Mike woke with a start, looking around trying to get his bearings. Then it all came flooding back to him, the explosion at the apartment complex, his conversation with Caroline. He'd gone to the station and grabbed a change of clothes and had just gone to bed when he got to Marco's. He hadn't gotten much sleep on the shift before and he'd never got to bed before the fire. Mike's mind flashed to walking Caroline into his bedroom. Mike rubbed his hands over his face; how had that even happened? He'd started out being mad at her and ended up feeling liked he'd done something wrong. He looked over at the clock, 5:03 AM. He wasn't surprised he woke up so early given the fact it was just after 4:00 PM when he'd gone to bed.

Mike swung his legs over the side of the bed. He'd worn his running shorts to bed. Since he was already dressed for a run, he decided to get up and get out for a few miles. He debated throwing on a t-shirt, but decided he just be stripping it off at the end of mile two anyway.

Mike quickly wrote a note, just in case Marco woke up before he got back and quietly slipped out of the apartment. He bounded down the stairs, and then took a few minutes to stretch, warming up his muscles. He looked left, but decided to head to his right and go as far as the beach. He figured if he still had energy to burn he could run a mile or two on the sand and that should definitely give him a work-out.

Mike found his pace after just a few minutes, his stride growing longer as his muscles loosened up, his breathing finding the natural rhythm of an experienced runner. He rounded a corner and could see the beach not too far up ahead. Mike couldn't help but notice another runner not too far ahead of him. Even if he hadn't been able to see the long ponytail swishing down her back, he would've known the runner was a woman. She had shapely legs, a small waist and a very nice butt, even from this distance. He admired her form, she was obviously an experienced runner as well. Mike found himself increasing his pace to close the distance between them.

Mike figured she must've heard him approaching because she moved to her right, so he could pass her on the left. Mike wasn't in a hurry to leave the pleasant view of watching her from behind and he slowed slightly. The woman also slowed and moved further to the right. She gave a quick glance over her shoulder, but Mike was still too far back for her to see him clearly. With the sun just starting to lighten the sky, he couldn't see her features either, but he realized her stride had faltered and it dawned on him that he was making her nervous. Not wanting to scare her, he increased his speed slightly so she would be able to see him the next time she glanced over. "Good morning," Mike said, his voice still steady, as he really hadn't been pushing himself yet.

"Mike?" the woman slowed and turned to look at him.

"Meg!" Mike was shocked to find the runner was Meg.

"I didn't know you were a runner," Mike had stopped to jog in place, as Meg had stopped moving.

"I love it," Meg said. "It really helps me center my thoughts and get me ready for a day full of high-energy kids."

"I guess that's something we never got to share with each other," Mike said, his eyes sweeping over her body. Why had he never realized how beautiful she was before, he thought? Her cheeks were pink from running, but her ivory complexion was almost perfect. He adored the dimple that showed on her right cheek when she smiled at him. Her teeth were white and straight. He looked into her eyes and thought the color reminded him of the blue waters of the Caribbean.

"You're so beautiful," Mike heard himself saying, before he even realized he was going to say it.

Meg blushed and looked at the ground. She cleared her throat obviously not sure what to say. After a few seconds with Mike just looking at her, Meg looked back up at him. "What are you doing running over this way? This isn't near your apartment."

Mike's eyes clouded over as he was brought abruptly back to reality. "There was an explosion in the laundry room yesterday," Mike said, looking away from Meg. "The apartment complex is uninhabitable right now; I'm staying with Marco."

"Oh my gosh, Mike! Are you okay?" Meg stepped forward and put her hand on his arm.

"Yeah, I'm okay."

"Was anyone else hurt?"

Mike shook his head. "Not bad. A teenage girl broke her ankle, some mild smoke inhalation."

"Do they think this is related to all the other problems you've been having?"

Mike nodded.

Meg leaned over and gave Mike a hug, but pulled back after just a few seconds. "I'm so sorry, Mike. If there's anything I can do, please let me know."

"How 'bout just run with me for a bit?"

Meg nodded. "Lead the way."

Mike started them off at a comfortable pace, not wanting to push Meg too hard, but it was only a few minutes before he realized he was a couple of steps behind Meg. He increased his speed slightly. They ran a few more minutes and he realized he was falling behind yet again. He picked up the pace. "How long do you usually run?"

"I've increased to 8 – 10 miles a day the last month, depending on how early I can drag myself out of bed. I'm thinking about entering the Thanksgiving day marathon," Meg said.

"Seriously? I've always wanted to do that," Mike said. "Maybe we can train together."

Meg didn't say anything.

Meg took the stairs down leading them to the beach.

Mike followed a few steps behind.

Rather than move to the smooth, hard sand near the water, Meg stayed further up the beach where the sand was deep and soft and much more challenging.

Mike found he had to push himself harder to keep up with her. He could feel the muscles in his legs and back fighting against the slide of the sand. Mike pushed to increase his speed to get up alongside of her again. They continued for two miles on the beach before Meg turned them back toward the streets. She took the stairs two at a time, forcing him to do the same.

"I usually take this back to my street, it's about 4 miles," Meg said.

Mike nodded. "I'm game," he said.

He picked up his pace to catch up to her when he again realized he was dropping behind. He looked over at her as he came alongside of her. Her cheeks definitely showed she was working harder and he noticed when she spoke to him her words were a bit more clipped and breathless.

Mike smiled. She was intentionally pushing him, forcing him to focus on his run so he couldn't think of all the other stuff that had gone on. It was exactly what he needed. He hadn't thought of anything other than his form, his muscles and not embarrassing himself in front of her for the last half hour. Mike couldn't help the laugh that escaped.

"What?" Meg looked over at him.

"I just realized what you're doing. I appreciate it, and it worked, but I'm ready to bring this down to a more reasonable long distance pace," Mike said, his words showing that the run was physically pushing him too.

"Oh good," Meg said, slightly breathless as she slowed down. "I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep up that pace."

"It was exactly what I needed, thank you."

Meg looked over at him and smiled.

They ran in companionable silence until they got to Meg's street. "This is me," Meg said, as they approached the street.

"I'm not on shift today. I'll take you home."

Meg didn't say anything, she just turned down her street. She slowed their pace to take them into a cool down as they headed toward her house. Meg stopped at her driveway and bent down to touch her toes, stretching out her muscles. Mike moved slightly so he was standing behind her so he could enjoy the view. Meg straightened up and reached her arms over her head, and then leaned to one side and then the other.

"I would really like to train with you," Mike said, bringing their conversation back to the marathon.

Meg shook her head. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Because of Caroline?" Mike asked. Meg looked down at the ground. "Or Joe?"

Meg looked back up quickly, surprised that Mike asked about Joe.

"I had breakfast with Johnny and Ainsley yesterday," Mike explained.

Meg let out a small sigh, "Does it matter?"

Mike looked at her without saying anything.

"I need to get in and get ready for work," Meg said, heading into the house.

Mike watched until she had closed the door. He turned to see Joe standing at his car a few houses down watching him. Mike turned and jogged in the opposite direction, heading back to Marco's apartment.

E

Meg shut her front door and leaned back against it. She waited a few seconds and then glanced out her window and watched Mike begin to run down the street. She felt a wave of anger wash over her. "What are you trying to do to me Mike? I just start trying to move on and you're telling me that I'm beautiful and asking me to spend time with you." Meg stormed toward her room, her anger growing with each step. "Not fair," Meg said, facing the strip of pictures she had stuck in her mirror when she rescued them the last time she'd been mad at Mike and had thrown them in the trash. "You're dating Caroline, I deserve to be happy and move on!"

Meg pulled the pictures off the mirror. She debated throwing them out, but instead moved to a spare bedroom down the hall. She pulled open the closet door and reached up to the top shelf, pulling down a plastic tote full of memorabilia. She threw the strip of pictures inside, and closed the list. She shoved the bin back up on the shelf. It was time to put Mike Stoker in her past.

E

"Do you like to jog?" Mike asked, as he and Caroline walked toward a bench to sit and have lunch. She'd suggested he come up to the library to have lunch with her. She had said she needed to take care of some stuff with the insurance company that night in regards to her car and wouldn't be able to meet him later; but she really wanted to see him.

Mike had packed them a lunch and they had managed to find a relatively secluded place to sit.

"Ugh, no," Caroline shook her head. "I don't like to get sweaty and luckily for me, this all comes naturally," Caroline indicated her thin physique.

Mike let his eyes follow her hands as she ran them down her body. She did have a very nice body. He'd spent all morning trying to figure out why he was so aware of Caroline's physical beauty, but had missed how beautiful Meg was. It had finally dawned on him that he and Meg had talked on the phone several times before they actually met in person. He was already drawn to her intelligence and her sense of humor when they finally met in person. He'd been so in tune with those aspects, that he hadn't put a lot of emphasis on how she looked. With Caroline, the initial attraction had been completely physical. What Mike needed to know was if there was more to his relationship with Caroline than physical attraction.

"What are some things you like to do?" Mike asked.

"I like spending time with you," Caroline said, resting her hand on Mike's knee and slowly moving it up his thigh, giving him a seductive smile.

"I like spending time with you too. But…"

Caroline leaned in and kissed him, stopping the rest of whatever he was going to say. When she pulled back, she adjusted the way she was sitting so she could face him easier. "I'm glad you came to meet me for lunch. I've been thinking a lot about our conversation yesterday. You're such a wonderful man, Mike. So, caring and brave; the way you charged into danger at the fire. And you are so loyal, I know I can trust you with my heart and you'll never betray me."

Mike looked down at her hands resting on his legs, not wanting to face her as the guilt of his time with Meg began to make his stomach churn.

"I've never met such an honorable man, one who always does the right thing," Caroline continued, the guilt Mike felt starting to make him squirm. "I really want us to take our relationship to the next level and I think the best way to do that is to start really bringing each other into our day to day lives. Not just the typical date environment."

Mike looked up at her, "Whatdya mean?"

"Well, for starters, can I come by and see the station?"

"You want to come see the station?" Mike asked, feeling a little caught off guard by this sudden change. Caroline had never seemed interested in knowing much about his job.

"Yes, I want to be able to picture things when you're talking about them. Then, maybe we can arrange to have dinner with Roy and his wife. I think that will be a little easier for me, since I don't think Ainsley likes me very much."

"What would make you say that?"

"She wasn't very nice to me when we were over there for her welcome home party," Caroline said, dropping her eyes and looking sad.

"Caroline, I'm sorry you felt that way. I'm sure Ainsley didn't mean it, she was probably just tired," Mike came to Ainsley's defense. He hadn't seen her being anything but polite, but Ainsley had come right out and told him she didn't like Caroline and maybe Caroline picked up on that.

"Oh, I'm sure," Caroline back pedaled. "But, I know she and Meg are friends and she really wanted you to date Meg. I just think it would be easier for me to be myself with Roy and his wife, Joanne, right?"

"Yes, Joanne."

"I just think it'd be easier to get to know them, first. Or maybe if Chet or Marco have a girl, we could go double-date with them," Caroline smiled at Mike. "I'd like to get to know your friends."

Mike blinked. This was a totally different Caroline. Maybe he had been the one keeping them from moving beyond the physical and now that he'd shown Caroline he cared about her by being worried about her, she was more willing to open up to him.

"We have the assembly tomorrow, so it probably isn't the best day to drop by the station, but what about the next shift on Monday? You could come by after work and maybe have dinner with us?"

Caroline smiled up at him. "I'd really like that. I want us to get to know each other better, on a deeper level."

"I'd like that too," Mike said.

Caroline leaned over and kissed him again. "I need to get back to work; I don't want to be late. Will you walk me back?"

"Of course," Mike quickly cleaned up their lunch, taking Caroline by the hand and walking back toward the library.

"I'm sorry I can't see you tonight," she said, when he got her to the employee entrance of the library. "But, can we see each other on Saturday night?"

Mike smiled down at her. "I'd ask my place or yours, but, my place is kinda out of the question."

Caroline ran a hand through his hair. "Why don't you come to my apartment. I'll make us dinner."

"I'd really like that."

"I'll see you Saturday night, say 6?"

"I'll be there," Mike watched her walk into work. That had gone much differently than he had anticipated, he thought as he walked back to his truck. He'd really thought this was going to be the conversation that moved them toward ending their relationship, instead, it had been the one to move them to getting more serious. Mike ran a hand through is hair, how did that happen?

E

Kate walked alongside the K-9 unit as the dog sniffed the area around the school.

"Do you really think this is necessary?" Principal Haggerty asked, walking a few steps behind her.

"Yes."

"Why?" Principal Haggerty was obviously frustrated at the one word answers Kate had been giving him over the last five minutes.

"Look, Principal Haggerty, I don't tell you how to run your school; I don't expect you to tell me how to keep it safe. There have been some incidents surrounding Fireman Stoker, given the events that transpired a year and a half ago where the school was targeted as part of the attack on Station 51, I don't intend to take any chances. Especially since Station 51 will be on school grounds today."

"Maybe I should just cancel the assembly."

Kate stopped walking, so she could look at the man. "We are doing a precautionary sweep with the dogs. During the assembly you'll have the fire department and police department on site. Myself and several other officers will be walking around the assembly area, blending in with the parents and teachers. We are going to keep the K-9 unit on-site, but technically off-duty, the kids will love them. I feel confident we can keep everyone safe, once you let me finish my security sweep," Kate emphasized the last few words.

Principal Haggerty nodded and walked away.

"I would not wanna work for that man," Officer Miller said, as he moved his dog toward the playground.

"Me either." Kate stopped moving and strained her eyes toward a wooden fort structure. There was someone in one of the enclosures. "Do you see that?"

"Yes, and so does Falco," Officer Miller said, as the dog's ears flattened against his head.

Kate and Officer Miller began to move toward the wooden fort.

"I think it's more than one person," Officer Miller whispered to Kate.

Kate reached under her jacket and released the clasp on her gun, the Officer followed suit. "That's Megan Trask," Kate whispered. "She's a teacher at this school and currently one of my suspects for these fires."

"Looks like she may have just moved to the top of the list."

"I can't believe you called the fuzz," a little boy yelled out.

Meg turned to see the approaching police officer and his dog, she saw Kate last.

"Jimmy, I didn't call the police. He's probably taking the dog for a walk before the assembly," Meg explained in a calm voice. "There isn't any reason to call the police. You haven't left school grounds, but you do need to go back in and join your class so you can participate in the assembly."

The little boy looked at the dog and then back at Meg. "Can I pet the dog first?"

Meg shook her head. "No, it appears the dog is working and he can't be disturbed, but you can pet him during the assembly. If you go back to your classroom right now."

The little boy stood up and started winding is way out of the fort. He walked slowly passed the dog, and then broke into a run toward the school building. Meg slowly extricated herself from the fort as well, brushing dirt and wood chips off her pants. Officer Miller watched her movements, glancing at items that fell to the ground.

"Your timing was perfect; I was starting to think I wasn't going to win that battle. Jimmy didn't come in from recess with his class. It's a substitute today and she didn't realize she was a student short. I just happened to see Jimmy climbing in here when I came out to start setting up tables for the assembly."

Kate looked back behind her at the distance between where the tables were being arranged and then back toward the fort. "That's a long distance," Kate observed.

"As a teacher you get used to seeing what you need to see," Meg laughed.

"Same as a police officer," Officer Miller observed.

Meg's smile faltered slightly. "I should get back to work."

Kate and Officer Miller watched Meg walk back toward the tables. When she'd gone about half the distance Officer Miller took a few steps toward the fort. He pulled a glove out of his pocket, slipped it on and bent over to pick up what at first glance looked like a thin stick to Kate.

"What is it?"

"A fuse."

"Like for dynamite?"

"Or homemade fireworks."

"Like was thrown through the Gage window?"

"Or like kids make to put down toilets," the officer stated.

"You found it right where Meg was standing."

"I watched it fall off her pants when she was brushing them off."

Kate looked at him and then back toward Meg who was working with another teacher to adjust some tables. "Do me a favor, walk Falco around the fort, make sure everything looks safe. I'll drop that in my evidence bag and see if they can find any prints." Kate reached into her jacket pocket and slipped on a glove. She took the fuse from Officer Miller and headed back toward her car as Falco began to search the fort structure.

E

Meg watched as the fire engine maneuvered into the parking lot and headed toward the designated area, the squad following directly behind. Meg forced herself to look away when she started to think how good Mike looked behind the wheel.

She took a few deep breaths. She needed to go over and address a few items. "I'll just work with Captain Stanley," Meg said out loud, forcing herself to move toward the fire engine. She watched as Mike opened the door and dropped to the ground. But, he didn't look at her, instead, he put his head down and moved to the side of the engine. Meg moved toward the other side of the engine, where Captain Stanley had just dropped to the ground and was moving toward the front of the engine.

"Captain Stanley," Meg approached and outstretched her hand. "Thank you so much for agreeing to be a part of our assembly. I have this table set up for the plastic helmets you said you were bringing. I made copies of the safety material you requested. It's already on the table. My understanding is that you'll allow the kids to sit in the engine, try on some of the gear, and give them brief talks about fire safety; emphasizing stop, drop and roll," Meg knew she was talking fast, she could feel her nerves on edge knowing Mike was moving around right behind her.

Captain Stanley smiled at her. "Thank you, Meg. I appreciate everything you've done. Yes, we'll help them put on gear, we'll discuss safety, especially stop, drop and roll and since you've got us so close to the grass, we can even have a few of them demonstrate it. Johnny and Roy were able to work out the ability to let the kids see how the biophone works, as long as they lines aren't busy with calls."

"That will be really neat; I'm sure they'll love it."

"Thank you for all the notes on the kids. I'm looking forward to seeing Jake."

"He's looking forward to seeing you too. You really made an impression on him."

Meg smiled at Captain Stanley and moved over to Johnny and Roy.

"Johnny, how's baby Grace?"

Johnny leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Beautiful and feisty. She's gonna be her momma's daughter."

Meg laughed. "I've heard you may have a special surprise for the kids."

Roy pulled the biophone out of the squad. "Hopefully, as long as Rampart doesn't start getting a lot of calls."

"Let's hope for peace and quiet," Meg crossed her fingers.

"I need to go check on the K-9 unit; they were a recent addition. I'll do my best to swing by later."

Roy watched Meg walk away and looked over at Mike, who was working really hard to ignore her. "We won't see her anywhere near here again."

"Nope." Johnny agreed.

The assembly was a huge hit, there were no problems, and everything went out without a hitch. But, Johnny and Roy had been right, Meg never came back over. As Mike climbed back into the engine to lead the way out of the school he briefly wondered why she hadn't come back over. Had he done something to upset her, or did she somehow know he'd decided to work on his relationship with Caroline. But, how would she know that?