Henry died for the day and Vicki got up to work for the day. Their schedules were completely opposite and here of late, unless there was a case involving the supernatural, Vicki seemed to be avoiding Henry or he felt she was. Vicki knew Henry sensed she was staying away but there was nothing she could do that would offer an explanation without revealing her true feelings for him.

She had developed a strong emotional and physical attraction to him but she was far from ready to share that with him. After his whole 'so be it' speech, she assumed he would leave and never return. Thankfully, she was wrong. Henry was angry and hurt and told her he was jealous when he assumed she chose Mike. She informed he she chose no one that she only wanted to help Mike get his job back.

"Just because I'm fucked as a Detective doesn't mean Mike should be," Vicki had told him. Henry calmed somewhat but it took Vicki several months to get over his quick reaction in wanting to leave. Their conversation had not gone well when she realized he stayed.

"You think you can just waltz back into my life and pick up where we left off?" Vicki shot up from her desk the first night he showed up. She looked like shit, she hadn't eaten or slept in days and there was more in her coffee than coffee beans. Her whiskey bottle was dangerously low and in need of replenishing. She refused to allow herself to believe it was missing Henry that had thrown her for a loop but her heart was empty and she knew it. Coreen learned to stay away from her unless called, smart girl.

Henry bowed his head slightly, "Of course not but what exactly was it that we…had..as you put it?"

Vicki balled her fists and pursed her lips, "You know what I mean."

"No, not really. You see, I'm confused. You seemed to be ready to get rid of me, so what exactly was it that we had Vicki?"

Henry was closer to her than she wanted. Her heart raced and threatened to belie her desire for him. Initially, she wanted to throw her arms around him, kiss him and tell him she was happy he's stayed but the tough exterior wouldn't let that Vicki through.

"We were…are..friends, you know we have a working relationship and friendship," Vicki stammered.

Vicki nervously pushed her glasses up on her nose and twisted her hair into a ponytail before turning back to her computer to keep from looking at him.

"Fine, I'll take that," Henry bent to whisper in her ear, his hot breath travelling down her neck and eliciting a shudder form her, "for now." And just like that, he'd left her office, left her sitting there to ponder what the hell happened.

"Damn you," she growled under breath.

Since that first night, things had been baby steps, a case here and there and an occasional bad movie. Once, Henry rented an action flick that Vicki enjoyed. She was more than shocked he strayed from his norm but impressed as well. Again, though, it scared her somewhat and her guard stayed at the ready.

And that was the main reason Vicki was avoiding Henry, she didn't want him to break through her paper thin wall of protection. She wanted to maintain control in all areas but this one area, her heart and her body, were desperately at odds with her mind and the battle was losing to one side rather quickly. Vicki was finishing up her latest embezzlement case when her phone rang.

"Vicki Nelson Investigations," she sighed into the phone.

"Gee, don't seem so excited, Vic," Mike said from the other end.

"Sorry, tired, what's up?" she tapped her pencil absently.

"Can I come over?" Mike asked cautiously. Mike did try to rekindle their love affair but Vicki's heart belonged to Henry, she knew that and it would have been unfair to Mike to lead him on. He did try as hard as a man can try but Vicki finally told him she was never going there again. She was very successful at getting his job back but the new level of hate for Vicki coming from Crowley was epic proportions.

"Sure, why not," Vicki told him. He offered to bring food but she told him she wasn't hungry. That was a total lie but still, Vicki didn't want to encourage him in any way. Part of her was disturbed with her lack of being with either man. Her body would take either or but her heart wanted Henry and yet her mind screamed to run. She felt schizophrenic some days. Shaking the thought from her head, she barely registered telling Mike goodbye and got back to work. Mike arrived less than ten minutes later food in hand and a huge smile on his face.

Holding up the bags of burgers he announced he'd cooked, "Just like you like them, big, fat and greasy."

Vicki rolled her eyes and thought of something else big, fat and juicy she needed but said nothing.

"Mike, I said I wasn't hungry," Vicki sighed.

"I know," Mike tsked, "but I knew you would eat if I brought it over, so..eat."

The bottom of the bag seemed greasier than normal and Vicki's stomach growled thinking how sinfully great that was going to taste.

"Thanks I guess," Vicki shrugged and did her best to appear disinterested. Mike shook his head and knew she was more grateful than she appeared. Hell, he was just glad she still talked to him. After smoothing things over with Crowley, she virtually retreated into her shell more than ever until Henry showed back up and now, she was more guarded than ever.

"Why are you here Mike?" Vicki asked between bites.

"Why do you think I want something?" Mike's voice rose an octave, he was lying and Vicki knew it.

Mike slumped his shoulders, wiped his hands and mouth on a napkin and spilled the beans, "Fine, you got me Ms. Detective."

"PI," she corrected him dryly.

"Okay, Ms. PI," he offered, "Here's the thing. This is one of those special cases I guess."

Vicki stopped, special case? That meant Henry….

"Uh, what do you mean by special?" she asked without looking at Mike. Her heart skipped a beat and her mouth went dry. Reaching for the soda Mike brought, she took a long cold swig.

"By special I mean, freaky," he told her.

"What's going on?"

Mike sat back, stared at her intently and said, "We've got young men disappearing at an alarming rate."

"So..what makes it freaky? Are you finding bodies?"

"Sorta."

"Sorta?"

"Let's just say they are not in the same condition they left in," Mike told her.

"Are they mutilated, what?"

Vicki wondered what could be so odd that Mike thought he needed her help, then, he flopped the pictures in front of her.

"Holy shit…"