Nathan's alarm woke Erin thirty minutes before her own alarm sounded. Last night, or rather, early this morning, she'd tried to stay awake until he returned from Wal-Mart. But her sudden spike in adrenaline, not to mention the emotions of earlier in the evening, had exhausted her. She'd tried reading the book Nathan had read to her, but she fell asleep.

Now, however, as she listened to him quietly step into his shower, she wondered exactly how to get out of this mess. Last night, it had seemed like a good idea to stretch out on his couch and relax. This morning, it seemed a little. . .over the top. But he'd wanted to make sure her window was covered, and she'd gladly allowed him. The stress of the repairs, on top of everything, was something she did not need. Unfortunately, she'd have to deal with it. And it likely wouldn't be a pretty repair bill.

"Well, you were thinking about buying a new couch," she muttered as she pushed off the couch and folded the blanket. Then, after running a quick brush through her hair, she decided to dress at her place rather than here. It would also give her a chance to survey the damage.

Nathan appeared before she could escape, looking incredible in black slacks and a white button-down shirt open at the neck. He smiled at her. "Good morning."

"Morning." Erin scowled at his back. He looked great, and she was rumpled and tired. Not to mention feeling very awkward. She motioned toward the couch. "I'm sorry for invading your home. Again."

He spared her a glance. "Share morning tea with me, and we'll call it even."

"Are you serious?" she blurted. The only time a man offered to cook for her was when they slept together, and it was usually a "Thank you for letting me use your body" breakfast. If she even got that. This was more of an "I'm glad you're here" meal.

Nathan frowned at her. "Yes. Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's just. . . ." Erin let her voice trail off as she shrugged with one shoulder. How did she explain her surprise to him? How did she tell him that Antonio was the last man to really care about her for more than what she could do for him?

Nathan set down the tea he'd been packing into a tea ball and rounded the corner. He stepped close enough to invade her space but didn't touch her. "I like you, Erin. Not just what you can offer me. All of you. Your laugh. Your smile. Your fire when you're irritated. Your willingness to just work and not worry about the results. How you care about Rosalee. Everything. Because of that, I want to spend as much time with you as possible. Sounds sappy, I know. But it's true."

She stared into his blue eyes, trying to breathe. How did she respond to that? Anything she said would sound trite or flippant. Well, thanks for that, Nathan. Now I gotta go fix my house. Somehow, that didn't work well. Not when he'd been so open with her about how he felt. Letting out a deep breath, she said, "You know how to cut to the chase, don't you?"

His dry grin returned. "I try."

Nodding, she smiled. "Tea sounds wonderful."

They shared a quiet breakfast, neither one eager to interrupt the peace. Erin ate while trying to figure out where to go next. She'd never shared this level of comfort with anyone and knew that her relationship with Nathan had changed. They may have only had one official date, but they'd spent enough time together to know that they had something. After breakfast, he walked her home and surveyed the damage. His patch job had held, but the rain coming into the window before then had completely destroyed the couch and the wall beneath it. Not to mention probable water damage inside the wall.

Erin sighed. "And another home improvement project begins."

Nathan glanced at her, clearly reading the irritation in her voice. "You have to be at work this morning."

"Yes." She rubbed her face. "I can probably be late given the circumstances. But. . . ." She ran a hand through her hair, her frustration level rising as she faced the problem.

He put a hand on her shoulder. "Let me help you." When she looked at him, he shrugged. "I can take the day. If you'll allow me, I'll let in the repairmen and such."

Erin stared. It was decision time. Did she trust Nathan or not? He waited patiently for her answer, and she nodded. "Okay. It'll make my life a lot easier. Plus, after seeing your place, I trust your judgment."

He smiled. "Good. And you have more of this green paint left?"

"About half a gallon. It should be enough to fix this wall." She walked into her bedroom and returned with a spare key. "I'll make some calls and have them knock on your door."

"Sounds good." He touched her shoulder. "Please don't worry today."

"I'll try." She smiled. "And thank you. So much."

"Trust me, Erin. It's never a problem." He left her to get dressed then, leaving her smiling at her ruined window and wall like a teenager.

~oOo~

By Friday morning, the window had been replaced, and the water damage inside the wall had been repaired. Nathan said the construction crew would return later that afternoon to finish the drywall and texturing, leaving the painting for the two of them the next day. Erin grinned as she thought about the two of them trying to paint that tiny wall. It would be fun, and she wondered if she wanted to go through that torture. After all, Nathan would leave her alone at the end of the day. It surprised her how badly she wanted to spend time with him and get to know him without the pressure of a sexual relationship. She'd never been one to wait before, but it appealed now. Nathan wasn't just a distraction for her. He was firm, steady, and not going anywhere.

Jerald had been understanding about her home situation the other day. He'd shaken his head and commented that she just couldn't seem to catch a break in her life. Erin had to agree. But, with Nathan around, she coped better than she'd thought she would. He had a way of putting things into perspective for her, and that helped tremendously. Now, with the lunch hour approaching, Erin finished the stack of paperwork on her desk. She'd volunteered to help other agents who had covered for her get caught up on their paperwork, and most of the reports simply required their signature to be complete. Once she finished the paperwork, she would take her lunch break and go couch shopping. It was her reward for helping out in the office.

Her cell phone rang as she printed the final report. She snatched it up. "Mitchell."

"It's Chloe." The breathless voice of the COPE house director stilled all motion. "I need you to get to the hospital. Now!"

"What happened?" Erin's mind immediately ran the gamut of options. Had an abusive husband or boyfriend found the COPE house and taken out his anger on all the women there? Were there a group of them? A drug overdose? A lost child? A suicide attempt?

"It's Rosalee."

That was all Chloe needed to say. Erin pushed back from her desk. "Which hospital?"

"Medical City."

"I'm on my way." Erin's expression must have warned people to leave her alone.

In her car, she turned on her emergency flashers and pushed the speed limits as much as she dared to get to the hospital. Inside, she went directly to the emergency room, encountering Chloe pacing outside the doors. The woman turned, her calm facade broken by angry, grief-filled eyes.

Erin rushed over to her. "What happened?"

"Joe happened." Chloe shook her head. "I stopped by to visit her today. Just to make sure she was doing okay. Instead, I found the door standing wide open. Rosalee was on the floor, bleeding badly."

Erin's heart sank with that news. She felt her stomach churn and knew she'd likely puke if she didn't get herself under control. But this situation hit a little too close to home considering Erin's own thoughts concerning Rosalee's baby. She found her voice and faced Chloe. "The baby?"

Chloe shrugged, her eyes showing the same horrified grief. "They don't know right now."

~oOo~

"Mr. Gleeson?" The patient voice of Manchester's secretary filled his ear as he stared at the security monitors. He'd been a bit late reviewing last night's security feeds. Taking the day to help Erin had been a good move for her, but it put him behind on reports and such at work. He really didn't need a distraction.

"Yes?"

"Mr. Manchester needs to see you as soon as possible."

The summons, while not unheard of, was incredibly uncommon. Nathan nodded and hung up the phone, pausing the security feeds and leaving the room. He rode the elevator up to the top floor, still not entirely sure he liked the opulent, glass and steel feel of Manchester's domain. The secretary smiled distantly at him. She was a pretty woman known for wearing low-cut blouses and incredibly tight skirts. She did her job well, but Nathan sometimes wondered exactly what Manchester enjoyed on the side. After all, the entire floor was made of glass. Anyone coming out of the elevator could see anything that happened.

In his office, Manchester read over a report, appearing for all the world like the hard-working CEO others thought him to be. Nathan, however, knew how little he really had to do with the company. He was CEO in name only, collecting a massive paycheck for holding the occasional board meeting and mediating only the worst disputes.

Nathan headed for the open office door. "You wanted to see me, sir?" After years with England's royal family, he often resorted to formality when dealing with a superior. His formality tended to throw these Americans off balance a bit, and he liked feeling some level of control over the situation.

"Nathan, come in." Manchester rose and closed the door behind him, leaving Nathan with the uncanny sensation that he'd just been dumped into a fish bowl. "Have a seat."

Since Manchester had not indicated a specific chair, Nathan walked over to the couch he kept against the one real wall of the place. Perching on the edge, he allowed Manchester to choose his own place and waited.

Manchester met his eyes. "I'm afraid we may have an information leak."

Nathan narrowed his eyes. "Dr. Satters?"

"No, thank God." Manchester smiled ever so slightly, the vindictive expression appealing to Nathan. "Last I heard, she was behind bars. Something I'm sure you're very happy to hear."

"Yes, Sir." Nathan laced his fingers together, grateful that the residual pain and stiffness had faded.

"This leak is coming from accounting. We're not sure if it's just information on our financial status or if there's an embezzling scheme. I need you to investigate."

Nathan took a moment to consider his options. "You realize I'm not an investigator. Not in that sense."

"I realize that." Manchester nodded. "But, with our annual review coming up, I don't want to call in the official cops because it would look bad. I believe you understand."

Nathan understood more than he admitted. He knew what it was like to hide things from the media. "I see." He met the other man's eyes. "I'll look into it."

"Good." Manchester stood and clapped him on the shoulder. "I knew I could count on you."

Nathan knew he'd been dismissed, and he left without another word. But the conversation stayed with him. Manchester wanted him to run an internal investigation. Did that mean Rockwood Engineering had something to hide? If so, what would he do about it?

~oOo~

That evening, Erin skipped her door and went directly to Nathan's. She'd spotted his car in the parking lot and knew that he'd understand why she'd come to him. As she waited, she bit her lip and hoped that she'd be able to keep her composure. Tonight, she wasn't angry. She wasn't bitter. She wasn't even hurt. She was scared.

Nathan opened the door before she got her emotions under control. "Erin?"

"Can I. . .um. . .come in?" As soon as he spoke, she'd felt like crying on his shoulder.

"Of course." He pulled her into a hug as soon as the door closed behind her. Erin laid her head on his shoulder and let a few of the tears escape. She wanted to have prevented that day's events, but she couldn't have done anything about it. Rosalee was her own woman, and she had made her decision. It didn't make her feel any better to say it, so she didn't.

Finally, Nathan pushed her back and smoothed her hair from her face. "What happened?"

"Rosalee's in a coma," she blurted, seeing the way his eyes widened. "Yeah. She returned to her husband, and he beat her almost to death for caring enough to come back. I know I said I'll never understand women like her, but I really, really don't understand men like him. Why would he do something like that?"

"I don't know." Nathan pulled her back into his arms and simply held her. She didn't cry this time, but the warmth of his arms confirmed one thing to her. She loved this man. And she wanted him to be there every time life got tough for her.

Taking a deep breath, she lifted her head but didn't leave his arms. "The baby's okay. Amazingly."

He blinked. "She didn't miscarry?"

"No." Erin shrugged. "The doctor's don't know why, and they don't know what kind of damage has been done to the baby because of the beating. But the baby's heartbeat is steady. Right now, Rosalee's in ICU, on life support. There's a slight chance she could wake up, but. . . . ."

"They're keeping her alive for the baby's sake."

Erin nodded. It was a harsh reality, and one she had to deal with. She'd seen men and women put into the hospital because of anger, hate, money, and power. But this was something she was completely unprepared to handle. How did she accept that Joe had put Rosalee into the hospital because he loved her? At least, Rosalee said he did. Joe obviously thought he did. Erin knew better. Joe didn't love Rosalee. He controlled her and saw her as his personal punching bag. She was nothing to him, but she never saw it that way. It only made this entire situation worse.

"And Joe?" Nathan asked.

"The police have him in custody already." Erin let out a deep breath. "He went out for beers after he left her to die, and his friends have already turned state's evidence against him. None of them want to be considered an accessory to the murder of Rosalee and her child."

Nathan nodded. "Good." His tone dropped an octave as he said it, and his normal accent clipped and shortened as he spoke. He didn't need any other words than that one to express what he felt.

Erin liked the anger and vengeance in his voice. Without moving away, she shrugged. "So I didn't want to be alone this evening. At least, not yet."

"And you're more than welcome here."

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

"Because I intrude quite regularly."

"Erin, you are more important to me than my privacy." Nathan grinned. "Quite frankly, I get enough of that. It's nice to come home and know I can knock on your door if I need anything. I want you to feel the same way about me."

She returned the grin. "Good. Because, right now, I'm just a little overwhelmed with everything that's happening. And I might be knocking on your door quite often."

"I hope you do." His flirtatious expression faded. "In all seriousness, however, maybe you should consider something."

"What's that?"

"A leave of absence." He tightened his hold when she stiffened. "Don't get angry until you hear what I have to say."

"Okay."

"You're overwhelmed." He shrugged. "You're dealing with Antonio's death, your father's engagement, your soon-to-be stepmother's profession, Rosalee's situation, and repairs to your home. That's enough to overwhelm anyone, even if they don't have the high-stress job you have. Cut yourself some slack and take some time off."

"Maybe." Erin didn't admit it, but the idea sounded really good.

Later that evening, she sat on her living room floor and stared at the patched wall. She felt that way, some days. A coat of paint tomorrow, and no one would even know the damage had been done. Somehow, she also felt like Nathan was putting her back together one piece at a time. She just hoped she didn't sabotage his work.

~TBC