Finally you have it, Tyler from Carter and The Boy, returns. Also the events of the past 8 chapters starting with When Disaster Strikes are referenced in here. So make sure you understand what happened in those before reading this.

I know, I'm the worst for making you read more.

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"How are you doing?" Donovan asked.

"Donovan if you ask me that again I will divorce you."

"You can't blame me for asking, this is your first assignment back."

Carter planted her hands on her hips. "Donovan, this 'assignment' as you call it could not be more simple than if the FBI told me to dissemble a Glock 17 in under a minute."

As the indignation in Carter's tone, Donovan smiled. At least she had her spirit back, even if not her smile. Donovan knew it would return eventually. And he would wait for it.

"Well, great," Mason said. "Then you shouldn't be able to screw it up."

Carter glared at Mason who grinned at her, his hands laced behind his head.

"Do you have comms for me?" she asked.

Still grinning because of course he knew it annoyed Carter, Mason retrieved an earpiece and mic. Carter snatched them out of his hand, definitely irritated by Mason's smile.

"We'll have eyes on you the entire time," Donovan said, handing her a pair of glasses with a camera hidden in them.

"Again completely unnecessary," Carter said putting them on. "All I have to do is meet the museum curator. Convince him to show me that private gallery. Then plant a bug on the Rembrandt that is returning to the Wilson's estate. Simple."

"You say simple," Mason said. "But you have the type of personality I'm not sure could convince anyone to do anything without a threat attached to it."

Carter narrowed her eyes threateningly at Mason, but he'd learned how to play dumb to her subtle threats.

"The Curator," Donovan said, stealing Carter's attention. "Usually passes through the Degas wing at noon. Are you ready?"

This time Carter shot Donovan the threatening glower.

"I'm leaving before either of you can be more condescending to me."

Yanking open the van door, Carter climbed out and slammed the door shut.

"I think she's in a better mood than most days," Mason said.

Donovan stared at the door, letting out a low breath. After the Costella trial, Carter had grown weary of paper work and wanted to be put back into the field. When they'd assigned this simple task, her mood had become surly. To everyone else Carter seemed annoyed with the simplicity of the task.

But Donovan knew her better than that. He knew her annoyance came from being scared. Scared that basic assignments would all she'd ever be assigned and all she could ever do. The previous months had stolen a part of her. Instead of a taunting girl with a quick smile, she was a peevish girl with a short temper. She was still Carter, only with sharper edges.

"Do you think she's up for the task?" Mason asked, all teasing gone from his voice.

Donovan sank into a chair besides Mason, watching the camera feeds from the art museum.

"She'll be fine," he said. "You simply have an amazing talent of pissing her off."

"I hate to admit it." Mason beamed. "I'm quite proud of this talent."

Donovan shook his head, following Carter's path through the rooms. Though he would never admit it, he worried for her. Worried that what she'd faced damaged her deeply enough that she might never find reasons to smile again.

In the Degas wing, Carter settled on a bench and stared at the art before her. She donned a contemplative expression as if the painting did absorb all of her attention.

"You know," Mason said in to the mic. "That painting was originally called Fat Lady Dancer."

Carter rolled her eyes. "Of course you have no taste in art."

"Correction, I have no taste in anything that requires endless hours of staring at something."

"Mason, you sit at a computer screen all day long," Carter said.

"Only cause I get paid for it."

Before Carter could respond, someone said her name.

"Carter?"

When Carter swiveled her head towards the voice, a man the same age as Carter with unruly dark hair, warm chocolate eyes and a lean face stepped forward.

"Carter Owens?" the man asked again.

Slowly, Carter rose as if seeing a ghost. "Tyler Hayes?"

"It's been a long time." Tyler grinned as he drew closer.  "Funny, bumping into you here."

After a pause, Carter not only smiled, but laughed.

The sound cut through Donovan and he felt a flare of confusion and anger.

"I can't believe you remember that," Carter said, still beaming.

Donovan curled his fingers. He knew Carter when she faked a smile, it never reached her eyes. But even from the angle of the museum camera he saw how real her smile was.

"Who is that?" Donovan asked.

"Give me a minute," Mason said.

Donovan didn't want to give him a minute, he wanted the information now. Someone he'd never heard about was making his wife not only smile, but laugh. Something he'd been wanting to happen for a while. Something that he should have been able to make happen. Not some random man.

"How could I forget about it," Tyler said. "There I am reading my book and this girl crashes into me."

"I did not crash into you," Carter said.

"You nearly knocked me off my feet." Tyler ran his hand through his hair. "In more ways then one."

"That is a terrible line," Carter said.

"Yeah, but you do remember that I was the self-created recluse who walked about reading a book, not much has changed."

Carter laughed. It was friendly and unburdened. Donovan stood up abruptly and begun to pace the short confines of the van.

"Mason, where is that information?"

Mason eyed Donovan, barely hiding his amusement. "Almost got it."

Donovan watched the pair on screen, reading the ease in Carter's body and the eagerness in Tyler's. He knew it would ruin everything, but right then he wanted to race into the museum and demand answers. How could this man do what Donovan hadn't? Why could he so easily make Carter return to the girl she was before?

"I have a confession," Carter said.

Tyler leaned in conspiratorially. "Oh and what is that?"

"I completely orchestrated the collision," she said.

Tyler laughed and Carter's smile widened. She looked happy. Happy in a way she'd hadn't been.

"I knew it!" Tyler said. "No one actually runs into each other."

Carter shrugged. "How else was I supposed to get your attention?"

"Mason," Donovan growled.

"Okay," Mason said. "Tyler Hayes, age 24, assistant to the curator of the Museum of Fine Art. He has a bachelor's degree in Art History with a minor in literature."

"I don't care about that, I want to know how he knows my wife."

"Touchy, I see."

"I can kill you," Donovan said. "You understand that?"

"Sure I understand it," Mason said. "I just don't believe it."

"Mason!"

"Tyler attended Alexander High School all four years." Donovan continued to pace, watching the camera feeds. "Oh wow, apparently, him and Carter dated, got voted Prom King and Queen and won most likely to have a Happily Ever After."

Donovan froze. "What!"

"Yeah, it's all true."

Donovan yanked Mason away from the computer screen and scanned the information while Mason burst out laughing behind him.

"I honestly can't believe you bought that? And I thought you knew your wife better than that. Like she'd win Prom Queen."

Donovan fought the instinct to punch Mason, wanting something to punch.

"What brings you to the museum?" Carter said.

"I work here," Tyler said.

Donovan read through Tyler's file. Alexander High School explained how Carter knew him since she'd gone there before transferring to Hamilton Prep. But it didn't explain how Tyler was tied to Carter. How he could make her smile so easily.

"Really?" Carter asked. "That couldn't possibly mean you have access to the private gallery with the rare paintings, does it?"

"It does. It's a very secluded location. Kind of like the stacks we planned to meet up in."

Carter laughed and Donovan ground his teeth. What happened between Carter and Tyler? And why had Carter never shared the details with Donovan. In his mind, he could see the dimness of library stacks and all the things students did in the seclusion.

"I'm sorry about breaking our date," Carter said.

"Man, I wish I had pop corn right now," Mason said. "This is getting good."

Donovan glared at the back of Mason's head, wishing he would burst into flames.

"What is she doing, she's on an assignment," Donovan growled.

"You know," Tyler said. "I've been hung up about it for years. It seems the only way you can repay such a terrible debt is allow me to show you the private gallery and woo and awe at how impressive I appear with having access."

"You know I've never been one to woo and awe," Carter said. "But since I never made it to our run-in in the stacks I think I can make an exception."

Tyler waved his hand to a far hallway. "Then follow me."

Mason gave an appreciative whistle. "Your wife is good."

It took everything in Donovan not to punch Mason. He knew Carter was good, but right then he wished she wasn't. Through the camera in Carter's glasses, Donovan watched as Tyler led Carter through corridors to the private gallery. The pair talked the whole time, completely at ease with each other like they had been friends for years.

Slowly, Donovan's anger fizzled out, leaving him hurt that there was a part of Carter's life she'd left him out of. In the private gallery, Carter easily attached a bug to the correct painting's frame. The assignment was accomplished, but Donovan didn't care. All he cared about was leaving the museum and this Tyler Hayes behind.

When Tyler led Carter back into the museum's main atrium, he paused. Donovan saw the hesitancy in his manner and knew what was coming next. Part of Donovan didn't even blame him. When Carter smiled it felt like no one else in the world existed. What man would not want to hold onto that?

"Here it comes," Mason said, reading what Donovan had.

Donovan really wished Mason had a mute setting.

"Carter," Tyler said. "Though I appreciate the woo and awes, I want to know if we can still make up for lost time. Will you have dinner with me tonight?"

Donovan watched, seeing the surprise in Carter's spine. He almost smiled. For someone as smart as her, she still found it shocking when men found her attractive. Seeing everything around her so clearly, she was often blind to herself.

"Tyler," Carter said. "I've been a complete idiot."

Tyler laughed. "I don't think you have. I found you as brilliant as before."

"Of course," Carter said, like her intellect was never in question. "I mean an idiot about where I stand relationship-wise."

"Oh." Tyler nodded and took a step back. "Seeing someone?"

"Married, actually."

"Oh, wow...um..." Tyler rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't see a ring."

"I know, it's probably on my nightstand. I take it off at night. If you want, you could have dinner with my husband and me."

Donovan would rather shoot himself than sit through a meal with this man, but he didn't bother voicing his thoughts. Mason would only make fun of him. And Donovan didn't need more reasons to want Mason dead. 

"I'm going to pass on the offer," Tyler said. "I know I would find it intimidated meeting the man who managed to win you." At least that proved Tyler had brains. Tyler dipped his head. "It has been a pleasure seeing you again, Carter. I hope you have a wonderful life."

"I hope the same for you, Tyler," she said.

With a fleeting smile, Tyler walked away. Carter stood watching him while Donovan watched her. There was something in her body language that he couldn't fully understand. Was it regret? Longing? He didn't know.

By the time, Carter returned to the van, Donovan was busying himself with a project, keeping his back to her.

"Well done," Mason said. "Who knew you had the ability to woo someone."

"We should head back to the Bureau," Donovan said, not looking at Carter. He didn't want to. He still felt the pain over seeing how easily she smiled with Tyler. "We can write up our reports."

Carter said nothing, instead she hooked her hand around Donovan's arm and spun him around. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him.

It was not a light kiss. And it was not a kiss that Mason should be witnessing but it seemed she didn't care.

"Gag," Mason said. "Some of us don't need to be seeing this."

Carter pulled back, but ignored Mason instead, she smiled up at Donovan.

It was then he saw how different her smiles were.

With Tyler, though her smile had come quick it was filled only with surprise and friendliness. It held none of the warmth or deep affection that Donovan saw in her smile now. A smile that was only meant for him.

But even as his hurt faded, he found himself asking the question.

"Why him?"

Carter didn't need more than that, she understood.

"Because he reminded me of a girl I used to be. One that devised a reckless plan to get the school's recluse to notice her. The girl I need to find again." She ran her hands through Donovan's hair. "And he reminded me of why I fell in love with you."

Though Donovan had wanted to know everything that happened between Carter and Tyler in the past, he found he no longed cared. In the end, he still got the girl.

"I guess this means I can't kill him then," Donovan said. 

Carter laughed and Donovan savored the sound, his Carter had come back to him.

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*hands you cake*
(That's right, what are you going to do, cause you can't have your cake and eat it too.)

Go ahead! Tell me you love and what you thought of this chapter that you wanted since I introduced Tyler! 💬💭🗯

I'm not going to lie, you almost didn't have an update today. I've been busy this with with editing and formatting A Secret Service that this was barely finished yesterday.

But! It's complete and I hope you're happy with it!! ☺️

That's all I got to say, I have work on the book I have to get to!

Oh! And if you're curious about the updates to the published version then go read Carter Getting Published. I tell you all you and don't want to know! Also that's where I'll post the cover reveal! Which should he soon!

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