******Episode Ardyn Spoiler Alert******

Let this be a warning to those who have not played this episode, this chapter does contain spoilers for the last DLC for the game. I highly recommend playing the episode before you read this, it will help you to understand what will be going on in the background as our heroes try survive this vicious attack.

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The sound of her key unlocking the door seemed to echo throughout the empty hallways in the early morning hours at the citadel. It gave her a bit of a chill as she turned the key and opened up the door. She wasn't use to being here this early. But she wanted to get her things out of the office before Paul showed up that morning. She hoped that by being here this early, she would be in and out before he even arrived. She figured the less chance for them to run into each other, the better.

She was relieved that for most of the day, she would be working in the main surveillance room. She was going to be running the equipment in the control room, as well as handling the monitoring system. This way Korn only had to worry about keeping his eyes on everything so that he could making any calls when necessary.

Meanwhile Paul was to be in the surveillance van on the street near section B which was a couple blocks away from the train station's main entrance. They wanted as much support as possible near the stage, just in case things went south. So the vans were to be within a block of the stage, hidden among other cars so that they wouldn't stand out.

Sara closed and locked the door once she entered the room. This had become a habit of hers ever since she was put under protective custody. The more locks between her and her attackers, the better. She then turned on the light and hung up her coat on the coat rack and walked towards her desk so that she could start to gather up her personal effects.

She went over to the empty paper boxes that were generally used for transporting the completed case files that were to be locked up in the vault. She grabbed one and a lid, then went back over to her desk and started packing up her items. But as she worked, she didn't realize that the light had caught the attention of a certain person.

Paul silently stretched before he pushed himself back up to a sitting position in the chair that he had been in for the past several hours as he had conducted his research. He had had a feeling that he would end up sleeping here by the way the research had gone last night. For he hadn't found a trace of Ms. Sara Long that was old enough to be laget. But he couldn't be one hundred percent sure, until he confronted her.

For it seemed like she didn't even exist until after the rescue mission in Niflheim, which would only make sense if someone was in hiding. Because only those who had been there, would even know the details of that mission. So by the way it looked, she had been there.

But that didn't make any sense. Lynn and himself, along with baby Prompto, had been the only survivors. Everyone else was either killed during the mission or were taken hostage then killed off slowly by the Nif's. This bit of information had kept him awake in his research for most of the night as he tried to figure out who she really was.

Paul rubbed the back of his neck as he stood up. Then he stretched out his arms. He glanced at his suit coat, vest and tie from last night as they laid draped over the other chair.

He was glad now that he had taken them off before he had started his research. They wouldn't have been comfortable to sleep in. In fact he had even relaxed his shirt a bit by removing his cufflinks so that he could slightly roll up his sleeves. Plus he had undone the top three buttons on his shirt so that he could breathe better as he tried to relaxed. He would still need a shower after talking to her. But that was what the gym showers were for.

He walked around the door and stood in the shadows just behind the door jam as he watched her work. She had decided to wear one of her formal work skirts and blouses. He couldn't help but to soak in the sight, as the skirt seemed to hug her tight ass as she moved around as she carefully put her items into the box. Then when she turned towards him, he could see the swells of her breasts as her bra hugged them close to her while her blouse hung lower enough for him to see the smooth roundness of them.

He could feel his body starting to react to her again as he watched her. How is it that she can get him roused like this when he's not even touching her? Just who the hell is she? Had she been one of his old flames? No that wasn't possible. The only one he knew that had been in the department had reported missing.

But she had been more than just a fling to him. So much more. He still remembered his reaction when he had learning that she had gone missing. He had been so upset that he had refused to talk to anyone for over three weeks. And even after that, he still wouldn't talk about her to anyone. Not even Lynn could get him to talk. But was it even possible that this could be her?

"One might think that you are trying to hide something, the way that your trying to run out of here." He said in a deeper toned voice then he usually used, as he spoke from the shadows.

She froze in place and slowly started to search the area with her eyes. She could feel her heart racing in her chest. Had they found her? But how? She slowly reached into her desk and pulled out her long silver letter opener.

"That won't be necessary." He continued from the shadows. "I'm not going to hurt you. In fact I won't even touch you, if you don't want me to."

Sara gripped it tighter at his words.

"I just want to talk." He said as he watched her carefully.

"What if I don't want to talk?" She asked as she continued to search the room as she tried to figure out where he might be.

"Well, then we have a problem. Because we're not leaving here until you do." He said then he hit the hidden panic button that Korn had installed.

After pushing it, all of the outside windows and the front door were suddenly being covered up with thick metal plates that were designed to keep those inside, safe from those on the outside. Of course in this case, they were to prevent her from escaping. At least until he got his answers. He wasn't letting her go, until he learned the truth about her.

She jumped and quickly looked around as if in a panic. That was when she caught a glimpse of his white shirt in the shadows of Korn's office. She quickly flung the letter opener at him as if it was a dagger, as she raced across the room in a meager attempt to escape the room before the plates locked in place. But as she reached the door, she realized to late that she was now trapped.

That was when she slowly turned around. She watched as Paul stepped into the main part of the office with the letter opener in his hand as he slowly exited Korn's office. She froze in place as she felt all of the color drain from her face. She hadn't realized that it was Paul that she had thrown that at. Instantly she felt her body starting to break down as she stared at him. She never would have done that if she knew it was him.

What the hell? She thought as she stared at him Why is it I can't seem to get away from him? How am I suppose to keep him safe if he keeps showing up like this?

Paul simply put the letter opener on the desk and then sat on the edge of it with his arms crossed, as he stared hard at her. She couldn't help but to feel hurt that he was looking at her like that. She had heard that being on the receiving end of his hard stares could be brutal.  But she hadn't realized that it would be this harsh. For she felt like her entire world was being crushed by his stare.

Of course for her right now, it didn't help that she also felt like she was being torn apart. For part of her was relieved that he was the one in the office with her. But the part of her walking out last night and the attack here in the office, that had lead to the stern look on his face now.  Was enough to break her down. She had hurt him again. Even though she had thought that she was going to be a able to avoid it. She had still ended up hurting him anyway.

She stood there shaking as she tried to figure out what she was to do. She had been in hiding for so long, that this seemed to be the only thing that she knew anymore. But would he understand that? Would he understand that she hadn't been able to say anything for fear of being discovered?

"These walls are now covered in 6-inch thick titanium plates. There is a jammer going that is preventing all communications from coming in or leaving this room now." Paul said in a stern voice as he carefully watched her reaction. "Everything said in this room will stay in this room. And I will stake my life on that."

Sara kept her head down as she tried to steady herself. She was afraid to look at him for fear that she might break from the pressure that he was giving her. She wanted to tell him, but fear had her petrified. Everyone else had died that she had talk to about it. She didn't want that to happen to him.

"That's exactly what I'm trying to protect." She said in her normal voice.

Paul briefly closed his eyes as he heard her voice as if from the dead. For it was a voice that he thought that he would never hear again. He took a deep raspy breath as he looked at her. He knew her voice better than anyone's. He had heard her so much in his past, that her voice was the only voice that he could never forget.

"How long?" He asked as he tried to return his voice to normal. "How long have you been back?"

Sara leaned up against the door for support as she fought for any type of support.

"I was able to escape two months after being captured. But that was only due to everyone else helping me escape." She said as she kept her head down.

"Unfortunately, none of them made it back." She choked out as she could feel her throat tightening up.

"Each of them were slaughtered, as they helped me escape." She finished as she clutched her hands by her sides as she heavily leaned up against the door as she fought to maintain control.

Paul dropped his head as he remembered each of the team members that had gone out with them that day. He had thought that all of them were dead. Yet..... Yet here she was. Standing in front him. Talking to him.

"They have had you in hiding ever since?" He asked as he tried to keep himself under control.

His whole body was starting to tremble as visions of that day started to fly across his mind. They were always that same ones that still plagued him every once in awhile.

"Yeah." She simply said as she kept her head down.

She felt like she was going to fall to the floor in a heap at any minute as her whole body trembled.  Her knees were shaking as she braced for him to explode. She knew it was coming. How could he not be upset with her.

Paul then stood up and walked over to her. His feet felt like lead as he moved across the room. Had she really been this close the whole time, and he never knew it? Had she been hidden in plain sight where no one knew who she really was?

As soon as he reached her he placed his hand on her cheek and lifted up her face so that she was looking at him. He searched her face as he looked at her high cheekbones and small petite nose. He then reached up and ran his hands through her hair until he saw her dark brown roots as they were starting to grow back out again. Then he looked closer at her eyes and saw the thin edges of the colored contacts that she was wearing.

He then could feel all of the emotions of losing her come back to the surface as he realized that it was indeed her. She searched his face as she tried to figure out what he was thinking. Only to have him slowly lower his head to hers and place his lips on hers. Suddenly her whole body was wide awake again and tingling as she felt the electricity coming from him.

His whole body felt alive again as he felt her responding to him. He then wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her up and closer to him. He wanted to feel her. All of her. He had to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. He ran his hands over her trim back and sides as he started to deepen the kiss as his hunger for her was starting to grow.

Her body was tingling from his hands as he rubbed them across her skin leaving behind nothing but pure heat and desire for more. She started to melt against him again as she fell under his spell. Only he could bring her to her knees in a matter of seconds with his touch. And she had longed for years, as she had watched him make love to Lynn, that it was her instead. But now here he was. She wasn't sure if it was a dream or not. All she knew was that she never wanted it to stop.

Paul deepened the kiss as he slipped his tongue in her mouth as he pressed her hard against the wall as he felt his body responding in a way that it hadn't in years. He wanted her, and in more than one way. He had always wanted her. But after the way that he had initially treated her, he had thought that she had learned to hate him, not love him. Well that, and he had always just thought that she was always going to be there. That was until they reported her missing. A huge part of his world had disappeared that day.

Paul pulled away as he tried to catch his breath.

"Please tell me that I'm not dreaming Tracy?" He whispered with his eyes closed as he expected the moment to brake like a bubble.

She half laughed, half cried at his question. "I haven't gone by that name in so long that I almost forgot how great it sounds coming from your mouth."

Paul half cried as his whole body shook as he pulled her in tight as if afraid she was going to disappear again. Then he leaned back a moment later as he raised his hand up and moved her hair behind her ear so that he could see her face again. He then slightly smiled as he ran his finger gently across her face as he felt her soft skin again. Then he gently kissed her again as he placed his lips on hers. How he had missed her. He slowly pulled away after a moment and looked into her eyes.

"I wish I had known." He whispered to her as he searched her face.

She smiled back and gently ran her hand across his unshaven morning stubble. "I wish I could have told you."

"Well, we have plenty of time to catch up now." He said as he ran his fingers through her hair. "That is, if you don't leave us."

Tracy dropped her gaze for a moment as she smiled.

Then she looked back up at him. "Only if you promise not to lock me in here again like this."

"What?" Paul said as he started to feel the heat rising up in him.

"But I kind of like the privacy." He said as he gave her a heated gaze.

"You would." She teased back as she meet his heated gaze with hers. "But perhaps we could find a more comfortable place."

"Hmmmm." Paul growled at her as he pressed harder against her.

"I think we can arrange that as well." He said then gave her another heated gaze.

"Whoa. Slow down tiger." She teased back. "Remember, everyone thinks that we're still fighting. I have to maintain my identity until we have caught every one of those Nif assholes."

"Fine." Paul growl in her ear before he nibbled on it. "When they're around, you're nervous nellie Sara. But when you're alone with me, you're my super sexy Tracy."

Tracy smiled back at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I like that idea. I think we have a deal then."

"Promise?" He asked as he kissed her neck and got a soft moan out of her.

"Promise." She whispered in his ear as he kissed her neck again.

He then leaned up and captured her mouth in his again as he started to devour her. How he had missed his beautiful Tracy. He was finally going to be able to have her. Like he had wanted to.  Before she had gone missing that is. For she was finally home and back with him for good.

After a few moments, he pulled away as he tied to catch his breath.

"I suppose we should break this up for now." He half whispered. "I really should go get cleaned up before this goes down today."

"I agree," Tracy teased. "We can't have you all stinky and sweaty out there with the others in the van, now can we."

"Sweaty huh?" He teased back as he pressed her hard against the wall again.

"I can show you sweaty." He whispered in his deep sexy voice.

She slightly groan from the pressure of him on her.

"Perhaps tonight." She purred back at him.

"Now that sounds like a great idea." He said then gave her one more kiss before he slowly released her.

Then he walked away from her as he headed back into Korn office.

"But in the meantime," he started as he hit the panic button again before grabbing his jacket, vest, and tie from the chair. "you will want to straighten back out your desk." He said in a more serious tone.

The panels moved away from the windows and door as he made his way back over to her as she still stood by the door.  Tracy looked around the room as the panels seemed to disappear behind hidden panels after they moved away. It gave the appearance that they disappeared into thin air.

No wonder she never saw them before. She smiled to herself. She should have know that Korn would have some type of panic button or safety device set up for his office. After all, what kind of Intelligence official would he be without it.

"Call me if you need me. I'll just be downstairs cleaning up and getting ready for this morning." Paul said as he tried to contain his emotions.

"I will. And don't worry." She smiled back. "I'm not going anywhere now."

"Better not." He growl back as he gave her one last heated kiss. "You and I still have a lot of time to make up for."

"Right." Tracy whispered back as he smiled back at her.

Then he turned and walked out of the room.

"Oh." Paul said back before poking his head back around the door. "Next time you throw the letter opened at someone.  Besure to aim right at their throat. The chest area is to hard for it to penetrate."

Tracy blushed at him as he smiled at her. Then he disappeared out the door and was gone. She couldn't help but to smiled broadly after he had left. He hadn't forgotten her.

The fact that he had figured it out on his own, showed her that he was just as resourceful as ever. Which was one of his best traits in her eyes. Then the heat that he had just given her. That had showed her that he still felt the same way for her. He hadn't forgotten. Just like she hadn't.

"I'm telling you to keep looking for him." Korn was saying over the phone . "People just don't simply disappear. Find officer Sapientia. He has to be there somewhere."

"Yes sir." The caller returned.

"Let me know the minute that you find him." Korn said just before he hung up.

"Issues at the border?" King Regis asked as he stood behind Korn in the main surveillance control room.

"Possibly your grace. The team said the Mars Sapientia went missed just after dawn this morning." Korn explain to King Regis. "But not to worry, that team is one of my best teams. They'll let me know as soon as they find him."

"Good. Let me know as well. I hate to think that one of our people is unaccounted for." King Regis said as he glanced one more time at the monitors before turning towards the door. "I'm heading down now to get ready for the parade."

"Understood your grace." Korn answered before turning his attention back to the monitors and screens in front of him.

"Everything set Sara?" Korn asked as he continued to scan over the screens as he heard the door close behind King Regis.

"Everything is up and running. And everyone will soon be on site. We are only waiting for one more team to check in." Tracy answered as she kept looking at Section E, that was still missing a team.

"Which team are we missing?" She heard Paul ask through the loud speakers in the room as he talked through his hands free set as he sat in the van as he scanned his screens.

"Section E is down one team." Tracy responded as she enlarged those images on the big display screen in the room for Korn to see.

"Let me guess?" Paul said with a bit of edge in his voice.

"You won't need to. You already know." Tracy said.

Paul's fury got the better of him this time as he got up from his chair and threw open the van door before he started to make his way over to the area that was suppose to be guarded by Jeremy and his team. That son of a bitch was going to pay this time for his neglect.

"Paul," he heard Korn start to say, "what are you doing? Why did you leave the van?"

"I'm going to go check on our team personally." Paul growled back.

"Damn it Paul! Get back in the van. I need you to control the team from the ground." Korn said as he watched Paul walking through the streets as he was looking for Jeremy.

"I will.  As soon as I locate our missing team and ensure that they get on post." Paul said with a stern voice.

"Fine," Korn began, "but as soon as ......"

And this was the last thing that Paul heard from Korn. Since he was suddenly flung through the air by a very large shock wave blast of hot wind that threw him down the street and right onto the hood and back windshield of a parked car. People all around him began screaming as they began to ran away from where he had just been standing. For the flamed Deity, Ifrit, had suddenly appeared out of thin air and was now standing in the middle of the street.

Ifrit slowly looked around as people went screaming and running down the street and away from him. He slowly stood up straight before he turned and started walking down the street as he headed for Main street.

"What the hell was that?"  Korn asked as he heard the noise through Paul's headset.  "Paul?  What the hell just happened?  Paul?!"  Korn began to yell into the headset. 

"All sectors, something has just happened near sector C, I want everyone to take evasive action.  Be on the guard for anything and ensure that the civilians get out.  Whatever just happened may have just taken out one of our teams already."   Korn quickly said across the headsets.

"Understood sir."  Was the only thing he heard after that from all of the teams.

"Go now."  Korn shouted.

But then his jaw fell as he slowly stood up straight as he saw on the screens what had caused that commotion.  He felt his heart race as stared at the screen.

"Sire, your going to want to come back up here."  Korn said into the head set.

"Why what's happened?"  He heard King Regis say through the headset.

"Your not going to believe me," he began as he felt the color start to drain from his face as he watched the screen, "but Ifrit just appeared in downtown."

"I'm on my way." King Regis said through the headset.

Your heart stopped as you heard those words coming across the headset as you stood by the Regalia. You, Ignis, Gladio and Noctis had all been waiting in the parking garage by the the car for King Regis to arrive. You had all been happily chatting when you suddenly heard the commotion over the headset as Korn started giving orders due to the commotion in the streets. But now you all stood in silence as you just listened.

What did they just say? You asked in your head as the color drained from your face. Your heart started to race as you recalled your vision of the destruction that Ifrit had caused as he walked around. But that was a dream right? This can't really be happening. Ifrit can't really be here..

Then suddenly Noctis screamed as he held his head as if in pain. You rushed over to him as he hunched over. Then right as Ignis' hand touched his back, he collapsed. Ignis quickly caught him around the waist, just before he hit the ground by dropping to one knee as the deadweight of Noctis' limp body dragged him down.

"Ignis, (y/n)," Korn said over your headset, "I need you to get everyone in the Citadel to a safe place."

"We may be a bit on that. Noctis just collapsed." You said over the headset as Gladio went over to grab Noctis from Ignis so that he could carry him to safety.

"It must be due to Ifrit." You heard King Regis say over the head set. "Gladio, bring him up here to the control center. It's the safest place in the citadel. (Y/n), I want you to spread the word to everyone throughout the citadel of the attack. Get everyone out that you can. Then I want you to join us up here. "Ignis, I want you to go tell the glaives to suit up and head out to take him down. Then you can join us after that."

"Understood sir." You said then turned to Gladio and Ignis. "You heard what he said. Let's get going."

"Gladio and I can warning everyone that we see as well as we head up the control room and the Glaives area." Ignis said right as Gladio put Noctis over his shoulder.

"I'll start down here and make my way up." You said as Gladio got Noctis settled over his shoulder.

"I'll see you guys up there." Gladio said as he took off. "Be safe."

"You too." You called after him. Then you turned to Ignis. "Let's go."

"Right." He returned.

Then the three of you split up as you headed out to carried out your separate tasks.

https://youtu.be/YIOjZk1_7bo

People fled from the streets as Ifrit slowly made his way out onto Main Street. Korn and Tracy looked at all of the screens as they watched everything igniting around Ifrit as he made his way slowly down the street. Then he paused as he reached the end of the street. He looked around at all of the people as they ran for their lives as they raced away from. But it was to no avail. For with a wave of his hand, he sent a wave of flames that incinerating everyone and everything in its path.

Tracy gasped as she stared at the screens in horror from the devastation that Ifrit was causing. Where the hell did he come from? But wait a minute. That was the street that Paul was. But where's Paul? What happened to him?

She then quickly started scanning the screens that had shown her where she had last seen Paul as he was walking through the streets. She kept looking from screen to screen in almost in a panic. But then she spotted him as he laid on the hood of the car.

Her heart stopped as she stared at him as he just laid there.

"Korn? I just found Paul." She said as she stared at the screen.

"Where?" Korn asked as quickly walked over and looked over her shoulder.

"There." Tracy said as she pointed to the screen.

Then as she screened the shops near him as a means of finding out his exact location.  But then her heart dropped.  She knew that street.  For she recognized the cafe that the car was parked in front of.  It was the one that he had taken her to for lunch that day.

"He's outside of Brian's cafe."  Tracy whispered since her breathe was stuck in her throat.

"Shit."  Korn said as he started scanning to see who was close to him.  "We can't get to him yet.  Not with Ifrit right by him.  Besides, he would incincerate everyone if we tried to get there now."

Tracy felt her heart drop as she could only stare at him as he laid there on the car's hood.  She had no way to get to him.  Not with the deity causing trouble in the streets. All she could do was stare and pray that he was still alive.

******Author Note******

You can't say that I didn't warn you. But let me ensure you that I will try not to give away too much of the story for the episode. Again, this story runs parallel to it. It doesn't replace it. The story line for the episode is owned by Square Enix, but my side view of what everyone else is doing, is my own.

Well I do hope that you liked this chapter. And I have no doubt that you will continue on to the next. Which will come out shortly. I won't keep you in suspense for a whole week like a regular tv show. That's just cruel. ;) So I shall see you shortly in the next chapter.

Thanks for reading. :)

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