Welcome back! I hope you enjoy this next chapter. Chapter 3: Triage and Apologies, is in the works but may take a few more days than previously anticipated to release... if anyone is interested in being a beta reader for me, send me a message! =) On with the chapter!

Chapter 2: Ice Cream and Unofficial Crime Scenes.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Inhale. Exhale. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Cass pressed on the side of her FBI Issue Glock 19, removed the clip, threw it on the ground next to her, and reloaded with a clip that had been attached to her belt. She took a few steps closer to the target, yelled clear even though she was the only one on the shooting range, and continued to empty her third clip into her paper target.

Breathe. She reminded herself. Inhale. Exhale slowly. Focus on your target. Orange dot below the bulls-eye. Inhale. Pull trigger on exhale. Breathe. After her third clip was empty, she sighed and walked herself through the movements. Remove the clip, pull the slide back, check for loaded bullets. Let slide fall back into place once chamber is empty. Holster gun. With a small click, the gun was back in its holster, and she bent over to pick up three discarded clips to reload when she heard footsteps. She glanced up only to sigh and roll her eyes. She stood straight and walked to the loading table where she began to slide the bullets quickly and efficiently into the cartridges.

"Hey, Cassie…" Varian greeted with a small cough. "So, um… How are things?" He could slap himself. He'd been in her circle of friends for almost 10 months, and he still couldn't form a full, coherent conversation with her. He licked his lips and fiddled with his fingers behind his back as he watched her work in quick, decisive, fluid movements.

"Varian." She greeted coolly, focused on her task. "And it's Cass. Shouldn't you be with the two stooges?" She asked, causing Varian to release a nervous twitter. She raised a brow.

"Two stooges, haha. Funny." He coughed, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. "They're not that bad you know."

"I know. Lance is a good guy. Adira has a good handle on him." She smirked, causing Varian to hesitantly reply with, "Right…" as he looked down at her.

She shook her head. "It's a joke, Varian." She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, softening slightly. She tended to forget that not everyone who worked at Quantico was a typical Alpha male. Thank her lucky stars. "So, what brings you down here?" She holstered the first finished clip to her belt before continuing to reload her second clip.

"I um… Just wanted to check on you." Varian replied honestly as he let his arms fall to his sides.

"That's sweet, kid. Really." Cass sighed, causing Varian to frown. "But I'm fine. That's just how we are."

"Well… you left in a hurry and... forgot to eat."

"Oh," Cass coughed. "I wasn't hungry. Lost my appetite. Fitzherjerk does that to me sometimes." She lied.

"Right." Varian sighed. "Well," His cheeks began to heat up as something crunched in his fist. "For what it's worth, I think you're amazing." He set a brown paper bag on the table, causing her to raise a brow to disguise the shock on her face at both the paper bag, and his forward comment. "See you around, Cass, not Cassie." He turned, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his black bomber jacket. Be cool, be cool, be cool! He found himself repeating over and over mentally as he made his exit.

Cass stared after him for a few moments, before shaking her head with a snort. "Amazing, huh?" She felt a small flutter start in her rib cage, but she inhaled deeply and exhaled sharply to kill it. "Yeah, right." She turned her attention back to the table where she noticed the brown paper bag at the edge of the table. She chewed her lip, considering if she should open it.

"Oh, screw it." She said to no one in particular. She set down the bullets and cartridge, rubbed her palms clean against her black slacks, and reached for the paper bag. The scent of blackberries and a slight warmth radiated from the bag as she pulled the top open. Her eyes widened, then softened as she turned her gaze towards the exit. Kid got me breakfast. She shook her head, then paused. She glanced back into the bag containing the blackberry scone, closed it, then set it aside with a frown. Kid's observant. She chewed her lip as she continued replacing the bullets. Unsure how to feel at being noticed by someone who wasn't a superior.

"Okay, Varian." Eugene huffed as he glanced at his watch. It was 1300 hours. They'd finished the physical fitness portion of their day and had been in Hogan's alley for the last couple of hours running scenarios and drills with the actors- and each time they did, one of them ended up dead. "You can't let them overwhelm you. You have to keep your cool."

Varian released a groan as he holstered his revolver filled with blanks. The actors returned to their starting positions to play out the next scenario, which Lance was typing into a mass text for them.

"I'm trying!" Varian ran a hand over his eyes and pressed the heels of his palms into his temples. "I'm going to fail and get kicked out…"

"No, you won't. You'll just be put on probation until you try again and pass." Lance stated optimistically.

Varian sent him a deadpan look as he said, "I don't see why I need in-field tactical experience when I'm just stuck in the labs anyway. I'm better around my inventions or in front of a computer coding." He crossed his arms in annoyance as he leaned against a black light post.

"Well…" Eugene sighed as he ran a hand over his face. "That's just how this works, Var. At least you'll pass the physical part of the test." Varian sent him a look. "Barely?"

"Barely isn't good enough." Varian huffed as he scuffed the toe of his black combat boot against the concrete.

"Then we'll just keep practicing. You still have a month to practice, in between assignments and classes, of course." Eugene said as he walked over to Varian to place a hand on his shoulder. "Look, you're here for a reason. This is only going to help make you a better agent. So, what do you say, Varian? Let's give it another try. Lance will work this scenario with you."

"No, I will."

The voice sent Varian's heart racing and caused dread to pool in the pit of his stomach. His mouth suddenly dry as he turned to see her, arms crossed, hip cocked, brow raised.

"What are you doing here, Cassandra." Eugene sighed as he crossed his own arms, then remembered his promise to himself to be less… hostile and let them fall to his side.

"Watching you give him pointers that will make him fail." Cass replied as she walked over to Varian. "Thanks for breakfast. Now, I'll pay my debt by helping you with this exercise. The goal of these scenarios is to learn control, and to stop thinking so much." She reached up and pressed a finger into his glabella, forcing him to go cross-eyed. "It's about taking in the situation and observing if there is a threat. The minute there is, it's your job to react to either de-escalate it, or to protect your own and those around you. These situations are life and death and you need to be able to react accordingly, and quickly, or you or someone on your team, or a civilian could end up dead."

"So…it's like a Western Quick Draw?" Varian chuckled nervously as Cass shrugged.

"Kind of. Except this is real. You're aiming to kill."

"Why can't I just aim at his leg, or at his arm?" Varian asked as he nervously tapped his fingers on the hilt of his gun.

"Because adrenaline can do amazing things, kid." Cass replied in a hollow tone. Eugene and Lance nodded from where they stood, and all three agents glanced at the ground, each remembering their own experiences with that powerful hormone.

"Adrenaline is coursing through your veins and your pain receptors are numb. You feel it, yet you don't feel it. You're strictly in fight or flight mode. If an aggressor is coming at you with a weapon, he's not aiming to disarm you, he's aiming to kill you." In a flash, Cass had pulled Varian's gun out of his holster, and pressed it against his neck, causing him to gasp.

"Cass…." Eugene called out hesitantly.

Cass's eyes were steel as her gaze tore into him. He found himself unable to stop staring down the barrel of the gun, his heart rampaging in his rib cage.

"You shoot him in the arm, or in the leg, or in the chest, and don't see him fall to the ground- you better keep shooting or it's you who will end up in the hospital or six feet under."

"Why?" Varian managed to choke out. "Why can't I just talk him down? Why can't I just shoot him in the leg until he falls or someplace not… lethal."

Cass raised a brow. She had once had that same question. She re-holstered his gun. "What idealistic planet are you from, kid? We're not in a Goddamn Disney movie where everything turns out okay just because you want it to. This is real life. These are real lives you're dealing with." Her eyes darkened, almost as if she were reliving something, when she shook her head. She glanced at Eugene and Lance. "Do you think they'd even hesitate to kill someone if they were heading your way, aiming to kill you?"

"N-no, but I-" He stammered, but paused when she held her hand up to silence him.

"Eugene, Lance." She glanced over at them. "Do you trust Varian to have your back and keep you safe?"

Eugene began to open his mouth and closed it multiple times as Lance replied with, "I know he'd try…"

"That was not my question. Do. You. Trust. Him?"

Eugene glared at Cass but turned his eyes towards Varian. "I'm sorry, kid."

Lance looked down at his shoes. "But that's why we're working with him. He has time to learn…"

Cass scoffed. "It's not about learning how to kill. Any idiot with a gun or a weapon can do that." Her eyes found Varian's and she almost relented- almost. "It's, can you react confidently, quickly, and efficiently, and protect your own. If you can't, then your team can't trust you."

Varian's eyes widened, then narrowed as he crossed his arms and looked away. "I don't think it has to be that way…"

Just as Cass was going to open her mouth to retort, she felt a hand gently envelop her bicep and pull her away from him. His expression reminded her of someone who just had their world view shattered. How did he even get into the FBI? She asked herself as she finally looked away. Her frown deepened as she realized who had pulled her away.

"Look, Cass." Eugene sighed as he let her go and crossed his own arms. "If you're pissed off at me, be pissed at me. Don't take it out on the kid."

"I'm not." Cass crossed her own arms. She refused to let her expression be colored with guilt. "He needs to know and understand what being here means. He may be a lab tech, but he still needs to learn the basics. He may be needed in the field one day. You know that."

"I do, Cass. But this isn't the way. This… soldier-tough-love approach doesn't work for him."

Cass was silent for a moment. She then glanced at Varian, then back at Eugene. So much for returning the favor… "Fine. But make sure he understands what it really means to be an agent. You know the instructors won't take it easy on him."

"I know." He swallowed, then looked her in the eyes. His expression became apologetic, and as he opened his mouth to express his over-due apology, she turned away from him and walked away. He noticed the slight hunch in her shoulders as she did, and he found himself understanding her stance. She was trying to protect the kid the best way she knew how- by preparing him for the worst.

With a sigh, he turned to look at Lance, then back at Varian who had taken a sudden interest in the pavement and shook his head. "Alright, guys. Let's try this again…"

"Come on, Cass." Rapunzel giggled as she spooned a mouthful of cotton-candy and cheesecake flavored ice cream into her mouth. "You have to admit, he's cute!"

Cass scoffed as she took a bite of her own blackberry flavored frozen yogurt. "He's alright, I guess." She narrowed her eyes at the main protagonist of the film and scoffed. "I just can't take a guy who wears more makeup than me seriously."

"It's stage makeup!" Rapunzel shook her head as she turned up the volume when the music began. "Wouldn't you want some guy to sing to you, sweep you off your feet, or make his way down to Hadestown to get to back?"

"I'd rather he keeps his promises in the first place." Cass admitted as she continued to watch the musical play out on the screen. "I have to admit, though…" She muttered as she spooned another mouthful of frozen yogurt into her mouth. "The vocals are pretty damn good, but Orpheus is too naïve. Too… idealistic." She said thoughtfully, her mind flashing to Varian and their training session from earlier as If it's True began to play. She frowned and shook his disappointed "I can't believe Santa isn't real" face from her head and turned her attention back to the musical. Her lips curling up at the ends as Rapunzel sung along softly.

"You know who he reminds me of?" Rapunzel said randomly after a few moments.

"Who?" Cass asked, but she had an idea…

"Varian." Rapunzel glanced at Cass from the corner of her eye. "You know, you kind of remind me of Eurydice…"

"I'm not a wood nymph, and I'm definitely not in love with an Orpheus." Cass deadpanned as she reached over to Rapunzel and gently turned her head back towards the screen. "Just keep watching, Raps."

Rapunzel's bottom lip jut out in a pout. She turned back to retort when Cass's phone began to go off. Cass winced as she reached for it, ready to turn it off, when she recognized the number and cursed. "Sorry Raps, I've got to take this." She sent her an apologetic look as she got up and walked into the kitchen of Rapunzel's condominium.

"Yes?" Cass hissed into the phone. "What is it?"

"That's a nice how do you do." The woman on the other line scoffed.

"Yeah well, I'm in the middle of something, Cane." Cass replied nastily as she glanced over at Rapunzel, glad she was entranced with the musical.

"Yeah well, so was I." The prostitute known as Lady "Cathy" Cane retorted. "Look, I'm calling because last week, when I was doing my…job," She chuckled, causing Cass to roll her eyes. "Something weird happened with one of the girls. She went with a guy and never came back. I didn't think much of it, but she's always on her corner on Tuesdays. Always has been for the last three years I've known her. Rain or shine. Sick or not. She's there." Her voice turned soft and quiet as she replied, "Listen, I've been hearing things in the underground. Bodies showing up- but no one cares if a few hooker's go missing. They found a floater in the Potomac river last night, but no one's identified the body, and that copper I screw on the side isn't giving me much."

Cass quickly went to her leather satchel and pulled out her notepad and a pen. She wrote down the information Cane had given her. "Alright, I'll see what I can dig up on my end. That all?"

"No." Her tone took on an urgent quality. "I've had the same guy tail me for the last three weeks. I don't know if he's shy or what but he's giving me the creeps. He's come up to me three times, showing me pictures of what look like mannequins in some weird BDSM shit. And I've seen and done some weird shit, but this stuff… it's freaky, even for me. I read somewhere that psycho's like to practice before they pick a victim. Can you help me out?"

"I don't know…" Cass sighed, chewing her bottom lip. "I wasn't lying when I said I was busy."

The line was silent for a few moments. "I've got information on a few of the members of that Saporian Seperatist group that want to bring down the 'Corona way.'" Cane said, imitating the slogan Frederick had been using in his campaign.

At this, Cass groaned and placed her palm over her eyes. "Where are you?"

"I'm at my usual corner, but I can meet you at that pub, The Snuggly Duckling, a few streets down."

"Fine. Meet me there. I'll be there in…" Cass glanced at her smartwatch. "Fifteen."

"Can I order food? Your treat?"

"Sure." Cass glanced at Rapunzel. She pulled her phone away from her ear and pressed on the red icon of the touchscreen.

"Hey, Raps?" Cass slid the notepad, pen, and phone into the pocket of her dark green jacket and went to stand beside the couch. Rapunzel reached for the remote, pausing the DVD as she turned to look at her.

"Yeah?"

"I have to go." Cass gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. It's… really important."

Rapunzel raised a brow. "Is it safe?"

Cass raised a brow, then chuckled to cover her lie. "Yeah, it's safe."

"Alright… well, I guess if you have to…" Rapunzel replied as she tucked strands of blond hair behind her ear. She could immediately see the hesitancy in her eyes, causing Cass to start to regret her little lie.

"I do." Cass nodded. She leaned over to give Raps a one-armed hug before heading for her bag. She slid it over her head and tugged at the leather strap. "I'll text you when I'm on my way back? Shouldn't take long."

"OK. If it ends up being too late, let me know when you get home."

"I will." Cass promised. She gave her a little wave before heading out the door. Fear shot down her spine for a millisecond. A flashback threatening to overpower her. Breathe. She reminded herself. She took a second in front of the doorway leading towards the stairway and inhaled deeply. You are here. You are safe. You are alive. She ran a hand over a dim scar on her abdomen, before taking complete control of her emotions.

She opened the door to the staircase and began to rush down to the first floor, suddenly cursing that her friend lived on the tenth floor. When she reached the lobby, she waved goodbye to the doorman and pulled out her car keys. The lights on her silver jeep flickered as she unlocked it. She slid into the driver's seat and placed the key's back in the pocket of her green jacket. She pressed the ignition, letting the engine roar to life. She glanced around her, making sure it was safe before turning into traffic and heading towards her rendez-vous point.

"Alright, Cane." She murmured under her breath as she turned down the music she had been blasting for fifteen minutes straight. "Where are you?"

She turned into the parking lot of The Snuggly Duckling but frowned when the diner appeared to be closed. "That's weird…" Cass muttered as she put the car in park. The Snuggly Duckling Pub usually was open late… very late. She turned off the ignition, grabbed her satchel and got out. She walked towards the entrance and glanced through the window on the doorway. Someone was inside, probably Holt, AKA, Hookhand. Why he was called that, she'd never know.

She tapped on the glass. "Hook, it's Cass. Open up!"

The movement inside the pub stopped for a moment before footfalls could be heard making their way towards the entrance. She crossed her arms and raised a brow as he unlocked the door.

"Alright, what gives? Why are you closed to early?" She asked. She frequented The Snuggly Duckling a lot when she needed information from informants. The food was good, and the pub was semi-dark, and only those from the underbelly of life came here.

"Why do you care, cop." Hook huffed as he moved to slam the door in her face. She immediately slid her combat boot in between the doorjamb and the closing door. Her dark eyes focused on Hook's.
"Hook, I don't care if you shut this door on me, but I need to talk to Cane. Let me in, dammit." She said crossly. "She's expecting me."

Hook stopped, then sighed as he let his arms fall to the side, allowing Cass to push the door open. "She's not here."

"What do you mean, 'she's not here?'" She frowned.

"What I mean is, some guy followed her in. I thought it was a date. She seemed to know him. He grabbed her by the arm, gentle-like, and got her out of the pub. I thought they was friends until I heard her scream and heard a car screech outta here- going 70 in a 25. We called the D.C. PD, but they just laughed and said they'd "get right on it" and hung up. I doubt they will. What's one hooker off the street?" He scoffed as he turned and walked back into the pub. He slid behind the bar, grabbed a beer mug, and filled it up from a keg. He took a long drink as Cass entered and sat at a bar stool. He offered her a beer silently, but she shook her head.

"Do you know what way the car went? What it looked like?" Cass asked as she pulled out her notepad and pen.

"They went South." He pointed in a general direction, causing Cass to sigh.

"I'm guessing you don't have street names for me?"

He shook his head. "No. Just saw them going south. It was a black Camry with a weird symbol on the hood." He motioned for her pad and pen. She handed it to him and let him draw the symbol. Once finished, he handed it back to her. She glanced at it. Frowned. She didn't recognize it.

"The symbol was red. You won't miss it if you see it." He replied. "Pretty stupid for a kidnapping, right? Probably rookies."

"Or they want to be chased." Cass replied. She sighed and slid off her bar stool. "If you hear anything, you have my number. I'm going to go patrol and see if maybe I can find it."
Hook glanced at Cass as she began to walk away. When she reached the door, she paused as he said, "You know, Cass? You're alright. I know you hated working with us at first, but for a good guy, you're not half bad."

Cass inhaled sharply, wanting to say something, anything to keep herself in check. To remind herself that she was on the side of the law and it was a burden to work with them, but she ended up saying, "For a guy on the other side of the tracks, you're not half bad either. Stay safe. I'll keep in touch." She kept her gaze straight as she opened the door and walked out, but she didn't miss the smile he shot her that was reflected in the door's window as she walked out.

The drive around the South end of D.C. was unproductive to say the least. She groaned as she reached into her cup holder for the black coffee she purchased at the gas station. She'd been patrolling the street for at least two hours, and there was no sign of the black Camry with the red symbol on the hood. She chewed on her bottom lip as she pulled out her notepad again, taking in the details drawn by Hook. He's not that bad an artist. She admitted.

She glanced down at the grey case of her cell phone and picked it up. The numbers 2330, which she quickly translated to 11:30 p.m. flashed across the screen. She unlocked the phone- too lazy to lock it with a PIN number and went into her messages. She pulled up Rapunzel's name and began to type out a message that she would be heading home when she was blinded by headlights. She hissed as she dropped the phone. Once the lights disappeared, she glanced out the windshield, eyes narrowed as they adjusted to the darkness of night- illuminated by only a few sparse lamp posts.

There, in front of her, was a black Camry. Not just any black Camry, but one she instantly turned her car on for. The window rolled down, and a gagged Lady Cane popped her head out. Blood was trickling down her face as her muffled screams reached her. Just as she was about to leap out of the car, the Camry went into drive and sped away. She immediately followed, flooring the gas as she avoided traffic. Her T.E.V.O.C. (a/n) training kicking in. All she had to do was a pit-maneuver and she'd catch them. At least, that's how it played out in her mind.

She followed close behind, tailing them as they changed lanes quickly and chaotically. She wasn't going to let them get away. Her heart was pumping, her adrenaline high. She could do this. She would do this! And then what? She froze for a second as she thought it through. She wasn't officially on a case. This wasn't a legal rescue. Whatever this was, would have to be swept under the rug. Off the books. Damn. She shook her head. Better under the rug than with a death on her conscience.

Destiny, it appeared, had other plans. The stop lights ahead of them had turned red, and the Camry sped onto the sidewalk, causing people to jump out of the way, and crossed the intersection at full speed. A pile up resulted, and Cass could no longer see them or in what direction they turned. She screamed in frustration as she coasted to a stop. Her heart pumping madly in her chest. She was so close. She had been so, so close!

She pulled her car towards the curb and turned it off. She sighed, but the screams for help brought her back to reality, and her medical training kicked in. She stepped out of her vehicle, opening the trunk to pull out a dark navy-blue nurse bag, and a bright red EMS bag, and swung them over her shoulders. She slammed the trunk and locked her car as she ran towards the pile-up. She couldn't hear any ambulances yet. She gave a quick glance at a civilian with his mouth open wide and snarled, "Hey, stupid! Get on your damn phone and call 9-1-1!"

"O-oh, right!" This seemed to jump start his brain. With a derisive snort, she ran into the chaos of piled up cars, and for the first time since quitting the medical profession, she felt… confidant.

Varian's eyes widened at the sight before him. The seven-car pileup was nothing short of chaotic. Horns blasted and he could faintly make out blood on a few of the windshields. He felt himself freeze like a deer in headlights when he heard a voice call to him.

"Hey, stupid! Get on your damn phone and call 9-1-1!" he heard a female yell at him.

"O-oh, right!" He stammered as he looked at the woman. His eyes widened as he recognized her, but by that point she was running into the chaos. "Cassie?"

His heart began to speed up. What is she doing here? His eyes then moved to the two bags she had over her shoulders. Medical bags. His heart sped up even more as a stupid grin began to form on his face. This woman was amazing. Hadn't she just tasked him with something? "Oh, right!" he face-palmed. "Duh." He pulled out his phone and began to dial 9-1-1.

"Hello? Yes, I'd like to report an accident…"

A/N: To those who aren't savvy, T.E.V.O.C. is Tactical Emergency Vehicle Operations Center- and it's there that FBI agents learn how to drive in high-speed situations and learn maneuver's to safely stop runaway vehicles. Or at least, try to. If you have any questions, ask in the comment section and I'll answer best I can! Leave a review if you like and see you next time!