He called only 2 days later, and she was not expecting it at all.

"I'm gonna be crazy quick. The raid went great, Leo is actually happy because you caught two guys he was trying to get rid of."

"That is… good, I guess?"

"What about your side?"

"Thanks for telling us the leads were dead ends. We still checked, but it was much easier. And some of those perps were decent enough to consider it a victory. There is no way to link anything to your thing."

"Good. Got to go."

"I know-"

"I don't want to, though."

This time he seemed to take longer to hang up, but Amy didn't know what to say.

Another month passed, with it a couple of longish phone calls in the middle of the night. Even though it seemed normal, Amy was starting to sense the changes. Jake's voice was a little distant. His laugh sounded a little less genuine. Sometimes they would just stay silent, but whenever Amy asked him if he needed to go, he would hurry to say that he didn't and ask her something about somebody in the precinct. Or something about her.

That was another difference. He had never been really curious about her life, unless it had been to tease her about something. Now though he would sometimes ask about her childhood, her favourite cartoon growing up, and when she had learned to ride a bike. Although Amy really liked these conversations, she was getting worried nonetheless. The thought that carefree Jake could disappear under the weight of this mission was worrying her deeply. Which in turn worried her extra for completely different reasons. Hadn't she always said that she wished for him to be more serious and mature? Wasn't she getting her wish?

And because she had not satisfactory answers to those questions, she would work harder, and pull as many extra hours Holt would let her. Whatever she could do to stop thinking.

Tonight she and Rosa were going undercover for a reconnaissance mission. The last thing she wanted was to get into an itchy wig, a tiny dress and inside a very loud club, but she had been assigned and there was nothing more to say.

The place was everything Amy had been dreading and then some. The music resonated loudly all around her, and several people were already too drunk to walk in a straight line. Amy approached the bartender and asked for a beer, as Rosa walked to the opposite side of the dance area, looking as if she was having the time of her life. Amy had to admire her acting skills.

It took them a couple of hours of circling, and even dancing with some guys before deciding to call it a night. Somebody was selling something in the club, they were sure of that, but trying to blend in with the crowd was proving to be useless.

Amy was already half-way out when she saw it. Or rather, him.

Instead of the usual leather jacket, he was wearing a shirt and jeans, and looked strangely younger. Half a dozen guys were with him, joking with the bouncer at the entrance before actually getting in.

"Fuck," Rosa whispered into her ear.

"I know, that's Ja-"

"Never mind him! That's one of the guys I interrogated!" Amy blinked, only then realising that Rosa was right. "Let's get out of here."

"No," Amy suddenly heard herself saying. "You go. I'll stay and find out more. They never saw me."

Rosa looked at her, hard, for a couple of seconds. And then she rolled her eyes. "Don't be stupid," it was more of a warning than an objection.

"I won't."

"Tell him I said hi."

And then she was gone.

For a moment Amy just stood there, dodging a very drunk couple that almost pushed her against the wall. From there she was trying to assess the situation again. Jake and his group had taken a table and one of them was ordering something, but it was difficult to see because of the people dancing right in front of them. Trying to be casual, Amy walked to the bar again and ordered a second beer.

What she was hoping to achieve, she had no idea. The fact that that particular group of people was there could be mere coincidence, but Amy doubted it. It was probably that they were the link she and Rosa had been looking for earlier. Still, if she was to be honest, she had to admit that her head was not hundred percent on the odds of drugs being sold large-scale in the club.

No matter how hard she tried, her eyes were drawn to him. A bottle of whiskey had finally arrived at the table and all six men started to drink, not really talking but checking their surroundings. Jake was making a good impression of being part of the group and for a moment Amy thought about agents going undercover and becoming double agents. She shook her head and took a sip of her beer. Not all of them. Definitely not Jake.

Just then, almost as if he had listened to her thoughts he looked in her directions and their eyes locked. She could swear his eyes grew a millimetre wider only to move to the side and say something to one of his companions.

Amy stood frozen. Should she leave? Wait for him to do something? Move to another corner of the club?

She was about to decide on the second option when a guy approached her and asked her if she wanted to dance. Not wanting to draw any attention to her she nodded and a moment later they were right in the middle of the large dancing group, bouncing at the loud beat. She could not really see Jake but that meant his companions could'n see her either.

The guy was trying to make small talk but it was easier to pretend she couldn't hear him than to answer. Maybe she had been stupid. Maybe it was time to go. She was making her excuses to the guy when she felt it. A warm hand on her lower back.

She turned around, almost certain of whose eyes she was going to meet and sure enough, there was Jake. He yelled something at the guy and then he took her hand to pull her to the side. She wanted to say something to him, but he was walking and avoiding her gaze, and she could tell this was completely on purpose. Sure enough, when he finally turned around, he was looking daggers at her.

"What are you doing here?!" He yelled into her ear and despite the loud noises around her, Amy was sure this was the angriest she had seen him ever. For a split second she was taken aback but then she recovered, anger boiling inside her.

"I am on a mission! That's my job, remember?" She yelled back.

"Why didn't you leave when you saw us?"

"Because your crew might be part of it!"

"I've told you! Even if it is, you have to drop it!"

"I know!" Suddenly she looked around scared of what she had been about to say. True, the noise around them was considerable and still, what if they were heard? Almost as if Jake had read his mind, he put his hands on her waist and pushed them both into the thick of the dance floor again.

Taken aback from the sudden proximity, Amy just looked at him as he swayed them, completely out of rhythm.

"I need you to leave, Ames, please," he said into her ears and despite the words, he sent shivers down her spine.

"I know," she answered, now placing her hands on his shoulders to make their dancing as convincing as possible. "But I can't just abandon a mission every time I bump into something related to yours! That's not how this works!"

"It will have to!"

"And in the meantime should I stop solving cases altogether?" She said exasperated.

"I am undercover for a reason!" he practically yelled.

"I know, but yours is not the only case in the universe!"

"It is more important than most!"

"Oh shut up!" She yelled, this time in earnest.

"You don't get it! I can't see you… I just-"

And then his lips were on hers, hungrily kissing her in a way she could swear she had never been kissed in her life. And it was a good thing her hands were on his shoulders because her knees seemed to have lost all strength.

A guy bumped into them, and she was suddenly as close to Jake as it was humanly possible. He only deepened the kiss, his hands now on her back, down to her hips and up again, and Amy found herself burying her fingers on his curls. When his lips started to move, biting her neck, and then kissing her ear she let out an audible moan.

"Let's get out of here," he whispered. Amy just nodded and followed him as he took her hand and led her outside the club and down a side street.

The sudden silence felt like a cold shower, and if Jake's touch hadn't felt reassuring, Amy suspected she wouldn't have been able to move.

Finally he stopped, pulling her into a shadowy portal. He was panting, looking up and down the street, and his expression, for once, conveyed nothing.

"Jake?" She asked.

"I… I can't…" he sighed and let go of her hand, leaving her feeling cold inside and out.

"What?"

Jake's eyes finally met hers and she was surprised at how deep the emotions seemed to run inside them.

"I can't see you Ames because I am scared… so scared that something could happen to you. These guys… the things I've seen…" he took a deep breath and Amy placed a shaky hand on his cheek. He leaned to her touch and went on with a calmer voice. "Whenever I talk to you it's like fresh water after being in a desert for days. And then I have to go back and remind myself that I have to protect you… that I willingly walked out of a life in which you were there, every day. And I promise myself I won't call you again until this thing is over, but the fact is, I miss you too much, ok? And I can't… I-"

Amy didn't let him go on. This time it was her, crushing her lips on his and drowning his words. His reaction was immediate. His hands pulled at her hips and his mouth opened to taste hers. Her hands went up his chest and into his hair, marvelling on how soft and firm he was at the same time, and how perfect this kiss felt, even though the world seemed to be crumbling around them.

After a moment she pulled back, her hands still on his shoulders.

"I'm sorry. It's just that I miss you so much."

He pressed his forehead to hers and chuckled. "You have no idea how good and bad it is to hear that."

"I might have."

"Yeah."

Both sighed.

"You go blonde now?" he asked, taking a stray lock on the tip of his fingers, and it was great to see at least part of that mocking smile she had grown so fond of.

"This thing is so itchy it's driving me crazy."

"Title of you sex tape."

She laughed, aware of an hysteric tinge of it. "You're getting it back."

He chuckled, and caressed her cheek with his hand.

"What's with the golden chain?" She asked, pointing at what was visible of it through the half open shirt.

"I am blending in. Do you like it?"

"No."

"I was thinking about getting an earring. Would you like that?"

"Ugh!"

"Noted. I'm doing it."

She chuckled, her hand caressing his chest.

"Listen, Ames," he spoke again, moving back a little. "I have to go back."

She just nodded.

"Please, go home," he added.

Amy nodded again. "I will."

"That's my girl," he said, and if reading those words had broken havoc inside her, hearing him say it almost made her melt right there on the floor.

He took a couple of steps back, finally letting go of her hands, and was about to go when she reacted.

"Jake," she said. In a long stride she was in front of him again. Grabbing his shirt she pulled him down for a kiss. "Come back, ok? Come back to me."

"I will, Amy. I promise."

And with that he was gone and it took her several attempts to finally manage to call a taxi.

Sorry about the weird posting. Apparently I posted chapter 5 twice. All fixed now!