Have you ever wondered how Charles and Madeline got together? Well here is my version of how they did!

~~~~~~

Things were hectic as the group came back from the mission. The others first out followed Charles. Adrian was waiting for them as they stepped into Section from transport.

"Well Charles, I understand the mission went well. Congratulations." she said as she walked with him to debrief.

"Yes it did. No anomalies and everything went according to mission parameters." he countered.

"Excellent. When you are done with debrief I would like to see you in my office Charles. There are some things I need to go over with you." With that Adrian turned and walked away leaving Charles to attend his meeting.

*****

"Ahhh, there you are Charles. Good. I'd like you to meet someone that has been transferred from Section Two. Madeline this is Charles... Charles ... Madeline."

They greeted each other and Madeline was taken aback with this handsome man. She wasn't normally affected by just looks alone but this guy had it all. Tall and dark, and with smooth manners. "I've heard a lot about you Charles. Very impressive."

Charles chuckled. "Thanks."

"Right, now that introductions are over, let's get down to business." Adrian interrupted. "Madeline is a level 4 op and has been specializing in profiling and strategies at Two. I would like you to take her under your wing here at One and get her accustomed to the way we do things. You're our top operative here Charles and we need to get things underway as soon as possible. With the death of our previous strategist we are in a bit of a rush to get things back to normal as quickly as we can."

"Right. Is that all?" Charles wondered.

"Yes. You may go now."

******

"Well that was short and sweet." Madeline spoke as they made their way to Comm.

"Yes, well Adrian doesn't like to beat around the bush unless it suits her." he answered. "But don't underestimate her. Beneath that sweet exterior there beats a heart of stone."

"I'll keep that in mind." Madeline glanced at him thinking again how handsome he was. She wondered...."Charles, what say you and I grab a cup of coffee and go over our strategy for the next few days."

Charles glanced sideways at her. "Sure. Just let me grab some files from my office and I'll meet you back here."

Madeline watched him walk away and liked what she saw. "Hello Madeline. Nice to see you again." a voice came from behind her.

She turned to see a familiar face. "Hello Paul. We meet again."

"I hear you got transferred here. A step up for you."

"Yes it is. I hear you made level 5 op recently. Congrats. It seems we are both moving up at Section." she acknowledged.

"Yes it does look that way. Would you like to join me for a drink?"

Madeline smiled inwardly. It seemed he hadn't changed at all in the year since she had seen him last. "Actually I am meeting Charles here shortly. I'll be working with him for the next little while."

"I see. Well maybe some other time." Paul said before he retreated to his office.

A few weeks went by and Madeline took no time at all fitting in at One. It looked like she had found her niche. She had made a few friends, got along with Adrian quite well was getting along with Charles better than she had hoped. Considering where they worked, he was always a bright spot in her day. The only dark spot on her horizon was Paul.

Yes they had had an affair when he was stationed at Two but that was long over. At least she thought it was. He seemed so jealous of Charles and her relationship. She had tried to talk to him about it but he just brushed her off. He told her that her accusations were ridiculous. If she was happy with Charles then he was happy for her although his actions and looks told her otherwise.

Sitting at her desk working up the latest profile she didn't hear anyone come in. This profile was one of the more intriguing ones and she was so intent on it that a bomb could have gone off and she wouldn't have noticed.

"Hello Madeline." Charles said as he placed a single yellow rose on her desk.

Madeline looked up with a smile although a bit startled. Charles had started with the roses the week before and each day it was a different color. Her favorite had been the lavender one. "Thank you Charles. It's lovely."

"My pleasure lovely lady." he acknowledged as he gave her a wink. "So, what are you working on this morning that has you so intrigued?"

"It's a new recruit we just got in yesterday and I am trying to figure out the best way to go about training him." she explained. "He has a very colorful past and is well trained in combat, courtesy of our government, but there are some conflicting bits of data in his file. I am scheduled to see him this afternoon and I need to make sure I am familiar with everything."

"Which part of our government was he involved in?"

"Special Forces, Navy SEALS division." she read from the file in front of her.

"Crimes committed?"

"Says here 2 murders, one of which was his commanding officer. It seems that he was sent out on a suicide mission where 4 of his team members were killed. He was the only one that made it out alive. Barely. He was court-martialed and sent to prison. That was the one that brought him to our attention. Seems he committed suicide." she read further. "That was when we brought him here."

"Sounds like he'll fit right in here if you ask me." Charles commented. "Let me know how it goes after the interview. How about over dinner?"

"Sure. I'll call you and let you know when I'm done with him." she smiled.

********

"Where the hell am I?" the young man asked when Madeline stepped into the room.

"Section One."

"Why am I here?"

"You have certain skills which are desirable in our organization."

"Such as?"

"You're ruthless, you are emotionless for the most part and you are highly skilled."

"Yeah well you can just stuff your organization where the sun don't shine lady. I ain't interested."

"Would you rather be dead then?"

"Something tells me I already am." he countered.

"Perhaps."

The interrogation lasted a bit longer and when Madeline was done she returned to her office to write up the report. He seemed a promising candidate but she still had reservations. She called Charles to let him know she was done.

***************

Madeline was just about to leave her office when Adrian walked in. "Hello Madeline."

"Adrian."

"How did it go with the new recruit.. what was his name again?"

"It went well. His name is Jurgen." Madeline replied.

"Good. Put him with Paul. I think he'll train well under him. Both military backgrounds so they should be well suited."

"Certainly. I'll let Paul know on my way out."

"Oh? You going somewhere?" Adrian was aware with what had been happening between Charles and Madeline.

"Yes, I am meeting up with Charles to go over some files."

"Dinner too?"

"Yes. Is that a problem?" Madeline challenged.

"No. No problem." Adrian answered calmly. "So is it completely over with you and Paul then?"

That caught Madeline off guard and it showed in her expression. "What do you mean?"

"Oh come now Madeline. Don't look so surprised. We know everything that goes on between our operatives. We knew the moment you two got together." Adrian laughed. "You of all people should know that."

"Yes. It's over."

"And your feelings for Charles?"

Madeline smiled at the mention of his name. "I have feelings for him."

"Strong feelings or is this just another affair?"

"I'm not sure. My feelings for him are strong yes, but I know that nothing can ever come of it."

"And how do you know that?" Adrian wondered.

"Oh Adrian, this is Section, this isn't the normal world where you can get married and have a family."

"Maybe not a family in the traditional sense but we do allow certain operatives the freedom to get married and to be together." she announced to the surprise of her student. "We aren't completely unfeeling you know."

"Have you never wanted children Adrian?"

"Not really. Section is my child. I founded it and nurtured it and watched it grow. For me that has been enough." She watched as the emotions flicked across Madeline’s face. "Enough talk, you have a date and I have work to do. I will see you tomorrow."

As Adrian walked out the door Madeline had a smile on her face as she thought about the evening ahead. She was positive that she had been given the go ahead for a possible future with Charles. Coming out of her reverie long enough to use the phone, she called Paul to let him know about his new recruit. Even with him being his usual surly self, her mood was not spoiled.

Humming a playful tune she grabbed her jacket and made her way out of Section. Operatives glanced at her display of happiness and shook their heads. How could anyone be happy in Section.

********

Madeline stopped at the market to buy the fixings for their dinner. She thought it would be nice if she did the cooking for a change. She didn't have much chance of that lately. She had suggested the idea to Charles that he come to her place and he readily agreed. Making one last stop, she picked up a bottle of wine and then she was on her way home.

Charles as usual was right on time and they enjoyed their meal. They found they had more things in common than they thought. They both cleared the dishes off the table and after placing them in the dishwasher Charles poured them both another glass of wine before they headed to the living room. Madeline put on some soft music and went to sit beside Charles on the couch.

********

Once the work was done, Charles took a grasp of the file in Madeline’s hands and set it down with the rest of them on the table. He turned to her and took her hands in his. "Madeline, I find I have very strong feelings for you. I enjoy the time we spend together and I often think of you when you're not around."

Madeline was not surprised to hear him say this. She had sensed it almost from the beginning when they met in Adrian's office. "I feel the same way Charles. I have been in Section for a long time now and this is the first time that I can honestly say I feel ... happy? I didn't think I would ever feel that way in the surroundings we are in."

"So what are we going to do about it?"

"Do? I don't know. Why don't we take it one day at a time for now? We don't need to rush into something, that is..., unless we want to." Her feelings were strong for him but she wasn't sure she wanted to jump into anything this soon. She had gotten a reputation at Two for being free with her 'affections' and didn't want that to follow her to One.

"Fine. We'll do it one day at a time... for now." Charles conceded. He glanced at his watch and started to get up. "It's late and I really should be going. Thanks for a wonderful dinner and your company. I'll see you in the morning."

Madeline got up and got his jacket for him and as he was opening the door, she leaned over and went to kiss him on the cheek but at the last second he turned his head so that his lips met hers. It was a gentle kiss at first and as they gave in to their emotions it became much more. When they finally parted, her cheeks were flushed and they were both short of breath.

Charles put his hand up to her cheek and stroked it. "I'll see you in the morning." he whispered softly. Then he was gone.

Madeline slowly closed the door behind him and sighed. Yes she definitely had feelings for him.

********

Things were hectic around Section for the next few months as new missions came up and new recruits arrived. Madeline and Charles didn't have the opportunity to spend a lot of time together other than a few snatched moments in the hallways of One and the odd meal together. Just knowing that they could see each other in passing was enough to keep their spirits up. Madeline was looking forward to the time that they would be able to get together again for an evening. Their relationship hadn't wavered any and she was ready for the next phase. Their downtime hadn't coincided since that evening when they had declared their feelings for one another. Hopefully that would change soon.

Madelines daydreaming was interrupted as Paul came up to her. "Have you gone over the reports on Jurgen yet Maddy?" How she hated when he called her that. It brought back unbidden memories of the time that they had been intimate.

"Yes."

"Yes.. and??" he prompted.

"He seems to be progressing at an accelerated rate. I think it's time to put him through some live simulations."

Paul looked at her in surprise. "So soon? He's only been with us for 6 months."

"Yes. I am aware of that. His training before he came to us has put him way ahead of schedule. It's not unreasonable to push ahead on his timetable." she answered him calmly.

"What about his psyche profile. You think he's ready."

"Why are you questioning my decision Paul? I told you he was ready. The live simulation will settle any doubts you may have. I have none." She was getting angry now and she let him know. If it had been anyone else telling him to do this he would never have questioned it.

"Fine." He stood there watching her as she turned her back on him.

When she realized he hadn't moved away she sighed. "Is there anything else Paul. As you can see I am busy," she asked without turning back to him.

"Yes. Actually there is."

"What is it?"

"Are you still 'seeing' Charles?"

Madeline whirled around in her chair. "And it's your business because..."

Paul glanced around to make sure no one else was within hearing distance and leaned over a bit closer. "I still care about you Madeline. Is it so wrong for me to be concerned about you?"

Madeline shook her head. "Paul. The only person you care about is yourself. Don't feed me any lines about how you still feel for me. I was a diversion for you and nothing more."

"That's not true and you know it."

Madeline was about to answer when Adrian came over her intercom. "Madeline, I need to see you in my office now."

"Right away Adrian." She got up, glanced at Paul and left without saying anything.

************

Madeline and Charles finally managed to get the same down days and they planned a day out and away from anything to do with Section. Madeline was just putting the finishing touches on the picnic basket when Charles arrived. He hadn't told her anything other than that it would be a surprise.

Opening the door to him she greeted him with a resounding kiss. It was hard to believe that it had been almost a year since they had met. At times it seemed shorter and others much longer. When they did manage some time alone, it was like Section didn't exist. Paul had still been nagging her about her relationship with Charles and being obnoxious about it but the fact that Adrian approved made it acceptable.

"Good, I see you are all ready." Charles observed as he stepped inside. "I have everything else we need so let's go shall we."

Grabbing up the basket in one hand and looping his arm around her shoulder they left.

******

It had been a lovely morning of hiking through the woods and watching nature in its glory. It had been such a long time since either of them had really thought about life other than the one they had at Section. They had come upon a waterfall just before noon and had decided to stop there for their picnic. Spreading the blanket on the ground beside the small body of water at the base of the falls, they sat down to rest their tired bodies.

Madeline’s body warmed with the intensity of Charles' gaze. This was the first time they had been alone for months. Charles closed the distance between the two of them and knelt beside her, his hands closing over her shoulders as he leaned into her and joined his lips to hers. His hands slowly moved lower and started to unbutton her blouse never losing contact with her mouth. His lips moved slowly over hers, his tongue enticing her lips open as he explored deeper and deeper.

Madeline instinctively leaned into the embrace. Her fingers finding their own way down his back pulling him closer as they also pulled him down onto the blanket so they were laying side by side. She shifted in his arms to bring her self even closer to his body.

His hands tightened around her waist as their kiss intensified and with a flip of his body had her pinned beneath him. Madeline arched towards him, reveling in the hardness of his body.

"Madeline, I want you so much." he whispered to her with emotion. He started to undo his buttons on his shirt so as to get closer to her and to feel her naked skin against his. "I need you."

"I want you too Charles. We've waited much too long for this." Madeline helped him to remove his shirt and then started on his belt buckle. They were both in a frenzy to consummate their relationship.

*******

Basking in the afterglow, and cooling off in the light breeze that had sprung up, Charles leaned up on one elbow and caressed Madelines cheek. "I love you Madeline. What would you say if I asked Adrian about the possibility of us getting married?"

"Are you proposing to me Charles?" Madeline smiled languidly.

"Yes. What do you say?"

"Yes."

"Yes?"

Madeline nodded her head in affirmation as she leaned over to kiss him. "Yes Charles. I will marry you."

***********

Adrian hadn’t been surprised when Charles had approached her soon after he had spent the day with Madeline. She had given her blessing to the two of them after she had consulted with George. Their performance levels were at their peak and had not fluctuated in the time the two of them had been seeing each other. Adrian had noticed the attraction from the start when they met in her office on that first day. One condition that they had attached to the marriage was that there were to be no flashy rings and the ceremony would be private and small. There had only been few marriages at Section.

"You’re really going to go through with this are you?" Paul asked Madeline as they were working on a profile.

"Paul, I told you. Give it up. Unlike some people around here I do know about love." Madeline said getting exasperated with him. "Now can we get back to the task at hand."

"Fine but don’t say I didn’t warn you."

Madeline just rolled her eyes and shook her head. "What are the latest figures for Jurgen and Stover?"

"Jurgen is at peak and Stover is at 96%. His weak areas are being worked on now and if he can’t bring himself up to par then he will be canceled. The other recruits are still in training phase and won’t be evaluated until later this month."

"Good."

"So when is the wedding?"

"Last week." She announced to a startled Paul.

Paul glanced down at Madeline’s hand and it was then that he noticed the wedding band. It was plain gold and no engagement ring. "Why all the secrecy?"

"Not that I have to explain anything to you, but there were conditions on the marriage and one of them was that we were o have a very private ceremony. Adrian made all the arrangements."

"Interesting."

Madeline and Charles were getting settled into their married life and enjoying being together whenever they could. Six months had gone by since they had gotten married. It had been strange for both of them at the first to come home to someone instead of trying to find the time to be together. Sometimes they were no more than ships passing in the night but they did manage to spend some days together. They managed to celebrate Charles promotion to Tier One Operative the day he received the news. Madeline herself had been promoted to a Level 5 Op much sooner than expected.

Adrian was going over the final briefing for the next mission up. Paul, Charles, Madeline, Walter and 3 other ops were in attendance. "We need to get in and retrieve the data without being compromised. The parameters are very stringent and there is no room for any anomalies. Everyone go over your PDA’s very carefully and make sure you know the game plan before you arrive. Any questions? Good. We’ll see you at the debriefing then."

Paul, Charles and the others got up and headed to munitions to retrieve their equipment. Walter glanced up as they entered his domain. Handing out the equipment he wished them all good luck and told them all to bring his equipment back in one piece. Once they were equipped they headed to transport. Madeline would be monitoring from Comm but she made sure to say goodbye to Charles before he left.

==

"Charles, you’re in the clear. Head to the break point and wait." An operative spoke over the COM unit.

"Okay, I’m here. All’s clear."

"Wait… hold your position. There is an anomaly on the west wall."

"What kind of anomaly?"

"Three hostiles. They may have backup."

The sound of gunfire could be heard through the COM units as all hell broke loose. "I’m hit." Charles managed to get out before communication was broken.

Adrian was pacing in the COM area. "Pull back. Use the alternate egress route." Madeline knew something had gone wrong. She hoped that Charles was okay.

It was a solemn group that arrived back at Section. Everyone but Charles managed to get out.

Adrian was waiting for them. "Paul I will want a debrief as soon as possible. I’ll meet you there in 5 minutes."

"Now tell me what happened." Adrian demanded of Paul as soon as he walked through the door. "What happened to Charles?"

Paul looked at bit uneasy as he watched Adrian. "Everything was going according to the profile until Charles was in position. Some hostiles showed up from out of nowhere. Our timetable must have been off."

"Do you know for sure if he was killed?"

"His last communiqué with us said he had been hit and then we lost contact with him. Yes, I would say he is dead. We heard nothing further."

"That will be all."

Adrian wasn’t sure how she would tell Madeline that Charles had gone down. She wasn’t looking forward to it. "Madeline can I see you in my office."

"Be right there." Madeline knew something was up but she was not prepared for the news Adrian imparted to her. "I refuse to believe he is dead. Where is his body?"

"I know this is not easy for you to take in Madeline but we did warn you of the risks when we gave permission for the marriage." Adrian spoke softly. "His body was not brought back because we would have lost more operative trying to retrieve him. You yourself know that everyone here is expendable collateral."

"Is that what you call him." Madeline shouted. "Expendable collateral?"

"That is enough. I will give you a few days to come to terms with this and then I will expect you back on the job." She said with no emotion. "And remember Madeline, no one is excluded."

"Oh so if I don’t then you’ll cancel me?"

"That’s right. Everyone is expendable here at One."

==

Madeline took her days off but when she returned to Section One she was a changed woman. She no longer was the smiling happy woman that she had been just a few days before. Everyone tried to avoid her so as not to incur her wrath. She did vow to herself though that she would get to the bottom of whatever it was that had happened. Adrian would pay.

The End