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Chapter Text

I know that the timelines do not coincide in reality but these changes were made so that the story makes sense

Here are some explanations:

BLUE BLOODS
Jamie and Eddie are married. They all went to their wedding.

CHICAGO PD
Kim's been in Intelligence since Lindsay left for the task force.
Adam never proposed to Kim. They broke up because Adam thought they were going too fast but realized his mistake and wants to win her back.

CSI
After the series finale, Morgan and Greg got married.
He is the new director of the laboratory and Morgan is the supervisor.

FBI
Maggie never dated Nestor
She and OA have been together for years in secret.

FBI INTERNATIONAL
During the first season.
Scott is thinking of proposing to her.

FBI MOST WANTED
Hana and Kenny are just friends.

MACGYVER
After the third season.
Mac never dates Desi, he and Riley have been together for years.
Leanna never leaves, she and Bozer live together.

SWAT
Chris never leaves SWAT.
She and Street are a couple but he's on a different SWAT team.

THE ROOKIE

Lucy and Tim are a couple, he is on the Metro team, they never break up.

Chapter Text

“A circle officer Burgess, that includes two NYPD officers, two CSI from Vegas, four FBI agents from elite teams, two SWAT officers from LAPD, four geniuses from a Think tank in LA, two FBI agents wanted, and you, a Chicago PD officer from the Intelligence Unit,” said agent Wallace pointing at the photos on the board.

“So? “

“So? Care to explain to us how all these people are connected?”

“Yes, we are friends,“ said Kim very slowly “Do you have any friends, agent Wallace?”

The smirk on Kim’s face was enough to break the stone face that Tiffany was trying to maintain. She furiously kicked the board and slammed her fist on the table, Kim didn’t even flinch.

“Tiff!” Exclaimed Scola trying to prevent her from attacking the still smirking Chicago officer.

“Enough!”

72 hours earlier

She was running through an alley that seemed to have no end, she couldn't see the suspect anymore but she knew he was close. She couldn't let him get away, he was suspected of killing an elderly couple when he invaded their home. Her radio was filled with the occasional comments from the rest of the team.

"Where are you, damn you," She thought.

They had split up to find him and Kim knew that Olinsky was behind her but she was running well ahead of him.

Out of nowhere, she felt a blow and a heavy body knocked her down from her right, the damn coward had hidden in a hole in the wall and was waiting for her.
The impact knocked the air out of her lungs and the suspect hit her as soon as he could, he was bigger than her but that didn't stop her, her training and her instincts told her what to do and she fought him.

"Kim, answer" she heard Al's voice in her ear but she couldn't answer, the jerk hit her head against the ground and for a moment Kim saw stars.

"Al, Burgess, what's wrong?"

"I don't know, I lost sight of Kim"

"Halstead, Atwater cover the exits, Ruzek, you with me" Her team was on the way, she couldn't depend on them she had to fend for herself.

She managed to move under him and connected her knee with his crotch.

"Argh! You bitch" she changed her position and immediately twisted his arm to immobilize him.
"Chicago police" Kim yelled "You are under arrest for the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Banks..."

"Let go of me, bitch. I didn't do anything"

"Then why did you run?" Olinsky was breathless when he finally caught up with them.

By the time the team arrived, the suspect was already handcuffed, but Olinsky was looking at Kim with concern, she was holding her head and she had not attempted to get up from the ground.

"Kim, are you okay?" Adam ran straight to her and helped her up but she swayed a little and he caught her.

“Kim!”

"I'm fine" she tried to say but her head was spinning and she clung to Adam's arm to keep from falling.

"Did you hit your head?" Voight said, moving closer to her. Kim nodded.
"You're going to Med to get checked out, that's an order" he gestured to Olinsky so they could pick up the suspect. "Let's get out of here, Adam help her outside"

"Get this idiot in the car and take him to the cage," he said, throwing the suspect against Atwater's car.
"Halstead take Burgess to Med, see if Will can treat her faster"
"Sure sergeant, let's go, Kim," Jay said, taking her arm and nodding toward Ruzek. He knew Adam wanted to be the one to accompany her but to his surprise, Adam shut his mouth and walked them to the car, not everyone had forgiven him for hurting her when he broke up with her. And it was obvious that Voight wouldn't make it easy for him either, even though Erin was still in town they didn't see her very often and Kim had begun to fill the void in the sergeant's life. After all, the Intelligence Unit was close and at the moment Adam was not on good terms with anyone regarding Kim, even Trudy was cold towards him.

The ride to the Med was quick because Jay stepped on the accelerator when he saw Kim closing her eyes.
"Hey Kim don't go to sleep"
"I'm fine Jay, really"
"I'll let you sleep when I know you don't have a concussion." 

Being a police officer opened many doors for you when you got hurt on the job. Will greeted them and promptly sent Kim off for a CT scan.
"Everything looks good, Kim. Your CT is clean and there are no signs of a concussion. I'll prescribe you painkillers and that will be it. Try to rest, the bruises won't take long to show up" Will said as he took out his prescription pad.
"Thanks, Will"
"I want to hear the story later at Molly's." 
"You should have seen the other one, bro. She beat him"Jay helped Kim with her jacket.
“Don't doubt it. See you later guys” Will waved at them and went to see another patient. 

-----

When they got back to the precinct, Trudy wasn't at her desk. They went up the stairs to the bullpen and as soon as the team saw them they all jumped out of their seats and started talking at the same time.

"Calm down guys. Everything's fine, no concussion or anything" Kim smiled at the team.
"Are you sure?" Voight asked.
"Yes, just a little sore from the blow, and my pride hurts too," she said looking at the ground.
"Don't worry, we've already taken care of that" said the Sergeant.
"The trip to the cage was…rough," Kevin said with a wink.
"Are you okay to do paperwork or do you want to go home?" Voight asked.
"I'm fine, sarge"
"Very well, then go back to work everyone"

Kim sat at her desk and smiled as Adam put a cup and cupcake on her desk, she smiled at him and he went back to his desk.

"He's trying," Kim thought.

"Kim" Al called her, "They're almost done just missing your signature" he handed her the case files. Technically she was supposed to fill out the files and give them to her partner to sign. He was the detective after all.

But Kim had quickly realized that since she saved his life, Olinsky not only respected her more as an officer but was sometimes soft on her, just like Voight. 
Alvin Olinsky was one of the toughest cops she'd ever met (second only to Hank and Trudy) but he had a soft side. She would see it when he talked to a victim, when Lexi went to see him at the precinct, or when he made sure the straps on her vest were fastened before going out into the field.

The rest of the day they just did the paperwork, the forensic had confirmed that the suspect was guilty so there wasn't much to do but close the case.

The ringing of Kim's phone broke the silence of the bullpen.
OA's photo was visible on the screen.

"That’s weird," Kim muttered before answering.

"Hello?"
"Kim, they arrested Maggie" OA's voice sounded higher than normal and he spoke very fast.
"What?! With what charges?" Kim said getting up and going to the break room. She knew that they were all looking at her from their desks.

"Murder charges, but that's not true she didn't do it. Someone is framing her" he said.
"What do they have against her?"
"Her hair on the body. He was our main suspect but they released him yesterday and found the body this morning. But she didn't kill him, she was with me all night she..."
"OA...OA listen to me, I know she didn't do it, calm down. Do you need me to go? I can catch a flight in an hour and..."
"No, we're waiting for the FBI lawyer...I just..."
"I know, calm down OA, you are not alone. You know that it only takes one call and we will all invade New York"
She heard him sigh. "We know, thanks, Kim. I think I needed to hear it...listen the lawyer is here, I have to go"
"Okay, call me as soon as you know something"
"I will, thanks Kim"
"Bye," she ended the call.

When Kim returned to the bullpen everyone was waiting for her, even Voight had come out of his office.
"Kim? What happened?" Adam said worriedly.

"My friend Maggie was arrested. She's accused of killing a suspect who was released yesterday." Kim's eyes filled with tears, and Adam rushed to comfort her.
"She's from the FBI, right? From the New York’s office," she nodded.
"What happened?" Jay asked from his desk.
"They found her hair on the suspect's body"
"She called you?"
"No, OA, her partner. They are both my friends." No one seemed to know what to say to her.

"I know Isobel Castille, she is in charge of the JOC in New York, I could call her and see if she knows anything," Voight said from his office’s door.
"Thanks, sarge, but actually… She's their boss. They both work at the JOC and the bureau's lawyer is already with them. No one believes it was her but…"
"Sounds like someone is trying too hard to make her look guilty," Olinsky said.
"Exactly"
"Listen, Kim, if you want to take the rest of the day..."
"Thanks, sarge, but I'm better here. If I go home I'll just worry more. I'll wait for OA to call me." Voight squeezed her arm and walked back into his office.

---------

After work, everyone except Voight and Olinsky went to Molly's. After a while Kevin seemed to be on a mission to get himself drunk before midnight, Kim just stared at her phone, Adam just stared at her and Jay just stared at the door waiting for Erin to make it to the bar.

"Kim, looking at the phone won't make it ring any faster!" Kevin practically yelled at her trying to take the phone from her.
"Kevin, stop," she said, moving away from him at the table.
"Man, leave her alone, she's waiting to hear from her friend" Adam stepped between them.
"Yes! But she's here with us! She can't do anything for her!" Kevin spilled his beer on Kim and Adam as he lunged across the table to grab Kim's phone again.
"Kevin!"
Just about everyone in the bar was looking at them, some of the 51st firemen were ready to get Kevin out of the place. Casey and Severide came over to the table to try to calm him down. 

Kim's phone rang and she practically ran out of the bar to take the call.
Adam managed to see Morgan's name on the screen before she got out.
"NY?" Jay asked as Otis came over to clean the table.
"No, Las Vegas if I'm not mistaken"
"Vegas? Wow Kim has friends everywhere"
"Yes, in Los Angeles and in Europe too, they are very close," he said seriously.
"Do you know them all?"
"No, if I'm honest with you, man, they’re intimidating. She tried to get me to know them but I was a jerk with her and now I'm not very popular with them"
"But you guys are working it out, Ruz. I think you should care more about what Kim thinks of you and not them. I mean, I still don't get why she likes you," Jay said with a smirk.
"Shut up," Adam said, punching him on the arm.
"No one knows why she likes him" Kevin chimed in a little slurred, "I think it's because of that goofy grin you make when you look at her. When we were on patrol she wouldn't stop talking about your stupid smile all the time. I just think you're stupid not your smile"
"Atwater, what's up with you today, man?"
"What?!"
"I haven't seen you drink like that in a while." 
Suddenly Kevin jumped up and practically dragged Kim back to the table who had just walked back into the bar.
"Kim! Put down the phone, have a drink with me!"
"Kevin, stop!" she was in no mood to put up with a drunk Kevin. Adam and Jay jumped up and forced him to sit down to get him away from Kim.
"Guys, I have to go. I'll call Voight in the morning and I…" Kim sputtered as she tried to find her jacket which was lying under Kevin on the chair covered in beer. "My flight leaves in two hours and I have to  change my clothes"
"Kim. Kim, wait" Adam tried to approach her but Kevin grabbed his arm and asked for another drink.
"Adam, I have to go, Morgan is not well. She needs me."
"But to Vegas? Now?" she nodded.
"I already got a ticket and I really have to go"
"Okay, I'll drive you, you don't have your car, I brought you here"
"Okay"
"Man! don't go yet!" Kevin wouldn't let him go and Kim was sure Adam was ready to hit him.
"It's okay Kim, I'll take you, I was about to leave anyway," Severide intervened, he took off his jacket and put it on her shoulders.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, no problem" 
Kim looked at Adam who was still dealing with Kevin.
"Okay," she said, forgetting about her jacket and closing Kelly's over her shoulders.
"Kim" Adam called looking at her, he wanted to be the one to take her, he was trying to win her back and the last thing he needed was Kelly fucking Severide acting like a knight in shining armor when she needed help.
"Don't worry, Adam. I'll call you as soon as I land and when I meet Morgan." She quickly waved to everyone and gestured to Otis behind the bar to put Severide's tab on hers and left the bar with the firefighter.

----------

Kelly ended up taking her to the airport as well and tried to make her laugh as they waited for her flight by talking about Adam's jealous look when he saw them leave Molly's together. 

He told her to call her if she needed anything in Vegas.
"You know, like getting you out of prison for cheating at poker," he said poking her.
"I won that 500 fair and square, Kelly"
"I still don't believe it, Burgess"

He walked her to the gate when her flight was announced.
"I hope your friend is okay"
"Me too, thanks Kelly" she waved at him before she got on the line to get into the plane.

Kim sent a quick message to Adam and one to Morgan when she got on the plane before turning off her phone.

"Here we go," she thought when the plane took off.

Chapter Text

OA woke up when the first rays of the sun hit his face, he felt Maggie hide her face under the sheets and hug him tightly. The best decision of his life had been to end his relationship with Mona when he figured out his feelings for Maggie, the worst perhaps had been not closing the curtains properly before going to sleep the night before.
He didn't want to leave the warmth of their bed or be away from his girlfriend any more than necessary. He wanted to be able to stay cocooned in their bed together for as long as they could before facing the real world. A world where they had to pretend they were just co-workers, a world where they didn't live together, and above all a world where he didn't have a hidden ring waiting to be on her finger.
Their alarms went off and with a grunt, Maggie spun in his arms, turned off their phones, and looked up at him. She had a mark on her cheek from sleeping on it, and her hair was messy from OA's hands the night before but to him, she looked beautiful. 
Maybe they both had to join the real world soon but OA enjoyed every second they could be in their universe.
"Good morning" she didn't answer, she just kissed him like every morning. He tried to deepen the kiss but she pulled away laughing.
"No, we were late for work yesterday for this very reason" she laughed.
"I don't remember you complaining yesterday, if I'm not mistaken you were the one who wanted a repeat of this in the shower" Maggie just smiled and shook her head.
"Come on," she said standing up.
"Are you seriously thinking of getting to work earlier so no one gets suspicious?"
"Earlier? No, but if we just take this to the shower maybe we'll be on time today" OA watched her enter the bathroom naked, he stayed there wondering how he had managed to win her over.
"Are you coming or not?" she asked, turning on the shower.
"How do you feel about calling in sick today and staying in bed all day?" he said standing up.
"Don't tempt me, OA"

Perhaps that had been the worst decision of his life, not to have stayed at home with Maggie, hours later while he saw how the love of his life was handcuffed, he wanted nothing more than to go back in time and convince her not to go to work to go back to those moments when they were alone in their universe.

They stopped like every day at their favorite coffee shop, Jessie the barista already had their order ready. They got back in their car and pulled into New York morning traffic.
"I still can't believe they released him"
"Maggie" OA sighed.
"We all know he did it"
"I know," OA said as they entered the JOC parking lot "But we can't do anything, the guy is very well connected"
"That sucks, the jerk is responsible for bringing maybe hundreds of girls into the country on the false promise of a babysitting job, but he's out on bail because he's friends with a senator who surely knows what they do with those girls." "
"Well," OA said, walking around the van to open the door for her. "Our job will be to prove it and lock them both up for the rest of their miserable lives."
"Exactly" Maggie squeezed her arm, she wanted to pull him to her and kiss him but they had to be very careful if they wanted to remain partners.
"Look at that, Scola" they heard Tiffany's voice "OA picked up Maggie, they went for coffee before work and he opened the door for her. That's a good partner"
"You're right Tiff," Scola told him laughing "OA if one day you want to change partners I'm available, brother"
"¡Hey!"
They all laughed and got into the elevator together, Maggie and OA exchanging a relieved look behind their colleagues. No one suspected that the real reason they always arrived together was that they lived together.
---
As soon as they entered the JOC room and saw the look on Jubal's face they knew something bad had happened.
"Now what?" Scola said between his teeth.
"Tommy Haynes disappeared last night"
"What? How is it possible? The police were watching his house"
"He slipped away like a rat through the basement window"
"And no one saw him?" Maggie asked, walking over to the screens.
"The policemen who were parked in front of his house didn't see him. He crawled between the houses of 7 neighbors before running off" Elise said.
"How do you know that?"
"Because of the marks on the ground that he left"
"Let me get this straight," OA said, approaching Jubal "The prime suspect in our human trafficking case, who we warned the judge and prosecutor about and who was released yesterday for being a friend of a senator...he escaped from the police custody crawling through the neighbors' bushes?"
"Yes," Jubal replied, scratching his head.
"Great, now what?"
"The CSI is on the scene and we have to check the cameras in the area."
---
The atmosphere in the JOC was tense all day, all the analysts trying to find something to avoid losing the case due to lack of evidence against Haynes.
There were no other cases that day and by the time it was time to leave everyone was exhausted.
"Nobody's leaving," Jubal said, directing his attention to the screens. "They found a body this morning in Central Park, the coroner's office just identified it as Thomas Haynes."

"Central Park? How the hell did he get there without being seen from his house?"
"I have no idea but from the coroner's initial examination, Haynes fought with someone before he was shot with a 9mm. They put his time of death at just after midnight so whoever did the world a favor by murdering him might as well have done it." be far away from here"
They all sighed, without a suspect they could lose the case.
"I know what you're all thinking, the case isn't lost yet. But this certainly doesn't make things any easier for us. We still have no evidence linking him or the senator directly to the girls. So we have to find something, starting with who murdered him"

Everyone returned to their places, the screens were filled with images from security cameras, near the park and Haynes's house.
Scola had just served his sixth cup of coffee when he saw Isobel come in with 2 agents he had never seen before, he didn't like the look in Isobel's eyes, she didn't seem to bring good news.
He watched her approach Jubal and whisper something about her to him as she showed him her tablet.
"What?! Are you sure about this?" Jubal's shout made everyone look at him.
"I had it checked three times"
"No"
"I'm sorry but there is nothing to do, this is going to happen"
"But..."
"Agent Bell," said one of her agents looking for her with her gaze.
"It's me" Maggie stood up.
The agent looked at Isobel "Ma'am?"
"Maggie... Agent Bell, a hair sample was found on the body of Thomas Haynes. Analysis showed that the hair is yours."
silence could be touched in the JOC, and everyone froze.

"It's impossible, I wasn't close to him or his house, I didn’t even see him when they released him," Maggie said looking for OA with her look.

"I want to see the results of the analysis," OA said approaching Isobel, Scola couldn't help noticing OA's hand on Maggie's lower back when he approached to take the tablet, it was a very brief touch but OA's protective feeling was noticeable.

"This can't be right," Elise said standing up like the other agents, they all knew what was about to happen.
"Agent Bell" one of the agents cleared his throat, "We have a warrant for your arrest"
"No, I wasn't near Haynes. I didn't kill him…Isobel" she looked to her boss for her help.
Isobel just looked down.
One of the agents pulled out a pair of handcuffs and took a step towards Maggie.
"What the hell are you doing?! She didn't do anything!" OA stepped in front of her.
"Agent Zidan, do not interfere or I will arrest you for obstruction"

He didn't move.
"OA" Maggie touched his arm.
"No. I won't let them do this, you're innocent" Scola walked over and grabbed his arm as well.
"OA, listen to me" he looked at him "You can't help her if they arrest you too"
The agent took another step and walked around OA who was still not moving, took hold of Maggie's wrists, and handcuffed her.
"Agent Bell, you are under arrest for the murder of Thomas Haynes, you have the right to remain silent..."

By the time they reached the door of the JOC room everyone was on their feet, some protesting loudly, others saying words of encouragement to Maggie. OA was red-faced and clenched-jawed, he looked ready to run after Maggie, Jubal was already on the phone asking to speak to the union rep. 
The others looked around wondering what to do but Scola was glaring at Isobel.
"You let them handcuff her in front of everyone?!"
"There was nothing I could..." She tried to defend herself.
"Nothing? How long have you known about DNA? You could have notified her, warned her that..."
"Agent Scola!" Isobel chided him. "There was nothing I could do to prevent it. The protocol says that..."
"That's not true, you could have spared Maggie the humiliation of being arrested in front of everyone, it was the least you could do to show her respect" He took OA by his arm and led him to Jubal's office, leaving Isobel speechless. 
They all looked at her angrily, it was clear that they agreed with Scola, all except Tiffany, she was the only one who was still sitting at her desk.

---

"Okay, thanks. We're on our way." Jubal hung up the phone and looked at them. "I already spoke with her lawyer, Marcus Meyers, I know him and he is good"
OA nodded and took a deep breath, he was trying to calm down.
"Now what?"
"They took her to the FBI detention center for processing, I'm driving. Let's go" he said, taking his coat. This seemed to wake up OA, the three left the office and Scola rushed to take his and OA's coat from their chairs, he looked for Tiffany and saw her serving herself a coffee as if nothing had happened.
Isobel was still standing in the same place, but no one seemed to pay attention to her. Elise and Kenny approached them before they left the room.
"We'll do our job, tell Maggie we're with her" OA just nodded.
---
They let Jubal speak when they got to the FBI detention center. They were taken to a standard interview room but would not be allowed to see Maggie until her lawyer arrived.
"Where is he?" asked OA eagerly.
"In the parking lot, he texted me. He's about to come up."
"Okay, I have to make a quick call" Scola could see the name of the contact on the screen Kim B.

OA returned to the room when Meyers came out of the elevator. Jubal introduced them.
“I’m glad they gave you this case, Marc”
“Me too, I was reading her file in the car. I don’t believe for a second that she did it”
“None of us either”
A few minutes later Maggie arrived, handcuffed and wearing an orange uniform. The empty look in her eyes was what broke the hearts of all three.

"Agent Bell, Marcus Meyers, attorney for the bureau, I will represent you. I am so sorry about this situation, remove the handcuffs now" As soon as they released her Maggie threw herself into OA's arms. 
"I'm fine," she murmured.
"I'll get you out of here" 
They sat together and OA took her hand.

She looked at the lawyer "I didn't do it, I didn't kill him"
"I believe you, Agent Bell, I have your file and it is nothing more than exemplary. You're obviously being framed "

"Thank you"
"You're welcome. Now, I need your alibi for the time of death"
"I was at home"
"You were alone?"
"Yes, but I have an alarm system, you can verify the activation"
"Excellent, can the JOC technicians verify it?" he said looking at Jubal.
"Sure, I'll text Elise"
"About the DNA found in the body, do you know how your hair got there? Did you see Haynes yesterday?"
"No, I heard he had been released on bail. I didn't hear from him until we got to work and found out he ran away from the police outside his house."
"But you did have an altercation with him when you arrested him"
"Yeah"
"He resisted the arrest?"
"You are asking if I was violent with him?"
"No Agent Bell, I want to know if you had any physical contact that could explain the hair found on his clothes. If there was some kind of struggle that would explain it" Scola liked Meyers' attitude, he had all the facts and knew what to look for to get the truth
"Yes, there was resistance to arrest. I had to push him against his car to put the handcuffs on him"
"Agent Zidan, can you confirm it?"
"Yes, we arrested him in front of an ATM. Can you verify the camera footage?"
"We're already on it," Jubal said without looking up from the phone.
"Okay, with the recordings and the alarm logs from your apartment, we can get you out of here in the morning."
"Marc, can't we do it tonight? I'll have the records in minutes"
"No, I'm afraid it will have to be then, I can't file the request at this time, it's after midnight. I'm very sorry, Agent Bell, but you'll have to spend the rest of the night here"

A guard entered the room suddenly, "Sir, you have to see this" He showed them his tablet, on it was the photos of Maggie and Haynes under the heading
FBI agent murders an innocent man in Central Park

"Fuck"

---
The next thing JOC analysts and agents knew, there was an altercation at the detention center two hours after Maggie's photo was released.
What the security footage showed was OA breaking in, knocking two guards unconscious, and forcing a third to open Maggie's cell. The JOC screens were filled with images of OA entering alone and both leaving at dawn and losing them in the subway.

"We have Scola and Tiffany at Agent Bell's apartment now. Who is available to go to Agent Zidan's?"
"Wait, there's something strange in his address," Kenny said, getting his attention.
"What are you talking about?"
"The OA address is a PO Box"
"What?" Jubal hadn't said anything, no one liked the idea of chasing two of their own but they still had to follow Isobel's orders.
"Are you saying we don't know where one of our top agents lives?" Everyone was silent.
"What the hell is going on?"
"I think I can answer that Isobel," said Tiffany's voice, making itself heard in the whole room over the radio.
"I hear you"
"Maggie doesn't live alone, OA's things are here, in the closet, and all over the apartment"
"Are you sure?"
"I'll send you a photo" The screens lit up with a photo, you could see a refrigerator full of postcards and photos, and in one of them you could see a couple kissing.
OA and Maggie.
"It has to be a joke. How come nobody knew about this?" several glances in the JOC avoided Isobel's.
"Jubal?" He also avoided looking at her.

"Omar Zidan and Margaret Bell are now fugitives from the FBI, find them"

Chapter Text

Chapter 4
Chicago 

Kevin Atwater walked up the precinct stairs with his head down, knowing he'd screwed up the night before. He drank too much and was a jerk to everyone at Molly's, especially Kim.
He didn't know what had happened to him, after the first drink he couldn't stop, he remembered yelling at Adam and Jay when they put him in the car, he also remembered spilling a beer on Kim and her and Severide leaving together.

How the hell did that happen?

As soon as he made it up the stairs he went directly to the break room, he urgently needed a coffee and an aspirin.
Jay was there with his cup of coffee and from the look he gave him, Kevin knew that he would receive no sympathy from him.

Here we go, he thought. The first apology of the day.

"Jay...man...I owe you an apology, I was such a jerk last night"
"What happened?"
"I don't know, I started drinking and couldn't stop. Thank you for helping me and taking me home"
"Okay, bro. You pay for my lunch today and we'll be even."
"Done, hey was it my imagination or did Kim leave with Severide from the bar last night?"
Jay sighed "Yeah, it happened, Adam was going to take her but you..."

"Damn"
"Yeah…if I were you I'd be careful when Adam gets here. Approach him carefully, raise your hands, and if he touches his gun…drop to the ground" Jay said, pouring himself more coffee.
"But Kim and Severide...they left together… as in together together?"
"No! She received a call and she wanted to go to the airport, Adam offered to take her but it was Severide who came to the rescue because you made it difficult for Adam to do it"
"He's going to kill me" They saw Adam go up the stairs and leave his jacket on his chair.
"I already told you, raise your hands and get on the floor" They both left the break room. Adam was looking at Kim's empty desk.
"Ruz, man...I'm sorry"
"Kev, not now" Atwater sighed, he knew it wouldn't be easy but he would make it up to him.

Voight walked out of his office cutting the tension in the bullpen.
"We have a case, double homicide without signs of robbery or premeditation in a luxury condominium, another similar one that occurred two days ago in a house in the suburbs," he said while he put the photos of the victims on the blackboard "Al, you and Ruzek go there, CSI is waiting for you at the scene, Halstead go with the coroner, check the reports of the first victims"
"And Kim? She hasn't arrived yet" Al said, pointing to her desk.
"She won't come today, she had an emergency. She called me an hour ago."
"Is she ok?" he asked, taking his coat.
"Yes, she will be here tomorrow" They all nodded, some looking at Adam who was looking at his phone.
"She texted me when the plane landed, everything is fine"
"Ok let's solve this"

.....

New York

“What do we have?” asked Jubal walking into the JOC.
“The fugitive status it’s official, all the agencies and dependencies of the FBI already have their photos" said Elise with tears in her eyes.

Jubal sighed.

"I don't like this more than you guys, but Maggie and OA…

"Agents Bell and Zidan, I don't want anyone calling them by their names here” Isobel interrupted him. 
“They are no longer considered FBI agents, they are no longer one of us, they are fugitives charged with murder, abuse of power, use of excessive force, trespassing of a federal facility and the attack on two security guards, release of a suspect and escape. Our only priority is to catch them. Am I clear enough?"

Nobody said anything.

Isobel moved closer to Jubal and whispered to him.
"Can you explain to me why no one looks me in the eye?"
"If you're looking for sympathy or support you won't get it, especially if you go around saying they're not one of us anymore" she clenched her jaw.
"Agent Wallace will lead the search, she's the only one acting like a professional now" That only brought her more nasty looks. 
 
"Agent Castile?" Elise called her "I have Agent La Croix on standby."
"Put him on screen"
"Isobel, Jubal" Jesse's face lit up the screens "My team is aware of the situation, we haven't found their traces since they left the detention center. The only thing we got from their phone records besides the fact that they are dating were two calls to a number in Chicago, both after Maggie's arrest."
"Agent Bell, don’t call them by their names anymore" Isobel interrupted him.

"Whatever… both calls lasted less than three minutes, the second call was made 30 minutes before OA entered the detention center to get her out"
"Who is the number registered to?""Hannah" Jess called her.
"Yes, the number is registered to Officer Kimberly Burgess"
"Police?"
"Yes, from the 21st district of Chicago, she is in the Intelligence unit under the orders of the sergeant...
"Hank Voight" Isobel interrupted her "I know him, what's the relationship between them?"
"They are friends"
"Friends? A police officer from Chicago and an FBI agent from New York?" Tiffany asked, ignoring the looks from everyone.
"Yes, she lived in New York, apparently they went to school together"
"And he calls her just before he releases Bell from the detention center? Does anyone find it suspicious?" Tiffany smirked, drawing several disgusted glances at her.
"It's not a crime to have friends and call them" Elise intervened looking into her eyes, she was the only one who dared to say something to Tiffany in front of Isobel.
"I just said that it seems suspicious to me" she replied, feigning innocence.

"It's not, you call your friends when you need support, especially when those you thought were your friends do nothing to help you."
"Do you have something to tell me, Elise?"
"Just what we're all thinking, you seem more concerned with showing off by catching them than investigating whether or not Maggie is guilty." Tiffany didn't answer, she noticed everyone's gaze, they looked at her the same way as at Isobel.

"I’m just doing my job, I'm a professional, that's what everyone should do."  Facing Elise.
"Enough!" said Jubal "This is useless, Jess, what can your team do?" 
“We will monitor the highways, train stations, and airports, if they try to leave the city we will find them”
"That's all?" Tiffany asked. 
"What else do you want us to do, Agent Wallace?" he said curtly, it was clear he didn't agree with her.
“Search parties, officers checking buses and trains. They're fugitives after all.” 
“They're not on the most-wanted list, Agent Wallace. Our unit is an elite one specializing in high-profile fugitives: serial killers, rapists, pedophiles, the most violent criminals. We will follow the protocol with Maggie and OA, but we will not deviate from our priorities ”
"Why don’t you better focus on finding Haynes's killer and stop trying to show off, Tiffany." 
“We appreciate your team's support, Jess.” 
“We'll keep you posted.” the call is disconnected.

…….

“I can't believe it,” Kenny said, tossing his headphones onto the table.
"Calm down Kenny."
"No! No one on this team would act like Wallace. She seems to have forgotten who OA and Maggie are."
"Listen," Jess said with a sigh. “I have seen this behavior before. Some agents see their opportunity to outdo others when they are weak. Wallace was very obvious in her reaction. I don't know her very well, but I've even heard rumors of her rivalry with Maggie."
"Maggie doesn't compete with her," Hannah said.
"No, but that doesn't mean Wallace doesn't compete with Maggie." Nobody said anything else.
"Let's continue with our case and follow the protocol for the search for OA and Maggie." Jess went back to reading the file on the table and didn't see Hannah and Kenny exchanging glances.

……

Las Vegas 

Kim closed her eyes as soon as the plane took off.
A moment later, the landing woke her suddenly. "Welcome to Las Vegas, Nevada International Airport," the pilot's voice said.
She turned off airplane mode on her phone and saw several text messages.

Adam: Let me know when you land. 2 more texts.
Kelly S: Have a safe trip, text me when you arrive.
Morgan: See you at the hospital.
Mac: Kimi, call me.
The Avengers group chat: 10 new messages.

She made a beeline for the cabs, hopped in the first one she saw, and quickly texted Adam and Kelly.

"To Desert Palms Hospital, please." As the cab pulled into Las Vegas traffic she called out to Mac. She smiled as she watched Mac's photo light up her screen. She had taken that photo on a camping trip. Mac trying to start a fire while Riley and Bozer made faces behind him.

Mac answered on the third ring.
"Kimi"
"Mac," Kim sighed.
"Did you hear from OA?"
“Just that they were about to meet with the Bureau's lawyer but that was hours ago. I haven't heard anything else."
"I wish we could do something else." He sighed.
“I know, but until they talk to the lawyer we can't do anything. I offered him to go to NY but he didn't want to”

“How are things going with Adam? Is he behaving himself? Or are you going to let me go and deal with him already? Mac said trying to change the subject.
Kim laughed. "And do what?"
“Well, not exactly to talk to him. Bozer had the idea of tying him up in the woods and leaving him alone for a few hours, but I told him it was too much."
Kim laughed again. “Maybe, but for now we're good. He tried to take me to the airport and kept an eye on me with the Maggie situation. He…"

“Wait, why did you go to the airport? I thought OA didn't want you to go to NY"
"I'm in Vegas" Kim sighed.
"What? Why?"
"Mac...it's Morgan"
“I can get there in a few hours. I'll tell Riley that…”

“Mac, Mac, calm down and listen to me. Morgan is fine. Well, not exactly. She's a little upset, but it's not a matter of life and death. It's…” Kim hesitated to say it.
"Is it because of the baby? Did it happen again?"
"I'm not sure, that's why when she called me I took the first flight I could find"

They both stayed silent knowing what the other was thinking.
"You'll call me when you know something, right?"
"Of course, no matter what, she will need us and Greg will too"
"She told him?"
"You know Morgan, she doesn't want him to worry."
"I know"

"Mac?" Riley's voice was heard in the background.
"I'm coming. Kimi, I have to hang up, but call me as soon as you can"
"I will. Say hi to Riley for me."
"Sure"

The call ended just as the taxi pulled up in front of the hospital. Kim took her bag and went inside.
Morgan was sitting in the waiting room and got up as soon as she saw Kim.

Her eyes were red, it was obvious that she had been crying. Kim dropped her things and hugged her.
"I'm here, M"
"Thanks, K."
"Are you ready?" Morgan nodded.
"OK let's go"

.....

Somewhere...

OA left the car in the parking lot of a small motel, adjusted his hood and cap, grabbed the bag from the trunk, and walked to room 16 with Maggie trailing behind him.
As soon as the door closed, Maggie flung herself into his arms crying.

"I know, I'm here Mags, I'm here" he hugged her tightly, he didn't know what to say to her. The system they both trusted had failed them. Their colleagues and friends  persecuted them.
"OA, you shouldn't have done it. Now…"
"Maggie"

He cupped her face and made her look at him.
"Look at me and tell me you wouldn't have done the same." She smiled at him.
“Come on, go take a shower and try to get some sleep. I'll take the first watch."

Maggie nodded, took the bag OA packed, and headed for the bathroom. Before entering, she turned around, took OA by the neck, and pulled him towards her to kiss him. 
It was an intense and desperate kiss, emotions welled up between them.

OA broke the kiss when the air became a necessity.

He put their foreheads together and said, "No matter what, where, or when, I'll always be with you and do everything for you, Maggie."
Tears filled her eyes again. "No matter what, where or when I will always be with you and do everything for you, OA."

For both of them, it felt like a vow.

He kissed her forehead. “Relax, we'll stick to the plan and figure this out together, Maggie. All of us".
"OA..."
"It is done. Kim said that with one call they would invade NY”
She smiled. "I know"
"The plan is moving"
"I wish we didn't have to resort to this"
“I know, but it is necessary. Besides, it's kind of exciting." She smiled a little.
"I'll take that shower." OA kissed her forehead again.

As he listened to the shower start he made sure that the curtains in the room were closed, that there was nothing suspicious outside, and that the door was locked. He took his gun and sat in a chair facing the door.

Maggie washed her whole body 3 times but she couldn't feel clean. Her skin was red from scrubbing and she had washed her hair so vigorously that there were several strands of hair on the shower floor. When she couldn't stand the cold water anymore, she turned off the tap and got dressed as fast as she could. She took her brush and left the bathroom, not being able to stand being alone for another minute.

Opening the door, she saw OA sitting in front of the door with his gun in his hands.

"I'll take the first watch, Mags," OA said calmly. "Try to sleep, please"
“Okay, but…”
"What?"
Maggie walked over to him. "Please, could you hold me for a moment?"
OA's gaze softened and both of their eyes filled with tears.
"Of course. Come here"
OA opened his arms and she sat on his lap, buried her face in his neck, and cried.

She sobbed loudly as she clung to his jacket.
His arms tightened around her.
With one of his hands he caressed her wet hair while with the other he continued to hold his gun without taking his eyes off the door.

Chapter Text

Macgyver's house

A day without missions was a strange day for Mac, he had already taken apart the lawnmower... twice, had gone for a run, reorganized his tools, changed all the batteries in the smoke detectors, he had even broken Riley's desk lamp and hidden the pieces in the garage before she knew it.

"Mac, what do you want us to bring to Bozer's? Pie or ice cream? We can stop by the bakery you like on the way" Mac looked at her.

"Sure. Did you finish your work?" He said, looking at Riley's laptop on the table.

"Everything is ready. Let me get my shoes and we can go."

"Of course".

When they arrived at Bozer and Leanna's apartment Mac received a text from Kim.

“Everything is fine with Morgan, I will return to Chicago tomorrow”

Mac let out a sigh.

"Everything okay?" Riley asked as he parked the car.

"Yes, it's Kim. She says everything is fine with Morgan and the baby."

"Thank heaven"

"I know "

Leanna opened the door for them.

"Hey Le

"Hey guys, come in.

"Lunch is almost ready!" Bozer shouted from the kitchen. "I hope you're hungry, I made my world-famous bacon and pastrami sandwiches."

"I'm sure the last time you made them they weren't "world famous."

"Everything I cook is world famous, Ri Ri." They all laughed.

Halfway through lunch, the topic of OA and Maggie came up.

"Do we know anything else?" Leanna asked.

"I only know that they were going to meet with the FBI lawyer. OA called Kim, but I don't know anything else."

The four remained silent. Everyone was on OA and Maggie's side, they knew of their integrity and that they would never take justice into their own hands, even though the criminal deserved it. They knew that all of their friends, from the Las Vegas lab to the police and SWAT departments, to the FBI teams, had seen the most horrible things a human being could do, but no one would kill someone without exhausting all legal remedies to ensure that the law was followed.

"Besides, if Maggie wanted to kill someone, I'm sure no one would catch her.

.....

Chicago

Adam sighed for the umpteenth time as he checked his phone again.

"Any news?" Olinsky asked him, he looked at him out of the corner of his eye as he drove, he couldn't help but feel sorry for him, Adam was his protégé and he had been relieved when the boy realized that Kim was a gem. He didn't want to see him make the same mistakes he did by pushing the love out of his life.

"No, she wrote to me when the plane landed. She went to see a friend for something urgent, but I don't know why."

"Do you know her?"

"Only in photos"

"They are good friends?"

"Yes, they practically grew up together. She tried to introduce us, but…

"But what?" Adam sighed.

"Every year Kim goes on this big trip and meets with a group of friends"

"How close is this group?"

"Too close, but the problem is not their closeness."

"So what? Did she not invite you?"

"On the contrary, she was very excited for me to meet them. They are a great group and the trips sound amazing: they go camping, to Las Vegas, skydiving, motorcycle racing, they do everything."

"Sounds great. What happened?"

"What?"

"Why didn't you meet them?"

"Because I'm an idiot who got scared when I found out exactly who is in the group," Adam admitted.

"Tell me later, we're here."

They got out of the car and entered the house. Forensics had already marked the scene.

"What do we have?" Olinsky asked

"Double homicide. They both had their throats cut. First was the husband.

"Entry point? "

"Main door. It seems that the murderer knocked on the door, the husband opened it, the murderer pushed him and in seconds he slit his throat. He didn't even make it to the living room." he pointed out the blood stains on the carpet.

"And the wife?"

"She was in the kitchen. We don't think she heard them. When we arrived the television and the blender were on." The woman's body was still being photographed.

"Who found the bodies?"

"A neighbor who was walking his dog saw the door open, the blood on the entrance and called 911."

While waiting for forensics to remove the bodies and clear the scene, Adam's phone rang.

"Hello? Kim, tell me where are you? In the hospital? Are you hurt? Okay, are you... Ok. Did you eat anything?... When are you coming back?...At their house? Okay...No, I'll go get you send me the flight number...Yes, please have something to eat, Kim... Okay, bye." Adam sighed.

"How is she?"

"she's fine, she'll be back early tomorrow, I'll go get her."

"Okay...and you're going to tell me?" Al said, stepping aside to let the forensics pass.

"Tell you what?"

"Why did you chicken out to meet her friends?" Adam lowered his head.

"I was nervous. They are... veterans, geniuses, FBI agents, cops, SWAT, CSI. They are her family and I was scared. I felt like everything was going too fast. I... a part of me doesn't want Kim to meet my father.  And when she told me about all her friends and how close they are, what they mean to her, I panicked. It all blew up in my face and I only ended up hurting her. I lost her because I'm a coward."

“Wait, what do you mean, geniuses?”

“Four of her friends work at a Think Tank in LA… they solve problems, conspiracies, one of them went to MIT and defused bombs in the army”

"Damn"

“I know” Adam looked at the ground, they stepped aside as they carried the bodies out of the house.

“You do understand that Kim loves you, right? She doesn't care about your father."

“I know… it's just that I do. You know what they say about my father and... I don't know, suddenly Kim was talking about meeting her friends, Atwater kept bothering me about when I would ask her to marry me, everyone was talking about what a great couple we were and how it would be difficult for us to last being police officers... I... I was an idiot. I was not ready"

“Listen, Adam, I'm telling you from experience. Being police officers and having a relationship is not easy, there is a price to pay for the work we do but it is not impossible. You and Kim work, you can work together, be in the same unit and you still work. Believe me, if Kim wanted to introduce you to her friends it's because you were ready to meet them” Adam nodded.

“Now come on, we have to finish here to get back to 21”

When the neighbor calmed down enough, they interviewed him, found a security camera hidden in the bushes at the entrance, and returned to the car with the recordings. Before starting Alvin's car he could see Adam's phone and the message he was sending to Kim 

"I miss you Kim, I'm here for you."

Al smiled, he had a lot of faith in Adam, not only was he his protégé, he considered him like a son and he had to admit that he had a soft spot with Kim, she was his partner, his family in the unit and he wanted to see them both together and happy. If Adam needed a push he was ready to push him, hit him and kick him in the right direction.

Chapter Text

Las Vegas

“I miss you Kim, I am here for you”

Kim smiled when she saw Adam's message.

“Adam?”

"Yeah"

Kim was sitting next to Morgan outside a doctor's office, both waiting for Morgan to be called.

“How are things with him?” Kim sighed.

“We're fine, he's really trying.”

“I know we all joke about making his body disappear for hurting you.” They both laughed.

“But… we all know he just got scared, he's a good man, we have made sure of that”

 Kim looked at Morgan suspiciously.

“When you say that everyone knows he is a good man…”

“ A good man, a good cop, he played baseball in school, his father's reputation is questionable, he had a dog when he was a kid named Chester. Come on Kim, do you really think we haven't investigated him since the first time you mentioned his name in a conversation?”

“I didn't say his last name that time.”

“Riley investigated him three seconds after you said his name”.  Morgan smiled as Kim rolled her eyes.

“Mrs. Morgan Sanders“  a nurse called.

“ Come on M, the time has come”.

New York

Maggie was running along a path in the park, she was chasing a man who was gaining more and more advantage over her. It seemed like every step of hers was taking her backward instead of forwards.

Her desperation grew, she could see less and less, there was no light, she could only see the figure of the man who was running away from her. She was sure he had done something very bad, but at that moment she couldn't remember what it was.

When she thought she could grab his arm she extended her hand, but her fingers closed in the air. Maggie stopped, but in front of her there was no one, she looked around, but she was alone. She could make out the trees and the road, but she didn't remember which direction she had come from. 

Suddenly she felt a presence behind her, that instinct that many police officers have when there is danger near her. She turned in time to see a dark figure behind her and heard a mocking laugh, she couldn't see him but she knew it was him, Haynes.

The next thing she knew there was a pair of hands squeezing her throat, she couldn't breathe, she was trying to remember her self-defense training, but she couldn't move her hands, they weighed a ton and the pressure in her throat grew more and more with each passing moment. 

She tried to scratch his face, but she couldn't move her hands, she heard his louder and louder laugh echoing in her ears again and again.

Maggie...

Maggie...

Maggie...

Maggie…

Maggie...

Maggie...

Maggie...

Maggie...

She knew that voice, she could hear it faintly, but she didn't know where it came from. She knew it was a good thing, that help was on the way, but she didn't know how much longer she could hold out.

"Maggie... Wake up... Maggie"

She snapped her eyes open and saw OA's worried face above her, holding her face.

"Maggie, I'm here. Don't worry, it was a nightmare." She didn't say anything, she threw herself into his arms as soon as she regained control of her body. She hadn't even realized she was crying until OA wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Don't worry, Mags, I'm here." Maggie looked him in the eyes and held on to his shirt.

" Never leave me"

"I will never," OA kissed her, "I will never leave you, Maggie. I will always be with you."

He held her and comforted her until Maggie fell asleep again. He kissed her forehead after placing her on the bed, covered her with the cheap blanket from the motel where they were hiding, and resumed his guard position in front of the door.

He couldn't stop looking at Maggie every 5 seconds, he was looking for any sign that she was having a nightmare again, it terrified him to see her suffering like that, trapped in her own mind. She couldn't even escape that wretch in her dreams.

Haynes, that bastard was the cause of everything, he was against them from the moment they caught him and his revenge was directed towards Maggie because she handcuffed him.

His hands were shaking from the fury he felt, he wanted to get out of it and find the bastard who had framed Maggie and hit him with all his might, he wanted to revive Haynes just to kill him again himself. He sighed and took his phone out of his pocket, opened a hidden app and called. He heard 2 rings and heard the friend's voice that he needed to hear at that moment to calm down.

"OA"

"Jamie."

"I know this is the last thing I should ask bro, but... How are you? How is Maggie?" OA sighed.

"She just fell asleep, she had a nightmare."

"It's to be expected, what about you?"

  "I want to run out and catch the bastard, I want to go back in time and not let Haynes be released... if he hadn't been released on bail, this wouldn't have happened, and she never would have been arrested. We shouldn't have gone out of the house this morning. "

"Bro, don’t think like that. You need to focus on the plan. Don’t start thinking about what-if scenarios... Maggie needs you to stay focused."

OA sighed. "I know."

"We're supporting you, man."

"Did the wanted notice arrive on your desk yet?"

"Yeah, every patrol car has your photos. Eddie already has her patrol route. You need to be ready in four hours."

Maggie shifted a little, and OA got up from the chair, ready to wake her up if she had another nightmare, but she just settled down and went back to sleep.

"I know. Hannah and Riley will let me know when we have to go through the safe point." They were silent for a few minutes. Jamie didn’t know what else to say to his friend. They never imagined they would need to put the plan into action for one of them. He always thought they were being paranoid when the idea came up, but now he couldn’t be more grateful because he knew his friends could be imprisoned for something they hadn't committed. Especially after they risked their lives every day to help people—it wasn’t fair.

"Right now, the worst part is the waiting, man. But I promise you everything will be okay. Kim is ready to see you. Is Maggie hurt? Does she need medical attention?" OA looked at Maggie, who was in bed.

"She has some bruises from when she was processed, but nothing serious."

"Was she attacked while in custody?"

"When she came in, two detainees who were about to be transferred started a fight, and she got caught in the middle. She couldn't defend herself because she was handcuffed." The fury inside OA began to reflect in his voice. "She should never have been handcuffed, Jamie, especially not for that idiot's death."

"I know, buddy. I promise you we'll do everything we can to clear her name. Everything the NYPD can do, they will."

"Thanks, Jamie. I just..." OA began to sob, and Jamie stayed on the phone with him, comforting him for several hours until he managed to calm down a bit.

"OA, it's almost time. Eddie texted me. She's already at her post."

"Okay, thanks, J."

"See you soon, bro." OA stood up and looked out the window to check that no one was outside. He went into the bathroom to splash cold water on his face, staring at his reflection in the dirty mirror while repeating the plan in his mind. He saw Maggie’s reflection; he had to stay strong and focused for her.

He had to keep her safe.

He left the bathroom and shook her gently to wake her up. "Hey, Maggie," he whispered, but she woke up with a start.

"OA?"

"Everything's okay, Mags." His phone rang. "It's time."

She nodded and took his hand. They left the room in silence and returned to the car. As soon as he turned it on, his phone lit up with the route they should take to leave the city.

They didn’t encounter any problems during the drive, but the tension between them increased as they approached the checkpoint. They could see the line of cars in front of them getting shorter and the NYPD flashlights approaching each vehicle. When it was their turn, the officer signaled them to move out of the line.

"Good evening, sir," the officer said as she shone her flashlight on his window. Maggie lowered her head next to him as if to appear asleep.

"Please roll down your window, sir." OA did so, and Eddie's smiling face appeared from the street.

"Good evening, officer. Is everything okay?"

"We're conducting a check, sir. It’s part of an investigation. Could you open your trunk, please?" OA complied, and she walked around to the back of the car, closed the trunk, and walked back.

"Everything's in order, sir. You can go ahead." OA nodded and started moving, but after only a few meters, Eddie's partner yelled, "Hey, Janko! What are you doing? One lane of cars!"

"Calm down, Badillo. The line's getting longer and look at the time. We need to speed this up. I'll open another lane." OA gripped the wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white as he saw the officer approaching the car. Maggie placed her hand on his leg.

"Okay, you're right, there are more and more cars. Let me call Simmons and have him drop off the donuts and come help us." Eddie smiled and looked back at OA.

"Sorry for the delay, sir. You can go now. Drive carefully."

"Thanks, officer." OA rolled up the window and drove away from the checkpoint, leaving the city behind. They both sighed in relief.

"We did it," Maggie said, rubbing her leg against his.

OA took her hand and kissed it. "Now we just have to get to Las Vegas on time."

"If you let me drive, we’d get there sooner."

"Drive or fly the car?" OA smirked.

"Shut up." For the first time, Maggie smiled. She picked up her phone and texted the group: 

Mission 1 accomplished.

15 people's phones received the text on a secret app, and 15 people smiled at the news.