Hello All! This is just a little something that I hope you guys like. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Being grounded was awful, but there was nothing either agent could do about it. With their faces plastered all over the news, they had no choice but to wait until the software finished erasing their likenesses from the internet.

Strange little thing it was, and frightening, too. A program had been created a few years ago that could target an individual's face and through facial recognition technology, find it and erase whatever file contained it. The process took a while, though. The gravity of their exposure wasn't entirely known, which meant they could be on desk duty for months as the program searched any and every file contained on the limitless void known as the internet.

"Seriously, it was a stupid idea man." FDR said from his desk across the room. Tuck looked up briefly to see his brother typing away at something on his computer. "You should've known better."

"Yeah well, if I hadn't put the ad up, neither of us would've met Lauren." He replied indignantly. "So, shut it."

FDR chuckled to himself. Collins found out about Tuck's dating ad when she was informed the two had made it to the national news. She told him to immediately shut it down. He obliged.

As he logged on, Tuck was met with an inbox full of women –and a couple men- making contact with him. He was flattered and a smirk began to form on his full lips. He scrolled through the messages, but didn't bother opening them. Their contents didn't really matter -he just wanted a count to show FDR that he wasn't as big a loser as his friend thought.

After a few seconds -nearly a minute- he reached the bottom. Ninety-four. He'd received ninety-four winks, pokes, heys and various other greetings in the month he'd been away from the site. Granted eight were from men, but hey, he wasn't mad.

Chuckling to himself, Tuck went back to the main page so he could begin the process of shutting down his profile. His eyes naturally glanced to the side where 'people he might like' were displayed. One in particular caught his attention.

"Holy shit…" he mumbled to himself.

The words barely made it past his lips when he clicked on the image and was presented with the profile of someone he hadn't seen in years. Tuck suddenly laughed forcing FDR to look at his brother curiously.

"What?" he asked casually.

"Uh, remember that bird I knew a long time back?" Tuck asked.

He gripped the edge of his laptop and spun it around so his friend could see the picture. FDR shifted in his seat and leaned on his desk's surface so he could look as closely as possible without standing.

"Oh right," he nodded. FDR sat back and Tuck turned the screen back to him. "Amy, or Amanda… what's her name again?"

"Angela." Tuck replied sarcastically. FDR knew her name. Hell, the man had hit on her a handful of times before she disappeared. "She's back in town." He continued.

FDR glanced out of the corner of his eye and noticed Tuck writing something down. He smiled to himself and turned his attention back to his work as though he hadn't been spying. He knew what Tuck was doing. Having no choice but to erase the site, Tuck was writing down her email address before deleting his profile.

"Didn't you guys date or something?" FDR asked leisurely. Tuck didn't speak, but glowered through his lashes at his brother. FDR caught the action and immediately had trouble fighting the smile. "What?" he defended. "I'm just asking."

"You're being an ass." Tuck said under his breath as he finished deleting the site.

FDR chuckled, "It's not my fault you couldn't close the deal."

"We were friends." He snapped exhaustedly, as though he'd been repeating the statement a thousand times over instead of saying it only once. "Let it go."

"Whatever you say, man." FDR said mostly to himself. "Whatever you say."

Tuck grumbled his insults, but didn't speak them out loud. It'd been years since he'd seen or heard from Angela. Many years, in fact. It was a nice surprise seeing her –even if it was in picture form- after so long.

Once the site was gone, Tuck opened his email account and began to type a message. It was short and to the point. He didn't know what else to really say and decided the basics were the only important thing. So he asked how she was, how long she'd been in town and if she was interested in grabbing some coffee to catch up.

He sat back and eyed the message for a moment or two. It was three lines long and somehow he felt like he'd come on too strong. It was a ridiculous thought, but one he had trouble ignoring.

His index finger hovered over the mouse, hesitating to press the send button when he felt something shift behind him. No sooner than Tuck turned to see FDR behind him, his partner reached forward and sent the message.

"Wha… what the hell?" Tuck snapped.

"Well, you didn't look like you were going to do it." FDR replied. He walked back around the desk and towards his to grab his jacket. "Come on. Time to go home."

"What?"

Tuck twisted in his seat to eye the clock.

"Yeah," FDR nodded sarcastically. "You've been staring at that thing for twenty minutes. Jesus, you're just asking for coffee."

"Yeah but," Tuck stood and threaded his arms through his jacket. "You think Katie'll be okay with it?"

"It's coffee." FDR replied in a deadpan voice. "Besides, weren't you two dating when you knew this chick?"

"Right…" He nodded to himself before asserting his statement. "Right."

FDR shook his head and chuckled to himself as he waited for Tuck to shut off his office computer and grab his laptop. He fought the urge to call the Englishman an idiot and instead kept his mouth closed as they left.

In the back of his mind, Tuck kept wanting to check his email during his dinner with Katie and Joe. The two were taking things slow, getting to know one another again, so they were having dinner at her house with their son. But his mind was elsewhere. He kept wondering if one of those little numbers in the corner of the email icon on his phone were from Angela.

After tucking his son in and saying farewell to his ex-wife, Tuck walked to his car. Once inside, he pulled his phone out and checked the messages. Sure enough, second from the top, was a response from Angela. He smiled wide and set the phone down in the passenger seat. He didn't want to linger in front of Katie's house to write an email. That just seemed a bit rude.

He did, however, revisit the email when he made it home. Tossing his keys onto his island, Tuck reached for his phone and again sifted through the messages to find hers. He ducked into his fridge for a beer and opened her email.

"Tucker!" was in the opening line and forced him to chuckle. He set the phone down on the island and leaned over it to read as he opened his beer. "Long time no see. I'd love to go for coffee. Give me a call when you can. 818-555-1342. ~Angela."

He didn't bother waiting long. After a glance to his clock, Tuck decided he might as well give her a call immediately. Honestly he was just excited. He remembered Angela being funny and someone he liked hanging out with. Granted time can alter memories, so there was a chance he was building the memory up more in his mind than it had been in reality, but he doubted it.

The phone rang for a moment before she finally answered.

"Hello?" a young woman answered in an accent akin his own.

"Angela?" he asked tentatively.

"Tuck!" she chimed, the declaration soon followed by a giggle. "How are you? My god, it's been forever."

"I know." He chuckled. "I'm uh, I'm good. You, how are you?"

He fumbled briefly over his words and hated it. Others found it charming and endearing, but he hated it most of the time.

"I'm good." She laughed. "Wow, what are the odds, hm?"

"I know what you mean." He said. Tuck took a sip of his beer and headed into his living room to sit. "So, what've you been up to?"

"Nothing really. I've just moved back a month ago."

"Here to stay?"

"For the time, yeah. My wings have been clipped, so I'm seeking alternative employment."

He chuckled. When he first met her, Angela was a flight attendant -always bouncing around from city to city, country to country. Keeping her pinned down once seemed impossible.

"Must be driving you mad." He teased.

"A bit." She agreed. "And you? Still working at the agency?"

He felt a shock of cold and nearly choked on his beer.

"Hm?" he coughed.

"The agency." She repeated unsurely. "What was that place called again? Flights of Fancy?"

"Oh," he relaxed when he realized she meant travel agency. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, I'm still there."

"Hope you own it by now." She joked.

"Corporate." He said after immediately forming a lie. "They have me working in the big offices now."

"Ah, very nice."

He smiled to himself and decided he might as well ask.

"So, coffee then?" he blurted unceremoniously.

"Yeah, of course. I'm free tomorrow if you are?"

"Sure." He nodded. "Ten?"

"That works."

He smiled to himself at the small victory, though why he viewed it as one he didn't know. He made plans with her to meet at a little café and ended the call.

Still smiling to himself, Tuck drank the rest of his beer and readied himself for bed.

The following day, Tuck sat at the outdoor table, tapping his index finger against the worn wood as he waited impatiently for Angela to arrive. He'd been there for nearly twenty minutes already. In his excitement, he'd arrived much earlier than he meant to. Looking down to check his watch again, Tuck didn't realize he'd been spotted.

"Now," she said. The new voice forced Tuck to jump internally and look up quickly. "I know I'm not late."

A wide smile spread across his lips, one she soon shared. Tuck shoved himself up from his seat and stepped forward, wrapping his arms securely around the young woman who met him in stride.

She giggled when he lifted her off the ground briefly before setting her back down. When they parted he gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek, and they slid into their seats across from each other.

"Look at you!" she beamed. Angela took off her sunglasses and rested them on top of her head so she could see him clearly. "You look oddly responsible and grown up."

"Really?" Tuck glanced to his wardrobe. He was wearing a blue button up shirt, the sleeves rolled up and a white shirt peeking out from underneath. "I don't see it." He added when he looked back up at her. "You on the other hand, very grown up."

She laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I suppose so."

He was a little surprised by her outfit, but only because she looked so feminine. Ordinarily, Angela wore loose fitting men's shirts and jeans. While the jeans remained, she now sported a loose fitting, but very feminine, tunic styled top that suited her well. Her ebony hair was tied up in a high ponytail and her crystal blue eyes glittered. He'd forgotten how pretty she was.

"Well, what's it been now," she asked softly. "Six years?"

"Seven." He sighed. "It's been seven."

"Wow," Angela muttered. She fell back into her seat and seemed to weigh the time that had passed. It was more than she thought, but when she looked back to Tuck, the smile returned. "What have you been up to then? How's Katie?"

Tuck took a deep breath and exhaled it loudly. He was about to dole out a long story and had to prepare himself for it.

"So much," he replied with a heavy smile. "Uh, let's see. Last time I saw you, she was pregnant." Angela's eyes went wide in happy surprise. "And his name's Joe. He's amazing."

"Awe,"

"Then three years later we got divorced."

Her smile immediately fell. "Oh…"

"And now we're trying to make it work again." He finished.

"Oh," She chimed a bit more upbeat than before. "Well that's good then, isn't it?"

"We'll see."

"Oh, come off it." She sighed, kicking his gently in the shin. "Unless you've turned into a complete wank, it'll be fine."

He laughed at her statement and shook his head.

"So, how's that rotten little friend of yours, Franklin?" she asked with a teasing tone.

"Good, he's good." Tuck smiled. "Has a girlfriend now, a proper one."

She was shocked which he found funny. Before she disappeared, Tuck had known Angela off and on for nearly three years, so she was very well aware of FDR and how he was with women. Hell, she'd been on the receiving end more than once.

"What about you?" Tuck asked, more than willing to shift the conversation away from himself. "Married, kids… dog?"

Angela laughed. "None of the above." She said. "Never been able to find a bloke willing to put up with me."

"Oh, come on," he sighed. "You're not so bad."

The pair shared a laugh and continued to talk. It was like old times, for the most part. While seven years was a long time, Tuck was happy to see she hadn't changed. Angela was still oddly upbeat, smiled consistently and such a sweet person. Perhaps that was why she was a flight attendant for so long. She seemed to have the perfect personality for it.

More than an hour had passed, nearly becoming two, before the pair paid for their drinks and left. Tuck walked alongside Angela towards her car.

"How 'bout tonight, then?" he asked. "There's a pub not too far from here. We can all meet up, have some drinks, play some pool."

"Okay." She nodded. "I'd love to see that lech of a man you call brother."

Tuck laughed, but couldn't refute her statement. When they turned the corner, they were presented with Angela's car. She turned, gave Tuck a strong hug and said her goodbye. He watched her leave briefly before reaching for his phone and calling FDR so they could set up a time to meet at the Blarney Stone.

FDR's phone was ringing from its spot in the kitchen. He darted through the house, struggling not to slip on the slick floor and keep his towel up.

"Yeah?" he said before the phone reached his ear.

"Sleeping?" Tuck mocked from the other end of the line.

"Shower." FDR corrected. He glanced to the clock and began to smile. "Are you just leaving the coffee place?"

"Don't be an ass." He said, completely neglecting to answer the question. "You up for some drinks tonight?"

"Uh…" he thought it over for a moment, weighing whether or not he had plans. "Yeah, sure."

"Great. Bring Lauren, okay?"

The cocky grin returned to FDR's lips.

"Is this like… another date?" he teased. "Angela going to be there, too?"

"It's not a bloody date." Tuck sighed. He should have known this was how FDR would treat the situation.

"Sure man, whatever you say." He laughed. "You bringing Katie, then?"

"Nah. It might be a bit much at the moment."

"Right," FDR stretched the word out for longer than he should have.

Tuck grumbled something under his breath. Before FDR could make fun of him, the screen to his phone lit up. FDR checked and sure enough, Tuck had hung up. He kept his smile and felt himself laugh again as Lauren came into the kitchen.

"Hey," he smiled, wrapping his arms around her when she hugged him.

Her hair was still wet from their shower, but she had put on a robe to come downstairs. Her house, after all, was damn near all glass.

"Tuck?"

"Yeah," he nodded. He made sure his phone was connected to the charger again before giving her his full attention. "He wants to meet up at the Blarney Stone tonight for some drinks."

He never had to bother asking Tuck where they were going. It was always the same and ever since the Blarney had remodeled -adding darts and pool tables- FDR was surprised Tuck ever left.

"Yeah, sure." She nodded. "I'd love to. Is Katie coming?"

"No," FDR said before chuckling at an inside joke. He noticed Lauren's confusion. "But he's bringing an old friend."

He said it in such a way, Lauren couldn't help but narrow her eyes skeptically.

"Do I even want to know?"

"I'll explain later." He said. "In the mean time,"

FDR bent down and lifted Lauren into the air. She squeaked, but held tight. Together they disappeared upstairs again to finish what Tuck had interrupted.

Tuck and Angela were busy shooting a game of pool by the time FDR and Lauren made it to the bar. Angela was bending over, ready to take a shot when someone landed a sharp blow to her backside.

"There she is!" a familiar voice bellowed. It was the only thing that kept her from spinning around and breaking the pool cue over the guy's head.

She stood and faced a wide-smiling FDR. He seemed to think what he'd done was hilarious while the little blond at his side shook her head.

"Ass, Franklin." Angela said, "You're a right ass."

"Well, it's nice to know not everything changes." He joked. "Come here."

He closed the distance between them and hugged her tightly. Angela smiled and returned the affection. Lauren stayed back and let the old friends reconnect while she said hello to Tuck. FDR had asked if she was alright with the way he planned to greet Angela. She was, but told him if Angela punched him in the nose he deserved it.

"Long time, kid." FDR said as he and Angela parted. "Jesus, it's been almost a decade, right?"

"Apparently," She agreed.

"Oh," FDR chimed. He reached for the little blonde's hand and pulled Lauren just a bit forward. "This is Lauren, my girlfriend."

"Hi." She smiled, offering Angela her hand.

"Pleasure." Angela replied with a kind shake. "And sorry for your misfortune."

"Hey!" FDR snapped. Tuck, Angela and Lauren laughed at his response.

"Oh, he's not so bad." Lauren replied. "So, you guys have known each other for a really long time, I guess?"

"Yeah," she nodded. Tuck was busy taking his shot and before she could protest, FDR swooped in and snatched her stick away. She grumbled, but didn't put up much of a fight. "You can say that."

Lauren shook her head at FDR's behavior, but the environment was light, so she couldn't help but smile.

While the guys played, Lauren and Angela sat off to the side criticizing their shots. Well, they were basically attacking FDR. Tuck was immune to their verbal assaults.

"Oi!" Angela snapped. "If you're going to confiscate my turns, at least make the shots."

"You better knock it off." FDR warned as he pointed the stick at her from across the table.

Angela openly rolled her eyes.

"So, how do you guys know each other?" Lauren asked. She knew, partially, but wanted to have something to talk about with Angela, and there was really nothing else.

"A few years back, I ran into Tuck at a bar." She said, pointing to the Englishman that glanced up and smiled when he heard his name. "We just hit it off, I suppose."

"FDR said you were a flight attendant or something?"

"Yeah." She nodded. Angela finished off the last of her beer. "It kept me busy. I was hardly ever home, but when I was, the three of us would generally hang out. It wasn't until I got put on international flights that we started losing touch. It was hard to make schedules align, you know?"

"I bet." Lauren agreed. She didn't know if Angela was aware of the guys' real occupation, so she didn't remark on it, but she could easily see them being gone whenever Angela was in town. "It's easy to lose touch with people when work keeps them busy."

Angela nodded. "But I'm back now, grounded, so to speak."

Lauren smiled. She liked Angela in the few minutes they'd spent together. She seemed normal, which she knew was good for the guys. Plus, she was someone who knew them even before Tuck's ex-wife. Even though Angela wouldn't be able to give her everything, she knew there had to be a few embarrassing stories in there somewhere and she planned to get them.

"Who wants to double-team?!" FDR suddenly bellowed.

The odd phrase drew both young women's eyes –as well as most of the patrons- to see him standing near the table, obviously referencing a new game.

Angela leaned to the side. The eight ball was gone along with the solid colored billiards.

"Hey!" she snapped. She slid off her seat and closed the distance between her and FDR. "You were supposed to win."

"You left too many balls on the table." He defended weakly.

"I leave your balls on the table." She growled under his breath.

FDR smiled as he moved to the table and took the beer he'd left beside Lauren.

The two young women agreed to join the game and play teams. They played men versus women and then 'couples'. It was while they were playing 'couples' that FDR had the chance to show Lauren what he meant when he told her about Tuck and Angela.

The pair was standing off to the side talking to one another. It was Lauren's shot, so they didn't bother with the table. Tuck was standing at an angle, his back to the table as he said something to Angela that made her laugh. They were standing less than two feet away from each other and it was obvious to the two spying that something was going on between them.

"Did anything ever happen?" Lauren asked FDR quietly.

"With Tuck, you kidding?" he scoffed. FDR took a sip of his beer and set it down. "That guy has a serious problem with tunnel vision." She gave him a curious look. "If he thinks they're just friends, he ignores any sign. Besides, work and stuff."

"Oh, right. So, she doesn't know."

He shook his head.

"That's kind of sad. They seem to like each other." She said, noting how well they got along with one another and how comfortable Tuck looked.

"Yeah well, he started dating Katie like… a year into it. And again, tunnel vision."

That was the only thing that ever bothered FDR about Tuck. He focused so much on one thing, he never noticed anything else. It was obvious to anyone on the outside that the two had a school-yard crush on each other back in the day, but it never led anywhere. They'd just started working at the agency –something Tuck liked to bring up whenever FDR suggested he ask Angela out- and then a year or so afterward, when he was ready to balance spy life and the real world, he started dating Katie. It was kind of sad the more FDR thought about it.