They ended up going to the park (the one where they had lunch in chapter 5) and playing on the jungle gym and swings after dinner. It had taken some convincing on Starbuck's part. Zach had never gotten the appeal of the jungle gym, as he always worried about falling and breaking a bone. So while she climbed onto the brightly colored structure, he just observed.

"Come play with me!" she mocked-begged as she grabbed the monkey bars.

"I don't want to fall."

"You aren't going to fall and die Zach."

"How can you be sure?"

"Okay, how about the tire swing? Don't tell me you never grabbed the chain, ran around and then jumped on?"

"That sounds dangerous."

"Everything fun sounds dangerous. C'mon." She let go of the bars and trotted over to the tire swing. "Okay. You sit and I'll try to spin you. I may kick you when I hop on, so be ready for that." Zach sat and she grabbed the chains. "Get ready. It's a trip."

Soon, they were spinning, colors blurring into white. He could hear her grunts of effort and then her whoop of exhilaration as she hopped on, her foot striking his knee. She slid, their hands bumping as the force of the swing tilted her. Their fingers locked together and something shot to the pit of his belly. Warmth, a feeling. They were going faster and faster, making everything melt away. He could hear her laughter and to his surprise he heard his own. Soon, the swing slowed and they stumbled off. She was giggling madly and grabbed onto him.

"That was enjoyable," Zach said and then stumbled.

"Told you," she said. A second later, he fell onto his back. "Oh my god, are you okay?"

"I believe so." he answered slowly. Then, she fell on him. "Or maybe not." She raised her head from his chest and stared at him. Their bodies were aligned, pelvis to pelvis, torso to torso. She rested her elbows on his chest, staring at him with a twinkle in her eyes. He could taste her breath, warm and sweet. He sat up.

"Do you want to sit in your car? There's mulch going into my shirt." She nodded and they went to lie in the bed of her car. She curled into him, and he put an arm around her shoulder. They seemed to fit, no awkward knocking of limbs. It worked for them. For what seemed like hours, they lay there wrapped up in each other, talking and listening to the sounds of the night. Then, she turned her head, and suddenly, it was like the dream. He could hear her, feel her and her eyes were boring into his, startled, confused with a sheen of something he couldn't define. She was defined, she was real to him. Shaking, he reached for her face, and cupped her cheek. When he kissed her, she seized up in shock and he pulled away, just like the dream. "I'm sorry." He could feel his face burning with embarrassment. She held his shoulder and pulled him closer. Their mouths were almost touching, lips brushing with that one word she spoke.

"Why?" So he kissed her again, pressing his mouth to hers firmly, deeply and she made a small sound in her throat and reciprocated, her warm, wet mouth pressing to his, pressing to the point of mad insistence and he felt something hot grow in the pit of his stomach so he moaned deeply, holding onto her shoulders for dear life as this grew and grew. When they pulled apart, she stared at him as if she had never seen him before, her eyes shocked but happy and dancing at the same time. He had never seen her so happy. There was something fluttering in his stomach, faster and harder than he could have imagined possible. This new feeling was so raw and loud, begging the world for more and more. All he could do was gasp for air and hold her.

"Zach," she whispered, out of breath.

"Starbuck."

That was all they needed to say.

Xxx

"So, how did it go last night?" Angela asked Zach as he dipped a femur in a vat of something ugly and bubbling.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You. Starbuck. Leaving the Jeffersonian together. Not returning until past midnight. The events that occurred between seven and midnight," Angela reminded him.

"We went to the diner and then we went to the park," Zach said as he pulled the bone from the vat. "We utilized the tire swing and sat in the back of her car."

"And then?"

"We kissed for approximately 83 minutes," Zach set the bone down.

"What?"

"He said that they kissed for 83 minutes," Vincent piped up. "I hope you took a breath or two. There have been reports about couples who have needed medical attention because they didn't bother to do so." Angela just stared at him and turned to Zach.

"I thought you said it wasn't a date," Angela teased him.

"Apparently it was, or at least ended as one," Vincent spoke again. "Why are you fighting such an obvious attraction?"

"Because it isn't logical for us to enter a romantic relationship." Zach said.

"Sweetie, love and everything else that accompanies it doesn't have to be logical. It just has to feel right. How do you feel when you're with her?" Angela stared right at Zach.

"That doesn't matter. It would be illogical," Zach rushed to find Brennan and report his findings.

"Squints!" Angela threw up her hands.