Another long day began as usual at police headquarters. The team began another day of police research. Tom was seated at his desk reading over a report. Mared was organizing and searching a file down the hall.

Suddenly, Tom heard a disturbance-yelling in the distance and a loud scuffle. A man was running through their offices and a few guards chased him. It was obvious a suspect had escaped police hold as they were transporting him to a holding cell, and the suspect now created a diversion path through their offices. Tom sprang up from his seat. The man had headed in the direction of the building where Mared was.

"Mared,". Tom whispered. He darted down the hall. Just as he got there, he saw Mared had been in the pathway at the wrong time. The suspect grabbed her in a choke hold to throw her aside, but one could also tell for a brief moment his indecisiveness about whether to take her with him as a hostage. Tom's eyes widened as he froze for a moment with his arms lifted as if to plead for the suspect not to hurt Mared. Everything was happening so quickly. In a fit of panic and luckily for all, it was soon evident the suspect decided against the hostage notion. However, he had not totally decided against harming her. In his rage, he cast her against the wall with his hand pressing down upon harshly Mared's chest before slightly punching her, giving her a direct blow or jab to the diaphragm and then continuing to run. Mared collapsed to the floor. Tom ran directly to her aid.

"I have her." Tom breathed in a panicked tone. "I got her," he repeated as if encouraging the policemen to go continue after the man.

"Mared," Tom spoke as he noticed she couldn't breathe comfortably, for with that blow, the wind was knocked out of her.

Lloyd had run to the scene and witnessed what proceeded.

"Lie on your back." Tom said as he moved Mared to that position. He instructed her to extend her arms over her head while he was arching her back. "Short breaths in, long breaths out." He demonstrated. He learned this method could help restore normal breathing when someone suffered temporarily paralysis of the diaphragm induced by a blow like that. She was in pain but within seconds, her normal breathing was restored. He kept her lying there as a safety precaution for about 30 seconds more before confirming she was ok. Mared's first urge was to hold on to Tom. She sat up on her own and latched on to him. He could tell she was shaking slightly. He held her and let her stay that way in that embrace as long as she needed. He felt her begin to become calmer. The embrace seemed to soothe her, the longer it was shared.

"We should take you to a doctor."

"No, I don't need a hospital." She refuted in a quiet yet relieved tone.

"We can just have a doctor look over you to be sure."

"Tom, I'm fine. Take me home?"

He nodded.

They walked in to her home together. Tom looked around. He'd never been there to her house before.

"Can you stay awhile?" Mared implored.

"Sure," he answered.

They sat together on her sofa.

Moments later, Mared bent her knees up, drew her feet up on the sofa, and curled up against Tom with her head resting upon that comfortable spot somewhere in between his chest and his shoulder, no longer contemplating whether she should or shouldn't. The professional barrier was broken.

"It's going to be all right, Mared." He spoke to her.

"You're safe now."

Time passed, as they stayed that way.

...

Tom sweetly brushed his lips to the top of her head-her hair-as he cradled her against him.

Moments later, Mared moved to suddenly bring her fingers to the knot of Tom's tie and began loosening it.

"What are you doing?" Tom asked sweetly the rhetorical question, because he hadn't expected that.

She hadn't answered him.

Her fingers stroked his neck, as she gently and passionately kissed him. She seemed to no longer have the patience to repress what she truly wanted. She loved Tom. She didn't want to deny it any longer.

Mared for real this time initiated the "complicating of things" as Prosser called it.

She unbuttoned and opened his shirt.

"Should we..." Tom closed his eyes, as Mared's lips delicately caressed the bruising on his chest, ribs, and stomach that had not yet healed.

She drew her hands down his arm to draw him up from the sofa to guide him to her bedroom.

"Wait? Are you sure you want this? They say we need professional focus. Are you sure you're Ok for this? I don't want to hurt you...You want this...". He paused, "Now?" He was considering her body might still be in pain or sore from earlier.

"Kiss me, Tom." Mared spoke authoritatively.

Tom acquiesced to her command with a powerful connection of his lips upon hers.

She lay back on the bed. His body covered hers. They had not taken the time to fully undress before they were in that position.

She brought his hands to her breasts longing for him to touch her. She was still clothed. She rushed to change that, though she was nervous to fully reveal her body to him, but she thought that's what Tom was waiting for her to do-to completely undress for him and lie naked before him. Not so. He wanted her to be comfortable.

Mared was rushing, but Tom slowed her down.

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere. It's ok." He whispered.

"Sorry,". She blushed.

"Shhh, no worries..." He consoled her. He always found the words to calm her. The gentility in his voice and tone perfectly soothed her.

Even so, he could tell her heart was racing now.

She stroked his back as they began kissing as they lay between the sheets together.

Tom looked into her eyes, as their bodies became one for the first time.

Mared whimpered, as Tom gently moved inside her.

She continued to softly moan and breathe against him. She desperately held him to her beneath the sheets. Her head rested over his shoulder.

"I'm here, Mared. I'll always be here." Tom whispered.