will be almost totally isolated on this mission, after all." She considered him for a moment. "For what it's worth, however, I trust you with my life."

"Look, we're in this together. We're allies. We have to depend on each other. If there's any doubt in your mind, say so now, and we'll find another way. I won't hold it against you, and neither will anyone else," he told her, knowing she didn't know him very well, except from what she'd read in his dossier and witnessed in person. What he didn't tell her was that if she didn't want to come with him, there was a good chance he'd be going alone.

She smiled, studying him for another long moment. "You don't listen very well, do you?" she pointed out, but didn't elaborate on that point, leaving it to him to decide what part of the conversation was most pertinent to her. "I believe we have a love story to concoct between us. I could do with knowing more about this alias of yours so I can adapt one of my own to fit."

"You won't like it," he warned her, before going on to explain how his alias was that of a playboy named Jake who had inherited a trust fund when his father had died, and without any job or desire to work, he spent most of his time jet-setting from place to place, gambling and womanizing. How he had come to have fallen in love and gotten married was going to be a real challenge to figure out between them.

By the time he had finished, Meg was almost laughing, genuinely entertained by the sordid tale of boredom and debauchery he had spun out into an alias for himself. "Well, it's not as underworld as I was expecting," she admitted in amusement. "But it just so happens that I have one that will slot in quite nicely. Tell me, does Jake go on world cruises from time to time?"

"Jake goes everywhere!" he replied with a grin, almost as if he was proud of that fact, though it was all just a ruse to fool Evchenko. "So, is that how we met, you think?" He knew they had to work this out between them and be in complete agreement. One tiny slip up could spell disaster for them both.

Meg leaned forward with a teasingly conspiratorial air. "Let me tell you about Sophie Darling," she told him, and proceeded to elaborate with great relish. Sophie Darling was her first alias, crafted with love. She was the only daughter of a single mother disowned by her aristocratic family for having a child out of wedlock. Sophie was a dancer, who had spent an awful lot of time dancing in strip clubs until finally getting herself picked up by an entertainment agency to be placed on cruise ships that catered to the elite. She stopped having to take her clothes off to entertain men, instead only having to entertain them by looking pretty and being a sparkling companion. "Since these world cruises can last up to four months at a time, is that enough time for Jake to have been utterly smitten, do you think?"

"Oh, I'm pretty sure Jake was utterly smitten long before four months," he replied with a smile, blue eyes sparkling playfully. Was he talking about Jake or himself now" It was hard to tell. "You know, I kind of liked Sarah," he confided, wondering just how much Sarah there was in Meg Miller.

"Well, Sophie's not quite such a ditz as Sarah is," Meg admitted with a low chuckle. "But she's not given to one night stands or passing fancies. When she enters into a relationship, it's with everything she has." Just who was she talking about' Given the almost wary look in her laughing eyes, it was a fair bet that she might well have been describing Meg Miller. "Sarah liked Jason," she told him. "But she knew there wasn't a future for them. I have to say, I prefer the slightly less arrogant man underneath Jason, myself."

"You think I'm less arrogant?" he asked, brows arching upwards curiously at her estimation of him. In truth, they hardly knew each other, but he couldn't help admitting that he liked her. It wasn't just the fact that she was gorgeous, though there was that. She was so much more than just a pretty face. But what she thought of him' He didn't have a clue.

"Yes, I do," she nodded, smiling at his curiosity. "Would you like me to critique your character as I see it, Andrew" Or perhaps we should leave it at ....I like you, and I trust you. And if I am entirely honest, I'm rather glad to be masquerading as your wife instead of having to sit on the sidelines and watch you flirt outrageously with another agent. It's no more or less complicated than that."

He took all that in, trying not to read between the lines too much, taking everything she said at face value. "You wanna hear about my first mission?" he asked, hoping to make her feel a little better about what had happened in Paris, though it hadn't been her fault really. She couldn't be blamed for Rafe; AJ was the one who'd been compromised, not her. "I was a raven ....or whatever you English call it. I was sent to seduce some highly classified information from the wife of a druglord. I wasn't supposed to care about what happened to her. I got the information I needed, but ..." He shrugged, the regret in his eyes enough to tell her what had happened to the woman. "Ever since then, I swore I'd never let anyone get killed on my watch again. Not if I can help it. She didn't hurt anyone. Her only sin was to have slept with the wrong man ....twice." First with her husband, and then with him.

She was silent for a long moment after he finished speaking, finally laying her hand over his to squeeze his fingers gently. She knew that feeling herself; she doubted there was a single agent in their line of work who hadn't lost someone at some point. "You watch my back, and I'll watch yours," she told him simply, blue eyes sharing that she understood what he was telling her. "Back to this mission, though ....what coloring does Jake go for" I can change my appearance to suit - Sophie wouldn't be above altering herself to be more attractive to the man she loves."

Meg Miller · Date: 2016-10-30 05:55 EST

AJ appreciated the show of sympathy and understanding. He'd learned a lot from that first mission. More about what not to do than what to do really, and he'd never put himself or anyone else in that position again. Relieved that she'd changed the subject, he smiled at he question. "Jake isn't particular, but I'd suggest you try not to look too much like Meg Miller."

She raised her brow curiously. "Oh' And what, dare I ask, do you mean by that?" From most women, a question like that would have been a trap. From her, in this situation ....she genuinely wanted to know if there was any chance her face had been circulated in the wrong places.

"You don't think I'm going looking like myself, do you?" he asked, a teasing gleam in his eyes. Yes, this was serious business, but he was curious what she'd think of his transformation into Jake Wright, playboy millionaire turned newlywed.

"I shall, of course, follow your sterling example," she teased him in return. "Just don't be too shocked. Sophie has always been a little outside my own comfort zone." She flashed him a grin, pulling a pen from inside her jacket as she opened the file and found a backsheet that was blank. "Now then ....this first meeting we're going to be asked about endlessly ..."

It took another hour or so to sort out their aliases' stories, but it was time well spent. They had to be on the same page with this, and they didn't have much time to prepare.

As soon as their aliases were confirmed, the information was sent to another department, who were putting together the props and window dressing necessary to sell it, from clothing to accessories, to carefully photoshopped pictures and even personalized luggage. MI6 knew Meg, and Sophie, inside out, but AJ was required for a fitting to make sure his clothing would fit perfectly. Then it was off to the gym, to make certain the entire team was fighting fit, before they peeled off once again to test each other on their "shared" history.

They were all kept on the premises that night, more to make time for the extraction team to begin the bonding process that would make their operation go far more smoothly than for any other reason, and the personal transformations into Jake and Sophie took place right there in the MI6 building. It certainly made the morning meet interesting, that much was certain.

The transformation from AJ, or really Jason, into Jake was an easy one. All it really required was a haircut, a shave, and a change of wardrobe. When AJ met Meg again, he was completely clean-shaven, revealing a strong jaw and handsome face that had been hidden behind the dark beard. His hair was cut a little shorter and neater, highlighting eyes that were as blue as the sea. He wore a suit, but no tie, just relaxed enough to look casually fashionable.

It was a dramatic transformation, and one that had a certain number of interested agents - male and female - giving him more than one glance as he passed them by. The British agents, of course, had seen Meg's transformation before, barely giving her a second glance. But the wheat blonde hair had been cut just a little shorter, and dyed a dark brown, styled to perfection; the make up was all about the red lips and smokey eyes - just that was enough to change the way she seemed to present herself. Gone was the smart business suit of the agent, and the kookiness of the only other alias he had ever seen - it would appear that the dark haired, sultry Sophie favored short dresses and high heels that showed off her long legs.

When Meg saw AJ's new look the next morning, her reaction was definitely complimentary. She'd thought he was handsome with the beard; without it ....it took effort not to let her jaw drop open.

"Well, look at what the cat dragged in," she greeted him warmly. "You look good enough to eat."

He didn't seem too disappointed by her look, either. The dark hair made her look more sultry, more mysterious, somehow, and though as AJ, he preferred her natural look, he thought the personae that was Jake would approve of the dark brunette. Their looks strangely complimented the other, and side by side, it wasn't hard to imagine them as a couple. He whistled in appreciation at the sight of her.

"You're not so bad yourself, Agent Miller. Or should I say Sophie?" he asked, hooking his arm to offer it to her in a gentlemanly fashion.

"Sophie will do nicely, Jake," she countered laughingly, ignoring the wolf-whistle from the bullpen behind them as she took his arm. One hand, however, flipped the bird at her colleagues, raising a round of laughter. "There's a car waiting in the garage below, already loaded with luggage," she told him as they headed toward the elevator. "Passports and various have been made up for us, and we are apparently flying first class."

"Jake" as he was now dubbed, couldn't help but flash a grin at their admirers, laughing when "Sophie" let them know she wasn't amused. "We might as well enjoy it while we can," he told her. Once they arrived at Evchenko's mansion, it would be all business.

"The act starts the second we get out of that car," she reminded him in amusement. "Try not to get too carried away - I'm not entirely sure our security team at Heathrow want to have to stand guard while we indulge our aliases in a quickie in an airport bathroom." Just that should have been warning enough that "Sophie" was definitely a different personality from her creator.

AJ arched a brow, wondering just what he was getting himself into here. They were supposed to be working a job, not having fun, but it seemed there might be fringe benefits that came from posing as newlyweds. Or not. They could just "pretend" to be having copious amounts of sex, though he wasn't sure how good he'd be at faking it. "Would we be indulging our aliases or ourselves?" he teased back.

"Depends on how convincing you are," she winked, stepping into the elevator. "Don't look so concerned, I'm not going to jump you in public unless it is absolutely necessary. I may go out of my way to embarrass you with sickening endearments, though."

"I wasn't convincing enough as Jason?" he asked, stepping in behind her and purposely maintaining a safe distance. She might have been playing him in Paris, but his interest in her had been genuine, as had been evidenced by his performance in bed - that couldn't be faked.

A brilliant blush lit up her cheeks as he reminded her of one night, several weeks ago now, when she had completely forgotten to keep being someone else. Whether he believed it or not, he hadn't been sleeping with "Sarah"; he'd been sleeping with Meg, and she wasn't entirely sure whether it was a good idea to let him know that. "Yes, well ..." She cleared her throat, trying not to meet his gaze while desperately hoping her blush would go away quickly. "Some things really can't be faked, as I'm sure you know."

That held true for a man, anyway. He had very little control over what certain parts of his anatomy, but he wasn't so sure the same was true for a woman. Women were notorious for faking it, and it surprised him a little to know that maybe what they'd shared in Paris hadn't been entirely faked. It wasn't really a conversation for the elevator, though. "We'll always have Paris," he reminded her with a smile, when he noticed the blush.

"Seems a shame to only have one night," she heard herself say, and abruptly had to open her clutch and pretend to be checking its contents. It was ridiculous to have developed an attachment to him over the course of 24 hours, but that was what seemed to have happened. It certainly wasn't very professional of her.

Meg Miller · Date: 2016-10-30 05:56 EST

"Looks like we're gonna get an encore performance," AJ replied, though he wasn't too sure that was really going to happen. Certainly, there would be some kissing and some groping, but this wasn't about them getting another chance at sex - it was about doing a job. People's lives were depending on them, and their ability to do their job right. "I have an idea ..." he started. "Once this is all over, what do you say we go to dinner, get to know each other" AJ and Meg. Not Jason and Sarah, or Jake and Sophie."

Closing her clutch, Meg drew in a slow breath as her cheeks cooled, surprised and more than a little flattered by his offer. "I think that sounds like a good idea," she agreed quietly. "I'd like to know Andrew better."

"I have it on good authority that he's not very interesting," he admitted with a small smile. It was sort of an unspoken taboo for agents to be dating each other, but at least they weren't working for the same agency or even nation.

"Well, whoever gave you that assessment clearly didn't pay much attention at all," she told him, her own smile a little shyer than she would have been happy to note. "But, for what it's worth, I don't think Meg is particularly interesting either. A little too focused on work, perhaps."

"I'm looking forward to getting to know her better," he assured her with a smile that was anything but shy - warm, friendly, and with just a hint of playfulness. It seemed like it was all backwards really, sleeping together practically before they even knew each other's real first names, but maybe it was better that way. There wouldn't be any room for awkward sex anyway.

Her smile warmed momentarily, just before the elevator came to a stop. Settling her expression into something a little more professional, she lead the way out into the underground garage, where a beautiful Mercedes was waiting for them.

The agent who was masquerading as their chauffeur was waiting beside it. "After you, Mr. and Mrs. Wright," he said politely, opening the back door for them. "Tickets and passes are in the pocket of the driver's seat - you are already checked in, as is your luggage. You'll just need to hang out in the First Class lounge until boarding."

Meg chuckled. "Thank you, Jeeves," she teased her colleague. He stuck his tongue out at her as she slid into the car, slithering over the leather seat to make room for AJ.

Was it him or was she a little bit shy' How much of Meg did she put into her aliases" Who was Meg really, and did she really like him, or was it all part of an act' These were questions AJ had been pondering, but he'd have to wait until after they were finished with the mission for answers. He'd played this role a half a dozen times already, and yet, for some reason, this time, he was having trouble sorting out where Meg and AJ ended and Sophie and Jake began. "Thanks," he echoed to their driver, who he knew was also an MI6 agent, and slid into the car beside her. "Any last thoughts?" he asked, as they started for the airport.

"Is it entirely professional to admit to feeling quite a bit of stage fright?" she asked with mild good humor. Given the way her toe was tapping, it was a fairly safe bet that she wasn't lying about that. "It really is just as well that Sophie hasn't been married to Jake long enough to have grown terribly confident when meeting his high class and shady friends."

"All we have to do is convince them that we're mad about each other," he reassured her, though knowing Evchenko, it might not be easy. The Jake he knew was a playboy with a roving eye, and it might take some work convincing the man that he was in love. Being in lust would be easier, anyway.

"I haven't had to play love before," she admitted awkwardly. "I'm not entirely sure how to do it. But with luck, I won't let you down or expose you." She drew in a slow breath, looking out through the window as London passed them by. This was going to be far more nerve-wracking than she had initially thought.

"We're supposed to be newlyweds. At this point in our relationship, it's mostly about lust, anyway." They'd already discussed most of this to exhaustion the night before. It had been a whirlwind romance on the cruise ship, and he'd asked her to marry him before she could leave him for the next cruise. Or so the story went. He seemed to sense her nerves and reached over to take hold of her hand. He was nervous, too, and it wasn't easy for him to pretend friendship to a man he detested. "It'll be okay. Promise."

She almost jumped, surprised to find his hand covering hers, large and warm and remarkably reassuring in just one gesture. A soft smile touched her face as she looked at him. "I'll hold you to that," she warned him gently, turning her hand beneath his to squeeze gently. It surprised her to realize that, had they been alone, she would have slid across the seat to nestle against him, unused to needing physical contact to keep her cool. She had never needed it before, but then ....she'd never been on a mission like this with someone for whom she felt a real attraction before, either. Perhaps it wouldn't be quite so difficult to play Sophie to his Jake as she had first believed.

It hadn't been difficult playing Sarah to his Jason, but that was before they'd know each other very well. Of course, it could be argued that they didn't know each other very well now either, but she was no longer playing him to get something from him. Now, that they were in this together as partners, they had to work together and trust each other. It was a scary prospect for both of them, though each didn't seem to be sure why. "How much do you know about Evchenko?" he asked. Time for questions was running out. As soon as they got to the airport, it was all business.

Her shy concern faded as her mind turned to business, though strangely enough, she didn't take her hand from his grasp. "Not a vast amount," she admitted thoughtfully. "Eastern European extraction, possibly Balkan. Definite ties to Russia and China through arms and intelligence dealings in the late 80's and 90's; made an effort to clean up his image by investing in several legitimate businesses at the dawn of the millennium, which now explain his wealth. Donates a vast amount toward animal welfare, for some unknown reason."

"Keeping up appearances, no doubt," AJ replied. "Tigers don't change their stripes, Meg. He's obviously got ties to the people who took the hostages, but what part he's playing in all of it, I'm not sure, and it won't be easy trying to find out. We'll have to do some digging."

"The priority is locating and extracting the hostages, Andrew," she reminded him gently. "If we can find out our host's reasons behind his involvement with this new faction, or any information on their business dealings, it would be useful, but not essential. I know it's tempting to poke about, but until our people are recovered, it's too risky."

"The two are connected, Meg," he reasoned. "If we can find out one, we might be able to find out the other." He was hoping this whole thing would be simple for her sake, but he'd learned the hard way to expect and prepare for the worst. "Anyway, I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm an idiot. I amuse him or something, I guess."

"Then I shall endeavor not to puncture his opinion of you," she teased quietly. "Is there likely to be surveillance within the room assigned to us" Just how deep is this cover of ours?"

"I doubt it, but we can't be too careful. We just have to make sure not to arouse his suspicions. As far as he knows, I'm a playboy and sometime gambler who's just fallen head over heels with an ex-stripper and married her on a whim. Long as we appear to be drunk on love and lust, we shouldn't attract too much attention, other than that of the congratulatory kind."

Meg Miller · Date: 2016-10-30 05:57 EST

"Deep cover, then," she nodded, adjusting her mindset accordingly. "Should make the sex interesting. What will Jake do if Sophie moans for Andrew instead of him?" The flicker of her eyes was all about teasing him, wanting to see if she could get a rise, anything to show that she wasn't the only one feeling sparks.

AJ smirked a little at the question, unsure if she was just teasing him or if there was more to it than that. "Do you think she would?" he asked, his fingers still tangled with hers and showing no signs of withdrawing. He found he liked the way her hand felt in his, and that was just for starters.

Acutely grateful that her colleague behind the wheel couldn't hear a word of this, Meg looked up at AJ with that shy cast to her expression again. "There is always the possibility," she conceded, not really giving him a yes or a no.

"So long as she doesn't moan my name where anyone might overhear," he replied, returning her gaze, his expression one of amusement and something else. Fondness, maybe? Affection' He noted the shyness in her gaze once again and wondered if it was sincere or part of whatever part she was now playing.

That question would be answered as soon as they reached their terminal at Heathrow, which wouldn't be for another half hour at least. "I'll have to have a word with her about it, then," she told him, laughing softly. Her fingers shifted in his, her surprised gaze flickering down as though the weight of his hand about hers was unexpected.

Thankfully, no one was there to notice the hand-holding but the two of them; it was their little secret. Not even the agent driving their car was aware of what was going on in the back seat. Once they reached the airport, they could hold hands as much as they liked and then some, though it was all part of the job. He opened his mouth, as if there was something he wanted to say and then closed it, thinking better of it.

Drawing in a breath of her own, Meg glanced out the window. "You realize that, if this goes well, we could be sent on several missions like this one over the next few years," she pointed out, a little superfluously. But she felt the need to talk. The silence between them, combined with the warmth of his hand about hers, felt too intimate, somehow.

"Do you have a problem with that?" he asked, perhaps misunderstanding her sigh or the fact that she was avoiding his gaze. Maybe he'd misread her body language, after all. Maybe she preferred to work on her own, or only with those from MI6. If that was the case, then this might be a one-time only deal, and he found himself frowning in regret.

"I haven't had a partner in years," she said softly, watching through the window as the built up city melted into motorway and space. "By request. It took me a long time to recover from what happened to the first colleague I got killed." Reflexively, her fingers tightened on his. "I'm good at this, Andrew, but only because I was so bad at it the first time around. My first mission, my first partner. We got the information, but I almost drowned and his body was never recovered, all because I made one very stupid mistake. I don't make those mistakes anymore, but ....I haven't had anyone relying on my discretion to protect their alias and their life in almost a decade."

He'd told her a similar story of his own first mission, though it hadn't been a partner who'd been killed but his mark - the woman he'd been hired to seduce in order to obtain information. He'd just barely made it out alive that first time, but she hadn't been so lucky, and he'd been careful ever since, but there was one big difference between them. He'd been military once and knew that death was a necessary part of war. "I trust you, Meg, and your alias is safe with me. You don't have to worry."

"Your secrets are safe with me," she promised him in return. "I just thought you should know that I don't have the best track record when it comes to being paired up. One death, one double-agent. I hope I'm not about to make it a hat-trick."

"If it happens, I won't hold it against you," he said, a smile on his face that wasn't quite teasing. Though it was certainly a possibility, he was confident they could do this. If he didn't believe that, he would have never agreed to it. "Besides, if nothing else, we get to make out," he teased, nudging her shoulder lightly, a cheesy grin on his face.

She snorted with laughter, rolling her eyes at him. "Every cloud has a silver lining," she chuckled back to him, shaking her head. "This should prove to be a very interesting weekend."

"That's the first time anyone described having sex with me as interesting," he teased further, an easy smile on his face, glad he'd been able to make her laugh. Laughter was good for a case of the nerves, and thinking too much wasn't.

"Well, like I said," she teased, a fond note in her voice. "Some things really can't be faked." Smiling, she squeezed his hand once again, winking at him. Let him make of that what he would.

"Damn straight," he replied, grinning in agreement, though that fact had already been proven, at least, as far as he was concerned. "So, when this is all over, dinner at Chez Andrew. Agreed?"

"Agreed." And wouldn't that prove interesting, too. Still, it was something to look forward to, a reward at the end of the mission that wasn't a TV dinner in front of the computer all alone for once. Whether it resulted in anything further would simply have to wait - for now, they had work to do. As the car pulled up in front of the terminal, she drew in a breath, forcing herself to wait for the agent in front to get out and open the door. "Show time, Mr. Wright."

"Break a leg, Mrs. Wright," he replied, giving her hand a final squeeze before letting go, just in time for the agent that had been driving to open the back door and let them out. One thing was for sure - no matter what happened this weekend, he was going to be damned sure no harm came to her.