Business and Pleasure

[Christian Ward]

Christian was a bastard. His intention was not to dismiss Diana's accomplishments, he had only wanted to improve her abilities. She was more than capable of it, but she needed guidance. Guidance that Derek had not provided. Of course she had done the best she could. It was far better than anyone would have expected from the awkward girl she'd been during their first affair.

"You don't think I bloody well know that?" Clearly he didn't, or else they would not be having this argument. "Of course I know that," he corrected himself. His voice was still stern, but he was not as angry now. Her non-existent tears had quailed his fury. He slowly pulled her chin up, forcing her to look at him. "F*ck, Diana, your worst is better than most men's best."

[Diana Ward]

"Not yours." she said deeply hating the single tear that threatened to fall as he forced her chin up.

"I should have told you two years ago, but how could I have known?" she asked him, though there were questions and thoughts going through her mind that Christian was unaware of.

It wasn't about Diana's efforts, or who the better killer was, it was the fact that if Diana had gone to Christian to begin with all the loss, pain, and sacrifice wouldn't have had to take place. It was a lot to put on her shoulders all at once. The reality had only hovered at the edges once she had learned he had effortlessly located two board members, and when he criticized her methods, she made excuses for why she hadn't been able to do what he had done, but those excuses didn't mean s**t when it came to the prices paid for Diana's cause.

[Christian Ward]

No, she was not better than he was. That was why Copperbottom had sought Christian out to eliminate Diana. Christian was one of the best. He could say it without being arrogant, he was simply being factual. But he wouldn't say it now. Not to Diana.

"I know now. I'm fighting for you now, Diana. F*ck, doesn't that mean anything?" He was unsure what to say to make her understand. He groaned in frustration and paced a few steps toward the window then back again.

"You've already taken down more than half of them. You've killed nine bloody professionals. What more are you expecting, Diana?"

[Diana Ward]

She pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes to stem the tears gathering there, wiping furiously as his back was turned and he couldn't see her.

When he asked her what she wanted she threw his own words back at him without heat, but with something much worse: guilt, "It's taken me two years to track and kill seven men. You managed to find two in as many weeks." she swallowed hard looking him up and down.

"I should have considered a different method. I should have considered you."

But there was nothing else to say, no recriminations now as a bell rang out through the house signaling someone at the door.

[Christian Ward]

He stopped his pacing and stared at her. "That's not what I f*cking meant!" He was angry at himself for having phrased it poorly, and angry at her for the way she had interpreted his words.

The bell chimed from downstairs. He didn't need to look out the window to know who it was. Derek Burke. Christian frowned. He didn't have much time. He hadn't repaired the pane in the door before chasing Diana upstairs. If someone didn't answer soon, Burke would think something had happened and would come in looking for them.

Christian knelt in front of Diana in a display of compassion he'd not yet shown her. "Diana, you are without a doubt the most sinfully dangerous woman I have ever met and that's why I f*cking love you. Now get dressed and come down stairs when you've pulled yourself together."

The bell rang again and Christian rose, shouting as he headed down the stairs. "Hold your bloody horses, Burke! For f*ck's sake!"

[Diana Ward]

Diana stared wide eyed as Christian professed his love for her instantly halting any other thoughts or feelings. Her mouth fell open slightly, but she couldn't say anything before he was rushing out the room. She spun keeping her eyes on him, feeling her heart pounding threatening to burst out of her chest.

When he was gone she made a strangled noise between a yelp and a gasp. He loved her? Love? There was loving happening? Did she love him? What a ridiculous question, she had loved him since she was eleven years old. But what did that mean? Did it have to mean something? Some part of Diana thought that it meant everything, another part of her was afraid of being distracted.

She took a deep breath and tried to quell the part of her that wanted to jump up and down like an excited school girl, but it was the excited school girl who had held on to those feelings for so long. Then she realized, it wasn't just the excited school girl who loved him, the hard bitter warrior she had become loved him too, and that love was hard earned. It didn't matter what part or parts loved him, she was lost in him. Suddenly something tightened in her chest, hardened warrior or not, love could break her.

She couldn't think about this now, she had to meet Burke downstairs and get the information on Sanchez so she could kill him and reunite with her daughter. She had to focus on that. She finished getting dressed and calmly (as calmly as she could) she went downstairs to join the men.

[Derek Burke]

Derek rang the bell, he had made it was soon as he could. He knew he would get the information he needed today, but he didn't know when and he wanted to get Diana what she needed as soon as possible. If he was surprised by the other two board members being located so quickly he didn't comment upon it. He was happy for her. No matter what Christian thought, he wasn't doing this to get in her pants, he honestly cared about her.

When no one answered after few minutes he rang again, though noticing the broken window pane he began to worry.

It wasn't long however before he heard Christian's booming, angry voice. As the door open he met the man and quirked an amused eyebrow. "Rough morning?" he asked almost too jovially.

He had lived with Diana for a time too, while she was excellent company most of the time, she could also be unbearably frustrating at times.

[Christian Ward]

Christian sneered at the look on Burke's face as he opened the door. "Put a nosy colleague's head through the glass," he retorted and he opened the door wider so that Derek could come inside. "Plenty more panes available," he added as he shut the door behind Derek and drew his wand. "Repairo," he said annoyed. The glass flew from the floor up to the hole in the door, reassembling itself.

"She'll be down in a moment," he said of Diana as he led Derek into the sitting room. He didn't like Derek, but aside from some key points Christian was a proper host. He thought of the tea Diana had made in the kitchen. It'd be cold by now. But after Diana's meltdown he needed something much stronger than tea. "Drink?"

[Diana Ward]

It wasn't even noon yet which told Derek the kind of mood Christian was in. "Whatever you're having."

Diana made it down the stairs just as Christian offered Derek a drink an unreadable expression on her face as she looked at Christian and pondered his confession. She was brought back to reality as Derek gave her a kiss on the cheek as a greeting.

"Thank you for coming." she said suddenly, a classic smile on her face.

[Christian Ward]

Christian nodded at Derek and moved to the drink cart. He poured scotch into two glasses then turned to Derek who had now been joined by Diana. As Diana thanked Burke for coming Christian stifled an annoyed grunt. "I hope you have some useful information for us," he added, offering him a glass of scotch.

As Christian extended his arm toward Derek, he realized he had not cleaned himself up after Diana's tantrum. Thin lines of crimson droplets ran the length of his sleeve. Christian took a large swallow of his drink and sat the glass on the coffee table. "Excuse me," he said, giving Diana a sharp look before he left the room.

[Diana Ward]

Derek noticed the blood and his eyes widened in surprise. He brought the scotch to his lips and drank as he watched the silent by play between the two.

Diana had the grace to flush and turn her head away. Derek almost smiled. Unlike Christian he wasn't possessive over Diana. He admired her, and he definitely wouldn't say no to getting to know her better, but he knew when to step back. That didn't mean he was going to stop helping her though.

"Lovers quarrel?" he asked when Christian was gone.

"Don't start." Diana said giving him a look. He smiled then and put his hands up in defense. "This is what I got on Sanchez-"

"We can...we can wait for him to come back." she said feeling as though he should be involved, it was a subtle act that was hard for her, and Derek took it for what it was, pulling the folder back. He gave her a small smile and sipped his drink while waiting for Christian to return.

[Christian Ward]

In the bathroom Christian removed his shirt and studied his arm. It was mostly light scratches, just deep enough to draw blood that trailed from his elbow to his wrist. He turned on the faucet and washed the dried blood from his arm. Then he looked at his shirt. Thin streaks of crimson ran up the sleeve. He tried clearing the blood with a spell, but it was of no use. He cursed Diana as he threw the shirt in the bin and summoned a fresh shirt from the wardrobe upstairs.

Christian returned to the sitting room and went immediately for his scotch. "Sit," he said pleasantly enough. He took one of the two high backed arm chairs, his back to the bay window. As he sat, he noticed the file in Derek's hand. "Well?" he asked half curious, half annoyed.

[Derek Burke]

Derek glanced at Diana who nodded for him to continue. After that he didn't waste time. There was something going on between Diana and Christian and he could tell he had just stepped into the middle of it. If it had been one of his mates, he would have loved to stick around and be the figurative thorn, but with Diana he didn't like to push things. Christian wasn't someone to push things with either.

"This is what I've got on Sanchez." he said tossing a file lightly on the table in front of Christian. Diana went to sit by him.

"You were right about the Pleasure Club, but Sanchez is smarter than Hadelman. He keeps moving, no one can get a fix on him, not even the club. They send a girl to a warehouse, someone hands her a portkey, and she goes. Different girl each time, different person delivers the portkey, portkey goes to different place."

[Christian Ward]

Christian leaned forward, setting his glass down as he picked up the file. He studied the contents and listened to Derek give the shorthand of their situation. "So we stake out the warehouse, wait for the drop," he muttered, thinking aloud.

[Derek Burke]

"I agree except I don't know what happens after the girl goes through." he said and gave Diana a look, "The ones that have come back have been obliviated. There could be a dozen guards on the other side of that portkey, so if someone other than the girl goes through say a couple of pissed off wizards guns a blazing, it could blow the op and Sanchez would just move again."

[Diana Ward]

"So it's me. I go in." Diana said without hesitation.

[Christian Ward]

Christian leaned back in his seat. He nodded as Burke spoke, a contemplative look on his face. He had just opened his mouth to ask about any potential patterns among the portkeys and their deliverers, when Diana volunteered to go through. "No," he said flatly. That would be the last thing Christian would permit. 

[Diana Ward]

Derek gave Christian a look as if to say that he was glad Christian had said it and not him, but he agreed with the order.

Diana on the other hand did not respond well to being shut down, "Excuse me?" she turned and looked at him, "I wasn't asking for permission."

[Christian Ward]

"You're not going in alone. Especially when we don't even know where the damned thing would take you. This isn't a bloody discussion, Diana." And yet, he knew she would continue talking.

[Diana Ward]

Diana clenched her jaw angrily, "We have no clue where Sanchez is. This is our only opportunity to catch him and we weren't discreet about Hadelman at all. Chances are Sanchez knows that we're getting close to him and might stop using the Pleasure Club all together. We have to do something, what do you have in mind?"