Nothing is What it Seems - Part 1 – The Most Important Lesson
Summary - 4 years before Alias. Sark’s first deep-cover mission. He’s 19 y/o.
Rating - It's prob PG now, but it'll get much juicier soon. That's why I posted it in here.
Feedback - This is my first Alias fic and only my 2nd fic ever. Please be brutally honest. I want to know if I should continue or not.
AN - I'm nowhere near finished. It's going to be LONG when / if i finally do.
Disclaimer - I don't own anything or anyone but Constance & Dr. Jacobs. JJ is a genius.
Chapter 1
Constance Jacobs had a set schedule that she kept to every day. It almost never varied: classes at the university in the morning, the café for lunch, more classes in the afternoon, the occasional stop at the store for some essentials, then back to her small two-bedroom apartment within walking distance of the university. Most would call her life boring but she enjoyed the comfort of having a plan. There were no surprises, no detours . . . until he walked in and turned her world upside down.
She was sitting in the back of her Chem class, alone as always, diligently taking notes, when the professor’s explanation of organic compounds was suddenly interrupted by a knock at the door. Constance didn’t look up to see who it was until she heard them speak.
“Professor Rhone? I apologize for being late. I got turned around on my way from the main office.” His voice was smooth as silk, with an accent that made her heart skip a beat. When she did finally look she was not disappointed. He was, in a word, perfect. Tall, with curly blond hair and the bluest eyes she’d ever seen.
“That’s quite alright, Mr. . . .” Professor Rhone paused, glancing at a note on his desk, “Thompson. I will make allowances since this is your first day. But don’t let it happen again. Please take a seat.”
Constance was so transfixed that it took her a moment to realize that the only free seat was directly beside her. But he didn’t even look at her as he sat down. She was only slightly disappointed; she was used to being ignored. It wasn’t because she was unattractive, more because she always sat alone either studying or reading; this gave off the impression that she wanted to be left alone.
A short time later, the bell sounded, signaling the end of class. As everyone got up to leave, she heard Professor Rhone speak. “Mr. Thompson, Miss Jacobs, would you stay for a moment please. I’d like to have a word with you.” She waited for the others to file out and followed “Mr. Thompson” to the front of the class. Professor Rhone addressed Constance first. “Miss Jacobs, I’d like to introduce you to Mr. Thompson. He’s just transferred here from Columbia University. Since you’re the only one without a lab partner he’ll be working with you. I want you to bring him up to speed with the rest of the class.” He turned and spoke to the man beside her. “Mr. Thompson, this is Miss Jacobs. She’s the best student in class. She’ll tell you everything you need to know.” They both nodded in acknowledgement and watched as Professor Rhone gathered his things and left.
Constance was the first to break the silence. “So what is your name? Or do you want me to call you Mr. Thompson?”
He chuckled at this. “My name is Christopher.”
She took his hand and shook it. “Nice to meet you Christopher, I’m Constance.” She released his hand. “The first thing we should discuss is what you’ve already learned and how far behind you are. Then I can devise a study schedule and outline for you to go by so that you will be sufficiently caught up with the rest of us.” She noticed that he was smiling at her. No, she thought, not smiling, but smirking. She decided instantly that she didn’t like it.
“What’s so funny,” she asked, obviously annoyed.
“Nothing,” he said, but continued smirking.
Constance was getting angry. “Look, I don’t like being laughed at so either tell me what’s so damn funny or you can figure this out by yourself.”
“Are you always this serious? I mean, what’s the rush? Am I so far behind that it can’t wait a few minutes?”
Now she was becoming impatient with him. “Fine. If you want to waste time, I can’t stop you, but I refuse to let my grade suffer because of your incompetence.”
“Ah, I see,” he said, with a knowing nod. “No need to fret though. I’m excellent at chemistry.”
“You’re arrogant & cocky,” she says derisively.
This would have offended most people but he just smirked at her again. “So are you.”
Constance was about to respond indignantly to this but she realized that it was true.
“So how about I buy you a cup of coffee and we talk for a few minutes. Then I’ll let you plan out the entire semester if you want. Sound fair?”
She thought about his offer for a moment and surprised herself when she said, “Sure.”
They left the university and walked across the street to the café where Constance ate lunch every day. It was open 24 hours and had been set up specifically for students to relax while studying. They each ordered a cup of plain black coffee and sat down on the huge couch in the lounge area.
After a long and tense moment of silence Christopher broke the ice. “We both want to know more about each other, so I suggest that we take turns. I’ll ask you a question and then you ask me.”
“Okay.”
“Why chemistry?”
“That’s easy.” A small smile crept to her lips. “My father is a scientist. I grew up around it. I always knew I’d be a scientist just like him. What I’d really like to do is genetics and chemistry just seemed like the logical first step. Forgive me for being blunt but you don’t exactly seem like the studious type. So why are you in that class?”
“It’s a requirement of my transfer that I have at least one science credit.” He shrugged. “Chemistry is the only one that wasn’t full. Next question: I asked you this before but you didn’t answer, are you always so serious?”
She nods. “Most of the time. I have to be. I don’t have time to just let loose and go crazy. I’ve worked too hard to get where I am and I can’t afford to slack off now.” Constance reluctantly admitted to herself that she liked this exchange of questions. It was nice to have someone other than her father to talk to. “Where are you from?”
“I was born in England but I spent my summers in Ireland. I moved to the States last year when I graduated.”
“So are you alone here or do you have relatives close by?”
“I’m alone. My parents died when I was a child.”
“I’m sorry. My mom died when I was born but I don’t know what I’d do if I ever lost my dad. He’s always been there for me no matter what. I remember this one time when I was about ten years old. I was in gymnastics class and I fell off of the high beam and broke my ankle. I called my dad and it seemed like he was there instantly, picking me up and taking me to the hospital. A week later I found out that he’d left a very important meeting to come get me. He lost a research grant worth more than my tuition because of that. I felt so guilty that I wanted to quit gymnastics altogether but he made me stay. He told me that I was worth a thousand grants.” Constance felt a tear falling down her cheek. She wiped it away, embarrassed. “Look at me. We’ve just met and already I’m telling you my life story.”
He was quiet. “I don’t mind. Your dad sounds like a great guy.”
“The best.”
“You said he was a scientist. What does he do?”
“Lots of things. He’s always got a dozen projects going at once. He always gets really busy and forgets to eat. If I didn’t take him food every once in a while, I don’t think he’d ever eat. Right now he’s working on a project so demanding that he’s even stopped sleeping. He works all day and all night. I’m not worried though. He’s done this before. But his current project is well worth it. It could earn him the Nobel Prize. He’s working on these micro robots called nanobots. They’re supposed to be able to fix things at the cellular level. It could revolutionize medicine, maybe even cure cancer. I’m really proud of him. I just hope he can get them to work. It all seems pretty farfetched to me.”
“I’ve heard about those. They’re supposed to be able to clean up oil spills and neutralize toxic waste and things like that, right?”
“Yeah.”
They continued talking for a long while before Constance glanced down at her watch and realized that she had missed two classes. “Oh! It’s almost three thirty! I have to go. I’m late for Calculus.” She hurriedly scribbled her cell phone number on a nearby napkin and tossed it at Christopher. “Call me later and we can set up a time to meet to go over my notes.” She saw him smirk again as she ran out the door.
As he was walking back across the street to the university parking lot where he had left his car, Christopher took out his cell phone and dialed. A woman answered, “Have you made contact?”
“Yes. She seems quite taken with me.”
“Good. Find out all you can about her father’s research. I want to be sure he’s built a working prototype before I make my move. There’s no point in going after him before it’s finished.”
“Understood.”
Christopher disconnected the call. As he got in his car and sped out of the lot he mused about how easily he had inserted himself into Constance’s life and, subsequently, into her father’s.
Chapter 2
After being viciously berated on her first day, Constance had adopted the habit of silencing her cell phone while she was in class. Leaving her Advanced Calculus class she reached to turn the ringer back on when she saw the little envelope flashing on the screen indicating that she had a voicemail. It’s probably Dad, she thought, dialing her mailbox, too busy to leave the lab and wants me to bring him dinner again. She smiled at this. But the voice she heard was definitely not her father’s. It took Constance a few seconds to realize who it belonged to. She hadn’t really expected him to call her.
“Constance. This is Christopher. I want to apologize for monopolizing your time this afternoon. I never meant for you to miss class. I am also aware that we never got around to making that schedule. If you wouldn’t mind giving up a Friday night, I would like to make it up to you. I’ll bring the food and you can schedule till your heart’s content. My number is 555-0236. I’ll be waiting to hear from you.”
She was so shocked that he had called that she didn’t hear the last part of the message. It sounded like he had enjoyed her company and wanted to see her again. She replayed it and wrote the number down on her hand. She saved the message and put her phone back in her pocket. The rest of the walk to her apartment Constance kept replaying his message in her head. By the time she got home she had convinced herself that he was only interested in getting caught up in class. Guys like him didn’t fall for girls like her. They liked those tall supermodel types with their perfect figures and flawless features. She unlocked her door and set her bag down on the coffee table in the living room. She went to her bedroom and changed out of her jeans and t-shirt into a pair of shorts and a tank.
Constance looked into the mirror on the inside of her closet door and examined herself. Her face was unremarkable: brown eyes that were a little too far apart, a nose that was a little too small, full lips that were a little to large. She moved her inspection lower, to the rest of her body. She was in shape but it’s not like anyone would notice. She always wore loose fitting clothes to hide her imperfections. Her breasts were too big for her small frame, making her look top-heavy. Her hips were too wide, so jeans never fit quite right. On the whole she believed herself to be completely disproportioned and awkward. The only feature she liked about herself was her hair. It was long and silky, reaching to the middle of her back. But Constance knew that guys weren’t interested in a girl’s hair. She pulled it back into a ponytail and shut the closet door, removing the mirror from view. Enough self-pity for one day, she thought.
She resigned herself to the fact that Christopher had only called her to make sure she would still help him for class. He’s probably trying to butter me up so I’ll let him cheat, she thought. But when she returned to the living room she called him anyway, deciding that if they were going to be lab partners then she wanted to make sure he knew what he was doing.
He answered on the second ring. “Yes?”
“Christopher? It’s Constance.”
“So have you decided to take me up on my offer?”
“I don’t really have much choice do I? My grade now depends on how well you do in class. If you fail, I fail.” She knew this sounded a little harsh but she didn’t care.
He didn’t seem to notice though. “Great. So do you like pizza? I passed a pizza place on the way back to my apartment this afternoon. I can come pick you up.”
“I don’t feel like going out. Would you mind coming over here? We would get a lot more done here than at a noisy restaurant.” Constance knew this normally would have sounded like a pick-up line but since she was sure he wasn’t interested, she didn’t worry about it.
“Alright. I’ll bring the pizza to you. Is pepperoni okay?”
“Pepperoni’s fine. My address is 1498 University Dr. Do you know how to get here?”
“Yes, right across from the university. I’ll can be there in fifteen minutes.”
“Okay,” she said, and hung up.
There was a knock on her door exactly fifteen minutes later. Constance opened the door to see Christopher balancing a pizza and his chem book in one hand with his other hand raised to knock again. She took the pizza from him and motioned for him to come in.
“Thanks,” he said and closed the door behind him.
She led him to the living room and set the pizza down on the coffee table next to her bag.
They both sat down on the couch and Constance reached into her bag to get out her chemistry book. “I guess we should start at the beginning.” She opened it to the first chapter. “An Introduction to Chemistry,” she read. “Let’s see what you know. What is chemistry?”
“Chemistry is the study of matter, including its composition, structure, changes, and the energy required for such changes.”
“Okay, how about the definition of matter?”
“Anything that occupies space and has mass.”
“Compound?”
“A substance composed of two or more elements.” There was that damn smirk again.
“Okay, so you know the basics. Let’s try something harder.” She flipped ahead to the third chapter. “What is the most abundant element in the atmosphere and how many electrons does it have?”
“Oxygen and eight.”
She flipped to the back of the book, to a chapter they hadn’t covered in class yet. “Name the three IB Metals.”
“Copper, Silver, and Gold.”
Constance closed the book and looked at him suspiciously. “You’ve taken chemistry before haven’t you?”
“No, I read the book this afternoon while I was waiting for your call.”
She looked disheartened. “I guess you’re caught up then. We’re only on chapter five so you shouldn’t have any problem on Monday.”
“You really wanted to put me in my place didn’t you? You’re not used to people being as smart as you are.”
She looked down at her hands, feeling guilty because that’s exactly what she’d been trying to do. “I’m sorry.”
Christopher put a finger under her chin and gently lifted her head so that her eyes met his. “Don’t ever apologize for being yourself.”
He let go and her eyes drifted back to her hands. “You’re right. I don’t have a very high opinion of people in general and I guess I have a tendency to be condescending without realizing it.”
“I agree with you completely. Most people are idiots. They don’t deserve your time.”
She looked up at him with a quizzical expression on her face. She didn’t know what to think about this man who was obviously her intellectual equal. She had never encountered anyone like him before. “So if you didn’t need my help, why are you here?”
“When we met this morning you reminded me of someone.”
“Who?” She was curious.
“Me.” They both grinned at this.
“Well, since we’re not going to study, we might as well eat.” She opened the pizza box and grabbed a slice. After taking a bite she got up and walked to the kitchen. “Would you like something to drink? I’ve got water and soda.”
“Soda.” She tossed him a can from the fridge and took one for herself.
She returned to the couch and they sat in comfortable silence while they ate. I can’t believe how comfortable I feel around him, she thought, and I just met him this morning. This is insane. She broke the silence with another question. “So what do you usually do on a Friday night?”
“Not much. I’m not exactly a social butterfly. I keep to myself mostly. I usually stay at home.”
“That’s hard to believe. Someone like you? I would think you’d be going out every night.”
“Someone like me?”
“Yeah. You’re tall, sexy, and British. I know girls that would kill to go out with you.”
He raised an eyebrow at this. “Really?”
“Oh, yeah!” It was then that she noticed that she had called him sexy. Her face flushed and she gave a shy smile.
“You know, you’re not so bad yourself,” he said, looking at her appraisingly.
She flushed an even darker shade of crimson. “You shouldn’t say things that aren’t true.”
“I don’t.”
She looked up into those beautiful blue eyes of his and didn’t back away when he leaned in close. He caressed her cheek softly and she closed her eyes. Then suddenly his hand was gone and he was standing up. Constance opened her eyes, confused. She had been sure that he was going to kiss her.
“It’s late. I should go.”
She didn’t know what to say so she mumbled a barely audible, “Okay,” and watched him walk out the door.
She got up off the couch and started cleaning up the pizza and soda cans. Stupid, stupid, stupid, she thought, throwing them in the trash. He wasn’t going to kiss me. But it was obvious that I thought he was going to. I scared him off and lost a potentially good friend in the process. What was I thinking? She watched out the window as Christopher drove away. He’ll probably never want to see me again.
That was not supposed to happen, Christopher thought as he drove. He ran a hand through his unkempt hair in a nervous gesture that he’d tried to rid himself of. He passed his street and kept going toward the highway. How did she get under my skin in less than a day? He had always prided himself on being detached and able to control his emotions. In this game it could mean the difference between life and death. He had lost control. Not because he had almost kissed her, no, sex was just another tool. Because he wanted to kiss her, not to manipulate her, but because he had really wanted to. And that scared him more than the threat of death.
Chapter 3
She woke up early Saturday morning feeling miserable. She’d lain awake most of the night feeling like she had driven away the first person that she’d ever felt a real connection with. But she refused to feel sorry for herself. She wasn’t any worse off than she had been the previous morning. She decided to go for an early morning run around the track field so she took a quick shower and changed into a sports bra and a pair of lounge pants. On the way out the door she slipped into her favorite well-worn pair of running shoes and grabbed her cell phone.
Constance jogged around the track for a while, trying to clear her head. Running usually helped to relieve tension but today it just wasn’t working. She made her way back to her apartment and took another shower, a cold one. As she stood under the icy spray she kept repeating to herself, I met him yesterday, you can’t miss someone you only knew for one day. It just doesn’t make any sense. But the little voice in the back of her mind wasn’t listening. All it could say was those eyes, that damn annoying smirk, that tousled hair, mmm . . . She was suddenly glad it was a cold shower.
She didn’t see Christopher again until Monday morning in class. She had almost thought he wasn’t going to come but he showed up just as the bell rang. He sat down next to her but the professor had already started the lesson and they didn’t get a chance to talk until class was over. He left rather quickly and Constance had to run to catch up. She touched him on the shoulder and he turned to face her. “Christopher, please. Can we go somewhere and talk?”
He nodded and led her outside to an empty bench in the square.
“I know exactly what I want to say and it’ll be easier without interruptions.” She didn’t give him time to respond. “We have a lot in common and I think there is a real connection between us. I know it was fast and I know it doesn’t make sense but you are the first person that I’ve talked to in ages that didn’t bore me to tears. I enjoy talking to you and I already consider you a friend. I think it would be a waste to throw this away over one awkward moment. I guess what I’m trying to say is, can we still be friends?”
“I’d like that.”
“Good because I don’t know how long I could have stood having a silent lab partner. That would be difficult.”
“When I first met you, three days ago,” he laughed, “I thought you were the quiet bookish type. But you talk a lot.”
“I am the quiet bookish type. But when I find someone worth talking to, I do. I have a lot to say but most people don’t want to listen. I think that’s part of why I like talking to you so much. You sit there and let me talk. I think you’re listening but it’s kinda hard to tell.” She squinted her eyes and looked at him closely as if searching for proof.
“Yes, I’m listening.”
“Just checking. I’d love to stay and chat some more but I missed two classes on Friday and I can’t afford to miss any more. Call me if you want to do something later. Or not, it’s up to you.” She rose from the bench and walked to her English class in a much better mood than when she had sat down.
Over the next few weeks Constance and Christopher saw each other regularly, three days a week in class and almost every weekend. One Friday evening, after her last class, while they were walking together toward the café where they regularly spent their free time, her father called. “Hi, Dad.”
“Hello, sweetheart. I know you’re busy but I was wondering if . . .”
“If I would bring you something to eat,” she interrupted, smiling, “Sure. What would you like?”
“Chinese. I’m sorry to keep doing this to you, honey, but I think I’m really onto something here.”
“No problem.” She paused and looked over at Christopher. “Dad, would you mind if I brought a friend along?”
Twenty-five minutes later Constance was unlocking the door to her father’s house. Christopher followed as she led the way to her father’s basement lab. She knocked on the door and heard a muffled, “Coming,” and a few seconds later, footsteps walking up the stairs. She motioned for Christopher to follow her to the kitchen. She was setting the table when her father came in. “Hi, honey,” he said, kissing her on the cheek. “So who is this friend of yours?”
“Hello, sir. My name is Christopher,” he said, extending his hand. “I have Chemistry with your daughter. She’s an excellent lab partner.”
Dr. Jacobs shook his hand, nodding. “I know she is. She’s helped me figure out a problem more than once.”
“Constance told me that you’re working on nanotechnology right now. That must be exciting.”
“It’s the most fascinating discovery ever. But it’s also the most elusive. I can’t seem to get the equations to balance though. Every time I think I’m getting close, I find another wall blocking my progress. I’ll be lucky to crack the mechanics within the year.”
“Enough shop talk guys. The food’s going to get cold.”
A couple of hours later they left her father’s house and walked the few blocks to Constance’s apartment building. “Your dad seems like a great guy.”
“I’ve always thought so. He’s been my best friend for most of my life. I’ve always been able to talk to him about anything.”
Christopher felt a twinge of guilt at this but he pushed it aside. There was no room for sentiment. He was sent to gather intel about Dr. Jacobs and so far he had succeeded. He simply had to maintain his ruse of friendship with Constance long enough for her father to complete his project. Then he would never have to see either of them again. He was so deep in thought that he hadn’t noticed that they had arrived outside her apartment.
“Thank you for coming with me tonight. It means a lot to me. Not many people would enjoy talking to a boring scientist for two and a half hours.”
“It was very informative,” he said with a small grin. Which was true. He had learned a lot.
She laughed. “I’m just glad he didn’t try to show you his lab. We would have been stuck there all night.”
“At least I’ll have something to look forward to for next time.”
Constance looked down at her watch. “It’s still early. Do you feel like maybe catching a movie?”
“I can’t. I have to get up early in the morning. I have a meeting with the counselor at seven. Apparently there’s something wrong with my transfer application. It’ll probably take a few hours to sort it all out. I should be finished by lunch though.”
“That sounds good. I’ll meet you at noon then.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” he said, and walked around the corner and out of sight.
When he was sure she was out of earshot he took out his phone and dialed his employer.
“What have you discovered,” asked the woman, with a faint Russian accent.
“Dr. Jacobs’ research is coming along nicely. I met him myself this evening. He is very dedicated to his work. I believe it wont take him long to develop a prototype.”
“And the girl?”
“She doesn’t suspect anything. I’m meeting her for lunch tomorrow.”
“Keep me informed of any changes.” There was an audible click as she hung up.
Summary - 4 years before Alias. Sark’s first deep-cover mission. He’s 19 y/o.
Rating - It's prob PG now, but it'll get much juicier soon. That's why I posted it in here.
Feedback - This is my first Alias fic and only my 2nd fic ever. Please be brutally honest. I want to know if I should continue or not.
AN - I'm nowhere near finished. It's going to be LONG when / if i finally do.
Disclaimer - I don't own anything or anyone but Constance & Dr. Jacobs. JJ is a genius.
Chapter 1
Constance Jacobs had a set schedule that she kept to every day. It almost never varied: classes at the university in the morning, the café for lunch, more classes in the afternoon, the occasional stop at the store for some essentials, then back to her small two-bedroom apartment within walking distance of the university. Most would call her life boring but she enjoyed the comfort of having a plan. There were no surprises, no detours . . . until he walked in and turned her world upside down.
She was sitting in the back of her Chem class, alone as always, diligently taking notes, when the professor’s explanation of organic compounds was suddenly interrupted by a knock at the door. Constance didn’t look up to see who it was until she heard them speak.
“Professor Rhone? I apologize for being late. I got turned around on my way from the main office.” His voice was smooth as silk, with an accent that made her heart skip a beat. When she did finally look she was not disappointed. He was, in a word, perfect. Tall, with curly blond hair and the bluest eyes she’d ever seen.
“That’s quite alright, Mr. . . .” Professor Rhone paused, glancing at a note on his desk, “Thompson. I will make allowances since this is your first day. But don’t let it happen again. Please take a seat.”
Constance was so transfixed that it took her a moment to realize that the only free seat was directly beside her. But he didn’t even look at her as he sat down. She was only slightly disappointed; she was used to being ignored. It wasn’t because she was unattractive, more because she always sat alone either studying or reading; this gave off the impression that she wanted to be left alone.
A short time later, the bell sounded, signaling the end of class. As everyone got up to leave, she heard Professor Rhone speak. “Mr. Thompson, Miss Jacobs, would you stay for a moment please. I’d like to have a word with you.” She waited for the others to file out and followed “Mr. Thompson” to the front of the class. Professor Rhone addressed Constance first. “Miss Jacobs, I’d like to introduce you to Mr. Thompson. He’s just transferred here from Columbia University. Since you’re the only one without a lab partner he’ll be working with you. I want you to bring him up to speed with the rest of the class.” He turned and spoke to the man beside her. “Mr. Thompson, this is Miss Jacobs. She’s the best student in class. She’ll tell you everything you need to know.” They both nodded in acknowledgement and watched as Professor Rhone gathered his things and left.
Constance was the first to break the silence. “So what is your name? Or do you want me to call you Mr. Thompson?”
He chuckled at this. “My name is Christopher.”
She took his hand and shook it. “Nice to meet you Christopher, I’m Constance.” She released his hand. “The first thing we should discuss is what you’ve already learned and how far behind you are. Then I can devise a study schedule and outline for you to go by so that you will be sufficiently caught up with the rest of us.” She noticed that he was smiling at her. No, she thought, not smiling, but smirking. She decided instantly that she didn’t like it.
“What’s so funny,” she asked, obviously annoyed.
“Nothing,” he said, but continued smirking.
Constance was getting angry. “Look, I don’t like being laughed at so either tell me what’s so damn funny or you can figure this out by yourself.”
“Are you always this serious? I mean, what’s the rush? Am I so far behind that it can’t wait a few minutes?”
Now she was becoming impatient with him. “Fine. If you want to waste time, I can’t stop you, but I refuse to let my grade suffer because of your incompetence.”
“Ah, I see,” he said, with a knowing nod. “No need to fret though. I’m excellent at chemistry.”
“You’re arrogant & cocky,” she says derisively.
This would have offended most people but he just smirked at her again. “So are you.”
Constance was about to respond indignantly to this but she realized that it was true.
“So how about I buy you a cup of coffee and we talk for a few minutes. Then I’ll let you plan out the entire semester if you want. Sound fair?”
She thought about his offer for a moment and surprised herself when she said, “Sure.”
They left the university and walked across the street to the café where Constance ate lunch every day. It was open 24 hours and had been set up specifically for students to relax while studying. They each ordered a cup of plain black coffee and sat down on the huge couch in the lounge area.
After a long and tense moment of silence Christopher broke the ice. “We both want to know more about each other, so I suggest that we take turns. I’ll ask you a question and then you ask me.”
“Okay.”
“Why chemistry?”
“That’s easy.” A small smile crept to her lips. “My father is a scientist. I grew up around it. I always knew I’d be a scientist just like him. What I’d really like to do is genetics and chemistry just seemed like the logical first step. Forgive me for being blunt but you don’t exactly seem like the studious type. So why are you in that class?”
“It’s a requirement of my transfer that I have at least one science credit.” He shrugged. “Chemistry is the only one that wasn’t full. Next question: I asked you this before but you didn’t answer, are you always so serious?”
She nods. “Most of the time. I have to be. I don’t have time to just let loose and go crazy. I’ve worked too hard to get where I am and I can’t afford to slack off now.” Constance reluctantly admitted to herself that she liked this exchange of questions. It was nice to have someone other than her father to talk to. “Where are you from?”
“I was born in England but I spent my summers in Ireland. I moved to the States last year when I graduated.”
“So are you alone here or do you have relatives close by?”
“I’m alone. My parents died when I was a child.”
“I’m sorry. My mom died when I was born but I don’t know what I’d do if I ever lost my dad. He’s always been there for me no matter what. I remember this one time when I was about ten years old. I was in gymnastics class and I fell off of the high beam and broke my ankle. I called my dad and it seemed like he was there instantly, picking me up and taking me to the hospital. A week later I found out that he’d left a very important meeting to come get me. He lost a research grant worth more than my tuition because of that. I felt so guilty that I wanted to quit gymnastics altogether but he made me stay. He told me that I was worth a thousand grants.” Constance felt a tear falling down her cheek. She wiped it away, embarrassed. “Look at me. We’ve just met and already I’m telling you my life story.”
He was quiet. “I don’t mind. Your dad sounds like a great guy.”
“The best.”
“You said he was a scientist. What does he do?”
“Lots of things. He’s always got a dozen projects going at once. He always gets really busy and forgets to eat. If I didn’t take him food every once in a while, I don’t think he’d ever eat. Right now he’s working on a project so demanding that he’s even stopped sleeping. He works all day and all night. I’m not worried though. He’s done this before. But his current project is well worth it. It could earn him the Nobel Prize. He’s working on these micro robots called nanobots. They’re supposed to be able to fix things at the cellular level. It could revolutionize medicine, maybe even cure cancer. I’m really proud of him. I just hope he can get them to work. It all seems pretty farfetched to me.”
“I’ve heard about those. They’re supposed to be able to clean up oil spills and neutralize toxic waste and things like that, right?”
“Yeah.”
They continued talking for a long while before Constance glanced down at her watch and realized that she had missed two classes. “Oh! It’s almost three thirty! I have to go. I’m late for Calculus.” She hurriedly scribbled her cell phone number on a nearby napkin and tossed it at Christopher. “Call me later and we can set up a time to meet to go over my notes.” She saw him smirk again as she ran out the door.
As he was walking back across the street to the university parking lot where he had left his car, Christopher took out his cell phone and dialed. A woman answered, “Have you made contact?”
“Yes. She seems quite taken with me.”
“Good. Find out all you can about her father’s research. I want to be sure he’s built a working prototype before I make my move. There’s no point in going after him before it’s finished.”
“Understood.”
Christopher disconnected the call. As he got in his car and sped out of the lot he mused about how easily he had inserted himself into Constance’s life and, subsequently, into her father’s.
Chapter 2
After being viciously berated on her first day, Constance had adopted the habit of silencing her cell phone while she was in class. Leaving her Advanced Calculus class she reached to turn the ringer back on when she saw the little envelope flashing on the screen indicating that she had a voicemail. It’s probably Dad, she thought, dialing her mailbox, too busy to leave the lab and wants me to bring him dinner again. She smiled at this. But the voice she heard was definitely not her father’s. It took Constance a few seconds to realize who it belonged to. She hadn’t really expected him to call her.
“Constance. This is Christopher. I want to apologize for monopolizing your time this afternoon. I never meant for you to miss class. I am also aware that we never got around to making that schedule. If you wouldn’t mind giving up a Friday night, I would like to make it up to you. I’ll bring the food and you can schedule till your heart’s content. My number is 555-0236. I’ll be waiting to hear from you.”
She was so shocked that he had called that she didn’t hear the last part of the message. It sounded like he had enjoyed her company and wanted to see her again. She replayed it and wrote the number down on her hand. She saved the message and put her phone back in her pocket. The rest of the walk to her apartment Constance kept replaying his message in her head. By the time she got home she had convinced herself that he was only interested in getting caught up in class. Guys like him didn’t fall for girls like her. They liked those tall supermodel types with their perfect figures and flawless features. She unlocked her door and set her bag down on the coffee table in the living room. She went to her bedroom and changed out of her jeans and t-shirt into a pair of shorts and a tank.
Constance looked into the mirror on the inside of her closet door and examined herself. Her face was unremarkable: brown eyes that were a little too far apart, a nose that was a little too small, full lips that were a little to large. She moved her inspection lower, to the rest of her body. She was in shape but it’s not like anyone would notice. She always wore loose fitting clothes to hide her imperfections. Her breasts were too big for her small frame, making her look top-heavy. Her hips were too wide, so jeans never fit quite right. On the whole she believed herself to be completely disproportioned and awkward. The only feature she liked about herself was her hair. It was long and silky, reaching to the middle of her back. But Constance knew that guys weren’t interested in a girl’s hair. She pulled it back into a ponytail and shut the closet door, removing the mirror from view. Enough self-pity for one day, she thought.
She resigned herself to the fact that Christopher had only called her to make sure she would still help him for class. He’s probably trying to butter me up so I’ll let him cheat, she thought. But when she returned to the living room she called him anyway, deciding that if they were going to be lab partners then she wanted to make sure he knew what he was doing.
He answered on the second ring. “Yes?”
“Christopher? It’s Constance.”
“So have you decided to take me up on my offer?”
“I don’t really have much choice do I? My grade now depends on how well you do in class. If you fail, I fail.” She knew this sounded a little harsh but she didn’t care.
He didn’t seem to notice though. “Great. So do you like pizza? I passed a pizza place on the way back to my apartment this afternoon. I can come pick you up.”
“I don’t feel like going out. Would you mind coming over here? We would get a lot more done here than at a noisy restaurant.” Constance knew this normally would have sounded like a pick-up line but since she was sure he wasn’t interested, she didn’t worry about it.
“Alright. I’ll bring the pizza to you. Is pepperoni okay?”
“Pepperoni’s fine. My address is 1498 University Dr. Do you know how to get here?”
“Yes, right across from the university. I’ll can be there in fifteen minutes.”
“Okay,” she said, and hung up.
There was a knock on her door exactly fifteen minutes later. Constance opened the door to see Christopher balancing a pizza and his chem book in one hand with his other hand raised to knock again. She took the pizza from him and motioned for him to come in.
“Thanks,” he said and closed the door behind him.
She led him to the living room and set the pizza down on the coffee table next to her bag.
They both sat down on the couch and Constance reached into her bag to get out her chemistry book. “I guess we should start at the beginning.” She opened it to the first chapter. “An Introduction to Chemistry,” she read. “Let’s see what you know. What is chemistry?”
“Chemistry is the study of matter, including its composition, structure, changes, and the energy required for such changes.”
“Okay, how about the definition of matter?”
“Anything that occupies space and has mass.”
“Compound?”
“A substance composed of two or more elements.” There was that damn smirk again.
“Okay, so you know the basics. Let’s try something harder.” She flipped ahead to the third chapter. “What is the most abundant element in the atmosphere and how many electrons does it have?”
“Oxygen and eight.”
She flipped to the back of the book, to a chapter they hadn’t covered in class yet. “Name the three IB Metals.”
“Copper, Silver, and Gold.”
Constance closed the book and looked at him suspiciously. “You’ve taken chemistry before haven’t you?”
“No, I read the book this afternoon while I was waiting for your call.”
She looked disheartened. “I guess you’re caught up then. We’re only on chapter five so you shouldn’t have any problem on Monday.”
“You really wanted to put me in my place didn’t you? You’re not used to people being as smart as you are.”
She looked down at her hands, feeling guilty because that’s exactly what she’d been trying to do. “I’m sorry.”
Christopher put a finger under her chin and gently lifted her head so that her eyes met his. “Don’t ever apologize for being yourself.”
He let go and her eyes drifted back to her hands. “You’re right. I don’t have a very high opinion of people in general and I guess I have a tendency to be condescending without realizing it.”
“I agree with you completely. Most people are idiots. They don’t deserve your time.”
She looked up at him with a quizzical expression on her face. She didn’t know what to think about this man who was obviously her intellectual equal. She had never encountered anyone like him before. “So if you didn’t need my help, why are you here?”
“When we met this morning you reminded me of someone.”
“Who?” She was curious.
“Me.” They both grinned at this.
“Well, since we’re not going to study, we might as well eat.” She opened the pizza box and grabbed a slice. After taking a bite she got up and walked to the kitchen. “Would you like something to drink? I’ve got water and soda.”
“Soda.” She tossed him a can from the fridge and took one for herself.
She returned to the couch and they sat in comfortable silence while they ate. I can’t believe how comfortable I feel around him, she thought, and I just met him this morning. This is insane. She broke the silence with another question. “So what do you usually do on a Friday night?”
“Not much. I’m not exactly a social butterfly. I keep to myself mostly. I usually stay at home.”
“That’s hard to believe. Someone like you? I would think you’d be going out every night.”
“Someone like me?”
“Yeah. You’re tall, sexy, and British. I know girls that would kill to go out with you.”
He raised an eyebrow at this. “Really?”
“Oh, yeah!” It was then that she noticed that she had called him sexy. Her face flushed and she gave a shy smile.
“You know, you’re not so bad yourself,” he said, looking at her appraisingly.
She flushed an even darker shade of crimson. “You shouldn’t say things that aren’t true.”
“I don’t.”
She looked up into those beautiful blue eyes of his and didn’t back away when he leaned in close. He caressed her cheek softly and she closed her eyes. Then suddenly his hand was gone and he was standing up. Constance opened her eyes, confused. She had been sure that he was going to kiss her.
“It’s late. I should go.”
She didn’t know what to say so she mumbled a barely audible, “Okay,” and watched him walk out the door.
She got up off the couch and started cleaning up the pizza and soda cans. Stupid, stupid, stupid, she thought, throwing them in the trash. He wasn’t going to kiss me. But it was obvious that I thought he was going to. I scared him off and lost a potentially good friend in the process. What was I thinking? She watched out the window as Christopher drove away. He’ll probably never want to see me again.
That was not supposed to happen, Christopher thought as he drove. He ran a hand through his unkempt hair in a nervous gesture that he’d tried to rid himself of. He passed his street and kept going toward the highway. How did she get under my skin in less than a day? He had always prided himself on being detached and able to control his emotions. In this game it could mean the difference between life and death. He had lost control. Not because he had almost kissed her, no, sex was just another tool. Because he wanted to kiss her, not to manipulate her, but because he had really wanted to. And that scared him more than the threat of death.
Chapter 3
She woke up early Saturday morning feeling miserable. She’d lain awake most of the night feeling like she had driven away the first person that she’d ever felt a real connection with. But she refused to feel sorry for herself. She wasn’t any worse off than she had been the previous morning. She decided to go for an early morning run around the track field so she took a quick shower and changed into a sports bra and a pair of lounge pants. On the way out the door she slipped into her favorite well-worn pair of running shoes and grabbed her cell phone.
Constance jogged around the track for a while, trying to clear her head. Running usually helped to relieve tension but today it just wasn’t working. She made her way back to her apartment and took another shower, a cold one. As she stood under the icy spray she kept repeating to herself, I met him yesterday, you can’t miss someone you only knew for one day. It just doesn’t make any sense. But the little voice in the back of her mind wasn’t listening. All it could say was those eyes, that damn annoying smirk, that tousled hair, mmm . . . She was suddenly glad it was a cold shower.
She didn’t see Christopher again until Monday morning in class. She had almost thought he wasn’t going to come but he showed up just as the bell rang. He sat down next to her but the professor had already started the lesson and they didn’t get a chance to talk until class was over. He left rather quickly and Constance had to run to catch up. She touched him on the shoulder and he turned to face her. “Christopher, please. Can we go somewhere and talk?”
He nodded and led her outside to an empty bench in the square.
“I know exactly what I want to say and it’ll be easier without interruptions.” She didn’t give him time to respond. “We have a lot in common and I think there is a real connection between us. I know it was fast and I know it doesn’t make sense but you are the first person that I’ve talked to in ages that didn’t bore me to tears. I enjoy talking to you and I already consider you a friend. I think it would be a waste to throw this away over one awkward moment. I guess what I’m trying to say is, can we still be friends?”
“I’d like that.”
“Good because I don’t know how long I could have stood having a silent lab partner. That would be difficult.”
“When I first met you, three days ago,” he laughed, “I thought you were the quiet bookish type. But you talk a lot.”
“I am the quiet bookish type. But when I find someone worth talking to, I do. I have a lot to say but most people don’t want to listen. I think that’s part of why I like talking to you so much. You sit there and let me talk. I think you’re listening but it’s kinda hard to tell.” She squinted her eyes and looked at him closely as if searching for proof.
“Yes, I’m listening.”
“Just checking. I’d love to stay and chat some more but I missed two classes on Friday and I can’t afford to miss any more. Call me if you want to do something later. Or not, it’s up to you.” She rose from the bench and walked to her English class in a much better mood than when she had sat down.
Over the next few weeks Constance and Christopher saw each other regularly, three days a week in class and almost every weekend. One Friday evening, after her last class, while they were walking together toward the café where they regularly spent their free time, her father called. “Hi, Dad.”
“Hello, sweetheart. I know you’re busy but I was wondering if . . .”
“If I would bring you something to eat,” she interrupted, smiling, “Sure. What would you like?”
“Chinese. I’m sorry to keep doing this to you, honey, but I think I’m really onto something here.”
“No problem.” She paused and looked over at Christopher. “Dad, would you mind if I brought a friend along?”
Twenty-five minutes later Constance was unlocking the door to her father’s house. Christopher followed as she led the way to her father’s basement lab. She knocked on the door and heard a muffled, “Coming,” and a few seconds later, footsteps walking up the stairs. She motioned for Christopher to follow her to the kitchen. She was setting the table when her father came in. “Hi, honey,” he said, kissing her on the cheek. “So who is this friend of yours?”
“Hello, sir. My name is Christopher,” he said, extending his hand. “I have Chemistry with your daughter. She’s an excellent lab partner.”
Dr. Jacobs shook his hand, nodding. “I know she is. She’s helped me figure out a problem more than once.”
“Constance told me that you’re working on nanotechnology right now. That must be exciting.”
“It’s the most fascinating discovery ever. But it’s also the most elusive. I can’t seem to get the equations to balance though. Every time I think I’m getting close, I find another wall blocking my progress. I’ll be lucky to crack the mechanics within the year.”
“Enough shop talk guys. The food’s going to get cold.”
A couple of hours later they left her father’s house and walked the few blocks to Constance’s apartment building. “Your dad seems like a great guy.”
“I’ve always thought so. He’s been my best friend for most of my life. I’ve always been able to talk to him about anything.”
Christopher felt a twinge of guilt at this but he pushed it aside. There was no room for sentiment. He was sent to gather intel about Dr. Jacobs and so far he had succeeded. He simply had to maintain his ruse of friendship with Constance long enough for her father to complete his project. Then he would never have to see either of them again. He was so deep in thought that he hadn’t noticed that they had arrived outside her apartment.
“Thank you for coming with me tonight. It means a lot to me. Not many people would enjoy talking to a boring scientist for two and a half hours.”
“It was very informative,” he said with a small grin. Which was true. He had learned a lot.
She laughed. “I’m just glad he didn’t try to show you his lab. We would have been stuck there all night.”
“At least I’ll have something to look forward to for next time.”
Constance looked down at her watch. “It’s still early. Do you feel like maybe catching a movie?”
“I can’t. I have to get up early in the morning. I have a meeting with the counselor at seven. Apparently there’s something wrong with my transfer application. It’ll probably take a few hours to sort it all out. I should be finished by lunch though.”
“That sounds good. I’ll meet you at noon then.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” he said, and walked around the corner and out of sight.
When he was sure she was out of earshot he took out his phone and dialed his employer.
“What have you discovered,” asked the woman, with a faint Russian accent.
“Dr. Jacobs’ research is coming along nicely. I met him myself this evening. He is very dedicated to his work. I believe it wont take him long to develop a prototype.”
“And the girl?”
“She doesn’t suspect anything. I’m meeting her for lunch tomorrow.”
“Keep me informed of any changes.” There was an audible click as she hung up.
scar: 
I can't wait to read more, and see where you take it 
!! More soon please 
THis is such a great Fic!! I love Sark, as people can tell from my own fic...(I have him and Sid together.) so this is SO AWESOME!!!!!