Kate woke up early and craned her head to see what time it was. It wasn't even seven in the morning yet. She wondered what had woken her, but the longer she listened to the silence, the more she didn't hear anything moving. She got up anyway, carefully walking around the apartment. She checked her door, and it was still locked. She checked all the other rooms and didn't find anything or anyone. She came back to the living room and stood looking at Lee, who was still asleep. She watched him for a bit, wondering what their lives could be like when they were finally free of this. Would they get married? Would they have children? She started to smile, picturing Lee with their kids. She knew how he was with them after seeing him in action with Dustin and Desiree back on the island a year and a half ago. Knowing him, they'd probably know how to throw a knife before they could cut up their dinner with it.

"What?" Lee asked, startling her. His eyes were still closed. So he had been faking, the cheek.

"Nothing," she answered, moving to crawl back under the covers beside him and resting her head in the crook of his arm.

"I thought you weren't spending the night with me," he teased.

"A little late for that now," she sighed.

"Then we could have slept on the proper bed and not this back breaking thing," he pointed out. "No offense, but this is a terrible pull out couch."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"The sacrifices I make," he sighed in a fake, "poor me" kind of tone.

"You poor baby," Kate said, poking his neck.

"Did you just poke the bear?" he asked, twisting his head to look at her.

"If you're a bear, then I'm a wolverine," she advised. She really didn't do mornings that well.

"Oh really," he drawled, beginning to poke her all over.

"Lee!"

And so the wrestling started once more, and Kate was laughing again and trying to win while Lee kept getting her into a headlock or some other position she couldn't free herself from. She feigned an injury, making him release her only to have her leap on him and get him on his stomach. She sat on his back, twisting an arm behind him and pressing her foot on the backs of his legs so he couldn't get up.

"Wolverine beats bear every time," she told him. "And don't you forget it."

"All right," he said, muffled by the mattress. "You win." It was seven thirty now, and Kate figured she might as well get up. She moved to kiss the side of his head before patting it and getting off of him. She headed for her room to change when arms picked her up from behind, making her shriek.

"And the bear suddenly gets a second wind!" Lee exclaimed, throwing her onto her bed and jumping after her. He sat on her stomach in return.

"No!" she cried while laughing. He caught her flailing arms and pressed them down over her head.

"You really need to make sure the bear is dead before you let him go," Lee teased.

"I thought his embarrassment from losing would be enough to keep him down," she mocked.

"Oh, now you've done it," he said, moving his other hand to tickle her mercilessly. "You've upset the bear. He's gonna make you pay now."

"Stop it!" she gasped, trying to twist out from under him. "Noooo!"

"Bear beats wolverine every time," he said. "Say it."

"Never," she retorted.

"And why not?" he asked.

"Because the wolverine loves the damn bear too much and has decided they should be a team instead," she explained, resting her head back and looking at him.

"This is a trick," Lee said, giving her a suspicious look. "Isn't it?"

"No trick," she promised, shaking her head. He narrowed an eye at her, still unsure. She slid her hands up his chest under his shirt until they came out through his neck hole and held his face on either side. She looked at him for a moment before pulling him down so she could kiss him. He reciprocated after a few seconds, and Kate felt so much built up emotion in her chest that she almost started crying with the realization at how much she loved this man.

"Hey, hey," he said, noticing the tear that managed to escape. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," she answered, moving to wipe it away. "I just realized that without you, I'm broken, and I don't want to be the girl with the broken smile anymore."

"I'm not going anywhere," he promised. "I'm right here. Always."

She kissed him again, moving farther and faster. She felt like she was drowning and he was the much needed air she had to have. She forgot all about Edward. She forgot all about Roger. She forgot about everything and anything that caused her to hurt or feel anger and despair. She focused solely on the man in front of her, who kept saying her name in a way that told her he was only focusing on her too.

She looked down at him afterwards, her lower arms resting on his chest with his hands holding her upper arms.

"You've changed me," Lee told her softly, "in a way I never thought I could be changed."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I used to think that my life would forever consist of being a mercenary, that I was meant to just be this killing machine, and I was okay with that. It was who I was. But after meeting you and falling in love with you, I've realized there is a chance for something else, something...normal. And I actually want it, Kate. I've never really wanted it before, but I want it now. With you."

Kate felt very touched by this. She'd never had that affect on anyone before. Any other man she'd been with just took her for granted or used her as a stepping stone to something better. The fact that she was being considered the "better" by Lee made her want to cry.

"I, uh," she started, clearing her throat. "I've never been told that before."

"Like I said," Lee said seriously. "Any guy who doesn't see you for the incredible person you are is an asshole."

"I think they'd disagree," she replied.

"Then they're stupid too," Lee added. She gave a burst of laughter at this before calming down again. He took her one hand and kissed the palm of it.

"I've never felt more loved by anyone than I do with you," Kate said after a moment. "I've never felt safer or as secure as I do right now. I've never fully given my heart to anyone before because of my history with men, but I'm giving you mine, Lee. All of it. It's yours."

"I will never break it," he promised quietly. He reached to touch her face, and she felt more tears slip out until she started to laugh a little again. Being this emotional was not her at all. Lee gave her his crooked smile, the sun resting on his face.

The sun.

"Oh my God," Kate gasped, jerking her head to see that the curtains in this room were still open.

"What?" Lee asked.

"We're exposed," she answered, rolling off of him quickly and hitting the floor.

"Shit," Lee said, moving quickly to join her.

"If they've been watching, it's over," Kate said, panicking slightly. She pressed her hands into her eyes. How could she have been so stupid? Why didn't she close all of her damn curtains last night?

"They might not have been," Lee reasoned.

"I hope not," Kate said, rushing to get dressed. He did as well. He crawled out of the room to keep out of sight of the window, but Kate felt it was too late anyway. It was after eight now, and she was going to be late for work. She ran out to find Lee sitting at the table reading a newspaper and looking nonchalant. He'd opened the living room curtains at this point.

"I'm almost afraid to leave," she admitted, making him look at her.

"If you don't, then you're really risking him finding out," Lee warned. "Especially if they haven't been watching us."

"I know, I know," Kate said, gripping her hair tightly with her hand. He gave her a sympathetic look.

"It'll be all right," he promised.

"You don't know that," she started.

"But I have to believe it," he interrupted. "Okay? I'll be right here when you get back."

"Okay," she nodded. "Okay. I'll see you later." She went to the door, grabbing her bag and keys.

"Kate?" Lee said as she opened the door.

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you too," she replied. He gave his smile, and she tried to smile back before leaving him behind. Her heart was jumping all over the place as she headed for work. She hoped her cover hadn't been blown. She didn't know what to do if it had.

...

"Shift change," Toll said to Barney, tapping him on the head and making the older man jerk awake with a start. He turned his head to glare at Toll, one hand on his pistol out of reflex.

"Was that necessary?" he demanded.

"You shouldn't have fallen asleep then," Toll retorted. Barney sat up in the seat and cleared his throat, looking around at the street through the window.

"The others doing okay?"

"Bored, but they're fine."

Barney saw Kate heading out then, and he noticed she looked nervous. He pulled out his phone to text Doc and tell him to follow her at a distance. He texted Lee next asking him what he'd done to make Kate look like a scared cat.

"You think he was careful?" Toll asked.

"Lee is good at pretending to be an idiot," Barney reminded him. "It's whether or not Nash bought it is the issue here." His phone buzzed with a text back from Lee, who told him to stop questioning how he does things thank you very much. Barney chuckled.

"He's in a good mood then," Toll noted.

"I guess so," Barney sighed. Then he spotted something. "Hold up."

"Is that...?" Toll started.

"It's Nash," Barney confirmed. He texted Lee quickly. What was Edward doing coming to Kate's apartment without her there?

...

Lee was cooking up a storm when Edward came into the apartment. He turned to see Edward looking around before landing his eyes on Lee.

"Hey!" Lee called. "Just in time! I'm whipping up Ma's special eggs over here."

"They smell amazing," Edward commented coming to join him in the kitchen. Lee saw him hover in front of a drawer, and he knew it was the drawer Kate had put the phone number last night for the ringleader from Edward's phone. He kept his face in check as he looked at Edward again.

"Sit down, man. I'll dish it up. You're the guest here," he gestured.

"You're the boss," Edward stated with a nod. He went to sit down at the table, and Lee started looking through all the drawers under the pretense of looking for oven mitts.

"Still disorganized," he commented, referring to Kate. "You know, it took my Ma months to get her kitchen drawers back into shape after Desiree left." He opened the one with the paper and grabbed it discreetly. He shut the drawer and turned to scan the kitchen, putting the paper into his pant pocket carefully as he did so.

"Ah," he said, spying them by the fridge. "Right in front of me. Always the way."

"So, you and Desiree are close then?" Edward asked.

"Like my own sister, really," Lee answered, plating up the eggs and taking them over to Edward.

"Thanks," Edward said, taking them. Lee handed him cutlery next before going to dish himself. "I don't know anything about her family. I was hoping to get some information from you about them. What were her parents like?"

Lee knew he had to be careful. The more information you gave about something, the more likely you could get caught in a lie.

"They were fun," he said. "Happy. Loving."

"How did they die?"

"Des gets real pissed when her business gets shared without her permission," Lee told him. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to ask her about it. I like not getting stabbed, thanks."

"I get it," Edward nodded. "She is a private person." He started to eat and gave a groan of satisfaction. "Damn, these are amazing!"

"Told you," Lee winked.

"Well," Edward went on between bites. "I was wondering...since I can't ask her father, can I ask you?"

"Ask me what?" Lee questioned.

"For her hand in marriage? I like to do things properly, you know? You're her family...like her brother, so who better to ask if I can't ask her father?" Edward finished. Lee felt his stomach clench at this. He had not expected this at all. He took his time, using chewing as an excuse. He knew he had to do this in order to keep Kate safe, as much as it killed him.

"You're a respectable man?" Lee asked when he was done swallowing.

"Of course," Edward answered quickly. "A gentleman."

Lee knew that was a lie, but he let it go.

"You'll do right by her?"

"Yes!"

"Then I guess I can say yes," Lee said.

"Thank you!" Edward beamed. "You'll stay for the wedding, won't you? It's going to be in less than three weeks."

"Oh, I don't know..."

"Come on, man. You'll be her only family here. I can't let her be alone on her wedding day," Edward insisted. Lee strongly resisted ramming his fork into Ed's neck.

"Ah, ya twisted my arm," he said instead. "I'll stay."

"Great! You should come hang out with me and the boys," Edward said, getting up after wiping his face with a napkin. "You'd like them. We're a great bunch."

"Sounds fun," Lee agreed.

"We'll be playing cards tonight. Wanna join?"

"You all got deep pockets?" Lee asked, looking up at Edward.

"The deepest," Edward chuckled. "Don't you worry about that."

"Then I'm in."

"Excellent! This is great! I've always wanted a good brother-in-law," Edward grinned. "Well, cousin-in-law, I suppose, but whatever. You're family!"

"Righto," Lee nodded. Edward reached to clap his shoulder heartily.

"I'll come pick you up after dinner."

"Sounds good," Lee agreed. He waved back at Edward as he went out the door. Then he sat there contemplating on what to do next.

...

Kate didn't see anything out of the ordinary at work all day. She texted with Edward back and forth with no issues. She had lunch with Tansley at her insistence and felt a bit more relaxed after. She knew if she really needed help, she could get it from her. Drummer had thanked her for the phone number and was looking into it. Lee was safe at her place. She was beginning to think that maybe they could get out of this alive. She walked into her apartment at the end of the work day and found Lee cooking.

"I didn't know you knew how to work a stove," she teased, coming up behind him and putting her arms around him. She pressed her face into the space between his shoulder blades. She felt his muscles move under her fingers as he worked.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that," he commented.

"I've just never seen you cook before."

"When have you had the chance to?"

"That's true," she admitted.

"I learned a thing or two from Caesar," he said. "I'm not entirely stupid, you know."

"I never said you were," she said quickly. He set down his cooking tools and turned to face her now.

"How're you doing, beautiful?" he asked, shifting her hair back.

"Better now," she answered, smiling at him. He kissed her softly twice before going back to cooking. She moved to lean on the counter to watch him.

"Eddie came over this morning," Lee said, not looking at her.

"He what?" she asked, feeling instantly tense.

"He asked me permission to marry you," Lee went on. "Since I'm like a brother to you and all."

"Oh my God..."

"I had to say yes," Lee finished. "I'm sorry."

"That's all he wanted?"

"Well, that and he invited me to a card game tonight with his friends."

"You're not going are you?"

"He seemed really excited about it, so I said yes."

"Lee! You can't!" she cried, feeling panicked all over again.

"Why not?" he asked.

"What if Roger is there?! He knows you!"

"He won't be there. Top dogs don't hang out with the little dogs. It's a written rule," Lee shrugged.

"But Ed just got promoted to a top dog," Kate reminded him. "Last night!"

"Nah, he's still a medium dog. He's one up over Boris now, but he's not at Roger's level yet."

"How do you know this for sure?"

"I've seen it before," Lee answered. "It'll be fine, Kate."

"No," she shook her head. "No, you're not going. I can't let you."

"Kate," Lee said, taking her hands in his. "I've done this type of work before, okay? You have to trust me." She looked into his eyes and saw assurance there, but she still felt terrified. This had to be a trap. It had to be.

"I have my own team," he went on. "They'll be keeping an eye on me and you. It'll be fine. I promise."

"They're going to kill you," she said, not listening. "They're bringing you there to kill you. It's a trick."

"Kate," he said again, getting a hold of her face now and giving it a slight shake. "They're not going to kill me."

"You don't know that," she whispered.

"Do you trust me?" he asked, switching tactics.

"Yes."

"Then trust me," he said firmly. She put her hands over his wrists and breathed shakily.

"Okay," she caved. "I trust you." Then she caught sight of the frying pan on the stove. "Um, fire?"

"What?" he said, spinning. "Crap." He lifted the pan off quickly. Kate grabbed a towel and swung it at the fire detector right as it started to go off.

"Cajun style, huh?" she asked.

"No fire," he said, "just added some smoke flavor is all."

"Sure, sure," she smirked. The ear piercing beeping had finally stopped, and she set down the towel.

"I did it on purpose," he insisted.

"Okay," she called over her shoulder as she went down to change out of her work clothes. She still felt afraid for him spending time alone with Edward, but she had to trust him. She had to.

After all, why would Edward ask for his permission to marry her if he didn't think Lee really was her cousin? She felt more at ease. He wouldn't. Things were okay. They were safe. Lee just had to get through this night, and then hopefully by then Drummer would have that number figured out, and she could go home.

She was beyond ready to go home.