Chapter One

   Aria Jenkins was tired. Very tired.  Work had been stressful and her boss at the agency was really getting down on her for not finishing all the paperwork that needed to be done by tomorrow.

            “Keep it down out there!” A voice yelled from behind one of the numbered doors. “Some people have jobs to get to in the morning and can’t be partying all damn night”

            Aria scoffed. Some people have jobs to get to in the morning. Others  have jobs that require them to and do paper work until all hours in the morning and then be back by 7 am the next day. Aria’s was one of them.

            When she had applied at the CIA she hadn’t expected that she would be out in the field and dressing up in ridiculus clothes like all the T.V shows she watched. She knew that it was going to take a lot of work to get field rated and that even when she did that it wasn’t going to be glamorous and thrilling. She knew it was going to take a lot of grueling physical labor and hard work. She wasn’t that naïve but after five years and numerous attempts at getting field rated she still expected more than sitting at desk filling out paper work for the higher ups.

            She still wasn’t planning on sitting at a desk the for the rest of her life though. She was taking the test again next week and wasn’t going to give up until she was field rated.

            Still sometimes a life like this got to her. What with Vincent still in rehab and her mothers recent death Aria wondered if she should be taking care of her brother more than focusing so hard on work. Even if Vincent didn’t want her help anyway.

            Tossing her long blonde hair behind her shoulder, Aria pulled her keys out of her purse and wishing for the millionth time that her government salary could afford her something nicer than her two bed one bath apartment on the wrong side of the tracks. Pushing the door open quietly as not to wake her roommate, Anne, she tip-toed to her room where she sat down on the bed gently removing her shoes and not bothering to take off her clothes, fell asleep on top of the coverlet.

            Sebastain James pulled his leather jacket closer around his frame, his breath misting in the early November night. The water sloshed against the sides of the boats that where stored there.

            Walking down the length of the dock he thought about his how he came to be back in the states, about Emma how her death had been his fault.

            Stop, he told himself, you’ve been down that road before. Never gets you anywhere, nowhere good, anyway.

            The night was completely still. No breeze stirred the air as her stared out and the sky, so pollouted with L.A. lights that you couldn’t even see the stars. Only the moon was to be seen in the indigo sky.  Emma would’ve wanted to see the stars, he thought.  Standing there with his eyes closed he could almost imagine that she was standing here next to him, red hair streaming out behind her, free of her usual French braid that she hated he would offer her his coat, the way he did the night he realized that he loved her and they would be together and happy- He stopped himself. That would never happen.

            Just then he heard a small splash in the water followed by a hushed curse and twisting his head around he saw a slim girl in a winter coat. Her small face was framed by long brown hair that was pulled back in a half pony tail.

            “Sorry to interrupt.” She said sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to disturb you, I mean if you wanted to be alone I could go, yeah, um, I’m just gonna go.” she babbled

            She was halfway turned around when Sebastain spoke up, he cleared his throat.

            “Wait, uh, you can stay if you want, I mean it’s not my dock, anyone’s welcome.”

            She smiled and Sebastain was enraptured.

            “Well, thanks.” She walked to stand beside him and held out her hand formally, “My name’s Renee.”

            He took her hand, reveling the feeling of her fingers in his.

            “I’m Sebastain.” He replied, holding her hand a moment longer that necessary.

            She turned to look at the sky.

            “So pretty this time of year, pity about the stars though, wish we could see them better.”

            Unbidden, a lump formed in Sebastain’s throat. Emma would have said the exact same thing if she had been there. He swallowed.

            “Yeah.”

            Renee turned to face him. He stared deep into her eyes and slowly she reached up to touch his cheek. He leaned into her touch and he was lost.

            Renee sighed, it was a shame really, that she had to do this to him, he was rather cute actually.

            “Don’t move.” She commanded

            Sebastain should know that he should want to move. To get away from this girl who had some kind of hold on him but he simply could not make his muscles move. Everytime he came close it was if he just changed his mind. It was like when you know you should get out of bed in the morning but you hit the snooze button one more time because it’s almost if you have no choice in the matter.

            “You are going to cooperate with everything I say until I tell you not to,” She whispered. “But first, go to sleep.”

            Sebastain crumpled like a rag doll. Catching him, Renee, grabbed him under the armpits and lugged him away from the edge of the dock.

            Up on the large yaht next to the dock, on one of the upper docks, a shadow moved. With eerily, catlike grace the lithe figure jumped over the edge and for a few agonizing seconds fell through the open air until landing lightly on the edge of the dock.

            “Nice Job renee.”She said.

            Renee looked up teasingly.

            “Well what else do you expect from the daughter of Violet Frost?”

A/N: So do you like? Should I finish? We find out more about Aria and introduce some new characters next chapter. Reviews are always greatly appreciated and make me type faster. J

Soundtrack(only if your interested):

Running up that hill-Placebo in Aria’s section

In front of me- Infected Mushroom in Sebastain’s section

Thanks again!!!

Livia