Two weeks later Brian sat at home, blankly staring at his laptop monitor. He had written back and forth with a scientist, something about healing blood cancer. He had a very interesting approach. With a bit more of development it might actually work. Then again, that tiny voice in the back of Brian's head whispered, that it would never come to that. The pharma industry couldn't earn money by curing cancer. He blinked. Wasn't that exactly what Ed had told him after he got his second shot of the enzyme? That the world wasn't ready to be changed.

He shook his head, forcing his thoughts away from that topic. A moment later his mind stopped at his other problem. The one he avoided for two weeks. He loved Ed, he really did. But he didn't trust him. Not completely. He wanted to, but he didn't. He had figured his problem out pretty easily. It was called Piper. Piper and her stupid story. She had been so sincere. She believed in what she told him. That she stole NZT and the enzyme and Ed had killed her boyfriend as retribution. Ed's story was a different one, of course. And if Ed lied here, where else would he lie? Where did he lie? Was anything true his lover told him? Anything at all?

He shook his head. Keep calm Brian. Only one way to find the truth. Good old research. Some twenty minutes later he frowned. Ed had three public R&D facilities. None of them had reported a theft. So he went for private facilities, just searching for thefts in the timeframe given by both, Piper and Ed. He found an article in a small newspaper, reporting a burglary in a facility in town yesterday. Yesterday didn't help him. Yesterday would fit in both time frames.

Okay. So, the internet couldn't help him. Weird thought. He would have to go for talking with people. He found some ex-employees of Ed, who had worked for him in the same time span Piper had worked for him. Maybe they knew her. While writing names down he hesitated. Did he really want to investigate against his lover? Staring at his own handwriting for a moment. What would he tell him, if he found out? And he would get to know about that. Well… he would worry about it when it happened.

For another week he spent his time after work with talking to people. The fifth person he met had something to say about Piper. The previous ex-employees didn't know her or had only met her briefly.

He was in the living room of a Jane McHollow, who served him tea.

"So, why is the FBI investigating the murder of her boyfriend? I thought it was Piper." She asked him curiously. He had stolen Boyle's FBI badge. No one ever wanted to see the ID accompanying the badge. The badge was enough. The badge opened doors easily. He had flashed it to her after she opened the door.

"We found some evidence which suggests that he got murdered by someone else." He said. That was true in a way, wasn't it? Well, if trusting a psychopathic woman who tried to murder his lover was new evidence, then yes, it was true.

"Oh, really?" Jane asked, taking a sip from her tea. Measuring him with her eyes. "I remember those two. He sometimes picked her up from work. They were lovey-dovey deep in love. Kind of annoying, to be honest." She smiled apologetically. "They never had any troubles. None I would remember. And Piper nonstop babbled about him, whenever she had the chance." She got silent. Very silent. She looked at him. Was there sadness in her eyes?

"That was before she got drug addicted, though. She got weird, you know. Aggressive, when she wasn't on it." Brian realized Jane was staring at him. Watching his reaction to every single word. He felt trapped by her gaze. And suddenly, he was excited. That woman knew what happened. Maybe she had seen Piper.

"Do you know what happened that day when her boyfriend got murdered?" Brian asked slowly. He suddenly wasn't sure if he would leave that house alive.

Jane stared at him, setting down her cup of tea. "Well, agent Finch. I have worked at a few different facilities of Mister Morra. I was late that day. Last one in the building. I wanted to finish my reports. Hadn't written any in a while. And then suddenly I see a person passing my office. I think.. 'what the…?' Maybe just Holly. She was always forgetting something in her office. But you see, Holly would have stopped at my office, we would have a nice little chat. That person just sneaked by, hoping to not be seen. So, I got up and followed. I didn't know whom I was following. That person went to the basement, you know. Then I saw her. Piper entering the access code to one of those safes we have down there. I hid immediately. You see, she was covered in blood."

Brian stared at Jane silently. Well… ehm…

"I called Mister Morra as soon as she was gone. He told me she murdered her boyfriend." She took a sip from her tea once again. Silence followed.

"Are you sure?" Brian asked timidly.

Jane smiled. "I know what I saw. I would stop to investigate a closed case, agent Finch."

He was silent for a moment. "Why did you never testify against her?"

Jane smiled softly. "The facility she broke in. Let's say it's not a public one. To have people investigating there wouldn't be in Mister Morra's best interest."

Well… that had been a threat in a way. He looked at her. And she just smiled, drinking her tea. He guessed she knew what Ed did to people sticking their noses into sensitive things.

As soon as that sweet young man was gone, Jane dialed a number.

Brian went on to talk to Ed's ex-employees. He had two more names on his list. Those two only said what he already knew. The first didn't know her at all. The second told him, that Piper got aggressive after a while. Confirming a piece of Jane's story.

Saturday morning, he lay in bed for ages. What should he do know? Confront Piper with what he had learned? Well, that wouldn't get him anywhere. She believed in her story. Ask Ed who had told him that Piper broke into one of his facilities? Err… He could gift him an 'I'm poking my nose into your stuff' neon-blinking greeting-card too. Wouldn't be more obvious.

He wanted to finally get up when his phone vibrated. A message? Grabbing his phone from his bedside table he beamed. A message from Ed.

"You have time tomorrow?" Of course, he had time on Sunday.

"Yeah" Brian texted back, getting a close to immediate response.

"Great. Do you have anything else than Nutella for breakfast?"

Brian grinned when he read his love's message. "We'll see."

He let himself drop back into his pillows, grinning like an idiot. His heart was beating a bit faster. Why wasn't he trusting that guy again? After all, he was helplessly in love with him.

After he went shopping he stared into his open fridge. He had never seen it that full. Well, he had gone on a shopping frenzy… He remembered that Ed was 'used to a healthier' breakfast. But he didn't know what his love liked. So… he bought everything he could find. Yogurts and fruits and cereals and… Closing his fridge he blushed in embarrassment. Who should eat all that stuff? Well… better pretend it never happened. His fridge was always that full. Yep.

Sunday morning, he woke to his ringing phone. Yawning he tried to grab it but threw it down in the process. Oh, dammit! Getting out of bed he looked around. Where the heck did his phone disappear to? Well, following its sound it had to be below his bed. Yay. Getting on the ground he glanced below his bed. There it was, shining display, ringing innocently. Amidst dust and… spider webs? He should clean down there. Maybe. Grabbing his phone he wiped the dust away, finally answering his call.

"You are a heavy sleeper, aren't you?" he was greeted by an amused Ed.

"Yeah. No. Kind of. I didn't sleep that long." Brian stumbled together "My phone fell to the floor." He added. Ed made an 'I heard what you said and don't quite believe you' sound. Silence followed.

"Well… would you like to open the door?"

Brian blinked. Door. "Why didn't you ring?" He got up, walking through his living room and approaching the door.

"I did. You didn't open. Hence the call."

"Oh" so he was a heavy sleeper? Erm…

Letting Ed into the house he opened his apartment door, waiting for his lover. With his phone in his hand.

"Ehm… I'll hang up, okay?" he stated with a questioning voice, doing what he said he would do.

A moment later Ed came into his field of vision. Looking cheery like always. And awake. Damn. For a moment Brian wondered how he looked. Most likely like a zombie. He was awake long hours last night. Could be he didn't hear the doorbell because of that.

"Morning" Ed chirped, pressing a morning kiss onto Brian's lips. Brian returned the kiss but stared sleepily at his lover. How could he have such a good mood that early in the morning? On top of that on a Sunday?

"I brought coffee." Ed stated, pressing two thermo cups into Brian's hands.

In an instant, Brian's face and his mood lit up. Coffee.

Some minutes later, after Ed had stared at the contents of his fridge, they sat on his couch, eating breakfast. Brian realized they couldn't be more unlikely at that moment. Ed sitting there in jeans and shirt and all, eating a bowl of yoghurt-cereal-fruit-stuff, and he only wearing briefs and nipping on his coffee. The coffee was better than the last one Ed got him. Or maybe it was better because Ed was here. Either way, time to turn one of his daydreams into reality. He waited until Ed had munched one spoon down, took a sip of coffee and caught his lips in a kiss. A moment later he engaged him in a passionate kiss. And spilled coffee over both of them. Oops. He blushed lightly, looking at a laughing Ed. That one leaned away, still chuckling.

"When you want me to pull off my shirt, you can just say so. No need to spill coffee over it."

Brian's blush deepened and he mumbled a sorry. Yet he watched, how his love pulled off his shirt. He loved to see more of Ed's skin. Then Ed grabbed Brian's coffee, took a sip, and pressed his lips on Brian's. A moment later they did share his coffee while kissing passionately. He could feel Ed's tongue nudging his. He closed his eyes, enjoying their kiss and his coffee, gulping the later one down. He sighed softly. Coffee. And kissing Ed. A moment later he felt a warm tongue lick along his abs. Ripping open his eyes he watched his lover lick the spilled coffee from his skin. He took his time doing so. And Brian felt his blood rush somewhere else. After Brian was clean again, Ed sat up, stole a peck from Brian's lips and returned to eating. Meanwhile admiring what he had done.

Brian shivered softly, sitting up straight. His head resembled a tomato by then. He knew he had a boner. And Ed just stared at him, grinning mischievously.

After Brian somehow survived breakfast, he excused himself and took a not-so-quick shower, wearing at least sweatpants when he re-entered the living room. Ed just sat there, doing something on his phone. He looked up, when Brian entered the room, beaming at him. Brian frowned lightly. Something was odd.

That feeling disappeared throughout the day. They watched Netflix, talked, cuddled and kissed. Like any other day Ed would come visit.

At the end of the day, somewhen around 8:30 p.m., they were watching a movie. Or… Ed was watching a movie. Brian lay on his couch, his head placed on Ed's lap and enjoyed a caressing by his lover. Ed was gently stroking along his naked chest and abs, changing the intensity of his touch every now and then. Brian had his eyes closed, a small smile on his lips and sighed every now and then. He enjoyed himself. Was there anything better in the world?

"Is there a reason you go around asking my ex-employees about Piper Baird?" Ed's voice was soft and gentle and… dangerous.

Brian's heart stopped for a moment until it remembered how to beat. Just a bit faster this time. Brian opened his eyes, looking at Ed. He looked down at him, a calm and serious expression on his face. Brian cursed in his head. Why hadn't he thought about an answer while on NZT? He was just opening his mouth, still having no idea what to say, when a ringing doorbell saved his life. He closed his mouth. Smiling apologetically while getting up. He could feel Ed's eyes follow him through the room.

At his door, he used the intercom to find out who rang at his door that late.

"Hello?"

"Heeeeyyy" a cheery Rachel greeted him back. "C'mon, open the door, Brian! Game of Thrones is starting soon! I brought something to eat along the way!" he could hear the excitement in her voice.

Brian hesitated. "Ehm… Rachel… I have someone here and…"

"Doesn't matter, bro. Just introduce us!" she interrupted him.

Brian stared at his door. Introduce… well…

Then he could feel Ed embracing him from behind, pulling him back against his chest, his arms closing around Brian. "Just let her in, she'll meet me anyway." He said softly, loud enough to be heard through the intercom.

"You see? Even who-ever-is-with-you doesn't have anything against it!" Rachel screamed, joining Edwards side unknowingly.

Brian stared at his door. He could feel Ed's embrace. Normally, he loved those. Right now, he felt trapped. He felt terrified. Like… in the embrace of death? He could feel how Ed leaned closer whispering into his ear.

"We'll talk later."

A sudden coldness ran through his body. His heart skipped a beat once more. He could feel, how Ed pressed a kiss against his neck and let go, walking back into the living room. Brian finally opened the door for his sister.

Never go, Rachel.