"Oh come on, C.J….you know you can hit this thing harder than that." Matt said as he held the 50lb punching bag.

C.J. was exhausted. She appreciated what Matt had been trying to do. They were navigating this new path, being married and still having a dangerous job and that now meant engaging in a vigorous workout routine along with training in self-defense techniques. Daily. "I'm tired, Matt," she said as she gave him that look. She knew he could read her face and wanted him to know she wasn't happy.

Matt smiled just a little, "That means I'm doing a good job."

C.J. rolled her eyes and heard the phone ring. "Well, thank goodness…I believe I hear the bell."

"Chris can handle that, you I want to see hit this bag again….just pretend you're knocking me out so I will leave you alone. Or maybe just remind yourself of that time we finished the centerfold case and I still made you postpone your trip to Mexico. You got me pretty good with that left hook, " He said smiling much bigger.

'Ok,' C.J. thought to herself, 'fine' and she nailed the bag with every ounce of energy she had left. It didn't exactly knock Matt back, but he did notice the increased velocity.

"C.J." Chris called down into the gym, "C.J. do you have a minute?" C.J. definitely had a minute, in fact she had never been so happy to hear Chris call for her. Now that Matt and C.J. were married, it was assumed by many, including Chris that the gym might be used for more than a standard workout by the two of them.

In fact Chris was training a new administrative assistant for data processing just last week when Matt got a call when Chris had run to the copier leaving her alone. Bernadette, this new hire, ran right downstairs and walked in on the two in the shower. She didn't see much and they were too wrapped up in each other to notice her, but there was no mistaking what was going on. Bernadette ran right back upstairs, almost crying as she told Chris about the phone call and how she remembered them saying they would be downstairs if they were needed and how all she wanted to do was tell him he had a call, and, and, and… Chris got the picture and calmed her down. Now Chris always made sure she announced herself before descending those stairs when she knew they were down there together.

"Yes, Chris I most definitely have a minute" she said as she smiled at Matt as she walked past him.

Chris made it halfway down and told her, "you have a call on line 3."

C.J. started to unwrap her right hand to pick up the phone. Matt walked over and took that hand and leaned over and kissed her once on the lips and said, "We aren't done yet, I'll go get us some juice while you take that call."

C.J. just smiled back and then rolled her eyes as she picked up the phone, hoping the person on the other end needed something from her that would get her out of this gym and in to Matt's comfortable car. She just wanted to sit down, these workouts were brutal. Matt had gone really easy on her when they started. Of course she was recovering from surgery then. However, when the doctors gave her the green light to exercise after gaining back the weight she lost and 6 weeks of rest, well, it seems like Matt put the workout schedule into overdrive.

"Hello, this is C.J. Parsons-Houston," she said.

A male voice answered, "C.J. its Bob Flanders. I was wondering if you got our flowers. You know we were all very concerned when we heard you were sick. You know you are one of the best lawyers around, even better than me. I mean the very thought of losing you, well, the courthouse would never be the same."

C.J. thought to herself, 'he sure is laying it on thick,' she laughed and asked, "What do you need Bob."

"What? I didn't say I needed anything…..ok, well maybe I could use a little assistance on a case." Bob confessed. "You wouldn't happen to be free would you?"

C.J. smiled as Matt walked back down with two glasses of orange juice and said, "Of course, Bob. I can be down at the courthouse in an hour."

"But I didn't say…" was all Flanders got out before C.J. put the receiver back on the hook.

She took the juice from Matt and told him, "I'm sorry but I'm going to have to finish this workout later. Bob Flanders needs my help on his case and I need to meet him right away at the courthouse." She turned on the shower and disappeared into the closet.

Matt followed her over to the shower door. He drank his juice patiently waited.

She came back in only a towel. "Well, I was hoping we could at least cool down together" he said as he put his arms around her waist. "You know it's a very important part of the workout. Don't want to get those muscles stiff." He leaned toward her, pulled her to him with his hands on the small of her back and claimed ownership of her mouth. His tongue completely silenced her and before she knew it, her towel was on the floor and his hands were all over her.

As the towel fell, her heart rate quickened. Every time they got going like this the feelings she experienced were just indescribable. It was so intense still.

As he broke their embrace only long enough to disrobe she told him, "I only have half an hour."

He smiled, "I can make it a memorable 30 minutes." With that the two of them stepped in and he made good on that promise.

Afterward they toweled each other off and then got dressed. He helped button up her silk blouse as he was ready before she was and delivered another slow intense kiss. "Come on" he said as he took her hand and they went back upstairs and out to his car.

On their way to the courthouse they listened to news radio. Apparently they were broadcasting live from the courthouse as a man accused of assaulting a local female singer was being brought before a grand jury.

As Matt and C.J. arrived they noted the media circus that had pitched its tent on the lawn in front.

What they didn't notice was a man who wanted it to look like he was reading a newspaper, but was watching everything with great anticipation.

It didn't take C.J. long to find Bob and introduce him to Matt. He congratulated them on the wedding he heard about and then asked C.J. if she would be his second chair on this high profile case. "C.J., I don't think he's guilty and I just can't do this alone. He doesn't speak English, and I think that's the bigger issue here. His status in the country has been called into question too and I need to work on that end of this case, but I can't be in two places at once, here and at Immigration. The other partners won't touch it. I need someone like you, someone who can think fast, knows how to do a little research and can represent him in court. I could tell when I handled the grand jury proceedings this morning that they are going to come back with an indictment. Please, will you help me?"

Matt looked at C.J. He didn't like this case, it involved a man who clearly had issues with women. If she took it, that meant she would be alone in a room with him from time to time. Bob didn't say he wasn't guilty, just that he didn't think he was. However, he knew her feelings on how important it was for each person to have a vigorous defense, especially when the defendant might have greater challenges than an average defendant. No, he knew his wife and he knew her answer.

"Of course I'll help Bob. Matt and I don't have a case right now and it has been a while since I've been in court. Can you send copies of the evidence and your notes to the penthouse? I'll start going over it as soon as I get back from lunch." C.J. answered.

Bob nodded his head, "It will be there before you are."