A/N Okay so this one is no where near as angsty as the others. Thank you so much to Podie1, blucougar57, Penn O'Hara, lallyb1743, shadowfang666, boohoo650 and gogo for your reviews, they mean alot to me and they're very helpful with my writing so, thank you.

Summary: Tag to Maltese Cross. Mike has some bruises that need some taking care of.

Pairing: Mike/Alex

Series: M/A Sequel to Shades of Gray but you will still get this if you don't read the others.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Spoilers: Maltese Cross & Blind Spot

Reviews: Yes please. This is something I don't usually write (again) so all feedback on it would be greatly appreciated. Plus, they make my happy.

Rating: T

This is just some fun ;) Podie1 - This one is for you, since you mentioned in a review ages ago that you wanted to see this particular episode tag.

The Art of Healing Bruises

The sound of soft, happy yet seductive giggles surround the undeniable sound of a masculine laugh that resembles a growl. Tangled sheets, wrapped around their legs and pulled out from around the mattress. Their skin feeling flushed to the touch, brushing against each other as he pinned her to the bed and was creating patterns of kisses on her neck, laughing into her skin as she pretended to struggle free, but not because she wants to be free but because it makes him do it more.

With only one lamp on in the room, it's very dim inside but it's enough for them to see each other. He can see the pink flush on her cheeks, although he's unsure if it's from the giggling she's doing alot of or the way he's using his hands on her body, but he figures it's a bit of both. Looking into her eyes, he can see that she's full of desire and need. He definitely knew he had the same in his eyes. He could tell from the way she was looking at him that she was close and their bodies had not even locked together yet.

Still she giggled again, softly. He'd learnt pretty early on that the giggling she did was something she did when she was alone with him and that somehow made him feel more sexier than he thought it would. Same as he only called her 'baby' when they were alone. Her rule; because it sounded possessive when around other people.

Something about sleeping with the same woman every night made a difference too. The big difference being it lasted longer. They'd stretch it out, exploring and often having fun with each other; teasing and she was definitely good at that.

"I, uh, think I've got you pinned." He growled into that very sensitive area of her neck that he was busy caressing with kisses; the area so few knew about.

She couldn't deny that, his legs held hers in place on the bed and his body completely covered hers; no contest. "Yeah?" She asked, with a laugh. Her voice low and deep yet still feminine, almost purring at him. "Now what?"

Mike grinned, lifting his head up to look back into her eyes, hearing the hint and even reading between the lines, he knew what she wanted. For all the foreplay they were doing, Alex was certainly starting to feel that familiar sense of sexual frustration for him to make the final move, and that last nerve of hers was being gnawed at by his teeth and not by what she wanted.

Finally, deciding that the teasing had gone on long enough Mike did what she wanted but first he leaned across and turned out the light.

-----------------------------------------------

That feeling afterglow was still lighting up the whole room when Mike heard his cell phone vibrate on the bedside table beside him. Fully aware of the fact that it was his phone but he was so tempted to pretend that he hadn't heard it, that the sleep he'd been having hadn't been disturbed by the strange sound near his ear.

But there was that small nagging part of him that couldn't quite allow himself to do that so he had no choice but to try and unhook his arm around Alex's sleeping body, her face still flushed and he couldn't help but feel smug about that. Reaching out of the bed he managed to get his cell and flip it open without waking her up. "Logan." He spoke quietly, not wanting his own voice to be what woke her up. "Now?" He closed his eyes, he really didn't want to go. "Alright, Wheeler, I'll be there."

He snapped his phone shut and he instantly felt guilty, feeling Alex stir beside him, her eyes being forced open by herself because she'd been rudely awoken. Lifting her head just inches off the pillow she looked at him, "What?" Her head wouldn't move any further, a disadvantage to sleeping on her stomach, with one leg over his waist and the other sprawled out in some direction, she wasn't sure which.

Mike offered her a small smile, "I gotta go. Stabbing at the fire house." Alex sighed and put her head back down on the pillow. Her eyes instantly closed but Mike shook her gently, "Alex, you know you're gonna have to move a little here." He was referring to her leg, the one draped over his body.

She tried lifting her head again but she settled for opening her eyes. "Huh?"

Mike had to laugh a little at that. He used his hand to stroke her leg so that she knew what it was he was referring to. "Oh." She lowered her leg, brushing him in the process and Mike had to close his eyes. She saw his reaction and smiled, "Sorry." Although she really wasn't. Mike shot her a look and she laughed. He smiled and got out of bed, as she watched his naked body walk around the room she smiled, "I guess I'll have to cuddle your pillow while your gone."

Mike laughed at the comment and pulled on his pants, "I guess so." He leaned over the bed and kissed her softly before walking out of the room and leaving her to sleep.

---------------------------------------------

"You're assualting a cop. How dumb is that?"

Obviously Charlie hadn't thought it was that dumb. He'd still gone ahead and everything had then gone a little bit more than out of hand. Mike had to groan, it seemed that as soon as everything was starting to get back to normal something was there to say otherwise.

Alex was slowly becoming more like herself since her kidnapping ordeal and they were happy again. Very happy again. Now he looked like a walking battlefield. Most parts of his body were covered in bruises and he didn't feel so happy right now.

The fight had started once and they'd managed to stop it but the moment the words "I don't know about you but I don't go that way" escaped Mike's mouth they were all over him like a swarm of wasps but that wasn't to say Mike didn't fight back because he did. But the pain was starting to sink in and he could only imagine what Alex will be saying to him when she finds out he didn't stay at the hospital. He hated hospitals, there was no way in hell he was staying there.

Of course he'd taken something for the pain so he was now sitting back on his sofa, in his apartment, trying not to fall to sleep.

And apparently he'd failed because he felt someone shaking him. He was alarmed, suddenly remembering the incident at the fire house, he began lashing out and stopped when he opened his eyes. "Oh." Mike stopped and relaxed, looking at her face and feeling incredibly sorry.

"You okay?" Alex asked, full of concern for him by the way he'd lashed out at her. She sat down next to him and softly looked at him.

Mike nodded, slowly, "Yeah."

"You sure?"

He sighed and nodded again, "Just a little black and blue."

She chuckled a little at his comment, "I can see that." She stroked his face gently, taking the time to look at his injuries. "I hear you skipped out of the hospital."

Mike snorted, "I knew that was coming."

"Good, so hopefully you've prepared an answer."

It was a challenge and he knew it, "You know me and hospitals."

She sighed, "That's what I thought." She knew well enough to know he didn't like them, she didn't quite know where that hate came from but she knew that some people just didn't like hospitals. "You in pain?"

He shrugged, "I've had something for it." She could see how tense he really was and she could see the stress written all over him. Obviously the case he and Wheeler were working was one of those difficult cases that didn't have a lot of leads and then a beating on top of that.

"With something to eat as well?" She couldn't help it, she just wanted to help him, nurse him better. He shot her a look and she nodded, she knew what that meant; he didn't want it. She leaned back on the sofa and sat quietly next to him, just sitting and listening to the way he was breathing.

After a few minutes of silence, Mike finally spoke up, "You don't have to stay."

She twisted her neck to look at him, noticing that he'd twisted his to look at her, "What makes you think I want to go?"

"No, I, uh..." He trailed off. "It's okay. Sorry. I'm not the best company right now." He found her hand and stroked the back of it with his thumb. She smiled at him and looked down at their hands, she disagreed about him being the best company.

"Is there anything I can do that'll help?" Alex asked, looking at him as he turned his head and closed his eyes.

He shook his head and sighed, "Unless you plan to kiss every cut and bruise away, I don't think so."

Raising an eyebrow she continued to look at him as his eyes remained closed; unsure of if his suggestion had been a joke or something he really wanted. She smiled, "I can do that." He opened his eyes and looked at her, "Unless you'd prefer Wheeler...?" She teased, with a grin. Mike shook his head and laughed at her; once again thinking how much she seemed to have returned to normal, as normal as whatever normal really was.

Without warning, she unexpectedly moved and sat on his lap, straddling his legs and causing him to lift his head up off the back of the seat and take a more keen interest in her. He gave her a grin and looked at her as she leaned into his face and kissed the bridge of his nose where a nasty cut now resided. "So..." He started, "Every single cut and bruise?"

The smile on her face errupted into a grin that matched his, "Yep."

He gave her a coy, flirtatious look, "That might take a while."

She laughed, "Maybe." She leaned into his face and kissed the cut near his eye. "I've got time." She then kissed the one on his lip and began fiddling with his plaid tie, undoing it from around his neck and pulling it off completely before tossing it on the floor. Maintaining eye contact she undid every button of his shirt before pulling it open and, starting from the top, she kissed every single bruise, injury, mark or cut that she could find.

Mike just sat there, enjoying the sensation even if some of them did sting a little on contact, she seemed to be able to get him past that little bit of discomfort. Something about watching her do that too was also fun, if she really wanted to nurse him better he wasn't going to say no. When she pulled away and got off from his lap Mike was a little disappointed and very confused. "You know." He said, smiling, "There are more."

She nodded, laughing, taking his hands in hers and indicating with a soft tug that he should stand up, "I think the bed would be more comfortable, don't you?" With her help, he stood up and leaned in to give her a soft gentle kiss before allowing her to lead him to his bedroom. He knew he was in good hands with Nurse Alex taking care of him tonight.

------------------------------------

"You know you need to learn not to get beaten up so much."

Alex commented to him once they were settled, comfortable and suitably warmed up. Twisted in his bed covers and holding one another very close, Alex was being extra careful where she held him, not wanting to scratch any cuts or lean on any sensitive bruises. Since they'd begun dating he'd been in a brawl twice now. The first being a old aquaintance who'd not taken too kindly to Mike being in a high flying position such as Major Case after being tossed to Staten Island.

"Yeah, well, what can I say? I'm the kinda guy everyone can get along with." Mike replied, deep voiced, unsure of why it bothered her so much. He was alive.

Alex snorted, "Yeah. I can see that everyone has that impresssion."

He looked at her, her head resting on his shoulder. "It bothers you?"

She looked up at him, "I just don't want to see you get hurt." She replied, honestly, avoiding the sarcasm she could've easily gone for in that instance.

"Trust me, it's not like I picked that fight." He kept his eye on her, "Those aren't odds that I was in favour of but ... we got out okay."

She lifted her head up to look at him properly, "Okay?" She asked, "Okay? Mike, this isn't okay, this is you covered in a million bruises."

He gave her a small smile, "Most of which can be covered up by clothes." She eyed him and gave him one of those 'I'm not impressed' looks. He lifted up his arm and stroked her cheek with his thumb, "It happened, I'm okay."

She looked at him for a moment, considering, and then she took her own hand and placed it on one of his bruises that was situated on his ribs. Once she saw him wince and heard him say 'ow' she looked at him, "So, this is okay?"

He looked at her and pulled her hand away from his bruise, "I meant 'okay' as in 'alive'." She still didn't seem to budge and he sighed, "I promise I won't go looking for fights but if someone starts one I'm not gonna sit there and take it." After a moment she finally nodded and he smiled. "Good." He winked at her and pulled her head back down so that she was back on his shoulder, keeping him warm.

--------------------------------

What did you think?