Only Hope {Ethan Hunt/OC}

* Infiltration *

The plan was a simple one, but Laura felt the need to tell Ethan good luck anyway, in case complications arose. Usually, a job like this only requires four people, but Ethan gave Laura an opportunity to play a part. The cover story was some kind of leaking occurring inside the building, which gave the excuse to use a fire truck. Luther would hang out in the back of it as the computer resource, while four firefighters rushed into CIA headquarters to figure out the problem. Ethan led the team to the lobby of the building as the alarms went off, thanks to Luther.

Laura watched as Ethan, who had disguised his voice with an accent, told the security guards they needed to go to a certain section in the building, which led to an argument between Ethan and one of the guards.

"I'm sorry, but no one gets in any sector where an alarm hasn't gone off."

"So you want a whole fire blowing through this building?" Ethan questioned.

"No," the guard argued, "No one goes into any sector where the alarm hasn't gone off, and it hasn't gone off in sector 21."

"Wait," the other guard said, "It's gone off. Let's go."

Ethan gestured for his team to follow as they raced out of the lobby and into a series of hallways. Without catching the attention of bystanders, Claire opened up a door to a broom closet to change out of her firemen outfit. Laura continued to follow her teammates and the guard to a service room, conveniently placed three doors down from their intended destination. The guard left the three for a moment as they prepared the equipment, and put on the necessary gear needed to get inside the vault. Unfazed by the fact she was in a room with two other men, Laura changed swiftly into a business outfit to blend in with the crowd of confused employees.

She became a little uncomfortable when Krieger began staring at her for too much time. Ethan had to distract him from looking at her, and once she finished, she saw the creepiest of smiles on Krieger's face. Ethan peeled off his mask, and stowed it away slowly when the door opened.

"Hey, what are you doing in here?" the guard questioned, gun in hand, "And there were four of you."

Laura, on the spot, eyed Ethan before Ethan jabbed his leg backward, kicking the guard into Krieger's waiting arms. Krieger knocked the guard out, taking his knife out in the process. Laura went straight into action, pinning Kreiger's hand to the door, the knife still firm in his grasp.

"Zero body count," Ethan ordered Krieger, raising his eyebrows.

Krieger just stared at Ethan in annoyance, replying, "We'll see."

Rolling her eyes, she let go of his wrist, gave Ethan a look that said "be careful", and stood guard as just another employee. Laura wished she could hear what was happening to make sure everyone was doing okay, but then again if she was seen with a comm on, her cover would be blown. Instead, she walked around as if she knew what she was doing, and reminisced. Her mind went back to seeing Ethan for the first time at UPenn. His hair was a natural length, and a bit unkempt, but he stood proud like a soldier. She learned his name through a friend of hers, who always seemed to know who was who. He had been out for a run when she saw him pass by outside.

Laura walked through a small group of employees, bumping into three of them before apologizing quickly and making her way back to the service room.

Laura never knew she'd see Ethan again, and if someone had told her back then that she would, she would have never believed it. Ethan seemed like the guy who would sleep with a woman and forget her name, a simple playboy, yet a cocky soldier, so it would be hard to resist his charms. However, reconnecting with him in Prague was different from when she last saw him. He was still the same, yet different, an event had changed him. She still wasn't completely sure why on God's earth she decided to be practically his bodyguard, but she was taught to help those who are going through something. Her mother taught her that, and she stuck by it through all the rough, difficult tasks given to her by General William Kaeser, a hardened, cold-hearted-like man, because of the death of his wife.

Laura jolted from her thoughts when she heard the service door being pounded with a fist, causing her to quickly get in, and change into her fireman suit with Krieger and Ethan.

"You got it," she stated, though she phrased it as more of a question.

With a huge grin and a wide range of confidence, Ethan nodded, saying, "We got it."

With that said, the three put on oxygen masks with their helmets, and ran to find Claire, who covered her nose and mouth with a handkerchief, standing by the exit. The four made their way to the fire truck they came in, and greeted Luther before Krieger took the driver's seat.

Ethan sat in the back with Laura, who didn't feel very safe in the front with Krieger.

"You did good," he praised.

Rolling her eyes yet again, Laura scoffed at him, "I did nothing. You talked about needing my particular set of skills, and I'm on guard duty."

"So, you didn't swipe cash off anyone?" Ethan smiled crookedly, leaning forward.

She glared at him for a few seconds before sighing in defeat. She reached into her back pockets, and pulled out three wallets. Ethan just chuckled as Laura set them on her lap, going through each one and pulling out wads of cash the amateurs decided to keep on their person.

"I got bored," she sniggered, holding up a one hundred dollar bill.