Chapter 43

His head resting on the back of the couch, Myles sighed contently in his sleep. Days of working had taken a toll on the blonde agent, both mentally and physically. Completely relaxed for the first time in a while, he was satisfied that Tara was safe for the moment and let his guard down.

Suddenly, Myles felt something shift beside him and woke with a start. He blinked in confusion when he realized it was Tara, her head resting comfortably on his shoulder.

What is she doing out of bed? he wondered, before seeing the computer on her lap.

Remembering earlier that day, Myles recalled when Michael returned from 'Radio Shack', Tara had talked him into letting her out of the hospital bed. After setting her up on the couch, he watched her fight awkwardly with the keyboard, trying one handed to get it to do what she needed before coming to her rescue.

Sitting behind her, with his arms stretched around her petite frame, Myles was able to type in the commands per her directions as he watched over her shoulder. Most of the time, he had no idea what he was doing but was pretty impressed with the information Tara had pulled up in such a short time.

As the day wore on, Tara gradually leaned back against him until Myles was supporting her completely. By the time, she'd gotten several databases searching for information, her eyes had started drifting shut, and Myles' soon followed into a much-needed slumber.

Looking down, Myles couldn't help but smile when Tara sighed lightly in her sleep, shifting her legs slightly on the couch. With his one arm wrapped around her, he brushed his fingers of his other hand delicately across her forehead, pushing her hair back from her eyes.

Tara wasn't wearing any make-up but, to Myles, she never looked more beautiful, almost delicate as she laid there in his arms. He noticed the way his large hand dwarfed hers as they rested next to each other on her stomach. How can someone so small be such a 'spitfire'? he wondered, thinking of how she always kept him and the others guys in line.

Her eyelids fluttered slightly and Myles wondered what she was dreaming. Tara occupied his thoughts constantly, causing him to drift into a fantasy world of his own creation, whether he was awake or sleeping. An arrogant part of him wished he was the subject of her dreams, but knew that she couldn't feel for him the same way he realized he felt for her.

"So you're finally awake," Charles stated, lowering his voice when he realized Tara was still sleeping. "Well, at least one of you is," he grinned, sitting down across from them on the other couch.

"Where is everyone?" Myles asked quietly as he continued gently stroking Tara's hair. "It's rather quiet," he noticed.

"A little 'cabin fever' I think," the tall agent smiled as he kicked his feet up on the coffee table. Stretching, he placed his hands behind his head, watching Myles and Tara. "They headed into town a couple hours ago to catch a movie and do some shopping," Charles told him.

"Do you really think that's wise?" Myles questioned, concerned about the others.

"Michael, Liz, and Amber are with them," Charles stated, closing his eyes as he leaned back against the cushions. "We're far enough away, Kelly wouldn't know to come looking for them here so what can happen to them? Besides, who in there right mind would try anything with three agents protecting them?" Charles asked, not expecting an answer.

Myles dropped his eyes to look at Tara as she slept. The same sick person who tried to blow up a hospital room with a federal agent in it, he thought sadly, recalling his fear when he found out about the fire in her room.

As he watched her sleep, a beep from the computer surprised him, drawing his eyes to the screen. Tara woke at the sound, almost as if it was her alarm clock rousting her from a nap. After a bashful glance up at Myles, she turned her attention to the information coming in, the fingers of her one good hand expertly skimming across the keyboard.

"Does this say what I think it says?" Tara questioned, the tone of her voice brought Charles' head up quickly.

"What is it?" Charles asked, dropping his hands to his knees as he leaned forward.

"Did Michael take his cell?" Myles inquired, not taking his eyes off the screen as Tara continued to type.

"Uh, yeah, why?" Charles was becoming more and more concerned.

"Call him now, get them back here," Myles demanded, finally looking at the other man for the first time. "NOW!" the blonde agent demanded, sending a look that galvanized the younger man into action.

As Charles jumped to his feet dialing his cell, Myles turned back to help Tara with the information. He couldn't believe she found this information as quickly as she had and hoped it wasn't too late.