So after 5/6 months I've finally posted the new 'fic because my need for authenticity outweighed the want to post something new with haste. Thank you to all my readers that made "Untitled" a labour of love and here is the continuation.

"Untitled" ended in November 2006 so this starts (6 months later) in May 2007. Isn't maths fun? Anyway, in between...No, I can't do that. I'm a writer. Just read, I'll fill in any necessary gaps. My God, does caffeine make you write irrelevant things that don't substitute for a blurb, or what? In my case, yes.

Please read and review or... add me to your favourites so I don't have to resort to shameless self-promotion. Or both. Yeah, both is good. ENJOY!

"Ms. Scott?"

Nicole had spent the last ten minutes standing in a wedding dress that was getting heavier by the minute. Her reflection portrayed a cool, calm confidence that would never reveal her underlying unease or anxiety. It fit in all the right places, accentuating her curves yet symbolizing her fears. Years of indecision and opposing wants had ceased at this conclusion; the wedding was less than a month away. A voice of doubt whispered, I don't think I can do this, but had long been drowned out by external expectations; ordering happiness she was supposed to feel but couldn't always muster. In fact at times like this, when she struggled to catch up to the changes life had brought about and remembered that she had said the yes that sparked the hysteria; she couldn't feel more miserable. And just when all courage was about to escape her and she was ready to run away from what was said to be the most important event of her life, there he was. Suddenly she could breathe, knowing it was worth it.

"Ms. Scott?" Nicole heard the sales assistant calling her name again, this time in a tone bordering on impatience.

"Coming." She exhaled and finally responded.

Going home to alleviate the stress became a bad idea as soon as she found her mother's car parked in her driveway. She recalled the last time they spoke; instead of skirting around the subject as she would have preferred, the conversation became one of many brief verbal scuffles drenched in accusations of the abandonment, alienation and exclusion at the heart of their relationship. Although they had come a long way, neither could fully shake the resentment and guilt they had concerning each other and the impending wedding gave them a reason to argue over it. More so, when Nicole revealed that she was leaving D.C. soon afterwards, the tidal nature of their bond became more evident; their mutual need pulled them together but with history and volatility; they pushed each other away.

"Why are you shutting me out? I didn't know about the fitting."

"I was just looking. You know I haven't found my dress yet."

"You know, time is running out. What about the ivory one with the…"

"I hate ivory."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"I'm not. It's just…every time I see you; you come with all this wedding paraphernalia and I just want to relax, if only for one afternoon. That's all. I'm fine by the way, you?"

"Not bad. Besides your leaving the state and Jasmine slipping,"

"You don't know that. She's seventeen; of course she's secretive and bends the rules a little. That doesn't mean she's using again."

"I hope not…and I wish you weren't leaving."

"I'll miss having you all in my business too."

"I'm serious. Are you sure about this?"

"I always thought courage was about toughing it out and how much I could take before I reached breaking point. But this is different. It's faith in the unknown, that I can do this, that it'll work out. So yes, I'm sure."

"What's he doing in Boston anyway? I thought three months was long enough."

"You mean too long. He has a meeting, then he's house hunting. God, I'll really miss this place."

"It sounds like you're not ready to go."

I guess it does.

"When I say I'm taking the afternoon off, the last place I plan to be is here." Nicole complained to Jess, annoyed at being beckoned to the office at eight that same evening.

"Well, you and Pollock haven't been on great terms lately. Well, worse than usual."

"I know, what's up with that?"

"Like the rest of us, he didn't see it coming. Not to mention you robbed him the pleasure of firing you first."

"That she did." Pollock said through the gap in the ajar door to the bullpen. "FYI Agent Scott, the next time you apply for a transfer, do me the courtesy of informing me first."

"Sure thing Sir."

"Or better yet…don't." And with that he closed the door and the aura of resentment lingered.

"That was strange. Hey Nicole…"

"No, Antonio's not twisting my arm Jess." Nicole answered the unspoken question wile reading through some police reports.

"Right. Because this is all a bit sudden. Especially for you."

She looked up to address Jess' awkward face. "Are you worried?"

"Honestly, we all are. With everything you've been through this year with Sam Lewis and…"

"Darnell."

"Your mother, Jasmine and the Sinclair case you never talk about. We, I worry that you're running away."

"I'm not. You're right to worry because you care about me, but I'm doing this for the right reasons. And as for the Sinclair case, I've come to terms with that."

"Then why do you still blame yourself?"

"He died and I couldn't stop that. So it's not blame; it's failure. On another note, how's Leo?"

"Fine."

"That's it?"

"Last night he said I love you, and I didn't say it back."

"Ouch. You don't, do you?"

"I can't. In that moment, I thought here is a man who's wonderful. He's smart, funny,"

"Treats you like a queen,"

"And he loves me. But I'm still in love with my ex. Ain't that a bitch."

Within the hour, Jess and Nicole flew to New York to investigate the disappearance of an African-American marketing executive, Valerie T. Alston.

"She's forty-two years old, her daughter's almost grown; who's to say she's not on some clandestine break with a boyfriend?" Nicole asked, overlooking the city as it faded beyond recognition.

"Well, her daughter claims she doesn't have one. But if my husband of nineteen years passed away two and a half years ago, I wouldn't want my daughter to know either. Then there's work, she's worked with some high profile people…"

"…And the current project with Baby Phat must have given her some exposure. I'd rule out the underlings, they'd be too busy sucking up in hopes of a promotion to do this."

"You think she was kidnapped?"

"No, I just think she doesn't want to be found. But if she was, a rival would have the motivation to do it." Nicole stopped talking, when Jess had a vision. She was so accustomed to the pale face, slightly tremoring hands and dazed expression that she could roughly predict when she would come out of it.

"And we have…"

"A magician in a black cloak, a masked face…green eyes. I could hear her voice, she was pleading, but I couldn't see her."

"Begging or reasoning?"

"Reasoning. She said; you don't have to do this if you don't want to, think about it, think before you act, have caution. And then the magician tossed dice in the air which turned into snake that was then swallowed."

"Green-eyed magician swallows snake. We have all the fun."

"Tell me about it." Jess replied, "You said something about a rival?"

"Well there's one in particular with a motive. Emiliana Villada, also an executive, has worked closely with her since 2005. But it's Valerie who landed the Baby Phat account, therefore giving her an edge. If she's the competitive, Type A personality I expect to find in her field; Emiliana will have to outdo her on every count to level the playing field."

"So she can't kill her; she'll just make her disappear for a while, take over the project and be the one to present it. That correlates with the lack of emotion I felt in the vision, I didn't get that feeling of urgency; I don't think she's in danger."

"Let's hope you're right."

"Then again, if she doesn't want to be found; that would mean she's hiding, but why?"

"We should bring in the daughter, find out what she knows."

"If anything. According to school records, she came to New York six months after her mother she did and the NYPD transcript from her interview couldn't be more defensive. High-flying working mom and formerly estranged daughter don't sound like the best of friends."

"Check this out; for the past four months Valerie received calls at home twice a week from Dalvin St. John, and there's a standing order of 500 fortnightly payments to his account."

"But no record of her contacting him from home."

"Sounds like he found her to begin with and wants to keep it that way."

"Or he's someone she doesn't want anyone to know about."

A combination of guilt and fatigue drew Jess into a pool of her own thoughts surrounding her inability to connect with Leo. She couldn't understand why she was sabotaging a good thing when she had no intention to hurt him but wouldn't give herself a chance to love him. What she needed was closure; accepting that Colin wasn't coming back, at least not to her, would free her of the hesitation and allow her to share with someone else. Luckily, she couldn't foresee how soon she would eat her words and discard her rational decision.

Nicole noticed her friend's uncharacteristic aloofness and put the case aside.

"Don't hold your tongue. Spill."

"I thought you had everything you wanted in D.C. and - don't think I'm not happy for you because I am - but I never thought you'd give up everyone else who cares about you, just to be with him."

"Everyone who cares for me knows I'd never do that, especially you. If I had everything, why didn't I know what was missing until he came? I'll see you in the morning."