Spy School: We Meet Again

Chapter 10: Late, late night talk

So I wanted to tell you that sorry if it seems like I am changing the characters too much, but I think that since they are older they have changed too. You know, people change as they get older.

But also I knew from the start, that I will not be able to write like Stuart does. So I didn't even try. If I liked it or not, this story would not be anything similar to the books.

I guess, in the end, I want to say that reading this story you have to keep an open mind because I will change the characters as the story progresses. Hopefully to something good and will not ruin everything. :D

And I will just remind you that because they are older, some mature topics may come up and there will probably be some swearing, but I will definitely NOT write anything explicit. (btw- I don't intend to overfill the story with mature content since that isn't my main focus.)

Anyway... I hope you will like this chapter and I will see you tomorrow! :P

Ben's POV

We talked and talked. It was super late, but I was not sleepy at all. How could I be? Erica was sitting in front of me, with her legs crossed on the couch. In one hand she had the wine glass that I gave her, the other was resting in her lap.

We were talking about the past. Of the missions we were on and just our time in spy school. I could sense that not just me, but both of us didn't want to touch the subject about, what we did when I left, even tho we both wanted to know what we experienced. I wanted to know what she did when I was gone, but I didn't know how to bring it up, so all I was doing, was just going along the path of our conversation.

"Ben, can I ask you something?" Erica asked me a question.

"Sure, what is it?" I know I haven't told her a lot, but I was interested in what she wanted to know about me.

"Did you leave, because of something SPYDER told you when all of us were caught on our last mission together?" And here it is. The question that I was dreading the most.

"Let's change the subject shall we?" I was hoping that Erica will agree, but of course, this is Erica we are talking about. If she wants to know something, she will not give up.

"Ben I need to know. If you haven't noticed, the fact that I don't know what happened is killing me inside. It has been killing me inside for the past 6 years and I can't live with it anymore. Not when I finally found you again."

"Erica, this whole situation is so complicated I can't..."

"Yeah, of course, you can't. That's all you been telling me. What happened to friends being important. You were the one before, who was trying to break my cold exterior. You were the one who was telling me about friends and how good it is to have them, but now when I am here, asking you to act like my friend and tell me what happened, you just act like it isn't important."

"I..." I didn't know what to tell her. I understand her, but I just can't...

"How much have you changed? How much of the old Ben is still in you?" I have never seen Erica like this. After today I understood that she has changed, but how much? I would actually like to ask her the same thing.

"I don't know. I guess I am still the same Ben, I just have a lot more on my shoulders then I had before." Again, I got lost in her eyes. I can just sit here like this for hours and not move, but the conversation that we are having now does not allow that. I wanted to ask Erica a question, but she was quicker.

"Then at least answer me this, and be honest. Are you an agent for SPYDER now?"

What? Did she really think that I am with the bad guys now? I suppose I understand where she is coming from, but still, I thought she thought a bit higher of me than that.

"I am not and I never will. I promise that I am not lying and I'm telling the truth. That would be the last thing that I would do. It even comes after death." I was actually speaking from my heart.

"Good. Because if you are lying, I will find out and personally kill you." She looked at me and I could feel shivers going down my spine.

There was silence between us and both of us didn't know what to say, so I asked her the first question that came to mind. "What have you been doing, while I have been gone? If you don't mind me asking." Yeah, I know. It is a stupid question to ask if you can't even answer the same question, but I had to try.

"I have already told you the main things that happened. I graduated from school. Had a few missions. Some of them involving SPYDER, like the one I have now and I haven't really talked to anyone from school." To my surprise, she answered. But then I caught something in her text.

"What do you mean like the mission you have now?"

"I am not supposed to be telling you this, but..." It looked like she was debating ether to tell me or not. "Yesterday, I got assigned to a new mission. Not a lot is known, but what is known is that two SPYDER agents have been spotted near The White House and that SPYDERS base is near Virginia, possibly somewhere close to the Washington national airport."

"That's it?" That is not a lot of information, especially if it is based on speculation and a few sightings.

"Yup. That's it. Yesterday I was keeping an eye on The White House, but found nothing. I think that the only thing that I can do now, is try to find their base. What if...what if you could help me?" Her face expression changed from a bit depressed, to excited in a matter of seconds. Why do I have a feeling that the reason why she is acting so freely is because of the alcohol? "If everything goes great, it would give you a chance to rejoin the CIA."

"Oh no. That will not happen." I said that too hastily.

"Yeah, of course, it won't. That's all you seem to say nowadays. But think about it and let's continue this conversation in the morning. We should go get some sleep now." Erica looked at me and it looked like she was determined, but I knew that I can never get myself involved with anything spy related. But I couldn't tell her that now.

"Ok. You can go sleep in my bed. I can sleep on the couch." I thought that was reasonable, but apparently, Erica thought differently.

"No, I will sleep on the couch. It's no problem for me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah definitely." She yawned saying that to me. I actually realized that this is the first time I have seen her yawn. Normally she is professional and wide awake, but now I could see her getting more and more tired by the second. But I guess I should not be surprised anymore, because Erica has been surprising me all night.

"Ok, I will bring you a pillow and a blanket." I went to quickly get the two things and came back.

"Here you go." I placed them on the couch and looked at her. "Good night."