A/N: The banner at the side was made for this story by sw3typie and i actually love it! Thank you so much for taking your time and making it for me!
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“Still no luck?” Chris asks.
I shake my head, gritting my teeth in irritation “None. We’ve found all the dealers in the hospital, but that one freaking nurse is nowhere to be found.”
“Maybe there isn’t another nurse?” Chris suggests.
I shake my head “No, the other nurse I killed confirmed that there was. She seemed to enjoy the fact that there was another nurse for some reason...”
I drifted off as Laurens words flashed back to be. The other dealer is someone more familiar.’
Was it someone else from high school? All the possibilities of who it could be ran through my head, but I could not think of one person who could be the other dealer. Great, we have a mystery drug lord and now a mystery nurse. This mission was getting more complicated by the damn minute.
I sigh in defeat “Look were not going to find her, we’ve been looking for hours now and people are starting to get suspicious of us and Doctor Dick-son over here.” I gesture towards Jace, who was next to me still dressed in his doctor uniform.
“Very creative.”Jace states dryly referring to the change of his last name.
The little awkward moment between us from earlier was pushed to the back of my mind, and I was determined not to bring it up again. What is the point in talking about it when we had a mission to do, and it would be so much easier if I didn’t have to worry about the blasts from the past. Unfortunately Jace was here to stay until we completed this mission, so we would have to work together.
“So we’re calling it a day?” Chris confirms, hope in his voice as I can see he is getting fed up of trailing the hospital halls.
“We’re going to have to.” I finally give in “C’mon, let’s get back to the house.”
***
JACE POV
I finally got out of my doctor uniform, which I took home with me. I loved wearing that thing; I may apply for medical school just so I can wear it every day. The looks people give you when they think you’ve done well for yourself, and the old saying ‘no woman can resist a man in uniform’ is certainly appealing for this future career path.
The lustful look Faith gave me when she noticed what I was wearing did not go unnoticed, even though she covered it pretty hastily.
Seeing her again after all these years has definitely had a big impact on me. The guilt was still there, but now it was a little lighter considering I knew she was alive. However, knowing that the last time we saw each other I had pushed her away still haunted me to this day.
She was definitely not the shy, kind girl I remember. The girl that would rather hide out in my room for the weekend instead of going out because she hated being in massive crowds. The girl who used to giggle whenever we were curled up in bed with her in my arms and I would nibble her earlobe. The girl who would look at me with so much adoration in her eyes they made me want to lock her in my room and never let her leave.
Faith had definitely grown up. Her sassier more confident stride still shocks me considering it is such a drastic change from what I remember. Her comebacks and snide remarks could literally cut through glass, remorse and guilt seem to be two feelings she was immune to judging by how easily she kills people and doesn’t even look twice. But considering the life she has led for the last 3 years, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.
One thing that has not changed in the last 3 years however, the girl still drove me crazy.
I was an idiot for ever letting her go in the first place, and it took her disappearing and ‘dying’ for me to realise it. If I could go back, I would never have let her leave that night at Dylan’s party. I would have wrapped my arms around her and never let her walk away from me. If I would have done that, she wouldn’t have walked home alone and she wouldn’t have been kidnapped and recruited. She would have a normal life.
Being the asshole I was, I made the wrong choice and let her go. The guilt of that will stay with me forever.
I changed into a pair of grey sweat pants and a black T-shirt and made my way towards the living room. I knew the guys were in the living room because I could hear how loud the TV was as they were obviously playing the Xbox. I chuckled at the thought of some of the deadliest people in the country today sat with their eyes glued to the screen playing ‘left 4 dead’.
The guys were cool and they were welcoming. Even Drake, who I could tell was a little bit more closed up than Chris and Connor, was a nice lad and you couldn’t help but get along with him.
I was just about to go and join the guys in the living room, when I heard a thumping sound coming from down the end of the hallway. As I listened closer, trying to block out the yells of the guys complaining as they were obviously losing, I could hear sounds which sounded like someone hitting something.
Curiosity got the better of me, and I walked towards the noise. I walked past all the bedrooms and found myself in front of a door of the house I had never been in before. I opened the door slightly, and my eyes widened as I looked around.
It was a gym. But not like a basic in door gym you see on teen cribs or anything like that, this was like a freaking gym that you have to be a member just to step foot in it, a real gym. The equipment was new and scattered about the large room which was probably a little bigger than my actual bedroom here. The middle of the room had no equipment on it and was just left empty, apart from the blue mats that were on the floor and the punching bag that hung from the ceiling. The weights were on one side of the room, and right at the very end there was a long table which was scattered with knives and swords of all sizes. The wall behind it was punctured with many holes in it, which told me that the poor wall may be target practice.
This was obviously where the guys and Faith trained.
After I finished checking out the impressive gym, my eyes drifted to check out the impressive little blonde chick that was currently beating the crap out of a punching bag.
Her back was to me and she was unaware that I was here, and I leaned against the door frame crossing my arms over my chest as I looked her over. She wore a pair of white plimsolls; her tanned legs were bare and trickling with sweat. Her black shorts clung tightly around the ass that was screaming at me to grab it. Her white tank top clung to her toned stomach as her blonde hair bounced up and down from every punch she delivered to the bag.
She really has changed. Not only in personality, but her looks made her almost unrecognisable. Her brown hair which she thought used to allow her to blend into the background was replaced by a glistening blonde which did anything but that. From her physical work and training, the puppy fat that she had completely fell of her to reveal the toned smokin’hot physique I was currently perving on.
She was relentless at punching that bag; every hit she delivered was accompanied by a groan which showed me she was putting all her force into it. The trickles of sweat at the back of her neck were visible, and that teamed with the amount of skin she was showing and the noises coming out of her mouth, I suddenly felt the movement in my sweat pants.
I’m a man okay...
She lifted her leg up and kicked the bag, causing me to groan a little at the sight of her toned thighs tensing. The hawk like ears that she seemed to have developed since she became an agent suddenly kicked in, and she spun around to look at me.
I smirked slightly as I looked at her breathless expression as she stared at me in surprise, then the glare quickly followed. Her chest was rising up and down pretty fast, causing my eyes to drift to the top of her breasts which again were glistening from the workout. The memories of how many times she was breathless from our heavy workout suddenly flashed through my head which seriously did not help the tightening in my boxers right now.
“What did that punch bag ever do to you?” I asked, shaking my head.
“Nothing, but I have to hit something.” She replied, then looked me and up and down “And if I only got to hit things that have done something to me, that would mean very bad things for you.”
Ouch. I nodded at her comment, not letting it show it stung “I deserve that I guess.” I walked into the room, closing the door behind me as I looked around the gym again, mostly because I was trying to get some self control on the groin area and staring at her while she was sweaty and wearing shorts was not helping that situation at all.
“This place is pretty impressive.” I comment gesturing around the gym.
“We need somewhere to train so we are at our best for every mission.” She replied bitterly, but from her tone of voice is sounded like she was quoting someone else’s words.
“Is that you speaking, or is that a direct quote from another source?” I question raising a brow.
Her lip twitched “Direct quote from the beloved boss. You met him briefly through a glass door if you recall?”
I thought back and nodded my head as I remembered the first day when Chris and Faith showed up “Is that the guy you two went to talk to when we went to The Agency?” I confirm, trying not to laugh at the end of the sentence.
“Yeah that’s Ed.” She looks at me questioningly “Something funny?”
I press my lips tighter together as I try and keep the laughter in, but I wasn’t fooling anyone. “Nothing really it’s just...’The Agency?’” I ask, chuckling slightly as she furs her brows at me, her face amused “That has to be the crappiest most unoriginal name for an agency of assassins anyone could ever think of.”
Her eyes widen for the slightest second and he mouth falls open at my words, like she was remembering something. She quickly composes herself, but a small grin was at the corner of her mouth “Would you believe it if I told you that was one of the first things I said when I was recruited?”
My smirk widens as I meet her eyes “I would actually. We always used to think the same.”
Her smile is heart-warming as the memories flash through her mind, but again she quickly covers it. I guess showing emotion for this girl is not acceptable.
Suddenly I felt determined. I wanted to get a small glance that the old Faith was still in there. The caring, kind and thoughtful girl who I once knew must be under there. I wanted to see her show another emotion apart from anger.
“I never got to finish telling you about Chelsea and Dylan.” I blurt out, walking over one of the weight benches and sitting on it, my eyes going back up to her.
She doesn’t say anything and just thinks for a minute, before walking over to the exercise bike next to me and sitting down. She remains quiet but just looks at me as if to indicate to carry on.
“Chelsea is 5 months gone with a girl, and guess who the godfather is?” I grin up at her proudly, and a smile forms on her lips as she looks at me.
“You a godfather?” she scoffs “No offence Jace, but I can imagine you hitting on her on her 18th birthday.”
“What the hell kind of person do you think I am if I would hit on my own goddaughter on her 18th birthday?” I glare at her “The legal age here is 16, why would I waste two years?”
She burst out laughing, and I feel a proud smile rise to my face as I look at her. There was a glimpse of the old Faith I knew, laughing and looking carefree.
“You are a sick, sick man.” She chuckles while shaking her head.
“And you’re figuring this out now?” I ask her like she’s stupid, then I turn back to the conversation at hand “But no seriously, I can’t wait. And as for the whole hitting on her thing, me and Dylan have already come to the decision she is being home schooled and never seeing another male until she hits 30.”
She laughs again “That doesn’t surprise me; I can picture you and Dylan greeting her first date at the door with a shotgun.”
“Ohhh, that reminds me...Can I take away one of your guns when I get back to reality?” I ask seriously, trying to keep up the banter “Like you said, we need some sort of weapon for the future when we greet the little weasel by the door.”
“I am not giving a dickhead like you a gun.” She informs me “I don’t know how, but you will somehow find a way to accidently shoot yourself. I can just see it now.”
I flip her off, and she grins.
“They’ve picked out a name for her as well.” I suddenly remember, my tone growing more serious at the subject. She raises her eyebrows with a smile as she indicates for me to tell her “Their calling the baby Faith.”
She freezes and her face falls. I cock my head and look at her curiously, wondering what is running through her head right now. After a minute, she shakes her head.
“Their only doing that cos they think I’m dead.” She replies, her voice cold now.
I clench my jaw slightly “No, they’re doing it because you’re not there anymore and they want to remember their best friend, the girl they both loved. Not just because your ‘dead’.” I air quote.
Her eyes bore into me at my blunt words, and she can sense the pissed off edge to it. I know her mind was a little warped, and I couldn’t blame her due to the fact that killing people daily must have some lasting effect on you, but twisting the act that Chelsea and Dylan were doing into some sort of guilt trip really pissed me off.
“So like I said, it’s because I’m ‘dead.’” She copies my air quote. My teeth grit together.
“Their doing it cos they miss you Faith, have you got to turn everything into a fucking bad thing?” I snap.
“In the last 3 years everything has been a bad thing Jace.” She mumbles, and I suddenly feel guilty as I can hear the pain in her voice. She composes herself quickly and looks at me, her expression normal and no sign of pain or the little tiff we just had on it “How’s Holly?”
I remain quiet as I look at her for a few seconds. Changing the subject is something she has become very good at.
“Holly is okay.” I inform her. “Now.”
She furs her brows “Now?”
I sigh as I prepare myself to explain “When you disappeared Holly took it hard. I mean you two were always really close, and Chelsea had Dylan so that helped her get through it, but Holly didn’t have that support. She did what I did, got into a bad crowd and started fucking up her life. Only Holly was a train wreck. I mean I was bad, but I focused more on the getting drunk part. Holly didn’t use alcohol to forget, she used any drug that was thrown her way.”
I watched her face as I explained the downfall of Holly’s life, and she remained emotionless as she took my words in. The only reaction I saw was a slight flinch when I mentioned Holly’s drug use.
“For two years she was a junkie, hanging out in crappy dens and flats. She had a tough 2 years.”
“What about in the last year?” Faith asked, her voice coming out dry.
“She sorted herself out in the last year. I think she had enough of the life she was leading, so she gave up the drugs and started college. She did a course to train in nursing. I don’t really see her that often as she lost contact with all of us when she went through the drug phase, but the last time I saw her she was doing well. She even had an apprenticeship in nursing.” I informed her, a smile forming at my mouth as I was genuinely happy Holly was finally getting herself sorted.
I saw the slightest hint of relief, of happiness flash through her eyes at this. Her eyes then bore into me vaguely and I notice her head slant faintly, a strand of blonde hair hanging loose and I had to stop myself from reaching out and tucking it behind her ear.
“What about you, what’s your big plan for the future?” She asks.
The question knocks me back a little, and I am honestly clueless on how to answer it. I shrug “I was never a man with a plan, I prefer to improvise.”
Her lips curve up into a smile at my response, which she knew was improvised itself.
“I’m guessing your mum and dad finally broke up in the end then?” She asks. I glance up at her with a grave expression at her question “I just gathered cos when we were at yours I noticed nothing there belonged to your dad. The fishing trophy that was next to the fireplace was gone.”
I couldn’t help the sly smile on my lips as I realise she remembers the slightest little detail of my house. Guess the old Faith was in there somewhere...
I sigh and rubbed the back of my neck. This topic was never one of my favourites “Yeah daddy dearest left me and my mum a couple of years back. We all knew it was coming, I mean he was always busier working on his next investment to even remember he had a wife and a son.”
“Do you still talk to him?”
I shake my head “I haven’t spoke to him in about a year. Last time I saw him we had an argument because me and mum were struggling with the bills, and I asked him to lend us a bit of money to sort us out for the month. The bastard refused, and that was the last time I spoke to him...” I explained, feeling the anger towards the asshole boiling up inside me. I let out a humourless laugh “...and the sad thing is, he has not tried to get in contact with me once in this last year and he still lives in Watford. Last I heard he owns a few bars on the other end of town.”
Her face does not hold sympathy which I am grateful for because I can’t stand it. She knows this, and just nods as she takes in my words. The silence fills the room at the touchy subject, before Faith slaps her hands on her bare knees and stands to her feet.
“Right on your feet Dixon.” She orders, gesturing for me to get up. “Time to see what you can do in the gym...Oh, and you still owe me that arm wrestle.”
I look up at her face with confusion, before I see the glint in her eyes and realise what she is doing.
Changing the subject.
And for once, I was thankful that she had done it.
..