DISCLAIMER: I own nothing associated with Law and Order:UK. If I did, I don't have to tell you what I would be doing. Since I don't own anything, I'm giving you this little story, which is all mine. Hope you like!

I thought I'd scared her off with my mattress line, which wasn't my intention. There are a few women I would love to scare off and leave me alone, but Alesha Philips would NEVER be one of them. I might as well come clean now, I'm in love with her. I think it's the fact that she acts like we will never be that challenges me, but I can't help but wonder if she feels the same way. When I'm with her, I can just be Matt. I don't have to be anyone but me. I'm not judged by what might or might not have happened to me as a lad.

I have to admit, the mattress line was a bit scary, but she'd been warned that was Matt Devlin's style. He was, by far, the best looking guy I have seen in a long time. I was told that Matt flirts with everyone and I shouldn't get my hopes up, but something about it feels personal. He lets me be Alesha. I don't have to pretend that what happened to me was nothing and that I'm not still haunted by it. He lets me deal with it in my own way. I have cried and screamed at him on more than one occasion over it and he's sat there and taken it, then held me while I cried. He helped me heal.

"Alesha," Matt asked her as the walked toward the exit of the CPS.

"Yes, Matt," she answered, not looking at him.

"Would you go out with me this weekend," he said.

Alesha stopped in her tracks. She had not been expecting this.

"You want me to go out with you this weekend," she asked, not sure she heard it right.

"See, my sister is having this party and if I show up alone, everyone will be asking questions. I thought you might go with me and we can have a good time and see what happens," he said.

"So you want me to pretend to be your girlfriend to protect you from your family? Isn't that just using me, Matt," she said.

"Lesh, you know I would never use you. Look, here's the truth. My sister is having a thing and I've been talking about this wonderful girl to her and she's threatened to call Ronnie and get all the details unless I bring her to this party. Now, I was hoping you and I would be dating by now, but I guess I have to ask you to do this favor for me. I'd ask you out even if I didn't have this party to go to this weekend."

Alesha thought about this. Matt Devlin wanted her to pretend to be his girlfriend, but he claimed he had every intention of asking her out even if he didn't have a family function. There were worse ways to spend a weekend and she was almost certain Matt would make this as painless on her as possible.

"Alright. I'll do it. But you are going to owe me," she said.

"Thank you, Lesh," he said, leaning over and kissing her on the cheek.

He held the door open for her and offered her a ride to her flat.

"I'll pick you up at 10," he said.

"I'll be ready," she said, exiting the car. Matt waited until she had opened the secure door and drove away.

He couldn't believe what he had done. He wanted to be with Alesha, but why did he have to do it this way. He'd been talking about Alesha to his sister. He'd told her how beautiful and smart and funny she was. He talked about how she always said the right thing and could handle her own and how she'd battled back stronger from her rape. He was in love with her and he was almost certain he was going to ruin it before she even knew.

She couldn't believe she'd accepted his proposition. She couldn't believe she agreed to play Matt's girlfriend. She secretly longed to hold the position, but for real. She didn't know how this was going to play out, but she hoped, for both their sakes, no one became heartbroken over the arrangement. She knew that she loved Matt, but she didn't think he felt the same. She would enjoy herself this weekend and see if Matt would change his mind about her.

At 10 the next morning, Alesha was ready. She'd packed her small overnight case because Matt said they would be staying in a bed and breakfast near his sister's house. She didn't have room to house all her guests and Matt being Matt had said he'd go to the bed and breakfast. His sister probably assumed it was to give the lovebirds privacy. She'd let them think what they wanted.

Matt pulled up in his car and helped Alesha get into the car. Soon they were headed down the road to his sister house.

"I thought we'd check out the bed and breakfast first, just to see what it's like," he said.

"Sounds good to me," Alesha said, nervous about the weekend.

***Off they go! Will we all get to see some Matt/Alesha connections? Read on, my friends, read on.***-mereditholiver