Sunday seemed so long to Liz. She couldn't stop thinking about Brian and her pounding headache seemed to make the day even more unbearable. She had stripped the bed trying to rid the sheets of his smell, and her mind of the memories. Even after she had pulled the sheets from the dryer she would have sworn they still smelled like him.

She opened the windows and allowed the cool ocean air and the sound of beach goers to fill the apartment. Her "irish flu" letting up and she took a long look at her home, taking in the disarray still present from Friday night. She fell over the arm of the couch causing her stomach to somersault. They never finished the cage, she would be stuck with him tomorrow.

"I am such an idiot." She spoke out loud to the room. Wishing that her dad would take Brian, or her off the cage duty. Knowing full well that he wouldn't.

She woke up feeling as though she hadn't slept. Even after thoroughly cleaning her room and looking for anything of his and washing the bedding a second time, she could still smell him. Her dreams were interrupted by dreams or him, of his body against hers. The beep of her alarm seemed to come moments after falling asleep. And her stomach bunched in knots that made the thought of breakfast nauseating. She did her Monday routine, skipping breakfast and going to work early.

The precinct was nearly empty. The late shift waiting on the first to show up so they can start their days off. She went straight to the cage, scanning the break room as she passed, at least Brian didn't decide to show up. She opened the garage doors allowing the cool morning air in, the smell of diesel fuel and gun cleaner over powering her. She entered the cage and locked the door behind her, if Brian showed he had a key anyway. She shrugged off her heavy uniform shirt and went about packing what she could and labeling boxes, stacking them by the door.

The smell of coffee and Jim's chatter told her that it was 8:00 and she had already clocked two hours, her frustration allowing the time to pass quickly. She sat hidden behind a pile of already packed boxes packing away cleaning supplies. The sharp ring of the service bell pulled her from her thoughts abruptly. As she peered around the boxes she met Jim's gaze. He stood leaning on his arms, his head just poking inside the cage and a cup of coffee sat next to him.

"Good morning sweetheart." Jim smiled at her straightening and holding out the steaming styrofoam cup. "Black, lots of sugar." He gave the cup a slight jiggle the liquid sloshing inside. Liz approached him slowly, feeling like an animal being drawn from hiding. The warmth of the cup felt comforting as her hand closed around the base. Jim covered her small hand with his larger one, stopping her from being able to pull away. His deep caring eyes locking with hers.

"Give him one more chance Liz. He really does like you."

"He has a funny way of showing it."

"I know Fuller's your father, and what Brian did was wrong. I can't defend him on that, he's an asshole and everyone knows it."

"He wasn't suppose to tell anyone." Her face flushed pink with the anger that had settled in her stomach.

"He didn't. Before you started working here Fuller had a photo you and your mother on his desk. I guess I was the only one who noticed. Don't worry that secret is safe with me, and Brian."

Her anger subsided slightly as he released her hand and gave her a reassuring smile.

"If Brian shows up try to take it easy on him. He's been pretty down since Saturday."

"If?"

"He was out pretty late last night. Trying to get him mind off of you I think. But don't tell him I said that. He'd hate me." With that Jim walked away as Brian walked through the door looking as tired as Liz felt. Despite her anger Liz felt her stomach knot when she saw him. There was something about him that she couldn't help but be drawn to. She'd be damned if she admitted it though.

Brian glanced in her direction as he walked slowly towards the cage door. She looked away from him and pretended to shuffle through some papers on the desk. There was a jingle of keys in the lock as the door opened, followed by a deliberate thud as Brian pushed it shut. Liz looked up at him, swallowing a lump in her throat. His eyes wandered the length of her body before holding her gaze. She looked away and walked back to her stack of boxes.

Brian cleared his throat as he removed his jacket, the cage seemed hotter than the S.W.A.T. floor. He exaggerated every movement hell-bent on making as much noise as possible. Hoping that she would look at him again, feeling the now familiar pang of guilt when he saw the pain in her eyes. Pain he knew he had caused. He wanted so much to take that pain away, but how could he if she wouldn't look at him?

She ignored every sound he made, ignored his smell assaulting her senses. The sound of metal scraping the concrete floor met her ears as he dragged a chair to where she was kneeling. He plopped into the chair releasing an audible sigh like a child pinning for attention. Still she ignored him, boxing carefully separated ammunition. As she wrote another label Brian's knee nudged her elbow causing a crud black line across the box.

"God damn it Brian." She angrily capped the marker and threw it down, watching as it skidded across the floor. She adjusted to rest on her hip as she looked at him. His eyes tired and amused. And maybe something else, regret maybe? She couldn't be sure anymore.

"What the hell do you want now? Didn't you do enough, haven't you done enough?"

Had it been Friday he all over again he would have been surprised by her outburst. He even braced for another slap. But in the three days he deserved every outburst and more than one slap. The way he had hurt her was eating at him, and he wanted her now more than ever. He just didn't know if he could be the man she wanted or deserved. Leaning forward with his elbows on his knees he spoke to the wall. Afraid that if he looked at her he would lose it and pin her to the floor in front of everyone on S.W.A.T.

"Look, what I did was wrong. And there is no excuse for it. I want to apologize and I do mean it what I say I'm sorry that I hurt you. Sorry for the bet, and sorry for leaving my wallet. But It's done and I can't take back what I did. You're amazing, and I want to give this another shot, a real shot. As a legit thing and not just sex. And if you can find it in you to forgive me there is one more thing you should know. Allison left me and the precinct because of you." Brian risked a glance at Liz, she looked ready to cry but her eyes still held onto the anger that was now mixed with confusion.

"Not like directly. She over heard me and Jim talking about you and my attraction to you and took it far to serious. So she dumped me and put in a transfer. I don't fully know what the fuck I am doing or how to do this. But I want to try this with you..." He trailed off feeling like a little kid talking to his first crush. His gazed had traveled back to the wall while talking and now he looked at her. Her dark green eyes swam with emotion as she bit her bottom lip. Brian found himself wishing that those lips were against his with the same passion as before.

Her voice was quiet in the eerie silence of the cage. The brick wall muffling most noise from the S.W.A.T. floor.

"I don't know if I can do that Brian." She whispered.