Michael and I walked from store to store looking at dresses, lining my arms with shopping bags.

"What do you think of this collar?" I asked Michael him a white collar with rubies on it.

"Fantastic!" Michael answered.

"I don't know if I want to wear it in dog form because I think it'll stand out too much. But I have a white outfit with a red belt that will match perfectly."

"Are they real?"

"Well, they look real. Isn't that what counts?" He just stared at me as we crossed a street. "You're getting a fake identity, Michael. I can't get fake rubies?"

"Place is up here somewhere." We walked past a dress store and I ditched Michael as he went to get his ID. I bought a pair of black tight boots and left to the ID store. I walked in and looked in the back to see Michael sitting down in a chair with a fat guy in front of him. Michael flicked his eyes towards the guy and then back at me. I tilted my head all the way to the right in confusion. He coughed into his hands and revealed that he was handcuffed and the fat guy slightly turned so I could see that he had a gun in his hand. Typical Michael, always getting into trouble while I'm gone. I wasn't even gone for five minutes and he got into trouble. I bit my lower lip in thought. I can't go charging in there in dog form. That will be a risk of getting Michael shot or me. My eyes got widened and I grabbed my collar and ran to the back.

"Hi, honey! Look at the deal I got on this necklace. You're not gonna believe it." Michael just smiled and nodded his head.

"Lady. Lady, you can't be back here." The fat guy said. I turned to him and looked at him with surprise. "Get out of here. Get out of here."

"Oh."

"Now."

"Sorry, I just to show my boyfriend my fake rubies."

"Now!"

"She's pregnant!" Michael yelled. The guy looked at him and I knocked the gun from his hands and ran out the door with Michael behind me.

"Pregnant?" I questioned him.

"It worked."

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBB

"Well, it's like Lucy said. Chances are he's probably still in the area." Sam said. I sat on Michael's bed, my blue eyes scanning every movement of Michael's body as he sat in his chair, looking at files. Fiona was at the counter. "There's no recent credit card activity, no car rentals." Michael's pale green eyes met up with mine for a second and I laid my head on my paws as he looked to Sam. "The only blip, Mike, is where he works. Greenway Worldwide Cargo off of 57th. Talked to my A.T.F. buddy. There's, uh, some kind of investigation. Uh, some link to organized crime."

"Great." Michael said.

"U.S. attorney's office is all over it. Left a message, haven't heard back and that's about it." Michael looked back at me.

"I should, uh—I should go talk to Velvet."

"Well, you just talked to her, Mike."

"Yeah, but she was a little flustered the last time. She might have forgotten something."

"I thought you had to get those documents to Lucy. Your fake I.D." Fiona reminded him. He got up and my eyes followed him.

"Yeah, I'll do it later." He walked to the door and I watched him. He stared back at me with concerned eyes and walked out the door. Sam cleared his throat as Michael closed the door. I let out a puff of breath as my head settled back onto my paws, now looking at Sam.

"Something I should know, Sam?" I asked.

"About what, Dawn?" Sam asked and his heart skipped a beat.

"About why Michael's acting this way."

"I'm going to leave now." Fiona said, getting up and leaving, not wanting to get in the middle of this.

"What way?" Sam said. "He seems fine to me." I hopped off the bed and into the chair beside Sam, putting my face an inch from his.

"Tell me about this new client." Sam looked away nervously. I flattened my ears against my head and bared my teeth, letting a growl escape my chest.

"You know, I just remembered, I gotta get Mike some yogurt." He got up and scurried to the door. "You know, 'cause if I don't do that, boy, it's just—You know how he is." And he left.

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUU

Michael killed the engine as we pulled up to the pool the next day. I looked out the window to see a pale woman with amber eyes.

"Ooh, the damsel in distress." I mumbled sarcastically.

"She said it was an emergency." Michael said. "What do you want me to do?"

"Be her knight in shining armor, of course." I got out of the car with Michael and walked to Velvet who got up when she saw us.

"Velvet, this is Dawnna. We work together."

"Hello. Thank you." Velvet said.

"Pleasure." I said, pushing my anger aside.

"Velvet. What happened?" Michael asked. I looked more closely to see a black eye on her left eye. She put her sunglasses on to hide it.

"I went to the courthouse to try to get an emergency custody hearing." Velvet explained. "Some guys were at my car. They knocked me down."

"How many men were there?" I asked.

"Two, I think."

"You think? Could there have been more?"

"Probably the same guys who came by Black's place." Michael said.

"Michael, if Bronzor's caught up in the middle of this, I will never forgive myself. Please you gotta bring him home." Velvet began to cry and buried her head into Michael's shoulder. Tiny flames ignited on my fingertips as jealously clung to my heart.

"It's all right. It's ok." I turned on my heels, flicking my hands to get rid of the flames. I got back into the charger and Michael got into the driver's seat.

"What happened to the trademark Westen emotional distance?" I growled.

"She was upset."

"Obviously. Where's your head at?"

"Dawn, if you're gonna help me, you can't have this attitude."

"Attitude? If you're gonna be this way, I'm entitled to an attitude."

"Maybe I should this one alone."

"Maybe you should."

"I'll drive you home."

"No, I'll get there myself." I shifted as I got out of the car, kicking the door closed with my hind leg. I ran off, letting anger and jealousy propel me.

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR RRRRRRRRR

Sam got a call. From Michael. Apparently, Velvet turned out to be an assassin sent to kill Black.

"Ah, what a piece of work she is." Sam said, getting out of the car. I leaned on the trunk beside Fiona. "So, Velvet used to you to do the grunt work to track him down."

"She shows up and finishes the job." Michael said.

"And when she kills him, everyone comes looking for you." Fiona finished. "She seemed so nice, didn't she, Dawnna?" I nodded my head.

"Mike, she went through Lucy to get to you." Sam said.

"Yeah, call Lucy." Michael ordered. "Velvet's not the type to leave loose ends."

"Right. Almost forgot." Sam pulled out a gun from his pants and gave it to Michael who handed me his broken one. "That's for you." We walked side by side away from the cars.

"Velvet has the charger?" I asked.

"Yeah." Michael sighed. "It's gonna need some work."

"And your gun?"

"Removed the trigger bar spring."

"Oh, that sounds like something you would do. You guys really do have a lot in common, don't ya?" We stopped walking and faced each other.

"Look, Dawn. I know you're enjoying this, but now's not the time to say I told you so."

"This isn't like you, Michael."

"I know. Dawnna, I need your help."

"Oh. You're not going to do this one on your own?"

"You just couldn't help yourself, could you?" He started to walk back to Sam and Fiona.

"Sadly no." I said, falling into pace beside him.

"Take Black back to the loft, lock him down tight. You can handle that, right?"

"Have I ever let you down?"

"Be careful, Dawn."

"Don't worry, Michael. I never let my guard down." I got into Black's car and drove to the loft.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNN

"If she knows all this about you, she'll probably come here." Black said.

"She won't play this out on my turf." Michael said. "She'll keep the pressure on until she gets an opening."

"I—I can't believe this. I'm a C.P.A., for Christ's sake."

"C.P.A. brought down Al Capone." Sam said. "There's a reason why the feds want you to testify.

"I say we hunt her down." Fiona said who sat in a chair, arms wrapped around her knees, shotgun in hand. I laid at her feet.

"Ammunition's cheap." I added.

"Dawn, if we go out there without a plan, we're exposed." Michael said. "She's more than happy to keep killing people until we hand Black over."

"She can come after me. I'm ready."

"Yeah? What about Sam?"

"I'm game, Mike." Sam said.

"What about if she comes after my mom, my brother, Black's son, Bronzor?" I lifted my head from my paws and gave Michael a hard stare with my sapphire blue eyes.

"So we sit here and wait?" I asked.

"For once, she's right, Mike." Sam said. "We gotta do somethin'."

"We're gonna hand him over to the U.S. attorney, get him into Witness Protection." Michael said.

"Won't she still come after you?" Black asked.

"We'll deal with that later. Sam, I need you to call U.S. attorney. Tell them we're bringing Black in the morning."

"I'm on it." Sam said.

"And, uh, somebody needs to go to my mom, see that she's safe, make her house secure."

"Think she cooked dinner yet?"

"I'm sure she'll heat something up for you, Sam."

"Well, then I'm on that too." Sam got up and left.

"Fiona, I need you to prep an armed escort." She got up and left too. "Black, I need you… to stay away from the windows."

"What about me?" I asked, climbing to my paws. "I just get to stand around and do nothing?"

"Sam and Fiona are already taking care of everything."

"I could have gone over to Madeline's."

"Sam gladly took the job. Plus, I could use some backup here if Velvet decides to change the rules." I rose my head high and puffed out my chest.

"You don't think I can take care of myself."

"That's not true, Dawn. I didn't say that. I know you can." His heart skipped a beat.

"Like I said before, Michael, you're a terrible liar for a professional liar." I stormed out onto the balcony and curled up into a ball.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNN

"Black is sleeping peacefully." I said as I sat down beside Michael in the darkness.

"You gave him something." Michael said as he cleaned his guns and fixed his trigger bar spring.

"Maybe." I held out my left hand, palm face up and Michael gave a look. "Well, half of something." Flames ignited in my hand, giving Michael light.

"Sam got in touch with his buddy at the U.S. attorney's. Bringing Black in the morning."

"Great. We can talk finally." I molded the flames into a ball.

"There's nothing to talk about. You were right, I was wrong. I'm sorry."

"It isn't that simple, Michael. You think you can let the job be who you are, all you are and you can't. It's dangerous to think you can. I know I can be… passionate, but I'm good at what I do." I divided the fire into five.

"I know."

"It's no secret that things between us have been—" The flames rolled to my fingertips.

"Little rocky."

"It isn't easy for me either. Velvet comes along, and she's attractive, sweet, needy. Don't deny it." My middle flame went out.

"Fine."

"Isn't it interesting that she turned out to be, well, who she turned out to be? What shall we make of that?"

"You made your point, Dawn."

"Did I?" My pinkie flame went out.

"Yep, you did?"

"What about D.C.? You still going?"

"I have to. If I don't it won't be long before Cowan sends someone else to kill me. I need him to know I can get to him too. I need him to know right now."

"And you need help. And you know it." Thumb flame was extinguished.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Is that a tactical judgment or a personal one?" Ring finger went out.

"Both. Everybody I know is in danger right now—everyone I'm close to."

"Well, I'm willing to risk it… if you are." My index finger went out and we were left in the darkness.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOO

"How's my mom?" Michael asked Sam as they loaded up guns.

"Locked up cozy and tight with a cigarette and shotgun, ready to kill anything that comes through the door." Sam answered. "Here you go, Black." He pulled out a bullet proof vest. "My lucky vest."

"Thanks." Black said.

"It's a little worn, but it'll do the trick."

"Are these bullet holes?"

"Yeah, I broke it in for you."

"It's a short ride to the U.S. attorney's office." Michael said.

"Just think of it like a precaution. It's like a seat belt."

"Yeah. A seatbelt that smells like Old Spice and bourbon." Fiona said.

"Easy now."

"We should get out of here." I said, grabbing my bow and quiver. I threw the quiver over my back and pulled out an arrow to put it in my bow.

"Michael, whatever happens, I just wanted to say thank you." Black said.

"You can think me by keeping your head down… and staying away from windows, got it?" Michael asked.

"Got it." We got into the cars and drove to the office. Fiona dropped Michael and me at a corner a block away. He led me into a building and up to the rooftop. On top, Velvet was in the corner with a sniper, pointing it at Black. Michael pointed his gun at her and I raised my bow and pulled back the arrow.

"Drop it." I said.

"You set me up." Velvet said, keeping her eye on Black. "Bravo."

"Put it down, Velvet."

"Hey. I could still do this. Did I tell you how much this job pays? You could buy someplace decent to live—even in Miami prices."

"Put the rifle down." She pulled her rifle back.

"How'd you know I'd be here?"

"I figured you had a source in the U.S. attorney." Michael said. "You knew Black was thinking about testifying."

"Now, I count six different vantage points with a better view of that entrance. How'd you know I'd be at this one?" Michael slowly began to walk towards. I stayed where I was, covering him.

"Istanbul wasn't that long ago. You like rooftops over windows, you like angles with the target on your right hand side 'cause you're left handed."

"That's right. I knew I like you." Michael tossed a cable tie to her.

"Put it on." She did as she was told and sat on the railing of the rooftop.

"Michael, is this what you really want? Helping out civilians with their problems, and trying to get your government job back? It's pathetic. You're better than that." Michael lowered his gun but the point of my arrow never left her left eye as she moved her head.

"Let's go, we have a big day ahead of us. I gotta turn you in. There'll be questions. It'll be past lunch before we're done. And Dawnna here gets cranky if she doesn't have lunch at noon."

"Turn me in? A lot of secrets, a lot of enemies. Think it'd be a short stay, don't you? Now, don't you think we could come to some arrangement?"

"I don't think so."

"Now be honest with me. If circumstances were different, do you think that we could—"

"Not in this lifetime."

"Perhaps the next one." She fell backwards and screams sounded below as I heard bones shattered on the ground. I lowered my bow and put my arrow back into my quiver.

"Come on, Michael." I called to him. He stood there, back to me. "Michael, there's nothing you could have done. She wanted to die."

"Could you be anymore mean on this case?" Michael asked me, turning around.

"Look, I didn't say that because I'm jealous of her and it seemed like you paid more attention to her than you ever did to me. I said that because it's the truth. There was nothing you could have done. Now, let's go before security comes." I turned and stormed back down the steps, not looking behind me to see if Michael was following.