The bathroom smelled like vanilla from the candles and bubble bath. On the table next to the Jacuzzi tub sat several magazines and books. The stereo was on, playing soft music. He wasn't really sure what he was seeing, why he was here in a bathroom with his gun drawn waiting for whoever had set this up. Part of him thought he'd entered a porn set, but this was kind of girly for that, right?

"I knew I should've gotten another glass." She was framed by the doorway, with a bottle of wine and glass.

He turned, "Who are you?"

She tilted her head to the side and smiled softly, "You don't know? Then what are you doing here?"

He kept the gun on her, but she obviously wasn't afraid he'd shoot her. "My boss sent me. I'm Sly Eckert."

"WSB Agent and former reporter, right?" She placed the wine glass down on the counter and pulled out the cork.

"Yeah, how'd you know that?" He could feel the blood in his veins, especially that of his foot as it began to bounce a little.

She looked up from pouring her wine, "I'm your partner."

He took his aim down and looked at her, "Do you normally greet your partners in such a setting?"

She snorted as she lifted her glass towards her mouth, savoring the taste of the chilled red wine, "I wasn't expecting you until the morning Sly."

"Wait, I thought my partner was a guy, I mean with a name like--."

She shrugged, "I get that a lot in this business."

Looking around once more, "So um, I guess I should leave you to this then."

"Let me show you to your room."

Sly followed her, trying to understand how this woman was his partner and hoped this wouldn't be a distraction. That was the last thing he needed, that's why he'd left working for WPCL and left Port Charles.

"Anna said you know a lot about cameras and that sort of thing, right?"

"Yeah, I used to work for a TV station."

"Wow, more then I ever really did." She walked into his room, it was of a more masculine tone then what he'd seen in the house so far.

Sly took it all in, a much better vibe then what he'd been getting when he first entered the bathroom. "So what's the cover?"

"I'm an office manager at a real estate firm here in town, you're my older brother who just got divorced showing up for some support." She turned on a light, revealing a picture on the dresser that seemed oddly familiar to him.

"And what is it we're trying to break up?"

"Drug smuggling." She stood in the doorway, "I'll be in the bath if you need anything."

Sly watched as she started down the hall, "Drug smuggling, where?"

"Next door." She didn't look back.

---

"Dude, why would I believe that?" Damian Spinelli held his girlfriends hand under the table as he looked across at him, the unworthy one.

"Because it's the truth." Logan was frustrated, he'd been trying for the past ten minutes to explain the situation but it just wasn't happening.

Spinelli felt her squeeze his hand, letting him know it would be okay. "Logan, I need facts, real facts not just fantasy's you have."

"Now your accusing me of getting high?" Logan was ready to hit someone but he knew now that wasn't the answer. He'd spent months off in anger management rehab, only to now be stuck ready to blow up at any moment.

"Logan, chill." She smiled at him, "Spinelli, let him explain and then he'll leave us alone."

"Thanks Maxie." Logan after all this time felt weird; here he was working for Spinelli.

"Go ahead." Spinelli felt defeated, part of him wish he hadn't been nice enough to give Logan a job but he needed the help and he was paying the price now.

Taking a file out he placed it on the table, "I know what I told you sounds, ridiculous but the pictures show its true."

Spinelli opened the file and immediately made sure Maxie couldn't see it, "How did you get this?"

"The wife was more then willing to show me." He shifted a bit in his seat at the memory.

"Well then, I'm sure our client will be ready to move forward with his case."

Logan stood, "I'll see you later."

Maxie looked at her boyfriend and smiled, "I'm not Lulu, I'm not going to run off after some muscle bound jerk. Besides you are a way better man in so many ways."

"The Jackal is glad to hear that."

"Good, because I have to run to work. Are we still on for tonight?"

Spinelli smiled, "Of course we are."

"Great, see you later." She kissed his cheek and rushed out of the office.

Spinelli opened his laptop and began an internet search, he and Maxie had been together a while, maybe it was time to take things to another level. He just wasn't sure what that was.

---

Sly watched the only house next to the one he and his new female partner were in. Drug smuggling, next door. It looked normal enough, then again what was normal? He didn't really know and probably never could. Hell his cousin came back from the dead and barely spoke to him.

"Let me guess, you think its too normal, right?"

"White picket fence, check. Two car garage, check." He turned, smiling, "So how is this whole thing going to work?"

"Well since I've got to go play office manager, you get to check things out during the day. Most people aren't around, pretty quite neighborhood. People could stop by and no one would ever know."

"And you have to go to an office because?"

"My old partner, Pierre was doing the home duty part. And then he had to leave." She single serving bottle of juice from the fridge, "The neighbors never saw him. As far as they know I'm a young divorcee who got a killer settlement."

"And what do they call you?"

"Maria, they call me Maria and you might as well too."

Sly nodded, "And I should go by?"

"Have a name you always wanted instead?"

"Not really." He looked out the window again, "So, how long do you think this will take?"

"Not very, a few days at most and then we can move on to the next assignment." She crossed her arms over her chest, "Why?"

"I would just rather stay far away from Port Charles as possible."

"Yes, well we all have a past."

Avoidance, she liked to do that. Maria was going to be a very interesting partner.

---

This was not going according to plan as Spinelli found himself racing around his living room wondering how he managed to get BBQ Chip crumbs under the couch, near the TV and on the window seat. He was really going to have to pay more attention to his snacking habits.

"Spin?" Maxie stuck her head in the front door, smiling as she saw him with the dust buster in his hand. She couldn't help but think it was sweet he still got in a nervous panic about her coming over.

"Busted." He put the small vacuum by the fireplace. "Come, sit down."

She placed her jacket on the chair and the bag of take out on the coffee table. "What's going on?"

"We've been dating for a while, right?"

"Yeah, a year and a half. Why?"

Spinelli reached into his pocket and took out a small box, "I think we should take this to the next level?"

Maxie saw the box, her body felt tight. "You do?"

"What's wrong?"

"I, uh, um." She retrieved her jacket, "I can't. We can't. I'm sorry, I let this go on too long."

Before he knew it she was gone, he looked at the box and opened it, revealing a flash drive. "I didn't expect that reaction."