Chapter 6

Ro'ahn was just adding a few extra lines to the picture when a gentle voice almost made him put his pencil through the page. He caught himself before he could mar the drawing, looking up in shock at Cole's pretty young human friend. Or perhaps not so young. She looked a year or two older than he himself was, he realized at this distance.

"I... I'm sorry, what?"

"I asked what you were writing," Jess answered, sitting down next to him. "Ooh, but I see I was wrong. Did you just draw that?"

"I... it's just a rough..."

"Guess that's why you didn't join your friends at the table, then? Wouldn't have been able to get the whole scene."

"Uh..." He gave a shaky nod.

"Yeah," Jess agreed, nodding faintly. "It's a brilliant picture, though. You're very good."

"I... oh, I hardly..." He shook his head almost frantically. "I'm not nearly as accomplished as my mother."

"She an artist, too, then?"

"Oh, I would hardly call myself an artist," he protested quietly, staring from his shoes to his drawing. "But my mother is, yes."

"What's she draw?"

"She paints. Murals. Mythological scenes, mostly. She likes to capture local myths in visual format."

"And you like to do the same with business lunches?"

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"Now there is something you don't see every day," Olia muttered to herself, shaking her head.

"What's that?" the man next to her asked, looking up from his paper.

"No, forgive me, I was just thinking out loud."

"Ah." He smiled. "I do some of my best thinking that way. Speaking of thinking, what I'm thinking right now is what a girl your age is doing in a bar. Mel will throw you out."

Olia raised an eyebrow, wondering if such boldness was normal for human males. It was not unappealing even if it was surprising. "Well, as long as we're musing aloud, perhaps you can answer me this. Why does a man come to a bar to drink seltzer?"

He raised his glass to her in a mock-salute. "What makes you think it's seltzer?"

"I watched Miss Porter pour it."

"You know Mel, then, do you?"

"Through Cole, yes."

"Ah. Friend of his?"

"Former student. He taught me everything that I have ever forgotten about physics."

He chuckled and shook his head. "Well, if you're already forgetting high school physics, maybe you are old enough to be here."

"By more years than I care to admit," she informed him mildly, shrugging. "Olivia Nicholas."

"Jonas Carr, my pleasure."

She raised an eyebrow. "Mine as well. Cole has spoken most highly of you."

"Has he, now? Yet he's never once said a word to me about a lovely young physics student named Olivia."

"Cole has many secrets from you. You know that."

Jonas shrugged, conceding her point. "Well, if you qualify as one of Cole's dark secrets, I wish he wouldn't try so hard to keep them from me..."

"You are flirting with me," she said, startled.

Jonas blinked. "Yes, I do believe I was. Forgive me." He started to rise.

Olia shook her head, catching his hand. "Stay."

He shook his head. "No, I'm sorry. That was unforgivable of me, completely inappropriate..."

"More or less so than asking my age?" she challenged. "Jonas, I am already starting to see why Cole enjoys your company. Please stay. You didn't offend me. I found the comment witty and have only my own choices in wardrobe selection to blame for it." Lowering her voice, she added, "In all honesty, I was more than a little flattered."

"Then my work here is done." Jonas bowed his head politely.

"I certainly hope not."

"Now you're flirting with me," Jonas chuckled.

"She couldn't possibly be. She considers men too dull-witted for anything more tactful than 'you, bed, now'," Bendal informed Jonas.

Olia fixed the Nodulian with a scathing look, shaking her head. "Shouldn't you be working, Bendal?"

"Shouldn't you?"

"Go away," she advised mildly. "And if that was too tactful for you, I would be happy to clarify."

"I'd rather you didn't," he answered with a smirk. "The phrase 'pain of death', coming from you, is just..." He shook his head and walked off.

"What the gods were thinking when they made that man," she muttered, shaking her head.

"Not the best of friends, I take it?"

"I often find both his attitude and his behavior to be... less than tasteful."

"I see," Jonas answered quietly, sipping his drink.

"Still, to be fair, he is excellent at his job." She shrugged. To each their own, as the humans said.

"Dare I ask?"

"He works in administration."

"And does he always wear the Bermuda shorts to work?"

"No, but it really is a little cold for his usual outfit and then there are those public indecency laws to contend with..."

Jonas snorted softly. "Sounds like an interesting fellow."

"That is one word for him, yes."

"Hey, making friends?" Mel asked, moving to refill their drinks.

"To great effect, I believe," Olia answered, glancing at Jonas.

"She's a charming young thing," he agreed. "Witty, too. If perhaps a little young to be patronizing a bar."

Olia reached into her pocket, withdrawing her wallet and dropping an Indiana State Driver's License onto the bar. "Care to see a copy of my birth-certificate as well?" she inquired smoothly.

Jonas laughed and shook his head. "Not even afternoon yet and I've already lost my first case of the day. I must be slipping."

Mel snorted and topped off his seltzer. "Well, I'm going to get back to Jess... where's Jess?" she asked, scanning the barroom with a frown.

"She is doing the impossible," Olia informed Mel. "She is getting Ro'ahn to talk about himself..."

"Why is that impossible?" Jonas whispered as Mel started in that direction.

"He is... very shy. It took me three weeks to get more than two words out of him."

"So he's a friend of yours?"

"We went to college together."

"Ah. And what did you study?"

"He was studying electronics. He's very good with computers."

"And you?"

"This and that. Chemistry, mostly."

"Not far removed from physics, really."

"Very far removed for me. I actually understand the latter." She shrugged. "I work in forensic analysis."

"Crime scene investigation?" He nodded faintly. "Maybe we'll end up working together some day."

"I think I would enjoy that," she said, smiling faintly at him.

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"So she dies anyway?" Jess asked as Mel joined them. "But that's so sad!"

"History often is, unfortunately." Ro'ahn shrugged. "But the myth does go on. Tlaloc wandered the face of the planet three times from end to end, mourning Tahina and refusing food until he, too, died. And when he stood before the Judges of the Dead, he was able to say honestly 'I have not sinned. I have worked no harm against the people by magic. I have not killed in malice or for my own benefit. I have served. I have been without pride. I have loved and been loved. I love still.' The Judges were moved. Tahina was brought into the judgment chamber and reunited with Tlaloc, this time not for the few years lovers are given in life, but forever."

"That's beautiful," Jess sighed softly. "I'd love to see your mum's pictures of it some day."

He smiled. "It would be... I would like that."

"And the minute you stop recalling epic legends you get tongue-tied again. Why do you do that, Ro'ahn?"

"I just..." He shrugged uncomfortably.

"Ro'ahn, we have to get back to work," Bendal announced, joining them. He smiled coyly at Jess. "Assuming I can tear him away from you, that is. Me, I wouldn't go."

"No, I'll bet not," Jess answered, grinning and shaking her head as he ambled off, followed quickly by Ro'ahn who looked almost grateful to escape. "That one's trouble, Mel, you know that?"

"I'm starting to get that impression," she agreed. "The phrase that comes to mind is 'Romans lock away your daughters'."

Jess snorted and shook her head. "Too true. Can't wait until ladies night. He'll be like a kid in a candy store."

Mel shook her head. Something told her Jess was right and that Bendal was going to be worse than Nestov when it came to womanizing. "So, where did you want to go for dinner tonight?"

"Anywhere's fine," Jess assured her, grabbing her hand and pulling her to sit on the couch. "So, talk to me."

"About?"

"Anything." She paused, smiling slowly. "How about what Cole's like in the sack?"

"How about not."

"Oh, you're no fun..."

"No, no I'm not," Mel agreed.

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"Wow, the weather's even worse than it was when we went into the restaurant," Jess observed, making a face and pulling her coat more tightly around her.

Cole nodded, eyeing the ice-covered street with distaste. "We should have parked closer."

"There weren't any spots closer," Mel reminded him gently.

Walking from the car to the restaurant had been easy enough in spite of the cold, and the two blocks had not seemed like that much. There had been a respite from the wind and very little snow on the sidewalks. Now the Windy City was doing its name proud and proving Cole's contention that Chicago in the winter blew. Snow had given way to ice again and a stiff, bitterly cold wind was buffeting them with tiny pellets of it.

Jess cursed softly and retied her scarf, covering most of her face. "Well, if we walk fast, we won't get too cold..."

"Be careful," Cole advised, following the two women closely enough to be able to catch either if they fell.

Of course, as much trouble as he was having navigating the ice, he doubted if he would be much help if they did stumble. Concentrating on where to put his feet, he was only peripherally aware that they were not alone, until he heard Mel gasp and Jess give a startled squeal. He looked up and sighed. A human, armed with a knife. Shaking his head, he gently tugged Jess and Mel by the sleeves until they were standing behind him.

"Give me your wallet!"

Cole stared down at the human, studying his life-force. "You should put that down now," he suggested quietly, holding his hands away from his sides. "No one has to get hurt."

"You will get hurt if you don't give me your wallet!" the mugger snapped, brandishing the blade.

The gesture told Cole that, while the man might have had every intention of using the knife, he did not have the first clue how to. He easily knocked the knife from his hand and pushed him face-first against the wall.

"Mel, will you please take my phone and call the police?" he asked calmly, ignoring the mugger's stream of protests and invectives. "You should not talk like that in the presence of ladies," he pointed out, pushing him a little more firmly against the wall. "It is not very polite."

"Cole..." Jess whispered in a shaky voice.

"It's okay, Jess," he assured her. He could sense how troubled she was and wanted nothing more than to comfort her, but he also could not take his attention away from the violent and unpredictable man, either. "Be calm. I would never let anyone hurt you."

Mel finished relaying their location to the dispatcher and hung up the phone, resting one hand on Jess' shoulder. "It's okay, Jess. Don't worry." She looked up at Cole and added, "They said five minutes." She looked up as a car pulled up to the curb. "Or less," she amended as a pair of plainclothes Detectives emerged, their shields around their necks. She cursed softly when she recognized the female in the pair, but quickly composed herself. "Evening, Maria."

"Melanie," Detective Cruz greeted her politely. "Cole. Miss." Nodding to each in turn, she glanced at the man Cole had captive. "Got a call on a mugging, was in the neighborhood, figured we'd save someone else the paperwork. This our perp?"

"Yeah. The knife's over there." Mel pointed.

"Looks more like a machete from here," Maria noted. "Johansen, bag that, will you?" she asked the man with her, reaching for a pair of handcuffs.

"Better let me deal with this joker, Cruz."

Maria ignored him. "You know, Mister Hauser, it is generally agreed that cooperating with muggers is the best way to get out of a situation alive," she informed Cole. "Look, let's take this down to the station. It's freezing out here."

"That is a good idea," Cole agreed.

"Was anyone hurt?" she asked.

"No, Detective." Cole shook his head faintly, stepping back to allow her to handcuff the mugger.

"You sure? Your friend here looks pretty shaken."

"She is shaken," Cole agreed. "But I would never let anyone harm Jess."

Maria glanced at the young woman again, not bothering to mask her curiosity this time. Jess was clinging to Mel's arm and recoiled slightly under the Detective's scrutiny.

"It's okay, Jess," Mel murmured, covering her friend's hand with one of her own and looking up at Maria. "Look, it is pretty nasty out here, so if you don't mind, we'll just meet you at the station."

"Yeah, we should all go to the station." She looked up as a cruiser pulled along side her car. "Johansen, we're going to have company on the drive back," she announced. "Why don't you two ride with me and then Cole can drive your car there?"

It was not lost on Mel that this was nothing more than a strategy by the suspicious Detective to separate them, but she nodded anyway. This once, there was nothing to be suspicious about. They did not have to collaborate on a story as Maria probably thought, and the absence of the others would not cause any of them to slip up.

"Sounds good. Come on, Jess, sweetie." Turning to Cole, she added, "We'll meet you there, baby."

He nodded faintly, as aware as Mel that Maria was feeling suspicious. "Stay safe," he directed gently, kissing her cheek. He gave Jess a hug and kiss on the forehead, murmuring, "Don't be afraid, Jess. Detective Cruz is very nice and when she's done talking to us, Mel and I will get you home."

"Thanks, Cole," she whispered, hugging him back tightly.

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The scanner on Vic's desk beeped, announcing another accident. There had been several already, the monotony broken earlier by a mugging, quickly snagged by Maria. Yawning and stretching, he rose, leaving the paperwork on his desk. Grabbing a handful of change, he started for the lounge and the vending machines there. He did a double-take as he passed the young woman in the waiting area, startled.

The call of refined sugar forgotten, he took a step towards her. "Jess?"

"Oh, hi, Vic." She smiled wanly at him. "How are you?"

"Good, I'm good..." He sat down next to her. "What are you doing here? Is everything okay?"

She nodded. "Some bloke tried to mug us. Mel and Cole and I..."

Vic's eyes widened as he wondered exactly what had happened and whether or not Cole would be fool enough to Collect a fugitive in Jess' presence. Something told Vic the Cirronian probably would.

"Jess, sweetie, are you okay?" he asked gently, brushing her hair out of her face.

Jess closed her eyes. "Fine, I'm fine. I mean, Cole had the knife from his hand in a second, but... it just..."

"Rattled you a little?" Vic ventured gently. "Mel and Cole weren't hurt, were they?"

"No, no." She shook her head. "They're fine. Detective Cruz and her partner are talking to Mel now. Cole's getting coffee..."

"Hell of a first day back in Chicago, wasn't it?" he asked with a sympathetic smile.

"He was just so calm!" Jess whispered, shaking her head in confusion. "And Mel was acting like it was nothing, too..."

"Yeah, well, Cole's a cop and Mel... well, she's seen her share of action in the past year, too." He shrugged. "Try not to let it get to you, Jess. People get mugged in this city every day. You're lucky Cole was with you."

"Guess so," she admitted, looking up at him. "Never seen anyone move that fast in my life... He had that guy up against the wall before we even realized what was happening."

"Well, Cole's a quick guy." Vic smiled reassuringly at her, patting her knee. "Ah and here he is now," he added as the Cirronian approached, carefully holding three cups of vending machine coffee. "Hey, buddy."

"Hello, Vic," Cole greeted him easily, handing Jess a cup of coffee. "Careful, Jess, it's hot," he added. "Would you like some coffee, Vic?" he offered.

"Nah." Vic shook his head. "I'm pretty wired as it is and if I want to get any sleep tonight..."

Cole nodded his understanding, sitting down on Jess' other side and wrapping a gentle arm around her shoulders. "It's okay, Jess," he murmured, aware that she was still troubled. "As soon as Detective Cruz is done asking you questions, we can go home."

"The mugging. Mar took that call," Vic realized.

Jess looked up, wondering at Vic's tone of voice and tense expression. It was not lost on her that Cole's nod was met with a wince.

"Why don't I go ahead and get your statement, Jess," Vic suggested abruptly, rising. "Save Mar and all of you a few minutes. You have to be ready to get out of here."

"You have no idea," Jess murmured as he left. She looked at Cole. "He knows Detective Cruz?"

"They are engaged."

"Oh. He didn't seem too happy when her name came up," she noted quietly.

"Vic loves Detective Cruz very much," Cole said simply.

"Yeah? What about..." She trailed off, coloring slightly.

"He loves Mel as well, Jess, of course. But his heart belongs to Detective Cruz."

"Yes it does," Vic agreed, rejoining them. "Let's do this in my office where it's quiet."

Jess allowed Cole to steer her into Vic's office, grateful for his quiet support. He sat next to her and spent the entire interview with at least one hand on her, lightly touching her arm or knee or cheek. It was surprising from a man who had once been so restrained, but also immeasurably comforting. As Vic finished typing up her statement, she became aware that they were not alone.

"Stealing witnesses from me now, Bruno?" a low voice inquired from the door.

"Sure am, Cruz," he answered cheerfully. "How the hell else am I supposed to maintain the conspiracy?"

"You don't watch it, pendejo, and you can spend the night at your place."

"Now that is harsh," Vic chuckled, shaking his head and handing her the report. "Just trying to save you a little time and paperwork and suddenly you're insulting and threatening me? Honestly, Mar..."

She folded her arms over her chest. "We are not amused."

"I'd noticed."

Snorting, she turned and left the office.

"I love you too," Vic murmured, shaking his head.

"What was that all about?" Jess asked quietly, frowning in bemusement.

"Running joke. Cop humor. Don't worry about it, Jess. Ah, and here's Mel. Hey, sweetie."

"Hey, Vic." Mel smiled and hugged him.

"Keeping things interesting for Jess' visit, I hear."

Mel laughed and nodded. "She should know by now that I'm a magnet for trouble."

Vic chuckled, but his laughter died quickly. "Okay. Now why don't you guys get home? This weather just keeps getting nastier. I don't want you out in it a minute longer than necessary."

A quick round of hugs and goodbyes later and Vic was alone in his office again. For about five seconds.

"Hey, Mar," he greeted her as she reentered the room.

"Vicky," she answered, closing the door. "Who's the Brit?" she asked.

"Jess Brown, Mar. Sort of an adopted sister to Mel. Sweet kid."

"Huh... Don't think I've seen her around before."

"Well, she's been in London for the past year, and before that she was a blonde."

"Ah. She should have stayed in England," she announced flatly, sitting down.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Basically that no one close to Cole Hauser is ever safe for long. How's Murphy holding up?" she added before he could respond to the earlier comment.

"Better since you had that talk with her. Thanks for that."

She shrugged. "Come on, Vicky. Let's get home before anyone thinks to declare a state of emergency."

Vic grinned and nodded. "Good thinking. Your place or mine?" he asked, retrieving the keys.

"Well, I did promise that the next time you gave me a hard time you'd be sleeping at your place, so I guess your place it is." She grinned up at him as she shrugged on her coat. "Besides, you've got that great fireplace. There's something so romantic about fireplaces and weather like this..."

"Yeah, no bearskin rug, though," he pointed out.

"That's okay. Something tells me that there'll be some bare skin on the rug before the night's over. Come on, Vicky." Winking up at him, she turned and left the office.

Smiling to himself, Vic followed.