Hank:

I added a cap full of Bailey’s to the hot cocoa. I didn’t like the idea of making it too strong. A nice cup of hot tea is a much better treatment for nerves than booze. Walking back to the living room with the mug, I saw Kamal’s face. Aw shit. I handed Joan her drink and put my arm around Kamal’s shoulders.

"Don't worry babe, it'll be alright," I said trying to sound surer than I felt. Kamal looked on the verge of tears. Goddammit, I hate seeing him like this.

“I just can’t believe you have to go through this crap again,” Kamal said sadly, as he grabbed my hand.

I squeezed it reassuringly, “Well I don’t think it’ll be the same as last time, but I can handle it.”

Joan spoke up, "I don't know if this will put you at ease but there's a good chance I'm the main person of interest for B. D., not you. It might be that we were herded towards each other, so to speak, in order to kill two birds with one stone. Not literally!" she exclaimed, seeing the look on Kamal's face, "I'm sure they only want to do surveillance to make sure Hank isn't getting involved again." She looked at the mug in her lap. The kid didn't have the best skill at comforting people.

I had to laugh, “I’m not sure if that should insult me or not, no offense but I have a longer history with them than you.”

She grimaced, “Maybe, but I doubt you committed what some agencies would define as low-level domestic terrorism." I gaped at her but she looked sideways while she sipped her drink. "Mmm, where did you get this hot cocoa? It's really good with the Bailey's," she commented evasively.

“Ok, that’s it you need to tell us exactly what you did to piss off Big Dic,” I said more harshly than I intended. Her confession nearly knocked the wind out of me. Who the hell was this kid? I may not have always had confidence in the system but I never broke the law or endangered anyone to get my point across. Despite my bleeding heart, I was more than prepared to through this potential delinquent out on the street if she threatened my family.

Joan’s face colored a little but she met my hard look with narrowed eyes and a flash of defiance.

“I didn’t blow up the lab intentionally, and as far as I know no one even got hurt. Shit, I wouldn’t be surprised if B. fucking D. blew up the lab themselves to destroy any evidence that might bring to light what was happening in those fucking labs,” all this came out of her in an angry rush, her voice rising throughout the explanation. She nearly slammed the mug down in anger when she stood up. I’d underestimated a lot of things about Joan since the moment we’d met but this I would not forget. God damn was she scary like this.

"Calm down, there's no need to yell…"Kamal trailed off while raising his hands in a placating fashion. Her glare kept him or me from saying anything else but it stirred some anger in me as well.

"Of course there's a goddamn fucking need to yell! Jesus Christ, what sheltered kind of shithole do you live in? I've been running for my life for a fucking week, not knowing who to fucking trust after seeing a place I used to work get blown to hell and nearly taking me with it! You think I don't have a fucking right to be a bit upset about that?!" she yelled, practically seething. I stood up, not sure what I was going to do, but Kamal touched my arm before I had the chance to shout back.

“I’m sorry,” Kamal said in a level voice. She looked surprised. “We didn’t know you’d been through all that, we just wanted to make sure you weren’t a danger to us or yourself. You can’t exactly lead with the words “domestic terrorism” and not expect a reaction,” he explained. Joan seemed to fold back into herself and she slowly sat down again.

"I'm sorry, I guess I've been burying everything for a while and it was bound to burst out eventually," she reached for her mug again and I noticed her hands were trembling. I sat back down too, feeling a bit ashamed myself.

Kamal patted my shoulders and turned back to Joan, “do you have any plan on what you’ll do next?” Have you tried talking to the authorities?”

Joan laughed without humor, “I don’t know of any authorities that could keep me out of B. D.’s hands. My loosely constructed death wish of a plan is to hide out in my aunt’s cabin and wait.”

“Wait for what,” Kamal asked worriedly.

"Wait till they come for me and confront them on my own terms or come up with a better plan," she said. Christ, judging by her face she'd already admitted defeat to herself. I couldn’t let this kid face the guns like this even if she set fire or whatever to some lab.

“Not alone you’re not,” I declared suddenly, “I’m going with you.”