After dark

"Well thanks anyway." Alec gives Dalton a quirky grin. "I guess you're one of the few who actually put up with me."

Glancing at the wall clock, he stands from the desk. "I suppose I ought to go throw my things in a bag. They might give the newbie the downstairs since I'll be gone."

He pauses before he reaches the door, and turns around again. "I'm sure it'll be a while before I get a job, and... I'm sure Reese will want me reporting back here all the time so... if you ever need help with something again..." He shrugs. "Let me know."


As Destiny emerges from the bedroom, Jason is relieved that she was at least up and moving around, though the look in her eye drove a stake through his heart. Even though she'd been brought here under horrific circumstances, there had still be life there... still a drive to beat the odds and move on. But not tonight. Tonight, that light was gone. Perhaps her relationship with Chance really had been much more than anyone knew.

Following her slowly to the kitchen, he leans on the doorway and nods. "Yeah..." He was ready to say, "most of the time," or "for now," but seeing her like this... he knew that he would request of Reese to let him stay on this job as long as it took. Destiny deserved to have someone consistent - not being tossed around from bodyguard to bodyguard. "Yeah, looks like you're stuck with me."

He offers her a smile, though he knew it wouldn't help matters much. He just wanted so badly to have the right words to say.

"Destiny, I..." He pauses, his eyes going down, then back up again. Be yourself. "I'm sorry... for everything. You came to the Elite for help and... we didn't do a good enough job. I know that unfortunately, there's nothing we can say or do... no compensation that will ever make up for this whole thing. But... for what it's worth..." He gives a slight shrug, just trying to be a friend. "...I'm here. If you need anything or want to talk or just... want silent company, I'm here."

Jason knew that she must feel horribly alone, and it just made him hurt for her all the more. Why he felt so strongly about her, he didn't know. Usually he did a pretty good job of separating his emotions from Elite jobs. But this just felt different.


It was after dark. Leo was coming from dinner with Cassy on his way home, but he'd written himself a note to remember while at work, and without it, he couldn't make the phone call that he needed to. So before going straight to his place, he takes the long way around to stop by the garage first.

Arriving, he's surprised to see Ryan's car parked out front. Odd. He didn't think she normally worked late.

Parking and slipping inside, he wanders through the front office and into the auto area where the lights were on. Spotting Ryan working, he heads her way, trying not to startle her.

"What? No hot date tonight?" he teases. "Or is this how you get the jump on the rest of us?"

Grinning, he hooks his keys to his pocket and aims for the tool bench were a bunch of paper scraps were. He'd written it here somewhere...