Nothing to Write Home About: Bad Habit

I hear you call my name
And it feels like home
-- Madonna, Like A Prayer

An boom shook the building, a cacophony of pulsing sound shrieking in her ear, as Sydney instinctively flinched.

"GO!" she cried, her French nearly ruined in the hellish trembles. They moved fast, and as they rounded the corner, she jerked her head back, discovered a billowing cloud of smoke, and dust and fire, licking hotly at her heels.

She launched forward, twisting hard around the corner, careening into the body of the man running before her, sliding hard down on the floor, chin cracking against the cement. An incredible weight fell on her, and in the chaos, her ears ringing, tasting blood on her tongue, head exploding in pain, Sydney blacked out.

"Oh, GOD! BIANCA!"

Shane jerked hard, slipping palms around the hysterical sister's tiny waist, pulling her hard against her, throat tight and raw as she struggled through her panic, shouting to Lena.

"GRAB HER!"

Kendall's arms were flailing, arms and hands flinging against Shane's face, and Shane only gritted her teeth, and pulled harder, squinting through Kendall's resistance to see Lena having the same trouble with Maggie, as the ground trembled beneath them, and around them, there was so much screaming.

"Let me go!" she heard, a voice painted with tears. "I have to see if she's all right! Bianca!"

"You're not going anywhere," she bit, holding on tighter, keeping Kendall tightly against her as she careened backwards, eyes on the van, trying so hard to ignore her wildly beating heart, the discipline Jack Bristow had drilled into her brain turning her into a purposed robot.

"BIANCA!"

She gritted her teeth, struggling with one arm to hold Kendall to her, jerking open the van door and trying hard to throw the taller woman inside.

"Let me GO, LENA!"

Shane found herself panting, jerking her head toward Maggie and Lena, the younger woman beyond reason now, tears streaked across her face, trying hard to jerk her way out of Lena's desperate embrace.

Shane had no choice, Bianca's great loves surrounding her, swallowing her whole.

She took her gun, slammed the butt down on the nape of the woman Bianca loved.

In that action, as Maggie collapsed in Lena's arms, and the Polish spy and Bianca's sisters both quieted, shocked out of their hysteria, new fear and distrust painted on their faces.

Shane took a deep breath in, wiping her nose with her black cuff. "Get her in the van," she told Lena, motioning with her weapon.

She did, and Shane helped, taking Maggie by the legs and depositing her, noting Kendall's now wary, fearful expression, half in, half out of the van.

"I'm sorry," she breathed, holding the weapon to them all. "I'm really fucking sorry, but you have to calm the fuck down, okay?"

Lena said nothing, only stared at her with suspicion, until Shane shoved the gun into her hands, and told her with a rough whisper, "Take care of them."

She slammed the van door shut, blocking them out of sight, and swiveling on her booted heel, she turned, took in the intact building, the swell of crowds.

Oh my God. Oh my fucking God.

She burst into a sprint, soul dangerously close to complete destruction.

She couldn't breathe.

Marina's vision was obstructed, one eye closing against the blood that had seeped in around it, and she tried hard to take a gasp in, inhale something other than smoke, dust.

She couldn't. She was being crushed.

Her eyes closed, and Marina was dizzy, flirting with unconsciousness, as her body throbbed. Slowly, she felt for what it was that kept her pinned, discovered concrete littered against her.

She kept trying to breathe, coughed hard, choking, and still she forced herself away from the darkness, fumbling in a weak grip against the block that pressed against her fractured ribs.

It hurt so badly just to breathe...

One eye opened, and in her blood coated reality, she discovered Anna Espinosa standing above her, beaten and dirty, brandishing a cruel smile, as she teetered with exhaustion. In her hand was Marina's knife.

"Tell me, Marina," she told her in her native Spanish. "Do you really think it's over now?"

"I gotta tell you," Kendal breathed, "I'm getting really tired of being forced into confined spaces with guns." Glaring at the closed van door, she turned back. "Is she breathing?!"

Shane's gun was forgotten, safety hurriedly clipped on and shoved into Lena's pants, her concentration completely on Maggie's unconscious form, upper body splayed against Lena's thighs.

"Yes, she's fine," Lena said, glancing quickly to the kneeling Kendall, smoothing a gentle palm against Maggie's features. "Shane knew how to hit her –"

"She could have killed her."

"No," Lena said immediately. "No - she was trying to protect us."

Kendall rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Lena, you're sounding like Maggie when batshit crazy Jonathan smacked her around."

Lena blinked, eyes widening in shock. "What?"

Kendall looked up from studying Maggie. "You didn't know that? It's why Maggie left for Paris."

"She told me it was to be with Bianca-" Lena managed, shifting her gaze back down to Maggie. "Maggie is so strong-willed, I can't imagine-"

"Well, it takes all kinds, doesn't it," Kendall muttered, settling into an Indian squat. "Men are bastards, anyway," she continued. "You're damned lucky you went gay, Lena."

"Yes, it's really done well for me," she shot back bitterly, tapping at Maggie's face.

"And your friend the cop is going to get her badge yanked so fast-"

"She's not a cop," Lena interrupted gently. "She's a secret agent, and we had pushed her far enough." Kendall's eyes darkened, and Lena shrugged. "She is trying to save Bianca's life, Kendall. She didn't want to have to worry about you too. You cannot fault her for that."

Already, the girl was moving, groaning against Lena's light slaps, shuddering in her lap.

"Maggie," Lena breathed. "Can you hear me?"

Kendall, on her knees, wore a frightened frown, and somehow, Lena was grateful for the problem Shane had given them, her urge to panic kept at bay only by the girl in her arms.

Maggie jerked to consciousness, pushing against her hands, eyes flying open, flailing back just as quickly. "Oh, God..." she managed, eyes fluttering closed again. "Oh, God."

"Maggie," Kendall breathed. "Maggie-"

"Where's Bianca?" Maggie snapped, eyes widening, shoving off of Lena's lap, eyes moving frantically between them. "Oh, my GOD – Bianca!"

Lena swallowed hard, hands pressed against her thighs for fear of letting go, losing control, and jerking open that door. "Maggie, calm down, Maggie-"

"I have to see if she's allright-"

"NO!"

Already, Kendall was there, struggling hard against Maggie's frantic movements, on her face glistening tears, "Maggie! We have to stay here, Maggie – we don't know what's happened!"

"Kendall! Let me go! I have to get to Bianca- I can't-"

"I know-" Her ears were ringing, and her eyes were stinging painfully, as Kendall gathered Maggie to her against her will, until the girl collapsed against Bianca's sister, sobbing into her shirt. "That's it," Kendall breathed. "Freak out so I don't have to." Lena agreed with the sentiment, madness threatening her self control, as she pressed palms against her ears, and nearly screamed.

In the lobby, Shane was jerked like a pinball, shoulders shoving against hers, crowds bleeding out of the fractured building.

She wouldn’t think of Sydney. She wouldn't think of Marina. Shane would do what she was taught – to close her heart and open her brain, in an effort to stay sane, to lose her very soul to this job.

But her eyes were stinging with moisture, and her heart was hammering harshly against her chest, and when she reached out with a fast reflex and grabbed the wrist of the first security agent she saw, she was sure she nearly broke the bone.

"I'm Bianca Montgomery's bodyguard," she chattered in French, her emotion clouding the words. "She was in here. We have to find her! Where's Bianca?!"

"Sydney."

A splintering headache greeted her as she was surrounded by dissipating fog.

Her back was extremely cold, and Sydney shivered, groaning, and nearly choking on her blood, spitting it out instinctively.

"Sydney!"

She didn't understand at first, why she couldn't see, why she was still surrounded by darkness, until she realized, beyond the pounding of the hammer against her skull, her eyes were screwed shut.

She inched them open, shut them closed again at the spike of light that assaulted her senses.

"Turn that off," she managed hoarsely, and tried again, to discover her charge kneeling beside her, looking amazingly put together considering the circumstances. "Bianca?"

"Oh, God, here-" Sydney blinked, the world coming together, as she took in the flashing lights, the army of guards around her, speaking into radios, creating a curtain around Bianca Montgomery and little Miranda hooked against her arm, who bobbed on chubby knees, clapping her hands together at the spectacle.

"Are you okay?" Sydney managed, trying hard to ignore her pounding headache. Bianca's free arm was around her waist, keeping her upright.

"Fine," Bianca whispered. "I made it to the other floor – I just had to come back and see that you were all right..."

And she had brought her army.

Sydney coughed, grimaced at the blood she swallowed, discovered three guards surrounding another, still, on the floor.

Bianca's gaze was somber. "He fell on you to protect you from the blast. They don't know if he's going to make it."

Sydney's eyes shut, a momentary pang jolting her, until the words registered and suddenly they flew open. "Oh, God. Marina."

Marina had never been so helpless. Not since the moment she had finally admitted to her Jenny that she loved her, drunk and broken on the floor of her Los Angeles bedroom, collapsing into Sydney's lap.

Anna's dark face was nearly impossible to see in the flashing lights, but her eyes glowed like a cats, and Marina, choking, did not closer her eyes to her, let her anger keep her conscious for what was likely the last few minutes of her life.

Until the knife slipped into Anna's waist, and suddenly the darker skinned woman wrapped hands around the blocks, jerking them off Marina's body.

She gasped involuntarily, her oxygen starved body neglected her ribs, and she felt relief and stabbing pain, hands to her abdomen, eyes closing to attempt to contain all that sensation.

Anna waited until she had moved past the pain, until Marina could concentrate on something other than her injuries, waited for the surprised look, as their eyes connected.

"I told you," Anna reminded her, squatting down beside her, until her fingers had tangled in her hair, and Marina could see the cruel smile. "This isn't over. This is not how I want you, Marina."

She jerked up, ignoring Marina's gasp of pain as her ribs creaked in protest, and assaulted her mouth, kissing her deeply. Instinctively, she returned it, until they broke apart, breathing heavily, her hot gasps mingling against Anna's.

Anna looked unnerved, caressing her jaw tenderly, until something broke in the assassin and she let Marina go, jerking up, pulling her knife to wrap it in her palms.

"Tell your charge she'll be safe from me," she said flatly. "I expect you to return the favor."

With that, she stepped back, falling into the darkness of the shadows, leaving Marina dismantled on the floor, bleeding and broken, and somehow alive.

When Maggie had finally calmed down, eyes closed, concentrating on breathing past her worry, Kendall finally had a moment to think. Really think.

Her little sister was somewhere in a building that had just had the bottom floor blown out, trapped there with an assassin that had tried to kill her, and two secret agent types that were probably just as bad.

Really, what the HELL was she doing in a van?

"I can't take this anymore," Kendall snapped, already moving toward the van door. "I'm getting out."

"Kendall!"

"NO, Lena," Kendall spat, jerking her head back to regard the older woman. "Listen. I'm not a target, and I need to find out what's happening to my baby sister - just like you need to find out. I'm not in any danger, and I need to know."

"Let her go," Maggie said immediately, eyes opening, pushing against Lena's thighs. "The sooner we know anything..."

Kendall knew Lena was battling, but Lena had never quite been able to take a Kane, and her love for her sister won out.

"Go," she said.

She didn't wait, latching a hand over the handle and jerking, stepping out into the chaos surrounding Cambias Industries.

Sydney's eyes surveyed the darkness wildly, inspecting the cement blocks strewn around the hallways, fading into pitch black.

Bianca held onto her child tightly, staying in the light, shaking her head worriedly as she glanced back in that direction.

"I don't know..." she began softly. "Sydney, I'm sorry-"

She nearly teetered in her exhausted, holding the rag that a guard had handed her to her chin, soaking up the blood, now suddenly torn.

Her cousin - the one person who took this damned Derevko blood and somehow made it okay, made it real, made it human, lost in that rubble.

And beside her, the woman Marina had asked her to save at all costs, at a moment when Sydney had wondered if this world had swallowed Marina whole.

"Oh my God," she whispered, eyes closing, the soft pressure of a feminine hand squeezing against her shoulder, offering what little comfort there was.

Suddenly there was a smattering of French, that transformed quickly to shouting, and Sydney's eyes opened at Bianca's intake of breath, to discover a body emerging from the dusk, limping, palm pressed against her ribs.

She moved without thinking, ignoring the French guard's warnings and Bianca's shouts, just in time to catch her cousin, wrapping arms around her waist and Marina tripped and collapsed against her, losing the strength to right herself.

"Oh my God," she whispered, "Oh God-" She held onto her tightly, smoothing Marina's black bangs from her forehead, coating her palm in a smear of blood.

"Ribs," Marina breathed.

"What?"

"RIBS," Marina said again, and Sydney didn't understand until Marina yelped in pain, struggling against her.

"Oh." Her hand flew away.

"Thank you," Marina breathed, one hand on her shoulder, holding herself upright.

That Marina was living was just enough to chase away the desperation, and bring back the irritation. "You know, it serves you right. Since when are you the dumb super hero that goes blazing into a building seconds before a bomb goes off?"

"You were busy," Marina reminded her, wincing slightly. "Someone had to do it."

"Shut up."

The yelling had risen to a cacophony now, impossible to ignore, and Sydney was almost surprise to look up and remember that at least five guards were standing two feet away, pointing guns in their direction.

"Uh... Bianca?" she managed, but their charge was already pushing forward, the little Cambias heir in her arms sucking on her balled fist.

After a moment of spinning some story about arresting her nanny, they lowered their guns, and Sydney was finally allowed to gently assist her cousin, helping her move toward the stairs.

Marina paused, held out a finger to caress the face of the child she had nearly died for. "This is a fortunate child," she drawled, tired eyes twinkling at Bianca. "She is safe, Bianca. You have my word."

"Oh?" Bianca's smile was a reluctant smirk, moving with them. "How can you be so sure? Where's your girlfriend?"

"We broke up," Marina replied dryly. "I don't know what happened. We used to get along fine, but lately it just seemed that all we were doing was trying to kill each other."

Two guards, Andre and Pierce were standing with her now, talking into their radios, their French running together. Shane was fluent in the language, just barely, but she kept her attention on the third guard, listening hard as he continued to receive reports, spattering from the noise.

Someone tugged on her blazer. "Can't smack me in here, can you?"

Kendall. Shane took her in, and found she didn't even have the energy to fight this. "Fuck," she managed. "You really fucking stubborn, you know that?" she observed, shaking her head. "Something tells me you're single."

"Not single enough for you," Kendall bit back, and just sighed. "If you had a sister, you'd understand. I'm not going anywhere until I know she's safe - I'm sticking with you or I can go in there by myself. Your choice."

"Mademoiselle," the guard interrupted, the frantic tone enough to turn both their attention to him, found him focused completely on his radio. "Oui," she heard, before he turned to them and said in polished English, "Miss Montgomery has been located."

"Oh thank God," Kendall breathed, latching onto Shane's wrist, squeezing hard, as if now, she could show her weakness. Shane didn't move.

"Is she alive?" she asked tersely. "And her cousin?"

"Oui," he said again, nodding. "They have all been found-"

And then there they were, surrounded by guards, and Shane's emotion got the better of her, leaving her frozen in her place, as Kendall let her go and sprinted, barreling into her stunned sister's arms, nearly squishing Miranda between them.

Shane didn't linger on the family reunion, instead, she watched, drinking in hungrily the sight of Sydney Bristow and her cousin Marina, both bleeding and limping, Sydney holding a rag to her face with one hand, the other under Marina's shoulder.

Oh my Fucking God.

Shane closed her eyes, found herself suddenly blinking back tears of relief, of exhaustion, and for one horrible second, she hated Sydney Bristow and to a lesser extent, Marina Derevko, for what they could do to her.

Never had she felt this naked, this exposed, because she knew, in that moment, all the rules and regulations of their friendship would fly out the window. If she moved now, she would fly into Sydney's arms, bury her lips in her mouth, and beg her to never leave her again.

She stayed put, willing the overwhelming emotion to disappear, and give her her soul back.

Her eyes opened, and Sydney saw her, and Shane's heart jumped, lodged in her throat as Sydney whispered quietly in Marina's ear and moved forward, coming toward her, bleeding from her chin, and rubbed with soot.

Still, she was the most beautiful thing she had seen.

In another second, she was in her arms, breathing her in, as Shane held her as tightly as she could, eyes shut tight against her pain, holding Sydney, and loving Sydney.

Sydney tightened her hold, her breath hot on Shane's neck, smelling like smoke and that fucking perfume Shane could breath forever.

"I love you, Shane," Sydney whispered, and Shane's heart jolted from the sentiment, because she knew that. She knew Sydney loved her.

Sydney loved her as much as she could.

She closed her eyes and stayed in Sydney's arms another moment, before she painted on a brave smile and pulled back, affectionately smoothing fingertips against her scalp. "I love you, too, Syd," she said honestly, pulling back before Sydney could see her eyes, turning her attention to the woman watching the interaction.

"Fuck, Marina," she said, inspecting her beaten friend. "You look like shit."

Marina rolled her eyes, mouth pulling into a reluctant smile as Shane's observant eyes already caught her injuries, gave her a barely there hug that wasn't painful at all.

Marina kissed her cheek. "Should I ask what you're doing here?"

Shane shook her head, shoulders slumping. "Dude? Seriously? Babysitting a bunch of hysterical women? Not in my job description." Marina smiled.

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, you should be," Shane muttered. "I had to fucking knock one of them out." Marina blinked, but before she could question her further, Shane thumbed backwards, "And now I better get back to the lovesick devotees of Bianca. Cause - they're prolly going a little nuts right now."

Marina released her gingerly, watched her go with a smile on her mouth, one that faltered when she realized Sydney hadn't moved at all.

Glancing quickly at Bianca, she took the fervent conversation with her beautiful sister, and satisfied for the moment, she ventured in Sydney's direction, placing a gentle hand on her spine.

"Sydney?"

Her cousin's eyes were glued to the departing agent's back. When she finally turned, glanced at Marina, her eyes were stricken, her voice tainted with some sort of mixture; sadness, disbelief, joy and complete fear.

"I love her, Marina," she whispered, as if she was freed and trapped by the statement. "I'm in love with Shane."

Marina glanced back toward Shane, disappearing into the crowd, and she pressed her lips together, head falling, keeping her place by her cousin's side.

Jean didn't leave her, insisted grandly that the incoming ambulance had to take a look at the Mademoiselle Montgomery, that she had to be kept safe, hovering so much that Bianca, exhausted, with a tangled web of emotions strung tightly inside of her, finally snapped at him that she was fine.

Kendall, her beautiful big sister, hadn't let go of her since she had collided into her arms, and Bianca was grateful for that, clutching her hand, tangling their fingers as Kendall hefted Miranda in her arms, pressing her lips against the bouncy toddler's cheek, the little girl squealing, "Kennel!" again and again.

"Okay..." she said, eyebrow lilting as the security tentatively moved away. "You really have been through a traumatic experience - cause that was just plain bitchy. Usually you leave that to me and Mom, who by the way, is going to be severely pissed when she finds out what's happened."

Bianca closed her eyes, torn between laughing at her sister's matter-of-fact observation and sighing in irritation at the truth behind it.

"Kendall..." she managed, free palm pressed against her face, "You have no idea. Really."

Kendall's eyes warmed, and she let go of Bianca to trace a gentle hand across her sister's features. Bianca covered the palm with her own, holding onto tightly to her sister's strength and love. "I'm just glad you're okay," Kendall whispered, emotion getting the better of her calloused demeanor. "God, Bianca, if anything had happened-"

"It didn't," she managed. "We're okay." Her eyes shifted back to Miranda, and she suddenly felt the tears come again, "Oh, God," she managed. "Kendall."

"Shhh..." she was back in her sister's arms, holding her so tightly, trembling from the myriad of emotions that flooded her now, nose buried in Miranda's little chest. Her daughter squealed from the attention, laughing so purely that Bianca's tears overwhelmed her, slipping down her cheek. "You're okay, honey," Kendall whispered fiercely. Bianca shuddered, pressed into her sister's frame, holding her daughter between them. "So Maggie's in love with you, huh?" Kendall suddenly chirped.

Bianca blinked, unable to make sense of the statement until her heart stilled from shock, and she shoved back to look Kendall in the eyes. "What? She said that?"

"You didn't know?" Kendall asked, shaking her head in a smirk. "Even Lena knows! She got so freaked out Shane had to knock her out!"

"Shane hit Lena?!"

The ambulance technician was already moving toward them both, and Bianca was pulled in the direction, Kendall shoving her with a palm on the small of her back.

"No - Maggie."

"SHANE HIT MAGGIE?!"

"It's a long story," Kendall muttered.

She was too exhausted to panic, too tired to fight, and too drained to do anything but put her head in Lena's lap, and close her eyes.

Her heart beat rapidly, and she drew shallow breaths, trying to deepen them, as Lena slid fingers through her hair, rubbing her scalp gently.

"I'm scared," she admitted into the quiet. Lena's finger's stilled, then began again, as a palm smoothed up her forearm.

"Don’t be," she heard above her. "Bianca will come home to you."

Maggie shivered involuntarily, head aching from Shane's blow, Lena's fingers rhythmic and soothing, as Bianca and Miranda filled her senses.

"She promised," she whispered. "She promised."

"Have you ever known her to break a promise?" Lena asked softly.

"No," Maggie said after a moment, "Not if she couldn't help it."

"Exactly." Maggie's breath deepened, so deeply that she felt like to take in more air would cause her fragile soul to shatter. "I'm afraid too, Maggie."

For once, Lena's love for Bianca didn't frighten her. "I know," she said. "I know how much you love Bianca."

"Yes," Lena acquiesced, "I love Bianca, but... Marina – she means very much to me. She was in that building too."

God. Maggie stiffened against her fingers. Marina and Sydney. "Oh, God..." She shifted in Lena's lap, turning up to look at her. "Poor Shane."

Lena smiled grimly. "Yes."

The van jerked, rumble of metal screeching against metal assaulted her ears, as she jumped in Lena's arms, and was met with light, and glinting in at them, Shane.

Maggie scrambled up, searching hard for any sign of Bianca's fate.

"Hey," Shane said, shifting her balance on her feet. "Sorry about the... uh... you know."

"Shane," Maggie breathed, "Just shut up and tell me-"

"They're fine," Shane interrupted, and for those two little words, Maggie could have kissed her. She sagged, emotion rushing out of it so fast she couldn't contain it. Hands latched onto her shoulders, and Maggie was grateful, because it seemed as if her strength had run out. "They're out front – getting checked out by the ambula-"

"I want to see her," Maggie managed, clutching onto Lena's palms. "Please, Shane."

Shane's eyes were dark, her face was unreadable, but she took her in, and nodded, opening the door wider, moving out of the way.

The medic was fussy with Miranda, and Bianca knew it was hard for him to do his job, with the way she held tightly to her daughter, but Bianca wasn't letting her go.

Kendall finally took pity on him, reaching forward to gently unlatch Bianca from her child, keeping Bianca's palms in hers, smiling encouragingly as she took in an unsteady breath, watched as he gently felt along the baby's limbs, her ribs, looked into her eyes.

"It's okay," Kendall told her, and somehow, Bianca always seemed to believe her, when she said that. She clutched onto her gratefully, and when the medic was done, Kendall took her baby Miranda in her arms, as the toddler babbled on, cradling the baby lovingly against her hip.

Bianca observed them both, and finally couldn't help a hesitant laugh. "I can't believe you flew to Paris just because I sounded weird on the phone."

Kendall glanced up, smirked mischievously. "You think I wouldn't?"

"Color me not surprised."

Kendall grinned, the smile lighting up her whole face. "Well of course I'd come to Paris for my baby Miranda!" she said, in a lilted tone, overpronouncing her words childishly as she tickled Miranda in her tummy. "I wuv my baby girl!"

"Okay, stop," Bianca laughed, and it felt good, to release the emotion from her spent body.

Kendall squished into Miranda's tummy again for good measure, before her smile faltered and she took in a hesitant breath. "You know... Shane told me what's going to happen."

Bianca licked her lips, tucked her bangs behind her ear and glanced away. "Yeah."

"Mom's going to be so pissed."

She looked up, smile returning, ready to respond, when a figure in the corner of her peripheral vision caught her, and she froze.

Suddenly her heart stuttered inside of her, and Bianca's careful control seemed to fall away, so quickly, as she beheld the most beautiful woman in the world, staring at her, tears flowing from her face.

Maggie's face was overrun with emotion, mouth against her palms, eyes shining with so much love, Bianca shook from it.

The baby was pressed into her, and Bianca took Miranda gladly, as Maggie bit her lip, shaking her head at the futileness of this love, and suddenly she was coming, almost scared.

"Oh, God," she breathed, and Bianca's own vision blurred, unable to wipe away at her tears because she was too overwhelmed with Maggie, as her beautiful best friend seemed almost drunk on Miranda, palms slipped around Miranda's waist. "Oh, God..."

Her eyes connected with Bianca's and suddenly there was a jolt, an unspoken communication, and Bianca nodded, shaking fingers reaching for her love. "I promised."

"I know," Maggie said, and then Bianca was breathing her in, wrapped up in Maggie, holding onto her world with both hands, swearing harshly to herself she couldn't ever let this go again. "I love you so much," Maggie whispered, and Bianca, torn between laughter and tears, let out a small croak, as Maggie cradled her face in her palms, tilted her forehead against hers.

"I love you," Bianca whispered, just loud enough for her to hear.

"I love you," Maggie replied furiously, "I love you," and suddenly her lips were buried in hers.

Bianca's world exploded into tiny pinpoints of moments, as she suddenly found herself drowning from pure sensation.

Maggie's moan, Maggie's mouth. Maggie's smell and taste and love.

She kissed her, again and again, lips clinging to Maggie's, as if she had kissed her a thousand times before, and loved her more each time.

This was her life. This was her home. Maggie broke free to gasp into her mouth, "I love you," as if she could never say it enough, and Bianca was suddenly afraid, really afraid, that her heart would burst from feeling.

"I'm so in love with you," she managed, as their palms connected, and fingers tangled, pulling Miranda between them both, completing their circle.

They stood there, in their own world, on the edge of an ambulance, drunk on the sheer presence of each other.

Sydney's delicate emotions caused a shudder, as she bit her lip, eyes unconsciously swiveling to the trio standing twenty feet away, watching the family reunion, talking softly amongst themselves.

Shane wore sunglasses, her hair was a mess, and she looked tired. Pale.

Sydney just loved her more.

"Will you tell her?" Marina asked, and Sydney blinked, turning back to her cousin. Marina's ribs had been taped, and the medic, a young man, was careful with her forehead, taping the gash. Sydney stood by her, palm squeezing Marina's.

"No," she said, and when Marina's eyes narrowed, she hurriedly said, "It's not time. I owe it to Vaughn to... you know – I hate it when he's right."

Marina grinned, a smile that turned into a wince when the medic pushed a little too hard.

"I'm sorry," he said in brusque English. Sydney rolled her eyes.

He finished, and Sydney squeezed hard, helping Marina stand, moving her away from the ambulance. "This is going to be tough," she admitted.

"Yes." Marina shook her head. "So much for subtlety."

"I've already taken care of it," Sydney said softly. "Listen – what Anna did-"

"Was her job," Marina interrupted. "I imagine she wasn't hired to steal the artifacts, but destroy them."

Sydney took that in, glancing back at the Cambias building. "Well, she did that. There's probably nothing in that vault but ash."

Marina was quiet. When Sydney looked back at her, her cousin wore a strange expression, almost unreadable.

"Marina?"

"She offered me a partnership," Marina said methodically. "She wanted me." Sydney licked her lips, bit them down to keep herself from interrupting. "Sydney – there was a moment when I considered it." Marina's eyes were coal black, and they bore into her with fascinating precision. "There was a moment where I was grateful for the darkness, where I wanted it to swallow me whole." Sydney swallowed, eyes closing, suddenly dreading Marina's words. "My soul is bleeding out of me, Sydney," Marina said, quiet and defeated. "My only human moments are when I am with you, with Shane. My heart was torn in West Hollywood, and I fear I will never repair it now, in this life."

"Marina-"

"Sydney, I want to defect. I want to offer my services to the CIA." Marina's eyes shifted to hers. "I want to go home."