Disclaimer: Thirty-eight chapters in, and I still haven't managed to procure these characters. Sigh.

Chapter Thirty-Eight: All I Have To Offer You Is Me

Hearing the familiar voice nearly made Scotty jump out of his skin. Dammit, that was the second time that day she'd startled him. All he wanted to do was put those evidence boxes away, go talk to Stillman, who had surely, by now, found his transfer request, and be done with this whole mess. He hadn't had a clue Lilly was even in there. How in the hell did she keep doing that? What the hell kind of cop was he if people kept sneaking up on him like that?

He willed himself to keep walking, because whatever it was she had to say couldn't possibly make him feel any better, feel any different…it wouldn't change a damn thing. If he could just keep putting one foot in front of the other, he could go back up those stairs, clean out his desk, and get the hell out of there. If he could just keep moving, he would never have to see Lilly Rush again.

His stern mental coaching, however, fell on the deaf ears of his heart, which suddenly took over and ground his feet to a halt. In a flash, his legs were made of lead, and he couldn't move another step if his life depended on it.

Lilly's heart leaped into her throat. He'd stopped. He hadn't turned around; hadn't looked in her direction, hadn't given her any indication that he'd even heard her…but he'd stopped. She saw the rise and fall of Scotty's shoulders as he seemed to sigh in defeat, but he didn't say anything.

Neither did she.

Looking at Scotty, seeing the tension in his body, she felt all her newfound bravery suddenly bleeding out of her as quickly as it had come.

Crap.

Lilly mentally chastised herself for her sudden cowardice. She couldn't back out now. She'd called to him, and he'd stopped. She had to talk to him; had to find out what he really wanted from her…so she could figure out what the hell she was going to do about it.

She took a deep breath and tried to calm her frantic nerves. You can do this, Rush. Just pretend he's a suspect.

"I need to ask you something," she said, the emotion of her previous exclamation now gone, replaced by far more confidence and composure than she actually felt.

Scotty didn't respond, but neither did he turn around. He stood, frozen to the spot, and Lilly fought the irritation that rose up in her chest.

"The house…the wife…the kids…the dog…you really want all that?" she asked softly, each syllable encased in the tone she used with suspects.

Scotty sighed in frustration. Why the hell did she have to go poking at his wounds with a stick? Why did it matter? What difference did it make to her?

"Why the hell do you care?" he demanded angrily, without turning around.

Inwardly, Lilly began to fume, and she clenched both fists in an effort to fight back her frustration. Scotty was bound and determined to make this difficult for her, wasn't he? She took a moment, composed herself with a deep breath, and continued.

"Just answer the question," she ordered coolly.

He turned around then, met her gaze, and had to fight with everything he had to keep from just punching the crap out of a couple of evidence boxes. That damn Ice Queen look was back, her true emotions forever walled off, and the icy look in Lilly's eyes confirmed, to Scotty, that she was indeed just interrogating him for sport. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take, and wanted desperately to just get out of there, but for some reason, his legs refused to propel him back up the stairs and out into the squad room. He did still owe her an apology, his conscience reminded him, using, for some strange and disconcerting reason, the voice of Kat Miller, and he wouldn't be allowed to leave the evidence warehouse until he could do that. But the interrogation he was getting from Lilly was making that apology damn hard to even come up with, let alone verbalize.

"Was all that just to get a confession, or is it what you really want?" she asked, a bit softer this time.

Scotty nearly laughed. What the hell was the point in telling her the truth? What would be the point in telling her how much he ached for something that would never happen, that yet again, he was facing the rest of his life without the woman he loved? Because, even if Lilly wanted those things, which he had to admit wasn't likely, she sure as hell didn't want them with him.

"It was just to get the damn confession," he lied, trying hard to keep his swirling emotions out of his voice. "You know that as well as I do. Ain't you claimed some pretty outlandish things to get stuff outta doers?" he asked.

"Dammit, Scotty," Lilly cried in frustration before she could stop herself, startling him yet again in the process.

She sighed once more, then changed tactics. "Please…please don't lie to me," she asked, her voice soft and plaintive.

Something in her tone, something in the way she practically begged him for honesty, forced Scotty to reconsider. Honesty. He owed her that much. He loved her more than he could ever say, loved her so much it hurt…he at least owed her the truth. With a sense of wry amusement, he realized it wouldn't make a damn bit of difference, anyway, so why lie?

"Fine," he sighed, the anger bleeding out of him, at least momentarily. "Yeah. I want all that."

Lilly felt her heart sink to the floor. It was just as she'd feared. He wanted all those things…things she couldn't give him. It didn't matter if she loved him. She couldn't promise him forever…and forever was what he wanted. He deserved to have what he wanted. He deserved to be with someone who could make that happen. All the wisdom of the previous few minutes seemed to fly out the window in a gale of panic, and she felt the walls starting to close in again.

"We done here?" he asked her, waiting only briefly before turning to go. He had to get out of there before he did or said something he'd regret.

Lilly couldn't speak. The tears were stinging her eyes, and the lump in her throat was too much for her to talk around. She just turned away from him and rested a hand on an evidence box, hoping to God that she wouldn't lose it completely until Scotty had left the room. She sensed him hesitating for a second, then she heard his retreating footsteps, heard them starting to climb the metal stairs, and she couldn't hold back the tears any longer. He was leaving. It was over. It was really over.

Scotty forced his burning legs up the steps. God, those stairs were brutal. Not usually, of course, but after however long he'd skipped rope the night before, each step was agony. He paused for a second, just to give his overused muscles a brief respite from the pain, and heard something he'd never heard before in his life. Something he wasn't even sure was possible…and for a brief second, he thought he had to be mistaken. Had to be making it up.

Nope…he wasn't making it up. Lilly Rush…was crying.

Softly…he only heard a couple of sniffles and a quiet sob…but the sound was unmistakable. The Ice Queen had finally thawed.

Completely dumbfounded, Scotty turned around slowly. From his vantage point halfway up the stairs, he could see her clearly, leaning one hand against an evidence box for support, her flaxen hair falling around her face in a silky curtain, her free hand brushing away her tears. It was heartbreaking, yet absolutely beautiful, and for a moment, he was utterly motionless.

The sound of another sob pierced his heart like an arrow, and he felt his own tears springing, unbidden, into his eyes. Kat Miller's earlier words echoed in his mind. I saw her this mornin', too, Scotty. Whatever runnin' she did, it's hurtin' her, too. You ain't the only one in pain today, believe me.

He hadn't believed Miller…not really. And he'd been a damn fool. Again. Because Lil was in pain…pain that he'd caused. He had to apologize.

Slowly, tentatively, Scotty headed back down the stairs and approached Lilly with caution. Every ounce of his compassion wanted to gather her into his arms, let her cry on his shoulder, and kiss the hurt away…but every ounce of his pride forced him to resist. Who the hell knew whether she'd even let him touch her?

He stopped a few feet from her, and he knew she could sense his presence, because all of a sudden she froze, not moving a muscle.

"Please…just go away," she said in a small, broken voice.

"I ain't leavin', Lil," Scotty replied with quiet stubbornness, ignoring, for the moment, that he was about to do just that, that this was his last day in Homicide, that as soon as he left that squad room, he'd be holed up in his apartment for a couple of weeks, waiting for the department to decide where in the world they could put a rogue detective complete with boundary issues, a bad attitude, and a broken heart.

"No, go ahead," Lilly insisted, a touch of anger evident through her tears. "It's what you're good at."

Ouch. Her comment stung like hell, but Scotty knew he had it coming.

"Lil," he began tentatively. "I'm sorry….God…I don't know what got into me this mornin'…I never shoulda said that…I was…I just wanted to hit back…but that ain't an excuse. Lil…you gotta believe me…I never wanna hurt you. That's the last thing I ever wanna do. I'm…sorry."

"I'm sorry, too," she said quietly.

Lil was apologizing? That nearly knocked Scotty off his feet, and the curiosity overwhelmed him. What the hell did she have to apologize for?

"For what?" he blurted out, before he could stop himself, then silently cursed his inability to remain cool.

Lilly took a deep, shaky breath and turned to face him, brushing away the remnants of her tears from her flushed cheeks.

"I'm sorry…that I can't give you the things you want," she began, her voice wavering slightly. "I…I wish I could. I wish I could promise you the house, and the kids, and the white picket fence…I wish I could promise you forever."

Scotty's eyes widened in shock. Of all the things he expected Lilly Rush to say to him today, that…that was about the last. What the hell did she mean, exactly…she wished she could promise him forever? His breath caught in his throat, and his heart pounded even faster than it had been. Don't get your hopes up, Valens, a voice warned. Wishin' she could and actually bein' able to are two completely different things.

He couldn't respond right away…he could only stand and stare in disbelief.

Lilly met his stunned gaze, and he realized, after a moment, that the Ice Queen look was gone. Her eyes shone with unshed tears, sadness, and, if he wasn't mistaken, a tiny bit of fear. Scotty was touched that she was letting him in that much. She'd thrown him a beautiful pitch, laid it right over the plate, and it was up to him to deliver.

"I ain't gonna lie to you, Lil…I want…forever," he began slowly, praying fervently that he wouldn't say something stupid to screw this up. "But…I only want it with you. I ain't gonna go…propose to somebody just 'cause I want kids or somethin'," he explained, fumbling for the right words. "Hell, I didn't even believe in forever…not anymore…not after…" He stopped. He didn't want to mention Elisa's name. Not here. Not now.

"Not 'till you," he finished, almost in a whisper.

Lilly's heart melted, and for a brief instant, she wanted to just run into his arms and never let him go. But she stood still, knowing she'd only wind up breaking his heart again.

"But…I can't promise you forever," Lilly protested tearfully, the panic evident in her voice once more. "I…suck at relationships, Scotty. I panic, I sabotage things, I run away…I hurt you."

Scotty couldn't say anything. What she was saying, well…it was true. She did panic, she did sabotage things, she did run away…she did hurt him. But…before all that, she'd made him happier than he ever thought he had any right to be, happier than he'd ever thought possible. He opened his mouth to say that, or at least something to that effect, he hoped, but she wasn't finished.

"All I can promise…" she began, then the words caught in her throat, and she couldn't continue.

She met Scotty's eyes once more, and the look in their infinite depths, though guarded, was full of enough warmth and tenderness that it gave her the strength to finish her thought.

"All I can promise you…is…me," she said softly, with a slight, nervous laugh.

Scotty could have sworn his heart stopped beating. She was promising…her? A wild hope suddenly surged in his chest, but he angrily beat it down. She just said she can't promise you forever, Valens. Ain't you been payin' attention?

"For how long?" he asked her, a little more harshly than he intended. "A week? A month? Then what?"

It was Lilly's turn to freeze. Scotty was using the exact same words Joseph had used a few months earlier. Joseph had wanted forever, too. Joseph had wanted her to put a timetable on it. And when she couldn't… he wasn't even willing to let them try.

The room started to spin again. Scotty was going to do exactly the same thing as Joseph. He was going to turn around and walk away…again. Lilly's brain shrieked at her to say something, anything, because her silence last time…that had been her downfall…that had made Joseph walk away and break her heart…

Scotty saw the deep hurt in Lilly's sapphire eyes and instantly regretted his words. He wasn't sure why they'd brought her so much pain, but there was no denying that they had. Dammit. Would he never figure out how to keep from hurting this woman?

"I'm askin'," he continued, swallowing hard, "'cause…I can't do this again."

"Do what?" Lilly asked him softly, terror piercing her heart. This was it. He was walking away for good.

"I can't…go through you leavin' again," Scotty answered huskily.

He looked up at her then, and she could see his pain in the depths of his dark eyes.

"My heart…" he started, not wanting to add to her burdens, but knowing that unless he said this, he was setting himself up for another roller-coaster ride, one that he wasn't sure he'd survive.

He took a deep breath, steeled himself, and finished his thought. "My heart can't take bein' broken anymore," he stated simply, looking at the floor, unable to bear the sadness he saw in her eyes for another second.

"I know," she said softly, the syllables filled with remorse. "And…mine can't, either."

Scotty's head snapped up then. Something in her words…something in her tone…there was something electric shimmering in the air between them that gave him a tiny bit of hope.

"What are you sayin', Lil?" he asked quietly. Was it possible that she wasn't giving up on them? Could it be that…maybe they weren't over?

"I can't promise you forever," she repeated, smiling slightly. It was a timid, tremulous smile, but it was a smile nonetheless. "But I can promise you…me. Because, Scotty…" she looked deep into his eyes, the emotions coursing through her body. She wanted to remember, for better or for worse, his reaction to what she was about to tell him.

This is it, Rush. You get that moment back.

"…I love you, too."

If he thought his heart had stopped beating before, Scotty was certain it had now. She…loved him? No way in hell had she just said that. He was imagining it. Had to be.

But as he gazed into her soulful sapphire eyes, he saw the truth shining there, like a brilliant beacon of light. Oh, she meant it, all right. He'd never seen love like this reflected from anyone's eyes before. Lilly Rush was letting her guard down, at least for that moment, and the depth of love he saw stole his breath and nearly knocked him backwards.

He wasn't imagining it. He'd heard her right.

She loved him.

Scotty gazed at her in wonder, unable to speak, breathe, or move. He could only stare, taking in the tears that still shimmered in her eyes and clung to the ends of her long lashes like diamonds, her pink cheeks, her beautiful blonde hair, and that smile…shaky and apprehensive though it was. Love flooded his heart, and he swallowed hard against the lump in his throat.

Suddenly regaining his mobility, he closed the gap between them in about a step, gently grasping her elbows. "Oh, Lil…" he breathed reverently, looking deep into her eyes. "Are you sure?"

A stronger, more confident smile filled her face, the most heart-meltingly beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Not trusting her voice, Lilly merely nodded.

With a sigh, Scotty gathered her into his arms gently, not wanting to break whatever fragile thing it was that had made her open her heart to him. He breathed in the scent of her hair, of her skin, of her, the scent that he thought he'd never inhale again, and let the breath out shakily.

"Then why the hell ain't we together?" he asked into her hair, the tears stinging his eyes.

Lilly pulled away from him and met his gaze. "Because you want things I can't promise you."

"Lil," Scotty began, his heart in his voice as he brushed a stray tendril of blonde hair away from her face. "I want what you just promised…God, Lil, I just want you. I just wanna be with you, be by your side…be your friend, be your boyfriend…be your soul mate. Be what we were before I went and screwed it all up."

"You didn't screw it up, Scotty," Lilly insisted firmly. "You needed to tell me how you felt, and I needed to hear it. I have trouble believing people…when they say they love me…but you…you really do."

"More than…more than I ever thought possible," Scotty added, wanting desperately to pull her into his arms again and just lose himself in her. They could work out the damn details, the terms and conditions, all that other crap later. He just wanted…her.

But he knew that if he gave in then, they'd never talk about things…and they'd be right back where they were in a week, a month…whatever.

Lilly stood there, wrestling with the thoughts that swirled around in her head. Suddenly, a memory crystallized, one from a month earlier, when they'd brought their Nashville fling back to Philly. They'd stood in her kitchen, and she'd admitted to being scared, hating herself for her weakness, but knowing that Scotty deserved the truth from her. What was so different now? Instead of weakening her, confessing her fear had made her stronger. She realized, with a pang of guilt, that that was the only time she'd been honest with him about her fears…and, because she'd let him in…that was the only time she hadn't had to sweep her panic under the rug and pretend it wasn't there. If she could do that again...this might work.

Decision made, Lilly took a deep breath, her voice soft, but infused with a new confidence.

"Scotty…I love you so much it scares me," she admitted. "I…I don't have any idea how to handle it, and I'm so afraid I'm gonna screw it up again."

Scotty was touched, and gazed at her tenderly.

"Oh, Lil…you ain't the only one," he said softly, lifting her chin and caressing it gently with his thumb.

"Yeah?" Lilly asked him, her tone hopeful.

"I'm ….terrified," Scotty confessed in a whisper. "I ain't exactly had the best of luck, either, ya know," he reminded her, with a slight rueful grin.

Relief coursed through Lilly's veins. The fact that Scotty was scared, too…well, that made it easier, somehow, and gave her the boldness she needed to continue.

"But I'm not gonna let my fears rule over me anymore," she declared, her voice quiet, but determined, gaining strength with each word. "I'm gonna…tell you…when I'm scared. Instead of just running away. I'm done with running. Because this…what we have…I don't care what it costs, I can't lose you. Not again. And I want…to want the things you want. Deep down, I think…maybe I do...no. I do want those things. Some of them, anyway. Maybe…eventually. Someday…we can figure it out later…" she trailed off, realizing she was rambling incoherently. She stopped with a slightly self-deprecating smile, looked down at the floor for a minute, took a deep breath, then met his gaze again.

"But, Scotty…" she continued softly, taking his hands in hers, "I…I'm in this. Whatever happens…wherever it goes. You're…you're it for me…it just took…losing you to make me realize that."

Scotty couldn't believe what he was hearing. He just stared at her, his breath coming in short, shallow pants, his heart racing. She looked back at him, smiling through her tears, and her brow suddenly creased with compassion.

"What?" he finally managed to ask.

"You're crying," Lilly replied in surprise, with a tremulous smile.

Was he? He didn't think he was. But she reached up and gently thumbed a tear away from his cheek, so he guessed he must have been. He didn't care. She let her hand rest on his cheekbone for a minute, and he stood there, gazing into her eyes, and then gathered her to his chest again, knowing that he could be here like this, holding her in a corner of the evidence room for the rest of his days and he would die a happy man. He felt her shudder, heard a quiet sob from her, and held her even closer.

"Scotty," she said through her tears, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry,"

"Me too," he answered quietly, pressing a kiss into her hair.

"I love you," she continued. "I really, really love you."

Scotty could only hold her, wondering how she'd reached this conclusion, wondering what had happened to her to make her open up to him like this, wanting to fall to his knees and thank God for…whatever the hell it was that made Lilly love him…but not wanting to let go of her long enough to do that. He inhaled deeply of that delicious flowery shampoo she always used, gripped her tightly, relished the warmth of her skin through her thin white blouse. She was his. She loved him. The emotions tumbled around within his heart, begging to be voiced, but Scotty realized, with some irony, that now, after all these weeks when he couldn't say anything…now that he had free reign to tell Lilly exactly how he felt about her, exactly what she meant to him…

…he couldn't say a word.

They stood there in silence, letting their embrace say what their words couldn't. Finally, Scotty found his voice.

"God, Lil…" he breathed. "I love you so much."

Joy sang through Lilly's veins. She clung to him fiercely, a flood of love coursing throughout her whole body. But she couldn't move too fast…she couldn't continue to pretend she wasn't scared, she couldn't keep just going along with things because she thought it'd make him happy. She lifted her head from his shoulder and met his eyes once more.

"But, Scotty…baby steps?" she asked, almost pleading.

Baby steps. He could do baby steps. He'd baby step from here to the moon if that's what it took. Anything she wanted. As long as there was hope…he could do baby steps.

"Oh, Lil," he sighed, the love shining from his eyes. "Whatever the future looks like…white picket fence or not…all I want is you."

"And…all I want…is you," she echoed, still a tiny bit afraid of the truth, but knowing deep in her soul that the truth…was exactly what she needed to tell him.

Scotty looked at her incredulously, not believing what he'd just heard, but seeing the truth of her words shimmering in her sapphire eyes. Quickly, somewhat fearful that she might change her mind, he lowered his head and sought her lips, and when he found them, the last remaining traces of his heartbreak were swept into oblivion by a wave of joy. Scotty's heart swelled, feeling like it would burst with the flood of love that welled up inside. She tasted even more deliciously sweet than before, felt even more wonderful, and he became aware of a drop of moisture on his cheek. He didn't know whether it was one of her tears or one of his, but he didn't much care. His heart thundered as their tongues met, and his knees buckled with the powerful onslaught of his emotions.

Lilly felt Scotty's hands tangling in her hair and she moaned softly, sensing in his passionate kisses the true depth of his love for her. Now that she was letting him in, she was astounded at the intensity of his feelings for her, thrilled to the core by how much he truly loved her. God, why had she almost walked away from this? Her heart pounded as she clutched him fiercely, inhaling his scent, tasting his lips, never, ever wanting to let go of him again. She had no idea it was possible to feel this much love for another person, and a few minutes ago, that would have scared her, but now, it seemed to shatter her fears and make her stronger.

As the passion continued to build, their kisses grew hungrier and more desperate. Scotty suddenly spun Lilly around and pressed her up against the shelf, against the stack of boxes, and tore his lips from hers to kiss her neck, inhaling her delicious scent and breathlessly whispering, "I love you," against her skin over and over between kisses. He slipped his hands beneath the back of her blouse, feeling the heat and smoothness of her satiny skin, and thought he might die from the pleasure.

"Te quiero," he whispered, and molten desire shot through Lilly's veins.

She laughed breathlessly. "What's that mean, anyway?" she asked him.

"Means I love you," he answered against her neck, and she felt her heart starting to melt.

He pressed a few more feverish kisses to her porcelain skin, then whispered, "Mi corazon."

"And that?" she gasped as she loosened his tie.

"My heart," he answered, and happy tears began to sting her eyes again.

"Mi alma," he breathed, as he brushed aside the collar of her blouse and his lips blazed a trail toward her clavicle while her fingers frantically worked at the knot in his tie. "My soul," he added, not waiting for her to prompt him.

She kissed him desperately once more as she stripped his tie from his neck and threw it somewhere, not knowing or caring where it landed. He grinned against her lips and whispered, "Eres el amor de mi vida." He blazed a few more frantic kisses against the curve of her jawline before translating huskily, "You're the love of my life, Lil."

"Oh, God, Scotty," she cried, her tears of joy finally spilling over, then twined her tongue around his while unbuttoning his striped dress shirt. Scotty's hands slipped lower to cup Lilly as he ground up against her, moaning in ecstasy as her fingers splayed across his chest, separated from his burning skin only by the thin fabric of his T-shirt. She gasped as she felt the swollen proof of his desire pressing against her oversensitive center through her clothing, and the room began to spin.

Three loud thwacks shattered their bubble as evidence boxes tumbled to the floor and served as an unwelcome reminder of where they were.

"Holy shit!" a loud, gravelly voice exclaimed.

"Mother of God," quickly followed.

"Oh, sweet Lord…" a deep, velvety voice finished.

Scotty froze, then slowly released his claim on Lilly's neck, trying in vain to catch his breath, to stop the room from whirling around him, to calm his frantic heartbeat. Lilly's eyes widened with fright as they focused on something over his shoulder, and he turned slowly to see Vera, Miller, and Jeffries standing there, evidence boxes at their feet where they'd been dropped. Miller's eyes sparkled with amusement, Jeffries stood there, a faint smile playing on his face, and Vera, from whom Scotty had expected to see that trademark shit-eating grin, merely stood there, eyes and mouth agape in shock.

Scotty cleared his throat, stepped away from Lilly, and glanced at his colleagues with a sheepish smile as he inhaled shakily and buttoned his shirt. Lilly didn't meet their eyes, just self-consciously smoothed her blouse, brushed away her tears, and shook out her hair. Her already flushed cheeks turned an even brighter pink as she frantically tried to erase the evidence of what they'd seen. How much had they seen? She was horrified at the thought.

Miller finally broke the silence. "That's the one thing I've missed about Narcotics," she remarked, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Workin' cold jobs, you almost never catch someone in the act."

Jeffries found his voice next. "I take you two have…patched things up?" he asked, not looking directly at them.

Scotty couldn't help smiling as he smoothed his hair. "Looks that way," he replied. He stole a glance at Lilly, who returned his smile bravely, and, encouraged, he put his arm around her and kissed her cheek. She didn't lean away, but broke into one of the most dazzling smiles he'd ever seen. He was elated.

"Thank God," Vera finally said. "'Cause I can't take any more of Scotty's singin'."

Singing? What singing? When the hell had there been singing? Lilly threw Scotty a confused glance.

"I'll explain later," Scotty muttered sheepishly. "You ain't never gonna let me live that one down, are you?" he asked Vera.

"Nope," Vera replied with a smile.

Scotty squeezed Lilly's shoulders, glancing at her for confirmation. Her shining blue eyes told him all he needed to know, and he took a deep breath.

"You all might be gettin' new partners soon," he said with a smile,"'cause me and Lil are partners now in a different sense, and IAD probably ain't gonna like that too much."

"That reminds me," Miller interrupted. "Boss is lookin' for you two."

Scotty and Lilly exchanged worried glances, but Miller reassured them. "We haven't told him anything," she replied. "But you all got until the end of today, and then we're tellin' him whether you have or not, 'cause this…" she said, motioning between the two of them with a finger, "…this ain't gonna fly. You gotta come clean."

Lilly smiled sheepishly up at Scotty, and he returned her smile. "We do," she agreed. "It's long past time."

"You, uh...might wanna take a few minutes before you go up there," Miller suggested. "Get yourselves back in some kinda order."

"We'll just tell him you're putting away the rest of the boxes," Jeffries added smoothly. He indicated the three discarded boxes on the floor with a jerk of his head, then motioned for Vera and Miller to follow as he climbed the steps and left the warehouse, smiling to himself and shaking his head slowly. He'd known all along…and while the changes in the squad would require some adjustment…he was truly happy they'd worked things out.

Vera headed up the stairs, and Miller turned to follow, but stopped when she spotted a blue silk tie crumpled at the bottom of the steps. She looked over at Lilly and Scotty, who were still trying to regain their composure, stole a glance at Vera, who had also stopped, and grinned at him impishly.

"Hey, Man Candy," she called, bending down to retrieve the tie from the floor. "This belong to you?"

Without waiting for a reply, she hurled it across the room, impressed, and simultaneously somewhat disgusted, at how far away from her amorous colleagues that tie had landed. She had no idea how it had flown that far, and she really didn't want to know.

Scotty caught his tie with a cocky grin. "Thanks, Miller," he replied as he flipped up his shirt collar and draped the tie around his neck.

Lilly glanced up at him quizzically. "Man Candy?" she repeated softly.

"I'll tell you later," Scotty answered, his cocky grin turning slightly sheepish.

Miller laughed softly as she and Vera turned and headed back up the stairs.

"Holy shit," Vera muttered again.

"Tell me about it," Miller replied.

"Those two idiots have got no idea how to have a secret relationship," Vera whispered, winking at Miller.

She smiled at him mischievously. "Nope…not a clue."

A/N: Squee to your hearts' content. I know I am.