Alex And Cassidy: Betrayal Part 33

"I understand, Alex."

"You do?"

Ca.s.sidy climbed over the agent and looked down at her. "Yes, I do."

"I imagined I would do something more romantic," Alex confessed.

"It was incredibly romantic."

"Yeah? That's what you dreamt of? Little boys with ear infections and some insane woman rambling on her knees?"

Ca.s.sidy chuckled. "No. It isn't at all what I imagined."

"I'm sorry, Ca.s.s, I wanted it to...."

Two fingers pressed firmly to the agent's lips. "It was more romantic and more meaningful than any daydream I could ever have." She moved closer to the agent and searched Alex's blue eyes. "I love you, Alex."

Alex closed her eyes as her lips met her lover's. The tenderness in Ca.s.sidy's touch felt like the soothing sensation of cool water on a warm day. Gently, it carried Alex along. At the same time it produced a fire within the agent that she was certain could never be fully extinguished. As Ca.s.sidy's lips traveled over the agent's throat, Alex moaned and arched her back. "Ca.s.s..."

Ca.s.sidy's hands gently lifted the agent's T-s.h.i.+rt and began to explore the softness of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. "I want you, Alex."

Alex felt a s.h.i.+ver of excitement pa.s.s through her and pulled Ca.s.sidy back to her, kissing her pa.s.sionately. "You have me, Ca.s.s."

Ca.s.sidy pulled back slightly and looked into Alex's eyes. "I don't have words."

"You don't need any." Alex swiftly but tenderly pulled Ca.s.sidy over and underneath her. Softly, more softly than Ca.s.sidy could have imagined, Alex let her kisses travel across Ca.s.sidy's neck and throat, lingering gently but insistently. Deliberately and gradually Alex allowed her hands to explore her lover. "You are everything to me, Ca.s.sidy." She looked into the teacher's eyes as their bodies moved perfectly in time with one another. "Everything," she whispered in Ca.s.sidy's ear.

It was difficult for Alex to believe that they could grow closer, but each time she felt Ca.s.sidy willingly give herself over, she fell deeper under the spell that seemed to bind them. Making love to Ca.s.sidy was as tender as it was pa.s.sionate, and it was powerful. Alex found herself wis.h.i.+ng she could lose herself here. "Don't let me go," Ca.s.sidy begged as her body began to tremble and quake. "Alex...."

"Everything, Ca.s.sidy," Alex a.s.sured. Ca.s.sidy held onto the agent tightly, needing to feel the safety of Alex's arms as a new rush of emotion and physical sensations pounded over and through her. "Je t'aime," Alex whispered as Ca.s.sidy's body finally submitted fully.

Tears fell swiftly between them. Ca.s.sidy held Alex's face in her hands and searched her eyes in silence. "No words," she finally repeated.

Alex smiled. "Tu n'as pas a dire un mot. Je veux juste t'aimer. (You never need to say a word. I just want to love you).

"I hope you know that I want to give you...."

The teacher's words were met with a soft and simple kiss. "Everything. You give my life purpose. You've given me everything...Ca.s.s?" Alex asked as Ca.s.sidy's head came to rest on her chest.

"Mm?"

"You're sure, right?"

"That I want to marry a butler?" Hearing her lover's response, Alex let out a relaxed chuckle. "I'm sure, Alfred."

"Thank you, Ca.s.s."

"For what, love?"

"For giving me everything."

Ca.s.sidy moved herself slowly over the agent. Her eyes sparkled as she offered Alex a seductive smile. "Pas tout a fait, Amour (not quite everything, love)." She kissed Alex and whispered in her ear. "Mais, je te promets, je le ferai (But I promise, I will)."

Alex closed her eyes and reveled in the feel of Ca.s.sidy close to her, kissing her, touching her, loving her. "Everything," she whispered with a new understanding of what that word meant.

rian Fallon sat quietly sipping his coffee, regarding the man seated across from him. "You'll have to forgive me."

"You don't trust me, Agent Fallon. Well, I would say that you don't have much choice now."

Fallon took a deliberately long sip from his coffee and let it linger on his lips. As slowly as his hand would allow he moved the cup back to the table before allowing his gaze to meet the eyes fixed on him. "a.s.sistant Director, I don't understand why you called me here. Agent Toles may be my friend, but she is no longer with the bureau."

"No, she is not. And neither are you, Agent."

"a.s.sist...."

"Don't bother, Agent Fallon. I understand. I also understand your reluctance to believe me. I already spoke with your boss. Director Taylor is why I called. I have been at this a great deal longer than you, Agent. I worked in the field once. I had a partner. The kind of partner you don't forget."

"So that's your reason..."

"Listen to me, Agent Fallon. You think you know more than you really do, both you and Toles."

"You do realize that the idea of a sitting president as a CIA agent sounds a bit," Fallon raised his eyebrow, "farfetched."

"Maybe to you."

"Okay. What's in this for you?"

a.s.sistant FBI Director Joshua Tate shook his head. "For me? Nothing, Agent." Fallon stared blankly at the man he had known as his mentor and boss. "There comes a time, Agent Fallon, when we have to make a choice. What do you believe in? What are you going to do about that?"

"So, you are making a choice?"

"Fallon....I knew John Merrow for many years. Our daughters grew up together. When he called me six months ago... well, I didn't ask questions. He was the President of the United States. He was a friend. Do you understand?"

"So, he told you this, then?"

"No, he didn't. He was cautious, concerned about Brackett's placement at the FBI. He did not tell me all the reasons why. Something deeper. I only know that he wanted her controlled. He didn't want Toles to discover her roots. Brackett is, well... her need to get close to Agent Toles; it prompted your a.s.signment to the O'Brien case."

Fallon nodded. "I think there might have been more than that to it, a.s.sistant Director."

"I'm sure, but Brackett concerned him," Tate maintained.

"Why?"

"I don't know that. It wasn't often you could read John Merrow. He was concerned, Fallon. The last time I saw him....I suggested he tell Agent Toles everything."

"Everything about what?" Fallon asked.

"What he was doing with the French...and others."

"And what was that?"

"I don't know much Agent Fallon. I was told what I needed to know. Large disburs.e.m.e.nts of cash ran through several congressional campaigns this last season. Far more than years earlier. The money, most of it moved through Nigeria before it made its way to Swiss accounts."

"And..."

"I don't know what the sales were. Not specifically. What was being sold concerned the president enough that he called me."

Brian Fallon rubbed his hand over his head. "Why do you think he was a spook?"

"I don't think it, Fallon. He was. His whole life. Look in that file. I can tell you this...you think Director Kearn controls the CIA?" Tate laughed. "Admiral Brackett, Agent. He is the agency as it actually operates. Whatever the agency even is."

"What does that mean?"

"Agent Fallon, lone gunmen do not get close enough to presidents to kill them. This isn't 1865."

"So, the president was an intelligence operative that was killed by the CIA?" Fallon scoffed. "I thought Alex watched too much X-Files."

Tate chuckled and shook his head. "You're a good investigator, Fallon, but you are certainly nave."

"Why not bring this to Taylor yourself?"

"I did that once. People are watching both of us, Fallon. You and I have a reason to be here together. Be careful. Look at that file. Get it to Agent Toles. You are into something here; something much bigger than any of us can understand. It got a popular president murdered."

"That's a strong accusation."

Tate stood and released an audible breath. "It's not an accusation. It's a fact."

"If he knew someone might try and eliminate him, why wouldn't he...."

Joshua Tate forced a solemn smile as he interrupted Fallon's question with his answer. "I told you, Fallon. We all have to make choices."

"You think he chose to die?"

Tate scratched his eyebrow. "Either you follow what you believe in Agent, or one day you believe in nothing." He started to walk away as Fallon opened the file. "You have a family, Agent. People you love. So did John Merrow. So do I. Why did you choose this?" Fallon looked up and watched as the taller man nodded again. "Be careful, both you and Toles. I will do what I can where Agent Brackett is concerned. Who she answers to, well...I'm not sure of that anymore."

Brian Fallon looked back into the file as Tate walked away. His eyes scanned it quickly and he shook his head. "What the h.e.l.l is going on?"

Ca.s.sidy woke up and reached across the bed to find Alex absent. She rolled over and looked at the clock. "5:30?" she groaned. The agent was still forbidden to go running and Ca.s.sidy wondered where she might have gone. Reluctantly, she left the comfort of the bed, threw on her robe and went in search of the agent. Dylan's bed was also empty. The living room was still dark and she continued curiously to the kitchen. The coffee pot was on and a juice container sat open on the counter. Ca.s.sidy laughed. "Still tired," she mused. It was unlike Alex to leave anything undone. She popped the juice back in the refrigerator and shuffled herself down the hallway. The faint sound of the television echoing from the family room caught her attention. Ca.s.sidy stopped in the doorway and smiled. Alex was lying sprawled out on the couch with Dylan nestled into her, his head tucked under her chin. She took a moment to study the scene, noting the remote that had fallen to the floor and the way Alex's hand held her son gently. She shook her head in both amus.e.m.e.nt and deep affection for the pair. Quietly she walked over and kissed the agent's forehead. "Alex," she called gently.

"Hum? Ca.s.s?"

"Yeah, what are you doing down here?"

"What time is it?"

"It's only 5:30. What...."

Alex opened her eyes slightly and gave a weak smile. "He wasn't feeling good."

"I didn't hear him," Ca.s.sidy said feeling a bit guilty.

"I know, you were sleeping so soundly when he came in. I didn't want to wake you.

Ca.s.sidy knelt down beside the couch and brushed the hair from Alex's eyes. "You didn't have to....you could have woken me up." The agent smiled and took Ca.s.sidy's hand. "What?" Ca.s.sidy asked.

Alex swallowed hard. "He's my son too, Ca.s.s."

"Yes," Ca.s.sidy said softly. "He is."

"Ca.s.s?" Alex asked. Ca.s.sidy noted a hint of fear in her lover's eye.

"What?" Ca.s.sidy asked with some concern.

"It was real, right?"

"What?"

"Last night. I mean you said yes....I didn't just....well...you know...I..."

"Did you ask me something last night?" she asked playfully.

"What? Well....yeah...I..."

"You are tired," Ca.s.sidy observed. "Yes."

"What?" Alex answered.

"Yes, Alex. I said yes," Ca.s.sidy laughed. "Come on. Come back to bed."

"Dylan...."

"Did you give him anything?" Alex nodded and the teacher kissed her head. "He'll sleep. Come back and sleep with me for a while." Alex wiggled her way off the couch and covered the still sleeping boy. She stood over him, watching silently. "Alex? Are you all right?"

"Yeah. Is it weird, Ca.s.s?"

"What's that?" Ca.s.sidy asked as she wrapped an arm around the agent and pressed into her.

"I don't know. I just....I can't believe sometimes it's all real."

"What?" Ca.s.sidy asked.

Alex turned and looked at her lover. "You."

"I know."

"Sometimes, I think I will wake up and it will have been just a dream."

Ca.s.sidy did understand. "Well, it is a dream for me Alex; you, Dylan."