A few weeks later I wanted to check up on Sophie see how they got on I knew there was only one person who would know where they went or have any contact with them. I snuck in through the roof and approach her computer console as she finishes blurring her next computer hack to obscure her identity. "This has been a Video Free America bulletin via the Eyes Only Informant Net... Peace."

I sat on the desk behind her "You know I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing that" She turned in her chair toward me "See you're back and still rocking the boat." She just looks at me "I would've come sooner, but...I didn't...How're you doing?"

"Not in pain anymore just the ache of where they took the bullets out" she shrugged

"I'm sorry."

"My mother used to say the universe is right on schedule everything happens like it's supposed to." She gave me a sad smile

"You believe that?" she was such a positive person

"I've never been much for trying to understand why bad things happen I just know that they do, so the job's to figure out how to deal with the consequences. Which you did... You took that son of a bitch out." She grinned

"Well not me personally."

"Stop being so modest, on account of you, Bibber didn't get to buy off the jury or kill the judge. He's gone once and for all, it was war Ash and you won."

I smiled a sad smile "That's what soldiers do, right?"

"I didn't mean it like that, you did good Ash. Thank you" she handed me a box. "Open it." I open the box and pull out the Egyptian statue of Bast. The one I tried to steal from her. "It turned up on the black market and one of my sources thought I might be interested."

I was moved "I don't know what to say."

"Deeds, not words I need your help." she turns herself back to her computer "Forty-seven people drowned last night off the coast of Vancouver after paying smugglers twenty thousand apiece to get into Canada so they could get work in order to eat only they got marched overboard at gunpoint instead."

She hit a button on her computer keyboard scrolling through photographs of young girls. "These girls, kidnapped during the last month and sold overseas to the highest bidder the oldest is twelve the youngest about the same age you were when you escaped."

I sighed "And I feel real bad about all that but it doesn't mean I need to get involved."

"You are involved, by being alive you're involved."

"and you're quoting Mom again."

Look, maybe we got screwed outta living in a time when we could sit in a cafe, sipping our lattes wearing two thousand dollar wrist watches while we plan our next vacation but the world got a whole lot meaner all of a sudden, it wasn't supposed to but it did and it's back to the law of the jungle. You got your predators and you got your victims." She motioned to the screen

"You still think you can do something to change that?"

"With your help I can"

"I know you want to help people Spencer but civilization as we know it is unravelling before our eyes. I don't know what you think I can do to by stepping into battle to keep that from happening.

"Whether you want to believe it or not, you already fired the first shot." She smirked and turned back to her screen "On another matter Federal Corrections used to keep records on distinguishing marks, scars, tattoos, I did a search and came up with this.

She handed me a picture of a bar code on a man's neck along with a mug shot of a handsome kid, late teens, I instantly recognise Ben my eyes well up with tears.

"That was taken nine years ago was identified as Michael Hanover sentenced to 18 months in the state Jail at Rawlins, Wyoming for armed robbery, he escaped from custody after 4 days hasn't been seen or heard from since."

"Ben... He made it... He's alive..." I smiled at her "You found this for me?"

"A promise is a promise, I like to keep my word and you did help me as I asked" she got off the chair moving towards me she wiped the tears from my face and I leant into her touch, letting myself be comforted by her.

"I knew it... I always knew he was out there somewhere..." I was lost in thought after a beat I felt Spencer lift my chin and I looked up into her soft baby blue eyes

"You deserve to find your family Ash" I was overwhelmed with emotion at the chance of finding my brothers and sisters. The chance that I might actually be able to trust someone knew and that we could help each other along the way.

I got to my feet and through my arms around her I think she was a bit shocked at first, I don't come across as a very huggable she soon snapped out of it and squeezed me tightly back. "Thank you" I whispered in her ear.

"You're welcome" we parted but not all the way and I felt myself leaning forwards, my eyes flicked to her lips and back to her eyes. When she didn't pull away I slowly placed my lips on hers giving her an innocent kiss, I pulled back to look at her face for any kind of confusion, hate, fear but I saw none.

She grinned at me her eyes sparkling "Wow, I'm doing that again" she whispered as she leant in once more, forcefully this time as one of her hands threaded through my hair and pulled me closer to her.

Letting her take the control she pushed me back until I was sitting back on the desk I was on previously, I moaned when her thigh accidently slipped between mine and things got heated quickly soon turning into a full blown make out session, hands wondered, tongues explored, I'd never felt more alive than I did right now.

We pulled away from each other breathing slightly heavier than before "I've wanted to do that since the first time you broke into my apartment"

I smirked "I knew you broke into mine for other reasons, looking for a quickie was you?"

She laughed and gave me another quick but soft kiss on the lips then took a step back. "Want to stay for dinner?"

I smiled nodding watching her back as she made her way through to the kitchen.