World Wide Ghost

"Hey, as far as I'm concerned, peaches are one of the greatest pleasures in life. Right up there with a good beer and sex." Remi chuckled, not really stopping to think her words through, but it wasn't like she cared that much. They were alone, after all.

"You'd be surprised if the lengths Amy will go for someone she cares about. And how devious she actually is. It's scary, really, so I'm glad to have her on my side."

Closing her eyes, she nuzzled the soft mop of blonde hair on her shoulder, feeling sleepiness starting to creep on her, even when she didn't exactly want to lay down on a bed ever again. The pain meds she had to take a night were much stronger, leaving her so out of it she had little control over herself, and Remi was glad it was only A.B. there to witness it and not anybody else.

"Thank you for keeping the secret though, and for being there with me."

A little yawn, more nuzzling and blunt nails scratching the side of the blonde's thigh slowly.

"You're the best drug."

"A.B., I'm not an invalid, I'm fine. The door doesn't even stick as much anymore." Remi reminded kindly, her expression a picture of find exasperation.

Going to the kitchen, she made quick work of preparing two cups of tea, not really favorable to the idea of filling A.B. with caffeine when she was already so tightly strung out.

She nodded for the blonde to take one of them before leading them to the living room, where she sat down with a relieved sigh. She raised the arm not in a sling in invitation.

"C'mere."

"You just said we did the best we could and assholes are unpredictable. That's it. That's the gist of it, A.B." Remi said as patiently and kindly as she could, mindful and respectful of her friend's fears grievances.

If the roles were reversed, she would be just as much of a mess as the blonde, that was a fact she easily accepted, but seeing the frown permanently marring the woman's beautiful features for the past few weeks didn't sit will with Briggs.

"We all know what we're signing up when joining the academy. Death is a constant threat in the corner of our eyes, but it didn't go that far this time. I'm here, A.B.," reaching out, she took one of the blonde's hands and pressed it against her neck, where her pulse could be felt.

"I'm here and I would do it all over again if it meant keeping you safe. I don't care what you say, it was worth it."

Swallowing harshly, she dropped A.B.'s hand and reached for her mug, refusing to look at her partner.

"The dot was moving upwards. He was going for your head "

"A.B., I'm not an invalid, I'm fine. The door doesn't even stick as much anymore." Remi reminded kindly, her expression a picture of find exasperation.

Going to the kitchen, she made quick work of preparing two cups of tea, not really favorable to the idea of filling A.B. with caffeine when she was already so tightly strung out.

She nodded for the blonde to take one of them before leading them to the living room, where she sat down with a relieved sigh. She raised the arm not in a sling in invitation.

"C'mere."

The smile Remi gave to Amy’s retreating form made Barbara wonder for a second, but whatever thoughts could come were shaken off for a later moment. Right then and there A.B. had a moment alone with her partner, and sadly, it wouldn’t last forever.

“I didn’t want to interrupt you two,“ Sabik said with a bit of regret. “If I’d known Patterson was coming, I’d come by later. It’s been a while since you two have had a chance to catch up without work getting in the way.“

Despite her words, the blonde got closer to the bed; checking on her partner even if the doctor had done so mere minutes ago. But the motions were more for her own peace of mind rather than Remi’s well-being. Technically, Sabik knew Briggs was okay, she was almost ready to go home after all. But a part of Barbara couldn’t help but worry, and it was better to go over a few practiced motions rather than be on edge for hours.

Lastly, she cupped Remi’s face with both hands and rested her forehead against her friend’s. The gesture intimate by nature even when nothing else came from it.

For a moment, A.B. was about to say something else, to do more, but in the end shook her head and limited herself to kiss Remi’s cheek.

"It's okay, I'm sure you'll have to go back to work and I can catch up with Amy then. Right now I just want to take advantage of whatever little time I have with you." Remi answered, eyes open and earnest.

Knowing of her partner's worrying nature, she let her poke and probe around, read her file and check on her vitals. If it brought some kind of calm to the clearly still irked blonde, then Remi would let her do as she pleased. Green eyes followed her movements with a smile that was both sad and endeared, but she didn't say anything until Barbara leaned their foreheads together and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

The fight seemed to leave the blonde and Remi lifted her hands to cup A.B.'s face in return, holding her in place.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm okay." She whispered, eyes closed lest she looked at the blonde's lips and did something stupid. "I've missed you too."

"I've been ready to get out of here since I woke up, so I would like that very, very much." Remi was quick to reply, her eyes showing excitement at the prospect of getting out of the hospital. The doctor and staff had been nothing short of amazing, but still. At least at home she had Netflix.

At the playful jab at the blonde, she couldn't help the short bark of laughter, but the slight stab of pain in her chest made her wince.

"You should already know better than to think anyone can keep Sabik from doing whatever she wants, but I'll give it a shot. Thanks, doctor."

With the older woman gone, her attention went back to the two blondes in the room, and Remi's eyes widened at the playful threat from Sabik.

"You wouldn't dare..."

"I would say that the jello isn't much worse than these canned atrocities you like so much, but that would be a lie." Amy gave Remi the cup back with a grimace. "Here, I'm gonna go get some coffee, be back in a few."

It was obvious Amy was stepping out to give them some privacy, and Remi's gratitude showed in her smile.

To Die For

The week had been…well, a pain in the ass. But Barbara wasn’t one to let that kick her down. She was stronger, and she was a leader. She felt responsible for Remi being on the hospital, and guilt ate her alive whenever she had a chance to think too much. That was why she invested herself in work as much as possible. After all, Koffler and Wilkes were part of her team as well.

However, she had been on that hospital every morning before work and she hurried back once she was done. It was a surprise to no one she left in a hurry every day, and everyone knew the reason, but she had also been just as productive and efficient so no one could say a thing.

The monthly review had been particularly difficult. Her mind was with Remi,and she couldn’t help but keep thinking about the girl while she waited in Millers’ office. She thought about the many ways she could better spend her time rather than listening to the most boring man in the world why their job matterd. The fact that they had so many good results and their missions were particularly tricky or important didn’t seem to matter to him.

It wasn’t like Sabik was there to speak, her pressence was a mere formality since Millers was the one speaking for them.

Still, the blonde had to be on her formal attire; the grey dress made her look professional and the heels helped to make her look more intimidating. If anyone could really be intimidating wearing heels. Then came the official blazer and the tag. It was uncomfortable to wear, but A.B. didn’t even think about changing before leaving to visit Remi.

Her shoes clicked on the floor as she moved as quickly as possible through the hallways. Nurses and doctors already knowing not to mess with the evil F.B.I. agent. She had tried to kill one or two the first time she was there, and she was still half apologetic about that.

Finding Patterson there was a surprise, and yet a soft smile took over her face when she saw the other blonde in Remi’s room. And before either of them could see her, she took a step backwards to grant them another moment of privacy.

Except that she walked back into the incoming doctor.

“Ah, Agent Sabik, you’re already here. Good.”

So much for a plan. So after an awkward greeting to the doctor, she finally entered the room to greet Remi and Amy.

Two pairs of eyes turned towards the door, watching as the doctor walked in, followed closely by a sheepish A.B.

The smile in Remi's face was very telling for Patterson, but before she could greet the blonde, a cup was literally shoved in her hands. Looking back at Remi, she could see the herculean effort to swallow without being too obvious about it. She wasn't mean enough to give her away.

"Doctor Grey, agent Sabik, hello!" Without thinking twice, she shoved a piece of peach into her mouth. She hated canned peaches. "Sorry, I'm starving."

Remi almost choked between trying to swallow an all to big piece of peach and wanting to laugh at Amy's panicked actions. Discreetly as possible, she coughed to cover up, then smiled at the two.

"Hey, doc." She said, cheery as usual, and then, infinitely softly as she looked at her partner: "Hi, you."

To Die For

“Of course you would be worried about me.“

A wet laugh was all Barbara could offer in return as she held Remi’s hand a little tighter. Only then she allowed relief to settle in; a deep breath eased the weight from her shoulders and the perpetual cold on her bones disappeared as she stared into Remi’s eyes.

There was another moment of silence that A.B. didn’t know how to fill. Her tired smile could only hide so many feelings and the worry cracked her calm exterior. She hadn’t been calm while her hands were painted red with Remi’s blood. She wasn’t calm on the ride to the hospital and much less as she paced non-stop until Briggs made it out of surgery alive.

“You could have died,“ she finally said, voice breaking with the quiet admission. “And I…“

But there was nothing else she could push past the knot in her throat as she stared at their fingers.

Her hands were clean since long ago, and yet she couldn’t stop seeing the red on them. She couldn’t forget the feeling of helplessness as she stared down the drain while the blood was washed away with a bit of Remi’s life. She couldn’t forget just how pale Remi looked then; without that fire in her gaze or the borderline cocky smile whenever they engaged in playful banter.

None of that was there and the phantom of that nightmare lingered even as A.B. held Remi’s hand.

Briggs looked just as pale as she did on the back of that SUV. She looked tired; far too tired, and fear had Barbara’s heart in a vice grip.

“I can’t lose you,“ were her almost silent words.

And the confession burning, the bittersweet admission on the tip of her tongue would have to wait. Until Remi wasn’t on the brink of sleep, and Barbara wasn’t controlled by panic.

Taking one more step would mean crossing a line with no way back. And maybe, just maybe, Sabik wasn’t ready yet.

Another missed chance, a brushed off oportunity could mean never being brave enough to push forward. Still, Barbara held her ground.

It wasn’t the right time.

"Could've; but didn't." Was the succinct reply, a some stating of a fact. "Those armor piercing rounds are no joke, though."

She tried to laugh and all that came out was a wheezy sound that bothered her already irritated throat. She was tired, and fight it as hard as she could, the exhaustion still creeped at the edges of her vision, darkening the room.

With a last herculean effort, she weakly squeezed her partner's hand again, smiling through the daze.

"It's going to take more than a bullet for you to get rid of me. I promise."

***

"You didn't."

"Oh, yes, I did!" Grinning like a maniac, Patterson removed the lid from the to-go cup she was carrying, showing Remi the contents.

Peaches, and not just any peaches; canned peaches.

"You're an angel." Remi breathed out with a dreamy smile, slowly adjusting herself better against the pillows. A week had come and gone, and although she was doing so much better, she still couldn't very well walk out of the hospital. She missed her apartment and her job, but she wasn't childish enough to make a fuss about the stay.

She had almost died. Scratch that; she had died by all intents and purposes, so following the instructions of the doctors that brought her back was the least she could do.

Thankfully, heaven had answered her prayers in the form of one Amelia Patterson armed with her favorite food, something the hospital had refused to give her.

"I'm pretty amazing, I'll admit." The shorter woman replied just as playfully, before producing a plastic fork out of her pocket and spearing a piece of the sweet treat. "Now, open up."

"You are not feeding me."

"Do you want the peaches or not?"

"..." Amy's voice cracked just the tiniest bit, and that was enough of an argument for Remi to swallow her pride and allow her friend to take care of her. Amy was good at masking her emotions, but Remi was able to see the signs of recent crying as soon as the girl had come through the door. If feeding her was what would make her feel better, then Remi could give her the reassurance she sought.

To Die For

A.B. had gone back to Remi’s room after the quickest shower in her life. Food was almost forgotten but of course, Millers was watching her closely and she had to eat something before being allowed into Briggs’ room. Once she was inside, the door was closed behind her and they were allowed the privacy A.B. had asked for.

It was a waiting game then, and the blonde had all the time in the world to process her feelings; the worry and anxiety. The panic she felt at that moment lingered at the back of her mind during surgery. It was there; clinging to her very bones while she was away.

Only half and hour passed with A.B. in the room before the pained groan caught her attention. Blue eyes snapped up to her partner just in time to hear the cause of the discomfort. So, without wondering if she could or not, she turned the lights off and approached her partner, her best friend, with tentative steps.

“It’s okay,“ she said softly, trying to not startle Remi. “You’re okay.“

If the reassurance was for Briggs or herself, A.B. wasn’t sure.

She found one of Remi’s hands and held it tightly; waiting for those eyes she had come to adore to open again. She waited for any other sign of pain, of discomfort, and she did it holding her breath.

As the offensive brightness turned to a muted, faw away glow, the pain slowly reversed to the back of her head and Remi was finally able to fully open her eyes.

Just like the time before, it took some time for her mind to catch up to reality. She looked around through bleary eyes, trying to recall what was happening and why it had happened.

Gunshots, distant screams, and sirens. Pressure and so much pain. Resignation and finally... Darkness.

Nothing made much sense, but as hooded eyes finally landed on the person next to her, a sigh of relief pushed past chapped lips. Then, a smile, tiny and sincere.

"Hey." She greeted groggily, doing her best to squeeze Barbara's hand in return. "Sorry I pushed you."

She didn't know where the words came from, the knowledge of what had happened, but amidst the thick fog in her head, Remi remembered pushing A.B. and seeing the blonde fall to her knees.

"Are you okay?"

#p: ab #p: tdf

To Die For

She only managed a sip of water, even when the thirst was unyielding. Her throat screamed in protest at the prospect of working more than once, but at least the few drops of water were enough to help clear the fog in her head somewhat.

She was in a hospital room and definitely not as a visitor. She recalled shots and screams, flashes of light among the darkness, but little else.

She was still to disoriented, and although not coherent at all, she managed to mutter something that made sense; at least to her.

"S'rry you got stuck playin' nanny. You... You can go, I'm jus-... Jus' gon' sleep."

***

Next time she woke up, things were different.

She was a bit more coherent, but that only meant she was able to process the pain more sharply with each labored breath. Her chest felt tight, too tight, and her throat was still sore, as if a horse had karate-chopped her on the neck.

She groaned in pain, which only made it worse; intubation was definitely not on her list of things she wanted to go through ever again.

Attempting to open her eyes only served to almost sear off her retinas, and she still couldn't feel most of her body, which meant she was unable to lift her hand to shield her eyes.

"Too bright."

#p: ab #p: tdf

To Die For

The world came to a sudden halt after A.B. hit the ground. She knew exactly what would happen after Remi shoved her out of the way. There was no need to see the red dot on her back, or to hear the bullet as it soared through the air. That knowledge didn’t stop the horror suddenly filling blue eyes as the rest of the scene unfolded almost in slow motion.

Pain didn’t register nor did Remi’s words. Her partner was injured despite the Kevlar, despite all their precautions. A.B.’s worst nightmare was coming true and there was little she could do to stop it. It wasn’t a dream, she couldn’t wake up, and moving was something done without real thought behind the motions.

The blonde was next to Briggs in a matter of seconds. Her mind tried to find the balance between panic and the calm she always portrayed as a natural leader. Level-headed was one of her main characteristics, but she couldn’t stay like that when Remi was bleeding profusely. Still, she didn’t let panic win because then they would win. And losing meant letting Briggs bleed out in the middle of nowhere. That was not an option.

“Stay with me, Briggs,“ she said but her own words sounded foreign. “Don’t you fucking dare leaving me now.“

Whatever her words meant was pointless right then. There was no time to dwell on feelings or take the first step she had refused to for the longest time.

To her surprise, Koffler was the one helping her move Remi to their SUV; Oliver standing by to prevent any attacks while the back up arrived. A spare towel was their only aid to keep Remi from bleeding out, but the bullet had found an exit; leaving two wounds behind and who knows the amount of internal damage.

Then again, she refused to think about anything as she applied pressure to the front wound. The towel and her hands turning crimson with alarming speed, but she didn’t falter until the ambulance arrived and they were on their way to the closest hospital. She didn’t waver then, holding Remi’s hand until she could no more; Briggs disappearing through a door in her way to the OR.

The fear intensified there, turned to anger when there was nothing the blonde could do but make a dent on the hospital floor with endless pacing. So, she went back to work; clothes still tainted with blood. But she entered the interrogation room to put the fear of God, or the devil, on the man they had captured.

*****

Losing a partner was something Barbara had dealt with before and the scar it had left was all too fresh still. But she couldn’t lose Remi.

She had gone back before the surgery was even done. And no one would move her from waiting, from entering Remi’s room when she was allowed to. Nor Wilkes nor Millers could get her to give up her grip on Briggs’ hand until the woman woke up.

Barbara stood there almost like a statue, taking comfort from the beeping machines all around them and the slight warmth of Remi’s hand between her own. Briggs was strong and stubborn enough to say “fuck you” to death, but Sabik had been worried. She could lose everything else in the world, but not Briggs.

Not Briggs.

The next time Remi opened her eyes, it was to sterile white and a muted glow from somewhere above her head. Through vision blurred by drug induced sleep, she figured it was nighttime thanks to the sliver of shiny red, blue and yellow backed by darkness she could just make out through the open blinds.

She couldn't feel her body, not really, but the tightness of her chest every time she took a breath was impossible to ignore. Her throat was parched and raw, throbbing painfully every time she tried to swallow, lips dry and tight with disuse.

It took a long moment to even recall who she was and process everything around her, the fussiness in her head not clearing fast enough to understand.

God, she was so thirsty, but the more lucid she became, the more afraid she was to even take a sip of water. Why did her throat hurt so much?

She tried moving, but her body was too numb. Next, she tried speaking, but the only sound she managed was pained groan that only served to accentuate the dryness of her throat.

To Die For

They faced that mission as they had done every other; with clear minds and sharp focus. They checked every single thing on the list, and yet, they found themselves in a war zone.

Barbara swore under her breath as they traded shots with the criminals. Her focus divided to all the members of her team; scouting the area, making notes of where everyone was and tracing safe trajectories to get them all out of there.

“Stay down!” She shouted to Wilkes when the man attemped to move while someone had him on their shooting line.

Her warning was heard, Oliver didn’t move and she took out the assailant. And then someone hit her on the side of the face. She had almost no time to react before she hit the ground; gun slipping from her grip. And then everyone moved…

Wilkes tried to get to her as she was fighting the man that hit her; rolling on the ground to avoid dying that day. Koffler covered Oliver as he moved, and Briggs had the cold blood to help Barbara once she managed to hold the man at a decent distance.

Except that no one was covering Remi, and before A.B. had a chance to collect herself, she heard the gunshot.

“Briggs!”

"At least try to keep the body count from hitting the double digits."

Koffler's words as they left the SUV stayed with Remi, replying in her head again and again. They were particularly loud whenever she pulled the trigger to try and keep the team alive. Most often than not, her aim was on its deafult setting; kill before being killed, but her shit's would be a little off to the side or down, where a bullet wound was less likely to be lethal.

They had not been expecting to find a small army in a warehouse in the middle of nowhere, but they weren't some of the best the bureau had to offer for nothing.

Her blood ran cold as she watched Sabik go down, and she dispatched two more shooters as she ran towards the blonde and the assailant. She would live to see another day and the attacker would live to stare at prison walls for a long, long time.

The shot was unexpected, but thankfully too wide off target. She turned, pulling the trigger of her own gun and watching another criminal hit the ground for good. They were finally in the clear, and with a subject for interrogation, much to koffler's delight.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." She reassured A.B., Before offering a hand to help her stand up. "Come on, we need to secure him in the car while the reinforcements arrive."

From there on, things would get a little too blurry for Briggs.

They walked out, the cuffed perp being escorted by Koffler and Wilkes. Sabik walking behind them, limping only a little and Remi bringing up the rear. She was never as thankful for her overprotective nature as she was the moment she noticed the tiny red dot on the back of her partner's vest.

"A.B., no!" She lunged the two steps separating them, her outstretched hand pushing the blonde to the side harshly just as the shot rang out in the stillness of the night and stole her breath. The only thing in her mind was to protect her tram and eliminate the threat, and with adrenaline pumping through her veins, she turned around, arm immediately angling towards the roof above the door. She kept pulling the trigger until there were no more bullets in the clip, watching in secret satisfaction as the body fell over the railing and plummeted to the ground.

"That's why I shoot to kill," she said, the words clearly intended for one person only, "so that they don't have a chance to kill us first."

Then... Nothing beyond the burning on her back, and the distant feeling of rocks digging into her knees.

To Die For

Trying to hide something from Briggs was near impossible, Barbara knew as much. She couldn’t keep a secret when Remi could look into her eyes and just know when something was going on. But right then, there was nothing out of place to support Barbara’s uneasiness.

“I just talked to Millers,” she said instead. “An ordinary mission, for us at least. But can’t shake this bad feeling…”

Before A.B. could even attempt to explain, steps sounded down the hallway, closing on them before Wilkes appeared again. His expression apologetic to interrupt, but well, Barbara had required his presence for the debrief and she couldn’t blame him.

“Koffler just got here,” he said motioning towards their desk zone.

“Alright, give us a minute.”

He nodded and went back the way he came and Barbara’s attention went back to Remi. Her hands brushing some invisible lint from the taller woman’s clothes as A.B. struggled to find her words. She had no explanation for the sense of dread, but her gut had saved her life multiple times and she had learned not to ignore it.

“Whatever awaits for us out there, just be careful, okay?”

Then, she placed a kiss on Remi’s cheek; lingering a bit more than necessary. A moment later Agent Sabik was there; focused and sharp as she guided back to her office, calling Koffler over on the way. They had an hour to prepare, and for some reason, that didn’t feel like enough time.

Still, A.B. portrayed calm and confidence. Her doubts perfectly hidden and bad feeling only disclosed to Briggs.

“Let’s get it.”

"I will, and so will you." Remi promised, looking down at her partner with a stony expression that was betrayed by the softness of her eyes.

It was rare to see Sabik so out of sorts when it came to a mission, the last time Remi had seen her like that was when they formally met in that hospital room a handful of months ago. So, she would become the rock her partner needed, and would leave her best on the field so everyone got home safe.

The briefing was exactly that; brief. Half of the hour they had to get ready was spent like that, and the other half gearing up and paying a visit to the armory.

Decked in a bulletproof vest and with her side arm strapped to her thigh, she stole glances at the blonde as they drove to the drop off point, and noticed Wilkes do the same before exchanging worried glances. Even as they parked and retrieved their rifles from the back, Sabik was eerily silent.

The mission was starting to feel off even for Briggs.

"Locked and loaded, boss. How are we doing this?"

To Die For

The last thing Sabik wanted was to deal with Millers first thing in the morning, but as soon as she crossed the floor’s door, she was called into the boss’ office. Things were cordial between them, but far from being what they once were. The ease Sabik once felt around the woman was now gone, and she saw her as little more than her boss after years of seeing Millers as a role model.

Alas, they were still working together and A.B. was a grown woman that knew how to deal with people she didn’t like. That was part of the job description, otherwise she would have quit years ago. So, she stood in Millers office listening to their next mission. There was a bomb threat, the FBI never took those lightly, but this was a particularly sketchy situation. That’s why her unit was involved instead of just sending the anti-bomb squad.

Things could go sour really bad and really quick, and it was her mission to make sure no one got killed as they identified the threat. This wasn’t much different from that one mission she handled side by side with Briggs, at least in essence, but there was something that didn’t sit right with the blonde.

The next step was to wait for her team to brief them in. But when she made it to her office, it was obvious a certain someone had already arrived. The flowers were hard to miss, and despite the circumstances of that morning, A.B. had to smile. She sat behind her desk, sipping her coffee with a pleased hum as she read the little note.

Of course Remi would do something like that, and it made Sabik feel better about the day, but not the coffee nor the pastry lifted the weight from her stomach. But maybe the woman behind such a thing would be able to put her at ease before going into the field.

With a hint of playfulness, she went on a hunt through the hallways; wondering where Remi would hide. Turning a corner, A.B. was faced with Wilkes’ back, and she assumed it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

“Oli, have you seen…?“

The question died before she could finish as the man moved to reveal exactly whom Barb was looking for. Her smile was wide as it could be, and she had no shame as she practically jumped into Remi’s arms. The man gave Briggs a look that almost shouted; “What in the world did you do to make Sabik act like that?” But he was smiling all the way.

“Just who I needed to find,“ Barb muttered as she kissed Remi’s cheek before pulling back. “We got a mission. Need you on my office in ten. Oliver, you too.“

“Aye aye, ma’am.“

With that, he granted a few minutes of precious privacy. And even when the blonde tried, she couldn’t keep all the worry out of her face.

Remi had to chuckle as she found herself suddenly holding an armful of tiny blonde. Oliver's look of sheer shock went unheeded but no unnoticed, and all Remi did was wink cheekily at him over Barbara's shoulder before he walked away.

She stole a moment - small and probably all too insignificant - to bask in the feeling of the solid body against her own. She drank in the reassurance and the unadulterated happiness the contact provided, and buried her face in the blonde's shoulder a second.

A.B. smelled like summer breeze and home.

As they finally let go and A.B. had her feet back on solid ground, Remi's smile died out little by little as she looked into troubled blues. In return, her eyebrows furrowed with concern.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

To Die For

It was all planned out in her head.

A small container filled with frozen mango for A.B. to enjoy throughout the day, a large, freshly brewed cup of coffee, and a still warm french crueller.

She would get to HQ, leave her humble offerings on Sabik's desk along with a little note, then she'd disappear into the labyrinth of offices and labs to wait for her partner to find her. It was a good plan; cute and sweet, if Remi said so herself.

Morning, partner. Enjoy a small assortment of sugar and caffeine to start your day off well.

Leaving the note under a tiny potted plant with the brightest orange flowers she had ever seen - which just happened to sneak into her purchases that morning, Remi left the office feeling great about herself. Perhaps the flowers were a little too much, but the vibrance and the little turtle pot had won her over.

"Morning, Briggs, got a new haircut?"

"Good morning, Wilkes. And yes, thank you for noticing." She replied with an endeared eye roll.

"Looking good, sister!"

"Flatterer."

Yes, it was definitely going to be a good day.

Coffee on Wednesdays.

The constant switching, the never ending back and forth was bound to give her real whiplash one day, Remi was sure.

One moment, she was convinced A.B. was doing her damn hardest to get her hard, the next, she almost felt like crying due to the softness of her touch. They stayed like that for what felt like centuries, suspended in the thickness of the air around them, charged with something they wouldn't dare name.

It wasn't hard to read the hesitation coming off of her partner in waves, and Remi gave the blonde the acceptance and understanding that needn't be voiced. Letting her body relax further, she melted into the matress, feeling full in a way she couldn't understand herself with the weight of Barbara's body on her back.

The request was simple and innocent, and Remi debated with herself for a moment before lightly tapping A.B. on the hip, then moving her arms to use as a pillow. She didn't want to be tempted to keep touching the blonde.

"We can stay for as long as you want."

#pab #p: cow

Coffee on Wednesdays.

A.B. didn’t go harder for a long moment, dragging her palms up and down in what was mostly a caress rather than a massage. It was pure self-indulgence and there was no day to deny it as she took every detail in. Her eyes tirelessly following the tattoos, drinking into the relaxed moment through her palms as she didn’t dare to lean down and press a kiss against heated skin. She couldn’t.

Bit by bit she increased the pressure, working on every knot, before settling on strong shoulders. Maneuvering around for a bit, A.B. set Remi’s arms at her sides so she could fully work on her shoulders. Fingers working the tension away from Briggs’ neck as well, and then a thought occurred to her that made Sabik freeze.

Could she make Remi moan?

Once that idea entered her mind, Barbara couldn’t shake it off. It was beyond the limits, and too much to ask for when they were friends. When they couldn’t be more than that. But Barbara had started wishing they crossed the line. She wanted to be brave enough to leave her past behind; the nightmares were only gone when Remi was next to her, and perhaps the rest of her demons would stay at bay if she took the chance. But fear gripped into her very soul, held her back like a bungee rope; allowing her a closeness never experienced before, the thrill of the jump to unknown depths, but it didn’t let her go.

Perhaps that was as much as Barbara would ever get, so she focused back on Remi’s body. Fingertips tickling the skin here and there before she worked a little harder to vanish every trace of tension from that ridiculous body. She found the scars hidden under the ink; traced them with sweetness as she wished to take the pain away from Remi’s past.

Their lives wouldn’t have encountered without it, but Barbara could still wish.

Barbara pushed until Remi’s back arched slightly and she could feel everything cracking back into place. Usually, that would be the moment where A.B. would stop, but she didn’t want the moment to end. Her hands kept tracing endless lines, and yes, even going over Keller’s name, but her touch was feather-like.

And then, without thinking about her actions, Barbara leaned down to place a kiss against the scar on the back of Remi’s neck.

At some point, Remi completely lost track of time, and even reality itself.

Between the strong pressure forcing her muscles to release the tension accumulated from work, and the featherlight dance of skilled fingers over her skin, she fell into a place where only they existed.

For a moment, it wasn't a massage, it was the push and pull always present between them. The subtle dance that started with a simple, seemingly innocent look. Except there were no Innocents involved, Remi knew as much, she could feel it in the subtle nuances of Barbara's words and touch. There was something deeper there, and this was no different.

Her body reacted as it always did towards her partner; pliant and eager, both challenging and submissive. Whatever A.B. wanted, Remi was ready to give, her skin and bones and flesh; her mind and very soul.

Perhaps it was that pliancy, that need for more and harder and please that turned the quiet sigh of relief into a whispered moan of pleasure as her back arched. Her hands, previously laying useless at her sides, reached for something to hold on to, to anchor herself - not to reality, but to the reality of that moment in time. There was nothing there except for the stretchy fabric covering her partner's legs giving into the pull of her fists.

She was floating and free falling all at once, the sweet taste of freedom and the tang of blood as she but her lip in order not to beg for more.

#pab #p: cow

Coffee on Wednesdays.

Remi was in pretty much the same state of undress then than what she had been in when Barbara opened the door hours earlier. The afternoon had turned into night between dinner, a bottle of wine and easy conversation. And then Barbara had taken Remi back to the bedroom for the promised massage.

The words and implications they held went over Sabik’s head as she looked at her partner over her shoulder; hands still rummaging on her sleep bag for something. Her head cocked to the side as she registered the question before mulling over the answer.

“You might want to take your top off first,” she said as most of her attention went back to the bag and the small oil bottle hiding in a corner. “Lay on your stomach, however you’re comfortable will work to start, and I need you to move, I’ll let you know.”

Barbara had helped a couple of agents with sore shoulders, but none of them had been half naked in bed as she worked. It usually was a quick fix to undo a knot or a quick pressure application to get things in place. What she was about to do didn’t register on her mind until she turned around.

She had been playing with fire with every teasing comment, with all the flirty looks and touches out of place. Barbara knew it and now the fire was burning in ways it shouldn’t. Every bit of her told her to run away, but she couldn’t listen with the blood rushing in her ears. Her feet carried her towards the bed where Remi was waiting for her; stradling the back of strong thighs just were briefs ended.

For a second, all Barbara could do was stare at the ink enigmas she hadn’t had a chance to see before. Her fingers landed in Remi’s low back, reverently running over dark lines. Finally, her eyes went up and her scoff couldn’t be held back; not like she tried to hide her distaste for Weller anyway.

Of course his name would be on Remi’s skin. And no, the ugly feeling on the pit of her stomach wasn’t jealousy. A.B. had no reason to be jealous of that massive dickhead. Hell, she had more reasons to be jealous of Patterson. Again, not like Sabik was jealous. Not at all.

“Let me know if it hurts or if you want to stop, okay?”

And with that as her final warning, A.B. uncapped the bottle and went to work. Her fingers working from the hem of Remi’s briefs towards her shoulders. The oil heating up her palms and she worked in every inch of skin; appreciating ink and muscle with equal fervor.

Maybe his stupid name would be forever etched on Briggs’ back, but as Sabik worked along her column, her only objective was for Agent Remi Briggs to think of nothing and no one but S.A. Ann Barbara Sabik.

With renewed energy, the blonde focused on reducing the toughest agent they had to a puddle. And boy, Sabik knew exactly what to do and how.