Brielle woke up a few hours later, her matted hair sticking to her face. Groggily, she looked around for the neon clock on the wall, it was two o' clock in the morning. Shaking her head, she got up slowly from Paula's bed, her muscles screaming in protest.

It wouldn't do to sleep at a time like this. Brielle pursed her lips tightly together as she tied her hair into a tight ponytail.

"I am going to bring Paula back. No matter what it takes." she pledged to herself as she returned to her own room to retrieve her purse and jacket.

Passing by Vicky's room, she stopped to smile at the little girl, as an odd thought struck her. It was an idea, a genius idea, an idea with so much potential...Brielle was so proud of herself for thinking of it. She would have to wait till she found Paula and discussed it with Jack, though.

But it was a bloody brilliant idea.

***

"Axky, you really shouldn't have any more of that disgusting coffee." said Jack warningly, snatching the cup away from him. "If you get diarrhea at a time like this, no one is going to be able to take care of you."

"But I need the sugar!" whined Axky. "I'm tired, my fiance is missing, I don't know if I'll ever see her again, and you! My so called best friend, are you really going to deny me a cup of fricking coffee?"

"Why don't you have just the sugar?" said Jack shrugging his shoulders.

Axky stared at him open mouthed. "I can do that?" he asked gleefully.

Jack sighed once more and got up. "Yes, you can. Sugar pouches are kept beside the coffee machine. I'll go get you some."

"Oh Jackie, I love you so much!" said Axky hugging Jack tightly from behind.

Jack blanched. The entire embassy staff and visitors were staring at them. Hell if the brunette journalist published an article about him and Axky being a couple, he didn't know what face he was going to show at his office. (Raul would be pretty happy though.)

"Axky cut it out." he said curtly, trying to escape his clutches.

"But Jackie poo I love you!" said Axky holding him even tighter.

Jack felt a sense of dread as he realized what had just transpired.. He could barely hold down a beer. After 35 cups of coffee something was bound to happen.

There was no way he was going to let Axky have any more sugar tonight.

"I LOVE YOU! From a distance you really look like Paula you know. You and I can get married, and we could have a little kid of our own, and live in a little house by the river and we'd be together for ever and ever." declared Axky, leaning forward to kiss him.

Jack did the kindest thing he could think of---he punched him in the face.

Axky fell backwards onto the sofa, his eyes refocusing, and a faint smile forming on his face.

"Thanks man." he said groggily before falling asleep. "I needed that."

Jack cursed as he examined Axky's nose, it was it little bruised but thankfully not broken. The things he was having to do these days...

"I'm a barbie girl, in a barbie world, you can brush my hair, undress me anywhere---"

What the hell? Why was that deplorable music coming from his jacket? Jack snapped out his cellphone and saw to his horror that someone was calling him. A lot of people around him chuckled at the music. The brunette was smirking.

Shit.

The next day's newspaper was undoubtedly going to talk all about his obvious homosexuality and how he met the love of his life at the British Embassy.

He cursed as he picked up the wretched call.

"Jack!" said a familiar voice and all was right in the world again.

"Brielle?" he said worriedly. "Are you alright? It's past two in the morning."

"I know Jack, I just, I couldn't sleep." she said shakily. "But Jack, I think I know why Paula left. We need to bring her back---"

"It's okay Brielle. Axky and I found Paula. I don't know the whole deal yet, but we're at the British Embassy right now, and Paula is here." said Jack grimacing as he realized how little he actually knew about the situation.

"Oh!" said Brielle so surprised, she forgot why she'd called. "Okay then. Is she safe?"

"I guess so." said Jack. "Axky is asleep right now on the couch, I'll demand details from him when he wakes up."

"Jack, there's something I found out about Paula." said Brielle slowly. "I---I need to discuss it with you."

"Sure." said Jack non chalantly. "We should be home before breakfast, we can talk about it then."

Brielle bit her lip. It wasn't her secret to tell anyway.

"Okay. I love you." she said.

"I love you too." said Jack, closing his eyes. "More than I can ever put to words."

"I love you so much. Take care honey." she said. "I'll be waiting."

Jack stared at the phone for a long time after Brielle hung up, deep in thought.

Maybe if he hadn't met Brielle and Axky hadn't met Paula, they might have had a chance with one another...no scratch that...scratch that ... scratch that...tear it, burn the fucking paper!

Damn the coffee had got to him too.

***

"Seriously ma'am?" said the cab driver irritably. "At this time of the night?"

"Please Sir." said Brielle. "I need to get to the British Embassy."

"Are you British?" asked the man grumpily, slumping against his seat.

"No, but---"

"You're travelling to Britain?"

"No! But--"

"Are you trying to escape the police?" asked the man disinterestedly.

"Damn it no." snapped Brielle. "I'll pay you a hundred bucks extra. Just drive the damn car."

"Ohhh." sneered the man. "I've always had a thing for felony feisty English girls."

Brielle quickly got into the back seat and grabbed his collar. She jabbed the cap of her ball point pen onto his back, so it felt like the mouth of a gun.

"Just fucking drive." she said menacingly. "One more word and I'll make sure those are your last."

The poor guy paled and nodded. He was pretty obedient after that and Brielle almost giggled at her success. Yes, the trip to Thailand had definitely taught her a thing or too.

Maybe if she couldn't cut it as a Chemistry professor after graduation, she could get a job with a little more edge.

***

Axky woke up to the sight of Paula's concerned face over his own. She was cradling his head on her lap, her familiar touch, voice and smell felt like home, even when he didn't know where he was.

"Oh look," he said smiling sadly. "Death has finally reunited us. Hey there beautiful."

"You idiot!" said Paula, kissing his forehead. "You're not dead. Like I would let you go that easily."

Axky's eyes widened and he sat up so fast, he might have cricked his neck. He stared at her, then cupped her face with his hands. She looked so tired, her hair was messy, her skin flushed, but her eyes were looking up at him fearfully. What was she afraid of?

"I'm sorry I left so suddenly. I'm sorry I was not honest with you. There's a lot I never told you about myself." she said guiltily.

"Well, tell me now." said Axky, pulling her close, but Paula looked so uneasy, he reluctantly let her go.

"Axky, I---I am part British." she said quickly. "I guess you figured that out by yourself. My mom was of royal descent in Britain, and my Dad was American."

She took a deep breath, as she observed Axky carefully. He didn't appear to hate her yet; he was listening to her intently.

"My mother was disowned after she got pregnant out of wedlock, so my family in Britain don't even know I exist. Sadly, both my parents passed away shortly after my birth. I was raised by my grandparents in America. They passed away a few years ago as well, and I just couldn't take it anymore. I got a job in Thailand as a chef, and I left. I never dreamed I would get caught up and trapped with the Kormin brothers. If Jack hadn't saved me that day...I would still be imprisoned at the dingy old hotel."

Axky was trying really hard not to touch her. He clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly. Oh how he wanted to pull her flush against him and have his way with her.

But he had to wait. Paula needed to get all this out of her system.

"The Embassy called me and said I needed to get here immediately if I didn't want to get deported. They wanted my documents and proof that I was an American citizen. I am, they verified that, thanks to Ted. Thank you for bringing him in, Axky. If you hadn't I'd probably be on a plane right now."

Paula took one last longing look at Axky. He was smiling at her, her heart fluttered again and she wondered how she could ever move on, if he, if he---

"Axky," she paused, shutting her eyes. She knew that once she said these words, it was all over. He would probably never want to see her again. "Axky, I had an accident five years ago in Thailand. I was caught in a car crash, and had some internal bleeding. I survived, but I was told that I can... never have children. My body can't take a pregnancy, I can never... be a mother."

Her voice cracked and Axky's heart broke into a million pieces.

"I'll never be able to give you what you deserve," she continued, as she stepped back a little. She didn't want to cry in front of him. He didn't need that on top of everything else he had to endure.

"I understand if you want to end this." she said swallowing back her tears. She had to be strong, for him.

Axky stared at her like she'd grown three heads. He was so shocked he couldn't say a word.

"I -- I 'll leave and it will be like you never met me. I'm sorry Axky. I'll just--I'll just go." said Paula getting up and starting to leave.

She didn't get far, however. Axky got hold of her wrist and pulled her towards him, pressing her back was against his firm chest. He kissed the side of her face gently.

"Paula." he said breathing through her hair. "I love you...so much, it hurts. If you leave...if you and I cease to be together---I wouldn't want to be alive anymore."

He took a deep breath, and took her hands in his own.

"I don't care if you have secrets, if there's stuff you would rather I not know. None of that matters to me."

"But Axky, I can't." said Paula, her tears falling freely now. She was glad that she was facing away from him. "You deserve better."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck lovingly. "I already have the best, right here. Nothing else even comes close."

"I lied to you." she said, a sob escaping her lips.

Axky couldn't take it anymore. He spun her around and kissed her. It was one sided, with Paula standing stiff as stone. If anything, this hurt Axky more than he could ever have imagined. He moved away from her, to give her some space.

"You didn't lie to me." he said quietly. "I've known. I've always known. Since the day we met, I hacked into several databases and gathered information about you. I'm sorry, for snooping up on you like that. It's just that Jack had rescued you, and I needed to know if you were harmless. Falling for you is the best thing that ever happened to me."

"You knew," said Paula stepping closer to him, her eyes sparkling with halted tears and what appeared to be wonder. "From the time we met, and you still liked me?"

"Of course love." he said huskily stepping closer to her again. "It doesn't matter to me if you're lost British royalty, or if you grew up in America or ran off to Thailand. As long as you'll marry me and stay by my side."

If she turned him down now, he'd probably embrace celibacy and live the rest of his life as a monk high up in the mountains.

"My medical records---" started Paula. Axky was happy to note that she wasn't crying anymore.

"Yeah, I sort of read through all that pretty much the day we first met. Sorry for invading your privacy, it wasn't my noblest moment." said Axky scratching the back of his neck.

Shit. She was definitely going to leave him now. Who the hell stayed with a guy who was as creepy as he'd been? Hell, he probably knew more about her than she did.

Needless to say he was surprised when Paula hugged him tightly. His knees gave way and they toppled to the floor.

It was a wet, careless kiss, so full of passion, that the world ceased to exist for them. They didn't care if they hadn't slept in two days, that they were still in the embassy and everyone was looking at them. The carpet beneath them had probably never been washed, and tons of shoes had walked over it for years---but they both needed a bath anyway, and frankly, at that point in time, neither of them cared.

Brielle bustled in right at that moment, carrying a huge grocery bag. "Jack! You're here!"

Jack caught her eye and gestured towards the couple on the floor.

Brielle's eyes widened and she clasped her hands close to her heart. "Aren't they the cutest!"

Jack walked up to her and gave her a one armed hug.

"Fill me in?" she asked kissing his nose. Jack looked awfully tired, and for some reason smelt overwhelmingly of really bad coffee.

"Paula just told Axky that she can't have kids, and that he can move on if he likes." said Jack.

Brielle thought of the brown envelope in the closet and nodded. "Axky's okay with it right?"

"Of course. The bastard apparently knew everything about Paula before he asked her out." said Jack shaking his head.

"Seriously?" said Brielle in disbelief. "He's got some nerve snooping on a lady like that."

She looked at Axky and Paula kissing each other like there was no tomorrow. Axky was lifting up Paula's skirt higher and higher and...

"Get a room!" shouted Brielle.

"Oh hey Brie-yell." said Axky surfacing from his kiss. "I was wondering what the old Pouting Prissy was up to."

"AXKY!"

***

I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm so so sorry!

Please forgive me!

*ducks tomatoes*

*ducks rotten eggs*

La la la la missed me he he---

*gets hit by a pack of flying lettuce*

I'M SORRY!

*breaks down into tears*

I'll never be this late in updating again.

I'm sorry, I really am!

*grabs the apple pie thrown to the face and eats it*

Gee thanks :-*

.