Damn!  He hadn't planned on being recalled to Paris this soon.  He thought he had at least one more week in Berlin before having to submit the full report on his findings.  If he had known that his preliminary report would cause this much of an uproar, he... he what?  Would not have filed it?  Of course he would, that's his job.

He threw his shaving kit in his travel bag as he heard Corrie return to the bedroom.  She handed him a mug of fresh brewed coffee, her coffee, and he accepted it greedily.  She had offered to cook him breakfast before he had to leave, but he opted against it.  He chose, instead, to make love one more time.  To feel her soft, supple body against his, feel her touch on his skin, her caress on his body, the warmth of her against him, the smell of her hair, the feel of her breath against his skin.

DAMN!  She was taking this change in plans better than he was!  Trying not to let her see how angry he was getting, not at her, but at himself, he turned and walked back into the bathroom to make sure he taken had everything.  When he returned quietly to the bedroom, Corrie was sitting on the bed, hugging the shirt that had been lying in the pile next to the bag.  He had worn it yesterday.  He watched as she idly held it to her face and smelled his presence on the material, then folded the shirt up and placed it under her pillow.  Looking up and seeing him watching her, she smiled and shrugged, and said, "So write to the management of this hotel and tell them they lost one of your shirts."

He sat down next to her and asked seriously, "The management, huh.  And just what would they say?"

Flashing that evil grin he loved, that could also infuriate him so, she looked him straight in the eyes and said in her sultriest voice, "We would apologize for the inconvenience and we would be prepared to offer suitable compensation for your loss.  We do not, however, reimburse in cash. We reimburse in trade."

Laughing for the first time that morning, he pulled her to him and kissed her hard.  Caressing her face, he looked into her dark blue eyes and said, "I don't know what I've done right in my life to deserve you.  I can't believe how happy you've made me this past week.  I never knew I could feel this way, that I could love someone as strongly as I do you, that I could be this happy, and yet, this miserable."

She caressed his face and kissed his lips gently.  "This is just the beginning, of both miseries.  I'm not running away.  You're only going to be in Paris.  I'm scheduled for all sorts of training the next few months and I'll be traveling back and forth between Langley and here.  Paris will be an easy stopover to make.  We'll take days at a time as we can get them and look forward to a vacation when we can get away.  I promise to be discrete.  No one will suspect.  Your reputation as the World's Greatest Hard Ass will be intact.  And, we'll be together every minute we can.  I promise this, my darling!"

Sighing, he kissed her so gently and tenderly she groaned involuntarily.  Whispering in her ear he said, "I know, we talked this all over and we decided on the what would be best for both of us." Releasing his hold slightly he said, passionately, "But I expected to be here one more week.  I was looking forward to this weekend, the plans we had for sneaking out of town separately so no one would suspect we were going together.  I'm angry we can't have the time we thought.  I'm angry because I'm being recalled and it's ruining our plans.  I'm angry because I can't do anything about it.  I'm angry because I've never felt this happy, or this miserable, before, not even with Susan.  And I am angry at myself for hurting you," he finished so softly she barely heard him.

"Bozo!" she said, messing his hair to deliberately get him riled.  "How could you possibly hurt me when you have no control over the situation, pardon the expression.  I'd give up a month's pay to watch you call the Director right now and tell him, 'Yes sir, I've found evidence of massive misconduct in Davies' operation of Berlin Station.  Unfortunately, I can't tell you about it right now, I've got a hot date this weekend in the Black Forest with a tech hottie from the office.  When we get back from our three-day romp in the woods, I'll fill you in'," she finished, laughing.

Her laughter was contagious and he had to laugh along with her.  "I'd give a month's pay too, to see the expression on the Director's face if someone ever had the balls to say something like that to him," he said, wiping a laughter tear from his eye.  "You are becoming a very evil influence on me, woman.  How am I going to maintain my aura of the cold-hearted, unfeeling, detached professional bastard with you always making me laugh like this?"

Hugging him to her, she said, "What can I say, it's a gift.  I have no respect for authority, except my mom and dad, and the more pompous you behave, the more I'll give it to you.  Now, finish packing so I can drop you off at the hotel.  I have to pick up Warren in time to come back and get you, so that I can get you both to the airport for your flight.  It would be a lot easier if we just pretended I had picked you up at the hotel, then went for him, being that he lives on the way to the airport, but I think dear Warren is getting suspicious.  The way he looked at you last night, when you politely refused his offer of a ride back to the hotel after dinner, I think he's beginning to wonder about us, about our enmity towards each other.  Maybe I should kiss him goodbye at the airport and bite you!  What do you think?"

Standing up and pulling her up into his arms, he squeezed her as tightly as he dared, lifting her feet off the floor and snarled into the top of her head, "Just try it!  Then you can watch as I flatten 'dear Warren' right there." 

They laughed together, and they remained in his tight embrace until she whispered into his neck, "If we don't stop this soon, we won't be going anywhere but back to bed.  It's your call."

Slowly, very reluctantly, he loosened his hold of her and responded, "I bloody well hate this." 

Poking him playfully in the chest, she said, "You've been hanging around with Robert McCall, haven't you?  That's his line!"

Looking down into her eyes, he touched her cheek and said, "Yes, I know Robert.  We're old friends.  I wonder just how many other friends we share between us."

Returning his caress, she looked up into the stunning blue eyes that she had come to love so much and said, "We have the rest of our lives to find out.  I dont know about you, but I'm planning to live to be quite old and I intend to be sexually active until the minute I die, so get ready big boy.  Start taking vitamins now so I can chase you, and your walker, around the bed in the home!"

* * * * *

Ninety minutes later, pulling the car expertly into a tight parking place at the Passenger Departure sign, Corrie jumped from her car to pop the trunk so the men could get their travel bags.  Looking at her new Station Chief, she told Warren,  "Let me know what flight they book you on coming back and I'll pick you up.  Good luck, boss."

Turning to the man known to all as Control, she slipped something out of her pocket and handed it to him.  "I just got you a little something to remember me fondly by.  No, don't thank me.  But you can't look at it until you get on the plane.  Promise?" she asked in a sickly sweet voice and a leer on her face.

Stunned by her gift and request, Control mumbled something positive, thanked her for everything she'd done during his stay in Berlin, and headed for the terminal without looking back.  He placed the small envelope in his pocket and forgot about it until the plane was in the air.  When he finally remembered her gift, he retrieved it and looked carefully at the small pink envelope she had handed him.  Written in her feminine handwriting was a note that said, 'Remember me the way I remember you.  Love always, Corrine Elizabeth Margaret Murchison.'  He hesitated before finally opening the envelope. Warren leaned over in his seat to get a better look at this mysterious present from Corrie, yet not be in a direct line of fire.  Knowing her as well as he did, he was greatly surprised when talcum powder didn't fly out, or confetti, or one of a half dozen things he'd witnessed her put inside of cards.  Instead, Control pulled out a small, folded bag.  It was an airline barf bag.