Will woke up the next morning with his hand only slightly in pain and judging by the silence, Allan had already left the house. Yawning lazily, Will stumbled out of bed and groped around for a towel before heading into the bathroom to take a long, hot shower. Thirty minutes later, Will felt both awake and relaxed as he headed down to the main part of the house clad in some sweatpants and a T-shirt. Grabbing one of the fresh muffins that were lying out on the counter, Will put the kettle on the stove to heat up some water before he ran back upstairs to grab some of his papers. He might not be teaching yet, but that didn't mean he didn't have work to complete. Just the thought of teaching in less than a week made Will feel sick enough to throw away the rest of his blueberry muffin.

Armed with some hot tea, Will was making his way to the kitchen table when Djaq walked into the kitchen, startling him. The pajama clad doctor smiled a good morning as she pulled some green tea out of a cabinet.

"Sorry to scare you, Will. But I heard the kettle go off and thought some tea sounded perfect. Thanks for getting the water going. How is your arm? What are your plans for the day?"

While wondering how in the world he got stuck with morning people, it took Will a moment to gather his thoughts. "Good morning, Djaq. I was just going to plan out some of my lectures for my seminar class, nothing exciting. Are you working today?"

"No, actually, I have the day off from both jobs. So I thought I would rest up for tonight. Did you two decide who would be coming with me? And you didn't answer my question about your arm."

"The arm is feeling fine, just a little sore. You patched me up nicely. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Will Scarlett."

"As for the stakeout, you will be working with Allan, I'm afraid."

"You're afraid?"

"Because well, you see…."

"Yes?"

"Never mind, I'm just trying to scare you. Allan is good company on a stakeout; you will definitely not be bored," Will forced a smile.

"It sounds like it will be an interesting night," Djaq said, studying Will. "It will be nice to get to know Allan better. And you as well, Will."

"Me?" Will asked in disbelief.

"Yes, you," Djaq responded, a small smile playing about her lips. "If you aren't in too big of a hurry, why don't you join me on the couch? Days with this much free time are rare, and I would like to spend some of it with you."

She had already turned to make her way to the living room when her words sunk in with Will, and thus she did not see the blush that made its way to his cheeks. Following awkwardly behind, Will sat down on the overstuffed armchair as Djaq settled herself comfortably on the couch, legs tucked under her as she faced Will Scarlett. There was silence for a few moments as the two sipped and savored their morning tea, Djaq's eyes on Will and Will's eyes on the tapestry over the couch.

"What are your…"

"So tell me…"

The two adults chuckled as their words tumbled over each other. Lardner, previously known as Killer, followed the sound into the living room and jumped up on the couch to inspect Djaq who stroked the cat with an absentminded air whilst still examining Will with an almost unsettling concentration. She opened her mouth to continue, but Will sensing an interrogation of sorts into his life interrupted before she could get out her sentence.

"So tell me about the Free Clinic you work at. The work you do seems rewarding, how did you get into that field?"

"My father was a physician, and I wanted to be just like him for as long as I can remember. We would be sitting around the dinner table and he would quiz me on various medicines or names of diseases. I was eleven. He died a few years later in a drive-by shooting."

"That had to have been hard on you."

"It was," Djaq agreed, her voice soft and lost in days long ago. "But my father had taught me the necessity of inner strength and reaching goals; it seemed a slight to him to live my life in mourning. So I went to medical school and became a general practitioner; it helped that the MI-6 paid for it. I worked with them to take down the gang and the Hood must have seen something in me. He offered medical school and a position under him. I said yes."

"What about the clinic? Do they suspect you have another job?"

"I certainly hope not!" Djaq grinned brightly. "That could definitely get me in trouble on both ends. There have been a few tight situations in the past, but nothing I could not handle. Plus, it helps that my boss has a silver tongue and is able to invent fantastic excuses off the top of his head."

"He sounds like an interesting man. Will we get to meet him?"

"I don't know. He is keeping a low profile at the moment but there is a definite possibility. You and Allan…intrigue him; and this case means a lot to him. He can be a bit of a perfectionist through the obsession." Djaq's hands flew to her mouth as she realized what she had just said. "Please tell me you didn't hear that."

"I haven't heard a single word you've said at all," Will smiled, settling himself more comfortably in the chair. "So tell me about your coworkers at the clinic."

"They are a good group of people. The head physician is a bear of a man, John Little. He runs our little group with military precision, for all the fact that he doesn't say much. Frankly, he terrified me when I started, but now I can't imagine anyone else running the place. He cares a lot about the community and our patients. His wife, Alice, helps out with the clerical work along with fundraising. She is a sweet woman, and their son is adorable."

"By bear of a man, are you referring to the bearded hulk who likes to glower? If so, I met him yesterday. He wasn't too thrilled when I specifically asked for you."

"He can be a bit overprotective, like a gruff uncle almost. John thinks that Saffiya is a retired army medic, and as he is ex-military himself, he has taken me under his wing. You won't find anyone more loyal or willing to fight for what he believes is right. I can't help but worry about the clinic and John, especially with the recent funding cuts."

Here, Djaq petered off, concern in her eyes as other thoughts entered her mind. Will, unsure of how much to intrude, went to finish his tea and was surprised to find it stone cold. I guess I'm enjoying myself more than I would have thought Will mused.

"So tell me about Allan."

Will looked up at Djaq in surprise. "You want to talk about Allan?"

"I do have to work with him tonight. It would be nice to know some more about him and the two of you seem close."

"We are. But you don't need to ask me, he'll have no problem talking about himself tonight."

"That may be true, but I'm still curious."

"Not much to say really. He's charming, intelligent, and does stuff his own way. I first met him four years ago. I had just graduated with an engineering degree, and my father wanted me to join the 'family business', otherwise known as the CIA. But he wasn't too pleased when I decided not to go into the weapons field like him. I wanted to be a field agent; it seemed more exciting then sitting in a lab all day. And on my first day, they teamed me up with Allan A Dale, one of their premier junior agents. Fast forward a week later, the government 3,000 dollars less and the two of us in jail; first time a boss had ever yelled at me, and for some reason I didn't care. Allan just does that to people; he catches them up in the excitement. I was warned by other agents that first week of his distrust in people; of how he had never been able to keep partners, didn't want to. But he was vehement to our superiors, who surprisingly didn't fire us both, that no one would be a better partner to him than me. He took me under his wing and has been looking after me ever since. To this day, I'm not entirely certain how that happened; why it was me that he picked."

"I would have thought the reason would be obvious, Will Scarlett."

"Huh?"

"You will realize why one day. So tell me about engineering. Is that what you are teaching at the school?"

"Yes, although I am a bit rusty with the basic material. I fell in love with carpentry in high school; so I thought even if I didn't go the way of my dad, I would still have something I love and become a contractor or something."

"Would you still like to do that someday?" Djaq asked.

Will shrugged, unsure of the answer himself. Lardner interrupted the silence with a loud questioning meow as he sat up, searching the air for some imaginary foe. Minutes were spent with the two humans watching the sleepy and confused cat. Lardner was finally satisfied that nothing had sneaked past him, and he nestled back into Djaq's lap, settling himself down for his second nap of the morning. Djaq smiled and slowly ran her hand down his back, eliciting a sound that sounded more like a jet engine than a purr.

"You mentioned teaching a seminar class earlier. What is to be the topic?" she continued.

"The topic is to be engineering in the middle ages. We did a miniature catapult back in high school, and its fantastic getting to do more. I'm still getting into the research, but I've already drawn up some notes and sketches. Would you like to see them?"

Djaq nodded, her eyes bright in anticipation. Will unfolded his long legs and made his way to the kitchen where he last left his sketches. Grabbing Djaq's empty mug on the way, he left their mugs in the sink and hurried back with his mass of papers. He stopped short when he saw that Djaq had sat up and was patting the bit of couch right next to her. Chiding himself that it was just Djaq, and that as an adult he shouldn't be afraid of girls…women…anymore; Will settled himself next to the doctor. His nervousness melted away with the indignant howl of an unsettled Lardner who let his displeasure known before settling down in Will's lap.

"He likes you," Djaq said, her chuckle mingling with Will's. "Even when he is angry, he still wants to be with you."

"Nah, he's just a creature of comfort. Why bother holding a grudge when there are the more important concerns of warmth and a soft lap to settle in? He's just like his daddy really. Assess and figure out what's more important to focus your emotions on; Allan is good at that."

Realizing the topic had gotten back to Allan, as it usually did, Will hastily shoved some pictures towards Djaq. She eagerly took them, and the two discussed medieval engineering for the next hour. Djaq was mostly quiet, asking the occasional pertinent question as Will talked and talked about his newfound passion of old mechanisms and ancient weaponry.

Djaq marveled at this change in who she had perceived to be a man normally reserved. His passion for engineering was evident, and his intuitive grasp of the subject impressed the young doctor. "No wonder you're father wanted you to follow in his footsteps. The CIA seems to have lost a great 'Q' when you decided to become a field agent."

"He was pretty upset," Will admitted. "Growing up, we had never really fought, but that little rebellion started off a hell of a chain of arguing. When I still didn't go in the direction my father wanted for me, he started pushing my brother even more."

"Oh, I did not know you had a brother, are you close?" Djaq asked, her eyes still studying the sketches. "I was supposed to have a brother, a twin. He died three days after birth. My parents never had any more children; it would have been nice to have a sibling.

"He is not in my life anymore," Will answered softly, eyes bright with emotion. "In a month it'll have been two years since he died. Since…" Will's words petered off, unable still to handle the memories.

"I'm sorry for bringing it up, for causing you pain," Djaq told him, resting her hand on his arm.

Will shook his head vehemently, unable to trust his voice. His large hand found hers, still on his left arm in a silent offer of comfort, and squeezed it gently, hoping to offer his own comfort to her, for the loss he could tell she still felt. She squeezed back tighter, and Will suddenly couldn't breathe, claustrophobia closing in on him.

"I have to go," he explained hastily, leaping up from the couch. "I was going to head to the school today to meet with the Dean and I'll finish up my work from there. Bye."

And with those words, Will Scarlett made his escape to his room to get dressed so he could leave for the school. So he could try to leave behind the storm of emotions that were making their way through his body like a whirling dervish; to escape once again into work and solitude.

If he had looked behind he would have seen Djaq still on the couch, her knees hugging her chin as pained brown eyes followed his exit. She stayed in that position, listening to the hurried footsteps of her new flat mate as he threw on clothes and then ran out the door, not even bothering to call out to her. As she listened to the car roar to life and then sped away from her, she looked down at the living room floor, realizing one small detail. "But you left your work here, Will," she spoke into the silence.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and has waited so patiently for updates. I decided to go ahead and cut this chapter up and put only the Will/Djaq scene in this chapter as I wanted to get something up before I left. Next chapter will include the Allan/Djaq stakeout goodness. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I appreciate any reviews/ideas/constructive criticism/etc.