No Honor Among Thieves (September 1983)

Over the next 2 months Frank had appeared in her apartment. Even with the alarm and locks engaged he still was somehow able to get in and without anyone seeing him, even security. The sex was amazing ofcourse for both of them and each time she woke up he was gone. Renee being a woman was beginning to get suspicious with her sudden change in mood when she came to work on the days after but she didn’t pry.

On the last time he came to see here he had left something, a small floppy disc. He didn’t say anything about leaving it or why, he just left it on her desk where he knew she’d find it. Inside it held files and evidence that pointed toward her boss, Thomas Redding of using their New York Office as a staging area to try and find Frank Castle. So not only did HE know he was alive, Alan Hickman did as well and has been running a secret investigation to find him. Unfortunately there was evidence that he had put a tail on Isabella herself and has had her phones tapped and her apartment watched. There was other evidence of illegal wiretaps, falsifying government documents to procure illegal warrants and other crimes he has been committing including operating a secret safehouse where they brought suspects and informants and tortured them to get confessions and information.

The problem was though how could she get this evidence out? If she brought it to her boss, she’d be asked how she got it and conducting a secret investigation of her superior was not likely to go over well. Not only that it pointed to possible collusion by the Deputy Director Victor Teagon.

The nights Isabella came home to find Frank waiting there for her were incredible. There were no strings attached to their relationship. She considered them more ‘friends with benefits’ versus boyfriend/girlfriend. She couldn’t figure out how he was able to get into her apartment like he did, but she didn’t question it. Nor did she question why he was always gone by the time she woke up. They cared about each other, that much was clear but nothing would or could come of it.

One morning she awoke after another passionate night with Frank to find a floppy disc on her desk. There was no note attached but she knew Frank had left it. When she looked at the files it contained she was shocked by the evidence that was there. At first, she considered just handing it to Lauren, but she knew she couldn’t do that because she wouldn’t be able to explain where she had gotten it. She decided instead to leave it in her office the same way he had left it for her.

She snuck in early that morning before anyone else was there and put it on her desk with any note or explanation. She then went to her office to start on her work for the day.

Lauren usually came in around 8am. Her routine was fairly typical, she didnt like the late morning traffic so 8 o’clock was a happy medium. She always stopped to get a coffee from the donut shop she loved and she always bought a paper. As she arrived in her office, she knew something wasn't exactly right. But as she removed her light scarf she saw the small, black diskette on her desk. She was dressed in a silver pant suit with a white blouse and her long blonde hair was held back by a silver comb.

At 10:30am she called down for Isabella to meet her in her office.

When Isabella arrived lauren waved her in. “Shut the door please Isabella,” Lauren said.

Isabella knew that Lauren was going to call her into her office at some point, but she didn't know when. She remained in her office doing some work and wondered how Lauren was going to react to the information on the floppy disc. When Lauren finally called her down she walked in and shut the door behind her. She then took a seat and looked at her.

"Is everything alright?"

“I was just given some information today, revelations really. Startling ones,” she said as she studied Isabella’s face. Then she smiled. “I must hand it to you Isabella, you do innocence very well, that will serve you well in this business the years to come,” she said as she looked at her. She had a proud grin on her face. A knowing one too.

“Our cameras record everyone who comes and goes here. It didnt take much to find out you were up here this morning,” she said. “Some of wjst you’ve uncovered is known. To me and to...a select few others. Some of the rest was...troubling,” she said then paused to see if Isabella would say anything.

Isabella was not entirely surprised when Lauren revealed that she knew it was her that had put the floppy disc on her desk. Lauren had gotten to the top for a reason. She hadn't thought about the cameras and she kicked herself now for that. Frank hadn't let her get a lot of sleep last night and that was affecting her a little.

"I cannot reveal where I got this information. I hope you can understand that."

“Normally that would be a problem. Trust is a precious resource Isabella. I trust you, you trust me and we can accomplish more than just ourselves, working alone. Violate that trust just once and it will be like a rippling effect on the ocean...for your career. Remember that,” She said warningly. “As far as this...evidence, since I know some of it is true I will assume...for now, that it all is,” she said then turned, opened up a side drawer in her desk then pulled out a large, black leather dossier cover. A series of dossiers would be inside. When Isabella looked up at her in surprise Lauren’s smile returned.

“This is a one time favor Isabella. In the short time you’ve been an agent you’ve done alot of good for this office and you kept your people alive under terrible circumstances. I think you might be over your head but you’ve given me enough on Redding to hang him from the roof if I felt like it,” she said then sneered at the thought. “I never liked that man,” she said.

“I’m giving you another day to recoup. Take the packet, read it and remember that information is not always a path to safety. Whats in those dossiers could be deadly for you if you’re not careful,” she said.

Isabella was glad that she could trust Lauren and that Lauren trusted her. This case would have caused even the most seasoned CIA agents to break out in a cold sweat or turn away, but not Isabella. She had jumped in, feet first, and was in over her head, but she could see the light at the surface. They were almost there. She was going to help Frank get his wife and son's killer.

She took the dossier and stood up. "Thank you Lauren. I promise I won't let you down."

She went back to her office and gathered her things and then headed home. She made herself some tea and then settled down at her desk to start reading through it all.

The Dossier’s were of Frank’s Special Forces team. Alan Hickman’s was there as well as John Bower, another high level CIA operative. Alan Hickman was born to a wealthy family of Lawyers. He had received his law license but quickly shifted into politics and law enforcement. He worked for the FBI for a time but then quickly shifted to the CIA to work abroad. In many of those assignments he acted in appropriately. Committing crimes against innocents, illegal interrogations, murders and the raping of women. However because who his family was, where the crimes were committed and for what he did for the country he was never charged. The list of things he did or tried to do was long but one of those things caught her attention. It took place in Afghanistan where he ran a team of Special Forces. The team abducted targets that were pre-selected, assisted with the interrogations and then disposed of the bodies.

Isabella knew some about Alan Hickman, but reading his dossier was quite eye opening. Frank had told her that he had done some horrible things in Afghanistan, but she had not expected everything that she read. It made her stomach turn to think about it.

She sighed and put his aside and then picked up Frank's dossier. She took a deep breath and then opened it.

Frank Castle was born Castilione to Italian-American parents and considered joining the Catholic priesthood before signing up with the US Army. A military prodigy, he gained expertise in weapons and reconnaissance and became an expert sniper. He also received demolition training and served in the Special Forces.

His kill record was not small but was troubling was that he had committed acts of murder, kidnapping and illegal interrogations. Because he was on foreign soil and because these acts were against a potential threat of the US, his crimes, like Alan’s were never brought to trial.

When he got out of the Army he met Maria and took on a job as a construction worker. After her and his son’s deaths he was presumed dead from his injuries. He had a daughter named Lisa that died when she was very young as well.

Isabella read Frank's dossier and was quite surprised to learn that he had considered joining the Catholic priesthood before signing up with the U.S. Army. She nearly blushed thinking about what he had done to her the night before. It certainly would not have been considered acceptable behavior by the Catholic church.

She was not entirely surprised to see that he had committed acts similar to Alan's. They had been on the same team together and they were under Alan's leadership. She sighed and closed the dossier and then put her face in her hands as she thought about everything.

She eventually put the dossiers away and then got up. She began to make herself some dinner. For some reason she decided to make enough in case Frank came by. She never knew when he would or not. She made some pasta with a fresh, homemade tomato sauce and a salad.

Frank wasn’t certain how Isabella would take the information he had given her. He would not ‘come in’ to be debriefed or to give testimony. If he did he knew he’d never be alive long enough to give it. He had never brought Isabella anything before but tonight he brought her a nice Valpolicella. Well, one that he thought was nice anyway. That and he wanted ‘her’ tonight and so far that part of their relationship, odd as it was, was mutual. He knew she was home so this time he decided to knock.

Frank was dressed in his usual, black combat boots, cargo pants and a thick, long-sleeved shirt. He had on a long, black trenchcoat and his face sported a few more bruises from his last altercation. He had smelled the pasta sauce as soon as he came up to the door. When she opened it he smiled.

“Well, getting all domestic on me Isabella?” he asked as she stepped back and let him in. He saw her look down at the wine but before she said anything he leaned down and kissed her quite thoroughly. A sign that it was going to be one of ‘those’ nights where she did not get much sleep.

There were several things that were surprising to Isabella about Frank tonight. First, he had knocked, something he had never done (although to be fair all the other times he had come over he had been waiting in her apartment for her when she had gotten home). Second, he had brought a bottle of wine. That was something he had never done before. And third, he had smiled at her. In the several months of them being in this relationship (whatever it was) she had never seen him smile...not once. But tonight he had...at her.

Before she could mention anything about the wine he leaned down and kissed her...rather passionately. She closed her eyes and kissed him back. As the kiss ended she pulled back and opened her eyes and smiled at him.

"What about you? Smiling at me and bringing wine?"

“What can I say I’m Italian. I like pasta, I like sauce and I like you,” He said. He could have said ‘women’ in general but decided to change it because he did like her. Maybe more than just ‘like’ but that deep, dark part of himself that made up the bulk of his heart would likely never allow him to love again. For now it was enough to be with Isabella. She made him feel good and he made her feel good. ‘It was enough’ he repeated in his head as he offered to open the bottle and allow it to breath a little. As he did so she went back to the stove

“Isn’t Corsetti Italian? He asked as he came up behind her. As she stirred the sauce he put his thick arms around her waist and pressed his face up against her hair. She felt his warm breath as he breathed in her scent. She put a little of the sauce on the spoon then turned to let him taste it. He did. “Mmm, I wish I had some fresh bread to dip,” He said as he began to look for glasses.

Isabella looked up into Frank's eyes when he said he liked her. Their relationship had started out as strictly sex...but she could feel it developing into something more...something deeper than just sex. Isabella knew it could never truly become anything more than what it was right now but that was alright. She and Frank had found each other at the time when they needed each other the most and had helped each other through it. No matter what happened in the future, Isabella knew that Frank would always have a special place in her heart.

She walked back over to the stove to finish the sauce. She smiled when she felt him walk up behind her and put his arms around her waist. "Yes, it is," she answered with a smile when he asked if her name was Italian. She added a little more spice to the sauce and then stirred it. She put a little on a spoon and then turned around to let him taste it. She smiled at his reaction and then pulled out a loaf of fresh Italian bread.

"Well it's your lucky day."

Frank smiled again as he untied the bag and slid out enough bread to tear off a chunk. He leaned over her and dipped it into the sauce, popped it into his mouth and did the same, albeit smaller for her. He had sauce on his fingers and he smiled again when she sucked his fingers clean. “Whoa,” He murmured as he moved for the glasses of wine. He brought her one as he took a small sip of his. A dinner like this for a couple of Italians was foreplay as far as he was concerned.

“Your momma teach you how to cook like this?” He asked as he watched her drain the pasta. He leaned up against the counter with his arms folded. His body shifted as if he always needed to be moving or doing something. Frank was obviously not someone that was comfortable with idleness. He was always moving and always thinking. Right now he was thinking of setting her up onto the counter and doing very naughty things to her right then. He didn;t know if it was her or the spices in the sauce or both but he certainly wanted her right then. And likely later as well but he was hungry to...now. He normally ate for sustenance, barely tasting his food. Eating was a necessary activity these days, not something he did for pleasure. He saved pleasure for Isabella and was going to feast well tonight he thought.

Isabella grinned as she took the piece of sauce soaked bread he fed to her. The sauce was quite good and she was rather pleased with herself. She took a sip of the wine he gave her and then went to drain the pasta. She didn't want to overcook it. She liked it al dente and she was certain Frank did too. No self respecting Italian overcooked their pasta. This was the first time they were eating together and she found herself wanting to please Frank.

"Yes, she did," she responded as she took the drained pasta and dumped it into the sauce. She added a little reserved pasta water to the sauce and tossed it all together. "I love cooking. It's therapeutic for me in many ways," she admitted. "I can just let my mind go and not think about what happened that day."

She set the table for the two of them and put the salad bowl in the center of the table along with the bread and some grated cheese for the pasta. She then plated the pasta and handed Frank his plate before taking hers and sitting down at the table. She was quiet a moment before glancing at him.

"I like you too Frank."

It seemed as if dinner had lasted hours. They talked about their childhoods and growing up in very Italian families. They actually had alot in common in that regard and when the last of the wine was poured they both were feeling quite good right then. When Isabella rose to clean up Frank insisted that he could help clear and load the dishwasher while she put the food away.

“I could go for a little more of that Bourbon Whiskey,” Frank said as he wiped down the sink. With the dishes squared away he turned and leaned up against the sink. He folded his large arms across his chest like he usually did. She saw that Frank was armed by the bulges in certain places on his person but she wouldn’t be able to recall when he wasn’t armed to the teeth. He didn’t live in a world where he was safe when he got home and she couldn't be certain if he even really had a home or felt truly ‘safe’ anywhere.

Isabella was feeling quite relaxed from the wine and pasta. She had been surprised when Frank had opened up to her like he had about his family, but it was comforting in a way to know that they had a lot in common. He actually told a story where he laughed and she realized that that had been the first time she had ever heard him laugh.

As they cleaned up together in the kitchen she looked over at him and could tell that he was armed, even if the weapons weren't visible. She didn't know where he went on nights when he wasn't with her and that concerned her to a degree. She wanted to know he was safe.

There was some music playing in the background and a certain song came on. She took his hand and walked with him out to the living room and they began to dance slowly together. She was quiet for a long time before looking up at him. "Frank, I want you to know that you always have a safe place here."

Frank ofcourse knew how to dance but the last time he had danced was with Maria. He held Isabella close and moved with her slowly. “But each time I come I don’t exactly make it safer for you,” he said. “You know the people I’m after...first hand I think,” he said softly as he continued to dance. Holding her like this felt...good. Good and warm and comforting. He liked being able to turn it all off inside his head even if it were just for a little while. Part of himself felt guilt over what he had done to Isabella. Bringing her further in so he could use her to find the people in her office who were helping Hickman. But that duality within him didn’t pair that part of him with this part. They were completely seperate people inside of himself. The hunting killer and the affectionate romantic.

“I...never thanked you for saving my life,” Frank said softly as he felt her hands lift up his shirt to touch his warm flesh. His stomach and even his sides were covered in hard muscle but he didn’t stop her and he didn’t stop moving with her to the slow music. He had saved her life to he supposed, maybe her whole team but he was going to kill those russians anyway. So he wasn’t certain if it really counted.

Isabella of course knew that Frank coming here was a risk, but right now it was a risk she was willing to take. She also knew that he was using her to get information to find the people who were helping Hickman. She wasn't an idiot. But even so she knew that wasn't the entire man that Frank was. He had shown her that.

Isabella's hands snaked up his shirt to touch his stomach and abs. Just the act of doing so turned her on. She looked up at him as he thanked her for saving his life that night with the Russians. She shook her head a little. "I did nothing compared to what you did. I know you were going to kill them anyway, but that night was the first time in my entire life that I thought I was going to die and I would have if you hadn't been there."

Frank shifted his head down and began kissing her neck. She must have liked that because he felt her tilt her neck a little to give him a better angle to continue which he did. He kissed and used his tongue on her neck all the way up to where it met her jawline. He felt her hands touching him and neither of them paused in their motion as their feet continued to move together in time. He felt her shift up his shirt and he leaned back and drew it all the way off and tossed it onto the couch. He did the same for his pistol and holster, his backup pistol and holster and his combat knife and sheath and the small sheath of throwing knives. When he saw her blink he chuckled. “I’m unarmed now...well mostly,” he said light-heartedly referring to what he had in his pants.

When Isabella lifted up her face he kissed her and he put his large hands on her neck. His hands moved down to her blouse and one by one he undid the buttons as their mouths sought out the others mouth hungrily. He could feel her heartbeat quicken and her breaths coming faster already, a sign that she wanted this if her hands on him weren’t enough to convince him of that.

Sometime later Isabella lay in his arms on her bed. The rest of their clothes were strewn about the room. The record that had been playing was over and it was quiet in the apartment apart from the sound of their breaths. Neither of them was asleep. They were relaxing against one another in a state of bliss following their love making. Finally, Isabella broke the silence.

“I can give you a key you know.” She looked up at him. “So that way you don’t have to break in,” she added with a grin.

Frank wasn’t certain how to take this new development. Up until now there was nothing ‘official’ going on between them. He just came over, they fucked and then he left before she woke. Now he had come, brought wine, they shared a meal...a meal ‘she’ cooked and it was as if the other ‘knew’ what was going to happen. Who brings a red Italian wine to an italian dinner without knowing it ‘was’ going to be that. It was as if they had read one another’s minds.

“It's embarrassing that lock is, but it would help I suppose. I’m just afraid of someone hurting you because of me or hurting you to get to me Isabella. I know you can take care of yourself but...but..you know I can’t go through that again. People getting hurt because of me. I’ve lost everything because of that...because of what I did,” he said and hadn’t realized that tears had rolled down his cheeks. “I knew that eventually that bill would come due but it should have been my price, mine, not my families. Not my son…” he said as his eyes continued to leak. “Rage is all I have left. Knowing that my wife and my boy are in the ground and those that put them there are out there...playin golf, livin it up in their fancy homes, eating their fancy food,” he said and closed his eyes as his face contorted into a mask of unbridled hate. His body tensed as well as all of his muscles had clenched at once. When he felt her hand on his cheek though that mask quickly faded into his normal face once more and he appeared to relax.