They sat in his dimly-lit office, unwinding after the circus that had engulfed the case. The building was deserted. Even Adam had long since departed. He could feel her gaze on him, could sense the curiosity burning in it. He was surprised that she'd not said a word about his little revelation so far. He also knew she'd seen the transcript of his grand jury testimony. All his secrets were out.

Eventually he could take the suspense no longer. "Go on then," he commanded. "Ask me."

"Ask you what?" she asked coyly.

Finally making eye contact he didn't know whether to be relieved or offended that she was so amused by the situation. "You know what. You've been smirking at me for the better part of a week now."

"Actually, a lot of bizarre conversations I had when I started here suddenly make a lot more sense now. You know, it was almost disappointing to discover you weren't some cross between a pit bull and an octopus."

He snorted in amusement. "And you were still prepared to work with me?"

"I'm not that gullible."

"And now that you know that the rumours weren't entirely without basis?"

She cocked an eyebrow at him before her expression turned serious. For a moment he worried that she really was reconsidering working with him. He wasn't prepared to admit it, even to himself, but her trust meant a great deal.

"Actually," she admitted, "I do have a question."

He nodded for her to continue.

"How many of your assistants have you had a relationship with?"

"Just Diana and Claire. Despite what people like to believe I don't make a habit of it."

"Not Jamie Ross?"

"No. That's not why she gave evidence to the disciplinary committee."

"Okay, good."

"Good?"

"Yeah. Because then I'd have to ask what the hell is wrong with me." She stood and moved toward the door, grinning briefly as she waited for him to catch up. "And that would just be awkward."

This time he laughed out loud. One of the things he enjoyed most about working with Abbie was her ability to catch him off guard. Whether they were debating a legal point or just blowing off steam she constantly managed to surprise him.

Grabbing his coat he joined her by the door. "Don't worry, Abbie. If I was collecting the set, you'd be at the top of my list." Chuckling together they left the building, Jack's hand pressed gently against the small of her back.