Chapter Text
Shane’s thumb tapped silently against the ceramic mug he’d refilled twice now, or maybe it was three times? He stared down at the bold brew and worked his bottom lip between his teeth. This wasn’t the first time the team ended up together with Lazarus at the center of their focus, nor was it even the first time they’d sought out the quiet space of Bex’s apartment. There was no question which side he’d pick — his loyalty was with his team, the people who knew who he was and still chose to keep him close. It didn’t kill the years-long curiosity that tugged at him in those quiet moments. He’d always wondered who his biological mother was, wondered where he’d come from. Nothing could’ve prepared him for the answer: he was a child born in the Pit, and his mother was a serial killer.
“Florence? You with us?” It came from the corner of the room where Hassani sat in the chair he’d long since claimed for himself.
The detention specialist lifted his head, a boyish grin hanging crookedly off his mouth. “Uh, yeah. Sorry, I think I need another cup,” he muttered, pushing himself up from the chair he’d been absently leaning against. He didn’t have to steal a look toward Hassani to know the man was eyeing him with pinched brows and worried eyes. Instead, he lifted the mug to his mouth and tipped it back, draining the dark liquid within that already gone cold.
“Guys, I’ve tried digging into Colonel Lazarus more, but… there’s nothing. Nothing that could help us figure out what she wants, or what she’s planning.” The hint of frustration in Morales’ tone was evident to anyone that knew her like they did. She wasn’t used to being met with a wall of nothing and he admired the flickering look of challenge in her eyes.
His fingers pressed more firmly into ceramic at the mention of her, the woman he’d been chasing his entire adulthood. He thought about how he’d pulled open his door, halfway expecting to see Bex staring back at him from the other side of it. He thought about how she’d slipped inside like she belonged there, how she settled onto his couch and unloaded years worth of information like it was just another night between mother and son. “Maybe she’s not,” he rattled off in between the sound of him pouring another cup. “Maybe she’s just trying to do the job, you know? Keep the Pit a secret. I mean, Hassani, you said it yourself. That’s the most important part of this, right? And Odell,” he started, but dropped off the moment he saw the way Bex’s eyes went wide, like she was bracing for impact.
Hassani’s scoff was expected.
“There’s a difference in protecting the Pit and whatever she’s up to. Don’t get that confused.” Hassani was stern in his counter, but not scolding.
Silence settled into the space of her Bex’s apartment. He knew Hassani’s intention wasn’t to wound, but still, he felt the need to push back. Not out of anger, but out of protection. And it was that very reason that he said nothing at all. Instead, it was Bex who cleared the air.
““Look, whatever she wants, we’ll figure it out, but Hassani’s right, Shane. You can’t believe everything she says. Just… be careful when it comes to her,” Bex urged gently. “That’s all we’re asking.”
Coming from Bex, the warning landed less like a physical blow and more like a gentle reminder wrapped in genuine concern. “I get it, okay? But I’m asking you guys to trust me.” He’d barely finished his sentence before Bex was reassuring him that they did. Hassani didn’t say anything, but he caught Morales nodding out of the corner of his ocean blue gaze.
The four of them lingered a little longer before Morales was standing up and announcing her departure, laptop tucked beneath her arm. Hassani followed, stating that had a few phone calls to make to the East Coast. Shane stared down at coffee in his mug and nodded slowly, lifting it to his mouth and draining the contents within. It left a trail of warmth through his body and it settled low in his belly.
At the doorway, his eyes stayed on Bex, and her gaze met his between goodbyes to Hassani and Morales. When it was his turn, he gave a soft smile. “I’ll see ya around, Bex.” The door closed with a quiet thud behind him, and he watched as Morales and Hassani made their way down the narrow hall and toward the steps. Shane followed all the way to the parking lot and into the cab of his truck. He waved off both of his teammates, a smile forged on his mouth as he lingered in the driver’s seat, keys still in his pocket.
He chewed at the inside of his cheek, his gaze lifting back to the apartment building. He should have reached for his keys, should’ve plunged them into the ignition and let the engine idle while he figured out his next stop. He could’ve gone anywhere, but as he reached for the handle to pop open the driver’s side door, he knew the only place he wanted to be was already staring back at him.
Step after step, his heart kicked a little harder against his ribs. He’d blame the coffee, or the quick pace he’d chosen as he climbed the incline toward her floor, but he knew the real reason, even if he wasn’t ready to acknowledge it. His shaky hand closed into a tight fist as he delivered a playful rhythm of taps against the wooden frame.
In the short moments between his knock and her pulling back the door, he wondered if he’d made a mistake. Maybe he should’ve turned over the engine, or maybe this was exactly where he’d needed to land. As the door swung open, his smile widened, his nerves getting the best of him long before his gaze fell on the upward curve staring back at him. He started to speak, but she pulled the door open wider and nodded for him to come inside, like she already knew what he was asking for and was prepared to offer it.
“We said no more secrets,” he started, head buzzing, a quiet thrum of electricity simmering beneath the surface. “I think I can… I can get more out of her. She said she wants to get to know me,” he continued on, pacing the small space of her kitchen as he worked through the idea in real time. He should’ve said something when Hassani and Morales were there, but truth be told, he wasn’t sure he could handle the inevitable argument the older agent would have tossed back at him. “And I’m not saying she’ll give me everything. I don’t think she’s gonna lay out her big evil plan if she has one.” He chuckled to himself, because he could practically hear Hassani’s scoff somewhere within the space. “But Morales can’t find anything, and we both know if she can’t, no one can.” When he stopped pacing and turned, he caught her staring at him. He could practically see the gears turning within her mind, weighing the offer he’d laid out on a whim.
“Shane…” she exhaled softly. “Hassani is only trying to look out for you, okay? We don’t know what she wants, but she wants something. And we have to figure out what that is.”
“And I’m offering to help.” He pleaded quietly, like it’d make a difference. “At least let me try.” He didn’t need permission and yet, he wanted it. He wanted to know that she understood, that she believed in him, that she trusted him. “I’ll tell you everything.” He studied the way her blue orbs lingered on him, a mix of worry and appreciation swirling behind them.
“Okay, but we tell the others first. No more secrets. If we do this, we do this together.”
Something about the way the final word rolled off her tongue made him shift in place, like she’d struck a live wire somewhere deep in his marrow. He nodded after a beat and a small curve pulled crookedly at one corner of his mouth. “Together,” he echoed softly, “team work makes the dream work.” His smile stretched wider when met with the sound of her laughter. Whatever awaited them, awaited him, he knew he’d be okay as long as she was there waiting for him on the other side of it all.