"I'm very disappointed in you Jasper."

Jasper slumped down a little lower in the chair he was sitting in, while his father expressed his disapproval of him in that calm, reasonable tone he'd perfected over the years. His dad rarely resorted to yelling. It almost would have been comforting if he was yelling because that would mean he was only mad. This quiet reproach was worse.

"I assume you had a good reason to skip class?"

Jasper knew that was a trick question so he remained silent. His father sighed.

"Detention and grounded for a week. You can join Henry during his incarceration and perhaps if for the rest of the week you both manage not to get into any trouble then I will consider parole."

Jasper nodded, taking his punishment like a man, and slowly got to his feet. "Can I get to class now?"

The irony was not lost on either of them but his father simply nodded. Jasper left his office and noticed that Mrs. Dunsmoor wasn't at her desk. He also noticed a well dressed Latin gentleman flanked by another, more menacing looking man, standing at the counter. Jasper was startled when his dad said from behind him.

"Dr. Vega and Federal Officer Guerrero thank you for waiting. Please, come join me in my office."

Both men nodded and followed him inside. Jasper froze. There was a federale and a very officious looking Mexican man meeting with his father. This couldn't bode well. Already doubting the sanity of the plan he was formulating, Jasper looked around to make sure there were no witnesses. He climbed up on top of Mrs. Dunsmoor's counter, quickly accessed the air ducts, awkwardly pulled himself up after the third try, closed himself in, and as quietly as possible he shuffled a few feet to his dad's office. He could now see them all below him through the air conditioning vent.

"Brian," the man his father had called Dr. Vega said, "I am only meeting with you because I consider you a friend. Your sister and her husband have contributed much to the understanding of the Oaxaca people. I have a great deal of respect for their work, for your family, but your friendship with the deceased Dr. Sorreson does not look good for you."

Jasper saw his father frown. "Dr. Vega…Alejandro, my family and I have known…knew Dr. Sorreson. He was not a thief. I can't believe that he would steal from the Mexican government…from its people. He had too much respect for other cultures to resort to antiquities theft."

"And yet we have proof he has done just that. I'm sorry Brian, but the jaguar is too important to my people for me to allow friendship to stand in the way of doing my job. And as Director of Antiquities it is my job to do everything in my power to attempt to recover the jaguar. If the National Museum is unable to locate it, then I'm afraid that I will have no choice bring charges against the board. This will create an international incident, something I loathe to do. I am sorry. Consider this a warning my friend. In three days I will officially meet with you again, and the rest of the museum board of directors."

Jasper watched his father sigh heavily and then sink down into his chair.

"This will destroy the school. The museum's reputation will be in tatters. All of the work done throughout the years will be tainted."

Dr. Vega nodded gravely. "I am sorry, but you and the rest of the board should not have allowed Dr. Sorreson carte blanch when he proposed his exhibit."

"And you're sure it was the jaguar that went missing? We still haven't been able to confirm what was in that case."

The other man nodded. "We are sure. We have a witness from the dig that saw Dr. Sorreson remove the jaguar from the cataloged inventory and confiscate the records of it being found. This source only recently felt they were safe enough to come forward. I have all the proof I need. Again, I am sorry."

Jasper had heard enough. He carefully backtracked the way he came, opened the panel, and managed to drop down onto Mrs. Dunsmoor's counter without any major mishaps. He was getting better at this acrobatic stuff. He eased himself down to the floor and brushed the dust off of his clothes.

He hefted his bag and started towards class. He had a lot to think about.

Maggie was allowed inside the Bartlett household on a contingency. She was there to do homework. Otherwise, Henry knew that Uncle B wouldn't have allowed her to interact with the prisoners. To say the he and Jasper were in trouble was an understatement. Prisoners of war stuck in Guantánamo were in trouble, Henry and Jasper would be lucky to ever again see sweet daylight.

"I can't believe we are both grounded until the end of all time. What does that even mean?" Jasper whined.

Maggie swiveled the desk chair she was sitting in to face him.

"I think it means that you can kiss any minute chance you had at a social life goodbye. Too bad because there is a rumor going around that Abigail Layton thinks you're hot."

Jasper made a face and then turned on Henry. His cousin was currently sitting on the floor lotus style, studying all the files they'd managed to gather together on the current mystery they were investigating.

"I completely blame you for this." Henry didn't look up.

"For the hundredth time, I'm sorry you got busted skipping study hall. At least Maggie and I found Dr. Sorreson's office."

Maggie blushed when he said that, but neither cousin noticed.

To which Jasper replied. "A discovery that ended up being moot because of the conversation I overheard between that Vega guy and my dad, already informed us that Dr. Sorreson found the jaguar and then stole it."

Henry sighed, exasperated. "A conversation that you would never have overheard if you hadn't been busted for skipping study hall."

"Yeah but…" Jasper started to protest until Maggie cut him off.

"That's enough you two. It doesn't matter how we know, it is just important that we know. What's even more important is finding the jaguar before our school is embroiled in an international incident and gets shut down."

Henry looked steadily at his cousin. "Maggie's right. Besides, I'm sure Uncle B will forgive us." Jasper looked at him, incredulous. Henry stuttered. "A-After a reasonable period of time has passed…" Jasper simply continued to give him that look. Henry sighed. "Fine, we'll probably be prisoners until we die, but at least now we know that Dr. Sorreson did find the jaguar, that for some reason he decided to smuggle it out of Mexico, that an ancient doomsday cult may be responsible, and that they are probably still looking for it since they left that threat for Dr. Riker."

Maggie interrupted. "First, we still can't prove that this cult exists, and second, we can't prove that Dr. Riker didn't stage that scene, on the chance that anyone became curious about her possible involvement. It could have just been a coincidence that you were the first to stumble upon it."

He shook his head, disagreeing. "You weren't there Maggie, you didn't see the fear in her eyes. Plus her heart rate was elevated and her body tense. You can't fake that kind of reaction. Dr. Riker was terrified."

Maggie rolled her eyes. "I would have been there if you hadn't gone all Tarzan on me and decided to go off on your own. Both of us would have been." He opened his mouth to protest but she held up her hand, stopping him. "I know, I know, you were trying to protect me, so forth, etcetera, I got it. My point is, just because she was frightened doesn't mean she didn't lie to you."

He shook his head again. "My instincts tell me…" She cut him off, again; throwing up her hands in exasperation.

"Instincts aren't facts, Henry. How many times do I have to say…" This time, Jasper interrupted.

"Hey lovebirds, cut it out. Sheesh it's like watching a cheesy soap opera. It's getting late, I'm tired, and I'm in no mood to deal with all this elevated sexual tension. Either boff like bunnies or don't, just take it outside."

Maggie turned bright red and Henry stuttered. "W-We're not…I-It's not…"

Maggie grabbed her books and shoved them into her backpack. "That was crude Jasper, even for you." She stood up and stalked off. Jasper felt immediately contrite.

"Mags, I'm sorry. Wait, don't run off." She didn't listen; instead she walked out the door. Henry gave his cousin an exasperated look. Jasper became defensive.

"What? It's getting old Henry. I thought you told me that you wanted to be with her. You're sure taking your sweet time doing anything about it though."

Henry sputtered. "It's not that simple, Jasper. Maggie is…"

"Beautiful, smart, poised, intimidating as hell?"

His cousin pursed his lips and simply nodded.

Jasper sighed. "She's also getting away. Go after her. Display that Griffin daring and recklessness that we all know and love. Cause if you wait too long to make your move cuz, you might wake up one day and find that you missed your chance."

A determined expression crossed his features. "You're right." Henry got up and followed Maggie downstairs. Jasper lay back in his bed, a grin splitting his features.

Sometimes his cousin needed a kick in the ass and he was just the person to give it to him.

Maggie had just dropped her backpack on the front seat of her car, a powder blue nineteen sixty-five Shelby Mustang GT 350, when Henry came running out of the house and towards her. She sighed, turned, and crossed her arms.

"Whatever you have to say Henry, save it. Jasper went too far and I'm mad at him. I'll call and let you know when I'm over it."

Henry stopped in front of her, his eyes intense.

"You're right, Jasper was out of line, but that's not why I ran after you." She uncrossed her arms and a shiver raced down her spin. She had a feeling that things were about to become uncomfortable.

"Maggie, about what he said, about us and the…tension." Maggie immediately whirled around, pushed past him, and swiftly rounded the hood of her car to get the driver's side.

"It's late Henry. I really should be getting home. How about we talk tomorrow at school?"

Henry hadn't moved. "I'm in love with you Maggie, but you knew that already didn't you? Otherwise you wouldn't be running away from me."

She stopped abruptly, closed her eyes, and leaned against her car.

"Henry, please don't do this." He rounded the hood and crossed over to her to stand near her. She had her back towards him but she could feel his body heat all along her spine. He was close...too close.

He leaned in even closer and she felt his hot breath along the curve of her ear. "Why Maggie? What are you afraid of?"

She turned around slowly and tilted her head up.

"Everything…this…you and me, but mostly I'm afraid of what it will change. And despite the fact that you decided to stay until you finished high school, I've always known there is a possibility that you're going to leave me…us. We're a bad idea. We could end up hurting each other, end up destroying our friendship. I don't want that to happen."

He reached up and cupped her cheek, caressing with his thumb. She melted.

"Change is inevitable, Maggie. It is the nature of the universe. If you don't take the risk, you could miss out on something really great."

She closed her eyes against his words, and then opened them. "You could also be hurt, crash and burn so bad that you never recover. That's the difference between us. I don't know that I can take that kind of risk."

He smiled slightly. "Hold that thought," he whispered. She parted her lips to say.

"What do you…ummph."

She was cut off by his mouth closing over hers. His lips did a slow slide, catching her full bottom lip, his teeth nipping slightly, before settling in like he was going to stay and taste for awhile. Maggie whimpered then groaned, her arms snaking around his neck of their own volition. Her lips parted and his tongue slipped in to tangle with hers. She was drowning in him. His arms circled her waist and he pulled her tightly against his chest. Her breasts rubbed against him, peaking, while her body fought to get even closer. She was surrounded by heat and boy.

His mouth was heaven. Wet, hot, so good that she never wanted him to stop kissing her. He did this amazing thing with his tongue that had liquid fire pooling in her stomach and lower. His hands were roaming down her back, over her butt, and then back up her spine. Hers were playing idle with the short hairs at the nape of his neck while the other ran over his shoulders and chest.

He turned his head to the side, pinning her harder against her car door, and proceeded to take the kiss deeper. He was devouring her mouth with quick thrusts and slow slides. He pulled away slightly, not losing contact, and she whimpered in protest. She could feel his grin as he sucked her tongue into his mouth, and her knees buckled. She would have fallen if she wasn't so tightly wedged between him and her car. She was going under, losing herself, and that one thought had gave her enough will power to abruptly break the kiss and pull away.

When he would have tried to kiss her again, she placed her palm against his chest, stopping him. She was winded like she'd just run a marathon and her body had turned into an inferno of want and need. She was in so much trouble.

"Jesus Henry, you're a seventeen year old boy. You shouldn't be able to kiss like that."

He grinned, smug.

"Maybe I just got lucky? Perhaps we should repeat the experiment just to make sure the results are accurate."

He tired to move in again, but she kept her hand firmly in place, stopping him. Maggie looked into his eyes. Hers were bleak and the joy reflected in his slowly faded away, along with his smile. He sighed.

"Don't do this, Maggie. Please."

She felt tears prick her eyes.

"I told you Henry. This isn't a risk I'm willing to take, no matter how good your kisses are. I'm sorry."

She abruptly pushed him back, got in her car, cranked the engine, and peeled away. Henry stood in the middle of the roadway, feeling both stunned and abandoned. He watched her run from him as fast as her V8 engine could take her. As her taillights faded into the distance one thought ran through his head.

She'd kissed him back.

Enthusiastically, passionately; it had been awe inspiring. He'd never experienced anything like it. The closest feeling he'd ever had was the involuntary sky diving he'd been forced to do, with out a parachute, when they'd busted that jewel smuggling ring in Vegas on his sixteenth birthday. Luckily, he'd been able to catch up to the thief in the air and share his with him.

That sense of free falling, of being part of the sky, had nothing on what he'd just shared with Maggie. Henry's smile was slow and wide.

She'd kissed him back, which meant that she wasn't immune, and that she did have feeling for him. It was now up to him to do the impossible. He had to prove to Maggie Winnock that she was wrong and that they were a risk worth taking.

It was a challenge he was more that up to accepting. All he had to do was break through the barriers she kept throwing up between them, convince her to admit that she was in love with him, and not ruin their friendship in the process.

It would be, as Jasper liked to say, a piece of pie.