"Ashton, it's good to see you," Marissa said as the other woman poked her head around a corner. "Bull's not here. He and Benny had a meeting with a client and aren't back yet."

"Do you mind if I wait for a bit?"

"Not at all. You can sit in his office," Marissa replied and walked over to Bull's office with Ashton.

Ashton thanked Marissa and declined her offer of a beverage. Alone in the office, Ashton tossed her coat on a chair and idly perused the contents of the bookshelves before sitting down. She slipped off her shoes and pulled her tablet out of her bag. She was still tucked in a corner of the couch reading when Bull opened the door a short time later.

"This is a surprise. Is everything okay?" Bull asked as he walked into the office. His voice was tinged with concern at her unexpected appearance.

"Everything's fine. My meeting went longer than planned, so I thought I'd stop by," Ashton told him and put down the tablet.

"Sounds like it went well," he said as he loosened his tie and undid the shirt button at his neck.

"Very. Contract signed. Yours?"

"We still have some work to do," Bull said and sat down next to her. "You're sure everything is okay?"

Before Ashton could say anything more, Benny barged into the office. He abruptly stopped mid-sentence when he spied Ashton and began to apologize for interrupting. Bull interrupted him almost immediately and told the lawyer to continue.

"We were dangerously close to discussing work," the psychologist said.

Benny looked to Ashton for confirmation he wasn't interrupting. She smiled, her grey eyes filled with amusement and motioned for him to continue. The lawyer quickly related the idea that had suddenly come to him when they returned from their meeting. Bull listened, asked a few targeted questions and finally agreed with Benny. The lawyer then turned to Ashton and asked about her father before leaving the office.

"Where were we?" Bull asked after the door to the office closed.

"You were asking me if everything is okay...again," Ashton replied.

"Is it?"

"Since you keep asking, I'm thinking it's not."

Bull cleared his throat. "Do you have time to talk?" Ashton nodded. Her relaxed expression was replaced by a furrowed brow and troubled eyes.

"Last night started great and then...let's leave it at not so great," he said.

"Agreed," Ashton said.

"Aren't you going to say anything else?"

"What do you want me to say?" she asked.

Bull stood and exhaled loudly. He walked the length of the office and turned around. "Something. Anything. Just don't shut me out."

"Some days I wish you weren't a psychologist," Ashton said and gave him a quick, small smile at the stern look he shot her.

"I already knew that and it doesn't really apply here."

"It does. You want me to talk it all out but I don't want to revisit last night. I'm not going to upset myself more than I am because you want to analyze my every micro reaction."

"Ash, c'mon, I wouldn't."

"You would. It took everything for me just to come here. I reconsidered in ride over; I reconsidered in the lobby; I reconsidered in the elevator; and I reconsidered while I sat here."

"Keep going," he said.

Ashton took a deep breath and explained her hesitation to Bull, which was less about his quirks and more about the possibility of Diana Lindsay being at the TAC offices. Her words tumbled out quickly as she wanted to spend as little time as possible on the subject. Bull listened without interrupting, and when Ashton finished speaking, he retook a seat next to her.

"You're overthinking things," Bull said and Ashton nodded.

"Just a bit," she chuckled. "Your turn."

"The last few weeks have been rough. I didn't handle it as well as I should," he admitted while looking straight ahead. "I want to do better. I want to be the one you turn to when something is bothering you."

Bull pushed his glasses atop his head, got up, and walked towards the bookcase. He fiddled with a knick-knack on a shelf as Ashton watched. She walked over and touched his shoulder to get his attention. He turned and she mouthed the words, "I love you."

"I need to do better, too, and not assume you know what I'm thinking," Ashton said.

Bull put his arms around her and their lips met. Chunk barged through the door while they were locked in an embrace.

"Whoa… excuse me. I thought you were alone," Chunk said as Bull and Ashton jumped apart.

"I don't remember sending a memo that knocking on doors was optional at this office," Bull said as he put his glasses back in place.

"Sorry," Chunk said with a sheepish look on his face. He directed his apology to a blushing Ashton before expressing that it was good to see her again. Bull cut in and asked if there was a reason to his sudden appearance.

"Benny's down in the courtroom and everyone else has left for the night. I'm heading out, too. See you in the morning."

After Chunk made a hasty exit, Ashton asked Bull if he was ready to go home. He hesitated for a second before agreeing. As she gathered her things, Ashton watched as Bull picked up a pile of files from his desk. A second later he put half back and led the way to the door. Before leaving, they stopped by the mock courtroom where Ashton made her brother-in-law promise he wouldn't work all night.

On the drive to her apartment, Ashton shot down Bull's invitation to dinner out and expressed her desire to get home so she could change clothes. After a bit of good-natured cajoling he relented upon securing her promise that they would go out that weekend and a comfortable silence descended.

Shortly after being left alone, Benny took Ashton's advice and packed up his files. As he was waiting for the elevator, he sent Bull a short text stating that he thought he had come up with their key opening strategy. The lawyer was reading the psychologist's reply as the bell sounded and the elevator doors opened.

"Excuse me," a voice said sternly when Benny took a step forward. He looked from his phone to see Diana Lindsay staring at him. "Where's your boss?"

"Not here," Benny replied as the elevator doors closed.

"Bull never goes home early," she said surely. "Is he with his ex?"

"I don't know," he lied.

"You don't know? She is your sister-in-law and he's your boss."

"And neither one is particularly prone to sharing details about their personal life," Benny said and pushed the button for the elevator again. "What I do know is that you're wasting your time here. Go home."

The elevator arrived and when the door opened Benny made a point of making sure Diana was inside before him. He also ensured that she gave him her visitor badge and got into a cab upon leaving the office building.