Chapter One

Jaime tossed restlessly in bed, the last 48 hours rudely invading her sleep. She'd had a wonderful evening with Steve, watching the sunset together before retiring to a private, candlelit dinner on the hotel terrace. However, it was Michael who'd popped up uninvited in her dreams. The things I could do to you.... he growled again, this time in slow-motion Technicolor. I won't hesitate to kill you...you made me this way, Jaime....

Jaime woke up with a start – to a gentle rapping at her hotel room door. "You decent?" asked the voice on the other side.

Jaime smiled, instantly shaking off the nightmare. "Be right there, Steve!" she chirped, tying on a robe and smoothing her hair before answering his knock. "Good morning," she said, leaning up to kiss him.

Steve took her into his arms...and his own smile disappeared. "You're shaking," he noted. "Is it your leg?"

"Just a bad dream; I feel a whole lot better now. What's that?"

Steve wheeled the covered cart into the room. "Breakfast, M'Lady," he said with a gallant flourish. He noticed that Jaime was favoring her good leg much more than she had the night before. "When we're done," he told her, "I'd like to take another look at that leg."

"I'll just bet you would," she answered flirtatiously. "Ooh...this looks really good!" Suddenly, she was starving...and Steve had thought of everything. There was fresh orange juice, along with eggs, bacon, toast...and two huge, gooey cinnamon rolls.

"Wanna tell me what the dream was about?" he probed gently as they dug into their breakfast.

"Not really."

"Michael?"

"Yeah....."

Steve nodded and reached for Jaime's hand. "You didn't make him psychotic any more than I did, Sweetheart – you know that, right?" He smiled. "Got your favorite cinnamon rolls here...."

"Best medicine ever," Jaime agreed. "Thank you." She leaned over the table and kissed him. "Frosting on your lip," she told him, blushing.

"I'll do it again for another kiss like that one," Steve said...and he did.

- - -

"He's not in there!" Peggy Callahan called out as Russ breezed past her desk (without a greeting), headed into Oscar's office.

"Where'd he go?" Russ asked briskly, barely turning his head. "Callahan...?"

Peggy waited until Russ finally turned around, looking for an answer (so she had his full attention), then grinned at him broadly. "And a good afternoon to you, too!" she giggled.

Russ had to smile. "Sorry, Callahan." He returned to her desk, really looking at her for perhaps the first time ever. "Hi, hello and top of the afternoon," he said jovially, tipping an imaginary hat.

Callahan took a long, appraising look at Oscar's young assistant. How was it that she'd never noticed those eyes before? They were utterly....penetrating. "Cup of coffee while you wait?" she offered. Silently, she prayed that Oscar would take his time...

- - -

After breakfast, Steve rolled the cart into the hall and went back to Jaime. "Okay...hop up on the bed." When Jaime raised her eyebrows, he hurried to clarify. "So I can see how my patch job is holding." Jaime started for the bed....and nearly hit the floor as her damaged leg buckled beneath her. "I gotcha," Steve said, catching her and helping her to lie down.

"Not....a good sign," Jaime noted.

Steve probed a bit at the wires Michael's bullet had damaged. "Does that hurt?" Jaime shook her head. "Can you wiggle your toes?" he requested.

"How's that, Doctor?" she joked. The toes barely moved.

Steve couldn't hide his concern. "Sweetheart, I think we've got a problem....they moved just fine last night. It's only a guess, but I'm thinking the bullet could be moving around, damaging more circuits..."

"I don't wanna go home yet!" Jaime protested.

"If you trust me – and IF Rudy will let me – I think I can remove it."

"I trust you," she told him softly.

- - -

Rudy answered the page from the basement, where he and Oscar had been re-examining the vaults. He listened carefully to Steve's descriptions before responding. "If she's still not in any pain and you feel comfortable with it, you should be okay. Just be very careful....and keep me posted."

- - - - -