They were still throwing ideas around a little while later, slowly relaxing after the tension of the evening, when a soft tap at the door made them both suddenly alert.

"Are we expecting any visitors?" Jen asked, getting slowly to her feet and padding to the door. She cast half a mind towards her gun – which was in her case and then decided that perhaps answering the door with a weapon might not give quite the right impression. And it wouldn't have afforded much protection against this visitor anyway.

"I thought I'd make sure everything was all right," their hostess purred as she leant against the door frame; eyes eating Jen up in a way that if she'd been a man would have earned a sharp remark and possibly a knee to the groin.

"Come in and have a night cap" Jen offered, pushing the door open and letting her in.

She glanced over her shoulder and found Hollis stretching out on the bed, hair tousled, a button of her dress undone and obviously amused by something. Jen wasn't quite sure when she'd decided to get so into the spirit of things – but she wasn't going to complain and since Anna had decided to pour herself a drink she slid onto the bed next to her partner, letting the Deputy Secretary of State take the chair.

"You're quite comfortable?" she asked.

"You have a beautiful home," Hollis said, watching the way Anna's eyes followed Jen's every movement – knowing she couldn't possibly be as unaware of the attention as she seemed.

"I'm glad you like it. Tomorrow will be mostly informal. You're very welcome to enjoy the grounds, use the pool if you like. Jenny – there will be a meeting tomorrow before dinner, to confirm your membership. I don't foresee any problems."

"That's good to know."

"Well," she said as she finished her drink, "I'll let you get to bed."

Her smile told them exactly what she thought they were going to be doing.

"She's interested in you," Hollis observed as Jen pushed the door shut. "Should I be jealous?"

"Well, I suppose that negates the theory she was upset by Faith's death," Jen responded pouring herself some more bourbon and dropping onto the bed beside Hollis. "I doubt that little visit was as benign as it seemed."

"She's working out how involved we are – so she can make a move?"

"Probably."

"You don't seem very concerned."

Jen turned her head to meet Hollis' gaze; and Hollis looked right back - not even bothering to hide her curiosity.

"Is there a question in there somewhere?"

The challenge was obvious and Hollis considered carefully – knowing she would likely only get one shot at this. She was absolutely not going to ask if Jen was a lesbian. Her radar might have been off when it came to Faith but it wasn't that far off.

"This has happened to you before?"

"Has a woman has made a pass at me before – yes? More than once actually."

Hollis pushed herself up onto her elbow.

"When you were undercover?"

"It happened then, yes."

"What happened?"

"It was a long time ago."

"When you and Jethro were partners?"

The fractional pause gave her the answer before Jen did.

"Were you the bait?"

"You could say that. We needed information from her, knew she liked women, thought we might be able to get some photographs of her in a compromising position."

"And?"

"We got the photographs. Got tape actually." She looked up at Hollis, refusing to be embarrassed or ashamed. "The only way was to let her seduce me – so that's what I did."

"And Jethro…?"

"Was watching – yes."

Hollis lay back on the pillows, trying to imagine herself in that position, still curious in spite of herself.

"How did he react?"

She knew she'd surprised the other woman by her question, knew she might not like the answer from the expression that crossed Jen's face.

She looked across the river as she walked along the Albert Embankment; and the only thing she would allow herself to think about was that since a light shone above the clock face, Parliament must still be in session. She'd always been able to draw a modicum of comfort from the stateliness of Big Ben. But that had been before tonight. Before she'd done what needed doing to get the job done. And come home to Jethro.

He'd been shaking with rage.

"Allowing her to touch you like that wasn't part of the deal" he'd growled. Beside himself with anger. Trembling with arousal and emotions he didn't know how to handle.

"Aren't you the one who's always saying it's a viable interrogation technique?" she'd shot back. Baiting him when she should have been standing down.

"God, Jen. Not like that" he'd said as he turned away from her. "Not like that ..."

"I thought men enjoyed watching women together" she'd said smugly. Because it was easier than admitting that she was sorry it had had to go that far.

"Jen, stop ..." he'd begged.

But she hadn't. Because some part of her wanted him to tell her what it had done to him - even though the evidence was plain to see.

"I hear some people use it as a learning tool."

He'd recoiled visibly, the blatant insinuation stinging. And she'd regretted her defensive flippancy immediately. Hated that it was so easy to hurt him with this. Because she knew what it must have done to him to watch the other woman seduce her in that way. Especially given that the woman in question had been particularly tender - her hands lingering on Jen's face, her hips, her breasts, her stomach; places he sought sanctuary in.

"Jethro, I'm sorry" she'd said, reaching out to touch him.

That was all it had taken. He'd had her up against the wall in a heartbeat, and made short work of releasing all his pent up rage and frustration into her. And although she'd held him to her and encouraged him, the moment it was over he'd turned and left the apartment.

She'd walked along the embankment, getting as far as Lambeth Pier before she'd found him. And when she had she'd wrapped her arms around his waist and cried. He'd held her for a long time. Whispered that he was sorry. That he loved her. That it had killed him to see someone else touch her like that. And that he never ever wanted to see anything like that again.

Jen looked over at the woman watching her expectantly.

"He didn't like it" was all she said.