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Realistic or Modern More Than An Assignment

The jubilant cries and laughs of the Thistles could be heard all the way in the women's bathroom and as Alannah washed her hands, she couldn't help but smile to herself. Even for the brief amount of time she had been away from them, away from him, she could feel the pull back, as if there was an imaginary piece of string tethering them together. When she looked up into the mirror in front of her, she hardly recognised herself - her face was full and peachy, her eyes sparkling and her cheeks pink. It was a far cry away from the ghost of herself she had become after the attack, a ghost that Cian had slowly brought back to life, just by being around her. The thought pulled at the corners of her mouth as she switched off the tap and grabbed a piece of paper towel to dry her hands on before making her way from the bathroom.

Needless to say, Cian was not who she had been expecting to see when she flicked the light off and looked up. "Oh, hey, is every--" But before she could finish, he was moving forwards, so much so that her back came to press gently against the wood of the door she had just clicked shut. Her expression remained a question mark momentarily, until his hand came up to rest beside her head and his large form seemed to encompass her, as he leaned down so that she could feel his warm breath tickling her skin. There was a tension between them now as they stood there, with their foreheads softly rested upon one another, one that felt almost painful to continue to fight. Alannah's brow furrowed just a little as her mind scrambled for reasons not to close the small distance that was left between them, her heart thundering in her ears. What was it she wondered, that had brought him to this place, to finally act upon the feelings that had been lingering between them almost since the first moment they met? She had lost count of how many times she'd envisioned this moment, how many times she had wanted it to happen, but nothing could truly compare to how the reality was making her feel. If Cian wasn't pressed against her, she wasn't totally sure she wouldn't crumple onto the floor under the weight of her own desire. In the end, it didn't matter how much her head told her that this was wrong, because her heart was beating for him so much louder.

With her breaths a little more ragged as Cian's confession slipped out Alannah lifted her eyes to search his, only to find them closed. Instinctively, her hand came up to cup his cheek, her thumb gently tracing over the warmth of his skin. We shouldn't be doing this, this shouldn't be happening...

"Then I think... I must be going slightly crazy too," she eventually breathed out, her lips turning upwards into a gentle smile as she tipped her chin forwards. They were so close now that their noses bumped, their lips ghosting as the last remaining space between them finally grew smaller, and smaller, and smaller. "Cian..." Alannah whispered, her hand moving down to cup his jaw, then the side of his neck. "I--"

"Woah, sorry guys." Rod's voice cut through their moment like a knife, causing Alannah to pull away abruptly, her hand dropping back down to her side. "Didn't meant to interrupt anything I just... needed... the bathroom. Sorry." And with that he skulked into the men's room, immediately pulling out his phone once the door was closed behind him to check the picture he had snapped just moments after he had struck gold.

Alannah ran a hand through her hair as she looked up at Cian once he was gone, almost a little guiltily. "I um... I guess we should go rejoin the others? Don't want them thinking we got lost."
 
She didn't shy away from him, and his mind rejoiced in their proximity. Cian's brain grew hazy at her gentle touch, her fingers sliding along his cheek, sliding along the scruff of his beard. His eyes opened, as he set his other hand on the door, caging her against his body as Alannah tilted her face up. Her words were a warm rush along his spine and he couldn't help the shiver that had his toes curling as she gripped the side of his neck. This was it, her whispered confession the proof he needed to know he wasn't in this alone, there were breaths away, his skin tingling with the warmth of her. His tongue dipped out to wet his bottom lip and he all but tasted her.

Rod's voice had Cian instinctively straightening, his hands curling into fists on either side's of Alannah's head. His eyes narrowing at his co-worker. "Sure, Rod..." He all but growled out as the man scurried out of sight and into the bathroom. They missed Rod's look of glee as he thought of the extra zero's on his bank account that were sure to arrive. Cian's eyes turned back to Alannah, the fire of his desire still as strong, though the second he caught a glimpse of her awkward expression had him taking a step away. She looked... guilty. Did she regret that moment? shame curled like a tight fist within him and he glanced down at his feet.

"Yeah, let's not give them a scare." He agreed, though his heart wasn't in it. The walk back to the table seemed to take an eternity as he fought with common sense in his mind. The desperate needy part of himself wanted to pick her up, force her legs around him and press her to the wall till they got their feelings sorted out. Instead he watched her walk away from him, her steps hurrying as she caught sight of the table and went to rejoin the others. Theo waved his hand in greeting, and Cian forced a smile to his face.

It didn't take long for the team to decide they were done for the evening. Donovan and the servers came around collecting money for their bills and wishing the Thistles well for the evening. Cian was pulled away by Donovan for a brief moment when they needed help replacing a keg. Cian followed his father to the back kitchen area and lifted the giant silver keg that held their house beer.
"Your mother would like her." Donovan said, and Cian didn't have to question who his dad was talking about. "Why don't you two come by for breakfast next week when you mom get's back? She'd love to meet Alannah after all the stories I told."
"I don't know dad..." Cian sighed. "I'll ask her." Donovan seemed pleased with his answer and the two returned and quickly set up the new keg. Cian pulled his keys from his pocket and glanced at Alannah, the bar seemed so much bigger and emptier now that the team was gone. "Ready to go?" He asked.

The drive home was quiet, neither one of them brave enough to broach the subject again. It felt like they had taken one step forward to fall back two again, and Cian wasn't sure his heart could take another dose of hope for the woman next to him. He thought of his dads invitation, but he couldn't bring himself to bring it up either.
 
Cian’s husky tone played over and over again in her mind, and the feeling of being pinned between two strong arms stayed with Alannah, even when he made to pull away. Her whole body felt like it was trembling in the aftermath of what could have been and it took every part of her not to yank Cian towards her by his shirt and let him finish what he started, let him pin her up against the wall and mesh their lips together until they’d both forgotten how to breathe. She could almost taste him, feel him, even as her mouth seemed to work of its own accord and suggest that they end this before it had even begun.

As they made their way silently back to the others, Alannah tried to figure out what had happened, why she had stepped away from something she had made very clear that she wanted. The more that she thought about it though, the more the small niggle at the back of her mind started to grow. She was in danger, constantly. If she got involved with Cian beyond their professional relationship, then that would put him in even more danger too, and it was that, that had scared her away. The thought of him being hurt, or someone using him to hurt her… Well, it wasn’t even something that Alannah could consider and even though pulling away from him felt wrong, it was easy to convince herself that it was the right thing to do.

The rest of the evening passed by quickly, with both Alannah and Cian seeming as shells of the people they had been before her bathroom break. For some reason, everything didn’t sparkle the same now and although Alannah continued to laugh along with the Thistles and joke as their plates were cleared and the bill settled, her mind was elsewhere and it remained elsewhere, even when she bid Donovan a good night and thanked him for the delicious stew, and even when she and Cian were finally left alone once more to make their way to his car.

The drive home was silent. Alannah tried to think of things she could say to make this better, maybe she could tell Cian it wasn’t him, it was her? But as her thoughts raced and the city outside passed by, every time she went to open her mouth, she ended up clamping it shut again because whatever she tried to say just didn’t sound right. When they finally arrived back at the safe house, they made their way quietly back up to the flat, the silence even heavier now that they were truly alone. In fact, Alannah ended up flicking on the kettle just so that something might fill the growing void of empty in her chest. “Do you want anything?” She asked softly, not quite managing to look at her bodyguard as she shrugged off her coat and then set about looking through the kitchen cupboards aimlessly. “I can chuck your uniform in the washer if you want to get changed. Get some of those mud stains out.”
 
Cian forced deep breaths, breathing in through his nose and out his mouth and the silence stretched on longer and longer. The further the drew away from the Fiddle and towards their apartment he felt the wedge between them grow wider. Had he spared Alannah a glance he would have seen her own internal struggle, perhaps he might have commented on it, even now as they walked up to the apartment and waited in the elevator he couldn't bare to look at her. What if she had that same guilty look on her face? Once inside the apartment Alannah went for the kitchen, she was the first to break the silence by offering him some tea and to wash his uniform.

"Sure. I'll go get changed." Cian went for his duffle bag and dug out some flannel sleep pants. He disappeared into the bathroom, quickly shucking off the shorts and shirt and slipping on his pants. He realized at the last second that he'd forgotten to grab a shirt, but decided to go with it. When he emerged Alannah had set two steaming cups of tea on the counter, she took his uniform from him and he thanked her quietly. He thought for a moment to suggest they put on a movie but he thought better of it. He had to get himself under control, he couldn't be cornering his client, and he most certainly could not be dreaming about how she would taste.

"If you don't need anything else, I think I might head to bed." Cian held the warm cup of tea in his hands, the burn against his fingers a pleasant distraction from the ache of not being able to hold her. "Have a good night Ms. Heshmati." Finally he glanced her way, taking in her features for only a brief moment before turning and slipping into the bedroom. He'd chosen the room Alannah had not been sleeping in and regarded the bed with a frown. He'd been in this apartment for two nights now and this was his first time sleeping in his own bed.

He slid under the fresh sheets and leaned his head back, peering up at the speckled ceiling. With the tea still clutched in his hands he let himself wonder how the night might have gone had Rod not interrupted them. He didn't get far in his fantasy when once again the image of her face immediately after they'd been caught flashed through his mind. Cian let out a long breath and turned his fantasies to a more violent nature as he pictured Rod on the opposite rugby team and taking ever tackle opportunity he was given.

~

Cian didn't sleep all that well without the familiar form of Alannah next to him. It was strange that he'd grown so accustomed to her next to him in such a short amount of time. He lay on his bed, eyes wide open as he peeked out the window. The sun was painting the sky with brightly coloured purples and oranges. Deciding he could use a coffee, Cian headed out into the main living area and began to ready the machine. It was Monday and he wondered how Alannah would handle this new work day from home.
 
The mundane routine of making two cups of tea momentarily settled Alannah's thoughts, or at least it did until Cian returned from the bathroom in only a pair of flannel sleep pants. Her brown eyes paused as they noticed the smooth planes of his shoulders, his chest and his torso, the definition in all the right places. The glimpse she had snatched earlier hadn't done him justice and her mouth went a little dry as she forced herself to look away. She hadn't failed to notice the healing mark on his arm from where the knife had sliced him and this was exactly the reminder she needed that this was the right way to go. So, wordlessly she took his uniform from him, trying not to let their fingers touch as she did so, and then busied herself with putting it on a spin cycle in the washing machine that was kept behind a cupboard door in the kitchen.

The silence felt even heavier now than it had before until Cian broke it, and Alannah tried not to flinch when he decided to go to bed. Without her. His use of her formal name was what tipped her over the edge, though. Tears sprung and the politician had to keep her back to her bodyguard as her brow crumpled, desperate not to give herself away. She swallowed before she spoke. "Good night, Cian." It came out as not much more than a whisper and when she heard him move away and close the bedroom door behind him she finally let out a little sniffle, before scolding herself and telling herself that she needed to get it together. This was for his own good... but then why did it feel so terribly wrong? Why was there an empty, gaping hole aching in her chest at the thought of sleeping on her own and why couldn't she get the thought of wrapping herself into that lovely warm chest and being enveloped into his warmth, out of her head?

Getting ready for bed was an even more miserable ordeal, especially when she realised that Cian had taken the room they hadn't slept in together. As she slipped onto the mattress and pulled the duvet up around her, she could still catch the slight smell of him as she huddled down and closed her eyes, trying to imagine that he was right beside her to help her drift off. It seemed impossible though, as his hurt expression when she'd pulled away from him flitted through her mind every time she closed her eyes. She couldn't blame him for feeling that way, for being angry at her. She had done nothing but give him mixed signals - first she had practically told him that she felt the same way, moved to kiss him, but then stopped it and refused to speak to him the whole way home. It wasn't fair, and it had to stop. Their relationship was professional, and that's all it ever could be.

--

Sleep didn't come easy, and Alannah hauled her tired body out of bed around ten minutes after Cian got up for his coffee. She slipped into the bathroom first, as was her usual routine, washed, brushed her teeth and then pulled on her running gear that Stuart had helpfully brought the day before. This consisted of lavender coloured leggings and a slightly lighter sports bra come top and white trainers, her hair tied into a ponytail as she emerged fresh faced and ready to get back into some kind of familiar routine. She had spent most of the night trying to plan out her day in an attempt to distract herself from thoughts of her sleeping bodyguard in the room just across from hers, and this was where she had landed. Getting back to some kind of normality was the order of the day, and would hopefully help to ease the dull ache in her heart and forget the nightmares that plagued her thoughts. What she hadn't been expecting though, was for Cian to already be awake. She knew it perhaps wasn't her smartest idea, but she had hoped to slip out and get back before he noticed, to give herself some much needed headspace.

When she caught sight of him finishing a coffee, she swallowed, hesitated but then finally breezed into the living room. "Good morning," she greeted him heartily, as though she would a colleague from the office. "I'm heading out for a run. Did you want to come?"
 
The smell of coffee filled the small living space, Cian stood mindlessly stirring his coffee as he stared out the living room window and down into the city below. Alannah's bright voice stumbled him out of his thoughts and when he turned to see her running uniform he all but swallowed his tongue. He took in the runners outfit, that she wore and breathed out a small swear under his breath. At her running invitation he furrowed his brow.

"I don't know... We didn't ask Irena if that was alright." Cian bit his lip when the look she shot him indicated she was going whether he liked it or not. "Yeah alright, one second. I'll put on some gear." He relented and set down his coffee to quickly change into a pair of gym shorts and a white tee. He emerged from the bedroom and bent to tie his shoes. Ensuring his phone was tucked away in a zippered pocket he opened the door and the two of them were off.

"Did... Did you get a good sleep?" He asked while the elevator descended, he didn't want another awkward silence. As they neared the ground floor he lifted one leg, stretching out the muscle before doing the same to the other, all the while keeping his eyes on the red numbers that counted down and most certainly not taking peeks over to Alannah and her pretty purple running suit. It took all of his self control to not drool.

The early morning air was crisp and cool on their skin and Cian dropped into one more stretch before gesturing that Alannah should lead and he would follow. They started with a light and easy pace, running past folks on their way into work and others who wanted to take in the glorious sunrise. As they ran he kept his eyes peeled on those around them, making sure he positioned himself between Alannah and whomever they might pass. The run started to do its magic, his blood was pumping as they increased pace and despite everything the endorphins made their way to his brain. Perhaps it made it braver, as he spoke his next words.

"Were you going to leave me there if I was still sleeping?" He asked, his breaths coming out in soft pants.
 
While she awaited his reply, Alannah took it upon herself to stretch her own limbs out, only stopping to look at Cian when he mentioned Irena. Alannah had no intention of not going for this run, Irena's permission or not, and the expression on her face said as much. Before she could argue however, Cian seemed to think better of it and asked her to wait while he got changed himself. She hardly glanced at him as he came back into the room in his gym shorts and white t-shirt, instead overly concentrating on strapping her phone to her upper arm before following him out to the elevator.

The silence pressed down on them until he spoke. "Not really," she answered honestly, her own eyes watching the ticker rather than the bodyguard who was stretching in the small space beside her. The bed was cold without you. I couldn't stop thinking about your how your forehead felt against mind. There were so many reasons that Alannah could give for why she hadn't slept, but it didn't matter how many fluttered through her mind, none ever quite made it to her mouth. So instead, she simply returned the question. "You?"

It was a relief to step out into the early morning air. The chill caused little bumps to appear on her arms, that quickly dissipated once they set off at a steady pace, beside one another as they made their way further into the city. They seemed to naturally meander around people, cars and crossings, with Alannah leading the way. She knew there was a park near to where they were and that's where she was headed as her own body started to heat up, her breaths coming a little quicker as she tried to concentrate on inhaling through her nose and out through her mouth rather than thinking about Cian beside her. That wasn't why she had wanted to run - she had needed the release, the distraction to gather her thoughts. When he asked his question though, she would be lying if she said that it didn't throw her momentarily off track.

A few beats of silence passed before she responded. "Yeah. I was," she answered honestly, her own voice wavering with the exertion. "I knew you'd try and stop me, so I figured it would have been easier not to wake you." Alannah pushed forwards then, running ahead of Cian almost as though she was scared of his response, and angry at him for asking in the first place. They ran through the gates to the park, with her maintaining a much quicker pace than when they'd started. As they hit an incline though, she eased off just a little.

"How was the bed?" She panted, pushing a question back on him, mainly as a way of deflecting. "In the other bedroom?"
 
He had to appreciate her honestly with him, even if it made an ember of anger spark deep within him. His eyes narrowed as she explained her reasoning and when she sped up he couldn't help it when his eyes dropped down the length of her. Anger and lust curled and danced, helping him to keep up with her, though he did stay a little behind her to enjoy the view, and truthfully he didn't know how to respond to her blunt honesty. He struggled to think of something to say, something that would show her reason and sense, even though he didn't feel all that reasonable in the moment. He was saved from thinking more on it when Alannah's gait slowed from an incline and she huffed out her own question. Her tone had his spine straightening a little as he shot her a glare. For a second he thought of lying, telling her that it had been just peachy, but as he'd proven in the past, he couldn't lie to her.

"It fucking sucked." He grumbled. "I don't suppose you enjoyed having all that space to yourself?" He kept his eyes forward as he spoke, his hands lifting and pumping with each step up their incline. He didn't wait for her to answer, his frustration at her snark loosening his lips with every step. "I was hired to keep you safe Alannah, and I'm going to keep doing that; but if you start running off willy nilly without speaking to me, you make my job really fucking hard. I thought with everything that's happened you would have had a little more sense." He regretted the words as soon as he'd snarled them at her. They reached the top of the hill, both panting hard, neither stopping as they adjusted their pace for the downhill portion.

He thought of apologizing, but the way she made him feel right now had him falling silent. Around them the park was glowing brilliant in the morning sunrise, trees yellowing with the coming of fall and the occasional leaf that floated gently to the ground. Above them birds squawked as they woke and began their morning forage for food. The both of them ignored the scenery, stuck in their own heads and radiating anger, had they peeked behind them they would have seen a man in a brown coat sprinting towards them.
 
Alannah could feel Cian's eyes sinking into her, searching for cracks in the hard exterior she was trying to build around herself. She knew that he could see past it, just like she could see past the way he snarled his response at her. That didn't make it any easier to bear, though. To know that they were both behaving like this to try and protect themselves and probably each other. The surface level anger simply masked a deeper hurt, and it was much easier to deal with surface level emotions than what was currently going on underneath. It was for this reason that Alannah chose to ignore the glare that she knew was being shot her way, even when Cian's response surprised her. He responded with the same brutal honesty that she had given, which she supposed she probably deserved.

"I loved it, actually. The thinking space really helped me sleep." Sarcasm dripped from her tone as she pushed forwards, sweat beginning to bead on the back of her neck. Still she kept going though, even when her breaths became heavier, her pace completely off. Usually, Alannah could run for miles if she paced herself well, but her sensibility had gone out of the window completely as Cian's next words ripped through her, igniting a flame of irritation in her own chest. "Oh, I'm sorry," she panted, "I'm sorry for being such fucking burden to you. Maybe if you weren't so overbearing, I wouldn't have to sneak off without you. If my lack of sense bothers you that much, why don't you see if Booker and Sons can send a replacement?" The down hill stretch saw Alannah speeding up again, the sun flashing over their heads through the branches of the trees.

The more that she ran, the angrier Alannah seemed to become as she headed for a bandstand that was situated in the middle on the outskirts of a dense patch of trees. When she reached it, she came to a stop, holding onto the side of the wooden rail, her chest heaving, pants ripping from her throat, strands of hair stuck to her face. She had just been about to whirl on Cian when her eyes were met with the sight of a man in a brown coat running towards them across the grass. It took her all of a minute to realise who it was, her face paling as a familiar voice yelled out her name. "Alannah!" Instinctively, she took two steps backwards. "Alannah, what the fuck is wrong with you?"

Benjamin approached, his own cheeks pink from trying to keep up with them. "Do you realise what your accusations have done to me, huh? Do you? I spent all last night locked up in a fucking cell because of your lies."
 
Sweat dripped in a cool line down his flushed back. Cian's hard steps on the pavement reverberated up through his legs as each passing word Alannah threw back at him sent his mind reeling into overdrive. She called him overbearing and he was seconds away from throwing her over his shoulder and showing her how truly overbearing he could be. His lip curled up around his teeth as they continued their jagged pace through the park. His hands curled tightly into fists and he fought with himself to not say anything further to damage whatever remained of their working relationship. Alannah led them through the park, running through a thick brush of trees towards a bandstand.

Cian followed after her, his feet thundering over the small path that winded its way to the pretty black pillars holding up a dark wood stained roof. Alannah stepped into its shelter, leaning heavily on the rail as Cian stopped short of her, his own breaths heaving out of his chest. He watched as she turned on her heel, her ponytail swishing around her face and he prepared for her next onslaught of words. Her eyes jumped behind him and Cian twisted, spotting the man in the brown coat too late as he rushed past Alannah his words coming out in a rush of anger.

Benjamin thrust an accusatory finger in Alannah's direction, his short hair on end from the exertion of his run. "Your little story cost me and you can fucking b-" Benjamin's words were cut off as Cian jumped into action his hand reaching out to grasp Benjamin's wrist and twist it around his back painfully, holding him in a lock there. Benjamin's shout of fury had him twisting around, wrenching his shoulder painfully as he tried to take a look at his assailant. "I fucking sue you! The both of you!"

"You're approaching a politician under protection, if anyone has anything to be worried about it's you." Cian growled, pulling the man backwards from Alannah with a painful yelp. "Stay there Alannah. Don't. Move." He punctuated his last two words with a glare in her direction. "Benjamin right? I suggest you leave before you incriminate yourself even further." Cian dug out his phone while still holding Benjamin caged and when the man saw him pull up the emergency call his eyes widened with fear.

"What are you-? Wait, don't call the police... I'll leave! I'll leave." Benjamin writhed in his grip and Cian felt a flicker of primal glee fill him. He pressed dial and lifted the phone to his ear in the same instant he'd let Benjamin go, the man collapsed to the ground, cradling his arm to his body. As Cian barked their information into the phone as Benjamin struggled to his feet, throwing Alannah one last glare before he scrambled into a run.

"You'll get yours Heshmati!" He screamed over his shoulder as he disappeared down the trail. In Cian fashion he once again hung up on the police and rounded on the woman he'd sworn to protect. He moved quickly, his long stride eating up the space between them as he cornered her against the rail for the second time in 24 hours. This time however, hopeful love was extinguished with pure fury.

"I have half a mind to throw you over my knee for how this went down." He growled at her, his eyes flaring with the idea of his threat. "As for overbearing... You have no idea how lenient I've been. They send someone else and you wont be doing these runs or heading out to pubs. I don't want you to sacrifice your happiness but if you'd prefer the unfeeling bodyguard be my guest and fucking request someone else. I don't run away when the going gets tough." His large body hid her from any onlookers, his back slightly bent as he got in her face with his lecture. God, he wanted to kiss her.
 
For the moment, Alannah's anger was quickly replaced by bone-chilling fear. The closer that Benjamin got, the more she backed away - if he really was the person behind the attacks, then this would be the perfect opportunity for him. She was out in the open, had been stupid enough to put herself even more at risk than she already was. Cian had been right, she should have had more sense, she'd put them both in danger and now... Her bodyguard was twisting Ben's arm up behind his back.

Her ragged breaths were leaving her now for an entirely different reason as she watched the scene in front of her unfold. She was frozen to the spot, unable to move, think or speak. Her heart hammered now not for her own safety but for Cian's. What if Benjamin had a knife, or worse... When his threat to sue yelped out of his mouth however, Alannah wasn't sure what it was but something within her chest seemed to dislodge, a sense of rationality momentary nudging against the fear in her brain. If suing them was as bad as Benjamin's threats got, was he really, truly capable of grappling Cian with a knife, or shooting at her in a public place?

For once, Alannah did as Cian told her, not that she could move even if she wanted to. She stayed where she was and watched the scene play out, watched Benjamin crumple to the ground and then run off with his threat lingering in the air. Something about him being responsible for all of this didn't sit right with her. But then he had just accosted her in the park, and threatened her upon leaving... so maybe he was? Her mind felt like it was swimming. Not swimming enough though for her not to meet Cian's fury as he strode up the steps to the bandstand and pinned her against the railing in the aftermath.

She didn't realise she was trembling until he started to growl, her own nostrils flaring with something close to outrage. Rather than take a step back, she only seemed to get closer as he stepped into her personal space. "You sure about that, McRannall?" Alannah responded, her tone a little too quiet, her voice quivering. "Because it didn't look like you weren't running away when you took the spare bed last night." She stepped closer, so close that she could feel his breath on her cheeks. "You just try and take me over you knee. I dare you. I'll scream so damn loud..." A moment in which they stared at each other seemed to last an age, before Alannah made the fatal mistake of flickering her gaze to Cian's mouth.

What happened next, could only be described as a collision. She crashed into him with such force that they almost both stumbled backwards, her lips immediately finding his in a furious but demanding request that they finally give in to the electricity that was sizzling between them. Alannah couldn't think about how long she had dreamt of doing this, how many times she had thought about how Cian's lips might feel like against hers, and now it was happening, she realised that it felt better than anything her mind could have conjured up. Her small body arched against his in an effort to get as close as she could, her hands reaching up to cup his cheek, his neck and pulling him ever closer, so that her back pressed against the railing, wedging herself between it and him. The kiss was a clatter of teeth and tongues and gasps for breath but neither of them relented, the desperation to touch each other evident in the way that their hands wandered, in the way that Alannah gripped Cian's shirt as though she never wanted to let go. Her actions were fuelled by rage but also by desire, a burning desire that resided so deep within her that now it had been released she didn't know how to pull it back again. Alannah couldn't, and wouldn't - her whole body felt like it was on fire and it was a fire she never wanted to extinguish ever again.
 
The air was thick between the two of them, the run and the sudden panic Benjamin had brought on forcing their chests to heave as they warred with themselves. Every bit of her was filling his senses, from the sweet smell of her coconut perfume to the way she filled his vision with her rebellious nature. She called him out for hiding away from her the night before and he wanted to reach out and shake answers out of her. His hands curled into fists as she stepped into his space, her breath hot on his face.

"Don't threaten me with a good time." He rumbled, his voice wavering with their proximity. He watched as her eyes dropped, finding his mouth and his breath caught in his throat. He couldn't be sure who moved first, but in the next moment Alannah was in his arms and her mouth was on his. A groan of pleasure built in his throat, as his mouth devoured hers, matching her every hungry move with his own. Her hands wound around him and his own arms circled around her waist hauling her up against him. Fireworks of tension and relief exploded along his spine as he let himself sink into the moment with her. She was everything; her taste, the way she fit against him, the way she matched him perfectly in every sense. He straightened, taking her with him, so her feet dangled over the smooth concrete of the bandstand.

He could barely remember how to make his own feet work as he took the few short steps towards the railing, lifting Alannah so she sat neatly on the rail there. His hands shifted, as he stepped between her legs. His clever fingers tracing the line of her jaw and tilting her head back so he could deepen the kiss. It was strange, he was still so angry with her and yet at this moment he couldn't have explained why. Not when her touch soothed away all the hurt of the previous night. Finally he came up for air, his forehead once again finding rest against hers.

He wanted to speak to her, tell her all of the woes that had laid heavy on his mind, but the moment his mouth opened a loud trilling noise interrupted him. IT took a moment for Cian to recognize that Alannah's phone was ringing, and he looked down at the offending technology strapped to her arm with narrowed eyes. For a brief moment he wanted to beg her to ignore it, but they couldn't; not after the altercation with Benjamin and the police on their way.

"I... guess you'd better get that." Cian offered his hand to help Alannah jump down from the rail as his own phone began to ring. Once he was assured Alannah was safely on her own two feet he pulled out his own phone and answered. The emergency dispatch spoke over his greeting and informed him that they were to stay at the scene and they would be joined by Guybrush and Smithe soon. Cian's head drooped as the dispatcher also coolly lectured him on the dangers of hanging up on the police.
 
Alannah wasn't aware of anything that wasn't Cian, and the way that his arms ensnared her waist, the way that his fingers trailed her jaw, the way that a groan erupted from his throat, the way that he parted her legs to stand between them and the way that she hooked them around his waist in an attempt to bring him in even closer. Everything, including their surroundings and the reasons that had brought them to this situation in the first place had fallen away to be replaced only by her longing for him, only by her fingers steadily raking through his hair, cupping the back of his neck even as he finally allowed them to come up for air.

His forehead once again found hers as for a moment they simply just panted together, Alannah's eyes eventually opening but remaining downcast so that dark lashes fanned the tops of her cheeks. There was a small frown marring her features as she battled with her own yearning for more, her chin tilting just slightly as if they dared to search for capturing him again, their lips brushing until she pulled back, only when her phone of all things interrupted them.

When Cian finally detached himself, Alannah felt like she was in a daze as she took his hand and hopped down from the rail, not fully expecting her knees to hold out on her. Thankfully they did, and without really seeing it she glanced at her phone to notice that Preston was ringing her, although currently her mind was too full for her to even begin to question why. So, instead of answering it, she disconnected the call, raising her head to see that Cian now had his back to her as sirens blared in the distance in the aftermath of Benjamin's appearance.

As hazel eyes scanned the park not looking for anything in particular, Alannah could feel the panic beginning to bubble in her chest at the realisation of what had just happened. Despite all of her attempts to protect Cian, to stop him from getting involved with her... she had just undone it all. But even with this realisation she couldn't bring herself to regret it, and that was what perhaps was the scariest thing of all. It was also for this reason that in the end she did something that she had never, ever done before in her entire life. She ran away.

With Cian's back to her, it was easy for her to slip down the steps of the bandstand and finally into the tree lined path that she knew would take her to the exit of the park and beyond. Running helped, helped shake off how much she wanted to go back and drag him home with her, helped to shake off all the fear and uncertainty and how much of a mess her head felt until she finally reached the apartment, sweaty and panting but still no closer to gathering herself together. In an attempt to do just that, Alannah jumped in the shower, hoping that the hot water might soothe her babbling mind. She knew Cian would be worried, knew she had put him in an impossible position but she was just so damn confused, so damn scared, she couldn't think straight. Not even when she stopped the water running and leant her head against the cool glass of the shower cubicle, not even when she stepped out and towel dried her hair before changing into a pair of jeans and a striped t-shirt in an attempt to get back to some kind of normality.

Come one, Alannah. Pick up the phone. Ring him. Let him know you're okay. She held the device in her hands like a bomb, and she had just been about to do exactly what she set out to do when Preston's name buzzed on her screen once more, distracting her. With a heavy sigh, she connected the call and pressed it to her ear.

"Hey, Preston. Sorry, now's really not a good time..."
"Alannah, hey. I'm sorry to disturb you, it's just... It's the safe drug site. Something... something's going on. You should get down here."
 
It had been a small series of unfortunate events that had led to Benjamin's knowledge of Alannah's whereabouts. The man had been so damn pathetic during interrogation that Smithe worried he might have punched out their main suspect. The fingerprints on the weapon's had gone back to CSI and a rather troubling report had come back, it seemed most of the fingerprints on the handle of the blade were smudged, as if someone had worn gloves, while Benjamin's fingerprints had only been found on the blade. Smithe knew if he were to take the case to court with the evidence they had now their best suspect would walk free, and with their hold on him coming to it's end, they needed to take some drastic measures. It had been Guybrush who had let slip Alannah's apartment name in their closing interrogation, and they had not missed the angry light that flared to life in Benjamin's eyes.

Armed with energy drinks and a giant steaming thermos of hot coffee the two partners had followed Benjamin in their undercover car. They'd parked outside of his suburban home, watching through the blinds with fading interest as their main suspect did absolutely nothing.
"There's no way he's putting on another episode of Sex and the City." Guybrush grumbled, holding up his binoculars. Smithe lifted his own pair and focused in on the screen.
"Ah season four. Samantha starts sleeping with her boss in this one." Smithe said sagely. He dropped his hands and saw Guybrush staring at him with a look of absolute disdain. "What?! It's a great show."
"It's a girls show..."
"Sounds like someone wasn't paying attention in those Gender Studies seminars last quarter." One episode changed to five and soon even Smithe was tired of Sex and the City, despite their provisions it was around three in the morning when both men's heads were slumped back against their headrests, soft snoring filling the cab of their car.

~

Cian did his best to give the police dispatcher his undivided attention, but it was so damn hard when Alannah was right behind him. His hand lifted to touch at his bottom lip and he couldn't help the goofy grin that spread over his features. After this whole deal with the police was over he would take his time with his kisses. Keeping his eyes to the path Cian waited for the officers to arrive, finally spotting them and the familiar forms of Guybrush and Smithe hurrying towards them. He turned back to tell Alannah they were one step closer to getting out of there, but when he twisted she wasn't there. His smile fell quickly away as he twisted a full circle, wondering if he had just overlooked her.

"Alannah?" Cian spun once more, his phone dropping to his side as the dispatcher went on with their lecture.

"McRannall!" Smithe was the first to jog up to the bandstand, he looked haggard with dark circles under his eyes and his blonde hair standing on end. "We heard what happened, we've got guys searching the area now.... Where's Ms. Heshmati?" Cian felt his heart drop all the way down to his shoes, a sick feeling settling in its place.

"She was just here. I don't understand. I swear, she was right here." He couldn't have had his back turned for more than five minutes. A hand lifted to comb roughly through his hair while he spun once more, hoping she might turn up this time.

"It's alright man. We'll find her too." Smithe's gentle voice did nothing to cure the anxiety roiling through him.
 
With her mind completely muddled with what had just happened between her and Cian, as well as the overarching worry of the situation with Benjamin, a problem with the safe drug site was just the cherry on top. Preston seemed incoherent on the other end of the phone and Alannah was having a hard time getting to the bottom of what was actually going on. As she stepped out of the front of her apartment block, tracking the movements of her Uber, she held her phone in her hand with Preston on speakerphone as he told her about these random guys who had turned up with intentions to clear the place out.

“Random guys? Preston, who are they? Do they work for a company or..?”
“I don’t know, Alannah. You just… You need to get here as soon as possible. They won’t listen to me.”

A silver car pulled up then as Alannah waved her hand after checking that the registration plate matched the one on her phone. “Alright, Preston. I’m just getting into a cab now. I’ll be there soon, hang tight.” She didn’t even stop to think about why Preston was at the site in the first place, as she might have usually done. There was just so much going on that Alannah wanted to find a problem and be able to fix it – that’s what she was good at, not feeling out of control and uncertain and like everything she knew was slipping out from underneath her.

The taxi drove Alannah through the bustling streets of the city and she took the opportunity to pull out her phone and finally tap out a message to Cian, one that she reread about a million times before finally pressing send. What did one say to their bodyguard they’d just made out with on the bandstand in the park? There wasn’t exactly a template for that scenario, was there?

Hey, sorry I ran out on you. Just needed to think. There’s a problem at the safe drug site, heading there now x

Alannah knew that what she had done was wrong, especially after Cian’s comment about her running off – she was making this harder for him by putting herself at risk. At the same time though, she was so damn sick of feeling powerless, of feeling out of control. She just wanted to be able to put this one thing right, to feel like everything was normal again, and if the police were on Benjamin’s trail then didn’t that mean that for now she was safe? Although, the politician couldn’t help but shake the niggle that it wasn’t Benjamin behind the attacks at all and if it wasn’t him… then who was it?

When the cab finally pulled up at the site, Alannah thanked her driver and got out, to be met with a seemingly empty car park and building. It was unusual at this time of the day when the place should have been alive with people coming in and out of it, but it certainly wasn’t crawling with the men Preston had suggested it was. Perhaps this should have been the first red flag, but Alannah chose to ignore it in favour of heading inside. Again, the place was eerily quiet and she called out Preston’s name, only to eventually be met with the form of a man stepping out from the shadows in front of her, one that she came to recognise as soon as his voice echoed in the corridor around them.

“Preston’s not here.” Alannah came to a stop as Adam West made himself known. “It’s just you and me now, Alannah.” The politician felt a sinking in her chest, a wave of instinctual panic causing her to turn to look back at the door. “Ah, I wouldn’t do that if I were you. You’ll make this much harder for yourself.” But Alannah didn’t listen, and as she turned to run, a firm hand reached out to grab her upper arm.

“Oh no you don’t, Heshmati.”
 
The police interviews dragged, and Cian did his best not to shout out in anger as he was asked once again to relay what had all happened with Benjamin. Each time he told the story his mind continued on to the moments after, where despite everything the world had felt right with her in his arms. Smithe was just wrapping things up when he got a call, from the one sided answers he'd heard; Cian could assume the Benjamin had been picked up not too far from them, Alannah however was still on the run.

"I don't know how he knew where we were." Cian grumbled as Smithe hung up the phone. He'd expected the detective to agree and pose a theory but from the guilty expression the man wore Cian felt his hackles rise. "Something to share, Smithe?" He growled.
"We... may have fed him your location to see if he would try again." Smithe couldn't meet Cian's eyes.
"You used her as bait." It wasn't a question, it was a statement that brought a flush of shame over Smithe's features. The temptation to grip him by the shirt and shake Smithe until sense returned was great indeed. Instead, Cian forced himself to turn away just as his phone pinged. His brows drew down in a pinch as he read over the latest message from Alannah. What the... Cian turned again, training immediately making him want to share the information with the detectives, but when he thought about what they had done his mouth formed a tight seal. He couldn't trust them, they couldn't trust anyone it seemed.

Without another word Cian began the jog back to the apartment, his mind racing on what to do. Fear pushed his feet to go faster, and worry had his eyes scanning the crowds of people moving through the city in the morning, praying one of them might be Alannah. When he reached the apartment he spotted the evidence of her shower, and her laundry tucked away in the bedroom. Cian made a beeline for his bag, digging out his car keys. He had to go after her. Cian opened the door and came to an abrupt halt as he took in the sight of Irena, her hand up about to knock.

"Oh hello." She said coolly, her eyes pinned him from above her glasses. She looked just as prim as the evening they'd first met.
"Hey. Sorry to do this but I have to go." Cian slid through the small gap between Irena and the doorframe stepping into the hall.
"Actually, I need to talk to you about that. I've just received word that you're being replaced. I've come to collect the keys from you and advise you to return home." Irena's words had ice chilling his spine.
"I'm sorry what?" Cian blinked at her, the words making zero sense to him. "That's not... I haven't heard anything."
"The call came from Booker himself. You call him if you have a problem. I'll take those keys now." Irena held out her hand for the access to the apartment and he numbly placed them in her palm. "Have a good day Cian." Irena stepped into the apartment and shut the door on him without another word.

What the hell was he supposed to do now? Cian whipped out his phone once more, pressing the button for Booker's direct line and waited two full rings for his boss to answer.
"What the fuck Booker?" Cian snapped into the phone as he rushed towards the elevator.
"Cian..." Booker's tired voice sounded. "I had hoped you would just follow orders."
"She's out there Booker, no one is with her." Cian pushed the button for the garage and impatiently pressed the door close button franticly. "You can't do this."
"I'm afraid it wasn't my choice son."
"You own this company, how could it not be your choice?" Cian snapped into the receiver.
"That's the thing kid. I don't own it anymore... seems someone bought the controlling shares in the company over night... The order came in for your removal this morning. I promise I'll write a good letter of recommendation... I can retire now Cian." Bookers voice was filled with hope as he spoke, something gleeful about him closing this chapter in his life.
"Who bought the company?" Cian asked as the elevator drew closer and closer to his car.
"Sal West." The door's opened to the garage with Bookers reveal and Cian's eyes widened.
"Fuck." Cian whispered as he hung up the phone and rushed for his car. He needed to get to Alannah now.
 
Preston's grip on her arm was firm and no matter how much she struggled against it, his hold on her only seemed to grow tighter. He was dragging her somewhere, further into the building and she had no idea why. Or rather, now she did, in a dawning moment of realisation that had her stomach dropping to her toes.

"I-It was you," Alannah pulled against him, only for him to yank her arm even harder. "All of this. The shooting, my apartment... You framed Benjamin didn't you? Didn't you?!" Her voice came out louder, angrier than she had expected despite the pure terror that was shooting through her veins. Perhaps somewhere along the line, Alannah had known deep down that the Wests were behind the bid to get rid of her. They had the motive and behind each step, they had been there, pulling the strings, waiting in the shadows. The charity gala, even the opening of the library to a certain extent. The rumours had been there but she hadn't wanted to believe them, maybe because a part of her thought it was wrong to make accusations based on rumours but also perhaps because the thought that it was the Wests, truly terrified her. They were a family notorious across the city, the money and power that they held over Kirkbridge unrivalled by any other - for it to have been them who were responsible for all of this, meant she was going up a force so much greater than herself. But even as Adam flung her down into a chair in the middle of a meeting room and demanded she stay put, Alannah knew that she wouldn't go down without a fight.

"I'm guessing that you didn't it all alone?" She demanded, as Adam picked up and tapped something into the screen in his hand. "But how much of this ridiculous charade was your idea and how much came from your father, I wonder?"
"Do not," Adam hissed, his face illuminated by the glowing from his hands. "Bring my father into this. You know nothing about any of us. Your inability to avoid this shows just how little you understand what's going on here."
Alannah laughed but the sound was humourless. "Is that right? Then how come you haven't been able to follow through on your orders, huh? You took a shot at me, you missed. You attacked my home, but you didn't get to me. I can't be that clueless, Mr West, otherwise you'd have finished the job by now."

Finally, Adam lowered his phone, his expression a grim display of amusement. "See, that's where you're wrong, Miss Heshmati. The only thing that has protected you this whole time has been that damn bodyguard of yours, always getting in the way. But as it currently stands, we've seen to it that he won't be much of a problem anymore." Alannah's breath caught in her throat and her whole body felt like it turned to ice upon hearing those words.
"What have you done to him? What the fuck have you done?" She was on her feet in a moment of blind panic, until Adam stood between her and the door.
"Relax, Jesus. He's not dead. My father simply made a small investment in that ridiculous company he works for and let's just say, a culling was necessary to revitalise it."

Brown eyes flickered across Adam's haggard features as Alannah searched for understanding, but when she grasped it, she took a small step backwards. "You fired him?"
"Looks like your little boyfriend won't be coming to your rescue this time, Alannah."
The politician shook her head. "No. No, you're wrong. He'll come anyway. When he figures out where I am..."
"You sure about that? I've heard he's fairly prone to making mistakes these days, I wouldn't bank on him figuring out where you are." Alannah decided to keep quiet about the fact that she'd told him where she was headed only minutes ago. "With that and Mr McRannall's recent unemployment... Things aren't looking so good for you."

Alannah's frown deepened. "Prone to mistakes? What the hell are you talking about?"
 
The small hatchback rumbled to life, its engine echoing in the parking garage. Wasting no time Cian pulled out and sped towards the exit, his mind focused solely on getting to Alannah. They needed to get to safety and formulate a plan. Pieces were falling into place and the more they discovered the more it came to light how much the West's had their hands in everything. God he'd been so stupid to think that Benjamin had anything to do with it. Tension had him gripping the steering wheel until his hands burned. He made his way out into the street, pulling open his phone with voice command and shouting in the directions for the safe drug site. When that was finished he growled in frustration when the device told him he was going the wrong way.

Desperation had him clawing at the wheel, as he jumped over three lanes of traffic. The lights were yellow at the next stop light, but there was no way he was going to let that slow him down. His little car revved up, despite everything, he still remembered to turn on his blinker and when he sped up the turning lane he quickly tapped the brake and popped the emergency brake sending the car into a tight 180. Quickly slamming the break off he pressed the gas pedal to the floor and headed off in the right direction. He barked directions to his phone again, this time asking for a call to Theo.

"Cian?" Theo's confused voice sounded over the speaker phone. "What the fuck is going on, Sal West is here and we just got a company wide email-" Cian cut him off, unwilling to delve into the details.
"Alannah's missing, I got a message that she's off to that latest safe drug site, but I need you to track her phone just to be sure." There was a pause from Theo and Cian knew what was going through his friends mind. Sharing that sort of information with an ex-employee was a sure fire way for Theo to follow Cian on the path to job loss. "Please man." He begged.
"Hang on, I'm pulling it up now." Theo's voice came out quieter this time. Cian waited with baited breath as he hurtled down the road. The GPS said he would be there in twenty minutes, but if he had his way he would cut that time in half. "Looks like she's still there. Or at least her phone is. I'll keep an eye on things here Cian. Everything's fucked here man, Booker's packing his things."
"He's the one behind the attack, behind everything happening to Alannah." Cian bit out, twisting the wheel and leaning into a turn he took entirely too fast. "I think that Alannah's walked into a trap."
"... shit." Was all Theo could manage. "I'll let the guys know. You got this Cian." They hung up without another word and Cian prayed he could make it to her in time.

The safe drug site came into view twelve minutes later and Cian pulled up along side the curb and hurled himself out of the car. It only just occurred to him then, that he'd gone into this without a weapon. He had nothing but his body to defend the both of them. With a fortifying breath he narrowed his eyes and approached the doors. It didn't surprise him to find the front entrance locked and so he began to make his way around the building looking for any other point of entry. He was fully around the back when he spotted the open window. Using a nearby dumpster he pried the mesh off the window frame and hoisted himself into what appeared to be an office of some kind. As quietly as he could manage Cian crept over the desk that had been placed under the window sill and got to his feet. The office was empty and without any personalization's as the site itself was not due to open until the following month.

Quietly as he could he approached the closed office door and headed out into the hallway, keeping his ears and eyes peeled for Alannah.
 
Something close to victory passed across Adam’s features when he realised that he held the upper hand with knowing something about Cian that Alannah didn’t, something close to victory that then curled into a jubilant smile.

“He didn’t tell you?”
“Didn’t tell me what?”
Adam laughed, the sound dead, humourless. “Your precious bodyguard was thrown off his last case, for his inability to protect his client, or so I heard. There was something about a child… a distraction. Led to the client being seriously injured when he was supposed to be protecting them. Guess Mr McRannall isn’t so great at his job, after all. It would seem that your trust has been severely misplaced once again, Miss Heshmati. And he didn’t even care enough to tell you about it himself. How sad.”

A short silence followed, one in which Alannah could feel the tears stinging her vision. She knew that there would be more to this story than Adam West wanted her to know, knew he was trying to push her buttons. But at the same time, she also wondered why Cian had never told her? Wiping at her nose with her sleeve, Alannah shook her head. “You’re wrong,” she said simply, quietly. “Cian is twice the man you’ll ever be, Mr West. It doesn’t matter if he made a mistake, he’s human, we all make them. I made one trusting Preston and coming here, didn’t I?” The anger at herself quivered in her voice, and as Adam started to draw closer to her, she took a few steps backwards to keep some distance between them. “I don’t know what’s going to happen now, to me. To you. To us. But I know that Cian will try to find me, will try his damned best to put this right. He’s good at what he does, the best actually, and there’s nobody else I would trust more with my life than I do him.”
“Oh how touching,” Adam practically spat. “I heard about your little fling. Wasn’t sure that I believed it but… here we are, I guess.”

Talking about Cian had released emotions that Alannah had been keeping inside for far too long now. The tears spilled over and she took in a breath as her chest ached with longing, as she so desperately thought about what it would feel like to melt into the warmth of Cian’s arms, to let her lips find his with reckless abandon, the lingering feeling of their kiss from earlier ghosting across her features. “He’s the best person I know,” she continued quietly. “I don’t deserve him, not really.”

Adam rolled his eyes, reaching into his pocket so that he could punch a further message into his phone. He didn’t know what was taking his men so damn long to get here.

“Who are you contacting?” Alannah asked him weakly, trying to assess how she could get out of this when Adam was stood in front of the only exit.
“None of your business.”
“You don’t have to do this, you know,” she told him, teary eyes finding his cool, grey ones. “You’ll never live up to his expectations. Nobody will. He’s Sal West. The only Sal West, in his eyes.”
“Shut up,” Adam growled, “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Heshmati.”
“See, that’s where you’re wrong. I’ve met your father and I know exactly what I’m talking about and I’m telling you, that you have a choice. To do the right thing. This will be so much easier, for both of us if you let me go.”

The politician took a few steps forwards and Adam backed up against the door. “Stay where you are,” he hissed, to which Alannah shook her head.
“No, I won’t. If you want to stop me from leaving, then you’re going to have to physically stop me. I’m not staying here.”
Adam’s expression turned grim. “That can be arranged, Miss Heshmati.”
 
It didn't take a lot of effort to channel his inner super spy. With the empty walls and closed doors it was all to easy to slip into the character. A muffled noise of an electronic lock beeping open had Cian shifting to hide in a small alcove in the wall, his body pressing to the wall, his ears perked. Multiple footsteps could be heard padding over the thin carpeting and Cian tensed. He pressed himself tighter to the wall his muscles tensing as he prepared for the small group to pass them. Two men appeared, walking down the hall, not glancing back as they made their way to their destination. Cian let the men take a few steps away and once he was certain it was just the two of them he moved forward.

Self defense and his strength came in handy as he reared back and swung his arm wide, his closed fist making contact with the side of one of the men's head. The sheer force of the blow had the man's body collapsing sideways against his partner. The second guard barely had time to make a sound before Cian's arm wrapped tightly around his neck, cutting off his air supply. He counted the seconds, waiting for the moment the man's body to go lax in his arms. Once he'd deposited both men on the ground Cian peered around the hall, wondering if there would be anyone else. Once he was assured he was alone he bent down and searched the pockets of one of the men. He found a keycard and the man's wallet. He pocketed them both and lifted his head.

The sound of muffled voices caught Cian's attention and he quietly crept towards them, his feet gently padding along the carpeted halls. His heart did a funny little flip flop when he could make out Alannah's voice. He arrived at the door she was behind and reached for the door handle, but paused when he heard a male voice answer her in return. Shit, he had no idea how many people were in there, or where they were in relation to Alannah. If he rushed in there without thinking Alannah could get hurt... what if she was hurt already? No he couldn't think like that.

The voices from behind the door were clearer now, and Cian recognized the male voice behind the door, but couldn't quite place where he'd heard it. His brow furrowed as the conversation topic shifted to his background. Memories of tears and broken toys flashed in his mind. Then the pop of gunfire, and the shattering of glass as a man screamed in pain.

"You're wrong." Alannah's voice broke through his haze, he could hear the wobble of unshed tears in her voice. She defended him even as the man laughed in her face and threw back her feelings as if they were nothing.
I'm here Sunshine.

The conversation in the room ramped up as Alannah grew impatient from what ever it was that was happening in there. Cian could only assume it was the two of them in the room as the man ordered her to stay and Alannah ignored him. Cian reached for the handle, as the man's body hit the door on the other end, with a quick twist he pulled the door open sending Adam West stumbling back from what he'd previously been leaning on. Cian's brows drew up in surprise at the sight, though truthfully he should have known the son was in on it too. Adam's wide eyes found his and he sputtered in surprise as Cian twisted his hands into the lapels of Adam's suit jacket and shoved him against the wall.

"Fancy meeting you here." He growled as Adam struggled against his hold.
"Let. Me. Go." Adam punctuated each word with a helpless shove against Cian's arms.
"Sure thing." Cian said amiably, his hands lifted and with once sharp jab to Adam's temple the man sunk to the ground. He twisted then, seeking out Alannah and once he saw her tearful expression his hard expression softened. "Let's get you out of here, love." There was something in her face that made him hesitate in gathering her in his arms and hauling her out of there. Instead his hand lifted, and he silently asked permission to touch her.
 
Alannah was prepared to fight her way out of this, if she had to. She had no combat experience whatsoever, and as much physical strength as her Nani; the closest thing she had experienced to a physical altercation was during a boxing class when she hit the punchbag and it swung back and smacked her in the face. There was no doubt in Alannah's mind that if she and Adam came to blows, she would end up worse off than he would, but she couldn't not try. For her sake, for Cian's sake and for the sake of the city she loved. As it so turned out though, the minute the younger West looked like he was about to take a step towards her, the door he had been leaning against flung open and Cian stepped through, causing Alannah's chest to squeeze in a way that she was sure it ever had before.

Her breath caught in her throat as the larger of the two men pinned her captor to the wall and within seconds struck him with enough force that he was out cold. Alannah from where she stood, rigid with fear, watched Adam West slump to the ground, before her gaze moved back to Cian as though she couldn't quite believe that he was standing in front of her. Her chest heaved as the adrenaline ravaged her system, and it was only at his gentle suggestion and the way he hesitated before holding out his hand to her that finally caused her to crumble.

For the second time that day, without thinking about it, Alannah took his hand into her own and used it to bring herself into his broad chest. Her arms flung around him and she buried her face into his t-shirt, finally letting all of the fear and the tension release as her hands gripped onto him. She couldn't quite believe that he was here, even though she hadn't doubted him for a second, she had worried for his safety, for what might be waiting for him when he arrived. Although she hadn't seen any others around the building, Alannah was pretty sure that Adam West wasn't brave enough to act alone. "I'm sorry," she breathed, trying to gulp back the tears, the guilt for putting him in this situation and for everything that had happened to him since he'd gotten involved with her. "I'm so, so sorry." Her hands gripping his shirt tightened. "I shouldn't have run off, I just... I got scared and Preston rang me a-and..." She took another shuddering inhale before pulling back so she could see him a little better. Instinctively, her hand moved to his cheek, her thumb stroking along where his stubble stopped.

"About what happened... on the bandstand. I--" Before she could continue though, footsteps echoed in the corridor behind them, her brown eyes flickering to the door and then back to Cian in panic. She let her hand drop from his cheek to find his own fingers, gripped them tight and then ushered them to the wall next to the door in preparation for someone coming in, or hopefully simply walking past, the words she so desperately wanted to say swallowed back down again. For now.
 
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Time suspended in those moments, the only sound filling the room seemed to be the pounding of his heart against his ribcage as he waited for Alannah to make a move. Her brown eyes were wide and he could pick out the terror and relief coursing through them. She moved then, throwing herself towards him and into his warm embrace. Automatically his hands wound around her, holding her tight as she fought the sobs that threatened to spill over at any moment. Cian's head bent as he curled protectively around her, his large hands drawing soothing lines down her back.

"I've got you." He murmured. The floodgates opened in Alannah's mind and soon she was whispering her apologies and trying to explain. He'd been about to open his mouth and try to console her when her hand reached out and stroked along his cheek, copying the hold they'd had over the park. His words died in his throat and he leaned into her touch, his head pressing into the comforting slide of her fingers. She'd looked up at him so earnestly then and he'd been about to bend his head to kiss her when a noise from outside of the room poured cold water all over their moment. Instinctively Cian placed himself between the noise and Alannah, the both of them soundlessly moving to the wall near the door frame.

A low gravely voice sounded, it sounded as though someone was speaking quietly into a phone, though Cian couldn't make out what was being said. His hand found Alannah's and he gave it a quick squeeze before letting go, he gestured quietly that she take a few steps away from him, just in case he was caught in another altercation. Foot steps alerted both Cian and Alannah the newest goon was fast approaching.
"Mr. West?" The voice asked, clearly bending over the unconscious form of Adam. A clicking sound came next, and Cian recognized it as a magazine being checked and reloaded into a pistol. Fuck.

His eyes remained trained on the doorframe, and Cian forced his breathing to slow. He could only hope that if things went south, Alannah would have the sense of mind to get herself out of there and live to fight another day. He wanted to look back at her, but with this new threat stepping closer he couldn't chance being taken by surprise. The world seemed to grow quieter and Cian tensed, ready for whatever came next. The sleek silver of the pistol was the first thing to enter his line of sight, the hands gripping the gun were gloved. Cian wasted no time, lunging forward and pushing the gun up and trying to dislodge the weapon from the assailant. The gun went off, raining ceiling tile and drywall down on them as the bullet found rest in the building roof. Thankfully the gun fell with a clatter to the ground and was kicked out of the room by the ensuing struggle.

Cian's head snapped back as their attacker punched out with the heel of his hand, he saw stars as he stumbled back into the meeting room, sending a chair clattering to the floor. The attacker was on him in seconds, shoving him further into the floor. Cian managed to land a good kick, causing the man dressed in all black to grunt in pain as the kick landed near his knee.
"RUN!" Cian yelled out as he blocked a block from the attacker.
 
It was like they couldn't catch a break. Every time, every moment that they found each other felt like it was wrenched just out of their grasp before they could finally come together in the way that they wanted to. Alannah knew that she couldn't afford to think about that right now though, not when there was potentially another danger on their immediate horizon.

Feeling Cian's hand squeeze her own prompted her to squeeze his in return, a small sign that she understood what was happening and that she was right here with him. She reluctantly took the steps back that he instructed, not necessarily because she wanted to but because she knew that she needed to listen to him. He was the expert in this kind of situation, he knew what he was doing and as much as she didn't want him to get hurt, she knew that she had to trust him. And she did. More than anybody.

The unfamiliar form made its way into the room slowly, the stranger's voice cutting through the tense silence that surrounded them like a suffocating blanket. Alannah's eyes remained trained on him as Cian's did, and as she felt her breathing grow heavier, quicker, she lifted her hand to her mouth to try and muffle the sound... especially when she spotted the silver of the pistol. It took her all of her efforts not to whimper, until she tension was broken by Cian launching himself at the assailant.

The scuffle that occurred saw fear gripping the politician's throat, not for herself of course, but for her bodyguard. She couldn't take her eyes off the gun being waved around and as the bang of the shot clattered into the ceiling above, she instinctively dropped and covered her head to shield it from the debris that floated towards her, before she was up and watching again once more for any sign that Cian might be hurt. It was at this point that Alannah watched the gun skid from the room and despite her body being seized by terror she forced her legs to move towards it, ignoring Cian's plea for her to run. There was no way, no way she was going to leave him here. Not when she still had the chance to do something to help.

Moving through the door, Alannah's eyes scanned for the weapon and when she caught sight of the silver she ran to it, hesitated ever so slightly before picking it up before finally taking it into her hands. They trembled around the metal as she held it out in front of her - there was no way she'd be able to shoot, not when Cian was tangled up with their enemy, but perhaps she could get him to stop, at the very least. So, in the bravest voice she could muster, she called out as she moved back into the room, "Put your hands in the air!" The hooded figure had just been about to land another blow when he looked up at Alannah, although his hands didn't move. "Now! Do it!" A low rumble came from the stranger but before anybody could do anything else he launched himself at Cian, managing to secure his arm up against his back so that he remained in front of him like a shield. It was then that he finally removed his hood to reveal a youngish looking man, with sandy blonde hair and brown eyes.

"You won't shoot," he smirked as tugged on Cian's arm. "You're just as powerless as you were back in your apartment that time. And I know for a fact you won't risk hurting him." The words took a moment to register, Alannah's eyebrows furrowing before the realisation dawned.
"It was you? You're the one who trashed my place, aren't you?"
"Guilty, as charged." The man shrugged.
"Then you... What about Benjamin?"
"I mean sure, they were his things but... doesn't mean he used them, right?" Alannah's arms began to shake as the man started to move, still with Cian in his grip, towards the door this time. "Don't move," she breathed, "You move, and I'll shoot." It was at this point that she looked properly at Cian, hoping to God she could convey some kind of meaning to him. All she needed was for him to get free, to push himself out of the way and then...

"Now!" She yelled the signal and if Cian did manage to break free, she aimed at the stranger's leg... and pulled the trigger.
 
Well... this was certainly one hell of a way to go. Cian moved to protect his head as another jab was aimed in his direction. There was a small bit of victory that flowed within him at the sight of Alannah scrambling out of the door. Good, I'll hold him off as long as I can, he thought to himself. He struggled back to his feet, forcing any thoughts of pain out of his mind at he lifted his fists and watched his opponent warily. Wherever this guy learned to fight, he needed to sign himself up for the same class if he made it through this. The man lunged again, and Cian did his best to deflect the flurry of blows against his upper torso. The fight interrupted by Alannah's strong voice as she re-entered the room, the gun pointed at their attacker.

Cian's heart leapt into his throat as her entrance drew his attention. In the moment of his distraction the attacker took his opportunity, lunging for him and wrenching his arm painfully behind his back in the same hold he'd used on Benjamin earlier. Cian grunted in pain as the man mocked Alannah, his cockiness clear in the way he didn't seem at all terrified of a gun pointed at him. The man pushed Cian forward and he winced as his shoulder twisted painfully. Cian's eyes found Alannah's and he frowned, there was something she was trying to tell him. His breath caught as he desperately did his best to figure out what she meant, when it suddenly clicked.

"Now!"

He wasted no time, using the entirety of his body weight to throw himself out of his captors grasp and out of the way. As he fell he caught sight of Alannah's determined face, the fire in her eyes as her finger squeezed the trigger. He hit the floor next, his vision blurring from the impact, as quickly as he could he twisted, as he heard the howl of Alannah's mark hitting true. His eyes were blurry but he could see the man's pant leg quickly reddening with the blood from his wound.

"Fucking bitch." The man made a lunge for Alannah, the fury and adrenaline keeping him on his feet. Cian was having none of it however, he swept out his legs, catching the back of the assailant's knees and knocking him out from under himself. A loud grunt of pain as the man hit the floor filled the room as Cian pushed himself to his feet. He was careful as he approached Alannah.
"We gotta go." He told her, his brow pinched together as he gently removed the gun from Alannah's hands. He engaged the safety before slipping it into his waistband. The man was struggling to get to him, his leg no longer working and dragging uselessly behind him as he tried to crawl towards them. Cian's hand slipped into Alannah's and without a second look back they left the man on the ground and headed for the exit. "My car's around front." Cian dug into his pocket and pulled out his keys, he offered them to Alannah with a wince. "I don't think I can drive." God his shoulder hurt, it was probably dislocated; knowing his luck.
 
The gun's recoil took Alannah by surprise and she had to take a step back to steady herself, her hands eventually lowering when she realised what she had just done. Her ears were ringing in the aftermath of the shot and in front of her she could see the stranger gripping his leg nearby where a pool of red began to gush through the hole in his jeans. So surprised was she by what she had just done, she didn't quite register when he lunged towards her until Cian stopped him, her brown eyes wide with something that was probably shock, or fear, or most likely whole host of different emotions.

The first time that Alannah finally drew her gaze away from the man who had been injured by her hand was when Cian carefully approached her, her breaths coming a little too quickly, hands still shaking as they gripped the gun before she rigidly attempted to prize her fingers away from the hot metal. Brown eyes continued to stare as the man dragged himself towards them, grunting and cursing through his pain until she finally let her bodyguard lead her away from the scene, his large hand encasing hers. Alannah didn't say anything as they made their way towards the exit, and when they were finally able to take in a breath of fresh air as they made it outside and reached Cian's car, she turned to face him when he handed her his car keys. This time, it was her own brow that furrowed slightly as she finally noticed the pain twisted across his features, the way he held his arm at a slightly off angle.

"Y-You're hurt?" She whispered, gently lifting her hands to hold his arms as she inspected him from where she stood. " Cian, w-we need to get you looked at, we need..." Her voice trembled as her hands did, even as she took the car keys from him and proceeded to open the door so he could get in, before heading around to the driver's seat herself. She had to keep it together. There was no time for whatever she was feeling right now. Cian was hurt and he needed her and that's what she had to focus on. "I'm taking you to the hospital," she murmured and jammed the keys into the ignition, revving a couple of times before remembering the handbrake and then finally pulling them away from the horrors they needed to leave behind.

It wasn't until they were meandering through the streets of the city that Alannah finally spoke once more, her eyes fixed on the road, her grip on the steering wheel a little too tight so that the whites of her knuckles showed. "I... I shot him," she whispered, shaking her head slightly in disbelief. "I didn't think... I didn't think I could do it. But as soon as he grabbed you I just..." Her whole body shuddered then as she shifted slightly in her seat. "I'm sorry that you got hurt." Alannah finally allowed herself to glance at Cian, her features twisted with guilt as she tried not to let any more tears fall, not until they arrived at their destination at least. "That you got hurt, because of me."
 
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