Author's Note: Ok, I lied. This chapter is somewhat angsty pike, and maybe out of place in this story. I hadn't written it at the time I wrote the first chapter, but I sat down to write the second chapter and this is what came out. But the rest is coming, and it will be ridiculous and light.


"No, the thing with Tuturro today isn't an issue... No it was just a little accident. No arrests were made. No one was seriously injured... The car was totalled, but what do you care? It was Solano's car, not the Bureau's... No, Tuturro was not driving... Yes, his cover is still in tact. If anything, he's closer to Carlito than ever." Mike is sitting at his desk, tapping his pen anxiously as he is lectured on todays bump in the road from Jess in DC.

He had tried to keep the doctor's from filing the report with the bureau or just holding it up in red tape for a while, but Jess had gotten her hands on it.

"How's everything else going out there?" Jess asks, finally done berating Mike for the car accident this morning. The one that was not his fault, except it was, because everything was his fault because it was his ass on the line here.

"Things are ok..." Mike says trying to be as vague as possible.

"You sure? You've been kind of bitchy these last few days." Jess observes, in her typical blunt way.

"Everythings fine. I'm just stressed with the case. I'm close though. There's still just a lot of work to be done."

"Well then wrap it up soon, so you can come back to me," She purrs into the phone, "I'll help you relieve some of that stress."

"I'm working on it." Mike's voice is strained as he tries to keep it neutral. He squeezes his eyes shut and rubs his forehead with his free hand, trying to dodge her flirting without raising suspicion, but feeling horribly guilty.

"Well, I'm a thousand miles away, but maybe I could be some help from here." She says seductively, and Mike silently begs her not to say the words he knows are coming next. "Take off your pants and I'll tell you what I would do to you if I were there."

"I can't. I have a lot of work to do tonight. I'll talk to you tomorrow." The words Mike tumbles out of Mike's mouth, and he wishes he could have thought up a better excuse, because he's pretty sure this is the fourth night in a row he's said something similar.

"Ouch." Jess's pride is clearly wounded, but Mike tries to brush over the subject.

"I'm sorry. I gotta go. I've got a lot of work to do, and if I don't get started I won't get any sleep tonight." Mike mutters the half-assed excuse quickly into the phone. This statement is at least partially true, though admittedly the work he has in mind he doubts Jess would approve of.

"Ok. Wrap it up quickly Mike. I miss you." This is the closest Mike has ever heard Jess coming to sounding sentimental.

"Night Jess." Mike hangs up the phone, and slams it down with a little more force than necessary. He lets out a deep breath and runs his fingers through his hair as he leans on his elbows on his desk.

Mike doesn't know what to do about Jess. He knows telling her things are done now could endanger his mission. He really needs Jess's support back in Washington to get him the resources he needs. Yet somehow it all feels... wrong.

Mike rationalizes it's not really hurting anyone if he doesn't deal with it right now. Jess's on the other side of the continent, and they were never exclusive. Yet at the same time, whenever he speaks to her on the phone, he feels a pang of guilt in his stomach. Like he's betraying Paige. Which he shouldn't, because it's just talking. She's his boss. Plus, he and Paige haven't had any kind of talk about where this thing between them is going.

Mike isn't even sure where he wants it to go right now. If it were as simple as choosing between Jess and Paige, Paige would win in a heart beat. No competition. But it's not that simple. Mike technically still lives in DC, and after this case is wrapped up he'll need to return to his life. He doesn't know if Paige is even interested in a long distance relationship. He doesn't know if she's interested in a relationship with him at all for that matter. Last summer she didn't want one. Mike worries part of the appeal he has to Paige may be that he's just temporary. Last summer, after he'd kissed her, she had wanted him gone so badly she'd filed the DC transfer papers herself.

DC is obviously the place Mike needs to be to work his way up to the director's chair. Staying in Graceland he could still do good work, but professionally it would be a huge blow. Yet being back in Graceland feels right. He feels more alive here than he has in his months back in DC, being strangled by red tape.

For the first time in his life, Mike is honestly questioning whether there's a better path for him. Still Mike worries that this change of heart, is nothing more than him losing his heart to Paige Arkin. He doesn't know if he would be having such a quarter life crisis if not for her.

He tries to think about whether he would want to stay in Graceland without Paige, but it's impossible because he can't imagine the house without her smile. Mike is uneasy at the idea of restructuring his entire future around one girl. He's even more worried that he might offer to make the sacrifice, to stay here with her, and she might not want him.

Mike groans loudly as his head starts to hurt with all the unwanted thoughts. He shouldn't be worrying about this right now. He should be focused on his case file… Mike sits down looking at the pile of papers apprehensively. He's convinced he's going to get to work until he catches the time on his wristwatch. The papers will have to wait.

Mike grabs his bag and heads out the door of his room. Sneaking quietly down the hall, he heads upstairs. He's on a mission. Opening the door and slipping inside the dark room, he pulls a flashlight out of his pocket. It has to be in here somewhere…

"Gotcha." Mike says with a grin, as he discovers the prize he'd come in here for.

Just then the door to the dressing room opens, and Mike turns in shock.

He's caught red handed.

Shit.