Mission: Impossible 6: Deep Tides

Chapter 5

                  

Part 1

Erin put her arms around Ethan and they just sat there, him crying, her stroking his shoulders and arms, holding his hands, patting them. She almost cried herself at this reduction of such a beautiful man to almost nothing. She couldn't explain her own feelings for him. He was in love with Rebecca... but all she could do was find him attractive. She was burning up right now at his touch, even though he was crying and she shared his sadness. He lifted his head to look at her, seemingly almost blind through his haze of tears. Erin had a mad moment. She kissed him. Repercussions could wait. Rebecca could wait. Right now, she was the one who was here for Ethan Hunt. Surprisingly, he kissed her back. It was salty, watery, tasted like tears, all the raw emotions inside both of them poured into each other. Suddenly Ethan pulled away from her and sat up, his eyes flying wide and focusing. "Oh shit," he said. "I shouldn't have. I'm so sorry... no, don't cry! Please Erin, come here!"

Unable to do anything else, Erin obeyed, curling up with her head on his chest, watching her tears drip onto his legs. "Ethan," she said, ""I'm so sorry. I was upset and I took advantage of..." he butted in.

"And I shouldn't have kissed you back, Erin. Problem is, it happened. We're just going to have to live with it. Probably never speak of it again. You can't be jealous. You deserve so much better." He kissed her forehead gently, as they both cried together.

Luckily Benjie decided not to walk round the corner until that point.

Benjie sat down, looking shell shocked at the fact they had lost the key.

"I can't believe it," said Benjie. "We need to get the key back!" He looked at Ethan, who raised red rimmed eyes at him, sadly. "I mean it, Ethan! We can't just let it go! I know she's got it but we have to phone in and report her..." Ethan just looked at him, then nodded, barely. Benjie looked back at him. "It's okay," he mouthed encouragingly. Ethan nodded and stood up slowly, shaking his head slightly as if to rid it of what was going on inside it at that moment. He slowly slid his phone out of his pocket and called the headquarters of IMF. "Reporting, Agent E. Hunt, in CA, Agent R Flash gone rogue." He listened to what the person on the other end said, then his arm suddenly went slack, his phone dropping out of his hand and smashing on the floor.

"Benjie..." he said, losing the words he had in his head, failing, stumbling, tears blurring out his eyes. Benjie nodded to Erin, who put her arm under Ethan's shoulders. Ethan finally managed to get his words out.

"Benjie, Erin..." he started again.

"Benjie..." he repeated, seeming unable to get his words out. His eyes welled up again.

"Benjie... Benjie... We're to shoot to kill."

Ethan's eyes went dead; he collapsed, wept on the floor. All Benjie and Erin could do was sit down next to him, Benjie holding his hands and Erin with his head in her lap, stroking his hair and gently wiping away his tears.

Part 2

They sat like that for a long time until Erin's legs went dead and Benjie and Erin had fallen asleep with their heads together. All looked peaceful until the owner of the gas station stormed out of his shop at 7am and stood over the three of them. "What the hell are y'all three still doin' here?" Erin woke up first and shook Benjie, who stuttered and stood up. "We're terribly sorry, honestly," he started, as Ethan stirred, his head still in Erin's lap. "We had some terrible news." The owner glared at them. "Alright," he said, after a while. "But I don't wanna see you three hangin' around my gas station again." Then he bent down to Ethan and whispered something quickly in his ear, secretively, looked furtively at Benjie and Erin and ran off to a family waiting to pay for their pot noodles. Benjie stamped his foot. "Goddamn pot noodles! Where has she gone?!"