Disclaimer: All recognizable The Killing characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners including, but not limited to AMC. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this fan fiction story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No financial gain is associated with the publishing of this story. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: This is my first foray into The Killing fandom, as small as it is. I truly believe the fandom for this show should be huge given the incredible chemistry between Linden and Holder. During 3x5 "Eminent Domain," I had two ideas. This is one of them. What if Linden and Holder had slept together sometime during the Rosie Larsen case? Linden leaves the job anyway and has mixed feelings when she finds out that Holder is dating the assistant D.A. Mainly spawned from Holder's comment about having a woman when Linden swatted at him in the car, but takes place between them questioning the witness and Linden arriving at the station to question Callie's mom. Reviews welcome. –DKC

Copernicus and Galileo

Holder followed Linden out of the hospital room expressing his frustration with her tactics. The girl was the only witness, pressuring her was not going to help them find the killer. He was afraid that Linden's scaring the girl would come back to bite them. Holder's tirade was interrupted by Reddick arriving. There was no love lost between Linden and Reddick and Linden had stopped pretending to hold even an ounce of respect for the detective. When the phone rang, Linden excused herself and walked down the hallway to exit the hospital.

Reddick joked crassly about the witness and Holder joined in half-heartedly as he thought about Linden and what had just happened in the hospital room.

"Man, hold this down? I'll be right back," Holder said to Reddick, his eyes peering down the hallway where Linden had just walked.

"Your old lady beckons?" Reddick noticed the concern on Holder's face. "She's losing it, isn't she?"

"Nah, she's still got it," Holder said over his shoulder as he walked down the hallway with his exaggerated swagger.

"Yo, Linden! Wait up!" he saw the redhead as he exited the building and turned the corner.

Linden stopped, but didn't turn around. She didn't want to hear what Holder had to say about her behavior back there. In fact, she didn't want to hear anything out of Holder's mouth at all.

"Linden…" Holder said as he gripped her shoulder and turned the small woman around to face him.

"What is it?" Holder demanded, wondering why she was being as aggressive as she was.

"He's still out there killing."

"Scaring the shit out of that girl isn't going to change that," he looked down at her, but she refused to make eye contact.

"Come on, Linden," he reached his hand out to her bicep, gently gripping it.

She turned her body, attempting to shrug off his hand. This is when he saw it—a single tear forming in the corner of her eye. Holder had seen Linden in some of her darkest moments and he knew that even in those moments Sarah Linden was the queen of facades. Something was bothering her.

"Hey…" his voice lowered.

Holder pretended to be a badass, but Linden knew that underneath his bagging clothes, that swagger and a mouth that never stopped, Holder was a caring man.

"It's nothing," she stated, swiping the tear from the corner of her eye and turning her back to him again.

"Dammit, Linden! If that's how you wanna play it, then I'll play, but we gotta catch this bastard and I need you on your game," he fired his statement at her back.

"You think I'm not on my game," she accused, turning quickly to throw daggers at him.

"How the hell am I to know?" he accused right back.

Suddenly Linden shoved Holder. Her venom powered her small frame against a man who had at least a foot on her. Holder put up his hands to protect himself and she merely grabbed them, using them to push him against the building.

"Don't you dare question if I'm on my game or not," she seethed, finally looking into his eyes.

Holder attempted to lean forward, away from the wall, but Linden pushed him back. He looked at her with admiration for the passion he saw in her eyes. He couldn't help himself as he pushed his forearms against her hands until his hands were holding her head in them.

"Holder…" Linden snarled.

"Don't."

And with that one word out of his mouth he pressed his lips to hers and drove his tongue into her mouth. He felt her grip relax on his arms as she kissed him back. Their kiss was heated, furious even.

They were both reminded of a night that felt like ages ago when she had kissed him, nearly forcing herself on him. After initially resisting, Holder allowed Linden to assault his body with her hands, her lips and eventually her tongue. They'd fucked. There was nothing that resembled lovemaking that night. It was, like much of Linden's life, a moment fueled by anger, passion and the need to find answers. That night was a memory bordering on a dream. Holder often asked himself if it had really happened.

Holder had lost control of the situation and found his mouth trailing down Linden's jaw, reaching her ear and taking the lobe into his hungry mouth. Linden for her part was not stopping him, rather letting out a rattled gasp as he took her earlobe into his mouth.

"Never let it be said that Sarah Linden is a robot," he said into her ear.

"Don't do that," she growled. "Don't say my name."

"Sarah…" his response was neither teasing nor torture, but something in between.

Linden's hips thrust into him, hitting his lower thighs. Though they'd only slept together once, Holder had learned over their time together that few people called her Sarah. Linden was not approachable to many and certainly not close enough to anyone for them to call her by her first name, at least not at work and work was her life. However, Holder had broken that barrier and he knew what his saying her name did to her.

Not content with the height difference between them, Holder reached behind Linden lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around the tall man out of necessity not pleasure. But please they found. Linden felt Holder rock against her pelvis and it was obvious the situation was stimulating him.

"Holder," she gripped his shoulders hard as he kissed her neck. "Holder!"

"You know you want some of this, Linden," the softness in Holder's voice that had been there a moment ago was gone. He knew this was as far as she was going to let this go.

"Not here," she told him, looking into his eyes.

As Holder carefully lowered Linden to the ground, he noticed that Linden was not in a hurry to let go of him. Even Sarah Linden needed physical attention, even comfort. She eventually dropped her hands from his shoulders and he took a step back.

"Does not here mean…?" Holder was afraid that by simply asking he would be pushing her too far.

"Maybe," she deadpanned.

"You know you want a piece of this temple, Linden," the Holder he showed the rest of the world was back.

Holder gesticulated toward his body to make his point and then did a spin move on one foot like that of a break dancer, a move Linden didn't even know he had in him. Linden chuckled at the ridiculous move.

"Better get back 'fore Reddick gets all up in her shit, yo," Holder smiled.

"I'll be at the station," Linden said as she began walking toward her car.

"Hey, Linden! I'm gonna hold you to it," Holder hollered as Linden continued to walk away from him.

She might not have said anything, but Holder was sure she walked away with that slight smile on her face; a slight smile that was the most beautiful thing about Sarah Linden.

-finis-