Hannibal came back after lunch. A new case. Of course. The client was clean. He had checked with B.A.. Murdock didn't care. He wouldn't have to fly. And he didn't care. They were sitting on the couch when Hannibal arrived. Face had his arm around her shoulder. He smiled and listened to Hannibal. Chelsea glanced at Murdock. He stared at her. He didn't bother looking away from her. She seemed a little bit uneasy. The front door burst open. Amy. Murdock looked at her and forced a smile. She looked around.

"Holy- Face, how did you?" She looked at Chelsea.

"Is this a bad moment to... admire this house?" She looked at Hannibal. He smiled at her.

"No, she's safe."

"Good." They talked about the case. Murdock went to his own world. The last thing he caught was the name of the bad guy. Simon Locker. He heard about this guy. Drugs. They had to stop him without just putting him in jail. After a while, Murdock returned to reality.

"So, Locker is giving a charity ball. Do you think we could get in there?" Hannibal asked Face.

"Sure. But we need feminine company." He looked at Amy first. Then at Chelsea. "I'm sorry, Chelsea but I don't think you should come with us."

"Why not?", she protested.

"Because this is dangerous."

"Oh, I'm shaking. I've been at the CIA for almost a year and have been in jail and you tell me this little drug addict is dangerous."

"He isn't addicted to drugs he is providing them." She just glared at Face and left the living room. Hannibal looked at Face.

"She's got a point." Face sighed.

"But we can't take her with us."

"Why not, Lieutenant? She's qualified." Oh, Hannibal pulled the rank. It was over. They would take her to the ball. Hannibal looked at Murdock and gave him a sign. Murdock followed Chelsea.

She was sitting on the stairs leading down to the beach.

"He didn't mean it." Murdock stood behind her. She turned her head but looked back again.

"I know."

"Then why are you sitting here?" She chuckled. Murdock sat down next to her.

"He looked at... Amy first."

"So what?" Murdock sat down next to her.

"You know what, he's falling for her."

"No, why would he. He is totally obsessed with you. I think he's falling for you."

"Maybe too. But it will hit him harder with her."

"So, why are you sitting here? Why do you care? Are you in love with Face?"

"No." He chuckled.

"With Amy?"

"No."

"Then, WHY are you sitting here."

"You also looked at her first."

"Yes, because Face did. I watched his reaction to his own statement."

"You're lying."

"I'm not." Murdock stood up and held a hand out to her. "May I take you out to this ball, mylady?" "But Face..."

"He'll go with Amy. So we'll go there together.", Murdock decided excitedly. She smiled.

"Yes we'll go there together." with this statement she laid her hand in his. Murdock pulled her up and put a hand on the small of her back and guided her back inside. They sat there talking about the case.

After an hour or so Amy and Chelsea were shopping. The guys got weapons, tuxedos and the tickets. When they all met back at the house, the girls disappeared in the main bedroom and bath. They just had about an hour of time to "get ready", so they said.

Hannibal and B.A. Were already at the building taking their positions. Murdock and Face sat in the living room. Waiting.

"So, you'll take good care of Chelsea?", Face asked looking out the window. Murdock smirked.

"Yes, Mister Peck. Face, you sound like her father."

"I'm definitely not her father." Murdock smiled at Face' angry outburst.

"I know but you sound like you were. You know I'll take good care of her."

"Yes but the fact that she's going with you is somehow... I don't know." Murdock looked at him with big eyes.

"Face, are you jealous?"

"No." Yes. "I'm not jealous." Of course he is jealous. And the reason he says he's not is that he is indeed jealous.

"I can't believe it. Il Faceman is jealous of me, little Murdock."

"I'm not jealous."

"Of course you're not jealous, Facey. You're not jealous. You're just resentful or envious."

"I am not."

"Now you sound like a little boy."

"So what?"

"Yupp. Maybe five, six years old." Face sighed. "Angry at the other guy playing with his toy." "You call me a toy?" Chelsea stood upstairs, watching them. Murdock and Face turned around. Their jaws dropped. Chelsea wore a beautiful black dress. No straps and it went down to her ankles.

Amy stood behind her in another very beautiful red dress with straps.

When the boys were eventually able to breath again, Murdock stood up first and headed up the stairs next to Chelsea. Murdock wore a tuxedo. And he looked incredible. When Chelsea saw him her smile grew. He stood next to her and looked at Amy. He smiled friendly and nodded. Chelsea took his arm and they went down the stairs. "A pretty toy.", he whispered in her ear.

Face was watching them. When he realized he was staring he stood up too and took Amy down the stairs. They didn't say anything on their way. Maybe Face was jealous. A little bit.

They drove to the place with two limousines. Black ones. They arrived ten minutes apart Chelsea and Murdock were first. Murdock got out of the limousine first. He opened the door for Chelsea. She smiled at him and got out too. She took his arm and they made their way to the entrance. Murdock pulled the tickets out of his tuxedo pocket and handed them to the guard. Chelsea smiled when they went inside. They handed their jackets to the dresser. Then, they entered the ballroom.

A huge hall. Maybe two hundred people in dresses and tuxedos.

"Did I already tell you how good you look in a tuxedo?", Chelsea asked Murdock while they walked to their table.

"Not yet, but thank you." Chelsea looked at him. She was surprised. He was supposed to blush at this and be shy at all. But he was cool and calm. She giggled. Murdock looked at her in surprise. "What is so funny, Hon?"

"You're not yourself."

"Of course not. I would never wear a tux, in no case.", he stated.

"But you should. As I told you, you look damn sexy in it." She smiled at him again. Now he blushed. Chelsea liked seeing him blush. It was so cute. They arrived at their table and sat down. Of course Murdock pulled out the chair for her. The perfect gentleman. He looked around the hall. He spotted B.A. upstairs on the small balconies and Face entering the hall with Amy. He turned back to the table and sat down next to Chelsea, taking her hand. She looked at him. He let his personality drop and looked at her with his goofy smile and blinked. Chelsea winked back.

"I don't get it. Why does his guy give a charity ball?"

"Because he wants good press."

"Then tell me why he's dealing with drugs."

"Because he wants good money, too."

They watched Face and Amy sitting down at the other side of the hall. When Locker gave a speech they spotted Hannibal as a waiter. He was well hidden but still recognizable to Murdock and Chelsea. They smiled at him when he served their meal.

"We'll start our little action in one hour."

"That's nice what surprise will it be this time? Strawberry cake?"

"Murdock!"

"Sorry, Colonel."

"Enjoy yourself until then."

"We will.", Chelsea smiled at Hannibal and took Murdock's hand. He was out of character and stared at her hand for a moment. Chelsea gently squeezed it and he looked up at her. He opened his mouth to say something, but she shook her head.

"Not here. Not now." Murdock sighed and looked at the elder couple sitting down at the other side of the table. He smiled at them politely and shook their hands over the table.

"Good evening, nice ball, isn't it?" The man smiled at him too.

"Of course. Simon, the host, is my," The woman elbowed him "I mean our son."

"That's great.", Chelsea commented and shook hands with them too. She took Murdock's hand under the table again. He took it and it seemed as if his smile grew a little bit. He was pretty comfortable like this.