A/N: So, I am now finished another new chapter. And now I am going to bed, I have work tomorrow. Luckily most of my shifts this week are at night so the insomnia that instead of trying to fix, I wind up using the time to write, won't be an issue.

Chapter 8- What Next?

Their entrée arrived around 20 minutes later – five varieties of seafood in a big pot that also contained red potatoes and corn. Trisha had thought of ordering a glass of wine for herself but didn't like to drink the night before she had to fly somewhere – Dana had partied too hard during spring break the year before, and it had been a nightmare flying back to campus with her.

That, and for some ungodly reason Trisha found annoying, restaurants loved to make alcoholic drinks expensive and the last thing she wanted was to have Noah think she was high-maintenance. She had had a guy once think that about her solely because she was well off, but how could someone judge another person solely on their financial situation without getting to know them first?

"Are you okay?"

Noah's question snapped Trisha out of her thoughts.

"Sorry, I… I had something on my mind," said Trisha. "Not about the case, though."

"Okay," said Noah. "Are these crab legs?"

He grabbed what appeared to be a crab leg out of the pot. Sure enough, it was a crab leg.

"Yep, snow crab I think," said Trisha. "Hand it over."

"No, I think I'll keep it," said Noah.

Trisha giggled, and Noah wondered how often he would get to hear her laugh. For obvious reasons, it didn't seem to happen often.

"Fine with me, there's plenty more in there but since there are only two lobsters I think we should share those equally – unless of course you don't like lobster," said Trisha.

"No, I'm definitely taking one of the lobsters," said Noah.

Trisha laughed and took one of the two lobsters for herself – getting the meat out of the shell was going to take awhile.

"So… why did you become a marshal?" asked Trisha

"Why do you want to become a doctor?"

"Answering a question with a question? Why is that, Noah?"

"I'd rather not answer you right now," said Noah. "I'll tell you, just not tonight."

"Okay," said Trisha. "As for me, I survived a major tragedy when I was young. I got a second chance. I want to do the same for others and make a difference."

"Your uncle being a doctor had nothing to do with it?"

"Noah Newman, you should know better by now than to ask me stuff like that," said Trisha. "It's a good thing you're cute."

Noah shook his head and laughed. Trisha also laughed.


The remains of seafood shells and vegetables lay scattered in the pot and on their plates.

"Wow. That was delicious," said Noah. "I don't think I could run after eating all that though, so don't make me chase you."

Trisha giggled and sipped her soda.

"You sure you still want to go to Vaccaro's?" asked Trisha.

Noah nodded. He didn't really want the night to end. The last time he had been on a date, it had been a double date with Cosmo, and it had been a disaster. The girl he had been set up with had had no brains to speak of, and by the time the night had ended he had been miserable and had begged Cosmo never to set him up on a blind date again.

That had been six months ago.

Trisha was different. He knew he shouldn't become involved with someone that was entangled in a case, but that ship had sailed. He could have an actual conversation with her, which was more than could be said for the disastrous parade of bimbos that Cosmo was often seen with.

She also had a cute laugh, and if he could do anything to get her to laugh despite everything going on her life, he would. He knew what it was like to go to hell and back, and it was a lot harder to come back than to simply stay there and let the demons take over.

And yet… what if it led to more heartache?


They paid and left, walking towards Baltimore's Little Italy.

"Noah?" asked Trisha.

"Yeah?"

"You've been quiet. What's going on?"

"Maybe we should just go back to the hotel," said Noah. "This isn't a good idea, and not because of the case but what if something happens? I mean, you've been through a lot, and –"

"Okay, you can stop right there," said Trisha. "If I've learned anything from all the hell I've endured it's that no one is getting off this polluted rock alive, so why play it safe?"

"Damnit," said Noah. "Why do you have to be right?"

"I'm smart, that's why. Now let's find this place and get out of the cold," said Trisha.

They walked, hand in hand, until they found Vaccaro's. Under the sign for the bakery, Trisha saw something and smiled.

"Noah, look," said Trisha.

"What is it?"

"Just look, silly."

He looked up and smiled when he realized what the phrase was underneath the signage for the store – it read "Life is short, eat dessert first."

When they went inside, they saw a bakery filled with Italian pastries and several couples seated at small tables.

"This looks cozy," said Trisha.

"Looks like a place out of Cosmo's nightmares," said Noah.

"Isn't he Italian though?" asked Trisha.

"Yeah, but if he saw this many happy couples he'd die of fright," said Noah.

Laughing, they looked at the myriad of choices available to them. A group of old men was also staring at the baked goods and talking. Noah caught one of them staring at Trisha, and the old man quickly looked away.

"I'll pay this time," said Trisha.

"No, I got it."

"You sure?"

"Yeah," said Noah. "Thank you though."

A middle-aged woman ran up to the counter upon spotting Trisha and Noah.

"What can I get for you?" the woman asked.

"I don't know, what's good?" asked Trisha.

"Everything is good here," said the woman.

"My girl and I are from out of town, she just did her last medical school interview today, so we're celebrating," said Noah.

"Hopkins?" the woman asked.

"Yes ma'am," said Trisha.

"We'll get two cannolis and hot chocolate, please," said Noah.

They were given their cannolis on plates, and the cannolis were bigger than Noah thought they would be. They were then given their hot chocolate in large mugs, which Trisha carried while Noah paid for their food and carried the cannolis as they found a table to sit at. Once they did, they ate their desserts and talked.

"I wish we didn't have to go back to Chicago," said Trisha.

"Well, if we don't Sam might go ape and sic the dogs on us," said Noah.

"Let him, I'm fed up with everyone," said Trisha.

"Trisha Kimble you have no idea the wrath you court making such a statement," said Noah.

She leaned forward as if to kiss him, but stopped short of doing so.

"I am a woman who has almost nothing left to lose, so bring on the damn dogs," Trisha whispered.

"Well, dogs bite so no thanks," said Noah.

"Better get him tested for rabies then," said Trisha.

Noah laughed so hard that he almost snorted hot chocolate out of his nose.

"That's just… why? Why?" said Noah.

Trisha smirked and finished her cannoli.

"Seriously though… I… this… what happens after we go back, Noah?"

"I didn't really think that far ahead," said Noah sheepishly. "I'm not saying I don't want it to continue. I do. We just need to be careful about it."

"I can do that," said Trisha. "I think it's mostly the other marshals we need to worry about finding out, college students don't like to be seen as narcs."

"Well that's just great, how am I supposed to get information about your uncle from Dana or any other friends you have?"

"I don't have friends, I have loyal minions who do my bidding and don't ask meddlesome questions," said Trisha. "As for you, you should've thought about that. Dana and my other pals know better than to cross me because I'm one of the smartest students on campus, my IQ alone is scary to them."

"Those other friends of yours, maybe. Dana, I doubt it," said Noah.

"Yeah, you got me there," said Trisha. "Dana's the crazy one, I'm the smart one. She and I are a team. Don't get me wrong, she's smart, just not as smart as me."

"That doesn't surprise me," said Noah.

"Knowing her, we'll get back to the sorority house and there will be a miniature volcano erupting in the kitchen that she built because I wasn't there to tell her not to do that… again," said Trisha.

"Again?" said Noah.

"She wants to be a volcanologist," said Trisha. "That's her plan, anyway. I guess this makes me a magnet for thrill seekers."

"How am I a thrill seeker?" asked Noah.

"You chose a career that involves kicking down doors and getting shot at," said Trisha. "I believe I've made my point."

"I believe you have."

They laughed and finished their food, then walked back to the hotel. However, they didn't go their separate ways – they went back to Trisha's room and she turned on the TV.

"What are you looking for?" asked Noah.

"A movie that might be on for us to…"

She flipped past a channel then went back towards it with the buttons on the remote.

"Oh! I love this one!" said Trisha.

"What is it?" asked Noah.

"The Princess Bride," said Trisha. "It's one of my favorite movies ever, I love it."

They sat on the couch and watched it together. Noah initially thought he might've agreed to watch a chick flick, but the fencing scene between two of the characters looked promising.

Noah put an arm around Trisha, and she wanted to kiss him but she was a little nervous. She had never made the first move before, not even in Spin the Bottle because no one had ever wanted her to play the game with them.

Because who wants to kiss a girl with scars all over her face while playing Spin the Bottle?, thought Trisha.

Several minutes passed, and she had barely worked up the courage to make a move on him when his clunky cell phone rang.

"Damnit!" Trisha whispered as Noah answered his phone.

She shut off the TV, as it would probably just annoy him. Luckily, the call ended a few minutes later.

"That was Sam," said Noah. "He wanted to know what time our flight was supposed to depart tomorrow. I told him 4 p.m. east coast time and he didn't sound too happy."

"Course not, he probably hates me," said Trisha.

A"I know you're trying to help me feel better, but I have been treated worse than dog feces off and on since January of last year so yeah, people hate me," said Trisha. "There's a group of feminists on campus, they decided to target me because I wasn't behaving the way they thought I should after Helen… anyway they've egged me several times and one of them actually threw a rock at my head."

"What?!"

"Yep. Bitch missed but Dana saw the whole thing and dumped sour milk on her," said Trisha. "It was gross but she deserved it."

"Remind me not to cross the Pele spawn."

"Pele spawn? Oookay, you gotta make up for that one."

"And how do you propose I do that?"

"Kiss me," said Trisha.

That bakery in Baltimore is real, so is the sign. I saw the picture of it somewhere on Yelp, which I thought was ironic. Review, I really am able to update quicker now that that issue with my meds has been fixed! :)