"Did you have fun?" Flack questioned, his fingers intertwined with his fiancée's as they headed towards Kris' z4 BMW.
"Yeah… Stella's been a great friend. Thanks for introducing us." With that said Kris pecked him on the cheek and plopped her bags into the trunk.
The drive home was a quiet yet comfortable one, and despite the New York traffic, the two made it home within an hour. Having put away the newly acquired bags, shoes, jewelry, and clothes, Flack headed towards the kitchen to order dinner.
"What do you want, Kris? Chinese, pizza, Mickey D, KFC or Italian?" Flack called out as he rummaged through the take – out directory.
"How about, for a change, we sleep in." Kris suggested as she entered the kitchen, clad in brown girl boxers and Flack's white wife beater.
He let out a sigh before turning around. "You know I have to eat, and so do you." Flack pulled her to him and let her fiddle with his tie.
"And you know I love it when you're in a tie." She replied before yanking his tie in order to pull him to her and press her lips to his.
"Now, doll, I'm not falling for the seduce – the – detective card." He smiled against her kiss before kissing her on the forehead.
"Foine…" Kris pouted. "Italian then."
"Good call, love." Flack replied with a laugh before ordering them some white sauce pasta, a salad and two calzones.
Dinner was uneventful. Kris had reluctantly eaten some salad and calzone before heading towards the bedroom. With a heavy sigh she snuggled deep under covers while Flack took a shower. Shooting a glance at the bathroom door, she silently slipped out of bed and reached for the tin box underneath the bed. Kris, having grabbed a jacket and slippers, headed out of the condominium, and let the door close behind her.
"Where have you been?" were the first words that greeted Kris when she entered the bedroom, half an hour later. She froze for a moment before shrugging.
"I just went out for a breath of fresh air." She replied as she pulled off her jacket and joined him on the bed.
"Yeah?" Flack raised an unbelieving eyebrow before pulling her to him. He pressed his face against her hair and froze at the unexpected smell. "You've been smoking." He let go of her and studied her face.
"What?"
"Don't lie to me, Kris. I'm not stupid."
She shrugged as she pulled her knees to her chest. "I don't want to talk about it, Flack."
"Well, I do." Flack sat up and set his gaze more intently on her. "It isn't good for you, Kris. We both know that. What if your lungs close up and you don't have your inhaler? Or what if you slowly deprive your brain of oxygen because your lungs get filled up with too much fluid?" Kris kept silent but finally met his eyes. "What if I'm not around and something happens, Kris? What will I do if I lose you?" his voice softened.
"I'm sorry." Kris finally spoke up as she threw herself in his arms and buried her face in his broad chest. "I'll quit." She murmured as he ran a comforting hand through her silky locks.
"How long has this been going on, Kris?"
"A while… It'll stop, Don. I promise… Can we just drop it now?"
"Okay, doll. Okay." He pressed another kiss on her head before pulling her beneath the covers. Gently, he trailed kisses on her face and ran his hand through her hair till she slowly fell asleep. With a small smile, Flack pressed one last kiss on her forehead and let sleep overcome him.
However, the shores of sleep did not claim him for long, for the petrified screams of his fiancée soon filled the room.
"Kris? Kris, wake up." He gently shook her as she trashed, tears streaming down her face.
"No! Please! Stop it." She sobbed out as she struggled against an imaginary hand.
"Kris! It's just a dream." Flack's shaking became more urgent as panic flooded his features.
"DON'T DO IT! Please! Don't do it! DON!" and then she curled up in a ball, her body heaving with sobs as she relived what had happened.
"Wake up, Kris! You have to wake up!" Tears had filled Flack's eyes as her words deafened him. And then the nightmare was over, she finally awoke and wrapped herself around his tall frame as she cried.
"He wouldn't stop, Don. He wouldn't let me go." She sobbed in his chest as he held on tightly to her. "And I kept on calling and calling but no one came, no one stopped him" her sobs subsided as he soothingly ran his hand through her hair.
"It's over, Kris. We've locked him away and he's never going to touch you again. Okay, love? I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere."
"Promise?" she looked up at him with tear filled eyes.
"I promise." He smiled down at her. She shook her head and pulled away before tugging at his wife beater and helping him out of it.
"This won't happen again?" she whispered as she lay her head on his chest once more and ran her fingers over the ugly scar that marred his right side. Flack stiffened at her words before letting out a sigh.
"You know it's a part of the job requirement, Kris."
"Then don't make a promise you can't make."
"Kris…"
"Just… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that…"
"It's okay, doll. I understand that you're worried, but I'll be extra careful, just for you, okay? I'll even do it to the point of being called chicken."
Kris let out a small laugh before pressing a kiss on his lips. "I don't care what they say, as long as you're my chicken."
"Gladly."