Previously:

Gail's eyes jerked from her mother's hand to her eyes. "Did hell freeze over? That almost sounded like approval..."

Lifting her hand Elaine waved it dismissively. "Don't get too excited – I'm only saying that I find Dov to be less objectionable." At least he showed initiative and more character than a limp noodle.

Silly me... "I would have thought you'd prefer Chris for his malleability," Gail admitted, shrugging.

"God, no." It was why Elaine had dismissed him so easily – she wanted her daughter to have an equal partner, not a mindless sycophant. "I'd prefer for you to be with someone else entirely – someone who will motivate you because clearly you aren't self-propelling – but you refuse to listen to sound counsel. Barring that I'll settle for someone not intent on turning you into Holly Homemaker."

Dov wasn't exactly leading the pack there, his talk of marriage and kids what had started this whole thing, but Gail was smart enough to keep that to herself; decided to tease her mother instead. "What if I want to be Holly Homemaker?"

That had better be a joke because Elaine's heart wasn't strong enough to take it if it wasn't... "This doesn't change anything, Gail. I still expect you to accomplish everything I know you're capable of. If you can do that and have an unconnected relationship then we won't have a problem."

"Yes, ma'am," Gail acquiesced, saluting her. There was a lot to think about regarding her future with the force, but there was no point in borrowing trouble until she knew there was trouble to be had.

"Good." Squeezing her daughter's hand Elaine claimed it, pulling them both to their feet for a last once-over. "Now smile – we're offering them a day they'll never forget, not a set of encyclopaedias."

Gail gave her mother a cheeky grin. "Lend me your glasses and I bet I could sell both."

"Now you get industrious," Elaine sighed.

Now - WARNING: This chapter might be a little 'M'

Dov glanced nervously around the ballroom as the auction continued, trying to shake the feeling that he'd been abandoned. Gail had left the stage nearly a half hour before and still had yet to reappear.

Sensing the boy's discomfort Bill raised his voice to be heard over the auctioneer. "Relax, son – she'll be back."

"I know." But Dov didn't, not for sure, anyway. Not after the way he'd scared her off earlier.

Gail snuck up behind him – a finger to her lips so the others wouldn't give away her approach – then slid her hands down his chest to deposit the ticket stubs in his shirt pocket. "Go get our coats from the check and meet me in the lobby in ten."

By the time Dov recovered from the unexpected voice in his ear she'd already retrieved her purse and was making her way over to the Chief's table. He watched her kiss the man's cheek and crouch to talk to the winner of the ride-along (the Chief's brother, Dov had been much relieved to learn), and he smiled at how quickly she had the table's occupants laughing. "Uh..."

"It's fine," Bill told him with a jut of his bewhiskered chin. "Go have fun."

Dov said bye to the others and, following her instructions, was seated in the lobby with two minutes to spare.

"Mademoiselle Peek, votre chauffeur a appelé. Le tout est fait et il sera de retour sous peu."

"Formidable! Merci, Marcel."

Looking up at the unmistakeable sound of Gail's lilt, Dov saw her across the room talking to the concierge and got up to join her.

When Dov approached, her coat open for her to slip into, Gail shook her head and took it to drape over her arm instead.

Dov's brow furrowed but he said nothing. "Are we going?"

Gail saw the doorman enter and give her a nod. "Yeah." Taking Dov's proffered arm they followed the man outside into the chilly night air.

"We're stealing the limo?" He didn't know why he sounded so incredulous. It was her, after all...

"Borrowing," Gail breezily amended. "They won't need it for a few hours anyway."

Dov groaned. She seemed determined to make her mother hate him.

Nodding her thanks to the doorman Gail entered the vehicle with a lack of decorum that would make Elaine cringe, tossing her coat and purse unceremoniously on the lateral bench. As soon as the door closed behind them she put her back against the wall, kicked off her shoes, and nudged her stockinged feet into Dov's lap with an exaggerated moan. "Thank God that's over. My face hurts from all that pretending to be sociable."

"That's what happens when you don't use muscles for a long time," he teased, taking the hint and beginning to massage an arch, "They atrophy."

"Mmm." She was enjoying what he was doing too much to take offense, especially since he wasn't wrong. "I guess I just haven't had much reason to smile lately." Her scowl on the other hand had gotten plenty of use.

Dov looked up from his task to meet her hooded gaze. "I'm going to change that, you know."

It was so matter-of-fact, so earnest, that it made Gail's breath hitch. "Well, aren't you confident."

"No, just motivated." As special as her genuine smile was for its rarity, he selfishly wanted to see more of it. And if he could be the cause of it, all the better... He wouldn't tell her that though because judging by her even stare she was already ready to toss him out at the next light. "I mean, can you imagine the house cred I'd get if I made you approachable? I'd be hailed as a king."

He probably wasn't wrong there, either... Grateful as she was that he'd diffused the chick flick moment, though, she would still make him pay for creating it... "Speaking of muscles in danger of atrophy..." She lifted an eyebrow and gently toed his crotch.

Dov snagged the offending extremity before it could go any further. "A: Ask any guy and he'll tell you if it actually were a trainable muscle it'd be a lot bigger. And B..." Resuming his ministrations he gave her a crooked grin. "Don't you worry about him – he's been very active since I met you."

Gail had to laugh. "You're lucky I'm like the one chick on the planet that would take that as a compliment." And not, say, an invitation for a restraining order or a punch in the face.

"Works out then because you're the only one it applies to," he shrugged. Dead silence followed – her watching him calculatingly, him her unwaveringly – until her eyes took on a feral glint and her feet slid out of his lap and he realized he was in trouble. "Gail, no."

"You know, Dov..." Kneeling on the seat beside him Gail lowered her voice to a sultry whisper. "For a guy who isn't trying to get into my pants, or in this case up my skirt..." She hiked said skirt up to throw a leg over both of his. "You're doing a damned good impression of one."

Dov instinctively gripped her waist as she settled onto him, his head dropping back against the leather to look up at her. "I'm just being honest. It's not my fault you make it so easy."

She bought herself time by raking her nails through his freshly-cut (and thankfully not too short) hair; managed to dispel the knot in her throat enough to challenge, "Easy to get up my skirt?"

He knew that she knew exactly what he'd meant so he just played along; gestured between them to highlight their arrangement. "Well, I mean..."

Fair enough... Leaning into him she licked his earlobe then exhaled across it, "Have you ever had sex in a limo, Dov?"

Not even the thought that she had could counter the heady effects of her body against his and her breath on his skin. He ran his hands down her dress in an attempt to put some more fabric between them or preserve her dignity or something but his fingers met the tops of her stockings and of their own volition followed the silk around to the backs of her thighs where they found the cool metal of garter clips just begging to be released and Good God... "Gail, you're not playing fair..."

The half moan, half plea only served to spur Gail on, especially with him, perhaps involuntarily, kneading her heated flesh. "Neither are you," she countered thickly as she straightened to run a thumb across his bottom lip, her tongue swiping provocatively across her own. "And seeing as you just can't seem to help yourself I guess I'll just have to keep that filthy mouth of yours otherwise engaged."

Sweet mother... His resolve broken Dov lunged up, intending to catch her mouth and move them to the floor in one swift suave maneuver, but he must have miscalculated or maybe the limo hit a bump because the top of her head smacked into the ceiling with a muted thud, and he belatedly inserted a palm to try to cushion the blow.

Already off-balance from his sudden movement, and surprised if not hurt by the impact, the car coming to an abrupt halt sent Gail toppling backwards and out of his now-loose grasp. She landed on the plush carpet, momentarily stunned.

"Jesus, Gail," he muttered guiltily, holding out a hand to help her up. "Are you okay?"

Just a bruised ego and a little bit of rug burn... She accepted his hand but instead of getting up she yanked just hard enough to pull him off the bench. Lying on her back where she'd fallen – where he now lay splayed beside her – she pillowed her head on an arm and offered a deadpan, "It's a good thing your words are smooth, Epstein, because your moves? Not so much."

As gracefully as possible Dov rearranged his limbs so that he was on his side propped up on an elbow facing her. "Would you believe I did that on purpose to derail the 'torture Dov' train?"

Playing with the buttons of his shirt Gail pretended to consider it. "Well, I could but then you'd lose some of your dorky charm."

The tone was playful but that didn't necessarily mean anything with her. "Would that be a good thing or a bad thing?"

Her response was to slowly draw him down to her, holding his eyes all the while, until their lips met and she finally allowed her lids to flutter together.

Bracing himself with an arm on her other side Dov shut off his brain to focus solely on the moment. He was content to let her lead, exploring her mouth when she opened it to him, his tongue caressing hers when she sought it out for a duel, his teeth gently nipping her lip when the opportunity presented itself. Air was fast becoming a concern but he wouldn't break for breath until she did.

Gail didn't know which noises were coming from whom but she did know that the will to stop would soon be lacking and their first time was sure as hell going to be more leisurely than a quickie in the back of a moving car... She eased him away with a ragged sigh.

When Dov opened his eyes, hers were shining and she was flushed pink and her chest was heaving with unsteady breaths and it was the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen and he wanted to tell her that. Tell her he loved her and that being with her was all he'd ever needed or wanted even before he'd known there was a 'her' to be with. Tell her that he now believed in luck of the soul and the possibility of anything...

"Dov, stop staring at me. It's creepy."

Dov withdrew from his musings; laughed wryly because of course him pleasuring himself to thoughts of her was fine, endearing even, but just admiring her was creepy. Which meant that saying any of the things he'd wanted to say was even less advisable... Searching for something appropriately detached to talk about he realized he'd yet to congratulate her on her performance. "You did great tonight, by the way."

Gail grimaced at the reminder. "I choked." The glare of the spotlights, the attention of hundreds, her mother observing expectantly from stage right.

Leaning down he pressed a comforting kiss to her bare shoulder. "I promise you, if anyone even noticed they forgot the second you started moving." She'd been mesmerizing, a glass of champagne raised in her left hand while her right executed increasingly difficult – and violent – tricks with a baton. There was no doubt in his mind that many of the bidders – men and women alike – were doing so in hopes of discovering just what other talents she had.

"You're biased," she dismissed his assessment, turning to present her mouth so it could receive the same treatment as her shoulder.

Dov gladly obliged the tacit request, then admitted against her lips, "Definitely. But I'm not the one that shelled out a hundred and sixty large for the pleasure of your company." Not that he wouldn't, if it came to that. And he had it to spare, of course...

Gail had just been relieved for it to be over, downing the champagne and sardonically tipping the empty flute at the audience before the auctioneer had even finished calling, 'Sold!' "That's Jason, the Chief's brother," she told him once he'd retreated. "He's a lawyer and like family. He and Uncle Richard were just trying to save me."

Remembering her reaction from earlier Dov could hazard a guess as to why: "From the likes of David?" The way she frowned at the name told him he'd hit on something.

"Some guys just refuse to accept that their money can't get them whatever they want." And tried to take what couldn't be bought. "But I didn't need saving. I save myself."

Dov didn't know if she was referring to tonight or some other time but he wouldn't push her on it. Or tell her he was grateful for the Collins brothers' intervention all the same... "Seeing what you can do with that baton I don't doubt it." Still, better she never be in the situation she had to.

Gail shrugged. "Most girls took piano or dance; I studied Jiu-Jitsu and stick-fighting." Though as her passion for policing had faded so had her commitment to training, and it had taken her the last two weeks of almost constant practice just to be able to finish the ten-minute routine without permanently disfiguring herself. Thankfully the gown she'd chosen hid the bruises that had yet to heal. So long as it wasn't up around her hips, anyway...

"Remind me never to get on your bad side," he joked, fingers running up and down her ribcage, always changing direction just shy of the underside of her breast.

The implication that he hadn't already been had her eyebrow arching. "If I haven't used them on you by now I think you're safe." Especially that night in the den.

Too true... Dov rested his head on his forearm so they were level. "Do you wish you'd had a normal childhood?" Taken piano or dance and been free to decide her own future...

"Do you?" she hedged, hating that question as much as she hated herself for the few times she'd allowed herself to entertain it.

"I did, mostly." Being a child of divorce was the new normal, wasn't it?

More normal than hers surely, but hardly normal in the traditional sense. That hadn't been what she'd meant, though... "Do you wish I had." So she would be more 'approachable' and he wouldn't have to work so hard for so little in return...

Dov didn't have to think twice. "Yes."

His answer wasn't really a surprise but the vehemence was, and it stung far more than she cared to admit. "But I wouldn't be the same 'awesome' Gail Peck..." She left the 'you fell in love with' part unspoken for fear her voice would crack.

"We probably wouldn't have met at all," he quickly explained, his thumb tracing soothing circles on her arm even as he cursed himself for the note of insecurity that had crept into her tone. "But at least you'd have had a better chance of being happy."

"Dov..." That he would give her up if it meant the possibility of her happiness made Gail's chest tight, but it was the thought of never having known him that had her eyes burning with unshed tears. Shifting onto her side, mirroring his position, she put a hand to his cheek and forced herself not to flinch away from his concerned gaze; muttered a hoarse, "If I did before I don't now." That just wasn't a trade she was willing to make, even with 'happy' the prize... After a beat her lips twitched into a watery smile. "Besides, from what I hear 'normal' is grossly overrated..."

Okay, I know I said this was the last chapter but that seemed like a good spot to break and I'd rather post a short chapter than none just in case I get sidetracked from writing again. We are nearing the conclusion though.

Note: All these years later and rereading my old stories and watching old clips and fan vids still makes me sad for what never was. Sigh. So thank you to those of you who are still reading, and an extra little thanks to those taking the time to review.