Loving Ashlynn (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 1 - It's the Truth but I Like the Lie (Walsh Pomme POV)

A/N: Not Completely Edited.

Chapter 1 - It's the Truth, but I Like the Lie (Walsh Pomme POV)

"That's all-" the Director ended the debrief, standing, "See you in a week, Walsh," the Director says, distracted as he piles his documents together, I myself doing the same. Holidays were rare. It could easily be taken away by the time I wrap up and am walking to the elevator.

Writing my report of the latest case trip and once completed and I'm at my desk I flip through my messages, merging my calendars, and glancing specifically at the handwritten note I wrote nearly two months ago. I look at the note I made myself longer than normal. It's an odd feeling that comes over me, different.

Check Out Coordinates.

Week after week since May, since the last time I heard from my friend, I moved the reminder, not having the time space to go to wherever Dmitri was leading me. 

Before, my schedules free, I'd jump, do much more when Dmitri calls me.

Now however, I had responsibilities, yet, it was the tone in my friends' voice, the tightness. Still he's done this before. Head in my hands, the relentless unease grows now that I have the week coming free – especially since Dmitri hadn't called me back. Emailed. Sent a text – anything. Packed quickly, I throw my filled documents on the filing desk and head out, stopping at our tech analysts two floors below.

"Wally," Fred greets when I enter his domain, "Coming to check on that thing you had me look into?" I nod silently turning to the television screen that he normally threw his screen onto. Arms crossed against my chest, I wait, though my heart pounds – that gut feeling I've always trusted, it's not feeling too great right now. "Okay – so what I found..." Fred clicks away, "Okay so without going too far, Walsh, as far as I can see, there is nothing but forest land there-"

"Not even a home? Hidden? Nothing? Just land?" I cut him off. Why the hell would he – I stop the thought completely, dread and what I didn't want to face was now smacking me in the face. I give Fred a clipped thank you, and stride right out of his room, heading right to the elevator, it's not until I've gotten into my car and I'm on my way home  to Patricia that I undo my tie.

Damnit.

Damnit.

I shake my head when the traffic light turns red, beating my palm against the steering wheel, but as I flex my hand, and the light turns green, I do not accept what I've not really seen with my own eyes. Something that Dmitri had always pushed me to see.

He always showed up for me – Dmitri would travel half way around the world if I called him and the guilt of being a terrible friend, settles. We'd sleep – Patricia and I – before leaving to where Dmitri was sending me. I worked for the government and the things I had witnessed Dmitri doing, there were lines he crossed that sometimes I could not. Even craving a nights sleep in my own bed with my woman didn't sit right with me at the moment – though the both of us hadn't seen in nearly two or three weeks, much less setting foot in our home.

Twenty minutes later, I arrive home, heading inside, but I only make it to the foyer before I see Patricia just sitting on the stairs leading to the second floor of our townhouse – her face positively mournful. Patricia was the only one I trusted with my involvement with Dmitri, that he also did not have a problem with being around as far as I knew.

"He left a message here as well... I don't think..." she shakes her head as I easily read her face, "he called the cell but – babe he called here after, he didn't, I'm sorry," no sooner do the words fall from her lips, do I feel her arms wrapped around me in a comforting embrace, my mind trying to catch up to the horrible gut feeling I had at the office. We say nothing for a while but silently, I stumble – I never thought Dmitri would ever die. It's been years since I just accepted that he would forever be around.