Detective Richards sighed and dialed Mac's number. "We've got problems."

"Like what? You've got the warrant, right?"

"Yeah, but the perp's mother has hired some hot shot attorney. Mercy won't let me talk to him until his new shrink feels he's ready."

"Great. I guess we'll have to wait them out."

"The minute they release him, I can take him. Problem is, I don't know when that's going to be. I'm suspecting he's gonna commit himself voluntarily. I mean, that would make sense."

"Especially if he's going to cop a plea." Now Mac sighed. "Alright. We'll just have to keep tabs on him and find out what's going on."

"It gets worse. Apparently your friend really did a number on him. The nuns here won't have their patient abused any more. His lawyer found out Kevin works with the PCPD, now they're convinced that if they let us have him, Kevin will get another shot at him."

"Wonderful. After what he did to Lucy they're going to protect him."

"Oh, they're on a 'he's sick, we have to help him' mission. Mac, I'm not liking what I'm seeing here. This is going to be ugly. He's a son of a bitch that deserved what he got and more, but the fact that Kevin's a doctor, AND works with us isn't going to go over well on the Civil Rights side. The lawyer is on his way to the courthouse as we speak to subpoena Kevin's records. On the perp and on Kevin."

"I take it you know a little about Kevin's history."

"Only what I've heard here, and it doesn't sound good." Her voice dropped to a whisper on the phone. "Mac, I've only met the guy a couple times, and he seems okay, but what the hell were you thinking when you hired him to head up that S.W.A.T. team? I mean, breakdowns, stalking, kidnapping,-"

"I know all about it. There's a lot more to it then what you're hearing, believe me. Kevin's a good guy."

"I believe you. And as far as working the perp over, I can understand that. But his history isn't going to make this case any easier."

"The case is simple. We've got all the evidence we need to get a conviction."

"Okay, the case is simple, but the ramifications aren't going to be. You might want to give him a heads up on the fact that they're trying to make a move on him. And you know they're probably going to go after her, too. Standard defense in a rape case."

"They can't use her past against her."

"That only pertains to her sexual history. They can't bring up every guy she's ever slept with and try to prove it doesn't matter because she's not a virgin. Depends on what they find. I mean, if they find anything that could make her an unreliable witness, or. I don't know, you'd be surprised what a lawyer can do to a victim."

Mac closed his eyes and sighed again. A perjury conviction and an ongoing affair with a married man would definitely qualify as something the defense would try to use. His mind was so busy searching for things he knew about Kevin and Lucy that the lawyer would find he almost didn't realize that she was still talking.

"We're going to get a conviction on this one, but it will give them ammunition for a plea. They get the city over a barrel, and the mayor's going to want to keep this as quiet as possible."

"NO!" Mac literally yelled into the phone. "I don't care what the attorney tries. This guy is NOT going to walk away from what he did to her!"

"I'm not saying he will, Mac. I know what he did to her. I saw her, remember? I'm just saying this one's going to bring a lot of heat to the department. I do this every day of my life, and I do it because I think any man that would do that to a woman should rot in hell. Him included. And between you and me, I wouldn't have lost any sleep over it if Kevin had killed him. We've got the physical evidence, but we also have the fact that the guys nuts. Literally. Paperwork to prove it, you know? We also have an attending physician who has paperwork of his own who happens to also work for the PCPD. I'm sure you have an idea of what her record looks like. Unless she's been a nun-"

Mac laughed, he couldn't help it.

"Something funny?"

His memory brought forth an image of Felicia and Lucy dressed as nuns in France. "Long story, but not important. But I get where you're going. Her record has more spots then Kevin's."

"We need to meet with Dara. Pull up everything on the perp, and anything on Kevin and Lucy that his lawyer could find. Try to get the jump on them. It's the only way we're going to stay one step ahead."

Mac thought about everything she said. "You seem to know a lot more about the conviction process then most cops. You ever think of working with the D.A.'s office yourself?"

"Nah. It's too much fun when they resist arrest."

He could tell she was smiling.

"Nobody believes a D.A. when the perp gets a few bruises in their office. There's nothing like throwing some scumbag woman beater to the ground and slapping the cuffs on him. Makes me feel like I've done my good deed for the day, you know?"

"Stress relief, too, I imagine."

"Not to mention one hell of an exercise program."

Mac laughed again. "Okay, I'll set up the meeting with Dara, and pull the records-"

"Stay away from Mercy. I don't want to go snooping around his condition when they brought him here. Give them a reason to think we're running scared. Let them make the first move on that end. We know all the details of that."

"Got it. I'll call you with the time."

"Okay." Hanging up the phone, she put her car in gear and pulled out of the parking lot. She wanted to go check on Lucy, but not until she had some better news for her.

Mac hung up the phone and stared at the wall for a few minutes. He had to come up with a way to tell Kevin and Lucy that everything they'd worked to get past was about to come back and haunt both of them.


Kevin opened the car door and offered Lucy his hand. Taking it, she pulled herself to her feet and stared at him. Her body was still protesting at being forced to move, and she walked slowly to the front door. When Kevin opened the door for her, she found herself taking a deep breath before she stepped inside. Her ribs reminded her they were bruised and she grabbed them.

"You okay?" Kevin stepped closer to her, watching her wince.

"Yeah. Only hurts when I breathe." Stepping into the living room, Lucy looked around. The house was spotless, and she realized that somebody had cleaned it. Something wasn't right, and it took her a moment to realize it. "The phone-"

"Victor will pick up a new on today." Kevin was surprised that she'd noticed. "It was..."

"Covered with blood, you can say it." Slowly, she walked towards the kitchen.

Knowing what she was doing, Kevin followed her.

When she reached the door, she stopped for a moment.

"You don't have to do this." His voice was soft in her ear.

"Yes, I do. This is my home, Kevin. I'm not going to let.. I can't be..I just..I have to.." Tears came, and she bit her lip.

"You only have to do what-"

"Don't. Don't shrink me." Her voice was sharp.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to." He sighed. "You tell me, Lucy. What do you want me to do?"

"I just want you to be here."

"I'm here." Staying close behind her, he followed her as she forced herself to enter the kitchen.

When she reached the kitchen, she stopped so quickly he actually walked into her. She stepped forward from him, and her eyes traveled over the room. The floor was clean, but in her mind, it was still covered with blood.

Standing behind her, Kevin waited to see what she was going to do. He understood her feeling of needing to face it, but he wasn't sure what it was going to do to her.

Her body began to tremble as the memories flooded her mind. She remembered crawling away from him, only to be slammed into the ground. As much as she didn't want to remember, she saw him over her, and felt the pain that ran through her body. Crying, she turned and ran into Kevin. Before she stopped to think about it, she wrapped her arms around his waist and put her head on his shoulder. His arms circled her, and she held him tighter.

Relieved that she allowed him to hold her, Kevin stroked her hair and let her cry. He started to back her out of the kitchen, but she stumbled. Making a decision, Kevin leaned down and gently picked her up in his arms. Her ribs and back protested, but she wrapped her arms around his neck and cried harder.

Trying to not hurt her, Kevin carried her slowly to the bedroom and laid her on the bed. Reaching over her, he pulled the comforter up and wrapped it around her as she lay on her side. As he moved down the bed to shift the comforter, he turned to look at her before he took her shoes off of her feet and dropped them to kick them under the bed. Her crying had slowed, but she was still shaking. Walking to the other side of the bed, he sat behind her. It went through his mind that it hadn't been 24 hours since he'd made love to her right where he was sitting. And how much had happened in those hours.

Lucy felt him sit behind her and inched back towards him. Leaning over, he reached out and touched her head. He didn't want to crowd her, and he was surprised when she reached up and took his hand to pull him over to her.

Not sure what she wanted, he allowed her to pull him closer. Stretching out behind her, he kept a small distance between them until she pulled his arm farther over her own body. Even with the comforter between them he could feel her entire body trembling. Leaning closer, he kissed her head softly. Her arms wrapped around his arm in front of her, and she actually snuggled closer to him. Sighing, he kicked off his own shoes and shifted until he was comfortable behind her.

"Thank you." Her voice was little more than a whisper, but her words confused him.

"For what?"

"For not shrinking me, or trying to analyze me. I know that's your first instinct."

"Lucy," He moved his head up until he was whispering in her ear. "I love you. My first instinct is to do whatever you need me to do to help you."

"I love you, too. Right now this is all I need. You holding me."

Kissing her again, he held her as tightly as he dared with her injuries. "Then that's what you'll get."

Slowly, her trembling subsided and her body relaxed against his. Her breathing became regular and deeper until Kevin realized she was falling asleep. Once he was sure she was asleep, he began to relax. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to feel how tired he was, and soon he was sleeping beside her.


Eve opened the door to the lighthouse and looked around. She knew Kevin wasn't home, and for a moment, she was glad. Knowing that she had to face him didn't make the thought of doing it any easier. The walls of the lighthouse seemed to close in on her, and she began to pace. A thought of calling him came to her mind, but she quickly dismissed it. Interrupting him at work wasn't how she wanted to tell him she was back in town. She figured he'd be finished at some point and come home soon enough.


Kevin opened his eyes and realized he heard voices in the other room. Being careful to not disturb Lucy, he moved away from her and crawled off the bed.

Victor, Livvie and jack turned when Kevin reached the kitchen.

"We didn't wake you up, did we?" Victor stood.

"No. And Lucy's still asleep."

"Good." Victor motioned for Kevin to sit down. "You could probably use some more sleep."

Moving towards the coffee pot, Kevin shook his head. "I'm fine."

"We were just getting ready to go." Livvie and Jack stood. "Everything's put away, and the card is on the counter behind you."

"Thanks." Kevin turned to Livvie and hugged her. Then he reached his hand out to Jack. "Livvie told me you cleaned up. I appreciate it."

Shaking Kevin's hand, Jack shrugged. "It wasn't a big deal. Cleaning it, I mean. I just hope she's okay."

"Me, too." After pouring a cup of coffee, Kevin followed them to the living room. He realized they'd stopped and he followed their stares to see Lucy standing in the doorway to the bedroom. She'd changed into a long satin robe and she looked like she was fighting to stay on her feet.

Lucy was fighting to not run back into the bedroom when she saw the looks on Livvie's and Jack's faces when they saw her. The bruises on her face were never going to fade fast enough for her. But she licked her lips and moved towards them.

"How are you feeling?" Livvie wasn't sure what else to say to her.

"Better, thanks." Her voice was quiet and she stared at them. "I guess I have you guys to thank for cleaning up."

"And Victor. He's in the kit-" Jack stopped when Victor came out of the kitchen.

When Victor saw Lucy, he crossed the room in three steps to hug her.

Kevin was relieved to see her move into Victor's arms and return his embrace.

Victor held her gently. "How are you?"

"I'm okay."

Leaning away from her, Victor stared into her eyes. "Really?"

She tried to avoid his eyes but she couldn't hide from them. Shaking her head, she leaned against him.

"Oh, Lucy." Victor held her again. "I'm so sorry. I wish I could make this go away."

"Me, too." She closed her eyes and leaned her head on his shoulder.

After a moment, she pulled away. "I know you would if you could."

"I would do anything for you. It breaks my heart that I can't stop you from hurting."

"I know. It means a lot that you would." Victor's arms were comforting around her, and she leaned against him.

After a few minutes, he released her and stepped back. "You need to get some more sleep. I'm going to go."

"I'm tired of sleeping. But I'm still tired." She shrugged.

"It will pass. Promise." Victor hugged her one more time before heading towards the door. He stared at Kevin. "Either one of you need anything, you call."

"We will. Thanks, Victor."

"We're going to go, too. Livvie stepped closer and stopped.

"I appreciate everything you did, but I hate the fact that you got dragged into this." Lucy pulled Livvie to her and hugged her.

"I just want you to be okay."

"I will be." Letting go of Livvie, Lucy looked at Kevin. He moved to her and she took his arm. Her fingers dug into his arm, and he knew she was in pain. Still holding Kevin's arm, she reached for Jack's hand and pulled him closer. "Thank you." She kissed his cheek gently.

Still in shock at how badly she was hurt, Jack was afraid to touch her. Using both of his hands, he squeezed her hand. "Lucy, it's okay. I mean, I didn't do a whole lot."

"I appreciate it."

"Okay, you win. You're welcome, okay? I gotta go. You get some sleep and take care of yourself."

Jack turned and followed Livvie out the door. As soon as they were gone, Kevin turned to Lucy and looked at her. "Hurt?"

She nodded.

"Come on." Taking her back in the bedroom, Kevin helped her lay down. "I'm going to make you something to eat, and then you're going to take one of those." He pointed to the bottle on the nightstand. "Don't look at me like that. I'm not shrinking you. Karen gave you these for a reason."

She started to argue with him, but changed her mind. It was pointless to try to hide from him how much pain she was in.


Scott closed the file and sighed. This attorney Trent's mother hired had an agenda. Scott was sure of it. Everything in the guy's history went against him doing anything for nothing, but this wasn't a client that had money. It had to be the malpractice angle. That was the only way he was going to get paid for his time. That and the headlines he liked to be a part of. Scott winced when he thought about how public this was going to be. This case was definitely going to be tried in the media before it ever hit a courtroom.

Picking up the phone, Scott called Mac.

"Hey, it's Scott."

"I really don't have anything for you. The guys still at Mercy."

"I know that. I also know a few other things you might be interested in. You ever hear of this attorney, Schneider?"

"No. But I guess you have."

"I hadn't. But I know quite a bit about him now. I'd like to fill you in on what I know."

"Might not be a bad idea. Give me about an hour, and you can fill me and Dara in on it."

"Fine. I'll be there." Hanging up the phone, Scott had another idea.

Victor stared at his cell and knew it was Scott before he answered it. "I just came from Lucy's."

"How is she?" For a moment, Scott forgot why he'd called Victor.

"Oh, Scott. What he did to her."

"I know, Victor, and we're gonna make him pay for it. That's why I called you."

"What can I do?"

"Well, this attorney, Schneider. I need to know what he's up to."

"Scott, I can't-"

"I'm not talking about anything illegal here, Victor. I just want to know what he's checking into. He'll probably have an investigator on the case. I'm guessing he's going to check out Kevin and Lucy. I want to know what he comes up with. You and I both know there's a lot of dirt he can find. I want to know exactly what he finds, so we can fight it."

"What about him?" Victor meant Trent and Scott knew it.

"I've already got somebody on that. That's all expected. I want the unexpected, and I want it quietly. That's why I called you."

"Consider it done." Victor nodded.

"And another thing. Call Kevin and tell him to make sure Lucy stays away from the TV and the newspaper. I don't expect this to stay quiet."

"You know, Scott, I think Lucy would appreciate hearing your voice sometime, too."

"I know, but I don't want to call her until I've got something good to tell her. I'm on my way to meet with Mac and Dara."

"I'll take care of those matters and get back with you."

"Thanks." Hanging up the phone, Scott shoved the file in his briefcase. It was time to fill Dara in on the competition.