Triggering scene at the end.

Emily was thinking about her last "date" with Scott over the weekend. A simple dinner, talking about surface level things, and then spending the night at her place again. The first night she'd taken him home she hadn't really focused much on anything. She'd just wanted the distraction. For a one night fling, he was doing his best to stick around, though. Sure, he was funny and charming and cute as hell, but it felt like there was something underneath that unsettled her. She couldn't explain it. It was in the way he looked at her sometimes. It was like he was seeing her as someone else. She was trying to figure out how to end it with him when more motion across from her jarred her attention.

...

"Sit still," Emily ordered as Lee squirmed in his chair once more.

"I can't," he complained. "Something's poking me..." He twisted to look again, but there still wasn't anything there. He was getting frustrated. He reached around with his hand under his butt, but he still couldn't find what was aggravating him.

"It's in your head. I need your entire focus here," she went on. "We have two months to get this wedding done right, so there's no room for mucking about."

It was Tuesday, and Lee was getting briefed on the Dawson wedding. He had to admit, it was a genuine love story. Mary and Melvin had fallen in love as teenagers, and then the Vietnam War started, and he'd gone to fight. He was pronounced MIA, and Mary didn't hear from him again. She presumed him dead and met someone else and had a family, but her heart had always been Melvin's. Her husband died ten years ago, and Melvin found her a year ago. He'd never had a family, having been a POW for years and then continuing to fight in the army once he found out Mary had moved on. After hearing Mary was a widow, he decided to track her down. The two of them picked up right where they'd left off. It just went to show that 75 was not too old for a love story.

"It's not in my head, and I'm not mucking about," Lee insisted, getting to his feet now. He searched the chair and pulled out a hair clip that had been wedged into the seat. He held it up for her to see. "Told you." She just rolled her eyes as he tossed it into the trash can and sat back down.

"So refresh me," he said. "What is the meaning of December 22nd for this couple?"

"It was the day he proposed to her," Emily answered.

"They were what? 18?"

"Yes."

"Alright, so how are we pulling this off," Lee went on. Emily slid binders over to him across her desk. One was cakes, one was flowers, and one was venues.

"They pretty much gave me permission to run with it, whatever I wanted. The only condition is it has to be at 1pm, and they want a church wedding."

"You want me to pick stuff out?" Lee asked, feeling unqualified for this very suddenly.

"Just put sticky notes on whatever strikes your fancy, and I'll vet it later," she replied, setting down a stack of bright yellow post its next to the binders.

"Ooookay."

He picked up the one for flowers first. Flowers were easier. He could handle that. He knew nobody would believe that a hardened SAS soldier turned mercenary was now into planning weddings, and he didn't expect anyone to understand how it made him feel more human and less like someone with a black heart. He flipped through the pages as Emily clicked on her computer and hunched forward to read the screen. They worked in silence for a while until Lee had to speak about what had happened on the weekend. He needed to talk to someone about it, and he certainly wasn't going to be telling Barney.

"Lacy got called in to work Sunday," he blurted out.

"What?" Emily asked, looking at him.

"She was supposed to have the whole weekend off, and then her boss calls and demands she gets her a flight home, but all flights were grounded..."

Emily was giving him a weird look, and he stopped talking for a second.

"What?" he asked when she said nothing. "What is it?"

"Oh, it's just...Andy had that exact same experience. Let me guess, Miranda made Lacy prove herself double time to make up for failing to get her home for something she needed to attend to."

"Yea..."

"Some things really do never change," Emily muttered, flicking a page from the venue binder rather roughly.

"How do I get her out of there, Em?" Lee asked. "I'm desperate."

"I wish I could help, but you know what I said last time."

"I know. I just..."

"The more you argue with her about it, the more she grips the job tighter in her fist. Trust me."

"So I sit and do nothing," he said. "That's just great."

"Look, Lee," Emily said, reaching to put her hand over his. He felt jolted by her touch, and he had to catch his breath. "Just let her know you're there, but don't push. It might not seem like it, but she needs you in her corner."

"Okay," he caved after a moment. She patted his hand and went back to work. He went back to his binder, trying not to think about her touch. He thought about Lacy's instead. She'd been attentive and interested in him when she'd been uninterrupted by work that weekend. It confirmed with him that she wasn't cheating on him. In the past, when she'd been cheating, she'd grown more distant with him. He felt comforted by this.

Then, his brain jumped to thinking about this wedding and how Billy would never get to marry Sophia, the girl he was engaged to. It hit him hard and fast, and he ended up making a choking type sound in his throat.

"Lee?" Emily asked, having heard it. She was giving him a concerned look, so he cleared his throat and tapped his chest with his fist lightly.

"I'm fine," he answered.

"Don't lie," she ordered. She was giving him her undivided attention, so he decided to tell her.

"You remember the kid I told you who got killed?"

"Yes."

"I was just thinking about how he never got to marry his fiancee," Lee said.

"That's...really sad," Emily said. A funny expression went across her face, and he felt curious as to why, but he didn't want to pry.

"This wedding getting to you too?" he asked instead.

"It's making me think about my grandfather," she answered.

"Oh yea?"

"We were close, and he was the first close person in my life to die. I never got over it. Mel reminds me of him."

Lee was suddenly feeling guilty for everyone he'd ever killed. He'd never thought about them having lives or loved ones. They'd just been people trying to kill him that needed to be killed. The targets were criminals and terrorists. They couldn't stay alive and kill others.

Then he was thinking about how many close calls he'd had. His breathing got a bit rapid at this.

"What's happening?" Emily asked him, worried. He met her eyes, and he decided he could tell her these thoughts. He could trust her.

"I was a mercenary, Em," he answered, blurting it out. She looked surprised, but she didn't freak out like he thought she would.

"I see," she said.

"I was military first. I've seen a lot of shit...had a lot of shit done to me...I just suddenly feel bad for every person I've killed and realized that I've almost died about twenty times."

"That's a lot of trauma," Emily noted.

"It is, and I...I don't know what to do with it all," he admitted. He pressed the back of knuckles on his right hand against his mouth, leaning that elbow on the table. He ran his index finger back and forth across his lips slowly.

"Maybe talk to someone," she suggested.

"You might be right," he agreed. Like Toll. Perhaps it wasn't so funny to talk to a stranger about all of this after all.

"Let's get out of here," she said suddenly, dropping the binder and startling him with the noise.

"And go where?" he asked.

"Just anywhere. Come on," she said, getting up and grabbing her coat. "I know just the place."

...

Andy was searching for venues when Nigel came into her office.

"Hi," she said with a smile.

"How's it going?" he asked. "You settling in here well?"

"Yes," she replied, resting her elbow on the desk. "It's great. I am definitely glad I called you." Soapy meandered in then, and she chirped as she brushed against Nigel's leg. He reached to pet her absently.

"I'm glad you did too. We've been needing more help for a while, but it's hard to find someone who is cut out for the job and has the right personality for it."

"How's life?" Andy asked him, and he chuckled.

"Okay for now."

"Any romance?"

"Nah," Nigel answered, waving his hand. "No time for that." Soapy came over to Andy next, and she lifted the cat into her lap.

"I'm totally taking a kitten," she said.

"Ditto," Nigel agreed. Soapy purred as Andy kept scratching her head. They heard Emily and Lee heading out together, and Andy wondered just where they could possibly be going.

...

"I would not," Lee said, strapping on his vest, "have pegged you as someone who did this."

"Are you kidding? It's a great stress reliever," Emily retorted, holstering her weapon. She flashed him a grin, and he laughed. This was better. This was less awkward and intense.

"Don't I know it," he commented dryly, and Emily felt a pang of guilt. He did this for a living. He'd literally just told her. How could she have been so insensitive?

"I'm sorry," she said. "This was kind of a stupid idea since you just told me what you did for a living."

"I disagree," he said back.

"You do?"

"It's a 100 times better when it's just for fun," he told her, grinning at her again and heading off into the arena. She hurried behind him. Her grandfather had introduced her to laser tag a long time ago, and it was something she did when she wanted to feel extra close to him.

The buzzer went off, indicating the round was starting. She ran and dodged, firing back at others. She shrieked and started laughing when she crashed into Lee at one point. They'd both chosen to hide in the same spot.

"Truce," she said, gasping for air from all the running she'd been doing.

"Alright, but when this is over, we have to decide who the winner is," Lee replied.

"Fine."

He popped up over the wall and fired at someone walking by. Their groans at losing echoed on the walls.

"I reckon we're almost down to a few more," he said thoughtfully. Emily had her breath back now, so she decided to surge forward and find her opponents. She moved to leave when Lee suddenly launched himself on her back and knocked her down, firing at the person who had appeared out of nowhere.

"Oh God," she groaned. "Was that really necessary?"

"I just saved your ass. I think a thank you is in order," he retorted.

"Well, your ass is heavy, so get off me," she commanded. He moved off, and crouched next to her as she turned over and sat up. She was slightly winded, and it wasn't entirely from getting crushed.

"You're welcome." His tone was sarcastic.

"Come on," she said, struggling to her feet. "We can defeat them together." He reached for her hand to help her up as he stood, and she accepted. Was it just her imagination, or did he let his grasp linger once she was standing? She shook it off as she moved forward. He covered her from behind. She suddenly thought of him doing this with real guns in a real war, and it made her slightly nauseous.

"Ha ha!" he cackled in fake evil laughter as he took down their last opponent. "Christmas strikes again!"

"Christmas?" she asked. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"Oh, that's my fake last name for my team," he answered with a shrug.

"You have fake names?"

"Yea."

"Oh. Like what?"

"You know...Toll Road, Hale Caesar, Gunner Jensen," he rhymed off. "Yin Yang left a little while ago. Tool is the coordinator of the jobs."

"And Barney?"

"Not sure. I would guess 'Ross' is not real as that's a name of a boxer, but the Barney part might be."

"Like yours is really Lee."

"Yea."

"I see," she said, trying to wrap her head around it. She noticed the clock had less than a minute left. She turned to face him to find he was already aiming his gun at her.

"Sorry, luv," he said.

"Oh!" she cried, clutching at her chest. He was immediately concerned.

"What? What's happening?" he asked, sounding scared. He lowered his gun. That's when she straightened up, aimed, and fired at his chest.

"Muahahahaha," she laughed evilly.

"Don't you ever do that again," he said, not laughing. She stopped and gave him a puzzled look.

"You didn't seriously think I was in trouble did you?" she asked.

"I did," he answered, "and I hate when someone fakes an injury like that."

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

"It's fine, but just...don't," he said again. He started to walk back towards the exit. Emily felt bad now. She had no idea he'd react that way. She rushed to catch up with him. They didn't talk until they were in the parking lot heading for his truck.

"Lee, I really am sorry," she said again.

"Forget it. I overreacted," he replied.

"I shouldn't have done it..."

"Em, it's fine," he said, facing her suddenly and making her stop before she ran into him. "Really. Let's just move on."

"Okay."

He opened the door for her, and she looked at his face carefully before climbing into the seat. She still felt bad. He got in and started the engine before he spoke.

"Thank you," he said sincerely. "It was fun."

"Except for...that," she finished awkwardly.

"Well, not everything is perfect," he offered.

"You've seen it before," she blurted, realizing suddenly. "Someone dying like that. Haven't you?" He played with his lips in his teeth before sucking them and nodding slowly.

"My Mum."

"Oh, God. I'm so sorry..."

He reached to put his hand on her shoulder tightly, stopping her.

"It's okay," he reassured her. "You didn't know, and if I hadn't had that experience, I would have laughed it off. It's fine."

"Let me buy you a drink," she said. "To make it up to you." She had no idea why she was offering this. Was she conceding to the fact she thought they were friends? They felt more than coworkers and definitely more than a client working with a wedding planner.

"Alright," he agreed. "Where to?"

...

Jane was pressing her foot into Kevin's leg as she stuck a forkful of salad into her mouth. Kevin was eating a burger, a slight smirk on his face. Jane loved that they were still like newlyweds, that this whole trying-have-a-baby-and-failing thing wasn't ruining their relationship.

"Keep it up, and we'll have to go home," he warned.

"Oohh, big threat," she mocked, smiling. He chuckled and picked up a french fry, chucking it at her. She ducked, laughing. "You love me."

"I do," he agreed.

"Hey, should we put on Benny?" Jane asked, raising a brow.

"Oh, I don't know," he said, drawing it out. "I don't think the audience could handle it. Plus, we're sober."

"True." Jane nodded. She was more self-conscious when she sang sober. Her sister had always teased her about going off-key. She scanned the bar, watching people having fun and laughing. Then, she sat up bolt right in her chair, her right hand gripping the table hard to keep her from falling off her chair.

"What?" Kevin asked, slightly concerned. "What is it?"

"Emily and Lee," Jane hissed, ducking her head to hide from sight.

"Who?" Kevin was perplexed. He moved to turn around when she stopped him with a swift kick under the table. "Ow!"

"Don't turn around!" she ordered, her voice still low.

"Who are they?" Kevin asked again, reaching to rub his now sore shin. Jane ducked down even farther now that his body wasn't hiding her anymore.

"I work with Emily, and Lee is her client. Well, he works with us now too. It's complicated," Jane said, moving her glass in front of her face now as if it could make her invisible. She shifted the napkin dispenser and condiments too. Kevin was starting to laugh at her.

"What are you doing?" he asked. "I think you're allowed to be here."

"I'm spying," Jane answered, peering at Lee and Emily walking to a table across the bar from them. There was a post in the way, and Emily sat with her back to Jane. Perfect. She sat up a bit more once she deemed it safe.

"Spying? Why?"

"Because I want to see them interact without anyone watching. I am convinced they have feelings for each other," Jane replied, craning her neck to see and then yanking it back when Lee moved his eyes to scan the room. She put her right hand up beside her face, trying to hide her profile.

"Wait," Kevin said, very confused now. "If he's her client, doesn't that mean he's marrying someone else?"

"Yes, but she's the wrong girl."

"How do you know?"

"I just know, okay? Those two," Jane said, jabbing her thumb in Emily and Lee's direction, "have chemistry. They reek of it. I'm trying to figure out how to get them to see it."

"Honey, I think you need to dial it back a bit," Kevin said gently. "I know things have been...stressful lately..."

"Don't," Jane cut him off, pointing a finger at him. "This has nothing to do with that. You knew when you met me that I'm a romantic at heart, and there's a romance brewing over there that I can smell a mile away, and I want them to realize it before it's too late!"

"Okay, okay," Kevin said, reaching to pat her hand gently. "So what do we do?"

Jane drummed her fingers against her chin, thinking.

"I don't know," she admitted, "but the fact they're having a drink outside of office hours means something. I just don't know what yet."

Kevin casually twisted to have a look himself, and he watched the suspects chatting with each other. He looked thoughtful when he turned back to Jane.

"Well?" she asked.

"He's into her," he answered.

"Really?!"

"Oh, yea."

"What makes you say that? I mean, I can see it too, but what gives it away?"

"The fact that when he looks at her, she's the only thing he sees," Kevin answered, taking a bite off his fry.

"Ohhh, you're so right," Jane agreed, watching and seeing it herself.

"You're a little bit scary when you're on a mission," Kevin noted, making her scoff.

"I'm not on a mission..."

"I think you and I have a very different definition of what a mission is."

"Just shush and let me think," Jane ordered.

"Such a lovely date night we're having," Kevin said, slightly sarcastic.

"I'll make it up later. You know I will."

"I'll hold you to it." He dodged another kick to his shin and chuckled. She was so cute when she was so focused like that. He went back to eating, looking forward to when they got home.

...

Lee had seen Jane pretty much the moment he'd walked in there. He found it amusing how much she kept looking over at them and piling things around to hide herself. No doubt she was reading too much into this.

Hell, he was starting to read too much into this. He'd been surprised how much Emily had consumed his thoughts all afternoon. He hadn't thought much about Lacy since that morning. He reached for his phone now to send her a text.

Just out getting a drink with Emily and Jane after work. You're welcome to join us. He reviewed it before hitting send. It wasn't a lie. Jane was there, just a few tables over. He knew Lacy wouldn't come anyway. She barely made it home before ten on a good day. If he told her it was just Emily, he knew she'd accuse him of cheating, and that's not what he was doing here. He wanted to avoid that fight, so he omitted a little bit of the truth.

Sounds fun! I'd love to, but I'm so swamped. Rain check?

Alright.

He let it go at that. It wasn't like he hadn't invited her. He put his phone away and noticed Emily watching him.

"Sorry," he said. "Just letting her know I'm out and about."

"With me?" Emily asked.

"Yea."

"Just me?" she inquired, her one brow raised questioningly.

"Heh, you caught me," he said truthfully. "I said Jane was here too."

"Why would you lie to her?"

"Technically I didn't." Lee nodded his head in Jane's direction, and Emily turned to look. Jane was too late to try and hide. She just lifted her hand in a wave and looked embarrassed. The man Lee assumed to be Jane's husband was grinning as if this was the funniest thing he'd ever witnessed.

"Oh, great," Emily groaned, leaning back into her chair. "I'm never going to hear the end of this."

"Is it a crime to have a drink with a coworker?"

"No," Emily said after a moment. "No, it's not. You're right. There's nothing going on here." Lee met her gaze, and he felt that tumble inside again. He swallowed. He was just going crazy, that's all. He needed to shake off whatever it was he was feeling.

"No offense," Emily said next, flushing a little. "If you were single..." She stopped abruptly, apparently deciding not to finish that sentence. Lee was very intrigued to what she would have said. He leaned closer to her, knowing it would drive Jane batty.

"What would you do?" he asked, unable to stop his lips from smiling as Emily's cheeks got redder.

"You wouldn't be able to handle it," Emily answered, jutting her chin out and getting her confidence back. Lee chewed on the inside of his bottom lip, his smirk trying to grow wider. So this is what Flirty Emily looked like.

"That's what you think," he said after a beat. He watched her look at him. Was her mind suddenly running through scenarios of them in a dark room together like his had?

"I guess you'll just never find out," she replied, adjusting herself in her seat subtly. For half a second, Lee wanted to find out. Then he mentally chastised himself. What the hell was he doing? He was acting no better than Lacy had when she cheated on him. No doubt this was how it started, and he needed to put an end to it. He wasn't like that.

"I guess I won't," he agreed, sitting back in his chair once more. Their drinks had arrived at this point, and Emily picked hers up to hide her face behind it. Lee decided to do another scan of the room, and he saw that Jane and her husband were now gone. He felt a little bit of relief. He didn't want her to think anything of this.

"Emily?"

Lee's attention snapped back to in front of him, and he saw the man Emily had taken to her apartment. Scott.

"Oh, hi," Emily said, looking up at him.

"Am I interrupting?" Scott asked, looking at Lee.

Yes, yes you are.

"Not at all," Lee said out loud.

"I was thinking of you all day," Scott said, facing Emily again and flat out ignoring Lee. This made him bristle inside. The arrogance of some people. He cracked his knuckles under the table, itching to pick him up and chuck him all the way across the room...

"You don't mind, do you?" Emily was asking him now. Lee blinked. He'd missed what she'd said.

"Sorry?"

"We're just gonna have a dance or two," Emily said, gesturing across the room. "If you want to head home, I can get a ride with Scott."

"I'm fine," Lee said immediately. "I'll wait."

Scott narrowed his eyes at Lee, who gave him a warning glance back. Emily slid off her chair and tugged on Scott's arm to get him to go with her. Lee gritted his teeth and watched as Scott pulled Emily close to him before twirling her around and putting his hands all over her. It made him burn inside.

He had to get the hell out of there.

He tossed a few bills down and got to his feet, grabbing his coat. Why did he think he could sit there and watch this? Why did it matter? He was engaged to someone else. He was just about to the door when a hand grabbed his arm and turned him around.

"Where are you going?" Emily asked. She was out of breath, her hair was disheveled, and her eyes were shining. In that moment, she was so beautiful to him that his heart ached.

"Lacy called," he lied. "She's off early. Thought I'd go spend some time with her while I can."

"Good idea," Emily agreed, nodding. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yea."

"Good night."

"Night."

She left him standing there and headed back to Scott, who was giving Lee a dirty look. It was all Lee had to turn around and walk out of there and not look back.

"Don't fall for the wedding planner," he muttered to himself as he went. "Don't bloody fall for the wedding planner."

...

Lacy crawled out from under Hutch's blankets. She wasn't entirely sure how she'd even gotten here. He'd pestered to buy her dinner, so she accepted. Then they were out for a walk and talking. Then they were at his place. Then they were kissing.

Now, she was here.

"No more, huh?" Hutch asked, his voice teasing.

"Yea, well, this is the last time," she said unconvincingly. There was just something about Hutch that kept her coming back for more. She still loved Lee, though. It was all so confusing. She got dressed and fixed her hair. Lee might still be out. He seemed to be making friends with the people from FLWP. Lacy thought it was nice of them to include him in their hanging out. He could use some new friends. She thought some girl influence might help him not be so tough all the time.

"Ciao, babe," Hutch said as she grabbed her purse.

"Uh huh," she said dryly, leaving without another word. Once she was in the cab on her way home, she started to cry.

...

Emily stood in front of her mirror, staring at herself. She wasn't exactly sure what had happened, but it hadn't been good. Flashes of her memory played over and over in her mind.

Laughing. Dancing. Kissing. The back alley. Too tight against the wall. Fingers on her neck. Trying to get away. Breaking free. Getting tackled. Fighting again. Getting free. Running, running, running. Finding herself at her apartment. Crying. Panic. Anxiety attack.

With a shaky breath, she ran a hand through her hair and held it tightly on top of her head. Apparently Scott wasn't a gentleman after all. She felt tears prick at her eyes. She wished Lee had stayed. He would have prevented this whole nightmare from happening.

She'd gotten away, though. She hadn't needed him to save her in the end. She was tough when she had to be. The only frightening thing is that Scott knew where she lived. She feared he was going to just show up. She went out to the living room and grabbed the baseball bat she kept there and went to sit by the door, sinking to the floor and bringing her knees up to her chest. Her throat was hurting where he'd grabbed and squeezed. She didn't remember how she'd gotten away.

She exhaled shakily, gripping the bat tightly in her hands. It was going to be a long night.