It was a bit over a week later, and Blake and Rossi had decided to take a walk around the block. Or at least shuffle around the block. They were both rather exhausted from the intense physical training they had gotten over the past few weeks.

"I can hardly walk. And they say the Quantico exercise field is physically exhausting…" Alex said as she snuck her hand into his, lacing their fingers together.

"If it's of any consolation, you gave me plenty of exercise as well," Dave replied. Alex looked up at him and scoffed.

"Maybe we need to cut down on this."

"Cut down on what?"

"You know, sex. I mean, we're supposed to be able to take down an unsub, but I for one barely feel like I'm able to wrestle down a…"

"Neighbour."

"Wrestle down a neighbour?"

"No, there's a neighbour approaching."

"A good thing we're not in a compromising position, then," Alex replied, tilting her head to the side and giving him an almost girly smile.

"Oh I wouldn't worry too much, we're married, after all," he said, winking at her. Alex felt butterflies in her stomach. Oh, I wish we were, she thought and looked back at him. His smile told her that so did he.

Calmed by the confirmation, she could turn her attention to the neighbour instead. It was a man, in his mid to late seventies, who probably had been tall and lanky in his youth, but was now bent and very skinny. He was dressed in jeans and a plain white shirt, and he had bright blue eyes and a sunny smile.

"Hello, Mr and Mrs Moore," he said. "I've been meaning to welcome you to the block, but things always seemed to get in the way. I'm John Dallas, I live two houses away from yours."

"Nice to meet you," Alex said, and they both shook hands with him. "We haven't spoken to many of the neighbours yet."

"I guess after what happened to the other folks living in that house of yours, people have become a bit reluctant to mix with strangers around here."

"How long have you lived here?" Rossi asked.

"Let's see, it has to be about… almost fifty years now. Back when this was just your average working class neighbourhood, I moved in with my wife. She died last year."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Alex said.

"Thank you. It was tough, but when you get to my age, you're bound to be familiar with death."

Rossi blinked and averted his eyes, and Alex knew he was thinking about Erin Strauss. She hadn't be the age when anyone should have to be familiar with death, but in their line of work, it was always present. Always lurking in the shadows. Alex squeezed his hand gently to show her support, and he gratefully squeezed hers back. Then he pulled himself together.

"So you lived here back when the first murder happened in our house?" Alex tried to pick up the subject. Mr Dallas nodded.

"Yup. I don't recall who called 911, it was one of the elderly neighbours next door, but I'll be damned if I can remember on which side. Nobody could imagine that whole thing would happen; I mean, sure Nicky was a troubled kid, he had his demons, but… killing his parents and then take off, it just wasn't like anything he'd do."

"What was he like, then?"

"Are you a cop, lady?" he said jokingly. "'cause if you are, I'd sure like you to show your badge before interrogating me."

Blake forced herself to calm down. She kept forgetting that she wasn't supposed to push on and ask questions like she was used to.

"I'm just curious about the history of my home," she mumbled.

"Well, he was an odd kid; not violent, I mean, he never went through a period where he would rip wings off flies or kick cats or anything like that. In fact, he was very sweet with animals. He was just… troubled. Talked to himself, stuff like that. I think they diagnosed him with paranoid schizophrenia; his mother talked to me about it sometimes, how worried she was. But he had finally gotten a good doctor, and things seemed to improve. Then that. Oh, it was a mess."

"The other murders, do you know anything about them?"

"Only that they occurred in 2000, 2004 and 2014. Between the second and the third there was a pretty young couple living there for eight years, but I guess they got tired of their friends not wanting to come over to their "haunted house", and when hubby got himself a job promotion, they moved. To be honest, I think they did the right thing."

"How so?"

"Well, in quiet places like this one, history tends to shed on those living where it took place. It rubs off on you, and you'll be seen as, at best, somewhat weird for choosing to live there. If you live here ten years, people might start to accept you, but so far, they're…" he looked at Alex and sighed. "I'm going to be blunt; they're just waiting for this unknown killer to creep back from the shadows and kill you, too. I'm sorry if I upset you, ma'am," he said, and he genuinely sounded sorry. Blake smiled.

"Don't worry about me. I'm pretty tough."

"Nevertheless, I think it's a depressing subject to discuss on a sunny day," he concluded and nodded. "Now, if you'll excuse me…" He shook their hands once more. "Have a nice day, you two," he said and left.

Rossi frowned.

"If he was getting better, and he had never been violent before, why would he kill his parents?"

Alex just shook her head. Sometimes therapy and medication could initially cause an individual to act out before they stabilised, she knew that, but that should have been ruled out when it was an open case.


As they were almost back at their own house again, they passed the neighbours from just across the street. Two young women who seemed to favour shorts the size of panties were outside washing their car. The blonde raised a hand and waved. The redhead settled for a smile.

"And the token lesbian couple of the neighbourhood," Rossi mumbled under his breath. Alex pinched him.

"Don't stare, dear."

"Why not? They're staring at you!"

"They were not!" she said and sneaked a peek in their direction. And yes, he was right. They were both eyeing her. The blonde was brazen enough to deliver a flirty wink. Alex gave them a feeble wave with one hand, and chuckled.

"Oh God. Nobody's been flirting with me for years and suddenly they're standing in line."

"I'm not surprised," he said and kissed her, right there in front of anyone who wanted to see. Alex put both hands behind his neck and kissed him back, correctly assuming this was his way of showing her off as his.

"Don't worry," she whispered. "Unlike my ex-husband, I end one relationship before I start a new one, and I don't blame the job for my actions, not even when I want to."

"I am to take that as you don't want to have a ménage á trois with the ladies across the street?"

"Tempting, but no."

"Can I?"

She let go of him and patted his cheek, almost hard enough for it to be a slap, but she was smiling.

"I'm not enough woman for you?"

He nodded.

"Yeah, you are. The only woman for me."

"Flatter won't get you anywhere," she replied, but it came automatically. She wasn't usually one who chose feeling over thinking, emotions over intellect, but she could feel that he was serious. Yes, he had loved his former wives, and he had loved Erin - that hurt a bit, because she would never fully forgive Erin for her part in Alex's hard years, although she was strong enough to stop thinking about it - but even if he had loved them then, he loved her now. It was written all over his face, in his eyes when he looked at her, in his touch… oh, definitely in his touch.

"Will the truth, then?" he asked quietly.

"Mhm, the truth works," she said.

"I love you, Alex, and that is the whole truth and nothing but the truth."

"I love you too, David."


A/N

Phew, I managed to get them out of bed for a while, so I could catch a break. They are quite like rabbits. In heat. Who knew Blake was such a slut… well, that was unfair. Who knew my imagination was such a slut, is more like it.