For musebyquotes | 2.13. Unknown quote
2.13. "There are times in everyone's life when something constructive is born out of adversity... when things seem so bad that you've got to grab your fate by the shoulders and shake it."
- Unknown
Co-written with undercoverdoc
James was heading into the fifth day of his coma and still his condition remained unchanging. His friends and family came and went from his room in a constant stream, along with Special Agent Pierce, who was now working directly with Alex and James' SS superior, Paul, to construct a fool-proof plan to integrate James back into the FBI. Alex was amused to hear that James would be stuck with a desk job for the first few weeks. If he was going to return apparently post-amnesia and post-coma, he wouldn't be allowed on the field until he could be declared fit for that work. It was going to sting, but they all knew this was never going to be an easy or quick process. The bastard had to wake up first before any of the next steps could be set rolling. Both Pierce and Paul had even intently discussed the possibility of advising James' parents and brother in Australia that he had apparently shown up out of the blue, but Isabel had come on heavy with her total bitch-on-heat mode demanding they didn't. It should be something James did himself in the first instance, because no one knew what his plans for that side of things were, and there was apparently the added strain that the brother was the biological father of Special Agent Sullivan's kid and there was old water under the very large bridge there. The decision soon came to leave the family out of it for now. It might only cause hassles with the case.
By now, rumours were supposed to be filtering through FBI headquarters as to Isabel's return, though there had been no talk of James yet. Pierce didn't want his staff knowing that until James was able to walk into HQ himself. Alex didn't profess to know anything about the workings of the FBI Field Office, nor did he want to. He had his own very full plate in front of him and it seemed to be overflowing by the minute. There was the gnawing discomfort that he was more than aware he hadn't contacted Kara in days. She was probably thinking by now that he had lost interest and didn't want to date, which wasn't at all how he felt. He did want to. He really enjoyed her company and they had become close. So close, in fact, that he now knew what time had come, especially considering Kara, by now, would be well aware of Harri's ordeal with Marc landing in the ICU in a coma. Kara knew Alex supposedly worked for Marc's "company", Promantech. She had to be wondering if this had an impact on him. She could just never have realised what force the impact really had.
It was why Alex now stood on the doorstep of Kara's apartment, dressed immaculately in a black suit, shirt and tie, dark sunglasses atop his head, and his jacket tailored just a little bit bigger to conceal his gun. He was clean-shaven, hair styled back with some product, and Italian leather shoes to complete the look. A very far cry from the Toy Story scrubs. In fact, at first glance, she might not even recognise him. This wasn't Dr Alex Carter, it was Special Agent Theodore Darcy. He briefly pressed his finger against her buzzer after being let in by the doorman downstairs. He looked down at his feet, letting out a slow breath as he waited. If James was dating Harri, and Harri was Kara's close friend, this could be no longer avoided.
Kara had been enjoying her day off in front of the TV surrounded by various snacks and take-away containers. She loved nothing more than indulging in her slothful ways when she had the opportunity. She had been keeping her phone close in case Harri had needed anything, or even Alex. He hadn't been far from her thoughts at all. She'd called him a few times since their date in Princeton, but for some reason she hadn't wanted to leave any messages. It was stupid, and she knew it. And probably why he hadn't called back. Maybe he thought she wasn't interested anymore, and it was far from the truth.
She hit the stop button on the DVD player and tore herself away from the woes of the Upper West Side teenagers in Gossip Girl and looked down at her t-shirt and sweats. The t-shirt was cut so it exposed one of her shoulders, her lack of bra underneath making it very clear she wasn't expecting company. She used the back of her hand to wipe at the chocolate stuck to the corners of her mouth as she stared at the man on her doorstep after opening her door. It definitely took her a couple of seconds to recognise Alex beneath the very slick exterior. "Wow, you really clean up pretty good, don't you?"
Alex distractedly noticed her appearance, but it didn't phase him. He was hardly one to judge. The days he was sleeping after night shifts were pretty on par with how she looked just now and had no apologies to make for that. He nodded a little, glancing up the hall to make sure no one was playing the nosey neighbour role. "You could say that," he agreed and cleared his throat. "Can I come in? I need to talk to you about some things. It's... really important."
Kara nodded as she stepped aside to let him in. "Of course, sorry I'm not really very--it's just you look... wow. I think I said that already, didn't I?" She bit her lip as she closed the door behind them and tried to ignore the heat curling through her veins. He wanted to talk to her about important things, so there was definitely no jumping him. "Do you want to sit down? We can talk in the dining area. I'm afraid the sofa's a bit of a tip. I really wasn't expecting anyone. Not that you're not welcome. You're definitely welcome, and I really missed you, and I'm sorry I never left a message when I called you."
Alex followed her inside and shook his head. "It's fine. Wherever is good for you. I apologise, too, for not getting in touch. Things have been crazy. More than crazy. I just need to explain a few things before we... before anything else," he told her. "The best place to probably start is that this has to do with Marcus and his illness, first and foremost."
Kara guided him towards the kitchen area. Her apartment was completely different to Harri's. For one, she actually had colour in it. The kitchen was a bright shade of red, the appliances stainless steal. Her dining set was black, a vase of bright flowers sitting on top of it. She took a seat, and indicated he should do the same. Kara placed her hands folded in front of her and gave Alex her full attention. "Is he alright? I haven't heard much from Harri, I was assuming no news was good news. He hasn't died, has he? Please tell me you haven't come from the funeral..."
Alex sat down, shaking his head. "No, no. Nothing like that," he assured her. "But he's in a critical condition. He has a serious form of diabetes which can make his health volatile at times. I wish I could say this was unexpected and out of the blue, but it wasn't. There have been some things going on, things you have inadvertently been drawn into and I'm here because I don't think it's fair that it keeps going without you having an awareness of it. And I apologise for how it's all gone down; it's an intricate situation, but I have to start somewhere and it really should be to explain that neither Marcus nor I are who we've led you to believe."
Kara's eyes flicked between his as she tried to understand what he was leading into. Truth was, she was lost already. She felt stupid for not already knowing what Alex was talking about, but she couldn't for the life of her work out why he or Marc wouldn't be who she had thought they were. "Okay..." she said slowly, still giving him her full attention.
Alex leaned forward, resting his elbows on the top of the dining table. He reached up and took his sunglasses off his head and folded them in front of him. "Despite Aiden's favoured theories that Marc was in the Mafia or the Men in Black or working for some far out universe with cyborgs, it's evidently none of that, though he probably did have every reason not to trust Marcus because there was a lot of fabrication going on behind the scenes. Marcus is actually James Campbell, an Aussie, not a Brit. He has blond hair and blue eyes, and he was a Special Agent with the FBI less than a year ago. At least, he was until he was recruited. To the Secret Service, to be accurate," he explained, taking his leather wallet from his breast pocket. He flipped it open, exposing his silver SS ID badge and sliding it across the table for her to see.
Kara couldn't help the way her jaw dropped open. Harri was dating a Fed? And not just any Fed, but someone who was also SS. She raised her hand to her head, letting her forehead rest in it as she reached out with her other one to pick up Alex's badge. Only as she looked at it closer and saw the ID photo with his name, she realised he wasn't Alex. He was apparently Special Agent Theodore Darcy. "Mr Darcy," she murmured distractedly, for some reason her mind automatically going to Pride and Prejudice. She was sure it wasn't a normal reaction, but she didn't know how else to process this other than to distract herself. "So, um... you're SS as well? And the job in Princeton is that a cover? Do you even... I mean, was I a part of the cover, too?"
"You were never supposed to happen," Alex explained quietly. "But it just did. By the time I met you, Harri knew all about James' double life. She just chose to become part of it. My own cover didn't come into question or wouldn't be an issue, except things have taken a sudden turn. James is integrating back to the FBI to become an SS liaison. He's still my boss and partner, the bastard, but it's complicated. I'm in Princeton investigating a few possible leads in a far-wider reaching case. I won't get into it. It's boring and classified. Yes, I am a doctor. I have two medical specialities. Paediatrics and Forensic Medicine, hence why I'm in the Service. It was my specialities that got me there for ease of investigations. Admittedly, a part time Paediatrician could never be as busy as I've made out to be, night shift or not," he added sheepishly. "I've been back and forth to Princeton and New York a lot, carrying out leads, and even taken a few trips overseas in the middle of it all. Red Bull puke was a result of walking off six night shifts straight onto a jet to England for a fourteen hour round trip."
Kara shifted to push the badge back towards him, and her hand moved down to cover her mouth as she studied Theodore Darcy quietly, trying to work out how much of him she really knew. She still felt stupid for being duped, but then that was the point of undercover, wasn't it? And what reason would she have ever had to suspect him of being a secret agent? "No wonder you kept trying to push me away."
"I'm sorry," Alex said softly. "I really am. But it's who I am and what I am, and it's the nature of undercover operations. I can probably tell what you're thinking too, and the answer is probably not as much as you should. This me is very different to the Alex I project, but only because I'm dealing with pretty intense things. And you can ask me anything. I'll answer your questions, but there are some other things you need to understand at the moment. Firstly, I was trying to push you away because it just would have been easier for you not to be involved. Now that you are, it could get really confusing. Second, James being ill in hospital isn't an accident and as weird as it probably seems sitting on the peripheral with you only briefly knowing Marcus Fraser, there is no Marcus Fraser anymore. Harri's trying to deal with a lot of shit and I think she could really use as much support as she can get. I brought Aiden from Britain to be with her, but most everyone else involved is tied up in the investigation in some way, and it's confusing."
"Confusing is a bit of an understatement," Kara replied with a brief smile. She rubbed her hands over her face and rest her head in them as she looked at him again, still trying to come to terms with him not being Alex. "I'll be there for Harri, but you're going to have to forgive me some selfish line of thinking because I really am just trying to wrap my head around this. So, the dating thing, I mean... you obviously weren't going to reveal yourself to me anytime soon, and that's fine. I do get it. Now though, if you've told me does that mean you don't want to? Or you do, and that's the confusing part because you're still two people?"
Alex drew a slow breath and unbuttoned his jacket. She knew, now. He could take the jacket off, which he did. The holster with his gun was secured around his shoulders, so it would have to stay, unfortunately. It was just relieving to be able to relax a little after being at the hospital all morning. "I can't promise it will be easy, I can promise it will be... unpredictable. There will be a lot I can't talk to you about, there will be times I'm just pissed off or distracted for seemingly no reason. But there is always a reason. I can get called away at the drop of a hat, sometimes without notice. I'm essentially the same person inside, just two different people in two different situations on the face of it. The question would more be if you can handle all that. And I know you're probably wondering what would have happened if my hand wasn't forced here. I would have told you eventually. I would have told you if the situation risked hurting you."
Kara stared at the holster for a moment before she shifted her gaze to the tabletop, falling silent as she tried to work out if she could handle all this. Apparently Harri could, but Harri was a different person to Kara. Harri wouldn't take on anything she didn't feel ready for. It also spoke volumes about just how much she felt for Marc. Kara flicked her gaze briefly up towards Alex's face. "What am I supposed to call you?"
"Alex," he told her quietly, feeling something inside him start to sink. He had a feeling she wasn't going to be able to do this, and he wouldn't blame her at all. "It's safer that way. No sense getting into the habit of anything else. Plus, it doesn't suck as much as Theodore," he added with a hint of a smirk.
Kara laughed softly at that, and nodded. "Well, I wouldn't say Theodore sucked, but I can live with Alex." She wet her lips before she half got out of her chair and leaned across the table so she could kiss him. "This is weird, I won't lie. Truth is though, I think I was already kind of invested in this when I started chasing you like a lunatic, so I'm not going to runaway. If you still want to try dating, then I'm here."
"I do," Alex confirmed, pressing his lips together before smiling across the table at her. "But I would be really grateful if we could take things a little on the slow side. Just while all this with James is going down. When he wakes up, he's going to have a lot on his plate and he'll need everyone around him to be on the same page. Hopefully he actually remembers what the plan was and what he did. I know it's fucked up and weird. Totally weird. Like the movies. But I promise I'll try and be as normal as I can be."
"We can go as slow as you like. I won't push, or rush you. I mean, I know you're interested now, so that's all that matters. I only ask that you maybe just remember to check in so I don't have to rely on bugging Harri for updates on how you're going while she's worried about Ma--James." Kara reached out to take his hand. "Also, you can just ask me for anything you need, whenever you need it. I know you said there would be times you were feeling crap without any real explanation, but you can still ask things of me. Like if there's things you need to maybe try and feel better."
Alex squeezed her hand. "And if I don't check in for a couple of days and I don't return calls, still ask Harri because likely chance is James and I will have stopped checking in simultaneously and are on a case. See, this might actually work," he joked, shaking his head. "I'm sorry again for everything. I just knew I had to come clean. I've been wondering for a few days if I should, even before James made this abrupt decision. It was mostly the random trip to England. I know I looked like shit and you would only buy the 'coming down with something' line so often. But for the record, I don't usually get to that point. That was a favour for a friend named Jim."
Kara gave him a lopsided. "It's fine. I mean, you don't actually owe me anything. We've had hot sex in the back of a car, and an incredible date. You didn't actually owe me anything when you skipped town. We're hardly together-together. Just starting to date. But thank you for wanting to be honest with me about everything, especially who you are. I promise your secret is safe with me, Theodore. Alex."
Alex actually winced at the name. "It's usually only my Mum that calls me that when I'm in the shit," he admitted, laughing. "Theodore Xavier Darcy, stop trying to shove bugs up your brother's nose! It's not nice!" He shook his head. "I get Teddy, mostly. Theodore in an official capacity but most call me Alex. Whatever you feel most comfortable with. And I know there was no owing on either part, but it's a matter of want. I'm not an arsehole, even if I know I came across as one in the early days while I was trying to push you away. I'll try not to be totally unreliable and ignorant. Nine times out of ten, I will be able to at least get a text to you before I disappear. Like I said before, I'm in a bit of a different situation to James."
"I'm sorry, Alex, I couldn't resist. So how long have you got? And just where does sex stand with the taking things slow part of the deal?" Kara asked as she got up to get them both bottles of water.
Alex stuck the tip of his tongue out the corner of his mouth. "I have a couple of hours, and sex could be part of the deal right now..." he suggested, eyebrows raised with a smirk.
Kara grinned as she held out her hand for him. "Want to come see my bedroom, Agent? You might even need to strip search me. No telling what I might be hiding under these daggy clothes."
Alex pushed up from the table and took her hand. "And I promise, this isn't a gun in my pocket," he threw back, laughing.
Words: 3377 | All muses referred to with permission and come from the princeton2nyc universe
- Unknown
Co-written with undercoverdoc
James was heading into the fifth day of his coma and still his condition remained unchanging. His friends and family came and went from his room in a constant stream, along with Special Agent Pierce, who was now working directly with Alex and James' SS superior, Paul, to construct a fool-proof plan to integrate James back into the FBI. Alex was amused to hear that James would be stuck with a desk job for the first few weeks. If he was going to return apparently post-amnesia and post-coma, he wouldn't be allowed on the field until he could be declared fit for that work. It was going to sting, but they all knew this was never going to be an easy or quick process. The bastard had to wake up first before any of the next steps could be set rolling. Both Pierce and Paul had even intently discussed the possibility of advising James' parents and brother in Australia that he had apparently shown up out of the blue, but Isabel had come on heavy with her total bitch-on-heat mode demanding they didn't. It should be something James did himself in the first instance, because no one knew what his plans for that side of things were, and there was apparently the added strain that the brother was the biological father of Special Agent Sullivan's kid and there was old water under the very large bridge there. The decision soon came to leave the family out of it for now. It might only cause hassles with the case.
By now, rumours were supposed to be filtering through FBI headquarters as to Isabel's return, though there had been no talk of James yet. Pierce didn't want his staff knowing that until James was able to walk into HQ himself. Alex didn't profess to know anything about the workings of the FBI Field Office, nor did he want to. He had his own very full plate in front of him and it seemed to be overflowing by the minute. There was the gnawing discomfort that he was more than aware he hadn't contacted Kara in days. She was probably thinking by now that he had lost interest and didn't want to date, which wasn't at all how he felt. He did want to. He really enjoyed her company and they had become close. So close, in fact, that he now knew what time had come, especially considering Kara, by now, would be well aware of Harri's ordeal with Marc landing in the ICU in a coma. Kara knew Alex supposedly worked for Marc's "company", Promantech. She had to be wondering if this had an impact on him. She could just never have realised what force the impact really had.
It was why Alex now stood on the doorstep of Kara's apartment, dressed immaculately in a black suit, shirt and tie, dark sunglasses atop his head, and his jacket tailored just a little bit bigger to conceal his gun. He was clean-shaven, hair styled back with some product, and Italian leather shoes to complete the look. A very far cry from the Toy Story scrubs. In fact, at first glance, she might not even recognise him. This wasn't Dr Alex Carter, it was Special Agent Theodore Darcy. He briefly pressed his finger against her buzzer after being let in by the doorman downstairs. He looked down at his feet, letting out a slow breath as he waited. If James was dating Harri, and Harri was Kara's close friend, this could be no longer avoided.
Kara had been enjoying her day off in front of the TV surrounded by various snacks and take-away containers. She loved nothing more than indulging in her slothful ways when she had the opportunity. She had been keeping her phone close in case Harri had needed anything, or even Alex. He hadn't been far from her thoughts at all. She'd called him a few times since their date in Princeton, but for some reason she hadn't wanted to leave any messages. It was stupid, and she knew it. And probably why he hadn't called back. Maybe he thought she wasn't interested anymore, and it was far from the truth.
She hit the stop button on the DVD player and tore herself away from the woes of the Upper West Side teenagers in Gossip Girl and looked down at her t-shirt and sweats. The t-shirt was cut so it exposed one of her shoulders, her lack of bra underneath making it very clear she wasn't expecting company. She used the back of her hand to wipe at the chocolate stuck to the corners of her mouth as she stared at the man on her doorstep after opening her door. It definitely took her a couple of seconds to recognise Alex beneath the very slick exterior. "Wow, you really clean up pretty good, don't you?"
Alex distractedly noticed her appearance, but it didn't phase him. He was hardly one to judge. The days he was sleeping after night shifts were pretty on par with how she looked just now and had no apologies to make for that. He nodded a little, glancing up the hall to make sure no one was playing the nosey neighbour role. "You could say that," he agreed and cleared his throat. "Can I come in? I need to talk to you about some things. It's... really important."
Kara nodded as she stepped aside to let him in. "Of course, sorry I'm not really very--it's just you look... wow. I think I said that already, didn't I?" She bit her lip as she closed the door behind them and tried to ignore the heat curling through her veins. He wanted to talk to her about important things, so there was definitely no jumping him. "Do you want to sit down? We can talk in the dining area. I'm afraid the sofa's a bit of a tip. I really wasn't expecting anyone. Not that you're not welcome. You're definitely welcome, and I really missed you, and I'm sorry I never left a message when I called you."
Alex followed her inside and shook his head. "It's fine. Wherever is good for you. I apologise, too, for not getting in touch. Things have been crazy. More than crazy. I just need to explain a few things before we... before anything else," he told her. "The best place to probably start is that this has to do with Marcus and his illness, first and foremost."
Kara guided him towards the kitchen area. Her apartment was completely different to Harri's. For one, she actually had colour in it. The kitchen was a bright shade of red, the appliances stainless steal. Her dining set was black, a vase of bright flowers sitting on top of it. She took a seat, and indicated he should do the same. Kara placed her hands folded in front of her and gave Alex her full attention. "Is he alright? I haven't heard much from Harri, I was assuming no news was good news. He hasn't died, has he? Please tell me you haven't come from the funeral..."
Alex sat down, shaking his head. "No, no. Nothing like that," he assured her. "But he's in a critical condition. He has a serious form of diabetes which can make his health volatile at times. I wish I could say this was unexpected and out of the blue, but it wasn't. There have been some things going on, things you have inadvertently been drawn into and I'm here because I don't think it's fair that it keeps going without you having an awareness of it. And I apologise for how it's all gone down; it's an intricate situation, but I have to start somewhere and it really should be to explain that neither Marcus nor I are who we've led you to believe."
Kara's eyes flicked between his as she tried to understand what he was leading into. Truth was, she was lost already. She felt stupid for not already knowing what Alex was talking about, but she couldn't for the life of her work out why he or Marc wouldn't be who she had thought they were. "Okay..." she said slowly, still giving him her full attention.
Alex leaned forward, resting his elbows on the top of the dining table. He reached up and took his sunglasses off his head and folded them in front of him. "Despite Aiden's favoured theories that Marc was in the Mafia or the Men in Black or working for some far out universe with cyborgs, it's evidently none of that, though he probably did have every reason not to trust Marcus because there was a lot of fabrication going on behind the scenes. Marcus is actually James Campbell, an Aussie, not a Brit. He has blond hair and blue eyes, and he was a Special Agent with the FBI less than a year ago. At least, he was until he was recruited. To the Secret Service, to be accurate," he explained, taking his leather wallet from his breast pocket. He flipped it open, exposing his silver SS ID badge and sliding it across the table for her to see.
Kara couldn't help the way her jaw dropped open. Harri was dating a Fed? And not just any Fed, but someone who was also SS. She raised her hand to her head, letting her forehead rest in it as she reached out with her other one to pick up Alex's badge. Only as she looked at it closer and saw the ID photo with his name, she realised he wasn't Alex. He was apparently Special Agent Theodore Darcy. "Mr Darcy," she murmured distractedly, for some reason her mind automatically going to Pride and Prejudice. She was sure it wasn't a normal reaction, but she didn't know how else to process this other than to distract herself. "So, um... you're SS as well? And the job in Princeton is that a cover? Do you even... I mean, was I a part of the cover, too?"
"You were never supposed to happen," Alex explained quietly. "But it just did. By the time I met you, Harri knew all about James' double life. She just chose to become part of it. My own cover didn't come into question or wouldn't be an issue, except things have taken a sudden turn. James is integrating back to the FBI to become an SS liaison. He's still my boss and partner, the bastard, but it's complicated. I'm in Princeton investigating a few possible leads in a far-wider reaching case. I won't get into it. It's boring and classified. Yes, I am a doctor. I have two medical specialities. Paediatrics and Forensic Medicine, hence why I'm in the Service. It was my specialities that got me there for ease of investigations. Admittedly, a part time Paediatrician could never be as busy as I've made out to be, night shift or not," he added sheepishly. "I've been back and forth to Princeton and New York a lot, carrying out leads, and even taken a few trips overseas in the middle of it all. Red Bull puke was a result of walking off six night shifts straight onto a jet to England for a fourteen hour round trip."
Kara shifted to push the badge back towards him, and her hand moved down to cover her mouth as she studied Theodore Darcy quietly, trying to work out how much of him she really knew. She still felt stupid for being duped, but then that was the point of undercover, wasn't it? And what reason would she have ever had to suspect him of being a secret agent? "No wonder you kept trying to push me away."
"I'm sorry," Alex said softly. "I really am. But it's who I am and what I am, and it's the nature of undercover operations. I can probably tell what you're thinking too, and the answer is probably not as much as you should. This me is very different to the Alex I project, but only because I'm dealing with pretty intense things. And you can ask me anything. I'll answer your questions, but there are some other things you need to understand at the moment. Firstly, I was trying to push you away because it just would have been easier for you not to be involved. Now that you are, it could get really confusing. Second, James being ill in hospital isn't an accident and as weird as it probably seems sitting on the peripheral with you only briefly knowing Marcus Fraser, there is no Marcus Fraser anymore. Harri's trying to deal with a lot of shit and I think she could really use as much support as she can get. I brought Aiden from Britain to be with her, but most everyone else involved is tied up in the investigation in some way, and it's confusing."
"Confusing is a bit of an understatement," Kara replied with a brief smile. She rubbed her hands over her face and rest her head in them as she looked at him again, still trying to come to terms with him not being Alex. "I'll be there for Harri, but you're going to have to forgive me some selfish line of thinking because I really am just trying to wrap my head around this. So, the dating thing, I mean... you obviously weren't going to reveal yourself to me anytime soon, and that's fine. I do get it. Now though, if you've told me does that mean you don't want to? Or you do, and that's the confusing part because you're still two people?"
Alex drew a slow breath and unbuttoned his jacket. She knew, now. He could take the jacket off, which he did. The holster with his gun was secured around his shoulders, so it would have to stay, unfortunately. It was just relieving to be able to relax a little after being at the hospital all morning. "I can't promise it will be easy, I can promise it will be... unpredictable. There will be a lot I can't talk to you about, there will be times I'm just pissed off or distracted for seemingly no reason. But there is always a reason. I can get called away at the drop of a hat, sometimes without notice. I'm essentially the same person inside, just two different people in two different situations on the face of it. The question would more be if you can handle all that. And I know you're probably wondering what would have happened if my hand wasn't forced here. I would have told you eventually. I would have told you if the situation risked hurting you."
Kara stared at the holster for a moment before she shifted her gaze to the tabletop, falling silent as she tried to work out if she could handle all this. Apparently Harri could, but Harri was a different person to Kara. Harri wouldn't take on anything she didn't feel ready for. It also spoke volumes about just how much she felt for Marc. Kara flicked her gaze briefly up towards Alex's face. "What am I supposed to call you?"
"Alex," he told her quietly, feeling something inside him start to sink. He had a feeling she wasn't going to be able to do this, and he wouldn't blame her at all. "It's safer that way. No sense getting into the habit of anything else. Plus, it doesn't suck as much as Theodore," he added with a hint of a smirk.
Kara laughed softly at that, and nodded. "Well, I wouldn't say Theodore sucked, but I can live with Alex." She wet her lips before she half got out of her chair and leaned across the table so she could kiss him. "This is weird, I won't lie. Truth is though, I think I was already kind of invested in this when I started chasing you like a lunatic, so I'm not going to runaway. If you still want to try dating, then I'm here."
"I do," Alex confirmed, pressing his lips together before smiling across the table at her. "But I would be really grateful if we could take things a little on the slow side. Just while all this with James is going down. When he wakes up, he's going to have a lot on his plate and he'll need everyone around him to be on the same page. Hopefully he actually remembers what the plan was and what he did. I know it's fucked up and weird. Totally weird. Like the movies. But I promise I'll try and be as normal as I can be."
"We can go as slow as you like. I won't push, or rush you. I mean, I know you're interested now, so that's all that matters. I only ask that you maybe just remember to check in so I don't have to rely on bugging Harri for updates on how you're going while she's worried about Ma--James." Kara reached out to take his hand. "Also, you can just ask me for anything you need, whenever you need it. I know you said there would be times you were feeling crap without any real explanation, but you can still ask things of me. Like if there's things you need to maybe try and feel better."
Alex squeezed her hand. "And if I don't check in for a couple of days and I don't return calls, still ask Harri because likely chance is James and I will have stopped checking in simultaneously and are on a case. See, this might actually work," he joked, shaking his head. "I'm sorry again for everything. I just knew I had to come clean. I've been wondering for a few days if I should, even before James made this abrupt decision. It was mostly the random trip to England. I know I looked like shit and you would only buy the 'coming down with something' line so often. But for the record, I don't usually get to that point. That was a favour for a friend named Jim."
Kara gave him a lopsided. "It's fine. I mean, you don't actually owe me anything. We've had hot sex in the back of a car, and an incredible date. You didn't actually owe me anything when you skipped town. We're hardly together-together. Just starting to date. But thank you for wanting to be honest with me about everything, especially who you are. I promise your secret is safe with me, Theodore. Alex."
Alex actually winced at the name. "It's usually only my Mum that calls me that when I'm in the shit," he admitted, laughing. "Theodore Xavier Darcy, stop trying to shove bugs up your brother's nose! It's not nice!" He shook his head. "I get Teddy, mostly. Theodore in an official capacity but most call me Alex. Whatever you feel most comfortable with. And I know there was no owing on either part, but it's a matter of want. I'm not an arsehole, even if I know I came across as one in the early days while I was trying to push you away. I'll try not to be totally unreliable and ignorant. Nine times out of ten, I will be able to at least get a text to you before I disappear. Like I said before, I'm in a bit of a different situation to James."
"I'm sorry, Alex, I couldn't resist. So how long have you got? And just where does sex stand with the taking things slow part of the deal?" Kara asked as she got up to get them both bottles of water.
Alex stuck the tip of his tongue out the corner of his mouth. "I have a couple of hours, and sex could be part of the deal right now..." he suggested, eyebrows raised with a smirk.
Kara grinned as she held out her hand for him. "Want to come see my bedroom, Agent? You might even need to strip search me. No telling what I might be hiding under these daggy clothes."
Alex pushed up from the table and took her hand. "And I promise, this isn't a gun in my pocket," he threw back, laughing.
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