C.J. had left her office to head home to get ready for a night at Marlena's, usually a spot she hit with Matt or her friends. A place where she usually kicked back after a hard day's work and had some fun relaxing with people she knew. But during the drive home, she felt her body tense and the beginning of a headache.

Not much to think about really, she'd met Matt there for drinks so many times and joining him was his client and his assistant. Yet she felt suddenly like she just wanted to cancel and spend the night at home with Matt instead. Still, she knew how much it mattered to him that the security firm become successful and attract clients like Stefan.

So she could do this for him. She could sit with them for several hours chasing drinks with polite conversation.

When she got home, she saw Matt sitting on the couch talking on the phone. He'd showered and changed already and he looked up at her as she approached.

"Hiya C.J.," he said, "I'm on hold with Brody."

She smiled.

"Then I won't interrupt."

"Oh please do," he said, patting the sofa," Come sit right here and whisper naughty things in my other ear while I wait for him to get back."

She chuckled as she sat beside him and he wrapped his arm around her pulling her closer for a kiss. God, she loved the way the man kissed her, she could never get enough of it.

After they broke for air, he looked at her.

"I'm almost tempted to call Stefan up and reschedule."

She gave him a pointed look.

"Houston, you can't do that," she said, "He's an important client.'

Matt sighed.

"Just a thought because I thought about you all day…"

She curled up against him.

"Really…well great minds must think like because I thought about you too."

He smiled pulling her into another kiss and then he heard Brody's voice calling him fro the phone.

"Matt…are you there," he said, "Look if you can't talk…"

C.J. furrowed her brow.

"I think I heard Brody."

"I do too," Matt said, "I'm still here so you found the financial ledgers for last year?"

"Yeah did that but I don't know who made these notations," Brody said, "I'd ask your uncle but he's on a Catalina Island cruise with that woman he's seeing."

Matt sighed.

"You could scan the pages and fax them over to me."

"Good idea…but maybe Roy or I had better fly out there in person."

Matt considered that but didn't think it'd be necessary.

"Just in case you can't read my writing," Brody added, "I can lead you through it step by step."

"What about the caseload?"

"It's always going to be high," Brody said, "You're the top firm in L.A. and we've worked hard to keep that ranking."

Matt had remembered the climb up there not that this had been his objective because his mind had been focused on trying to help people. But the firm had grown into a huge success. He'd paid the price with his health after contracting a virulent form of pneumonia that almost took him out of the game.

"You hire those two extra?"

"Yeah, Hoyt vouched for them," Brody said, "They were mostly on the other side of the beat when I worked there."

Matt hesitated, because C.J. had placed her hand on his chest and even with a layer of fabric in between, he definitely felt it.

"Look if you want to fly out," he said, "That's fine and we can set up a meeting."

"That'll work…besides I want to try that steakhouse you've been telling me about."

Matt smiled. It had been a popular spot for both him and C.J. when they'd been growing up and they ate their frequently now.

"That will give me a chance to see C.J. again," Brody said, "Make sure you're taking good care of her."

"Been enjoying doing that…"

Brody chuckled.

"Cause if you don't, I'll be more than happy to fill in for you."

"What about your wife?"

"We'll work things out."

Matt knew that Brody teased when he said that but he and C.J. had become friends since he'd started working for Matt's firm. Brody had been thrilled when he heard that he and C.J. had hooked up even though his phone calls interrupted several of their dates.

"Okay I'll be sure to let her know," Matt said, "but listen, I got to go but if you want to fly out, just give me a date and I'll make sure one of the jet's is waiting."

"Ah, it'll be nice to see how the other half lives," Brody said, "Talk to you later."

Matt clicked off his phone and looked over at C.J.

"Brody wants you to move in with him."

C.J. arched her brows.

"Sounds like it'd be a crowded house," she said, "So he's coming out here?"

Matt rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah to talk about the firm," he said, "If I have to make a decision on its future."

C.J. stroked his chest, looking at him.

"If you want to still hold onto it and run it…"

He shook his head.

"I've got more than enough to do here," Matt said, "and Uncle Roy and Brody have been running it for the past few months."

C.J. wondered if Matt truly was ready to hand off the firm he'd started from the ground up to his partners. He's still own a share in it but wouldn't be an active partner.

"You sure about that?"

He kissed her softly on the mouth.

"I've never been more sure," he said, "I'm where I want to be."

They left the house and drove over to the restaurant and saw Stefan and Clarissa standing in the lobby with the hostess. Matt walked up and told her he had reservations and she nodded, leading them to a booth in the VIP lounge.

They ordered their drinks and some appetizers off of the menu.

"They make great tapas," Matt said, "As good as some of the places I ate at in Europe."

Stefan nodded.

"I look forward to tasting them," he said, "My chef at the estate you were at learned to make them from a master in Seville."

Clarissa fingered her glass while looking at Matt.

"You spend a lot of time in Spain Matt?"

He sipped from his glass.

"A month," he said, "Met a family that raised bulls for fighting and some fruit orchards."

She smiled at him.

"I love Spain," she said, "the food, the people, the parties."

Matt arched his brows.

"The running of the bulls in Pamplona is great fun."

"I missed that," she said, "but maybe I'll catch it someday."

C.J. sipped her own drink while watching them and when the tapas came, she took one always finding them delicious. She noticed that Stefan's eyes had been on her and she felt self-conscious beneath his gaze. Almost as if he were sizing her up.

"Have you been to Spain C.J.?"

She blinked her eyes not having realized he had spoken to her. His eyes shone in interest as he bit into his tapa.

"Yes, I spent a month there while vacationing after law school," she said, "Did most of my time in Madrid."

He nodded approvingly.

"Yes, a great city with plenty to occupy one's time," he said, "Did you visit the museums?"

She nodded.

"I spent nearly all day in the Prado…"

"I see. I did the same during my last visit," he said, "It's always a bit different each time."

"It's been a while since I've returned," she said, "I've always meant to but I've been busy lately."

His eyes softened.

"Ah yes, I heard about what happened to you," he said, "Animals like that should be shot not put on trial."

Clarissa nodded.

"Why do they pay so much for a trial," she said, "if they are guilty of such heinous crimes."

C.J. looked at both of them, feeling her body tense as it did when anyone reminded her even innocently of what happened.

"That's not how we do it in our country," she said, "Defendants are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law."

Clarissa grimaced.

"Do you really believe that's the best system," she said, "after everything they did to you?"

Sometimes the answer wasn't always so easy but there were parts of herself C.J. didn't feel ready to sacrifice and one of them was her belief in the legal system. If she gave up on that, then people like Andre and Scott would win.

"Yes I do," she said, "It's not easy at times but it's the best system in the world."

Stefan smiled.

"It's the best one we know of," he said, "perhaps the best system hasn't been invented yet."

Matt frowned after sipping his drink.

"I don't know what would be better than what we have except for it to move faster than a gridlock."

C.J. knew that so many times Matt had wished her ordeal with the legal system would be over, for her sake more than anything else. He saw daily what it had taken out of her since he'd found her holed up in a cabin during a snow storm hiding out from Andre's men who had found her. She battled with her belief in the worthiness of the system she defended and he saw that too.

She slipped her hand on top of his on the table and looked at him.

"I know what you mean," she said, "but we'll get there."

Clarissa looked over at Stefan and then back at C.J.

"But your life…it must still be in danger, aren't you afraid that someone from Andre Duval's organization will try to harm you?"

C.J. hesitated because that part of it had weighed so heavily on her life. Matt had taken great measures advocating for her security and doing a lot of that work himself. Truth be told, the only person she felt safe with was him.

She took a deep breath before she answered.

"I do worry about it," she said, "but I can't let my concerns dominate my life. I lost too much to those men already. I don't want to give them any more of it."

Stefan nodded slightly.

"I can understand that," he said, "It must be a daily battle just dealing with the memories of it."

C.J. felt a sliver of apprehension run through her then and she looked away from his eyes. He had been treading on some rather sensitive turf with his questions and she didn't feel as if they arose from idle curiosity,

Her heart started beating faster; sweat broke out on the back of her neck.

"I…I can handle that…"

"What about anything that's new," he prodded, "that you feel as if you'd forgotten?"

She didn't know how to answer that or why he'd asked but he just looked at her with his probing eyes and suddenly she felt like she needed to get away.

"I…I excuse me," she said, "I'll be right back."

Matt just looked at her but she moved away from the table. Stefan reached for his glass to take a sip.

"I'm sorry if I said anything to make her feel uncomfortable."

Matt sighed.

"It's hard for her to talk about it still."

Stefan nodded.

"Then I shouldn't have asked…I'll go apologize to her."

"It's not necessary," Matt said, "She'll be back in a minute. Sometimes she just needs some space."

But Stefan had gotten out of his chair already and moved to find her.