Exit Stragegy   by Kathryn Charles Author's warning: Adult content. Ares: Greek god of war. According to mythology, war, battles, and bloodshed were his major pursuits. In certain respects, there is not much more known about Ares other than this connection to war. History of his motivations, his desires is limited as he is portrayed as being one-dimensional in his pursuits. Or at least history is limited in documentation of his pursuit of his pleasures. However, there is one other area in which Ares was interested, that is well documented - his relationship with the goddess Aphrodite, that is. He engaged in an ongoing tryst with Aphrodite that is the stuff of legend (and myth), in defiance of that fact that the lovely goddess was already married. John Steed's friends call him many things. Most of them, though not all, complimentary. His enemies grudgingly compare him to the great's of his occupation. One particularly irate enemy deemed John Steed to be the modern day equivalent of Ares; albeit a much more gentlemanly version looking to prevent rather than inspire mayhem. Hate has a reason for everything - it is love that is unreasonable. Prologue Eight months. 246 days and nights. It felt more like a lifetime. Eight long months since Emma Peel tearfully told Steed goodbye to return to Peter. Her decision had been a disaster. An unmitigated disaster. Peter Peel was still madly in love with Emma. Or at least he was still madly in love with the woman that he had been married to at the time of the crash. The realization that he returned to a very different woman had come quickly to Peter. Almost from the first when Em told him about Steed, about their partnership, about their relationship. Though he stopped her before she gave him all the details he had heard enough to know that it had been no idle dalliance like those he had partaken of while in the jungle. The woman he married seven years earlier would have never been so open, so brutally honest. Or so unapologetic. Peter wasn't prepared to deal with either the reality of Steed or the consequences of the changes in Emma's personality so he attempted to remold Em into the woman that he remembered. Peter gave her credit for trying her best to be a good wife. To honor her vows. Em didn't complain about his taking the limelight. In fact she seemed quite pleased that he, rather than she was getting all the attention. Emma remembered and continued to do all the small things that had made him happy when they were first married. They entertained; lived where Peter wanted to; fell back into many of the same patterns that had existed before Peter disappeared. Peter couldn't fly test planes so he prepared for his private pilot's license and took a short term position at Knight Industry, Ltd. doing aeronautical research. Just until he caught up with the changes in the field. Then he planned to make it on his own. Working for his wife's firm grated on his nerves and his pride. Peter enjoyed the work and to be fair was quite good at the creative aspects. However, Peter still cut corners when it came to all the things he considered boring. In many ways he was repeating an old pattern. A rashness and lack of attention to detail that had cost him three and a half years of his life and just possibly the woman he loved. At Peter's request, Em didn't mention Steed or discuss anything that transpired while he was gone. His mind could not or would not accept the fact that he hadn't been gone, but dead as far as friends and family had been concerned. Peter and Emma's shared friends were either unaware of Emma's true relationship with Steed or knew better than to bring it up. Not a hint of rumor or innuendo reached Peter's ears. Not talking about or dealing with the reality that his wife had moved on and fallen in love with another man didn't help the situation any. It was apparent to Peter that Steed never seemed far from Emma's mind. The longer it was since the last time they discussed the issue, the more she avoided mentioning Steed, the more Emma tried to consciously shut out the memories, the more often Peter awoke to the sound of her moaning Steed's name in her sleep. The more often he awoke to her standing at the window just staring into the night. Peter hated Steed despite the fact that he'd never met the man. Peter couldn't get the image of Em having enjoyed another man out of his mind. When he made love to her, she was physically responsive, more responsive than when she was younger, but more demanding too. No matter how much passion she displayed, how responsive her body was Peter felt compelled to push for more. Peter never felt his "Em" was really there; as if he never had her full attention when they made love. He worried that she would have preferred it be Steed in her bed. Lovemaking while still enjoyable became but one more battle to evoke every response that he could from her, to blot Steed from her mind and her soul. Peter knew in his heart that no matter how many times they made love, no matter how she responded to his touch that he would never again possess her the way he had before the crash. It did not make him happy. Slowly both parties were mentally conceding that Peter wasn't the man that Emma wanted - needed really. In the final analysis Emma wasn't the woman that Peter wanted. Peter slowly realized that she had never really been the woman he thought she was. The woman he had dreamt about for almost four years, the one he now wanted to share his life and his bed. The tragedy of the situation was that Peter and Emma although they recognized that neither of them was perfect, truly liked, loved, and respected each other. They didn't 'fit' anymore. Emma loved Peter. True, she no longer loved him the way she had before he died. She still loved him enough to desperately want him to be happy, just not enough to change who she had become to make him happy. Peter loved Emma enough to want her to be happy, but not enough to accept her for herself. Worse, neither of them could figure out how to break the stalemate of a marriage that was poisoning their relationship. How do you end a marriage to someone you care deeply about, but can no longer live with? And what do you do when you can't bear the thought of not having them as a part of your life? Neither Peter nor Emma could bring themselves to say the words they knew would break both their hearts. So they continued the charade - pretending that everything was how it should be and both knowing that Emma had made a major mistake when she returned to Peter. Their salvation came in a very unexpected and unwelcome way. Major John Steed (Retired) was accused of embezzlement and murdering one Lord Anthony Stanton, essentially making him a traitor to the crown. When the charges first came to light, the government quietly locked Steed up in one of the Ministry's more secure locations, but Steed had escaped almost immediately. He seemed to have escaped with little or no effort. Steed was afoot and causing severe problems for the Special Projects section of the Ministry. It was the end and the beginning. Chapter 1 Three weeks after Steed's seemingly miraculous disappearing act the Special Project's Section of the Ministry staged a coup. Using the ease with which Steed had escaped and the failure of the Ministry to catch him as pretext, they or rather Mr. André, convinced the crown to place the Special Project's Section in charge of the Ministry until Steed was apprehended. Thus Mother found himself reporting to an agent eight years younger than John Steed who had never served a single day in the field. It did not make Mother happy. Mother wanted Steed caught with a minimum of fuss and felt that using one of his former partners to track him would give them the best chance to do that. Given Tara's current attitude towards Steed Mother felt that Emma Peel would be the Ministry's best choice. After all she had worked with him longer and knew him better. Mother didn't mention that Steed and Emma's more intimate relationship made it very unlikely that Steed would harm her. Mr. André figuring that they needed bait for a trap agreed that Emma Peel's assistance was the key to capturing Steed. The two men approached her in her office at Knight Industry and explained what they wanted her to do. Emma adamantly refused, believing Steed to be innocent, but Peter had made a serious error in judgment on one of the Knight Industry projects that he was supervising. A mistake that the government now deemed criminal. After applying no small amount of pressure to Knight Industry and its majority stockholder, they received Emma's help. The meeting did not go well. After the Ministry resorted to blackmail to secure her cooperation Mother made it quite clear that he didn't approve of the tactics that Special Operation's was using, but told Emma point blank that he had no power to control what was happening. For the second time in less than a year Emma Peel steeled herself to the thought of betraying John Steed for Peter Peel's sake. It did not make her happy.   Chapter 2 Lord Anthony Stanton's Country Residence. "Em, they aren't going to like it if they find out you are investigating Stanton instead of looking for Steed." Peter Peel wasn't keen on any of this and Emma was enjoying herself too much for his comfort. "Peter, this will only take a few minutes. I can't find Steed unless I know what is driving him. How he is going to react, what he is going to go after next?" Mrs. Peel assured Peter. She shined her flashlight around the charred remains of the room that Stanton had died in. "What are you looking for, Em?" Peter asked. Emma tapped a wall. "I'm guessing there are still secrets hidden here. A lot more information than the Ministry would like us to know about," Mrs. Peel replied. "I wonder how much Lord Stanton knew about what Special Projects has been up. I'm looking for proof that he did and what it is so I can ask André and Mother both some pointed questions." Emma tapped a wall. "And find out exactly why everyone has been lying to me." "Em, you don't know that anyone has lied to you?" Peter's voice revealed both impatience and anger at finding himself mixed up in the world that Em had occupied while he was in the jungle. Even if Steed was on the other side, Peter didn't enjoy watching Em transformed, taking charge in a world totally alien to him. His displeasure was making itself known in many ways. Constantly criticizing and questioning Emma's actions was the most obvious. "Em, you could get us killed," Peter exclaimed. Mrs. Peel scowled at him. If he hadn't been so bloody reckless, they wouldn't be involved and Peter was behaving as if the only thing that mattered was his inconvenience and his feelings. "Since I don't have a choice about looking for Steed, you should let me worry about that Peter," she replied coolly. "As for the lying, believe me they are - Steed wouldn't embezzle money for his own gain and while I have seen him kill, cold blooded murder is not his style." Emma shined her flashlight on a relatively unburned wall. She tapped it firmly. Finally she hit a hidden button that pulled a hidden door back to reveal a well-furnished room. A room that was quite well appointed and that had been undisturbed during the police investigation. On the wall there were several filing cabinets, the desk held a telephone, papers and several large files. "Lord Stanton's secret office perhaps," Peter suggested. Mrs. Peel examined the desk. She looked through the papers. "For a retired Ministry official, he seems to have a lot of equipment and information. These papers are all dated recently. Lord Stanton was reputed to be retired, yet these papers all concern Special Operation Projects that have been interfered with in the last year. André seems to be reporting to Stanton despite the fact that Mother took the agency over almost three years ago. Shortly after Steed discovered the Special Operations section existed," Mrs. Peel explained. Peter began looking at the papers. "These are progress reports on Agents and other projects that the regular Ministry dropped when Lord Stanton was forced to retire." Peter whistled quietly as Mrs. Peel searched the desk drawers. "Who's Michael Martin?" "An agent, a friend of Steed's who disappeared a little more than three years ago. Steed found it rather strange. It was one of the things that got him interested in what Special Operations was up to. There was no sign that Michael defected, but one day he was just gone." "Not gone Em. Special Projects knows where he is." Peter, despite his distrust of the whole situation found himself becoming intrigued. "It's almost as if Special Projects is a shadow government, or at least department. They don't seem to report to anyone but themselves." Emma nodded quietly. Peter was right. Something was wrong with the entire picture. Emma hated to consider it, but what if the Ministry itself was becoming corrupt. She'd seen it before. Dr. Stone usurping the MOT-NRU program to develop androids for the purpose of replacing world leaders, Project 90 and Broadcast power, and Professor's Rushton's shrinking ray were all projects that had been subverted for personal gain. They had all resulted from individuals wanting power. Could it be possible that the Ministry itself wanted power and had been working towards that end for years. Or at least that a section of the Ministry? Most of the drawers were filled with folders, files and old photos. In the bottom drawer and found a framed picture of a young man, a woman and a baby. Emma took it out of the frame and read the back. "William, Margaret, and Patrick Steed - Operation Agent, Redux" she read aloud. Peter looked at the picture and then at the back. He pointed to the date in the corner. "In 1942, Lord Stanton commanded the Special Operations Unit," Peter whispered. Emma was intrigued. She knew William Steed. He was Steed's older brother. The one that Steed didn't get along with. Emma could still see the pain in Steed's eyes the night he told her about Margaret, about how she had been engaged to him, but married William while he had been away on a mission. When Steed found out about the marriage his family had been torn apart. When Steed had learned of Margaret's betrayal. He hadn't tried to see Margaret. He hadn't wanted to hear anything that she might have had to say. The only stop he'd made was William's office. Once there; Steed had broken William's jaw telling him that it was a wedding present. Then Steed left London as quickly as he could. Later Steed told her Margaret had died in the blitz. Emma thought that she had met all of Steed's nieces and nephews. She didn't remember a Patrick. Plus Steed had never mentioned William and Margaret having a child when he had revealed what had led him to volunteer for every dangerous assignment he could find. The picture was a shock, but the file she found under it made Emma as angry as she had ever been in her life. There was another picture of Patrick with different parents and information on his background. Patrick wasn't William's son, he was Steed's and the Ministry knew it. They had for more than twenty years kept the fact that Steed had a son from him. Steed had served his country loyally and faithfully and his country had betrayed him not once or twice, but every day since Margaret had borne John Steed a son. Thinking him uncaring about her condition she had married his brother to save her reputation. And Steed still didn't know the truth. What she read next made her sick, both at heart and physically. Her father who she thought of as so honorable had assisted the Ministry in making sure that Steed never found out. WHY? It was a question that would haunt and almost destroy her. Chapter 3 Peter and Emma quickly left Lord Stanton's and returned to Knight Industry's headquarters. Peter believed that they had found Steed's reason for killing Stanton. Emma had her doubts. "Peter, we don't know for sure who we can trust. Let's keep this information quiet shall we?" Shortly after they returned, the Ministry's or rather Mother's contribution to Emma's search for Steed, one Jeff Spenser entered her office at Knight Industry. "I got your message," he said. "What's happened?" Mrs. Peel held up the two photos. "Special Operations is running a covert operation. One that started at least forty years ago." she explained. Spenser looked at the picture. He was so surprised, he was silent a moment. He quickly scanned the file Emma handed him and let out a low whistle. "Well, where are they? What happened to them?" Spenser asked. "William is a banker in London, Margaret died in the blitz. Patrick and the second set of parents, we don't know?" "Mrs. Peel, this doesn't make sense. Why would the Ministry keep Steed's son from him. What would they gain." "We don't know," Peter replied. "Wait!" Mrs. Peel exclaimed, snatching the picture. She pointed to a clump of trees and a sign in the faint background. "Spenser, can you blow this up so we could read that sign?" she asked. "I suppose I could try but," Spenser looked nervous a second. "If anyone figures out you have this information...." "Just do it!" Mrs. Peel ordered. Spenser took the picture and exited. Mrs. Peel turned to the boxes she and Peter had brought back from the estate. She looked at list of files. Most of them were marked as Agent. However, one was labeled MSTEED and another EKNIGHT. She opened MSTEED. "THIS FILE WAS DELETED" was the only notation in the file. Mrs. Peel tried the file labeled EKNIGHT. Once she opened the outer box she found a special lock on an inner file "PASSWORD REQUIRED," Mrs. Peel sighed. Last she tried a general Agent file but it also said "ENTER PASSWORD." Emma had seen these locks before. Without the correct password, the files would be destroyed by acid if they tried to open them. Chapter 4 Mrs. Peel and Peter waited as Spenser tried to clear up the sign in the background of the picture. "Well, this is as clear as I can get it," Spenser said. Mrs. Peel moved closer and stared at the image. Her eyes narrowed. "Shen..Shenocock...National...Park," she read. "Where is that?" "That's in Scotland," Peter answered. "Spenser, check for any English migrations or agents being posted to Scotland during the war. Try both Ministry records and Immigration." Mrs. Peel ordered. "It was over 25 years ago Em. They won't have records and even if they do they probably won't live in Scotland anymore." Peter added. "Peter, its someplace to start. Lord Stanton couldn't just forget about them. And Mr. André is not the kind of person to forget anything," Mrs. Peel replied. "Come on Spenser, there might be something more at the Ministry offices." Spenser turned white, Mrs. Peel was definitely courting danger. Neither Mother nor Special Operations would like it they found out that Mrs. Peel knew about Steed's son. What if she found out about the rest? Where would it stop? Feeling trapped, Spenser took the photo and followed Mrs. Peel. Once they arrived at the Ministry they separately moved in the direction of Andre's office. They entered André office cautiously. Emma headed straight for the file cabinets. "Open Andre's mail," Mrs. Peel ordered. Spenser was about to protest when Mrs. Peel gave him one of those looks that she was famous, or maybe infamous for. The look that always kept men from arguing the point. It was a cold contemptuous look that challenged his very manhood. The sixth memo that Spenser read was about Steed: André, everything has been taken care of. All teams are installed and ready for activation. Steed can be neutralized on your command. $50,000 expected for this favor. Falconer Mrs. Peel frowned when Spenser gave her the note. Neutralized was not a word that she wanted to hear in respect to Steed. No matter what he had or hadn't done. "The Ministry has begun putting all their information on to computers. Spenser, how good are you at getting into computer files?" Mrs. Peel asked. "We'll be traced immediately," Spenser replied. Mrs. Peel glared at him. "I could get a status check on all files." "Do it," Mrs. Peel replied. Spenser loaded the list of files. Mrs. Peel looked at the files and what was next to them. By MSTEED were the words: DELETED 4/20/42. The date was only a day after Margaret Steed's death. There were several new files including two labeled JSTEED and EPEEL. "What does that mean?" Mrs. Peel asked pointing to the Steed file. "It's either a password or a path into a hidden file," Spenser answered. "I'll try it as a password." He typed it in as a password. "This is a file all about Steed. Tracking reports and possible places," Mrs. Peel noticed. "Mr. André and Special Operations have been trying to catch Steed on their own, without Mother's knowledge from the moment he escaped." Next, they tried Peel as a path. It led to a file about Mrs. Peel. Spenser moved away figuring that anything that might be in the file wouldn't be that important. So Mrs. Peel was the only one to read it over. Mr. André thought it was quite unlikely that Emma would put her heart into attempting to catch Steed. Mother had exhibited poor judgment expecting her to catch Steed. André was using Emma as bait and had developed methods for tracking her, finding it more reliable. One line stood out in her file: Catching Steed would be much easier if my inside agent didn't have to sneak around Mrs. Peel to avoid her suspicions. Emma had a very sick feeling about whom that agent could be. Was it Peter, Spenser, or was someone else in her office a plant. Suddenly she knew that she had to play a very lone and cautious hand. Lastly, they checked the Agent Files getting in with the password Falconer. There were 9 agents that were secretly being held in a secret ministry 'retreat'. Michael was one of them. They still didn't know why. What was all this about and why was Steed methodically attempting to destroy Special Projects. How much of what they had found did Steed already know? There was the sound of movement in the hall. Spenser and Mrs. Peel looked up. That meant there were people about and they could easily be caught. Spenser erased all records of their actions and was about to shut down the computer when Mrs. Peel made him stop. Spenser had gone to "Old Mail" to place the letter from Falconer back with the new mail. While trying to find the letter they came across a list of mail going to a Marsha Trainer. Several letters had been sent to her in 1942. "Open that letter," Mrs. Peel ordered. Spenser did as he was told. There was no letter. Just a notation that the file MSTEED had been sent. It had been sent 4/18/42. Two days before Margaret Steed had been killed. They checked an older letter. It was one line that read: Store all information sent. "Spenser, check your database and the Ministries files on immigration for an address for Marsha Trainer," Mrs. Peel directed. "Mrs. Peel, I don't have to. She was a deep cover agent that I ran for the last five years before she retired. She posted to Kilbourne, Scotland three weeks after Patrick Steed was born." Spenser answered. Then Spenser finished erasing all record of their actions and shut down the computer. Mrs. Peel called Peter to tell him that she had a line on Steed and would be out of town for a few days. She then arranged a flight to Scotland for herself. Peter protested, but Emma pointed out that he was due to give a sales presentation in two days and it would look very strange if neither of them were taking care of Knight Industry business. "Mrs. Peel, what will you do when you get to Scotland?" Spenser asked. "Lord Stanton sent copies of files to someone. He sent one about Steed's lover. I want to know what was in that file, and what happened to Patrick." Mrs. Peel replied. It was the beginning of a very hectic six weeks. Between trying to catch Steed and figure out what was so important about Patrick, Emma had little time to herself. Peter, whether because he was concerned, wanted to help, or because he was Andre's inside agent began to accompany Emma whenever she had to follow up on a lead on Steed. The trip to Scotland had been only slightly productive, as Marsha Trainer had recently died. The only thing that Mrs. Peel was able to discover was that Patrick was now known as Sean Deets. It didn't escape her notice that Deets was Steed spelled backwards and that Sean was the Gaelic form of John. It didn't tell her where he was, but it did give her and Cynthia Wentworth-Howe, top hush secretary to Britain's Prime Minister a place to start. Cynthia had simply showed up at Emma's flat, said she had herd Emma was researching some loose ends and with no further explanation offered her services. Emma wondered how many other unseen allies Steed had working with him in his little rebellion or if just maybe someone in the government was sanctioning the events. André dropped by and reminded her almost daily that she was failing and that Peter would be made to suffer if she continued to fail. Thus Peter's presence reminded Emma that she needed to catch Steed to keep Peter out of prison, and added a measure of guilt to her already burdened soul. Her only comfort was the knowledge that André and his teams of agents were having even less success that she was. Chapter 5 At the end of the six weeks of cat and mouse that ensued, John Steed sat outside a small Parisian cafe, sipping coffee and smiling at the picture on the front page of the Paris Match. Across the street he was watching a woman with auburn hair getting into car. A tall slender blond man walked up to her but she just shook her head and got into the car. Steed could hear faint words to the short argument. Finally the woman shouted "NO!" and they drove away. Steed was doubly glad to see that Mrs. Peel hadn't lost her fire and that the rumors about how the relationship between her and her…. Well Peter seemed to be deteriorating rapidly weren't just rumors. How much longer was it going to take Emma to realize that the honorable thing is not always the right thing to do? Quickly paying his check, Steed moved to get ahead of his pursuers before they reached the Eiffel Tower. He knew, without really knowing how that that was the first place Emma would look for him. Mrs. Peel stared at the newspaper article in her lap as the limo moved up the street, reading it again and again. 'Mysterious Stranger Saves Tourist!' the headline from Paris trumpeted. 'British Defense Industry Scam Exposed' was the smaller headline below it. "Mysterious, my ass." Mrs. Peel muttered, looking at the picture accompanying the article. It was little more than a slightly blurred profile of a man stepping into a store, but it was enough. She would recognize that profile from a mile off and it was the reason she was here in Paris. The man in the picture was Steed, her 'knight in tarnished armor' and he was not getting away from her this time. The Ministry's pressure to end this chase was increasing and she suspected that they had multiple teams following her at this point. The limo driver was definitely firmly in Andre's camp. Peter's attitude was far too selfish for her and the whole affair was stretching her admittedly thin patience to the breaking point. Emma let the paper fall to the floor of the limo, looking out the window for a moment. "Why do they bother to waste paper on such unimportant stories? Peter Peel, the other passenger in the limo, looked up from his book. "Be happy they do, we wouldn't have know he was here otherwise. We might still be waiting in Cairo." "No," she corrected him sardonically, "if your pet project hadn't crashed, we wouldn't be out here at all." Peter should have flinched at the acid in her tone but he didn't. He knew he deserved his wife's anger. She had warned him about taking shortcuts when it came to business many times. You would have thought he would be used to her superior business knowledge by now. Still her warnings had rankled him enough that he had deliberately ignored them. They were both now paying a steep price for his pride. "Have you thought of what you will do if you catch Steed this time?" The question was innocent, even if the sentiment behind it was not. "When I catch him, Peter, when I catch him." Mrs. Peel crushed the paper. "When I do have it out with him, get him back into Ministry hands, then I will finally have my life back." She looked out the window into the dark night before speaking again. "And tonight, I will catch him and end this ridiculous chase, once and for all." "Pride goeth before a fall," Peter said not unkindly, looking back down at his book. He couldn't help but notice that Em had said I will have my life back, not we will have our life back. Mrs. Peel's response was to utter a thoroughly unladylike phrase as the limo pulled into the area surrounding the Eiffel Tower. Getting out of the limo, Emma could see Steed, just ahead of her. Just out of reach. It seemed as if that was the primary rule of this game. Close, but no cigar. Using her anger at the situation, she doubled her speed and ran after Steed, completely oblivious to the late spring ice and snow covering the path in front of her. Emma and Peter believed that it had been completely by accident that this 'chase' had even begun. She'd just stepped out of the limo when she'd spotted Steed coming out of a cafe. For a split-second, she'd had the drop on him, she'd had the advantage -- and she'd lost it the moment Peter opened his mouth. "Steed!" Steed took one look at the couple and bolted, which was why Emma was now chasing him down an ice-covered sidewalk. Emma sent the limo around the block in an attempt to cut him off and somewhere behind her, Peter was laboring along. Unkindly Emma thought that it would serve Peter right if he dropped dead of a heart attack. Just as Emma rounded the corner, her foot hit a patch of ice and she went down, hard, her gun flying out of her hand and sliding down the sidewalk. "Damn, damn, damn." she said, trying to ignore the pain in her left ankle. "Steed, you are not getting away this time." "Oh, I don't know. Do you really think you're in a position to make that kind of statement, Mrs. Peel?" a calm, rather too amused voice came from the shadows. Emma looked up and there was Steed, standing just out of reach, dangling her gun from one hand. Steed looked tan, rested, and fit. If fact, he looked good enough to eat. Emma felt a momentary flush of desire, before her temper got the best of her. Emma Peel never was at her best when angry. "And I suppose you are in a better position?" "You really should be more careful on the ice." Ignoring her comment, Steed scolded her as if she were a misbehaving schoolgirl. "Now, isn't this curious?" Steed said, looking down at her with that all knowing grin of his. Emma stared back up at him with pure, undisguised anger. "You're enjoying this." It wasn't a question. Steed grinned. "Yes lovely lady, as a matter of fact I am. Didn't anyone ever tell you not to run on ice? You can slip. You could hurt yourself." Emma groaned. "Am I boring you?" Steed asked with mock-politeness, his head cocked to one side. Emma scowled and looked dead at him. "What do you think, Steed?" Steed smiled again. Even if she didn't want any harm to come to Steed, that annoying, irritating, all-knowing smile was guaranteed to raise Emma's ire. Now, if she could just get up...but her throbbing ankle had other ideas. Taking a few steps backward, Steed looked down at her gun for a moment. "Very nice. How did you manage to get this into France? Mrs. Peel's look must have spoken volumes, since his smirk widened. "Yes, I guess the Ministry would have arranged that. Would your really shoot me?" Emma ignored the last question. It really wasn't worth answering. "Since when are you into guns Steed? I thought you were above all that." The smile vanished as Steed squatted down near her. "I'm an agent. I know more about guns then you or Peter will ever care to learn." He laughed without humor. "The last six weeks have been fun. Watching the two of you, searching for me. Peter's not really very good at all this is he?" Not stopping to hear her reply. He really didn't expect one he continued, "Do you know that I've been dreaming about something like this moment for a very long time?" "Oh," Emma's eyebrow arched suspiciously." "No, really. What would I do if I got the advantage on you?" He laughed again, thoroughly enjoying his joke. Where was Peter and that damn Ministry backup? Team after team haunting her every move and they never came close to being there when Emma needed them. Damned driver probably got lost. "Of course, I pretty well answered that one when you two found me in Monte Carlo last month." Steed looked serenely down at Emma. "I do hope they weren't too rough on Peter. Casino's have got to be very careful about con-men and the like." Steed laughed heartily at the memory of the elegant Mr. Peel being dragged from the Casino floor after Steed had set him up. The look on Peter's face had been priceless. Steed was rather glad that Mrs. Peel hadn't got a hold of him then. She had looked like she could have killed someone with her bare hands. Emma hating the entire situation thought, How the hell do I get out of this? Steed stood and started to pace, just out of reach, waving the gun for emphasis. "I've got another chance now. Just you, no Peter or Ministry flies to concern myself with. What should I do?" He looked down at her again, that saturnine look. "I could kidnap you. But that would be a hassle, even worse than shooting you." Steed gave Emma a long sensual look. "I don't know what to do with you. What do you think?" Emma stared at Steed in disbelief. Steed was flirting. With her! Somehow that knowledge made her feel a little better. She couldn't have explained why for all the money in Paris. "What?" "I said, what do you think? Do you think I should just leave you here, or kidnap you? Oh, I've got it. I'll kidnap you, tie you up and make you listen to me sing Rugby songs. That would be really irritating. How about it? Are you game? " Steed smiled again. It was all too much. It was just simply too much. First, the chase and now Steed turned again from genial flirting to taunting. Emma hadn't asked to be involved in this damn mess. Now that she was it was bringing nothing but failure and frustration. There was so much Emma wanted to say, but couldn't. Mrs. Peel lunged for Steed out of sheer frustration, but her ankle couldn't hold her and she fell sprawling on the sidewalk again. Steed stepped back and said softly. "Careful my dear, you'll only make it worse." Was that concern she heard in Steed's voice? "Like you actually care about anything or anyone but yourself," Emma barked. Steed flinched and Emma smiled rather evilly. It was the first point she'd won, however small it was. "What's the matter, Steed, I hit a nerve? Good." Emma watched Steed's conflicting emotions as they played across his face. Then, as quickly as they'd come, they were gone and his mask of gentlemanly indifference was back. Emma didn't much like the feeling of being on the other side where Steed was concerned. It seemed unnatural. If she but knew Steed felt even worse about it than she did. "I'm surprised you haven't asked me what I want from you yet?" Steed spoke softly, finally. "Steed, you want me to ask that? You have got to be kidding." "Oh, come on." The bantering had begun again. It wasn't quite like old times, but it did stir memories for both Steed and Emma. Emma rolled her eyes in mock surrender, "So just what do you want from me?" Steed grinned. "You can't give me what I want. Neither the Ministry nor your husband will let you." "Steed you sound like your 9 year-old nephew. So help me God, you sound like Jeffery." Footsteps sounded in distance abruptly ended the discussion. Squinting into the darkness, Mrs. Peel tried to make out whom they belonged to. Torn between hoping it was the Ministry and hoping, it wouldn't be the Ministry backup Emma couldn't be still. "I'd leave before my backup comes." she threatened or just maybe Steed thought, she was warning him. "You aren't going to get another chance." Steed didn't look impressed. "The Ministry? Please, I wager a bottle of Krug; say a '27 that its poor pooped out Peter." Emma couldn't help it she laughed. Steed was right. Peter really wasn't good at all of this no matter how he tried. She shrugged nonchalantly "Okay Steed, It's your funeral." "Would you come?" Again with the infuriating smile. Emma couldn't decide if she wanted to kiss or kill him. He really was the most infuriating man, but then he always had been. She had never been able to stay angry with him no matter what he did. And she had loved him for that. Moments later, Peter trotted up to them, breathing heavily. He stopped and bent over at the waist, trying to catch his breath. "It's about time you got here," Emma snapped at Peter. Peter looked down at her, not realizing the situation Emma had found herself in. "Em, my dear you may enjoy this, but even at my best chasing people was never my idea of fun. Since the crash, my running days are long since over." It took a moment for him to realize that Emma was sitting on the sidewalk and that Steed was holding a gun on her. Peter straightened slowly, opened his mouth but closed it without saying a word. "Hello, Mr. Peel." Mr. André had made sure that Peter read Steed's file when Emma had finally capitulated. The ministry wanted to make sure that Peter distrusted Steed as much as they could possibly make him. The ploy had worked. Peter knew that Steed could be quite gentle or he could be the most dangerous man alive. This was however, the first time he had seen the man in the flesh. Peter hoped for both his and Em's sake that Steed understood they had no choice. "Hello, Mr. Steed. Fancy meeting you here. Whose gun is that?" "Just call me Steed please. Everyone does. The gun? Your wife's. She lost it when she slipped on the ice. It was quite a show." Steed seemed very pleased with the events of the evening. "You didn't have anything to do...?" Peter asked. Emma's current predicament made up a little for the embarrassment he had suffered in Monte Carlo. Mrs. Peel could hear suppressed laughter in Peter's voice and promised herself she'd make him pay for it later. "No I was just minding my own business. I do wish I'd had a camera though. The sight was priceless. A half split and then wham. Right to the ground." "Do you have to discuss my athletic abilities now? This banter is quite out of place!" Mrs. Peel snapped. She was cold, her ankle hurt and her bad mood was rapidly descending into something much worse. Biting his lip, Steed said, "Sorry, force of habit." It occurred to Peter that Steed could easily kill him and reclaim Emma. Or at least try to reclaim her. Peter asked cautiously, "What do you plan to do with that gun, Steed?" "I haven't decided yet." "If I were you, I'd make up my mind soon. The Ministry is on its way here." "Yes I believe that they are with your limo. You know, I haven't ridden in a limo recently. It doesn't really seem proper when I am supposed to be on the run, but then again," Steed said, thinking aloud. "I suppose I could take your limo and leave you two here.... No. Actually, Mr. Peel I was just discussing this entire situation with Mrs. Peel." "He's trying to decide whether to shoot or kidnap me," Emma muttered. Peter looked disapproving and more than a little worried. "Steed..." "Oh, please, Mr. Peel. If I'd wanted to shoot her, she'd be dead already. I'm not going to do anything like that. I'd have to break in a new huntress if I did and the next one might not be so beautiful. As for kidnapping her, no I don't think so. At least not tonight." Looking down the street, Mrs. Peel could see the limo's headlights in the distance. Despite everything she didn't really want the Ministry to catch Steed. "Limo's coming." she said, interrupting. "I know what I want." "Pardon?" Peter asked. "She asked me what I wanted. I know now." "And that would be...?" "Why don't you two just leave me the hell alone?" Steed looked over his shoulder and saw the limo's headlights as well. Peter shook his head slowly. "You know we can't do that." Steed gave Mrs. Peel one last smirk. "I don't see why not. Up to now Mrs. Peel hasn't seemed to have a problem leaving me……" His voice trailed off. Seeing the limo coming close enough that in a few moments he might have trouble with whoever was in it Steed decided to make his escape. "Oh well; it's been delightful, but I have to leave now. Goodnight." Steed tipped his bowler to them and bowed slightly before turning to walk, not run away. As he walked to the curb he took one more look back. "Oh, one more thing, catch." With one quick toss, he threw the gun in Peter's direction, sauntered across the street and disappeared into the darkness. Moments later, the limo pulled up to the curb. The driver, one of Andre's plants, got out, looking apologetic. "Sorry, Mrs. Peel there was a detour. I had to go around three other blocks." "Of course, you did. And the rest of your friends?" Contempt dripped from Emma's voice. "Don't just stand there, help me up." The driver took in the scene and instantly got the same expression of suppressed hilarity that Peter was wearing. The driver read Mrs. Peel's mood. He knew all about Mrs. Peel's temper and he knew better than to say anything. One slip, Emma swore silently. One slip and she'd brain him. Between the driver and Peter, they helped Mrs. Peel into the back of the limo. "Where is my gun?" she snapped at Peter. "I have it." he answered calmly. "But it won't do you much good. Steed took the clip." Of course, Steed had taken the clip. Emma made a violent sound of frustration. When I get my hands on him...." she said, just as the limo door shut. As the limo pulled away, she could swear she could hear faint laughter. Steed's laughter. Emma didn't know what hurt her worse, the fall or Steed's comment about her having no problem leaving him. Damn him. When Emma and Peter returned to the hotel the argument that they had been having earlier blazed anew. Emma didn't want Peter following her, working with her. He resented her insinuation that he was holding her back. After they retired they gave into the physical sexual urges that often accompany conflict. Watching Emma sleep afterwards, it occurred to Peter that the only real passion left in their marriage was anger. Maybe Em was right. Maybe he should back off the search for Steed. God knows he didn't seem to be helping much and maybe if he told André that Emma had insisted he quit, André would get off his back. Chapter 6 Later that night Emma got a tip that Steed had been spotted in an abandoned building by the docks. Still angry with Peter and knowing that he would slow her down, she left him sleeping and caught a taxi to the location her contact had specified. Emma crept through the first floor where Steed had been spotted with as much speed as possible given the state of her ankle, finding the staircase that led to the upper level. At the top, Steed appeared suddenly and he had to grab her to keep from falling backward. Looking over his shoulder to make sure she was alone, he grasped Emma's arm to steady her. Suddenly Emma felt Steed's mouth on hers as he slid his hand up the back of her head, preventing her from pulling away. Recovering quickly from the shock of the contact, Mrs. Peel responded to the kiss. Desire combined with the fear and excitement she was feeling, heightening her reaction. But then Steed released her abruptly, and she almost cried out in protest. Confusion and pain crossed her features as she said, "I don't understand." "That sensation you just felt?" he whispered. She nodded mutely, in reply. "Whatever happens, don't forget it." Pushing her into a small room, Steed stared at her intently, and then moved out her way to stand next to the door. Steed paused for a moment, then blew out his breath in what seemed to be total exasperation. Emma moved slowly to sit down in the chair he pointed to. "Why are you helping Special Operations? What makes you so sure I am guilty?" he asked pointedly. "I'm not," Emma protested. I don't believe you did any of it, but Peter..." "What in God's name does Peter have to do with this?" Steed's rage over Peter's very existence, usually well hidden blazed unchecked. Emma's voice was quiet, apologetic. "Peter screwed up. Big time. The Ministry is threatening to lock him up if I don't cooperate. They are threatening to destroy my company. I can't let them…" Steed looked over, enraged by her actions and her attempts to justify them. Then Steed saw the dejected look on Emma's face. Without warning, he realized that just perhaps she was making mistakes on purpose. She certainly hadn't made the kind of mistakes she was now when they had worked together. Just maybe she was hunting him hard enough to keep, the Ministry at bay, but not hard enough to actually catch him. The warnings, some of the information that he had been receiving through George might have been coming from her. Two very angry and deadly sides at war within the Ministry with Mrs. Peel caught squarely in the middle. Steed wondered if it could possibly be true and if it were had Peter Peel caught on to his wife's deception. Wondered too what the consequences of this game were going to be in the end. "Steed, why are you doing all this. Why interfere in Ministry business? Why are you stealing their money? Why kill Stanton?" Emma was truly puzzled by Steed's action during the last six months. "Stanton's not dead!" The gray in Steed's eyes was almost the color of gunmetal. Cold, shiny, and hard. "What? How can you say that? If Stanton isn't dead what the hell is the murder charge all about?" Emma almost shouted the words. "I thought maybe you could tell me?" Steed lounged serenely against the wall. "You seem to be more in the know than I am. They seem to see me as some what of a problem at the moment." Emma frowned, she sat with her arms folded the way she did when she was deep in thought, wrestling with the problem. Trying to solve it. Steed couldn't help but remember earlier times when they had been trying to solve the mysteries together. All the times he had come in to find her leaned over a test tube, a book, or just sitting, staring off into space running things over in her mind. He didn't rush her. She seemed to be trying to decide which side of the fence she was on. "Steed, what do you know about Special Operation?" "Besides the fact that they are up to no good?" Steed smiled. Emma had already hit on the core of the problem. "Do you know anything about the "Agent Project", or where Michael Martin is? The "Agent Project", just vague rumblings although it seems to be behind every corrupt thing that Special Operations is running. Are you saying that you have found Michael?" Steed was surprised. He had decided that Michael was dead. "Well, not physically, but he and nine other agents or former agents are being held at Knightsbridge under the auspices of the "Agent Project". There seems to be a shadow Ministry running a project that was originally initiated in the early 1900's as an observation only project, then moved to a more active program during the late 30's and 40's and was supposedly terminated in the 50's due to ethical considerations. Steed smiled broadly. He guessed that he needed to pay a visit to England. Those ten men might provide the key to this whole mess. He really was tired of fighting people he thought of as friends and Steed knew that if he could just get the right proof, the Ministry could be restored to its former honorable state. "Thanks, Mrs. Peel that helps." Steed started to move away. He had the information he needed and he couldn't be sure that the Ministry wasn't right behind Mrs. Peel. "Steed!" Something about Mrs. Peel's voice made him stop. Cold! A tingling sensation as if someone had walked on his grave swept through his body. "Yes?" "There's more. The Agent Project made some rather strange moves during the 40's. I haven't told anyone about them, but….." "Mrs. Peel, as much as I enjoy your company….." Steed again started to leave. Emma, nervous but needing to tell him blurted out, "You have a son!" Steed eyed her with an amused expression on his face. "My dear Mrs. Peel. I think that if I had a son, the lady would have mentioned it to me!" Quietly, with as much care as she could Emma said, "She never got the chance. Margaret was pregnant with your son when she married William." Steed looked as if he had been struck by lightening. He sagged down the wall with disbelief. Mrs. Peel quickly moved to his side. As she reached out to place her hand on his shoulder, Steed shot up and away from her. An angry wildly confused look on his face replaced the stunned one. Emma feared that he was going to strike her. "Mrs. Peel," Steed's voice was cold, angry. The kind of voice he used on the dregs of the earth. "That is the cruelest, most despicable thing that you could ever say to me. Why would you be so unkind? What did I ever do to you?" Emma stood quietly, watching Steed flex his fists, letting him have time to regain his equilibrium. She had expected him to be surprised, she hadn't expected this strong of reaction. Her heart ached but she didn't dare try to comfort him. Steed stared at Mrs. Peel, watching the expression on her face carefully. It puzzled him that he saw no anger or indeed any cruelty expressed either in her countenance or her eyes. Just a sadness and concern. Doubt began to rise as to her motives. Could what she said actually be true? Steed struggled with his emotions, careening between anger, disbelief, and a growing sensation of? Hope? Finally after five long minutes had passed Steed spoke again. Still cold, but not as angry. "Explain!" Rapped out as a command. Then realizing how he sounded he continued quietly. "Please?" Emma took a deep breath. "Steed, please sit down you really are making me quite nervous." "Intimidating?" Emma smiled slightly, "Not a term that I would usually associate with you, but yes I am finding you somewhat intimidating at the moment." Steed sat down across the room. "Better, my dear?" Emma nodded and started to explain. "This may take awhile and it all ties into the Special Projects Section of the Ministry. Please try to be patient and I will try to make it as clear as I can. When you "escaped" so easily after your arrest, the Special Operations section of the Ministry staged a coup. Mother now reports to a Mr. Andre. He's in charge of Spec. Ops. As they prefer to be called. Do you know him Steed?" "I have a passing acquaintance with his handiwork, but no we have not been formally introduced. What does he have to do with my supposed son?" "I know this is difficult, but please try to have patience. They, Mother and Mr. Andre came to my office. They wanted to enlist my help to capture you. Their story was that wanted you to have the chance to defend yourself and wanting a minimum of bloodshed. Mother I believed, but Andre there was something odd about him and I still can't place it. I asked why they didn't use Tara and Mother explained without details that you and she are no longer friends?" Steed interrupted, " the problem with having an idol is that eventually you find out that they all have feet of clay. Tara and I were 'lovers'…." Steed noticed that Emma winced at the word. "Not like you and I. I was hurt when you left. You broke my heart. Tara was there, attractive, and she thought I was perfect. Eventually I succumbed to her not inconsiderable charms. Unfortunately, she realized that I didn't feel the same way about her as she did about me. I'm afraid finding out one's idol has feet of clay is hard, on both parties. Rather hard to be successful partners without trust. Three months ago, there was a case and Tara was attacked, beaten badly and left to die. I wasn't in place to help her. Couldn't be helped, but she took it personally as someone was feeding her lies about my activities. They made her believe that my failure was deliberate. To eliminate what I saw as an embarrassing situation. She believes quite honestly that I have gone totally renegade." Emma flinched at the implication that she had hurt Steed so badly. "That explains a lot about her attitude. Anyhow, when I refused to help, they resorted to blackmail. Not what one expects from one's Mother, but very effective. Peter failed to document some of the tests on a new guidance system based on the principle of ALF. The system works, but the missing documentation is a rather large issue. If the War Ministry pressed the issue, Peter could go to prison for five years and Knight Industry debarred from working with the government. It wouldn't kill the company, but it would cripple us. Plus over three hundred people would lose their jobs. I got the feeling that I am being lied to so I went to search Lord Stanton's house. We, Peter and I found information about Special Operations and some of the programs they have been running over the last two years. We also found a picture of Margaret, William, and a baby. His name was Patrick." "Was?" Emma shuffled her feet on the floor. She couldn't look at Steed for the next part. "The Ministry spirited him away when Margaret died. He is known as Sean Deets now. My father and Lord Stanton arranged it." "Oh," Steed understood why Emma seemed so agitated, so guilty. "But what makes you think that the child was mine?" "There were records including information about the baby's background. I checked, William had been out of the country for the previous six months. He only arrived back in England two days before the marriage. Patrick couldn't have been his. You had been out of the country…" "Mrs. Peel, these records. Are they trustworthy?" "Steed, I am not sure who I can trust in this whole mess, but yes the records are completely trustworthy. They are backed up by individual memories. I spoke with William and Elizabeth. Margaret married William to save her reputation. She couldn't find you, didn't know if you were dead or just avoiding her. William married her to save your families reputation. When you showed up a month later you were so angry no one dared explain." Mrs. Peel stopped. Steed was no longer listening. Steed rose and moved to the window. He could see Margaret's face as clearly as if she were standing in front of him now. Saw for the first time all the things he had missed in his rage at finding her married. Over twenty years of anger and distrust because he had been too young, too hot headed to see clearly. Lies told out of duty, honor now exposed. Steed felt sick to his stomach. Turning back to Mrs. Peel he said softly, "Continue, please." Emma wanted to go over to him, to hold him, to soothe the torment she saw, but dared not. She remembered too well the way that comfort had turned to passion between them so many times. "The next time you returned to your family, the war was over. Elizabeth said you had avoided them for years. Margaret and Patrick were dead as far as your family knew. They chose not to open old wounds. It wouldn't have done any one any good." "You said Lord Stanton and your father spirited Patrick away. When and why?" "Special Operations wanted to segregate some of the subjects that they had been observing to test whether the traits that they were tracking were innate or a result of nurturing and the home environment. The government thought that you were dead which meant that Patrick wouldn't be missed." "Mrs. Peel, your father was from all I know a decent and honorable man. Why in God's name would he participate in such an unethical project?" "Because of me." "Emma, you were barely a child. How in God's name could you have been responsible?" Steed stopped as he noted the set of Mrs. Peel's jaw. Feelings of anger and guilt were written all over her face. "My family was also being observed. Even more closely than yours. My mathematical skills and capacity for languages had been noted. The Ministry wanted to separate me from my family. My father agreed to help with Patrick if he and my mother received a written guarantee that I would be excluded from the project forever. I've seen the memo. I'm sorry Steed." Steed crossed the room and put his arms around Emma. She leaned into his chest. "I can't say that I wouldn't have done the same thing under the circumstances." "It's not right. It wasn't honorable. He continued with the lie even after he knew you were alive. My family cost you your son." "Maybe, but what is honorable isn't always right. Haven't the last ten months proven that to you." Emma broke away from Steed. Damn him. "Steed, you said Stanton is alive. How do you know?" Realizing that Emma wasn't ready to discuss Peter or their own relationship, Steed backed down. Reaching into his pocket, he threw her a bank statement. Lord Stanton's bank statement. It showed multiple deposits since his 'death'. "I want to talk to him. I want to know what the hell went on. Steed, I need to know whether or not all this is true. My father actively withheld information from you, he 'enslaved' a child. He spun a lifetime of lies. There had to be another way." "I'll make you a deal Mrs. Peel. I'll help you arrange that little talk with Stanton if you tell me where my son is." "Steed, I don't know! I have been trying to track him, but Andre has spies everywhere. He has an 'inside' person to my search for you. I get the feeling that he doesn't really trust me. I can't seem to trust anyone. Not Peter, Mother, or Spenser. And the people who work for me are all suspect. I will keep working on it though. I owe you that much." "You don't owe me anything. You didn't hide Patrick." "No, but my father did and I 'left' you. "A mistake Mrs. Peel?" Steed moved closer to her, hoping she would answer yes, but she backed off again. "A decision Steed. I will help you find Patrick, but I have to protect Peter and myself. Do you understand?" Steed smiled jovially. He was in turmoil, but wouldn't show it. "If push comes to shove and you have to choose again? At least I know how you stand. Don't frown. After all I just became a father." Steed reached over and pinched a nerve in Mrs. Peel's neck. As she was losing consciousness Emma heard him say, "this way if the Ministry is out there it will look as if you were unable to catch me." When Emma came too twenty minutes later she had a terrible headache and Steed was nowhere to be seen. Chapter 7 The next skirmish in Steed's little rebellion came very quickly. Mrs. Peel wasn't sure how he had arranged everything so quickly, but the agents that she had identified to Steed as being held captive were soon no longer under Special Operation's control. Less than forty-eight hours later Steed and Michael Martin sat at the corner booth of the café in Paris where Emma had first sighted Steed three days before. Michael's notepad was on the table beside him. After over three years in captivity, he was quite unnerved by the sudden freedom. That Steed had freed all ten of them and found hiding places with old allies amazed him. Both of their plates still had a little food on them but they were much more into talking than eating. Steed asked Michael quite detailed questions about Special Operations, the Agent Project, and his family trying to establish some sort of link. It wasn't until they began discussing Michael's family that everything began to fall into place. "My mother and I were very close but she died ten years ago in a car accident," Michael explained. Steed said. "What was your mother's name?" "Carolyn Howard. Her maiden name was Whitelaw which is my middle name," Michael replied. Steed looked up. The connection he'd been looking for. Mrs. Peel's mother's maiden name had been Whitelaw. "Did your mother have a sister?" Steed asked. "No, I don't think..." Michael thought a second. "...Wait! She did have a lot of distant cousins though. I remember one especially because she and my Mum looked so much alike. I last saw her when I was ten. Right before father was posted to North Africa. I called her Aunt Cathy. But that was over 25 years ago. I think she died. She had a daughter but I'm never met her." "I'd never really noticed before, but you have a cousin that looks a lot like you," Steed explained. It was possible. Mrs. Peel looked like her mother and Michael looked exactly like his mother.. Their families had very strong genetic traits. "I do?" Michael asked. "Yes. Her name is Mrs. Peel," Steed answered. "I'm not sure if you ever met her, but she is the one who found out where you were. Steed took a picture out of his pocket. He'd carried it with him since the day Mrs. Peel had left. It was a picture of he and Mrs. Peel on her birthday trip to Paris. He handed the picture to Michael. "Amazing!" exclaimed Michael. "I have to meet her." "Not just yet, but perhaps you can help us," Steed replied. "Why did Special Operations have you ten locked up." Michael stared at the picture a while. "Our families were part of a test group. Some sort of bio-genetic research project. We were being tested?" "Tested?" Steed replied. "Checked to see if we had a 'gene' or something. Then psychological tests. All very hush hush. I didn't even realize that I was a prisoner for almost a year. By then it was too late." "Did they explain what it is all about?" Steed asked. "Stanton told us what they thought we needed to know," Michael explained. "We had all been trained to obey the Ministry so we did. Life hasn't been bad, just confining." Michael stopped talking. "It's getting late Steed, I'm tired. Can we talk tomorrow?" "Sure, good night," Steed replied. Michael turned back towards his safe house and Steed headed for a motel. "Steed, why didn't André stop you from breaking us out?" "He couldn't Michael," Steed explains. "No one can anticipate everything!" Chapter 8 A week later, after confirming that all ten agents had ties to the original group of families that Emma said had been being observed and that no one knew anything about Sean Deets, Steed set out to break the stalemate as quickly as he could. Looking down toward the entrance to the stands, Steed thought about Mrs. Peel. Now there was someone who could benefit from her own advice. She should have gone forward with her own life ten months ago. Instead, she continued to pin her hopes and dreams on vows taken before they met on Peter Peel, the man who supposedly held her future best interest at heart. It frustrated him, knowing that tonight's meeting was in part an extension of that. That she was continuing to protect Peter, at their expense. Steed had spent a great deal of time since their meeting in Paris trying to think of the words, the way, to convince her to let this hopeless quest for a future with Peter go and come back to him. So far, the solution had eluded him, though he refused to give up. Besides, there were other distractions to worry about now; namely his reputation and his son. Soon he would be one step closer to seeing him. The polo match suprisingly held little interest for Steed. He looked at the scoreboard clock absently. Where was she? Just then, he saw a familiar form emerge from the entrance to the stands. She wore a navy catsuit with a white wool coat. Her hair was swept back, her face registering no emotion, but her eyes glittered as she looked up at him. Steed's breath caught as their gaze met, but he forced himself to keep a blank expression on his face as she made her way up to him. "Hello, Steed." "Mrs. Peel. Alone I hope?" Steed hadn't been fully confident that she would come alone, would slip out on both Peter and the Ministry. "Yes." She said simply as she sat down carefully, turning her attention to the polo field. "How nice of you to drag me here, all the way from London, just to watch a polo game," she said wryly. "Next time, how about meeting in a restaurant or pub?" He looked at her and cocked an eyebrow. "I thought you liked polo," he said evenly. "It was a polo player that I liked. But then you didn't choose this venue for me," she replied sharply, giving him a penetrating look. "I think you just wanted to see a match." He didn't answer, and after a moment she said, "Been doing some soul-searching lately, Steed?" "A little, since we last spoke," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "But don't worry, I still have my goal clearly in mind." "So I've heard. The Ministry and the Crown is quite perturbed. You manage to keep interfering with Specials Operation's plans." Mrs. Peel was being remote, making small talk about the Ministry, and Steed knew it was an effort to keep him at a distance. But he could feel the heat of her body next to his and he guessed she was equally aware of him. "How are things with the Ministry?" Steed asked. Emma frowned at the question. "Not good. Mother is very unhappy playing second fiddle and André is riding everyone. The intensity level increases with every operation you stop. I assumed he'd lighten up his pressure on Knight Industries once his master plan for the Ministry was implemented, but that didn't happen." Steed stared at her thoughtfully. "Master plan?" "Forget it," she said. "We don't have time to discuss all the details. Needless to say it doesn't bode well for either you or Knight Industry. Steed, I can't be 100 % sure that I wasn't followed," "'Knight Industries?' What does André want with Knight Industry" Steed looked confused. "Never mind, Steed." Emma's patience, never her strong suit, was slipping. "Can we go some place where we can talk? Privately?" Steed said nothing, watching her closely. Emma seemed tired; Not just tense, but stretched to the limit somehow, and he realized the pressures from the Ministry, her search for Lord Stanton, and her deteriorating relationship with Peter were having a greater effect than he had anticipated. Apparently, their meeting wasn't affording the balm to her soul that he hoped. Even being with him wasn't enough now to offset her inner turmoil. Standing, he indicated the exit and waited as she rose and proceeded down the stairs. He glanced one last time at the game wistfully, and then followed her out. "I found him." Emma started. "You've found out where they've got Lord Stanton?" They were sitting in her car in the parking lot of the arena. Emma had the engine running with the heat on full blast to ward off the cold outside. "Yes, Steed I have," Emma replied absently, staring out the windshield. "But what I meant was I think I know where your son is. You either need to come in and let the government sort all this out or we need to get to Stanton soon." Steed's brain went to full alert when Emma spoke of his son. "Did you bring the information here? Now?" "No Steed. I didn't think it was wise to carry it around with me," she turned in his direction. "It's hidden. But I do have it." Emma's eyes drifted up through her lashes to meet Steed's. It was a look that never in the almost five years that they had known each other failed to touch Steed, Deeply! The air suddenly seemed very warm in the small space of the car, and the tempo of his breathing picked up. Steed still wasn't sure quite how to handle the situation with Emma now. Their parting in Paris had left him uneasy in more ways than one. She had rebuffed his attempt to reach out to her. Emma didn't seem to believe that he understood and forgave her for Peter, for her actions, for anything that her father may have done to protect her. That nothing was more important to him than re-uniting with her. Steed wished for the millionth time that he had protested when Peter returned, that he had fought for her. Honor didn't mean much when he was alone, knowing that she would have stayed if he had but asked. However, Steed was able to read people as expertly as always, and could feel her pleasure at being here with him. Emma may have been conflicted about Peter, her father, what honor meant, and the future, but she was defiantly not conflicted about their mutual physical attraction. Steed leaned in to kiss her and Emma paused, closing her eyes for a moment. But just as his lips were about to touch hers, she drew back quickly and looked out the window. "Steed, we need to get to Lord Stanton as soon as possible," she said curtly. "There is danger brewing from the Ministry. André has some disturbing suspicions about my role in your escape and the continued failure of the Ministry to catch you. With his current state of mind, he's capable of anything. He has convinced Tara to join him. She seems to have found a new idol. What ever his plan is it has her enthusiastic support. To quote; 'Special Operation's is the key to Great Briton's future'. I'm afraid she believes that you betrayed not only her but the country as well." Glancing back at Steed, Emma's soul was captured by his intent gaze. Her curtness had effected no change on either his desire or his serenity. Emma drew a sharp breath as she read the need burning in his eyes. Being alone with Steed was dangerous. Emma didn't know how long she could continue to deny the return need that burned within her soul. Honor and vows taken a lifetime ago didn't seem important when Steed was beside her, needing her so badly that it hurt to think about. "You look tired," Steed said then, softly, breaking the electric tension between them. "I am tired," Emma replied wearily. "It's very taxing living with a split personality. There's the 'Ministry's Mrs. Peel', 'Peter's Mrs. Peel' and 'Steed's Mrs. Peel'. Some days even I have trouble keeping them all straight." Emma stopped talking as Steed moved in close to her again. Steed touched his forehead to hers and she savored the contact, drawing on his strength. Finally, Emma leaned in until their lips brushed faintly. Steed's hand curved up her neck; fingers threading into her hair as he deepened the kiss. Desire blazed through her, and the feeling was like a tonic for her spent nerves. Relaxing, Emma made a small, throaty sound as his exploration of her mouth continued. Finally Steed pulled back and she looked at him. "Listen for just a minute," Steed said, holding her still with his eyes. "I want you to come with me. Right now. You can leave Peter. Leave all of the fear and frustration of this situation behind. We'll be safe until we can prove what André is up to. How far the corruption goes. I have allies, people we can trust. I can make sure that no harm comes to you …. or Peter.." "Steed, wait," Emma said, shocked by his assumption that she would just drop everything to follow him and with a denial of their future coloring her voice. "Please," Steed continued, speaking faster now. "I know we made a deal, but think about this. We can find my son and disappear, and you won't have to worry about André or the Ministry or anything else." Steed stopped, shocked at the sound of his own vulnerability and the look on Emma's face. If only he could have been so open ten months earlier. Now apparently it was too late. But the words had just been there suddenly; out in the open before he could stop himself. "No, Steed," Emma replied firmly, holding him at arms length as he tried to move toward her again. "When we became lovers we said no promises, but no lies either. Hell, after our last meeting, I'm surprised you're even speaking to me. Seeing Stanton, finding out exactly what my father had to do with your son's disappearance is something I have to do. I have to know what my parents, or at least my father did and I won't change my mind." Damn the woman and her stubbornness. Steed leapt from Emma's Lotus and ran, ran as quickly as he could away from her, away from the pain, the feeling that a knife had been plunged again through his heart. Steed's heart pounded as he turned another corner into a dimly lit alley -- he could hear the sound of heels running behind him. He had to slow as he turned the corner and cursed himself for taking it; he might have lost Emma otherwise. Still in one way he was lucky. Emma still cared. She would have let the Ministry follow her if she didn't. She wouldn't still chase him if she didn't. Old habits and desires die-hard. Steed came to the entry of a large furniture warehouse he remembered from a case he and Emma had worked. The area was dimly lit and the door wasn't padlocked. Steed glanced around the dead end street and back towards the door. Quickly he gave it a shove and it swung open to expose rows of covered furniture. Steed had gotten a few meters inside, but not yet managed to close the door when Emma appeared. She ran through the door, slamming it behind her. The sight of her standing there breathing heavily took Steed's breath away. Her auburn hair was tussled from the chase and her clothes disheveled. As Emma ran her long fingers through her hair to remove it from her face Steed noted that her hair was longer and her body looked softer than he remembered. Emma's face bore an odd mixture of cold satisfaction and naked longing as she beheld Steed. "I caught you," she crowed yearning and desire evident in her voice. Steed pushed past her to the door and tried to open it. It was locked firmly. "By jove you did, now just what are you going to do with me?" Steed smiled light-heartedly. Emma's face fell. "No!!!" She banged her fists against the steel of the door. "Damn!" she shouted. Steed sat back on one of the plastic covered couches. "Care for a seat?" he asked smoothly. Emma glared at him coldly. Her eyes were full of emotion, as if she were holding back tears. Finally she sat down on the opposite side of the couch. She squinted to see by the glow of the streetlights leaking in through the tiny glass window. "Maybe someone will find us." Emma bit her lower lip as she was apt to do when she was nervous, or upset. "At 11:30 on a Saturday night? Mrs. Peel, I hate to say it but being locked in a factory in Swindon. isn't exactly a social event," Steed smiled again, pleased just to be with Emma. Emma shook her head in frustration. "I take a chance to meet alone with you and I'm forced to spend the night in an old warehouse. That should make my husband happy. Just perfect! This should help to salvage the small broken fractures remaining of my marriage," Emma's voice fluctuated between a growl and dejection. Emma turned to face Steed; her eyes reflected her confusion. Seeing his calm, almost serene countenance calmed her nerves and she decided to play along with whatever game he was playing. "Well, I guess I can't leave, now can I?" she sighed. "We might as well make the best of it." "No." Steed laughed. "Neither of us can go anywhere. But Mrs. Peel, no champagne to celebrate our first night together since your husband's triumphant return? What would Peter think?" Steed knew he was being cruel, but her mention of Peter cut him to the quick. Emma ignored the gibe and rolled her eyes in mock submission. "Sorry, Steed I forgot to grab the champagne from the boot when you bolted." "Yes, well I'm glad to see you again too," Steed smiled, pleased to have her to himself in relative safety, regardless of her tone or her confusion. Emma rewarded him with a bitter laugh. "Well there's irony for you!" Her stomach rumbled. "Dammit, when I got your message I left without eating. Now, I'm hungry," Emma carped in a somewhat puerile tone. Steed carefully removed a piece of Marzipan from his pocket. "Mrs. Peel?" he asked holding it out to her. Emma couldn't stop herself as she laughed light-heartedly. "I haven't had one of these since Peter came back!" It was so like Steed to have his favorite treat with him, even when he was supposed to be on the run in fear for his life. She popped it in her mouth and smiled at Steed. Steed looked down. "Since Peter came back." He said sadly. Mrs. Peel stopped smiling. "I'm sorry, Steed" she said sincerely. Steed turned to face her looking shocked. "You're apologizing? Now there's something I never expected to hear." "Steed. I don't have a choice," she protested. "Everyone has a choice!" Steed almost shouted. "Oh? Like what! Stay with you, be your 'mistress'. I don't recall your asking me to then. And now you'd have me do what, destroy my marriage, my company, to do what? Join your little rebellion? Grow up Steed!" Emma shouted. Steed stopped. Quietly, he asked as gently as he could, "Haven't you found out yet that growing up isn't all that its cracked up to be?" Emma nodded mutely. Damn, why did Steed always have to be so perceptive? Hot tears began to stream down her cheeks. She remembered crying, when she had told him she was returning to Peter. When he hadn't asked her to stay. Steed pulled her to him and she didn't protest. She lay her head down on his shoulder and cried, just cried, enjoying a feeling that she hadn't felt in a long time, just being held, safe in his arms. His strong arms embraced her firmly. She enjoyed his touch. "Steed I didn't feel like I had a choice," she whispered. "I was confused. As unsure as you were about our future. We want such different things. When you didn't ask me to stay, returning to Peter seemed for the best for all concerned at the time." Steed brushed her hair off her face and closed his eyes, feeling what it was like to be her. Her mind was a jumble of emotions, much like his, full of thoughts, doubts, regrets and fears. Why hadn't he asked her to stay? Emma sat up enough for their eyes to meet. "Steed, neither of us are free," she said softly "Those doors will open tomorrow, but we won't be free of our pasts, our promises till the day that we die." Steed nodded, understanding. Like an unexpected bolt of lightening, Steed was hit by a wave of pure, unthinking emotion. He searched Emma's eyes -- she had felt it too. "You were my best -- friend and lover." they said in unison. They both laughed nervously neither knowing where to go from that statement until their eyes met again. Steed placed his hand on Emma's, her skin tingled at his touch and her pulse raced. They moved closer until their lips where almost touching. Steed could feel her breath on his lips. His hand moved up her arm and neck, stroking gently until it reached her head. He ran his fingers though her soft hair. Emma wrapped her arms around his neck and they kissed. Innocently, at first, like childhood sweethearts. They pulled away slowly to take a breath. Emma looked into his eyes. Despite everything the world and fate had put him through Steed's eyes were still full of kindness, wonder, and love. Emma wondered if they mirrored her own. "Truce?" Emma spoke softly. "Truce!" Steed smiled her smile and Emma felt that familiar stirring of desire that came so often when he smiled just for her. They moved in until their lips met again. This time the kiss was passionate and deep. Emma let out a soft moan and they fell back into the couch gently. The love they had hidden from everyone for so long, even refusing to acknowledge it themselves, raged freely. Holding each other, they lapsed into silence, content for the moment to just share each other's company. Finally, Steed heard Emma say softly, "I'm so tired." "I'm sure," he replied. "You should try to sleep." Steed nodded slightly and motioned for Emma to follow him. After a while, they found two display beds farther back in the factory fully appointed and lay down to rest. Without discussing why they lay down on separate beds. Steed listened as Emma took her cloths off in the darkness, under the covers to sleep. His mind's eye could see every curve to her body, remembered the feel of her skin and the passion with which she made love. One thought kept running through Steed's mind, I never told her I loved her, I didn't ask her to stay. The why behind his reluctance made him want to weep. He had been too concerned with appearances and his own pain to reach out to her. Steed knew that Emma wasn't Margaret and he wasn't William, yet not wanting to wrong another man as he felt he had been wronged had cost him? What? Everything! A twenty-seven year old lie and it was poisoning everything. The