Blacklight - R [COMPLETED]

[laura]

{name:Emma#|#picture:18}

Emma stepped out from the steamy cubicle and tucked her white towel tightly around her body, before closely inspecting herself in the long, rectangular mirror stretching along the length of the wall. Her red hair was a mass of dark tangles around her face and shoulders, making her skin look paler than it normally did (and making the scar curving over her left shoulder more prominent). A quick shower never failed to relax her, and fortunately, now was no exception. All the tightness in her muscles had melted away into nothing and Jacob’s words were pushed to the back of her mind.
Okay, maybe not right to the back of her mind.
Who the hell in their right mind would think that Elijah would be good for her? He would never be what Emma needed, ever, ever, ever.

She muttered a curse directed at her new big-headed partner and stepped out of the bathroom, a veil of steam following behind her. Emma paused in the doorway, looking one way and then the other as she silently searched for any sign of Elijah. She could have sworn she’d heard the front door, or his door…
With that thought, Emma looked down the hall to Elijah’s closed door. So, he was home then. No, not home. This was her home, not his, no matter what Jacob said. Who was he to just strut around her apartment like he owned–
A very loud, very familiar giggle echoed from behind his bedroom door.

And instantly, Emma saw red.

With little thought as to how she looked or how dickhead Elijah would react, she stormed to the door and threw the thing open, the force of the push sending it flying backwards into the wall.
A half naked Amanda was spread out on the bed, her flat chest out there for the world to see, while Elijah was in the process of losing his pants, the witches hands busy at his fly, doing god knows what.
They soon stopped what they were doing when she entered the fray.

Amanda screamed and covered her –the idea of it alone made Emma want to laugh until it hurt- modesty. “What the hell, Emma, you freak!”
Elijah was on his feet in a flash, his naked chest catching her attention (for just a tiny, little, weenie second). She looked to the blonde on his bed and seethed, “Get. The. Hell. Out!”
“Who the fuck do you think you are? You can’t just smash your way into Eli’s room-“ Eli, really? Really? “-when we are busy, doing something that you have absolutely no idea how to do!”
Emma ignored her spiteful comments and strode into the room, stray water droplets still dripping from her wet hair and onto her bare shoulders. “Didn’t you hear me? I said get the hell out of my apartment.”
Amanda didn’t budge from the mattress. “You’re just a jealous bitch who hates to see anyone have any fun!”

“Emma,“ Elijah started, his expression looking less than pleased. “You need to-“
“Shut up!” She raged, the emotion she always tried to keep in check unleashing with a force. “You don’t get to speak! Who do you think you are?! This is my home. Mine! You’ve been here twenty-four hours and already you think you have the right to take people into my space?! You have no respect for anyone but yourself.”
“Fucking psychopath!” Amanda spat, “You need to be sectioned for everyone’s safety, before you – Hey, let go! LET GO!” A scream laced in with her last words when Emma turned words into action.

Pushing Elijah aside with a harsh push, Emma caught hold of Amanda’s skinny ankle and tugged. Hard.
The woman came off the bed with a stunned screech, trying to clutch at the bed sheets as Emma easily pulled her along the floor. She kicked and threatened the whole way through the apartment, promising pain the first chance she got.

Emma tore the front door opened and tossed the half naked blonde rat into the hallway.
“Don’t ever come into my home again, do you understand me?”
She didn’t wait for an answer, but slammed the door closed instead.

“What the fuck!?”
Emma spun on her heels, her anger still emitting off her in waves as she looked Elijah dead in the eye. She leaned back against the door, “I should be saying that you to, you asshole! Are you really that desperate? Don’t you have any self respect whatsoever, that you’d sleep with Amanda? Amanda! She’s the FBI bike for peat sake! Do you want to catch an STD or what?!”

[/blockquote][/font]

[Ange Keating]

{name:Elijah#|#picture:17}

Throughout the entire ordeal, Elijah had remained completely stunned, only fumbling with his shirt as he slid it back on, following behind Emma as she dragged Amanda through the apartment. What the hell was wrong with her? He was positive the two of them hadn’t been that loud. And just because her sexual life was nearly nonexistent, didn’t mean his had to be as well. So, when Elijah practically stomped down the hallway, face flushed with anger, he made no attempts to filter his obvious irritation with her.

An STD? Seriously? Elijah lived and breathed on condoms, and even though Amanda was a bitch, he highly doubted she walked around the building with a 'Please fuck me' sign, giving up her body for just anyone. “I fucking apologize, Emma, that your sexual life is so bland that you go batshit crazy over mines. But that’s not my problem if you’re the equivalent of a social recluse.”
"I couldn't give a fuck over your man whoring ways, what I do care about though is that you're bringing it into my apartment. Honestly, who the hell do you think you are? Bringing someone back when you've only just moved in. You haven’t even fully moved yet, you fucking idiot!"
“You seem to be forgetting it’s our apartment now. And if I have…desires that need to be filled, then I will fucking go ahead and do whatever the hell I want because you’re not alone anymore, okay? Face it, I’m your partner, and I’m staying here for a while, sweetheart. So you either adjust to me, or not. Regardless, I’m not changing.”

For the first time in what seemed like years, Elijah lost his cool. Arguing and confrontation weren’t things he particularly enjoyed doing, because well, it wasted unnecessary time, but of course Emma would be the first one to drag out the horrible side to him. The way he saw it, as long as they weren’t screwing around ass-naked in the living room, or in any public area, she shouldn’t give a damn what they were doing. The bedroom was his territory, and he had been considerate enough to keep the noise down somewhat. That, was until she completely fucked up her opportunities of having a somewhat nice and cooperative Elijah.

"Then go bring your sluts somewhere else! This isn't the goddamn redlight district, you know? I've lived here for years on my own, and guess what? You won’t change, well, neither will I. Take it elsewhere.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose before resting his hands on his hips. “Because that makes a lot of sense, buying a motel room every time I wanna screw a girl. Okay.” Elijah let out a tiny breath of air before shaking his head and spinning on his heels. “You know what, I’m going to bed.”

Elijah wouldn’t allow this argument to blow up, leading him to say things he didn’t mean. But, the notion of them ever working together and somehow being efficient seemed ridiculous to him – absolutely ridiculous. How the hell could they save not only other people’s lives, but each other’s, when they couldn’t last thirty minutes alone without wanting to kill their partner? Elijah only hoped tomorrow brought forth new opportunities, and a miracle, because that’s the only thing that could remotely sustain both of their jobs.

[/blockquote][/size]

[laura]

{name:Emma#|#picture:18}

Idiot. Elijah was a gigantic idiot.
The next morning she was still pissed over his antics, and as they walked to the meeting with Landry Johnson neither of them breathed a word to the other.
As she’d tried to sleep last night, Emma came to the quick conclusion that working with Elijah wasn’t possible. Who ever thought they’d be good together needed their head testing, or to lay off whatever it was they were currently smoking. It was madness, pairing them with each other, complete and utter madness.

When they reached the very top of the building, where Landry’s office was located, Emma tapped on the door gently and entered when she heard his small welcome. The man didn’t like assistants or receptionists, and often spent most of his time hidden away in his office on his own, only coming down when something important needed his attention.

The man looked up from his computer screen when the pair entered. “Morning, don’t you both look fresh and happy this morning?”
They each gave a grunt in return.
“I heard some interesting news on the grapevine,” He said as Elijah took a seat opposite him and Emma moved to stand at the window, her attention firmly locked onto the view of the city below. “Apparently a certain woman was caught walking half naked through the halls yesterday evening. She mentioned your name on a number of occasions, Emma.”
“Hmm, did she now?”
“Indeed. Not that it’s important, of course. I’ve never liked blondes myself…too dramatic for my taste.” Landry cleared his throat. “Moving swiftly on. We have leads on the agent murders.”

Emma glanced over her shoulder, “I don’t suppose any of them are worth while?”
“Some,” Landry explained, “Last year, Taylor was involved in an incident with Steve Glover, the city’s richest tycoon, you may remember it.”
She nodded, “Taylor got caught in a shoot out in the upper quarter. He accidently killed Glover’s wife.”
“Mhmm, do you remember how crazed the man was? He swore he’d make Taylor pay for what he’d done, no matter how long it took. He wasn’t in his offices yesterday, all day, and was spotted in lower quarter early yesterday morning by a number of people. We think he met with someone down there, and not just any somebody…an agent.”
“So, you’re sure it was a fellow agent that killed Taylor and Madison yesterday?”
“It’s impossible for any other person to get into this building. I watched the entrance footage from the whole day prior to when the blackout hit. No-one unusual was spotted. In fact, the only new face was Elijah.”
Elijah sat up straight. "And I didn't do it, because I was with Emma. So, what does that mean?"
“It means that Glover has possibly paid a trusted agent to kill Taylor. Madison’s wounds indicated she put up a fight, while Taylor was taken out quickly with multiple stab wounds to the back. The image we’ve conjured so far is this,” He pressed a few buttons on his screen and suddenly the windows in front of Emma were playing out the same images. “Taylor was in his apartment, alone, when his killer called. He let him in –so, yes, he knew this person- and once his back was turned, the blows began. The hits were direct and precise, they knew where to hit and how hard to hit them. Madison comes home at the wrong time and catches said killer, which ultimately, signs her own death warrant. There’s been no knife found and nothing from the weapons vault was taken to do the deed. The lights were out for precisely six minutes and thirty-two seconds. They had enough time to get in and get out without being seen.”

Emma watched as the images faded, “So…you want us to pay Glover a visit?”
Spinning his chair away from his desk, Landry got to his feet and moved to stand beside her. His gaze was fixed onto the second largest building in the city, Glover Inc.
“I want you to find out if Glover is behind this, yes, but not in the…conventional way.”
“Meaning?” Elijah questioned.
“Meaning we have a plan and it takes us down a different route. We don’t want to get the truth out of him by force.”
Emma frowned, “Can we stop talking in riddles, sir?”
“In three days time, Glover is taking his new girlfriend on an out of town retreat, to one of those old style cabin in the woods places. Brochure says it’s romantic as hell for couples.”

Dread suddenly curled within Emma’s stomach and she prayed things weren’t going in the direction she thought they were going…

Landry offered them a small smile when he spoke next. “Congratulations Mr and Mrs Walker, you’re going for a weeks break to the beautiful and romantic getaway also known as Lake Juliet. My gift to the newly weds.”

[/blockquote][/font]

[Ange Keating]

{name:Elijah #|#picture:17}

Elijah wasn’t sure his eyes could pop out of his sockets farther than it had at that precise moment, his lips fumbling for words but Emma cutting him to the chase.

“What?!” She screeched, placing her hands on the desk. “That’s preposterous! Isn’t there another way?”
Landry snickered as he tossed a tiny pressure ball up in the air before catching it again. “Nope, no other way. It’s a couple’s retreat, Ward. Hence, that would require you two being…a couple. Plus, it can’t be that hard. You’re two attractive people that have to act like a married couple for five simple days. Think of it as a paid vacation.”
“The only problem is he’s a complete and utter pig! I’d rather work file duty for the week rather than…hold hands with such a Neanderthal!”
Elijah raised his brows. “Wow, that’s awfully creative of you, Emma. I would have never thought of such literary cleverness. Bravo, really.” He fought the urge to roll his eyes, still bitter from the previous night.

Landry shook his head, placing the leather ball on his desk with an amused grin. “The people that hate each other the strongest usually end up with the most electrifying chemistry.”
“Electrifying my ass,” Elijah muttered. “I have more chemistry with my bed, after a long day of work, every night.”
“I could never have chemistry, with this Class A asshole.”
The older man shrugged. “We’ll see. But just know, none of you really have a choice in the matter. We need you, and it is your job to fulfill the tasks we assign you. If we didn’t have an overwhelming gut feeling the both of you would work absolutely stellar together, we wouldn’t have taken the chance. Now, I suggest you begin packing necessities and other small toiletries you’ll need for the trip.”

Elijah tried not to let out a groan of protest, only nodding in return. His jaw remained clenched though, eyes examining the glistening black marble that shrouded the floor. “When we get there, what exactly do we have to do?”
Landry kicked his legs up on the desk. “Make Mr. Glover feel comfortable. This task is especially directed towards you, Mr. Walker – I mean, show him a few bars, let him loose, fuck, pay a few prostitutes if you have to. Anything that will get him in a vulnerable state to speak up about who he could have possibly asked to kill Agent Taylor and Madison.”
“Easy enough,” he agreed casually. The only part Elijah truly heard was ‘prostitutes’, but he didn’t speak up again on the matter.
“And Emma, I suggest you follow suit with his girlfriend, Veronica Price. Have a girl’s night out; see if you can pick her mind for any clues as well. It’s crucial you two put on a collaborative team effort. You may not like each other, but think about all the people you could be saving if you just got along for a week.”

The two grumbled in response, but there was a silent agreement that radiated between them. At the end of the day, Elijah wouldn’t let some girl, that obviously had problems with the world, screw up his chances of coming out on top. He definitely had his own personal mission in store – to showcase his talents for what they were and rise to the top of the pyramid, even if it meant knocking people like Emma out of the way.

“I can do that,” she responded, her voice still holding the slightest bit of irritation and disbelief.
“Splendid. Well, if there are no more questions, meeting adjourned. If, during any moment of your rendezvous, you need guidance, my number will be embedded in your communication devices.”
“This is child’s play,” he said with a shrug, “Shouldn’t be difficult at all.”
With that, they both stood to leave, Emma being the first to the door. Elijah followed behind her, to be stopped by Landry once again, his voice ringing from behind him.

“Hold onto that cockiness, Walker. You’ll need it in this business. And…you remind me a lot like myself when I was a young agent.”
He turned around, a smug grin crossing his features. “Cockiness or high self esteem?”
“Nah, cockiness. But I like you -- exactly why you’re out doing large-scale cases rather than being cooped in offices with the other rookies.”
“I’m honored.”
“Don’t let me down.”
“When have I ever let anyone down?”

Landry laughed, dismissing the young agent from his office.

[/blockquote][/size]

[laura]

{name:Emma#|#picture:18}

Emma watched Elijah with growing contempt over the following three days as he came home, each night with a different woman. It would be the same thing every time; giggling, silence, (Emma would make sure to turn the TV up after that) then the women would leave, a look of delight and anger etched into their expressions. None of them ever stayed the night and he never tried to bring Amanda back again – at least he’d done one thing she’d asked. He’d fully moved in too, even taken the time to start decorating his room, well, decorating was hardly the word she’d use, but still, he’d made it his own.

When the morning came to head out to Lake Juliet, she was anything but thrilled, less so when they were handed the keys to one of the flashy black cars.
“I’m driving.” Elijah said, snatching the keys from the young man currently in charge of the Garage.
Emma glared at the back of his head as he moved around to the driver’s side of the vehicle, “Can you even drive?”
His eyes narrowed on her, “Can you?”
“I’ll have you know that I’m an excellent driver.”
She could practically feel him roll his eyes at her as he slid into the leather drivers seat. “Sure you are.”

They drove the whole two hour journey in silence, with only the navigation system’s monotonous voice signalling which direction they needed to take next. It was their way of preparing themselves for the act they were about to put on for complete strangers. Pretending they were freaking married. What an absolute joke. Emma would never tie herself to an ape like Elijah. She’d never get married full stop. She was born Emma Ward and she’d die that way too.

Rummaging in the rucksack at her feet, Emma pulled out a small velvet pouch and emptied its contents into the palm of her hand. Two silver rings glittered up at her, one much smaller and thinner than the other, but both the same plain style. Emma slid the smaller one onto her finger and instantly felt the weight of it on her normally bare hand. Seeing it there, on a finger made for it, she felt utterly…empty. Like she did about everything else in her life.

“Here.” Emma placed the other ring into Elijah’s knee and pushed the dark, depressing thoughts to the back of her mind.
“Why thank you, sweetheart. I feel like the luckiest man alive.” His face and tone told her otherwise.
Sarcastic bastard.
Only when he pushed the ring on did Emma answer him. “You are. Me on the other hand? Not so much. I’m married to a man whore.”
“What’s worse than being married to an emotionless recluse?”

Emma looked away from him and turned her attention to the view beyond the window. It still hurt when people pointed out her flaws, no matter how much she pretended it didn’t. Emotions were no good to anyone, and he knew that, why else would he sleep with so many women, not wanting to commit to any of them, to be in a relationship or to love them. He was as emotionless as she was.

”At the end of the road, take the next right, you have then reached your destination.”
“It’s time to pretend, Elijah,” She murmured, not looking away from the window. “Let’s get this done quickly. The sooner we get information, the sooner we can leave.”

[/blockquote][/font]

[Ange Keating]

{name:Elijah #|#picture:17}

They soon arrived at the gates of what looked like a grand resort – fresh wood comprising of the main structure, the smell of pine and honey wafting in the air. The air temperature had dropped considerably, and frost crumbled under the soles of their shoes as they made their way towards the grand entrance. Of course, at the front door stood Mr. Glover, a tall wiry man with black-rimmed glasses and silver hair, accompanied by his busty blonde of a girlfriend, seemingly twenty years or more, younger than him. Looks like money could buy you happiness.

“Good afternoon,” Elijah greeted in the most polite way he could muster. “You must be on this couples retreat thing too, right? Excuse my manners – I’m Mr. Walker, and this is my…beautiful wife, Mrs. Walker.” His arm snaked around Emma’s waist, drawing her slender body closer to his, that forced yet (hopefully) believable smile, tugging at his lips.
“Yes, yes we are actually. You can just call me Steve. And this is my girlfriend, Trisha.” The two men exchanged handshakes, while the women followed suit.
“Lovely to meet the two of you,” Emma chimed in.
“And likewise,” the business man responded, already gesturing towards the hotel. “Did you two want to grab lunch? We haven’t met any other couples worth the while.”
“It would be an absolute honor,” Elijah agreed.

With that, the couples started inside the rustic building before checking into their hotel rooms promptly and meeting back at the cozy side café attached to the large property. The place buzzed with life, pitchers of hot chocolate and other steaming drinks being handed out to freezing hotel guests. Steve ordered a table in the VIP area, a small dimly-lit enclosure that overlooked the wide expanse of lake, framed by large mountains.

“So how long have you two been married?” Trisha questioned with a tiny smile, unraveling her napkin.
"A year," Emma answered with a smile, "We're here for our anniversary."
Elijah nodded, draping his arm around her shoulder to pull her into a brief hug. “Every day feels like the first.”
“Aw!” Trisha clapped her hands together. “You two are so cute together. I hope Steve and I will be just as happy as you guys are.”

The waitress momentarily intervened to hand out the miniscule menus before going over the specials and taking their orders for drinks. Placing a basket of bread at the center of the table, she spun on her heels, stalking off to the kitchen.

“We’ve been dating for four months so far. It’s been fantastic,” Steve admitted.
“That’s great. Me and Julie haven’t lost the spark as of yet.” Elijah squeezed her side, smirking silently when she squirmed under his touch.
Trisha’s mouth fell open. “Wow! That’s incredible! How do you keep things exciting? Me and Steve are looking for some tips.” She giggled girlishly while Mr. Glover’s cheeks slightly flushed.
“Well,” Elijah began. “It starts in the bedroom, really. She knows I love it when she keeps on her uniform during, and to spice it up, a little roleplaying is always involved.” He cut his bread, spreading the butter on top. “Tell them about it, sweetheart.”

Perhaps he was enjoying this whole ‘pretend’ game a little too much, but the last bit was pretty much his camouflaged ‘middle finger’ to her. Elijah turned to look at her expectantly, that devilish smile widening.

[/blockquote][/size]

[laura]

{name:Emma#|#picture:18}

Emma would have punched Elijah in the face if they’d been alone. Hard enough to knock him out.
If there was one subject she knew nothing about, it was sex. Not that she’d tell anyone that.
“Well-“
“Does he still do romantic things?” Trisha asked, cutting her off. “Steve thinks it’s a load of nonsense.”
Romantic things? That was hardly a topic she was highly educated on either. Which meant it was time to lie her ass off.
“Of course he does. My man is a fountain of romance. He tells me he loves me every single day and brings me flowers every other morning, just to see me smile. He bakes a mean cake too…mmm, you’ll have to try it! I’m sure he’ll get his apron on while we’re here, and oh, what’s your opinion on men crying?”
Trisha gasped and pressed a hand over her heart, “Ooooh, my, goooood! I looooove it. Whenever I see Stevie cry, I just melt!”
“Me, too,” Emma pouted and stroked the side of Elijah’s head affectionately, “Randy cries all the time – watching movies and even when we make love.”

Elijah coughed, hopefully almost choking on his tongue.
Emma continued to stroke the side of his head, her finger tips contently combing through his dark hair. “You’re so sensitive, aren’t you honeybunch? I just…love you so much.”
Trisha sighed heavily once more, “You two are just...too adorable together. You look like a picture perfect couple and you sound like it too.”
“Oh, we are,” Emma smiled at her ‘husband’ genuinely. “We were made for each other.”

Elijah wanted to play this game? Then fine, Emma would play it too.
“I think I’m in for a wild week,” Steve laughed and shifted from his seat, but not before kissing his lady. “Will you be alright, sweetie, with Julie if I ask Randy for some…manly advice at the bar? We’ll only have one drink and I’ll be back.”
“That’s fine, sugar, you go. It’s been so long since I had a proper conversation with another woman. I miss it!”

Elijah was up from his seat faster than Emma could catch, clearly desperate to get away from her already.
Both their new ‘friends’ caught the move too.
“Aren’t you going to kiss your lovely lady goodbye, Randy?” Trisha asked. “Stevie always kisses me before he goes anywhere.”

Emma stiffened at the woman’s words. There was a line she’d mentally drawn in her mind when she’d thought about this façade, and kissing was way over it.
“No!” The word was out there before she could stop herself. “I mean, no…it’s okay, he can keep that kiss and save it for later. When we get back to the cabin, right, honey?”
“Yes, sweetheart,” He gave her an all-too-convincing wink, “I’ll ravish you when we’re alone, just you wait and see.”

Emma could hear the silent meaning beneath his tone, and the spark in his eye promised retribution.
She looked forward to it.
“Go,” She waved at the men and kissed the air, “We’ll be fine here.”
Trisha waved as they turned to leave. “I’ll miss you, sugar!”

Good grief, could one woman be anymore sickening? Emma had heard that love did crazy things to some people, but what it had clearly done to Trisha was just plain cruel.

When she was sure they were alone, Emma clapped her hands together to catch the woman’s full attention. “Sooo…” She began, forcing another smile to her lips. “Tell me about this boyfriend of yours. He seems soooo nice.”

[/blockquote][/font]

[Ange Keating]

{name:Elijah #|#picture:17}

Elijah hadn’t been the one to enthusiastically believe in heaven and hell, but by the time he followed Steve to the bar, he had considered Emma the ultimate devil’s spawn. Never in his life had he gotten a dish back of the spite he threw at people. She would be paying for that later though, and he had the overwhelming feeling she realized it, too. Elijah was glad to just get a drink away from her, and from the pressure of acting lovey-dovey every second. His idea of romantic was a few burgers from the drive through and roughing around in the sheets afterwards. He couldn't be farther away from the champagne and caviar type of guy.

“You’ve got a beautiful woman,” Mr. Glover mused, allowing the bartender to pour them two glasses of scotch.
“Likewise. Trisha is very…energetic.”
The man grimaced, swirling the copper liquid. “She’s the best thing that happened to me since my wife. Whenever I’m with her, I feel alive, and…definitely twenty years younger.”
Elijah snickered, bringing the glass to his lips and swallowing half of it with a wince. He almost inquired about his wife, but opted out last minute. Go slow.
“Is that how it is for you and Julie? Well, obviously you two are very young, but…”
“Yeah. We were high school sweet hearts, matter of fact. Julie was the quiet loner, and I was the…popular sports star.” Elijah smiled softly to himself, making a mental note to relay the information to Emma. “I properly met her at one of my games and we hit it off for the whole night. Soon enough, we were making out in the back of my truck, and sparks flew.”
The man snickered. “Talk about unorthodox pairings, huh?”
“Definitely,” Elijah agreed, the pair finishing off their glasses of scotch and ordering another. “Do you ever think of marrying Trisha?”

Steve paused, and for a second Elijah thought he had pinched a nerve. Instead, the man took a long chug from his glass, shrugging. “It’s too soon to tell. I mean, I think I love her, it’s just…I know how suffocating it can be as a business tycoons wife, and I want her to travel the world. I want her to be able to walk through the streets without pedestrians wanting to snap her picture or ambush her. It’s lonely at the top, and often hard to tell if people are there for you, or your money. It’s like the magnifying glass is always following you, and there’s nothing you can do in complete privacy anymore.”
Elijah remained quiet, allowing the business man to continue.
“I read the papers this morning, and it was already on the front page I was taking my ‘young, blonde bombshell’ to a couples retreat on Lake Juliet. I wouldn’t be surprised if the paparazzi were on their way for a field day. I just, sometimes I want to shut it off, y’know? The fame.”

Elijah nodded, staring down at the remainder of his drink. “Well, no doubt being at the top is hard, but in a way, it’ll make you and Trisha’s relationship stronger. She’s a tough woman.” He wasn’t the greatest in the advice department, mostly because he wasn’t a serious person at all, but hell, he was trying. For the sake of the mission.
“Yeah, I think so too.” The men paused for a minute or two, before Elijah felt Steve’s eyes burning into his profile. “Do you and Julie ever fight?”

He glanced over at the older man, a sheepish grin teasing at the corners of his lips. “Who doesn’t?” Their relationship centered around arguing, but he wasn’t about to blow his cover. “They never last long though. Maybe an hour or two. The longest was a day. But the makeup sex is definitely…worth the while.”
Steve chuckled sincerely. “Man, I think that’s the best part of the argument.”
“Couldn’t agree more. Julie’s a biter, and I would be lying if I said it wasn’t hot.”
“Trisha scratches. Got the scars down my back to prove it.”
The two men guffawed once again, ordering another round.

“Do you really cry, though?” Steve questioned, once the laughter had died.
Elijah felt his jaw slightly tighten, thinking back to what Emma said. “Yeah, tears of…pleasure.”
“That’s my excuse, too.”

[/blockquote][/size]

[laura]

{name:Emma#|#picture:18}

Emma closed the cabin door behind them and instantly her smile dropped. There wasn’t any need to keep up the act behind closed doors, especially with Elijah.
“I think we did a good first job,” She mused, crossing the small room to take a seat on the coach. “We know they’re going to the spa tomorrow afternoon, thanks to Trisha. So, I guess that’s where we’re going too.”
Elijah nodded, but continued his glarathon at her. "The spa it is. Although I didn't appreciate the whole 'crying during intercourse' bit. Nice to know I sound like a girl."
Emma casually shrugged her shoulders, “I think it made you sound likeable. You’re so in love with me, Elijah, that you can’t stand how amazing our loving sessions are.”
He rolled his eyes, sarcasm drenching his tone. "Yeah that's it, you're definitely right. I suppose I should keep a handkerchief handy just in case you tell me you love me in public."
“Would you?” She asked, a hint of a smile in her tone. “Would you cry if I told you I loved you in private too?”
"Only in an alternate universe would you ever tell me you 'loved me', so maybe then I'd cry due to the overall shock of the situation."

Emma twisted on the coach to face him, “I’ll never tell you that I love you, Elijah, so it looks like I’ll have to find some other way to make you cry.”
She stared at his hard, stern expression and doubted the man had what it took to cry. Crying meant being hurt or upset over something – and Elijah didn’t give a shit about anyone or anything, but himself.
"You actually want to make me cry?" He pressed a hand to his heart dramatically. "But the best of luck with that sweetheart. I rarely cry."
“Rarely?” Emma asked, interested. “Which means there are occasions…intriguing. Did you like the name I gave you, Randy? I thought it was quite fitting.”
Randy Walker. It had been enough to actually make her want to laugh at it herself.
Elijah’s jaw clenched, "Sure, if I was an eighty-five year old bachelor," he retorted, hints of spite radiating in his tone.

Dropping her head to rest on her arm, Emma looked up at him attentively, “You will be one day.” That, she was sure of.
Elijah shrugged. "It's better than being an old, bitter, single woman, angry at the world -- predominantly the male population."
“You think I hate just the males of this world? Oh, no. No, no, no. I hate everyone, both men and women. Hey, maybe we’ll still be together, both alone, old and miserable. Would that make you cry?”
Elijah winced, pretending to think about it. "Not really, nope. Because at least I'd still be getting laid."
Emma felt a ball of vile rise up in her throat, “That’s disgusting. You’ll still be a pervert, only a really old wrinkly one.”

Then, Emma shook her head and pushed up on to her feet. It had been a long day and Trisha’s annoying and excitable voice had succeeded in giving her one hell of a head ache – love this and love that, ugh, Emma had been close to blowing her own brains out a few times before the men had decided to rejoin them.
Pulling her coat from her shoulders, Emma draped it over the back of a chair she passed and walked to the one of two doors in the whole cabin, suddenly aware that they were in a couples retreat.
She opened the door to the bedroom, revealing the wide double bed. “Good luck on that coach. It’s really lumpy.”

[/blockquote][/font]

[Ange Keating]

{name:Elijah#|#picture:17}

The spa had probably been one of the most emasculating experiences of Elijah’s entire existence as a man. From the cucumber masks, to the mud baths, he had detested every second of it. Not to mention, Emma felt like it was her complete right to make him sound more like her metro sexual best friend, than her husband. In return, he had built her up as a bat shit crazy vixen in Steve’s mind. But in the end, he had figured out key factors about the incident – like on the night of her death, Mr. Glover had gotten in a fight with his wife, leading the woman to rush out of their multimillion dollar mansion and to the Upper Quarters, in a wrong place, wrong time confrontation.

Afterwards, Elijah and Emma had time to kill so they dressed down in workout clothes, jogging out to the trail for conditioning. This offered the perfect opportunity to shoot around small bits of conversation they had taken it that could hopefully point the finger at the perpetrating agent. Of course, he still viewed the task as finding a needle in a large, large haystack, but there was nothing he enjoyed more than puzzles.

“So, apparently Mr. and Mrs. Glover got in a fight the night she died, leading her to flee from their mansion and to the Upper Quarters, where she was then shot.” Elijah kept up to her brisk jog, the dark trees towering above them.
"Does he blame himself...or the shooter? Did you get either of those impressions from him?"
“His expressions were pretty vague, but, it seemed like he blamed himself, more than anyone. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t want to avenge her by taking out her supposed killer, accident or not.”
Emma nodded, agreeing. Obviously they were still in the early stages of cracking the business tycoon, but Elijah had made sure to take note of the various patterns of his facial expressions and had come up with a simple key of what actions linked to certain emotions. For example, he ran his right hand tiredly along the underside of his jaw whenever he was upset. Or, he pinched the tip of his left ear whenever he was remorseful. Special skills like these were often taught in the military, and Elijah had been provided with a whole seven-day class on the subject matter.

After pausing by a nearby tree stump to stretch out, he leaned forward momentarily to touch the ground before straightening up again. “How has Trisha been? Pick anything up from her?” Elijah didn’t expect for her to find anything from his ditzy girlfriend of three months, but at this point, any tiny lead counted for a project as large as this one.
“I dont think she's after his money. I mean, she genuinely seems to care about him - but she hasn't mentioned his wife, or the fact that he's been married before, once."
“Shit. Any way you could squeeze it out of her discretely? Y’know, gossip? Whatever girls do.”
Emma narrowed her eyes on him, "And I know just what girls get up to with other girls, dont I? I'm trying my best as it is. That woman’s voice is crazily annoying."
Elijah shrugged. “Well, try harder to be a girl. Who knows how much a few bottles of champagne and hearsay will get her to talk? Obviously, like you said, she’s not there for the money, meaning their relationship is pretty serious. Surely, they’ve had heart to hearts.” He wouldn’t be the only one pulling the weight.
"Fine, I'll try getting the barbie wannabe drunk. Happy, now? I hope she's not the emotional kind after a drink...I’m not sure I could take that."

Elijah stood behind her, quickly grabbing her right arm and bending it over her shoulder to stretch it out. “And you think my job is easy? The prick’s the most emotional guy I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s repulsive. All you have to do is pretend you give a shit and get the information.”
"What do you think I've been doing all this time, playing with her dolls? All I do is listen, listen, listen. I know things about her that I shouldn’t, it’s disturbing."
“What kind of things?” He questioned indifferently, that tiny grin pulling at his lips. Maybe he was getting somewhat off track, but it’s not like they had many any monumental discoveries, anyways.

Elijah grabbed her other arm, repeating.

[/blockquote][/size]

[laura]

{name:Emma#|#picture:18}

Emma rolled her eyes. Of course he wanted to know that, of all things.
“Oh, everything,” She began, “I know how she likes it in bed, what turns her on and what turns her off…want me to tell you, Elijah? It’s hot.”
"Only if you want," he responded with a tiny grin, although clearly interested.
Emma stepped out of his hold and turned to look at him, the tiniest bit of humour sparking in her eyes. “She likes handcuffs, the fluffy kind, and dressing up like a cat and purring the whole way through.”
Elijah snickered in disbelief. "Seriously? Sounds like a freak."
Like he wasn’t turned on just hearing about it. Pervert.

“Good god, Elijah,” Emma waved a hand in his face, “We didn’t talk about sex stuff! It was pointless information. Like, she likes her meat rare, her lucky number is three, she’s had three boob jobs, a nose job and had her lips plumped, and she’s only twenty-two. Her mother was a primary school teacher and her father was a dentist, she doesn’t have any siblings, but she does have three cousins. Her shoe size is three and she’s a double D. She doesn’t like yellow, but loves orange. Tea makes her sneeze. Hmm…what else? Oh, and Steve is her first real relationship. That’s interesting, I suppose.”

He moved on to stretching out his own arms. "She looks like she's fresh out of high school, so I guess that's believable."
“It’s weird, though. What would a man his age want with someone like her? His wife was the same age as he was, wasn’t she?”
"I think she was two years older, actually. And who knows? Maybe he wanted a bubbly young spirit to make his life 'worth while' again. Not to mention, being naturally...perkier, is always coveted by men, no matter how old."
Emma frowned at that, “Perky? Is that what you’d call her? And men actually like that kind of thing?”
"Hell yeah. The chick's annoying as fuck, but you can't deny that gravity has definitely spared her."

With yet another roll of her eyes, Emma set off on a steady jog, Elijah close to her side. “You want her, don’t you?”
The question surprised her, but her growing curiosity over how Elijah’s mind worked was gradually getting the better of her. He was the ying to her yang, and while she hated the idea of sex, Elijah appeared as though he couldn’t get enough of it, no matter who it was with.
Elijah shrugged. "I want to screw her. But that's it."
“Why do you want to do that if you don’t want her?” Emma didn’t get it. Wasn’t want and sex the same thing? Didn’t you need to want them to sleep with them? Jeez, it was no wonder Emma didn’t want a relationship. Men were confusing and illogical creatures at the best of times.
"Because commitment isn't my thing," Elijah responded, somewhat indifferently. "The whole one night deal is easier than Valentines day with chocolates and flowers, and being a supportive boyfriend...all that lovey dovey shit. But I'm sure you'd understand where I'm coming from, considering you're not necessarily the relationship type either, from my understanding."

They followed around the narrowing pathway that led toward the wide and beautiful lake.
“I don’t believe in love,” Emma said simply, “I think it’s nothing more than a passing notion. For instance, what would you do if you someday found a girl you could actually love? You wouldn’t stay loyal to her, would you? You’d become bored and find someone else.”
Just look at Steve Glover; he swore he loved his wife, yet a year after she’d died and already he was bedding a pretty young thing, his wife at the back of his mind, forgotten with time. Love was such a folly.
He nodded. "Couldn't agree more. I don't think I'd ever have the emotional capacity to love anyone, anyways. It just feels like from since you're little, people feel the need to bullshit kids with the idea of needing someone to 'complete' you. I'm glad I figured out on my own how absolutely idiotic that concept sounds."
“I was never told that when I was a kid,” Emma wasn’t told anything, “Though, that would be a nice concept, I guess. Knowing that no matter how empty you feel, there’s a hope of feeling something more.”

She ducked beneath a low hanging branch and asked, “Does it make you feel complete, when you sleep with all these women, I mean?”

[/blockquote][/font]

[Ange Keating]

{name:Elijah #|#picture:17}

Elijah was surprised at how nonchalant he had been about their sudden conversational mood change. Usually, he was uncomfortable talking about the ‘emotional’ sides of himself, and overanalyzing his actions, but he was equally as interested to pick at her complex mind. Somehow, he saw this as his only chance, the rare moment when they were somehow clicking, without a single argument.

“I complete myself,” he responded, jumping over a rock. “Sex is a casualty, I suppose. Just a fun way to pass the time.” Perhaps at the time Elijah wasn’t being completely honest about his intentions, but that was something he refused to delve into. “And what do you do to pass the time? Y’know, to not make yourself feel so alone?” He didn’t peg her as the type to release her frustrations the same way he often did.
"I'm always alone and that's not going to change," She answered, her tone flat. "I work because I enjoy it, and because it distracts me."
“Distracts you from being alone, or from something else?”
Emma looked upward, thoughtfully. "Everything."

Elijah nodded to himself, pausing to look out at the lake as he examined the sparkling water in awe. Nobody could deny how picturesque Lake Juliet happened to be, stretching out for miles as smoky evergreens surrounded it. Being out there felt like being divided from the rest of the world and its problems – he took the opportunity to settle down onto the grass for a brief moment to rest.

“Do you believe in happy endings…for people like us?” Elijah asked out of the blue, not sure where the question came from. He figured the whole serenity of the situation locked him into this mode he could hardly snap out of.
"Happy endings don't exist, but even if they did...I think we'd end up being the only two people who wouldn't get one."
Elijah winced, although there was nothing false about her statement. Personality-wise, they couldn’t be any more different, but in a fucked up way, they had the same struggles. “Strangely enough, I don’t care. I think, I’m at the prime of my happiness and conforming to society would completely kill that.” Even if he wanted to save his ‘soul’, the idea was completely out of reach since now, more than ever, he was beginning to realize how incompatible his qualities were with the average citizen. And if staying single and having one night stands was his key to ‘happiness’, he would never tamper with the fact.
"Finding someone to love would kill your happiness? My, my, how I feel sorry for the ladies in your life."

Emma stooped down next to him, grabbing a rock and tossing it out at the dark water. He couldn’t help but scoff, glancing over at her. “I have this uncanny sense you’re judging me,” Elijah retorted, although he was clearly teasing. “Like I said, you out of all people should understand love isn’t for everyone. Unless you’ve had a bad experience in the past that made you that way.” Personally, he had made the decision for himself at a relatively young age, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with it. Maybe he sounded harsh about the whole situation, but the ladies that ‘had’ been in his life, probably went on to find boyfriends or husbands that would give a damn about them – something Elijah obviously couldn’t do.
She shook her head, "No...of course not. What would make you think that?"
He shrugged again. “Just a wild guess. Although you do sound a smidge defensive. But hey, I’m not the prod-y type, so.” Elijah soon rose to his feet once again, swatting the dust off his sweats.
"You don't care, Elijah, so I dont know why you're asking."

Elijah could tell he struck a nerve, but left it as it was, simply nodding. “Maybe you’re right.”

[/blockquote][/size]

[laura]

{name:Emma#|#picture:18}

The morning jog had left Emma with a strange, hollow feeling in the centre of her chest, scaring her more than anything had in years. Talking with Elijah about love, happy endings and loneliness had made her remember all the things she’d wanted to forget. It did no good to dwell on the past, especially for Emma. It only conjured up demons she’d rather stayed hidden.

Over the next twenty-four hours Emma and Elijah kept their distance for the vacationing couple. They didn’t want to appear too eager to spend time with them and unintentionally push them, and their chances of finding out the truth, away.
However, the following afternoon, they hunted them down in the resort bar the first chance they got.
“Julie, Randy, over here!” Trisha waved at them from their booth at the far end, her tiny dress riding lower with each wave, giving Emma a view she would have rather not have seen.

Emma forced another one of her fake smiles to her lips, “Hey, Trisha! Fancy seeing you two here.”
“Come, come,” Steve waved to the empty side of the booth, “Sit down. We’ve just ordered a bottle of champagne.”
Elijah slid into the seat first, but not before he took Emma’s hand and led her in behind him. The second her butt touched the leather, she tore her hand free.
“And what have you two been up to?” He asked the couple.
Trisha leaned into her boyfriend’s side. “We went back to the spa yesterday. Oh, it was soooo relaxing. You both need to go try out that mud bath, it was fun!”
Emma nodded, “We’ll be sure to do that before we leave.”
“How much longer are you here for?”
“Two days.” They’d already wasted three of them, and if they went home with nothing, well, Landry wouldn’t be impressed.
“Two days?!” The blonde gasped, “Oh, no! Stevie and I are here for another week yet. Can’t you stay longer?”
“Unfortunately, no,” Elijah answered, “We have work commitments to get back to.”
“How sad,” She pouted, “We’ll have to have a party night, then! Before you go!”

Emma cocked a brow, “Party night?”
Ugh, she hated parties, with a deep burning passion.
“Yes!” The woman got more excited with every passing second. “Tonight. You must come to our cabin tonight. Oh, maybe Randy can cook for us, like you said, Julie? We’ll enjoy a lovely meal and play a few party games.”
Elijah stood to attention immediately, the words sparking his interest. “Party games? Are we talking fun…or kinky?”
Emma shot him a glare, “Randy. For the love of…”
“Its okay, Julie,” Trisha beamed, “They’ll be a little of both, but of course…I’m not into that whole swapping partners thing.”

Hell, no. Emma was not going to do anything with Steve, no matter how much Elijah wanted to bounce the blonde around his bedroom. There was a line and like hell she’d be crossing it.
Elijah opened his mouth, no doubt to protest, but Emma pushed forward first with a resounding, “No. None of that. I don’t want any other women touching my Randy, thank you very much.”
“That’s the same for me,” Trisha sighed, “I like you, Julie, but Stevie is all mine. He’s all I need.”

Emma could practically feel the disappointment radiating off her partner, and boy, did she love it. Finally, the man wouldn’t be getting what he wanted.
The waitress chose that moment to appear with the expensive looking bottle of champagne and filled four tall glasses for the two couples. “Enjoy.” She smiled and vanished off to her next table.
“Tonight is going to be so fun, isn’t it, Stevie?”
He kissed the woman’s temple affectionately, “Yes, baby.”
“We can’t wait,” Emma said, resting her head on Elijah’s shoulder. “Can we, honeybun?”
Elijah cast her a quick side glance, “We certainly can’t, sweetheart.”

[/blockquote][/font]

[Ange Keating]

{name:Elijah #|#picture:17}

Did Emma thrive on his unhappiness? Because God forbid she let him get what he wanted, even when it didn’t have to directly involve her. Elijah was more than willing to take one for the team, and if that meant sleeping with Trisha…he could definitely summon the hero from within him and take on such a fantastic feat. For the good of the agency, and all. But nope, nope, nope – his door to happiness (and immense, freaky pleasure) was closed by someone that enjoyed seeing him suffer as much as she did.

It didn’t take long for the couples to finish their drinks, before going their separate ways and soon returning five or so hours later in Mr. Glovers luxury cabin. Emma had advised him, which was her pretty word for ‘do it or I’ll fucking hurt you’, to bring the party favors such as an expensive bottle of wine, and some crystal glasses to match. So, by nine o’clock precisely they were standing outside the front door, her arm hooked around his, by the time Trisha opened the front door in nothing but a tight, flimsy sweater and boy shorts.

In an ultimate test of will, Elijah somehow forced his eyes to remain level with hers, rather than delving a little lower.
“Oh my god! You guys are here! And you brought wine!” She clapped her hands together as Steve came up from behind her, a friendly smile on his face. “Well, stop freezing! Come right on in.”
“Thank you for inviting us once again,” Emma responded, her voice disgustingly sweet.
“Hopefully you enjoy your wine red,” Elijah piped in, as the four of them walked over to the kitchen.
“Excellent choice. Thank you.” Steve clapped the young agent on the back.

Trisha’s face brightened as an idea came to mind. “Hey, I know this is short notice and all, but would you two care to carry festivities to the indoor hot tub? I have an extra bathing suit, and Stevie has a few trunks.”
The older man quickly intervened. “Don’t feel obligated to accept.”
“No problem! Sounds pretty sweet,” Elijah agreed, feeling Emma’s nails dig into his arm as he fawned at the shapely blonde.
“Well, I was thinking---“
He cut Emma off by squeezing her ass, forcing a faked giggle. “No better way to end an amazing vacation than a hot tub party. Right, baby?”
“I guess not!” She grinned, although anger, only noticeable to him, radiated from her being.

Trisha squealed, already grabbing the red head and rushing towards the back room, leaving the two men alone. Steve eventually disappeared to grab an extra pair of trunks, tossing it at Elijah with a sheepish smile.
“You don’t feel forced into this, right?” The business tycoon questioned, just as he started in the direction towards the bathroom.
“Of course not, man. It’ll be fun.”
Steve simply nodded, adding he would set up the hot tub, before allowing Elijah to head into the bathroom, quickly stripping and pulling up a pair of basic, black trunks.

Seeing not one, but two great-looking chicks in nothing but a two-piece? It felt like God himself was rooting for him from the skies, obviously wanting him to milk such an incredible opportunity. Not to mention, Emma would learn soon enough pay back was a swinging pendulum between the two of them, and he would always return the favor.

After getting dressed, Elijah joined the crowd in a glass room that gave perfect view of a family of strong, majestic evergreens, curtaining what looked like, the most eastern edge of Lake Juliet. Although that particular view wasn’t the one that intrigued him the most. Instead, his eyes flew surprisingly right past Trisha, and onto Emma, clad in a stringy dark blue bikini that accented every part of her body.
Elijah bit his lip, his jaw clenching as a faux smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

Why did the devil have to be so attractive?

[/blockquote]

[laura]

{name:Emma#|#picture:18}

This was not what she had in mind for the night, that was for sure. Emma looked down at the small dark blue bikini and grimaced; she felt near enough naked in it, with everything on show for everyone too see. Trisha appeared to thrive in her bright pink two piece, and there was no doubt in Emma’s mind that Elijah would enjoy the woman in it too.
Emma tugged at the string holding up the top half of her outfit, making sure it was in place and covering the spots that mattered, when she suddenly felt someone watching her.
Steve and Trisha were already moving to the hot tub and Elijah was finishing getting dressed… Or, at least, he was. When Emma looked toward the door, she found him watching her, not Trisha (he didn’t even seem to notice her frolicking around in the water). His jaw was tight as his gaze burned into her skin and, strangely enough, Emma didn’t feel uncomfortable. Not even a little.
Then, his eyes caught hers.
She saw the brief flicker of shock that he’d been caught, a second before he looked away, his head snapping in the other direction as quickly as was physically possible.

“Come on, you two, the water feels great!”
Without another look, the two climbed into the bubbling heat to join the giggling girl.

Trisha pushed herself up on to Steve’s lap, her arms wound tightly around his neck to keep herself balanced. “Stevie has a hot tub in his house back in the city, don’t you?”
The man nodded, “Yes, it was actually my…”
When he didn’t finish, Trisha cooed at him gently, reminding Emma of a mother and her child. “I’m sorry, baby, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“It’s alright, Trish, I know you didn’t mean it,” He looked over at Elijah then, “My wife bugged me for years to get it for her.”
Of course he’d find the need to explain that to Elijah, since he was the only one of the two that was supposed to know about the woman.
Well, Emma wanted in, too.
“You’re married?” She asked, forcing surprise.
“Oh, no, it’s not like that,” Trisha answered quickly, “His wife died last year. We’re not having a dirty affair or anything.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Steve.”

Steve Glover looked down to stare at the bubbles and suddenly, he looked like a very fragile, if not broken, man. “I know what you’re both thinking…” He murmured, “That I’ve moved on too quickly. Could either of you move on if the other died?”
Emma and Elijah spared each other a quick look. Emma’s body wouldn’t even be cold and he’d be rolling around in the sheets with someone else; the look on his face silently told her that.
“No.” They finally said in unison.
“Cecelia and I were together for a long time – she wouldn’t want to see me alone and miserable. Trisha is bringing back the happiness in to my life, and I couldn’t be more thankful to her for that.”
The blonde pouted, “Oh, baby…I love you.”
His hand moved beneath the water; stroking her leg by the looks of it. “I love you too, Trish.”

The two then shared a passionate kiss, with tongues, moans, groans and everything in between. Emma and Elijah looked away at the same time, catching each others eye instead.
“Moved on?” She mouthed at him.
His brows furrowed in thought, but before he could answer her Trisha’s voice rang out. “Let’s play truth or dare! We need to lighten the mood up, don’t you think?”

[/blockquote][/font]