A few weeks after the party, Bull and Ashton arrived at his apartment after spending the weekend with her family. On the drive back to the city, Bull had methodically countered her protests and talked Ashton into staying the night at his place. He watched as she unpacked her laptop and placed it in the middle of his desk. Over the past few weeks, she had repeatedly shut down his offer to set up a workstation similar to what she had at her apartment. Ashton preferred her familiar, cozy workspace to the stark area at Bull's even if that meant running across town to see him.

"What's with the smile?" Ashton asked Bull.

"I smile all the time. I'm a happy guy," he said.

"Uh-huh."

"We had a nice weekend, I managed to convince you to stay here, and I didn't see Matthew Wagner once."

"Still haven't learned to quit while you're ahead, have you?" she said.

"You did ask. I'm sorry," Bull added the apology after seeing the look on her face.

He walked over to the desk and put his arms around Ashton. "Sorry Ash. I had a really great time this weekend. I didn't realize how much I missed that kind of thing."

"Then just say that and skip the snark."

"Duly noted. Work can wait," he said and shut the top of her laptop.

"Are you feeling okay, Doc?"

He led her over the leather couch, sat down, and pushed a button to turn on the fireplace. Ashton sat down next to him and grabbed the worn chenille pillow. She hugged the pillow and looked over at Bull. His light-heartedness had been replaced by a serious expression and Ashton wondered what he was up to.

"I've been thinking. We'd avoid future arguments if we were living in the same place," Bull said.

"It's too soon," Ashton replied and gave him a smile. "And, they aren't arguments. It's more of a debate. I consider it a personal challenge to make you give in first."

"Didn't work this time."

"Sometimes I let you have your way," she said and tossed the pillow at him.


After Bull left for the office early the next morning, Ashton took her cup of tea and sat down at his desk. As she methodically went through her email, her cellphone buzzed with an incoming message. She opened the text from Bull and read the two words.

Miss you.

Ashton quickly answered and they continued with a flirty exchange for a couple of minutes before she reminded him that they both needed to get to work. A subsequent knock and Benny poking his head around the door to his office ended any hope Bull had for continuing the chat. The psychologist quickly put his phone down and asked what the lawyer wanted.

Later that afternoon, Ashton sent Bull a message asking if he could leave the office earlier than usual. When he asked what she had planned, Ashton avoided giving him a direct answer and repeated her question.

When Bull opened the door to his apartment to total silence. He looked over towards his desk. Like Ashton, her laptop was nowhere to be seen. Bull called out as he put down a few files he had brought with him from the office. He then took off his overcoat and tossed it haphazardly over a chair. When he looked up, Ashton was standing in front of him wearing a steel grey satin chemise.

"And here I thought you were surprising me by making dinner," Bull said as Ashton put her arms around him.

"Dinner is in the plans, among other things," she said after they kissed. "Unless you'd rather read files while we wait for dinner to arrive?"

"Files? What files?" he asked as Ashton loosened his tie.

They lingered in bed after making love. Bull commented with an impish grin that they should go away every weekend.

Ashton chuckled, "You leaving work at a decent time would also allow for more evenings like this."

"I haven't slept at the office in at least a month," he replied.

"I know," she said with a smile. Ashton then rolled closer and kissed him. As her hands ran over his chest the doorbell rang.

"Never fails…when you want delivery to be late, it's not," Ashton said.

"I'll go," Bull said.

He got out of bed and quickly pulled on a t-shirt and lounge pants. Ashton stretched out in the bed, expecting him reappear or yell for her. When Bull didn't return in a minute or two, she put on his white button-down shirt that had ended up tossed on the floor and slowly wandered into the empty kitchen.

In the quiet apartment, Ashton could hear Bull speaking to someone at the door. She called out asking if there was a problem and the conversation paused. Curious as to what taking so long and after reassuring herself the shirt was long enough, Ashton went around the corner. She saw Bull, now in an inaudible conversation with Diana Lindsay.

Diana saw Ashton first and stopped in mid-sentence. Bull quickly turned his head, already knowing what the disruption was. Ashton shot him an icy glare and told him not to take too long before turning and leaving the room.

"That was unexpected," Diana drawled.

"I'm an adult. I do have a social life."

"I didn't think your social life would involve your ex-wife. You weren't influencing her testimony, were you? She was under oath."

"You know me. I wouldn't break the law," Bull said. "If you wouldn't have subpoenaed Ashton, I wouldn't have realized how much she means to me."

Bull closed the door on Diana and went back up to the bedroom expecting to find Ashton dressed and packing. Instead, she was still wearing his shirt and walking back and forth with her cellphone at her ear. He began to apologize but only got as far as opening his mouth when Ashton held up a hand. Before ending the call, Ashton confirmed with the caller that they would speak again the next morning.

"Dinner's here," he told her when she looked his way.

"I'm not hungry right now."

"Quince, I had no idea she would show up."

"I know. Doesn't make it any easier," Ashton replied.

Bull walked over to her and looked at the phone in her hand. "I know that feeling all too well."

"That was about work. You can check if you like," she offered him the phone.

He took the phone out of her hand, looked at it, and for a second or two considered her invitation. Bull then thought better of it and placed the device on the nightstand.

"Are you going to be working with her?" Ashton asked.

"No. She's in town to see a client, nothing to do with me or TAC," Bull replied. "If you eat dinner with me, I'll do the dishes."


"Everything okay? You rushed out of here yesterday," Marissa said to Bull the next morning as she stood in his office.

"Everything's fine," he replied with a quick glance up at her.

"Bull, I've worked with you long enough to know that look on your face…and that answer. Are you sure everything's okay?"

Bull looked up again from the paper he was reading. He took his glasses off, leaned back in his chair and told Marissa about his asking Ashton to move in, her refusal, and Diana showing up at his apartment the previous night. When she inquired about Ashton's reaction to the lawyer's appearance, Bull expressed his concern.

"Are you more upset over the possibility that Ashton was speaking her old boyfriend, which you know she wasn't, or that Diana Lindsay showed up at your door uninvited?" Marissa asked.

"Boyfriend? I'm not...," he protested.

Marissa's arched her eyebrow in disbelief. Bull then admitted that he was a bit troubled that so far Ashton hadn't brought up Diana's sudden appearance and had remained rather quiet. The linguist pointed out that it had only been a few hours and asked if Bull would have preferred an argument.

"No, but I know she's upset and I don't blame her. I don't like not knowing what's going through her head," he admitted.

"Then ask," Marissa told him.