Author's note: Here's a brief scene that just might have been left out of "Roadkill." Reviews and PMs are greatly appreciated – please let me know what you think. And Michele is appreciated too, for all of her help!

"I'm afraid. Afraid of what I feel for you."

Jennifer Jareau stopped abruptly on her way out the door of the break room of the Bend, Oregon, police department and turned to stare back at David Rossi, the anger that had flashed in her eyes mere moments before replaced with confusion. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me," he said evenly.

"Yes," she allowed, "but I'm not sure I heard you correctly. You're afraid?"

He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "I can't do it anymore, bella. I just ... I can't."

The moment she had known would come was finally here; she supposed she had been preparing for it since the first night she and Rossi spent together, but she had not expected to feel as if her heart was breaking. Her only concern was maintaining her dignity until she could make her escape to the ladies' room and have a quick cry and get him out of her mind and move on. No fuss, no muss. Simple. No sweat. Easy as pie. Out of sight, out of mind.

Clearing her throat, she tried to look and sound relieved as she said, "I'm glad to hear you say that, David, because I feel the same. It was wrong of us to start sleeping together ... I don't know what we were thinking." She spun on her heel and once again started toward the door. "Apparently we weren't thinking, or we wouldn't be in this situa– "

He caught up to her in two long strides and grabbed her arm, knowing that there was no going back now. She had misunderstood, and he was going to set her straight before she walked out on him – for good, and forever. "No, Jennifer, no," he interrupted. "That's not it, I swear.... This isn't how I planned to tell you, but .... "

"Tell me what?" she challenged belligerently. "I'm a big girl ... I can take it! Really!" Her voice rose as she picked up steam. "We were a fling. Toys. Ego boosts. Open arms and warm bodies when work got too stressful, when hotel rooms and home got too lonely! I understand. You don't need to sugar coat it for me."

"Dammit, Jennifer, would you just shut up and listen to me?" he whispered fiercely. "Just for one second? Think you can manage to hold your tongue that long? You went off the deep end before I could finish!"

The tone of his voice and the expression his face told her that he was serious. So did the grip he had on her hips. She nodded, knowing that if she knew what was good for her, she would do as he asked.

His eyes softened as he took a deep breath. "I know we promised no-strings-attached, but I can't help what I feel. You're the one woman I can see spending the rest of my life with ... and I've never felt that before, not even with the women I married. I want you ... I love you ... and it scares the hell out of me."

Those were the last words she expected David Rossi to ever utter, and she didn't know how to respond. She looked down at the floor quickly and smoothed her skirt with trembling hands, trying to gain control of herself, trying to not let him see that he had rattled her. She had no idea when they had almost come to verbal blows over his flippant comment about a nice car needing love but not being qualified to answer her question about a woman needing love would lead to this confession.

When she didn't respond, he lifted her chin with his finger and made her look at him again. "Jennifer?"

"Are you serious?" Meek as a kitten now, her voice trembled as tears filled her eyes.

"Yes," he answered emphatically, cupping her face in his hands. "Jennifer, you know me – you know me better than anyone. Do you honestly believe that I would stand here and put my heart on my sleeve for you if I wasn't serious?"

"No."

"You know I love you more than my old MG, right?"

She stood up on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Prove it to me," she murmured, gazing into his eyes. "When we get home ... you and me, in the backseat of your precious MG, parked at the dam, making out like horny teenagers. That might convince me."

"You think?"

"It might ... if not, we'll do it every night until I'm convinced."

"I'm your vehicle, baby," he chuckled. "I'll take you anywhere you want to go."