Author's Note: I know, I know, I said it wouldn't be another two months before an update, and technically I was true to my word... unfortunately it was three. =P

Anyhow, now that I've finished up with 'Lauren' I can focus on my other stories. I promise that I have not forgotten about them, I've only been distracted.

I hope that all that celebrate had a happy thanksgiving, and incase I don't update sooner, a very merry holiday season! Yay Lost Girl is back in 5 days! Whoop Whoop!

Again, thank you so much for reading, and checking in, and reviewing, and following and faveing!

Chapter 4

I awoke feeling better than I had in years. I hadn't managed to sleep like a baby since before this town, since before this war, hell, maybe not even since I was a babe.

I rolled onto my back and stretched out my limbs, reaching next to me hoping to wrap my bedmate up in my arms again, however my hand hit an empty pillow. I sat up and ran my hand over my sheets where the blonde should be, but they were cool. No telling how long she'd been gone for.

It shouldn't have surprised me that she was gone. What was I expecting? That's a damn good question. What was I expecting? I let this broad into my heart as well as my bed. Sure I'd taken lovers to bed for only an evening many times before, but I'd never let them stay. And I sure as hell had never let anyone into my heart before. Not even Dyson. I thought I loved him; sure loving him would have been easy. He was loyal, and noble; traits that seemed a thing of the past in men these days, but something always held me back. I don't give my love away all too easy, and while I wanted to give it to him, I just never could. We were opposite ends of the same pole, but for some reason the parts just never seemed to fit as they were supposed to, they should have, but they just never did. Oddly enough those pieces had seemed to fit, all to well in fact with the woman I expected to wake up next to this morning.

Somehow in just a weeks time this Lewis woman had managed to worm her way past my defenses, defenses I had long since put into place, and didn't even consider as work, simply second nature to maintain all these years. But maybe this is all I am to her. Just another roll in the hay, a means to keep me on the case. If that was so then she sure did a bang up job of it. No matter how much I'd like to forget it, and as loathe as I am to admit it, I'm hooked. Damn perfect woman with those big, bright doe eyes, and that perfect smile, not to mention a body that just won't quit.

I rose out of bed and stumbled over to my dresser, still naked from the events of the pervious evening, causing a smile to twitch at my lips as I basked in the glory that was Lauren Lewis's brand of lovemaking.

I stumbled out of my bedroom, still clumsily attempting to tie the long black tie around my neck and under the collar of my usual white button down.

"Well, well, if it isn't sleeping beauty." I looked up to see Kenzi leaning against the kitchen counter, fully dressed with a mug in her hands. It was rare for Kenzi to be up and ready before me, I looked over to the clock that hung in the kitchen and realized that I had slept in well past ten for the first time since I could remember. "Taking full advantage of that client-detective full disclosure agreement now aren't we?" Kenzi asked with a smug smirk, raising her brows as she took a sip from her mug. I felt my cheeks flush. What was that? I rarely got embarrassed, and never enough to blush. Looks like my femme fatal is evoking all kinds of new reactions from me, I could even name a few just thinking back on last night.

"And what are you doing up so early sunshine? Usually I have to pull out my rooster calls in order to drag your hind out of bed before noon." I chose not play into her little game as I crossed into the kitchen and grabbed for the pot of fresh coffee.

"Well, as it turns out while you were playing house with our one and only client, I was out getting a fresh lead on her case." I turned toward my pal, shock written across my face, as she smiled proudly at me.

"Well, don't just stand there pattin' your self on the back, spill." I urged. There was no need for theatrics, even if we had been at a stalemate since being hired to this case.

"Fine, fine. As it turns out this Lachlan fella really is some sort of bad news, and it turns out that our favorite law enforcement officer just so happens to be on his take." Kenzi said flashing me a knowing grin.

"You've got to be joshing me?" I scoffed. "Mr. Golden Boy, upholder of the law, Señor Goodie Two Shoes is moonlighting as muscle for some club owner?" I shook my head, sometimes people never did cease to amaze.

"That's not all sister!" Kenzi announced placing her now empty mug down on the counter and clapping her hands together, a look in her eye like a kid a candy store. "Hale had the night off so we decided to hit up the Nighthawk since I had been telling Hale all about it, turns out his cousin's the trumpet player over there, and we all got to talking." I cleared my throat, hoping she'd take the hint and get back to it. "Turns out Dyson's been hired to snoop around all the employees and lounge regulars as some fancy necklace, or trinket, or somethin' worth some cash has gone missing from this Lachlan guy's vault." She took a step closer to me, and I eyed her suspiciously. What did any of this have to do with our case? "And his number one suspect? None other than the blonde chickadee who was flittering out of here at dawn. So much full disclosure huh?" She smirked at me with a wink as she eyed me up and down.

How could that be? Why wouldn't Lauren have told me that much of the story. Maybe my first instincts were right. Perhaps I really couldn't trust this broad as far as I could throw her. Who am I kidding? It didn't much matter now, although I hate that she was able to wear down my defenses enough to pull the wool over my eyes. Damn, how could I have been so fooled? Was she even really in any trouble in the first place, or did she just want me to dispose of her boss so that she could get away with the goods? She said she wanted some new life, to be a doctor, maybe this was her way of ensuring that future. What were my service fees compared to the dough she'd rope in from the sale of vault-worthy artifact? No. I was getting ahead of myself. Could the blonde really pull off some heist? Why wouldn't she have just run if she had the goods? What could possibly keep her here? No, things didn't add up. But I needed answers, and I needed them now.

I left the kitchen and headed to the coatrack where pulled on my trusty overcoat, reaching in the pocket for my extra pack of smokes and lighter. I pulled on my hat and lit up the cigarette I had taken out before returning the pack to my outer pocket.

"Hey, where do you think you're goin'?" Kenzi called out after me.

"I think I need to pay our client a visit." I responded.

"But you don't even know where she lives! Hey! Wait for me!" I heard the girl call as I slammed the door behind me.

She was right; I didn't exactly know how to locate Lauren Lewis except at night. I knew where she worked, but I had no idea where she lived or went to school. This was a big city. Sure I could comb the local campuses, but there were too many of those too. Rush, Loyola, Columbia, Northwestern, a handful of others, not to mention state schools, and I'm not even sure which accept women, then again it seemed that many universities these days were opening up their doors to co-eds, the days of women's colleges and finishing schools look like they could soon be a thing of the past. Still, finding Lauren in this city before nightfall was looking to be like finding a needle in a haystack.

I walked out onto the cold and snowy street the Dal sat on. The sidewalk was empty, though we weren't in the darker, seedier side of town like where my office sat, we certainly weren't in the glitzy and glimmering light side where the Nighthawk stood. No, here was a more common ground. Just hard working folks trying to make their way in this crazy upside down world we live in.

I looked over to my right, there were mainly mom and pop businesses on this block, a drug store, a couple of five and dimes, a law firm next to a ladies boutique. It looked as though the weather had people staying warm and indoors, perhaps I should have sat down and listened to the radio before barging out of the apartment on some wild goose chase. I exhaled a breath, the puff visible in the cool air, and I took another drag off my cigarette allowing it to burn down to the filter so I could feel the warmth the embers provided as they bit at the tobacco.

As I turned my head back to the left I noticed a familiar yet surprising site. Sitting there parked in front of the Dal was my beat-up, yellow jalopy. I flicked my cigarette off to the side and strolled up to the beauty. It wasn't covered in an inch of snow like the rest of the cars on the street, and the hood was still slightly warm. I plucked out a small, folded white sheet of stationary that was tucked into the wipers.

Hope this helps get you from point A to B detective.

It was written in a women's elegant scroll, and at the bottom was an address and apartment number.

I felt a smile tugging at the corner of my lips as I looked up to find an astonished Kenzi barreling toward the car. I opened the driver's side door and slid onto the cracked black leather bench seat. I pulled on the visor above my head, and sure enough my keys came clinking down, falling into my lap.

"What gives?" Kenzi asked as she slid in next to me and slammed her door a little harder than necessary shut.

I just chuckled and handed her the piece of paper, which she read over with wide eyes.