LAS VEGAS,NEVADA

LIZZIE AND DAVID GORDON HOUSE

SATURDAY 7:45PM

TWO MONTHS AFTER MATT AND MELINA'S WEDDING RECEPTION

"Alright my turn to ask the next question," said Miranda as she grabbed another handful of popcorn from out of the bowl in front of her and placed the handful in her mouth.

"Ok shoot," said Rodney nodding his head from across the table as he kicked his beer bottle back and waited for her next guestion in this game they had started playing after the wedding reception two months ago.Sanchez had jokingly dubbed the game 'Answer The Embarrassing Question So We Can Get To Know Each Other Better Game' .

"Isn't that kind of a dangerous thing for a cop to say?" Miranda said while smiling and mumbling around the popcorn in her mouth.

"Ha ha very funny Sanchez," said Rodney who than reached into his bowl and threw some of his popcorn at her "Just ask your next question?"

"Ok ok " said Miranda laughing as she dodged the thrown kernels "Who was your favorite Slayer? Buffy or Faith?"

"Oh hell that's an easy one," said Rodney smiling as he kick back in his chair and took another drink from his beer bottle "I got to go with Faith every time."

"Why am I not even surprised by that," said Miranda rolling her eyes and shaking her head "What was it about her that did it for you? The fact that she wore leather pants all the time or that she was a slut?"

"Yeah" said Rodney nodding his head to Miranda's question.

"You're hopeless," Miranda laughed as she this time was the one to throw the popcorn.

"Hey," yelled Lizzie as the four month future mom walked her way into the dining room glaring at the two sitting at her table "I hope one of you nimrods is going to be the one whose going to pick up all this popcorn that's all over my floor. Because I'm sure not going to be the one who tries to bend down to pick them up!"

"Sorry Lizzie," said Rodney looking chastised but than shot a devilish grin over at Miranda "But it was all Sanchez's fault she started it. So she should be the one to pick them up."

"I did not start it!" yelled Miranda as she grabbed another handful of popcorn and let it fly at Rodney's head.

"See what did I tell you Lizzie? Sanchez here just doesn't have good manners like us civilized folks do," said Rodney standing up to brush the kernels off him "I think I'll go back into the living room and finish watching the ball game with David.Where it's safe from short tempered brunettes and where you won't get your eye put out by flying kernels of popcorn."

"Yeah yeah you just run away from our discussion you coward," smiled Miranda as Rodney started through the hallway "Why don't you just go ahead an admit that I beat you and surrender to my superior intellect."

"Well Sanchez if all you wanted from me was for me to surrender to you, than all you had to do was just ask sweetheart," said Rodney turning to Miranda and giving her an extremely sexy grin.

"Yeah right don't flatter yourself," said Miranda fidgeting in her chair as she suddenly started to feel the heat in the room start to rise up to a stifling level as she watched Rodney standing there smiling at her.

"Well one must always have hope shouldn't they?" said Rodney still grinning as he turned and started back down the hallway.

Miranda found herself rooted in her chair unable to move as her eyes watched Rodney walk down the hall until he took a corner and was out of sight. Miranda was so lost in her own little fantasy world that it took some one waving their hand in front of her face and a loud familiar voice to draw her back to the real world.

"Huh, what?" asked Miranda as she turned to find Lizzie sitting down next to her at the table and smiling at her.

"I asked are you ok?" asked Lizzie.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" asked Miranda puzzled.

"Well sweetie you were staring off into space there for a second.Not to mention you're looking a little flushed," said Lizzie sitting back in her chair still smiling "It wasn't something Rodney said was it?"

"No!" Miranda said a little to quickly before she could get her heart and her voice back under control "It's just this heat. I guess I'm just not use to this hot desert weather that you guys have out here."

"Oh ok" said Lizzie nodding her head as to say she believed Miranda's words but the smile she was showing stated that she knew better.

"Look sweetie I was wondering if you could do me a favor?" asked Lizzie.

"Ok shoot," said Miranda unaware that she had just used the same phrase Rodney had used on her not two minutes ago.

"I'm just about done cooking but I'm out of sugar for the tea. Could you run down to that store on the corner and pick me up a small bag?" asked Lizzie "I hate to ask you since you're our guest here but I know with the baseball game on David won't budge off that sofa. I swear I had no idea how big a Dodgers fan he had become during those years we were separated. But..."

"Don't sweat it Liz, it's ok I'll go get it," said Miranda as she got up out of her chair and headed for the door.

"Hey where you going Sanchez?" Rodney asked from where he was sitting on the sofa with David watching the game.

"Lizzie out of sugar. I'm going to the store to pick some up," said Miranda taking in a few breaths of the cool indoor air before heading out into the summer heat wave.Miranda still had a hard time believing how hot Vegas could be in the summer and was happy that the sun was going to be going down in less than ten minutes.

"You need some help?" asked Rodney as he started to get up.

"No thanks I'll be back in just a sec," said Miranda as she opened the door and stepped out into the heat "You guys just keep watching your ball game.I'll be ok".

THIRTYMINUTES LATER AT THE MINI MART STORE

"That'll be a dollar and seventy-four cents ma'am" said the man behind the counter as he rang up the bag of sugar and placed it into a bag "You about to do some cooking?"

"A friend is," said Miranda smiling as she handed the attendant two,one dollar bills "I'm picking up this sugar while she's finishing up."

"Well, you have a nice day ma'am," said the attendant as he gave Miranda back her change and the bag holding the sugar.

"You too," said Miranda as she walked out off the store and into the Vegas night.

Miranda had made it to her car,opened the door and placed the bag of sugar inside when the sounds of a heated argument reached her ears. Turning to look to her right Miranda made out what appeared to be two men sitting together in a car parked a few lanes down from her. The two men seemed to be having a heated discussion about something. The man on the driver side had his window down so a few words were reaching Miranda's ears.

"...please you don't have to do this! I can pay you..."

"...sorry bub can't do that. I took the money on you so I got to do the job. I got a rep to uphold..."

"...look please just tell your boss I'll pay him back all of his money..."

"...sorry Jackson but the boss wants to make an example of you. I guess you shouldn't have ran up such a huge gambling debt..."

"...no please..."

But what ever the man was going to say was cut off when two quick flashes of light followed by two soft coughing sound came suddenly from the car. Miranda was no gun expert like Gordo and Rodney but she had seen enough action movies to know what the sound of a gun equipped with a silencer sounded like. Miranda quickly climbed inside her car and shut and locked the door. Just as she put her keys into the ignition the headlights of a nearby passing car illuminated the parking lot. This effect caused Miranda to be able to get her first real good look at the man who had just stepped out of the nearby car. Miranda burned into her memory the lookof the man who she believed had just killed someone else in that other car. Unfortunately for Miranda the lights from the passing car had also allowed the man to spot her from where she was sitting in her car watching him.

As the man started to head her way raising his gun Miranda cranked up her car and threw it in gear. Slamming on the accelerator Miranda's car peeled out of the parking lot of the mini mart and onto the street. Miranda's heart felt like it was going to burst out her chest when a half second later her back windshield suddenly exploded and glass flew all around her. Now in panic mode Miranda lost control of her car and it spun out of control. As she plowed into the row of park cars that lined the street the last thing Miranda remembered was her airbag popping out and than darkness claimed her.

TBC