Here's Chapter 8. Thanks so much for reading, enjoying, reviewing and checking up on it! That 12 Chapter thing I said no longer stands as this fic will probably have at least 15 chapters. I'm writing chapter 13 now. As you know by now, I pack a lot of information into one chapter so whether it's an event, a past event, a case, a love scene or a relationship; it's best to read all the chapters or else it can get very confusing. For those of you who wonder why I chose to write an HIV storyline the truth is I've wanted to for the last three fics but it didn't fit. HIV/AIDS awareness is very important to me and so is dispelling stereotypes and prejudices. I thought Nina, a wise, sexy, reborn if you will, streetwise character who my readers tend to respond well to was the right character for it. The challenge has come from not writing HIV as her punishment for who she was or what she did before, but writing it as something she and her loved ones face together for better or worse. *exhales* Enjoy.


A week later.

Jess got out of the bed and put her clothes back on, slid her Magnum into the holder on her hip and slid the badge onto the pocket on her jacket. He yawned.

"Don't you wanna stay for breakfast? I have Pop Tarts."

"Sounds great but I gotta go."

"When will I see you again?"

"Sometime." She put on her boots and headed for the door.

"Hey," he went over to her, "I just have one question."

"Shoot."

"Why'd you carry the gun?"

"For the same reason you carry condoms; protection." She lightly kissed his cheek. "I had a good time."

"Me too. A really good time."

"Don't miss your seminar." And with that she left the Potomac College campus and the guy she did behind.

Alexandria, Virginia

"Antonio, don't even think about asking me." She said after he pulled away from their impromptu morning make-out session. "Kissing is better."

"Nic,"

"Thin ice."

"Fine. What if something happened to me?"

"It won't; because this time when you see it coming you will run. No questions asked."

"You know I can't do that,"

"I'd do it for you."

"Only because you're not working and Nina's going through it; if you were leading this case…"

She cut him off. "I'm not, for a reason. Promise you won't go looking for trouble."

"What is this, Freaky Friday?"

"Promise."

"I promise."

"I don't know what I'd do if I lost you so…"

"Shh. Kissing is better."

Washington, D.C.

Pollock was waiting in the parking lot when Jess arrived at work.

"Sir?"

"I need to see Michael."

"No can do."

"Excuse me?"

"Seeing you will compromise any chance Michael has of helping us. Besides, the acting A.D. has put a BOLO out on you."

"I didn't come in my car."

"For you; not the car." She said. "The Inspector General will terminate your service to the FBI if you're seen on the premises."

"How is Michael?"

"I can't really say but I am taking care of him."

"Thank you Mastriani…Jess. He's lucky to have you and so am I."

"I'm just doing my job."

"No. You're never just doing your job. Right now you're saving my son,"

"From what?"

"Himself. Homeland Security is waiting for you to arrive. Take care Jess."

"I will. Thanks for the heads up."

Bethesda, Maryland.

Colin and Desirée lay with Ryan between them. "Who would've thought two people could make someone so beautiful? Morning Ryan." She kissed his forehead. "I'm glad you're here."

"Me too. Even if it's just to hear you pray in Creole. It's sexy."

"Well, I'm thankful."

"For what?"

"For having someone to call every time Ryan gets sick, for having you in my life again and for being right here in this moment with everything as it should have been."

"You could've tracked me down in Dallas."

"And risked losing the baby with that kind of stress? Besides, they don't call it deep cover for no reason. It's impenetrable; I thought you understood that. What's wrong?"

"You know that I love you and you've always had this way of bringing me to my knees. I love you too much Des,"

"That's a good place to start."

"But I tend to…"

"I know where this is going and I don't want to hear about the many loves of Colin McNeil."

"I don't know if I've got what it takes to do this. You know; settle down, be an adult."

"Did I ever tell you my dad was in the military?"

"Lieutenant Colonel Marcel Perrault."

She smiled. "I was an army brat and I never felt rooted in anything or anywhere until now. That's because I chose to be still and be happy with my lot, instead of always chasing the next best thing."

"How'd you do that?"

"I realised this is the best thing. The search is over. It's up to you to figure out what the best thing is and if it's us you can stay forever, but until then I like the way things are."

She tickled Ryan's stomach and the giggles brought on another bout of nostalgia.

Her gentle hands touched his face as she tended to the cut. "This'll hurt."

"Goddamnit!" He yelled after the antiseptic started stinging and sealing.

"I warned you. What were you doing? I told you I had the bar fight covered."

"You were taking too long. As soon as I stepped in some guy hit me."

"That guy was Oran Shell and now you've blown your cover."

"Crap."

"Never mind; I'll have to be the link now." She gave him that knowing smile. "You were worried about me?"

"I was not. It was for the investigation."

"Right. And that's the reason why you can't take your eyes off me."

"We share a room."

"Okay Colin."

"What happened to Agent McNeil?"

"Agent McNeil leaves the room every time Colin gets an eyeful especially with my clothes on."

"Why are you flattered? Why does it matter?"

"Because I'm tired of men giving all these hints that they want it but never doing anything about it. Why is that?"

"You're off limits. This is off limits."

"Is that an excuse or a reason?"

"What's the difference?"

"An excuse is something your blame your ability or inability to act on and a reason is something you decide to base your actions on."

"Semantics."

"Answer the question."

"No. That's what you want and I can't give you what you want."

"Can't or won't?" The look in her eyes reduced him to prey. The power he wielded was enough to drive him insane with the unstoppable urge to be with her, and there was nothing that turned him on like a challenge, but she had a way of switching up the game; playing the hare and hound, wanted to be taken and to dominate, causing him to devise violent, passionate, experimental fantasies that defied limits. Her body could stop time, set his blood racing and cause a pounding in his head that hurt more than the throbbing cut on his cheek. The tension was that of a rubber band ready to snap or a birthday balloon ready to explode. That was why he didn't hesitate any longer to undress her, throw the badges they worked so hard for to the floor and respond to her every desire. Impulses had reign, desire ran free and sweat glistened their faces, chins, necks, chests, and backs as they duelled like they had never before. There were no words to describe meeting your match in bed and they didn't find them on the floor, in the closet or the shower. The sensation washed over them, so much so that they forgot their names. From then on it became an insatiable itch fuelling a voracious appetite that needed to be satiated day, noon and night. It was a cross between 702's "Places" and Ludacris' "What's your fantasy?" And neither had had better since.

Washington, D.C.

Jess saw the psychiatrist who was treating Adelpha off. She had been released from the hospital but had yet to divulge any information about her experience. She noticed Michael moping around Nicole's office; he hadn't been outside for over a week. "Hey there."

"Hey. What'll happen to me?"

"Well, cybercrime is serious and what you did may count as terrorism."

"Am I going to jail?"

"I don't know Michael; the legal department is pursuing that now."

"Do you think what he said was true? About it coming when we least expect it."

"Possibly. Hopefully it was an idle threat. If not; we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Your hearing is in a few days."

"Why so soon?"

"This is serious; that's why. Maybe you should go home and make peace with your family. Just in case."

"I don't know about that."

"It's either here or there; either way you've got to see the light of day sometime."

Nicole knocked on the door, surprised to see them there. "Am I interrupting?"

"No," Michael replied. "I'm going home. Thanks Jess."

"See you on Friday, 10 a.m., and wear a suit."

"Sure."

Nicole sat on her desk. "If I didn't know better I'd say you're in the danger zone Jess."

"For what?"

"I saw the way he was looking at you."

"He depends on me; he doesn't have anyone else."

"What I saw was personal and you know how teenage boys are."

"I have nothing to do with Michael Nic."

"And I believe you, just watch it. Anyway; who did you have sex with?"

"How…?"

"I'm an Aries; we have radars for this kind of thing. So who was it?"

"I didn't ask for his name."

"Mmm-mmm-mmm. So was it good?" Nicole switched from false disapproval to girl talk, mid-sentence.

"I'm not telling you that!"

"I thought Colin was good in the sack."

"It wasn't him and it won't be. Ever."

"I've got all day." Jess filled her in about Desirée and Ryan. "Damn. All that time?"

"Yeah, it sucks."

"You should've jumped Burgess when you had the chance. Where is he anyway?"

"Somewhere in the Southwest getting on someone else's nerves."

"So this mystery man, where'd you meet him?"

"The Roundhouse."

"Wasn't that where you and Colin used to go?"

"I was…upset, lonely, confused, pissed; I just needed to make sure that place didn't mean anything to me anymore. So we started talking and I went to his."

"His what? House, apartment, trailer…"

"Dorm."

"A college boy? Did you smell milk on his breath?"

"He's not a boy."

"Did you check his ID to be sure? He could be a child prodigy; damn16-year-old." She joked.

"Stop it. Anyway, I haven't seen you here since God knows when, what's keeping you away?"

"Stuff. My mom actually."

"Is she okay?"

"Yeah," her voice went higher, "she's fine."

"That was unconvincing. Nic, what's going on? You know I don't like being in the dark."

"There's so much I wish I could tell you."

"Then do. Talk to me. Whatever it is it's affecting you and everyone can see that."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You look tired and troubled; like you're barely hanging on. And Antonio sees it too."

"He never said."

"He doesn't want you to feel attacked but he's worried. And so am I. So come on, let me know and we never have to discuss it again."

"Okay."