Into the Unknown

f i v e

T/W: mention of drug use but it's only one paragraph so I'll put a warning there

"Leave us" Aileen said, never taking her eyes of the man before her.

The men scrambled to get out of the factory, and the two were finally left alone.

"So" Aileen started. She spread her hands as if she was a host at a tv show . "We meet again." she said over-dramatically.

The man said nothing. He just stared at her, his expression a mix of confusion, anger and curiosity.

"What? Cat got your tongue, big boy?" Aileen smiled. "We see each other again after so long and you're giving me the silent treatment?" The man looked pointedly away from her. Aileen looked down to see his hands tied up in handcuffs.

"Well this is ironic" she smirked. "The roles have been reversed. Oh, I wanna have some fun with this!"

"And here I thought I was the kinky one" Vincent finally spoke up, looking at her with the good old smirk in his face.

"Ah, there it is. I almost didn't recognise you without that asshole-ishness."

"I don't think that's a word."

"Really? Oh well. Come, follow me." Aileen beckoned him to follow her in the back of the building, where the chief's office room must have been when the factory still worked.

It was a fairly large space, litted by a large window across the door, overlooking water. And in the very back, you could witness New York slowly being illuminated by the lights of its buildings, as the sun was steadily setting down.

Aileen pointed to a chair. "Sit" she ordered. Vincent huffed annoyed, but complied anyway. He wanted to get these cuffs off, they weren't exactly his style. He was still very much confused about the whole 'Aileen being the big boss' thing, but he decided not to speak about it just yet.

Aileen sat opossite him, a large desk seperating them. It looked like it was old, and probably an antique. She carelessly put her feet on the wooden surface, legs crossed, her combat boot heels grazing the furniture.

"You cut your hair a bit. I like it, it suits you better" she told him.

"You dyed yours. Interesting change."

"Would you like a drink?" she smiled at him.

"Aren't you gonna ask me why I'm here?"

"All in good time." she answered, the smile never leaving her alluring face.

"Do you have vodka then?" he sighed.

She nodded and removed her feet from the table to look in the cabinet behind her. "So tell me" she continued searching, "any news from Rory? I went through all that trouble to save the bastard, he'd better be alive."

Vincent chuckled. She hadn't changed all that much then. "Last I heard, he and Derek got married, about four years ago."

She stopped for a second, looked at him pointedly and then facepalmed herself. "For the love of God, Rory, why?" she sighed in pure exasperation.

"Yeah, I thought the same thing. And I tend to voice my opinions, which was probably why I wasn't invited to the wedding."

Aileen laughed and finally came up with a bottle of a colorless liquid and two glasses. She started puring some of the liquid into the glasses.

"What about...uhh..Phil? And Barbara?"

Vincent looked surprised and a wave of sadness passed over his eyes momentarily. "Philip..um..he died about 8 months after you left. Heart attack." He gulped slightly.