Lisa sat huddled against the passenger door of the car still feeling exhausted from the pain she had to endure the night before. Her leg resonated with a dull ache from the haphazard surgery Jackson had to perform on her while she was unconscious. The narcotic took the edge off yet it left Lisa with a lingering nausea and drug induced fatigue she simply couldn't shake.

The movement of the car didn't improve the situation, as she groaned slightly wrapping her arms around her stomach to curtail the urge to vomit over the relatively new interior of the expensive vehicle.

Jackson glanced at her briefly. "Are you hungry?"

The thought of food caused Lisa to feel another wave of queasiness to radiate through her body. "Ugh, no." She answered with a moan of disgust.

"Food might actually help the nausea, Lisa. The narcotic shouldn't be taken on an empty stomach." He said as he glanced at the passing signs for an exit that indicated an area for food and lodging. Quickly, he exited the freeway and stopped in front of a small diner. Stepping out of the car, he made his way to the passenger side door. Opening it, he took Lisa's arm only to have her pull it away.

"I'm not going to run away, Jackson." She said irritably. "And I told you, I'm not hungry."

"That really wasn't my concern, Lisa. I may trust you to an extent but I don't trust what my former associates would do if they found you alone in my car and neither should you." He told her stoically. "I'm not leaving you alone here and you will come inside to eat something with me. Don't make me force the issue."

She gazed up at him and shrugged her shoulders. It was too much of an effort to fight for control of such minor an issue. Unbuckling her seat belt, she gingerly put her sore leg on the ground as she tried to stand on her weakened limbs. Slumping backwards against the car, she looked at Jackson dizzily, shaking her head. "I don't think I can walk…can't I…?"

"No, Leese. I'm sorry. You need to pull yourself together and come with me." He said as he wrapped his arm around her back supporting her as she leaned her weight against his and limped into the diner.

Sitting in a booth near the back of the café, Lisa pressed her head against the window feeling the coolness against her cheek almost as a soothing balm to her heaving stomach. A server stopped by the table to see if they were ready to order. Lisa remained silent as Jackson ordered an omelet and coffee for himself. He raised his eyebrows at Lisa gesturing for her to order something as well.

Lisa shook her head. "Just water." She murmured stubbornly.

He sighed, overriding her previous request. "She'll have a ginger ale and a bowl of chicken soup."

"I'm sorry, we don't have ginger ale." The server replied as she glanced at Lisa's pale face. "Oh, are you not feeling well?" She asked as she glanced at Jackson for confirmation who nodded. "You know, I'll bring you a coke. That does the same thing as ginger ale and I'll get you some saltines for your soup. That always helps me."

"Thank you." Lisa murmured softly.

"No problem. Feel better." She said, heading back to the kitchen. Moments later, she returned with the soda of which Lisa sipped slowly. Surprisingly, she felt her nausea somewhat recede.

"You never moved on?" Jackson asked interrupting the silence between them.

"What?" Lisa asked, feeling confused by the remark.

"After the rape, you held onto the pain. You never moved on." He said decisively.

"It's not that simple." She replied.

"Why not?" He asked.

"I couldn't take the chance of someone violating my life again. If I didn't allow myself to trust another man, then I couldn't be broken if he were to betray me." Lisa replied.

"An emotionally driven attitude if I ever heard one." He said bluntly.

"Right. And you are doing so much better." Sarcasm filled her voice.

"I never said I was but at least I'm realistic. I don't lie to myself." He answered.

"And I do?"

"After eight weeks of watching your every move, I would think that answer would be evident." He said calmly.

She shivered at the thought of him following her for that long and knowing all her habits with all the various details of her life. "Why?"

"Why what?" He asked.

"Why was it necessary to follow me that long? It seems a little unnecessary when you just want me to make a phone call." She muttered, shaking her head.

"The phone call was plan B. Blame your grandmother for that one." He said.

"I don't understand."

"She died and you hopped on the next plane before I had the chance to intercept you. I was forced to follow you to Dallas and then Keefe changed his time of arrival so here we are." He explained.

"I see." She said, even though she didn't.

"Our initial plan was to take place at your hotel where you would be under tight surveillance and could organize the room switch face to face in case of any questions or mistakes that might arise. Simple as that but as it stood we were scrambling for an alternate plan when you left and our clients refused to budge on their time table." He said.

The server returned to the table depositing the food on their table. Lisa stirred her soup listlessly staring at it as her mind drifted to thoughts of home and the endless comfort of her idle day to day routine. The day to day is where I thrive. She thought.

"Lisa…" Jackson said warningly, interrupting her thoughts. She snapped back to reality, glancing at him. Indeed she realized a part of him always wanted to be in control and dominant over her whereas Lisa fought desperately to maintain independence for herself. Yet, she knew he would have no qualms in forcing the food down her throat if he had too so rather then engage in a battle of wills, she reluctantly started to eat the simple meal.

"Does your family know what you do?" She asked as she ate.

"Well, Lisa my parents…" He started to say.

"Yes, I know but you must have aunts, grandparents, something like that."

"I have a grandmother I was close to while I was growing up in California but no, she doesn't know." He said flatly.

"Maybe you should tell her." Lisa suggested.

"Tell her what, Lisa? That I'm a professional killer or better yet, that I managed assassins as of late? It seems I'm a failure at that as well."

"Perhaps it wasn't your calling." She murmured.

"That's easy for you to say, isn't it Leese. It's not as simple as changing professions. My failure was because I allowed myself to get emotionally involved. It was my mistake that I simply cannot undue. I considered allowing my associate to kill you when the plane landed but that wouldn't have solved the problem, only exacerbated it." He told her.

She cleared her throat, feeling nervous once again as she fingered the napkin in her lap. Lisa knew what he otherwise refused to say beneath the rough exterior of his words. The attraction he had towards her was clear but whatever initial feelings of a similar appeal that she may have, had been purged from her by the simple knowledge that he was a killer. It was a road she couldn't travel and she didn't even want to know how many innocent people had died at his hands.

Secretly, she had yearned to feel that initial spark of attraction for another man despite the utter numbness that had seemed too leave her devoid of love and trust after the rape. The excitement of feeling that spark for Jackson had overwhelmed her and it came as a crushing blow to her that his charm was only a façade borne of pretense. She wasn't even sure if the Jackson she had felt that spark for even existed in reality. Delving deeper beyond the false layer of charm exposed a dark chaotic pit that would insist on dragging her downwards into a spiral of agonizing, emotional pain. Reality was difficult to face but clearly evident. They were from two separate worlds that could never be united together.

Sometimes it's just not meant to be.

Sorry, it's been a while but I'm working on a few different stories now so it's a bit of a stretch. This chapter while seeming to be mostly conversation covers an essential point...I only expect to have this be another couple chapters...it was never meant to be a long story.