A/N: I'm back!! Thanks again and again and again to everyone for their wonderful reviews!! I really do appreciate it!

Mack lived in a brownstone near Riverdale in the Bronx. It was a high class neighborhood, full of rich and powerful people. Hardly anyone questioned why the short bulky Italian man lived there; they just titled him as another prosperous, well-to-do businessman.

Bobby knew the truth; as did the NYPD. Once the shit hit the fan about Mack, he suspected that the oblivious neighbors were going to start being more wary about who they invite to their dinner parties. He pulled up behind Mack's Mercedes Benz and eyed the car. During his first month undercover he had tried to place a tracking device on it only for Mack to start checking his vehicle for just such a thing every day and night.

Unfortunately for him, he was not the one assigned that particular job. Bobby got out of his car and jogged up the steps and pushed the buzzer. Mack had the first and second floor of the brownstone while his brother had the third and fourth.

That brother was DeMarco Vincennes; he too had a rap sheet and was Mack's 'accountant'. That just meant that DeMarco was the one responsible for laundering the money and helping Mack commit tax fraud.

DeMarco was the one to answer the door. "Bobby," the slightly younger, much taller Vincennes brother greeted him. "Come in, make yourself a drink. Mack will be out in a minute."

Bobby nodded to DeMarco and headed across the room, to the bar and poured himself a drink. His nerves were a little on edge from wondering why he had been invited to Mack's home. That had never happened before.

He glanced around the open rooms and took in the tall ceiling that was painted like the Sistine Chapel though it lacked the original masterpiece's breathlessness and amazing craftsmanship. The décor was simple yet everything cost a grand or more, from the three thousand dollar Reid armchair and ottoman to the ten thousand dollar entertainment center. And he also had a Pershing 64, which was a luxurious mega-yacht. Mack was a drug dealer living the high life; it made him furious.

He couldn't wait to take Mack down and slap him with a sentence of 15 to life. And hopefully that'd only be the beginning. With Mack he was going to throw everything at the wall and see what stuck: tax fraud, laundering, distributing/selling/buying of cocaine, and there'd been several hits that have been attributed to Mack but none of those could be proven. And unfortunately, Mack had yet to order him to make a hit on anyone. That would have been a slam-dunk for sure.

Maybe that was why he was there. It was the first time he'd been invited to Mack's home and it greatly made him even more suspicious. He had no idea what he was doing there or why, just that Mack wanted him there that day. Downing the drink, Bobby sat the glass down and wandered around the room. He was getting antsy and the more he had to wait around the worse it got.

"Bobby, you made it."

Bobby turned and shook Mack's hand. "Told you I'd come."

Mack's smile widened a fraction. "That you did. Come into the den, we've got things to discuss."

Bobby felt his stomach twist. What in the hell was going on? He was led to a room in near the back of the house. It consisted of a bar, a couple of two piece couches, and a fireplace. There was a woman in the room, Brenda, Mack's wife, and a girl sitting on one of the couches who looked to be not a day older than thirteen. He didn't know Mack had a child older than his five year old son, Lucas.

Mack stopped next to his wife. She was an Italian woman in her early forties with long black hair, brown eyes, and the sweetest of smiles. Her white blouse was a contrast to the black skirt that flowed freely around her legs.

Bobby smiled warmly at the woman. "Mrs. Vincennes, pleasure to see you again."

Brenda smiled back at him as she shook his hand gently. "Bobby, it's been too long. Nearly five months."

"You stopped coming by the club; I was starting to wonder if I made such a bad first impression you didn't want to see me again."

She smiled wide at him as she chuckled a little. "Hardly."

"Brenda went on vacation; travelled around Italy, visited some family. She just got back a few days ago," Mack explained as he crossed the room. "Can I get you a drink?"

Bobby shook his head at the offer. "No, thanks, I already had one."

"Have another."

Bobby really didn't want to drink too much; he had to stay aware of everything, and one, but he didn't see a way out of it. It was their day off; he was supposedly a bachelor with no family, and no obligations to anyone except himself and Mack. If he tried to come up with a reason to not drink it wouldn't sit right. "Yeah, okay. I guess if I get too loaded I could always take a cab."

"Nah, I'll have my driver take you." Mack grinned over at him before he filled a tall glass with scotch.

Great. Bobby smiled kindly at Brenda before he turned his attention to the girl. "I wasn't aware you had a daughter."

Brenda managed a tight smile. "She's, a friend of the family."

That didn't sound right with Bobby and suspicion in him grew. Brenda had said that liked she was coached, and she didn't believe the words. He nodded anyway and smiled at the girl. "Oh. Did you bring her here from Italy?"

Brenda glanced over at Mack as he made his way toward them. "Something like that."

Bobby eyed her for a second before he took the drink. "Uh, thank you, sir."

"That's Bobby, always the respectful soldier." Mack beamed and gestured for him to take a seat on the couch next to the girl.

Bobby eyed the spot and his stomach nearly did a cart-wheel. He slowly sat down and gave the girl a nice smile before he returned his attention back to Mack. Brenda was leaving the room and shutting the door behind her. Okay, he definitely did not like this at all. He stared at Mack as he sat down across from him and took a sip of the alcohol. "So, what's all this about?"

"You don't beat around the bush at all, do you Bobby?"

Bobby glanced between Mack and the girl. He had to get her out of the room, quickly. "Does she have to stay in here?" he asked as he nodded toward the girl.

Mack shrugged. "You don't want her too? She doesn't understand what we're saying; she doesn't speak English."

Bobby was getting more frustrated and nervous. He hid it nicely though; he was calm and collected as always. Taking a drink he looked at the girl again and shrugged. "Okay, but I still don't see why she has to be in here."

Mack studied him closely for a few long, pain-filled minutes before he motioned for the girl to leave. Once she was gone, he asked, "Happy?"

Bobby nodded once as he took a longer drink from the glass. He felt like he just saved at girl and he didn't even know why or what from. This whole situation was feeling off. Something was going on that he wasn't aware of. Was he being tested for something? He eyed the door for a brief moment and turned back to Mack who was still watching him.

"Wishing she was back in here now?"

Bobby wasn't sure where this conversation was heading but he sure as hell didn't want to navigate it anymore in the direction of that girl. "Why am I here again?"

Mack shrugged a little. "No reason really. Why, got other plans?"

Bobby rubbed at his face as he glanced around the room. He stared into the fireplace as he downed the rest of the drink; he got up to walk around. It was getting really fucking hot in that room. "No, but I could've. Mack," he turned and faced his boss, "you know I'm not dumb enough to think you invited me here just for the hell of it."

Mack finally smirked and took a long drink from his glass. "You're a smart man, Bob. Maybe too smart."

Ought oh. Bobby's head tilted involuntary as he eyed Mack. He didn't like the way Mack had said that. It almost sounded like a threat. His mind began racing with everything he'd done, been doing, and things he'd said. Where did he go wrong? Nowhere. He didn't do anything to make Mack turn on him. Maybe that in itself was the damn giveaway.

Then, his brain stopped its pursuit of his memories and he felt himself start chuckling. Robert Donovan, ex-soldier, was a nutcase; and he didn't respond to threats lightly, and sometimes he thought they were funny as hell. He kept laughing as he took out his pack of smokes and lit one up. Flipping the Zippo lighter open and close, he eased toward Mack who was still sitting down. "You trying to threaten me?"

Mack just watched him patiently and unfazed.

Bobby stopped in front of him and leaned down. Blowing smoke out into the small space between them, he flipped the lighter open as he stared down at his boss. He could be pushing it too far, but if he was being tested somehow he couldn't back down. Donovan wouldn't back down. He'd attack like the psycho he was supposed to be.

When he'd first met Mack nearly a year ago, he had told him a story about why he, Bobby Donovan, was dishonorably discharged from the Army. It was actually about a case he worked with CID. A soldier, who after stealing drugs from the pharmacy and got high, took a flame thrower and burned down his own platoon's barracks; then that soldier took out his weapon and started firing on the MP's who were trying to arrest him. The soldier ended up being a pyro. In the version he told Mack, he wasn't the one of the arresting officers but he was that crazy soldier. It had been his reason for not wanting to do any of the drugs, and it was also one of the reasons why Mack never let him do any neither.

"You know what I do to people who threaten me?" Bobby asked softly as he leaned a little closer.

Mack was starting to look a little worried, but he had yet to call for help or try and do anything to stop him. He shook his head slightly.

He flicked the lighter open and grinned wide as he started chuckling again; Bobby then did something that would have either saved his life or killed him, he brought his right arm around, directly over the flame, and burned his own arm. "I burn the fuckers. Do you want me to do that to you, sir?" How his voice didn't shake with pain amazed him. His arm was twitching with the need to pull away, but he didn't.

"I could kill you for this, Bob. You're the one who's now threatening me."

Bobby grinned. "I'm loyal to you, Mack, as long as you return that loyalty. If you start turning your back on me, I won't hesitant to shot you in it." He flipped the lighter close and straightened. "I respect you, I'm loyal to you, and I serve you; but I will not bend over for you."

Mack watched him as he picked up his glass and went to re-fill it.

He went over to the bar with his back to Mack; if Mack wanted to kill him, it'd be easy. The move was daring and stupid but also telling. As he filled the glass he was listening behind him closely; he hadn't heard any movement and when he turned around, Mack was still seated where he was. Bobby made his way back to the couch and sat down, took a sip off the alcohol, and eyed Mack. "Now, tell me, why in hell am I here?"

Mack got up and went over to a desk in the room. He picked up a file folder and brought it over to him. As he offered him the folder, he said, "J.D. Haddix."

Bobby took the folder and flipped it open. It was filled with information about one of the most dangerous drug-lords of Brooklyn. "What 'bout him?"

After Mack took a drink, he explained, "I want you to talk to him for me. I'm looking into offering up a partnership to him, like Ramirez, but he's not as stupid and inexperienced as Tony. He's older, a lot more powerful, has more guys, and isn't afraid to start an all out war. I need you to feel him out, keep an eye on him, and then get back with me. If he poses a threat, I need to know that."

Bobby knew he wasn't going to like this. He studied the file for a while before he sat it on the table between them. He leveled Mack with a stare that asked only one question: why me?

Mack smiled at him. "You're the only one I trust to do this, and the craziest. Anyone else would be too afraid to get close to him, yet alone deal with him."

Bobby glanced at the file before eyeing him. "So by 'keeping an eye on him' you mean surveillance. If I get caught, I could wind up dead on your doorstep."

Mack smirked. "I'm confident you won't. With the shit you just pulled in here, I'm sure you could get yourself out of anything."

Bobby huffed out a laugh. "You trust me, Mr. Haddix doesn't."

"Change that."

"How," Bobby shot back.

"Find a way." Mack got up and headed out of the room. "Think about. I'll be back in a few; I've got to make some calls." He stood in the doorway as he waved someone over. "Maria."

The girl, Maria, seemed hesitant as she stood in front of him.

He spoke low and in Spanish, not Italian, to the girl. "Ninguna necesidad de preocupar, Maria. Bobby es un amigo," Mack reassured her. Then he ushered her in the room before he shut the door and left.

Bobby stared at the door and then at the girl. She was shying away from him as she sat back down, but on the opposite couch that Mack had abandoned. Mack had told her that he was a friend, and not to worry. "Hola," he said quietly so not to scare Maria. "Me llamo Bobby. Usted es Maria?"

Maria's brown timid eyes never reached his as she nodded. "Sí. Hola, Señor Bobby."

As Bobby continued to watch her, he felt that something was wrong. It wasn't just that she was shy, but she was anticipant of something happening and fearing it. Mack said she didn't speak English, but he had to know for himself. "Habla inglés?"

Maria shook her head.

Bobby frowned. Why was she here? When he opened his mouth to ask, the door opened and Brenda walked in.

"Maria, viene. Su paseo está aquí."

Maria got up and left the room. Brenda watched her go before she turned to him. She closed the door and walked over to where he was sitting and sat down next to him. "We don't want Maria wandering around the house unattended. I was busy and Mack went up to DeMarco's; I hope you didn't mind her being in here while she waited for her ride."

Bobby took a slow drink as he listened to her. He didn't believe her, but she also wasn't completely lying. "Not at all. She's pretty shy, huh?"

Brenda's tight smile as getting painful to look at. "She's not used to strangers."

No, she's scared to death of them. Bobby sat his glass down and faced her. "So, uh, how's Lucas doing?"

The smile that replaced the tight one was real and warm. "He's great. Graduating pre-school in a few months." Brenda eyed him softly as she took him in. "I thought I told you to shave that."

Bobby reached up and stroked his goatee. "You were serious?"

Brenda grinned. "I bet you'll look even more dashing without it."

She was flirting with him. Bobby knew he had to find an 'in' with Brenda, but this wasn't what he had in mind. He needed her confidence; he needed to be someone she could rely on and talk to, and that didn't involve them being together. Besides, both Alex and Mack would kill him. "I am; after I got out," he didn't have to say from where; she knew his back story, "I rebelled and this was the result."

"Um," she hummed as she moved a little closer to him.

Bobby nearly froze at the hand that came up and soothed over his cheek. "Mrs. Vincennes," he protested as he moved his head away.

"Brenda."

Bobby grabbed her hand and lowered it. "Brenda," he looked down before addressing her softly. "You're a beautiful woman and I'd be lying if I said that I'm not flattered, but your husband is my boss and friend. I'm sorry."

Brenda took that all in before saying, "You really are the respectful soldier, aren't you?"

Bobby smirked and shrugged. "It balances out the crazy."

That made her laugh as she pushed him lightly. "I don't think you're that crazy; at least not anymore."

Bobby wasn't so sure he could agree with her; he did just burn his own arm not too long ago, which was still hurting like hell. He was still holding onto her wrist; he glanced down at it as he went to let it go and noticed something under the sleeve, on her skin. It looked like a bruise. "How'd that happen?"

Brenda shoved her sleeve down. "Nothing, just clumsy."

Uh-huh, and he really was a low-life criminal. Bobby eyed her seriously as he asked, "How often?"

"Bobby," she said sternly as she got up.

Bobby followed her. If there was ever an opportunity to get an 'in', here it was. "Brenda." He stopped her with a hand on her shoulder; he immediately dropped it and walked around her so he could see her face. "I won't tell him you told me."

"You're loyal to him."

"That doesn't mean I tell him everything; and as his wife, I'm equally loyal to you," he told her. Bobby caught her eyes and said, "I'm concerned. Please, just…" he trailed off as he tried to settle the anger that was growing in him. If he didn't already not like Mack enough, he had to find out he also abused his wife. "Just tell me one thing; has he ever touched Lucas?"

Brenda's eyes widened in shock. "No, God no, Bobby. He'd never..."

"Okay," Bobby tried to calm her. "Just you then?"

Brenda seemed to crumble at that. She nodded as tears welled in her eyes. "It's not an everyday thing; it's only when he comes home high. It makes him…rough."

Bobby closed his eyes and tried to will the anger down. When he opened them, Brenda stepped back away from him. He was sure that the anger he was feeling showed in his eyes.

"Bobby," she was pleading with him now. "Don't do anything crazy, okay? Promise me you won't."

Bobby took a breath and nodded. The only thing he was going to do was make sure Mack spent the rest of his life in a five by nine prison cell. "I promise." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his wallet. Opening it, he took out his card and gave it to her. "If you ever need anything, or someone to talk to, don't hesitate to call me."

Brenda eyed him with a look of both confusion and awe. "I can't," she finally said as she tried to give the card back to him.

"Yes," he took her hand and pushed it away from him. "You can. I promise, whatever you tell me will not get back to him. I know how to protect the people I care about." Bobby tried to let her know that he was serious.

After a moment, she nodded. "Thank you." Brenda's words trembled out of her mouth. She suddenly reached up and gave him a hug. She pulled away just as quickly. "I've got to pick up Lucas from a friend's house." She straightened her clothes as she stepped away from him and headed toward the door.

As she opened it, she looked back over at him and smiled before leaving. This time the door was left open. It didn't help; Bobby still felt like he was suffocating. Picking up the glass, he finished off the alcohol before placing it down on the bar. Once Mack returned, he was leaving.

Alex gave her dad, John, a hug on the front porch. "Thanks for today; it was great."

John pulled back and kissed her on the forehead. "I'm glad you could make it. Will I see you next Sunday?"

Alex shrugged. "I'm not sure, dad. You know how things can get." He would understand; he was part of the force before he retired from the 4-0 when she was a teen.

John nodded. "An old man can hope." He gave her one last hug as he told her, "Be safe. Love you," before he let her go.

"Love you too, dad." Alex made her way down the walk, turning to wave at her father, before getting into her car.

Ever since going undercover, she kept her car mostly parked in an underground parking garage up the street from her decoy apartment. She only got to drive it when she had a day off; otherwise she took a cab or bus. It made things easier and now that she was working at the bar, it made it safer.

And it felt so good to drive; it was something she enjoyed doing. Driving always seemed to relax her and make her feel more in control. During or after difficult cases, being able to get behind the wheel and drive always seemed to work wonders on her troubled mind.

Today wasn't any different. It wasn't so much the job that was troubling her but who she was working with. Bobby wasn't like any other officer she'd worked with before; granted he was undercover, but there was something about him that made him standout, made him different. So far she could tell that he was great at it; that he knew what he was doing, but there was also something else there, just under the surface. It seemed to linger in everything he did or said.

A vulnerability that he couldn't afford to show or let be known. A past betrayal maybe?

She had a feeling that whatever it was, it was affecting a part of the real man and not the façade, not the character he was pretending to be. For the umpteenth time after meeting him, the cop, she wondered what his real name was. And she wondered if he ever cared to know hers.

It shouldn't matter. They were two cops, undercover, there to do a job and nothing else; it unnerved her that she was thinking too much about him. And realizing that she was not only attracted to him, but had actually flirted with him that morning. It was, when they were at the bar, part for show but it wasn't entirely. Being around Bobby made her feel safer, more capable of doing the job right, and more confident. And even though the trust thing was still an issue, she felt that she could, without a doubt, rely on him and trust him no matter what.

The only other person that ever made her feel that way was her late husband. It hadn't been that long since he died, going on two years. Feeling that way around Bobby, and him doing the exact same thing that got her husband killed, it scared her. For all she knew Bobby could be a crooked cop, indulging in the drugs, pocketing the money, and paying off informants with a fix here and there.

Through all the doubts she couldn't help how she felt. She couldn't help the way she noticed how his eyes light up when she walked into the room and the reactions it caused to her body. It was crazy; she'd only known him for a few days yet she was drawn to him. That was one of the reasons she had really gotten angry when he said that the trust wasn't a two-way street at first. She feared maybe Bobby really was on the wrong side, bending the law for his own personal gain.

When he confronted her about it and never once threatened her or threatened her position there at the club, that was when she knew she had gotten her answer about him. He wasn't a bad cop. Bobby was just concerned and probably scared himself. Scared of trusting again? Of having another partner with him undercover?

She wished she knew where she stood with him. All she really knew was that he liked her, thought she was beautiful, but that didn't mean anything. That didn't make it easier to work with him; in fact, that knowledge made it worse. How could she do her job objectively if she knew her partner had a thing for her?

Well, he could go on thinking what he wanted, but she wasn't about to tell him the same. She didn't go undercover to meet a man and fall in love again. The hole in her heart and life that was her late husband Joe wasn't going to be filled anytime soon. The pain in losing Joe was still too raw; it hurt her to even think about dating again.

Turning onto the street she lived on, she spotted Bobby's car across the street. Oh, just perfect, she thought as she rounded the corner and headed into the parking garage. Once parked, she made her way up the street and to her building. Hopefully Bobby just wanted to talk about something work related. If not, she was going to have to make it clear that she wasn't interested. She'd be lying through her teeth, but it'd be better than the alternative.

At least, that was what she thought.

TBC…

Post-script (lol): Sorry to leave it hanging right there, but I decided the next part would be best in the next chapter; plus, I wanted to polish the next chapter up a bit since it's pretty much Bobby and Alex all the way through it. Their exchanges can get pretty hard to get right at times.