Chapter 36: Chapter 36

I question all of them, releasing a small burst of laughter in confusion. Tiffany, one of my good FBI friends rolls her eyes before standing forward and pulling me into a quick hug.

"You did it Hunter! You caught Christopher and Veronica. God, I've missed you." She says excitedly, pulling back. Her blue eyes light up and I guess I still look confused as hell because Micah eventually quietens everyone down and asks them to give us both a minute. I watch them go, my confused expression deepening as Ted and Margaret pass me, giving me a thumbs up sign. When the room is empty, I turn around to face Micah.

"Punch me in the face." I tell him firmly earning a bewildered reaction from him. "Why?" He questions, his eyes flashing with amusement.

"Because this is insanity, there is no way I'm awake right now. What the hell happened? One minute I'm saving Christopher Black's life and the next minute, Ted and Margaret are clapping and cheering for me! What's going on?" I ask him. He motions for me to take a seat and I oblige, settling back into his office chair.

Micah walks round his desk before taking a seat and shuffling some papers around. I resist the urge to roll my eyes because he's back to acting way older than his age. He pauses for a moment before looking at me, his brown eyes the definition of business.

"You did it." He tells me, leaning back in his chair. He begins to click the top of his pen, a triumphant smirk on his face.

"I did it? Can you explain what happened once I passed out?" I ask him, wanting a little more information than three words. Micah nods, clearing his throat.

"I'm not happy that you decided to search the boat without me to start off with." Micah tells me off sternly. I grimace and shoot him an apologetic look before defending myself —

"Sorry, I can be impulsive sometimes."

He scoffs at my response, shaking his head. "You're damn right you're impulsive. You could have been seriously hurt Hunter. With both of us on board, things would have gone a lot smoother."

Considering the conversation started off with Micah and everyone congratulating me, this didn't feel like a win. It felt more like a telling off by a parent or teacher. I remain silent and nod, letting him know that I understand. He's not completely wrong, things would have been easier if I'd stopped and found Micah before getting on board Christopher's boat.

Moments pass between us before Micah sighs and continues —

"Once I realised you were on the boat and it set off, I found it and got on board. I walk in to find you slumped against the wall, Christopher barely breathing and Calvin looking like he's seen better days. I arrest Christopher and got you both medical treatment. Veronica and Christopher are both currently under questioning but they won't be free people for a very very long time. We arrived back at the FBI headquarters early this morning, I've been waiting for you to re-surface." Micah explains everything. I slowly nod my head, sinking further back into the chair.

"So it's over?"

I always gain this sense of relief after a mission knowing I can end the facade and relax for a few days. I can be Hunter again, without having an ulterior motive or constantly worrying about my cover being blown. Micah shakes his head at my question —

"Not quite. We still have the trial and the FBI department needs a new manager but the hardest part is over."

I'd completely forgotten that the FBI would have to recruit another manager now that Veronica Kilburn has turned out to be rogue. Let's hope the next manager isn't as infuriating and pretentious as Veronica.

"What about Zack? Is he going to be okay?" I ask Micah and he nods, opening up a file and sliding it towards me. There's several paragraphs of information on Zack's parents and their role with Christopher Black's illegal business. My eyes quickly scan over it and I frown —

"Veronica is the one who helped kidnap Zack? Why?" I ask out loud, continuing to read through the information.

"Zack's parents have money, lots of it. Christopher and Veronica knew they'd need money to relocate and find themselves new identities so they blackmailed Zack's parents which is why they didn't go to the police." Micah explains, swinging left and right in his office chair. I blow out a deep breath, wrapping my head around all of the new information. This case has definitely been the most crazy and messed up one of my career.

"Zack in hospital right now. He's going to need therapy to work through his issues but he'll be okay. I'll make sure he gets the best." Micah tells me and I give him a small grateful smile.

"Why are Ted and Margaret here?" I question.

"To make sure their contract is destroyed. I told them I'd take care of it but Ted being Ted wants to see it with his own eyes." Micah smiles, shaking his head fondly. I laugh quietly, that definitely sounds like Ted. A thought passes through my mind and my laughter slowly fades. A silence falls upon us and I close my eyes, breathing in slowly.

"Where's Calvin?"

"With his mother." Micah responds almost instantly. I open my eyes and he must sense the surprise coming from me so he decides to explain further.

"After Christopher's arrest, we contacted his mother to be primary guardian for him. She's happy to do it." Micah says, his eyes flashing with a subtle hint of frustration as he speaks of Calvin.

"What about Calvin? Is he happy to be with his Mum?" I ask, frowning deeper. Calvin's mum left him, deserting him because of Christopher. I can't ever imagine him being okay with living with her. Micah shrugs —

"He doesn't have a choice, he only has one parent who isn't going to be locked away for life."

"I guess that makes sense." I say quietly, my words laced with unhappiness. It suddenly dawns on me that the mission is really over which means I have to say goodbye to Calvin Black. Relationships aren't condoned inside the FBI headquarters . . . It's seen as a distraction. Being Calvin's fake girlfriend for a while really did make me believe it could be real one day. Sitting back inside Micah's office surrounded by everything FBI related has burst my bubble.

I know it can't happen.

Despite trying to play it cool, my heart sinks to the pit of my stomach and I feel sick. How can I say goodbye?

"Can I see him?" I ask Micah. I can see the gears working inside his mind but to my surprise, he nods and signals towards the door.

"Sure thing, he's right here."

My eyes widen and I turn in my chair, coming face to face with Calvin. His green eyes are trained directly on me and upon seeing him, my heart flutters with anticipation. His face is expressionless but once Micah stands and leave us both alone, he takes a slow step towards me. His hands are shoved inside the pockets of his black jeans and the light hanging from the ceiling catches his eyebrow piercing perfectly. I don't say anything but watch as he takes another step towards me, closing the distance.

I can feel my heart ache inside my chest and don't refrain from showing my heartbreak on my face. Calvin drops eye contact with me, his own features sinking in despair. The atmosphere between us grows thick, silence surrounding us.

"You'll be living with your mum from now on, huh?" I say quietly, desperately needing to break the suffocating silence between us. Calvin clears his throat before nodding.

"Yeah, she thinks she can re-build the relationship with me but honestly, I've given up on both of my parents." He responds. My eyes flicker up to meet his.

"You should give her a chance." I tell him. Calvin doesn't seem too convinced by my advice and he shrugs, looking distant.

"Yeah, maybe." He responds, leaning back against the wall. He lifts his head up, studying the room and I sense that he wants to change the subject.

"Fancy place you got here," He comments, looking directly at me before smiling. The corners of my lips twitch and my shoulders slump in relief —

“It’s not too bad. It beats sleeping on the streets I suppose." I shrug. Calvin's eyebrow shoots up in surprise and he walks around, taking a seat where Micah was sat in mere seconds ago.

"You slept on the streets? Damn Hunter, there's so much I don't know about you." He says quietly, his eyes trained on the desk.

An uncomfortable silence falls upon us and I clear my throat, reaching over to take hold of one of his hands. His shoulders tense up at the contact but he doesn't pull his hand away and allows me to intertwine our fingers together. When he glances up at me from under his dark hair, his green eyes are filled with a sadness that I know well.

I don't know how I'm going to walk away from Calvin Black but I know I'm strong and I'll get through it. Sometimes people come into your life to leave a mark that remains with you forever. I know I won't ever forget Calvin, his sarcasm or the way I fell for him. I'm grateful to have known him, known his story and I'll walk away with nothing but fond memories. Before I go, I need to make things right because I know how much I've hurt him. Right now he views me as a stranger but that couldn't be further from the truth. I think Calvin Black may be the only person to see the real me and I need to remind him of that.

I squeeze his hand, my eyes searching his.

"Hi, I'm Hunter Ashley. FBI Agent." I tell him softly, my tone almost pleading with him. His eyes flicker between both of mine before his lips stretch out into a smirk. The sparkle in his eyes return and I never want to see it disappear again. I feel the weight of the world lift itself from my shoulders as he opens his mouth to respond —

"Hey, I'm Calvin Black. Son of the absolute idiot, Christopher Black. It's nice to finally meet you, Hunter Ashley."

The End.