Hi everyone, thanks so much for your reviews. It's so nice to know that people are still reading this, and liking it. I still have SO MANY Ideas for Richard and Camille. But I'm also worried that the story is getting too long hahaha. But I need this background to write about the other ideas I still have for them. So it's nice to know you're still enjoying it!

Sweepeaspatch: Thank you for being my beta again! And thanks for your review!

Guest: Thanks so much, nice to read that you found the chapter intense!

IsabelMC: Thanks, I'm happy that you liked the action. This is quite new for me to write, action scenes. Nice to read what you think about Kris!

Alice714: Thanks! Glad you liked it.

Guest S: Ahhh thanks, so sweet!

Well, here we go!

Doctor's office

Richard huffed as he stood outside with Nick. Camille kept sitting in the back seat of the rental car, a few meters back.

"I'll go. I think I'll see the two of you in a moment?" Nick asked when he saw that Camille wasn't budging or making a move to join them anytime soon. The tension between the male Inspector and the female Detective Sergeant was palpable, he wasn't stepping into that; it was time to run, while he still could...

"I hope so." Richard muttered as he walked back towards the car and opened the door to Camille's side impatiently. 'Sergeant Bordey. I order you to follow me towards the doctor right now." Richard snapped. He knew that she didn't respond well to his orders, but he didn't know what else he could do to persuade her anymore. She was acting foolishly.

Camille stared up at him with a defiant look in her eyes.

Richard's eyes grew wide in anger as he to take a step towards her. "I am still your senior officer, Detective Sergeant!" He reminded her sharply. She was behaving like a stubborn mule!

Camille stumbled out of the car and leaned against the car door as she gave him a defiant glance. She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I told you that I didn't need a doctor."

"What's the matter with you? Are you afraid of the doctor or something?!" Richard snapped. His patience was really running low now.

Camille looked away as she clenched her jaw. "I want to be left alone. Is that so much to ask?"

"I'll leave you alone! AFTER you've been checked out by the doctor." And the doctor was going to check her out! Even if he had to drag her by her hair inside! It was happening!

She gave him a hard glare as she loosened herself from the car and walked towards the driver's seat. "I'll wait here for Nick."

"You will do no such thing! Am I talking to a little child?!" What was the matter with her?

"Don't patronize me Richard!" She suddenly warned.

"A normal person goes to the doctor after being beaten!" He reminded her.

"Did you forget that I'm French? We're not normal! As you remind me so clearly, any chance you get!" She told him sharply.

"Why are you doing this?! My patience is really wearing thin." Richard asked tiredly.

"This is not about you Richard!" Camille uttered heatedly. "I want to be left alone!" She wanted to stalk off but got stopped by an iron grip on her shoulders.

Richard grabbed her shoulders and turned her around towards him and then towards the doctor's office. "Move!" Something he would have never done evenweeks ago. He'd never dare to touch her like that,or would be very careful with it. But after tonight, and all those days and the touching they had already done, it didn't seem that difficult anymore.

Camille gave him a dark look. She went through her options for a moment and decided going to the doctor would be easier then facing off with this British stubborn pedantic man in front of her. She'd rather have her peace and quiet sooner than later. She sighed audibly as she stalked off towards the way Nick had already gone.

An hour later

Richard, Nick and Camille walked out of the doctor's office. "See? You needed stitches." Richard reminded Camille as they walked towards the car.

Camille didn't answer.

Nick shook his head at Richard warningly. Not the right way to go... Richard was treading on thin ice. But then again... That seemed to be the dance these two were doing, over and over again.

"And no you won't." Richard stated clearly as he took Camille by her waist and steered her away from the driver's seat she wanted to walk towards. "I'm driving."

Camille huffed as she mumbled something in French which didn't sound all too nice. She was still muttering when she put on her seat belt angrily.

Richard looked at her but she was looking away. Her jaw was tight. O god, he wasn't good at this! Not again. It seemed even worse now. Of course Aimee's death had been awful, but being betrayed like this...

'So, what was the damage?" Nick asked Camille and Richard from the back seat.

Richard looked at Camille who didn't answer. "I'm fine. Just some bruising and little cuts. Nothing serious." He looked back at Nick. "And you?"

Nick shrugged sadly as he leaned back against the seat. "The same. I'm glad my ribs aren't broken. They're mildly bruised and I hurt my leg. And a few stitches."

"Camille needed four stitches in her arm." Richard said as he started the car.

"It could have been worse." Nick mumbled as he stared out of the side window. Was it strange? He'd seen Kris fight and she could do a lot of damage. Especially to Camille because they'd fought so closely. "Camille..." Nick asked as he leaned towards her. "Did you fight Kris again on the street?"

"Oui." She turned around to face him with interest. "Why?"

Richard looked back at Nick too as he turned off the motor.

Nick shrugged it away. "It's probably nothing."

"What is?" Camille prodded.

Nick looked at her. "I sparred with her three times a week, sometimes more. I know her fighting style. I'm just surprised that you got away with so few wounds."

"So few wounds?!" Richard repeated in horror, but Camille put up her hand to stop him and he did immediately. Every wound was too many! He didn't want Camille to be hurt at all!

"What do you mean?' Camille asked as she noticed how Richard defended her. That felt warm and nice.

Nick shook his head. "Maybe it's just idle thinking... But maybe... Maybe she didn't really attack. I... I have the feeling that she was just defending herself. I know her fighting style. If she goes for the attack we would have come out worse."

"Camille is a very good fighter and-" Richard started but Camille held her hand up to stop him again.

This wasn't about who was the best fighter or who was the strongest. Camille didn't care one bit about that. She wanted to think about this for a moment. "She came at me with a crow bar from the car." She remembered as she looked away from Nick for a moment, replaying the scene. "She never hit me with it, she just held off my attacks." She turned back in her seat and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "What does it matter." She shrugged sadly. "Maybe she didn't want to hurt us, but she still did what she did. It doesn't change anything."

Nick sighed. "No... Maybe you're right." He mumbled sadly as he stared into the distance again.

Richard looked at Camille for a moment. Trying to measure her. He couldn't. He started the car again.

Nick's Hotel

"We'll see you tomorrow." Richard said as he dropped Nick off in front of his hotel, that was only half a street away from Catherine's bar. Camille was staring in front of her, into nothingness.

"Good night." Nick said softly as he got out of the car. He sounded beaten. His shoulders sagged as he turned and closed the car door.

Camille mumbled a goodbye.

"Where do you want to go?" Richard asked as he looked at the bandage around her upper arm. He couldn't help himself, he was just very worried about her. It made him nervous because everything about her behaviour screamed that she didn't want his worry. Even going to the doctor had been a fight. He would never understand this woman, not unless she'd spell her feelings and thoughts out to him.

"I don't care." She mumbled uninterested as she stared out of the window.

It was late. Or early. It was very dark outside now. He looked at his watch. It was three o'clock in the morning. Or in the middle of the night... Richard sighed as he looked at his lap momentarily. "Do you want to go home? Or do you want to go to my place for a while?"

"What's the use of that?" Camille snarled as she turned her face to his all of a sudden.

Richard swallowed insecurely. "We could sit together on the veranda." He proposed carefully. "It might help you calm down? You always say that the sea sounds help you after a long day." Richard suggested as he tried hard to think of what would help her.

"This isn't the same." She muttered annoyed as she looked at the window on her side.

He sighed. "I know." He cleared his throat. "Good Lord. I'm just not good at this." He looked at the steering wheel and took a deep breath in. "I'm sorry..."

Camille looked up at him. Confused.

"I'm very sorry. I didn't see this coming." He looked up at her. "And you... You stood in front of me when she threatened us with the knife, and later with the gun."

"Big deal." She answered roughly as she looked away again.

Richard sighed as he started the car. Big deal? Okay, big deal then! At least he had tried...Stoic Camille it was. Maybe he should take her to Catherine? Catherine would know what to do? But then... He really wanted to help. But how could he? She was in a terrible mood, he couldn't say one thing without her biting his head off. Richard had to think of his grandfather's dog weirdly enough. Losing him and how much that had hurt. But Camille had only gotten angrier when he'd tried to tell her about that. But it also made him think of something else. How they say that dogs who bark loud never bite. They just warned. Maybe that was the same with Camille too? He'd seen her soft side, her warm and compassionate side. She was a very sweet, kind, warm woman really. Beneath her sometimes rude, hard exterior. Maybe this was just her way of coping. The barking she did. To keep everyone away. He thought that she would probably feel very hurt by what her friend had done. By the betrayal. Even he himself was shocked while he didn't even know Kris that long.

Before he knew it he'd parked the rental car in front of his beach shack.

Camille didn't make a move and kept glued to her seat. Staring into nothingness. So Richard walked around the car and opened her door.

"Come." He instructed softly. "We're at my place now. And I'm not going anywhere anymore tonight. So shout all you want." He told her as he braced himself for her protests.

Camille looked up at him shortly. A fierce gleam in her eyes, then anger, and then something else. He couldn't quite see it because she looked away again, avoiding making eye contact. Her curls fell into her face, making it more difficult to see her eyes as she got out of the car.

"I'll make you some tea." Richard said as Camille plopped down in the chair on the veranda. Staring at the sea.

Richard came back with a blanket.

"I don't want a blanket." She barked.

He would never understand this woman. She just kept being angry and wouldn't budge at any of his well meant ministrations. "You're shaking." Richard said as he draped the blanket over her.

"I don't want tea." She muttered.

Richard almost rolled his eyes. Of course she didn't want anything he did. He wondered if she'd act the same with someone else, someone who was more skilled with humans. Someone like Dwayne, or Fidel. Or Nick even. He felt a pinch of hurt in his chest. Maybe it was him. Maybe this had been a mistake. He should have taken her to Catherine. At least Catherine knew how to handle this difficult woman. Well, she was here now. No Catherine in sight. Or no Dwayne to ask for guidance. He'd have to suffer her temper for a while longer. She'd gone through a lot. She just cared so much about Kris, otherwise she wouldn't be so out of sorts, would she? He should understand that. "I know you don't want a lot of things right now." Richard answered as he walked towards the kettle.

"Here you go." He said after a while as he gave her a mug of steaming hot tea. "It's cinnamon with chamomile. Quite calming and soothing."

"Do you really think tea can soothe me right now?!" She snapped as she put the mug on his table really hard and angrily.

"No... I didn't think that... Honestly, I really don't know what will soothe you. Or is there even something that can soothe you? Because you really have a temper..." He said softly and honestly.

She looked away as she bit her lip holding back tears.

"I know I'm not... An easy man... And that I... Do stupid things or don't say the right things... And that you have to explain to me how to soothe you while someone else would know that automatically. And I just... I don't... I wish I did too but I... I'm clumsy like that. You know that. I just thought... I had hoped... No, I wished that... That I... That I could do something for you." He said in a small sad voice as he sat down on the chair next to her.

Camille gave him a fierce look and then broke eye contact quickly. "She tricked me." She shook her head. Her voice raw and low. "And I fell for it."

Richard nodded as he looked at the sea now too.

"She pointed a gun at us. I had fun with her yesterday, I shared my closest thoughts and feelings with her and trusted her fully. She just threw them back at me."

He remembered the mean things Kris had shot at her. "The things she said about you... You know they aren't true, right?" Richard told her softly.

Camille's head snapped up as she studied him. "What? The fucking myself up?" She asked bluntly.

He'd forgotten about that part. He swallowed, because his throat became dry instantly. This was never a good subject. "Err.. The...NO, I meant..." He felt a flush creep up and a need for air. He'd been holding his breath again. "But that too.. That isn't true..."

Camille looked away from him again. "She knows that. I don't understand... Why she would say such a thing? Well, she was right about one thing." She looked at the man next to her again and measured him. "I could never manage to fuck myself up with you, could I?" Her eyes shot over his body.

Richard could almost disappear into his chair and then into the ground.

"Not that I would ever do that to get promoted. Ever." She said fiercely.

He nodded quickly. She wouldn't, he was sure of that. He looked at his shoes.

"But if I ever had other reasons for it, you wouldn't let me, would you?" She swallowed.

Richard froze and kept looking at his shoes.

"You don't even see me like that, do you?" She said with a slight undertone of anger he didn't understand. She studied him angrily, it was as if she wanted to shock him, push him.

Richard tried to come out of his frozen state and almost dove for his tea as if it was his life line.

"You're not attracted to me. You made that perfectly clear." Camille said as her eyes were on the dark sea again.

Richard almost burned his throat and coughed to get the tea out of his mouth. If only she knew. If only she knew how she invaded his dreams almost every night. In the beginning it hadn't been every night. But since he had to play married to her for the undercover thing she'd show up every night, haunting him. Doing things he could only dream about, and he did things to her in his dreams that he wished she only dreamed about. Because in his dreams she wanted him, he was the only man on earth she'd ever wanted She loved him with her whole heart, lusted for him big time, she'd never leave him, never get tired of him, never reject him.

And then he woke up in the morning, flustered, frustrated, hot and bothered and oh so lonely. And ashamed. To think of her that way. She could never know, she should never know. He'd feel so ashamed, so embarrassed, because she'd never reciprocate, they'd never be able to go on in a normal way again. He'd lose her friendship, they would lose their good work dynamic. And he couldn't lose her. He couldn't. He couldn't bear to be without her. He missed her. He missed her on the weekends. He'd missed her when he had been gone back to England for just a few days. He missed this silly woman like she was a part of him. How could he ever put that all on the line? Make her push him away? Lose that?

He cleared his throat. "No, I don't see you like that. That wouldn't be very professional." He lied easily. It was almost as if lying was becoming easier and easier to him. Something he didn't like. He didn't know lying could hurt so much. He felt it in his chest. It was strange, the effect she had on him. "You wouldn't do such a thing, be so weak. You're a hard worker. You deserved every-"

"-She knows I don't just 'fuck' men." She said deep in thought as she looked out at the sea.

Richard swallowed again. He really didn't like this topic, it was coming too close. Talking about something he'd never have with her but that she did have or would have with other men... It felt horrible. Also, he wanted to disappear. And he felt jealousy welling up.

"I only make love to one special man at a time." Camille said as she looked back at him.

More jealousy. He put his tea back on the table clumsily so he wouldn't spill. He tried to hide the shaking of his hands. One special man? When would she deem a man special? What qualities did a man need to get her to want him, like him, love him even? Richard didn't know. He truly didn't know what made this woman tick. Yes, he knew how to rile her up and fight with her. And he learned to know how to talk to her, although that didn't go as fluently as he wished yet. So what sort of man would get through her walls and into that big heart of hers?

"It has to mean something." Camille said as she studied the clumsy movements Richard suddenly made with his hands. "Letting someone so close..." She looked up at his face. Right into his eyes. "Don't you agree?" She asked as she tried to gauge his reaction.

Where did his voice go? His throat felt closed down. He wanted to say yes, and be done with this subject. But his voice just wouldn't come , so he nodded swiftly. And made some sound to go with that. Great, more information for his tired mind to torment him with at night. He didn't know how much longer he could take it. Maybe it would dial down after a while. Maybe he could get used to it, to her, and his mind and body would leave him alone. Would give up. Give up on her.

'-And she knows that. And then what she said..." She pressed her lips together as she looked away. "With...Aimee... That it was my fault."

"O Camille, you know that isn't true.' Richard said as he squatted in front of her. "Tell me that you know that."

She looked down at him. 'I'm a police officer. And I didn't know. Someone killed her right in front of my nose."

"Face." Richard hated a wrong use of words.

"What?" Camille asked confused.

"Nothing, sorry... Go on."

"And now... One of my best friends, my dearest friends is a criminal and threatened to kill us...What sort of cop am I? What sort of person am I? She was right about my intuition. It's useless... I don't even know how I ever thought I could read people." Camille ranted in panic and sadness.

Richard had never seen Camille like this. Doubting herself so hard. He took her hand. "You can read people like a book. You have good intuition."

"Well, I don't now!' She snapped angrily, more at herself.

"Because she's your friend and you love her." Richard reminded her.

"Loved her. Past tense. She threw a knife at us. She threw her knife at us! And she enjoyed it, she looked so evil. So angry." Camille shook her head as she looked into the distance and a tear rolled down her cheek.

"I'm so sorry." Richard whispered as he let go of her hand clumsily. He stood up slowly and sat back down in the chair. "I should have seen something. I feel like a fool."

Camille sighed. "You aren't. She's just that good at playing people. I just never thought she'd play me. That bitch." She looked tired.

"Let's go to bed." Richard said after a long silence.

Camille's head snapped up at that. "Quoi?" (What?) Blurted out in French, suddenly forgetting to talk English.

"I meant... I didn't mean...I didn't mean together... I mean- I want to sleep too. I meant to sleep! Not to- You know what I mean... Because you look tired.. It's four o'clock in the morning. You can take my bed. I'll take the chair." He jumped up from his chair as he dusted off his trousers quickly. "Sand everywhere..." He muttered. "I've slept in the chair before."

"I know." She said softly as she studied his every move.

"You do?" He asked surprised.

She smiled fondly at him. For the first time that night. She'd seen him sleep in the chair. She'd even kissed his forehead, but he didn't know that. All of them were there on his porch with cake for his birthday. Dwayne, Fidel, Catherine. And he'd fallen asleep in the chair. "It doesn't seem very comfortable."

"The bed? Oh, it is quite comfortable. If you don't look at the tree on your left. And you don't feel suffocated by the mosquito net. It isn't quite big either, and the heat-" He looked at her and shut up. "Well... You know about the heat." He said softly. He knew she didn't want a rant about the blazing heat on this godforsaken island right now. So he stopped himself.

"I do." She concurred softly. Appreciating that he wasn't elaborating any further on that subject. For now... He really was trying, she could see that.

Richard's eyes went to the dress she was still wearing. "I have nothing for you to wear." He said as he thought out loud. Nothing decent that was, that would fit her petite form. He remembered that she always slept naked and almost choked. That could not happen. 'A shirt! You'll probably fit my shirt!" He barked out quickly.

She raised her eyebrow. "You want to put me in one of your extremely warm shirts? You want to keep me awake all night?" She asked.

"I have undershirts. But... They're see-through." He remembered. "That wouldn't be..." He looked at her breasts. "Advisable."

"Richard, really. I don't care." She tried to get up and almost fell forward. She was more tired and weak then she'd anticipated. She hadn't felt this broken and beaten in ages. Well, not since Aimee.. But she hadn't felt physically bruised then. Just an emotional wreck.

Richard took her arm quickly to help her up.

"I'm okay. I'm not helpless." She muttered stubbornly as she almost tripped and leaned down on him heavily when she tried to get up from the chair a second time.

"It's just... I think you're a bit in shock. And when the adrenaline wears off you'll be very tired. And your arm will start to hurt." Richard told her as he guided her inside towards the bed.

Camille plopped down on Richard's bed.

"Let me see." He mumbled as he walked towards his cupboard. "I don't have a lot of clothes..." He muttered as she took off her shoes.

"As if I didn't already know that." She muttered sarcastically.

"Hah! Look at that. I totally forgot about this. My favorite t-shirt from home." He dove in his cupboard and took out a blue t-shirt with white letters that spelled "I love England" on it. "Here you go."

Camille looked at it and read the words. "Really?"

"Well, if you don't want it.. " He began as he tried to take it back.

"No, I'll take it." She said as she snatched it away from his prying hands. "Turn around."

"What?" Richard looked at her. "Oh yes, of course." He said as he understood that she wanted to change. He turned around and bit his lip as he heard the rustle of the fabric of her torn dress. "It's a really good shirt. Very soft and all."

"You can turn back now."

He turned around and felt something hit him in his stomach when he saw her in his t-shirt. She looked breath-taking. "T.. Er... Em... I... I don't have anything to go with that... I mean... As in... P-p-p-pants..."

"Thank you, but if you're offering me your woolen pants, I'll pass."

"No, I... Of course... But..." She wasn't naked under there was she?! He felt panic wash over him.

"Calm down Richard. I'm wearing underwear." She sighed out loud and rolled her eyes. That man, so squeamish.

"Oh yes, of course, I didn't think you weren't... Of course..." He lied. A lie. Again. "So... Well... Is there anything else you need?"

Camille looked at the other side of the bed. "Yes... You can lie here."

"What?" His eyes grew big in horror as he looked from her to the empty spot next to her. "Errr... No..."

"There's plenty of room." She told him practically.

"Room? No, there really isn't." It was NOT a good idea to have her so close, wearing his shirt, and so close!

"What are you afraid of? Afraid the French woman is going to jump you? Don't worry. I won't." She smirked as she pulled the thin sheet over her and lied down on his pillow.

"I- I didn't change the sheets." He remembered suddenly. And he felt very ashamed for blurting it out like that because it felt strangely intimate to have her in his bed without clean sheets.

"I don't care." She answered softly. She liked his smell.

"It's-" His voice faltered. "I should have checked first."

"Yes, you should have. Like a real gentleman. How could you have forgotten?" She teased lightly.

"Yes, er...I... Well..."

"I'm just teasing Richard! I'm already taking your bed, I'm very thankful. Now will you join me or not? Because if you jump in later I might hit you."

"You what?" He asked confused.

"If I'm half asleep and don't realize where I am, I might." She explained.

"Oh.." He ground his teeth. Could he take her offer? And just lie there and sleep? Or would this too haunt him for the rest of his sleeping hours and waking hours? "The... No. It doesn't seem like such a good idea."

"You're such a gentleman." She purred.

"And your senior officer." He reminded her sternly.

"Yes sir." Camille turned in bed and buried her head in his pillow. His scent enveloped her and she loved it. 'Whatever you wish sir." She mumbled. "So I don't get to borrow one of your lovely striped pajamas?" Her muffled voice came from his pillow.

"It's... They... Erm... Well... I have three of them." There were two sets in the laundry basket. And he was wearing the third this week, so he had none left for her.

"Four." Camille countered as she propped herself up on her elbows to look at him.

"I do not." He countered surprised.

"You have the green stripes, blue stripes, red stripes, yellow stripes."

"I have no yellow stripes."

"You do too." She said in a know-it-all way.

"Camille, really!" He huffed. "Don't tell me what I have and do not have. I know this better then you do."

Camille smiled secretly. It was nice to forget about the whole ordeal for a moment. To not feel the dull ache in her chest. And the blazing anger. To feel the comfortable warmth that always filled her chest when she teased Richard. And he was such an easy mark to tease... "I doubt that."

"What woman knows about the sort of pajamas a man wears? A nosy woman. That's who." Richard muttered astonished as he was rummaging in his cupboard again.

"Wow, great come-back." Camille pestered slyly.

"I think these bottoms will be too big for you." Richard said as he pulled out his green striped pajamas.

Camille hid her smile. He was really falling for this. "You think so?"

He looked at it as to measure it. "Well, it's a man's pants. They're wider in some areas..." He thought out loud as he looked at the front side of the pants.

"Oh really? What areas?" She asked overly interested, all of a sudden.

Richard's green eyes focused on her. "You're enjoying yourself aren't you? At my expense. Again." His cheeks started to burn.

Camille shrugged and didn't even deny it. She smirked.

"If that's what gets you to smile... It will have to do I guess." He mumbled as he put the pajamas back in the cupboard.

"Oh... No green pajamas?" She asked disappointed. "What will you be wearing?"

"Maybe that's something you shouldn't concern yourself with." He said sternly as he sat down and began to untie his shoes.

"I just love to see your fashion choices in this blazing heat." Camille let herself fall on her back and stared at the ceiling. "You're just so afraid to show some skin."

"I am not afraid to show skin! It is simply not appropriate. I can't believe that I'm explaining this to you in the middle of the night." Richard looked at his watch. "In the early morning, that is."

"Oooo... You need your beauty sleep, do you? What harm is there in showing your arms or your legs? Or if I dare say, your chest! There's this very decent piece of clothing one wears when one goes to swim. Ever heard of swimming trunks?"

"I do not swim, so problem solved."

Camille bit her lip as she studied him. How was she ever going to see more of him? That wasn't going to happen it seemed. "So, you ever wear this?" She asked as she looked at her shirt.

"Yes, of course."

"It has no long sleeves Richard."

"Go to sleep Camille. Really."

"Oh come on! Can't you share one thing with me on our second sleep over?"

"Second?" Richard asked confused.

"Oui. Did you forget already? The weather station."

How could he have forgotten? It just wasn't possible to forget that. "Oh, yes."

"When you were so stubborn and didn't listen to me. Underestimated the weather." Camille reminded him.

"I'm going to shower."

"In your suit?" She grinned.

"Good night." He wasn't going to react to her angling anymore. He was just too tired. And she needed the rest. She'd probably only find out how tired she really was the moment she let herself rest.

"I'll be waiting to see you in your pajamas." She laughed softly.

He huffed. But when he came back, freshly showered and in his green striped pajamas, she was fast asleep. With a worry wrinkle just between her brows. He sighed as he looked at her from afar. This had been one hell of a day...