Chris's eyes glanced around the restaurant as she stepped inside and was greeted by a smiling waitress.

"Good evening, What name?"

"Ahhhh…" Chris felt herself pause briefly, "Michaels?" She answered with a slight inflection in her voice. Saying his name gave her a weird feeling. The waitress smiled, grasping menus, and waved for Chris to follow her,

"This way please," Chris nodded and followed, looking down at her feet as she navigated her way through the chairs.

"Oh wow!" She looked up hearing his voice. He was standing up from his chair, staring wide eyed at her with a huge smile. As she got closer, he reached out for her hand. "Chris, oh…..., oh wow, you are absolutely beautiful." He said, blinking a bit and smiling as he pulled her into hug her.

Chris smiled. "Thank you," she whispered as she hugged him back. "You look, and smell" she chuckled, "damn good too."

Chris felt herself getting swept up in him again. Their dinner was romcom movie perfect, they held hands, sipped wine, laughed and talked. Chris wanted to probe him deeper though. She wanted to get to know him on a few more levels, her mind wondered about his heartbreak a few years ago, but she also dreaded asking him such personal questions. This was still only very new, and she didn't want to scare him off or make him uncomfortable. She also knew that asking those questions might lead him to ask the same of her and she wasn't sure she was ready to tell him all of that yet.

"Chris, you okay?" He asked as he gave the waiter back the bill and reached for her hand. He had noticed she had gone a little quiet.

"Yeah," she smiled rubbing his fingers back. "I'm okay, just got lost in my head worrying, sorry."

"What's worrying you? Us?" He asked, and she heard the fear in his voice.

"No, Jared, no." She shook her head trying to think how to word this without saying the wrong thing. "Just some stuff with a friend that I guess I am trying to figure out." She smiled.

As they stood up to leave Jared stepped to her. "Chris, I won't pry and be nosey, but I want to know you, all of you, what goes on in your world, and I want you to know mine. I know letting those walls down is scary but if you will take a walk with me, I would like to tell you about a few things."

Chris glanced at him as she began to walk, "Okay, I'd like that."

They wandered down the sidewalk as he took her hand and interlaced her fingers with his.

"So, I'm gunna let down my walls and go first here." He smiled nervously. Chris squeezed his hand and gave him a nod. "So, a few years back, I was in a long-term relationship. We had been together about 3 years. She was a lawyer. We met at court one day and clicked and things began from there. It all went as it should, we dated, moved in together, started planning long term stuff and I was even thinking about buying a ring. I know we were still 'young' in some people's eyes, but I was in love with her and wanted to spend the rest of my life with her."

Chris glanced at him and gently nudged her body against his as she squeezed his hand.

"And then?"

"Then, well," he swallowed, and Chris could see the pain in his eyes. "That was when my world was turned upside down. I was dreaming of a life with her and all the possibilities. Then she came home one day and said 'Jared, I don't want this anymore.' Just like that. It honestly, felt like the hardest punch to the gut. I was broken, lost and a wreck for ages after she moved out. But slowly I started to see that I needed to just focus on what made me happy and do me."

Chris paused and looked at him. "I'm sorry. That is, well, really shit. I'm sorry you went through that." She offered as she looked up at him. He looked down at her as he turned his troubled face into a smile.

"I'm not!"

"You're not?" Chris asked confused.

"Nope, I'm not."

"Why?" She asked a bit baffled.

"Well, if all of that didn't happen to me, I wouldn't be where I am today. In my career, my friends, my life, all of it and of course I wouldn't have met you in Virginia. Would I?"

Chris felt the smile sweep across her face as she blushed a bit. "I guess you are right, about that." She nodded. "But it still sucks."

"Yeah it does, but I guess, those rocky parts of my past made me who I am today." He answered.

"Can I ask something?" Chris said glancing at him as they began to walk again.

"That is what we are trying to do here." He laughed a bit.

"Okay, elaborate on that for me though. What happened in your career, life etc after she left? How did you get out of that rut?"

"Well," he cupped their intertwined hands. "My first move was to focus on my career. I wasn't a sergeant back then. So, I began to think about making something of myself career wise. I took courses, extra responsibilities, and stuff, until I had stepped up enough to take the sergeants exam. And well here I am." Chris nodded without saying anything. She was wondering if she should have done that rather than let herself get caught up in a guy. Should she have just focused her energy on the TLI's and stuff? "Then I saved and bought a house and just really started to put myself back together." He finished looking at Chris. "It was all nothing out of the ordinary. People do that every day and I guess it's part of growing up, part of life for most."

"Yeah," she nodded thoughtfully still a bit lost in her own head.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked studying her.

Chris smirked a little and chewed her lip. "I dunno really to be honest. I mean, I was kinda in a bad rut when we met. I had jumped at the chance to attend this training in Virginia, I thought it would help me with these TLI's at work, I was wondering if I did the right things to start building my life again."

"Am I one of those things you're wondering about?" He asked and Chris could hear the uncertainty and dread in his voice. But she couldn't lie.

"Yes," she suddenly felt his hand twitch in hers. "But" she added squeezing it. "Just because I wonder if it was the right move on my part, doesn't mean I suddenly don't want this or anything." She reassured him. "You have made me unbelievably happy." She smiled up at him.

"Why do I feel like there is a but coming here though?" He asked sadly with a grimace.

Chris leaned up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She made him look at her, she could see the fear all over him. He thought she was about to say goodbye and call this off.

"Jared," she whispered staring into his eyes. "You might just be part of my 2nd chance. Part of my story of how I build my life back to where I want. A big part of that is that most of all, regardless of work and titles, I want to be happy. I want to laugh and smile every day and enjoy my life, not just live for the pat on the back at work."

He still looked worried, concerned, and maybe defeated. She nudged his gaze back to hers.

"Jared, I want this with you, no matter how friggin scary it is. We live in different cities, different states, have different rosters, but you know what?"

"What?" He asked starting to smile a bit.

"I want you." She whispered as she leaned in and kissed him softly.