Arkangel || A Winter / Karina / WinRina Adventure

Always Karina, Always

Karina woke up to use the restroom. As she turned over in bed, she noticed that Winter wasn't there. She called Winter's name as she walked into the kitchen.

"You ok, sweetheart?" she asked.

Winter was squatting on one of the kitchen chairs in her underwear. It was dark, save a few chalk-white beams of light coming from outside and shining on her haggard face. Nervously she looked out of the windows, her face scanning back and forth.

The kitchen was in the corner of the building and Karina realized that Winter chose that spot much like a sniper would: so she could see both streets at the corner and have clear lines of sight.

Winter stepped off the chair and took Karina's hand. "I need to get this last mission done soon, K. I can't sleep. Something's changing. When I'm working, all I think about is home. But now, when I'm here, all I think about is getting back in the field. The enemies are getting stronger. And I'm here, clean and warm and dry, getting weaker."

"Weaker? Do you want to be away from here because you... because your feelings have changed? Or maybe this doesn't feel like --"

"NO!" Winter pleaded, taking Karina's face in her hands. "No, no, no! I just want to get this last one done so we can find Well and start our lives together. I feel like Winter the Operator is slowly eliminating the Winter I am with you. I feel like... I feel like one of those bugs trapped in amber."

"Maybe if you quit we can use the money to hire people to find Well."

"That's a great idea," Winter replied, "But I think the higher-ups at the CIA would just move him -- or worse -- to make me stay. Once you get above Parker it gets truly ugly."

"The answer is to get this mission done, stay alive, come home healthy, and then we can coax 'assassin Winter' out of the house, for good."

Winter kissed Karina and and squeezed her hand. "Karina, I love you so much, I can't put it into words..."

"Because you're illiterate?" Karina laughed.

Winter exploded with laughter. "Yes, that's why! Can I use that as an excuse more?"

Karina nodded with a big smile. "One thing I was wondering is, if Well is alive -- and I know in my soul that he is -- I'd like him to come live with us."

"You... you would?" Winter said, tears welling.

"With your money --"

"Our money," Winter corrected.

"My point is that we could buy a house that has a room where Well can stay."

"You'd... you'd be ok with that?"

"Of course! There is no debate on this. Plus, if he has any health issues, we can afford a nurse to visit to treat him."

Winter wrapped her arms around her wife, sobbing. In a few minutes they were back in bed, cuddling, and Winter was happier than she could ever remember.

But by midnight Winter was back in the kitchen, on the chair, on post, and she couldn't make her hands stop shaking. Something dark was coming.