Mason sat at a table in the back of the small hotel bar feeling distinctly uneasy. They had discovered upon checking in that while the bar was still open and serving food, there was no room service. Agent Young hadn't been happy, had wanted to get their food to take up to their rooms. But she had been over-ruled by Dr. Hood. So while they were taking their luggage upstairs, he was detailed to get them a table and place their food order. His unease was due to the fact that Agent Harness was sitting at the bar drinking.

Mason's worst fears were realized as Harness pushed away from the bar and made his way over to the table. "So, kid." Harness' words were slurred. "They make you wait downstairs while that bitch handles the doctor?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" stammered Mason.

Harness leered at him. "Oh come on, you don't think she's screwing him? I called around this afternoon. Seems Hood went through handlers like a knife through butter until she got assigned to him. She's keeping this job the old-fashioned way, by spreading her legs for the boss."

Mason looked at the man, stunned. While he didn't believe what the man was saying, he couldn't help but remember Agent Young's insistence on connecting rooms. Before he could react, he looked beyond Harness and his eyes widened in dismay.

Agent Young and Dr. Hood were standing just beyond Harness. While Agent Young's face was blank, it was obvious from Dr. Hood's expression that they had heard every word Harness had said. Mason was surprised when it was Agent Young who addressed Harness.

"I'm surprised to see you still hanging around. But you'll have to excuse us, we have work to do." With that she and Hood brushed past the man and sat down. Harness starred at them resentfully and returned to the bar.

Rachel began to ask Mason a question, but Jacob interrupted her. "I think I left my phone in my room. I really need it, the hospital promised to call if that police officer regained consciousness."

Rachel looked at him quizzically. "What are you talking about? I…"

Jacob cut in. "I think you should go get my phone. Now." He and Rachel exchanged a level look.

Finally, she sighed. "Fine." She left the table reluctantly.

Jacob waited until she was out of the bar and then turned to Mason. He drew a deep breath at the look on Dr. Hood's face. He could tell that the man was furious.

"I do not expect, Agent Mason," Jacob bit out. "That you defend Agent Young's honor." His eyebrows rose, "she is more than capable of defending that herself." Mason opened his mouth, but Jacob held up a hand to forestall him. "I do, however, expect that you would make it clear that you will not tolerate sexist remarks about her."

"Yes, sir, I'm sorry sir." Mason looked down at the table.

Jacob looked at the boy thoughtfully. While he was still angry with Harness, he acknowledged that it was unfair of him to be taking it out on this kid. Mason really hadn't had time to respond to what that jerk had said about Rachel before they appeared. He relented a bit.

"What you have to understand Terrance is that both Rachel and Felix are occasionally subjected to some…" he searched for an appropriate word "discourtesy in the field. I always make it quite clear that I will not tolerate racist or sexist remarks about my team, and I expect my team to behave likewise."

Mason looked up, relieved that he wasn't going to have to bear the brunt of Dr. Hood's anger. "Yes, sir, I under… Oh crap." Mason broke off to look across the bar with a horrified expression on his face.

Jacob twisted in his chair to see what had grabbed Mason's attention. Harness, from his position at the bar had seen Rachel reenter the room. He staggered to intercept her. "Hey blondie, how 'bout a little kiss under the mistletoe?"

Harness grabbed Rachel around the waist and pulled her into an embrace. Mason half-rose from his seat, but he was stopped by a hand on his arm. "No," Jacob told him. "As I said, Rachel is more than capable of defending her own honor."

Mason was about to argue when the situation on the floor was rapidly resolved. Rachel's knee connected sharply with Harness' groin. Mason winched involuntarily as the man went down. Jacob's lips curved upward. "More than capable," he murmured to Mason.

Rachel looked down at Harness grimly. "Unless you want me filing a formal complaint, you will be out of this bar, out of this hotel, and out of this town without me ever seeing you again. Clear?"

Harness looked up at her malevolently, but he nodded in agreement. He slowly got to his feet and stumbled from the bar. Rachel continued to the table and sat down.

"Are you all right ma'am?" Mason asked tentatively.

"Why wouldn't I be?" replied Rachel coldly. She relented at Mason's crestfallen look. "Look, kid, I'm all right, really." She grimaced. "It's not the first time and it won't be the last that some jerk like Harness underestimates me, makes assumptions about me." She looked at Jacob severely. "And you are not to call the Director about him."

Jacob held up his hands defensively. "I wouldn't dream of it." But they shared a small smile as they got down to the task at hand.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

They had been working for a while, going over the files that Harness had finally turned over to them, when a cell phone rang. Mason looked up expectantly as Jacob pulled his phone from his jacket pocket.

"Hood… he is?...that's excellent news…I'll be there shortly." He closed his phone and slipped it back into his pocket. "That was the hospital. The officer is awake." He glanced at Rachel. "We need to go over there now to question him."

"Yes, sir." Mason began gathering up the files.

"No need for you to come along." Rachel said. She smiled as she saw Mason's shoulders slump. "We shouldn't be there long. What I'd like you to do is get the contact information on all of the people we need to talk to tomorrow. I'll call you as soon as we get back from the hospital."

Mason watched them leave the bar wishfully. He would have loved to be the one to accompany Dr. Hood to the hospital. He would have loved to be the one to respond to that late night phone call. His hand froze as he reached for a file folder. 'Shit, he had his phone all along.'

Dr. Hood 's claim to have left it behind was a pretense to get rid of Agent Young. She had known it was a pretense, that Dr. Hood had wanted a chance to lecture him in private. He remembered the look they had exchanged before she left the table. He should have realized she wasn't gone long enough to retrieve something from their rooms. She had only waited out of sight, probably listening, while Dr. Hood had dressed him down. He groaned. 'Damn, she probably thinks I'm as big an asshole as Harness.'

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mason was stretched out on his bed staring morosely at the ceiling. He wondered if this posting could get any worse. It seemed that every time he made some progress with Dr. Hood and Agent Young, he did something to piss off one or the other of them. He berated himself for sitting in silence when Harness had poured out that garbage about them, about her. He was startled when his cell phone rang. It turned out to be Agent Young, summoning him to a conference in Dr. Hood's room.

He was surprised to see both Agent Young and Dr. Hood looking so discouraged. It turned out that the cop wasn't the break Dr. Hood had been hoping for. It seemed that he couldn't remember anything from a day or so before the potluck. The doctor has told them that this was typical of coma patients that the man's memory would return, but maybe not for a day or two.

"So," concluded Rachel, "our trip was wasted. How did you do with the contact information?"

Mason was relieved that he was able to give a good report. After they had left, he had taken a seat at the bar, intending to ask the bartender if she had a local phone book. As luck would have it, she was a member of the church. Between her and the phone book, he was able to compile home addresses and phone numbers, and in many cases, work addresses, for everyone on his list.

Jacob rubbed his face tiredly. "Good work, Terrance. We'll get started first thing tomorrow." He shook his head. "I don' know what to ask though. Where to start. I had my hopes pinned on that police officer."

"Uh, maybe you should talk to Father Worrell," Mason said.

Rachel's mouth quirked up in a half smile. "What, you think we could use some spiritual guidance?"

Mason flushed. "No, it's just that cop? He didn't see anyone but Father Worrell the whole time he was at the rectory. They were in the priest's study for a long time."

Jacob cocked his head. "And you know this because..?

"Mrs. Worrell told me, sir. When I was at the rectory earlier today. She mentioned that Father Worrell missed most of the potluck since the cop came to see him right as the party was getting started."

Rachel and Jacob looked at each other approvingly. This kid was as good as Felix in picking up the local gossip. Jacob looked at Terrance thoughtfully. Wondered what else he could contribute with a little encouragement.

"Terrance, what are your thoughts on this case? What do line do you think we should take in tracing the E coli tomorrow?"

"Me, sir?" Mason stuttered. He looked quickly to see how Agent Young was taking this. He was surprised when she nodded at him encouragingly. "Well," he began slowly. "I think we should be asking about ingredients."

"Ingredients?" Jacob looked intrigued. "Why?"

Mason went on with growing confidence. "Maybe the reason the CDC couldn't find any traces of the E coli in the kitchens was that it was in an ingredient bought specifically for that recipe. Something that was totally used up in making the dish for the potluck. Even the packaging was discarded entirely. Something like a can of soup. If it was something like that, it wouldn't leave a trace in the kitchen. Perhaps we can find the source of the bacteria a little further back in the food chain."

Jacob was nodding slowly. "Not something canned, but something else. Yes, that would make sense." He smiled at Mason. "So, that's where we'll start in the morning."

"Do you think…?" Mason trailed off hesitantly.

"Think what?" Jacob asked.

"Well, tomorrow is Christmas Eve. Don't you think it's likely that some of our victims will be out of town, visiting families?"

Rachel shook her head. "Harness' report wasn't completely useless. You're forgetting his profile. All of these people are members of the church choir." She tilted her head. "That means…." She looked at Mason expectantly.

"It means they were planning on singing at the church on Christmas, maybe even Christmas Eve. So they'll be around for us to question."

He continued hesitantly, "uh, ma'am? I know you told Harness that you didn't think it was a hate crime, but…"

Rachel looked surprised. "I thought you agreed with me, said the problems at the church were internal ones. That the leader of the opposition was one of the people who got sick."

"Uh, yeah. But I think we should still investigate that as a possibility. You see, Kate…"

"Kate?" Rachel interrupted, trying hard not to smile.

Mason blushed. "Yeah, she's the bartender here? She was the one who helped me with the lists. She's a member of that church. I was asking her about the zoning problem. She said that the choir was pretty evenly split, but then she made a joke. That most of the people who got sick were opposed to the soup kitchen. Like it was a judgment from God or something."

Rachel grew thoughtful. "So, it could be a hate crime, the person who brought the E coli was targeting certain people."

"That doesn't make sense," Jacob objected. "Obviously, some of the supporters became ill also."

Rachel looked at the scientist with pity. "Hood, anyone whose nuts enough to put E coli in food to get back as someone, isn't going to be thinking that logically. The kid here has a point."

Mason pointed to the lists he had made. "I separated the interviews into four groups. Supporters who got sick and who didn't get sick and opponents who got sick and who didn't."

Rachel yawned. "Good work. After breakfast tomorrow, we'll head over to the rectory. We'll meet you in the lobby at 8:00 sharp."

Mason stood slowly. This was obviously a dismissal. "Yes ma'am. What do you want me to do tomorrow?"

Rachel cocked an eyebrow. "Well for one thing, it's your job to find us a place for breakfast. So I would suggest that you do that before we get to the lobby. Then I want you to accompany us to the rectory." She shrugged. "You're the one with the connection to the priest's wife. We'll need you to make introductions, smooth the way. Then we'll split up the lists, make the interviews go faster."

"Yes ma'am." Mason left the room happily.

Back in his own room he quickly changed into sweats and stretched out on his bed again. This time his thoughts were more cheerful. Apparently both Dr. Hood and Agent Young were willing to give him a second chance. They had both seemed impressed with his contributions to the case just now. He was glad they weren't going to hold that scene with Harness against him

He frowned as he recalled what had happened. He still felt guilty that he had sat there and let that jerk spill out that garbage about Agent Young, Dr. Hood. Yeah, she irritated him by calling him 'kid' all the time, but still. She was smart, a damned good agent. You didn't get the awards she did by sleeping with your assignments. 'I owe her an apology.' He determinedly got out of bed, wanting to apologize before he lost his nerve.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"You should be nicer to him." Jacob leaned against the doorframe of the connecting door to Rachel's room. They had both changed into t-shirts and flannel sleep pants as soon as Mason had left them. But Jacob was reluctant to leave; he hated not sharing a bed with Rachel.

She frowned. "I'm perfectly nice to him. What are you talking about?"

Jacob raised his eyebrows. "Kid?"

"That? A little harmless hazing." Rachel snorted. "You should have heard what the senior agent in my first posting called me."

"I can imagine. And what did you call him in return?"

Rachel's lips curved upward. "Never you mind. Let's just say I wasn't totally surprised to be transferred to the EPD from Counter-Terrorism." She gave Jacob a quick hug and nudged him toward his own room. "You need to scoot. You know you shouldn't be in here."

"What? I'm just here for a good night kiss." Jacob wrapped his arms around her and started nuzzling her neck, kissing the sensitive skin behind her ear.

Rachel arched her neck and murmured appreciatively. "Umm, right, just a kiss huh? Isn't this you trying to convince me to let you into my bed?"

"Umhm, normally. But tonight I'm willing to settle for a goodnight kiss. For once, I think you're right. It would be too risky for us to be together. Terrance already had some suspicions about us before Harness unloaded on him."

"What? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I could see he was surprised when he found out we lived in the same building. Then there was the look on his face when you told him we needed connecting rooms, not just adjacent ones. Besides, you heard Harness. I wouldn't put it past that bastard to spend the night with his ear glued to your door, hoping to catch us out."

She titled her head back and looked at Jacob seriously. "You really think so?"

Jacob frowned slightly and shook his head, but before he could speak, there was a knock at the door. He raised his eyebrows. "You don't think it could be Harness?"

Rachel headed to the door and checked the peephole. She turned to Jacob. "Mason" she mouthed. Jacob nodded and disappeared into his own room.

Rachel opened the door and regarded the younger agent quizzically. "What?"

Mason swallowed. He had been so intent on apologizing that he hadn't thought things through. He should have realized that Agent Young would have gotten ready for bed shortly after he left. She had been yawning, was obviously tired. He shouldn't have come here in his sweats. He suddenly blanched. 'Christ, my showing up like this, she probably thinks I'm trying to make a move on her.'

Rachel sighed at the tongue-tied young man in front of her. She found it hard to believe that the sight of her in a t-shirt and flannel sleep pants left him speechless. "Look kid, if you're not going to tell me what you want, would you mind letting me get to bed? It's been a long day."

Mason was jolted out of his trance. "Uh, I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute?"

Rachel waved him in. "Fine, but make it quick, ok?" She indicated that he should take the desk chair as she sat, cross-legged on her bed.

He took a deep breath. "I wanted to apologize. When Harness started spouting off, about you, about Dr. Hood. I should have said something. I shouldn't have sat there, let him think I agreed with him." He looked Rachel squarely in the eye. "You're a good agent; you shouldn't have to put up with people talking crap about you like that."

"That's ok, it's no big deal."

"No, it's not ok," Mason said stubbornly. "You're smart, a decorated agent. You deserve respect; you shouldn't have to put up with assholes like Harness, just because you're…" He blushed as he realized where this line of thought was taking him. It struck him that it was not the best idea to tell Agent Young that he thought she was hot after coming to her bedroom late at night. 'Hell, it'll never be a good idea for me to tell her that.'

Rachel suppressed a smile. "Just because I look like a ditzy blonde?"

Mason nodded weakly, thankful that she couldn't read his mind. "Uh, yeah."

"Thank you Terrance." Rachel smiled at him faintly. "I appreciate your support." She got to her feet, "but like I said, it's been a long day and we have to get moving pretty early tomorrow." She gently eased him from her room as he stammered a good night. She leaned back against the door and laughed softly.

"I was worried, for second, it sounded like he was going to make a pass at you himself."

Rachel looked over to where Jacob was once again lounging against the doorframe. His face was alight with amusement. She smiled in response.

"I think he was afraid of the same thing."

Jacob came over to Rachel and pulled her back into his arms. He lightly kissed her eyes, her cheeks. "How about one more goodnight kiss?"

He pulled her tightly against him and kissed her passionately.

They stood pressed together for several minutes. Rachel finally pulled out of Jacob's arms, breathlessly. "That was not a goodnight kiss."

"No? It was a kiss and I'm here to say goodnight…" Jacob tried to pull Rachel back against him.

She lightly pushed him toward his own room. "You said it yourself, it's not a good idea for us to be together tonight. So stop tempting me. Scoot."

"Fine, I'll say goodnight Agent Young." He leaned down to press a final kiss on her nose. "Although I have to say that Terrance was right, you're very….ditzy." He disappeared into his own room, Rachel's laughter following him.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The next morning Mason was feeling remarkably chipper. Sure, it was Christmas Eve and it looked like he would spend not just today, but tomorrow working. Sure it was the first time he wouldn't be spending the holidays with his family. But he finally felt like he belonged, like he was a real FBI agent. He smiled as he remembered that Agent Young had not only accepted his apology, but called him Terrance.

His good mood dimmed slightly when the dinging of the elevator revealed not the two people he was expecting, but Harness. The man looked a mess, his clothes were rumpled, as if he slept in them and he looked hung-over.

He didn't intend to speak to the man, but he stiffened as Harness brushed past him. "Beg pardon? What did you say?"

The man turned to Mason with a smirk. "I said it looked like the bitch was letting you have sloppy seconds."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I saw you leaving her room last night." Harness ran his eyes over Mason's neat suit and crisp white shirt. "You weren't exactly dressed for business."

Mason clenched his teeth. There was no way he was going to let this jerk dis Agent Young a second time. Thinking quickly he widened his eyes and looked over Harness' shoulder. "Why Agent Young, I wasn't expecting…" He snickered as the man whirled around with a look of panic.

"Relax, asshole," Mason advised. "She's not due down here for a few more minutes. You've got time to clear out." His voice took on a frosty tone. "And while you're driving back, you might want to consider that the reason she's working out of the Director's office while you're stuck in Philly has nothing to do with the way she looks. She's forgotten more about being an agent than you'll ever know."

Mason smiled grimly as Harness left the hotel. He was so caught up in his encounter with the man that he jumped at the voice behind him.

"Very well done, Terrance." He turned to see Dr. Hood smiling at him.

"Dr. Hood." Mason stuttered. "How much of that did you hear?" He looked around uneasily. "Where's Agent Young?"

Jacob tilted his head, an expression of distaste crossing his face. "All of it. Thankfully Rachel forgot her cell phone and I came down ahead of her." He smiled at the look of suspicion on Mason's face. "She really did forget her phone."

He became serious as he addressed the younger man. "What you did was perfect. You let him know that you respected Rachel without demeaning her or yourself by responding to his sexist garbage. She'd be pleased."

"What will please me?" Rachel asked as she exited the elevator.

"Your Christmas present." Jacob replied promptly. "I just told Terrance what I'm giving you. I'm sure you'll be pleased." He smiled at her teasingly. "I've surpassed myself this year."

Rachel lifted an eyebrow. "Considering that you gave me a blender last year, that wouldn't be hard."

Mason started to snicker. Jacob looked at them both with an expression of mock offense. "You said you loved the blender." He turned to Mason. "I've been told that women adore getting small appliances as presents."

Mason considered that statement gravely. "I believe I've heard the same thing sir."

Jacob smiled in relief and glanced at Mason as Rachel dissolved in laughter. Mason returned the smile, happy to be complicit in diverting Agent Young's attention from what had happened in the lobby.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Over breakfast Jacob expressed the hope that the priest would provide them with the lead he had expected to receive from the police officer. He was non-plused when Mason hesitantly said that maybe he shouldn't expect too much.

"Why not Terrance?" Jacob looked at him pointedly. "After all, it was your idea to talk to the priest in the first place."

He looked from Dr. Hood to Agent Young, unsure how to phrase what he had to say. "It's just that, Mrs. Worrell, his wife? When I asked to speak to Father Worrell yesterday, she sort of blew me off, said it would be a waste of time."

Jacob's forehead creased in confusion. "Why would she say that?"

"Well, she said that he probably didn't notice much, that's he not, well, that he's not practical."

Mason couldn't understand why Dr. Hood gave Agent Young a disgusted look for choking on her juice.

"I'm sure," Jacob said stiffly, "that he notices more than she gives him credit for."

"That's what I thought. She said that when Father Worrell gets involved in his work he sort of loses track of everything around him. I was hoping that since the cop was an interruption, that maybe he paid more attention." Mason shrugged. "But I might be off base."

"Maybe," agreed Rachel. "But right now he's the best lead we have, so we might as well check it out."

Rachel and Mason divided up the lists of potluck attendees to be interrogated. Rachel was impressed with the preliminary list of questions Mason had developed the night before. He had obviously paid attention to what he had learned from the bartender and the priest's wife about the church's political situation.

"Good work Terrance," she said approvingly. "We'll hit the rectory first, then start on these interviews. With a little luck, something may break today."