A/N: See intro for the standard stuff. Please R&R.

Roadrunner: No worries. You are the master. Flack, he's got some issues. Ilovemygelding and meadow: thank you. Demolished: Thank you for your continued support. Let me know if things are too slow.

Don stood in front of the imposing edifice of Hunter. He looked the red stone building up and down. He could see why people called it Hunter Prison. A pair of girls passed down the steps, saw him and started whispering to each other. Don shook his head and climbed the steps. He went inside and looked for the office. Spotting it, he crossed over and went inside. The secretary looked up and smiled warmly at him.

"May I help you?"

"I'm looking for a teacher here. Tess Nagy. She teaches English."

"Were you looking for her classroom?" The secretary glanced at the clock. "She's probably in the cafeteria already. Fencing practice."

"Fencing practice?"

"That's what I said."

"Yea, I heard ya."

"You need directions?"

"Yea, that'da be good."

The secretary nodded and pulled out a map. "As you go out the door…"

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Don stood on the edge of the cafeteria. He looked around, but couldn't see Tess. The tables had been pushed to the sides of the room. There were several pairs of fencers engaged in bouts and people watching them, but none recognizable as Tess. Finally, he spotted a honey colored braid bouncing on the back of one of the combatants. He leaned against a column and watched the bout. Tess chased and was chased up and down the strip. She was wearing the standard jacket, but paired with tight black leggings. Tight black leggings that hugged her nice round… Don shook his head. He was standing in a school for Pete's sake. Tess planted the tip of her foil in the middle of her opponent's chest and a groan went up from the group watching her bout. Tess and her opponent saluted each other and stepped off the strip. Tess set her foil down and peeled off her mask. She was smiling, her hair damp. She walked over to the young man she had been fencing and talked to him in quiet tones. He nodded at her words and she patted his back. She set up the next bout, stepped back and watched. She was leaning against a table with her arms crossed over her chest and her legs crossed at the ankles.

"Can I help you?" Don jumped. He turned to the blond man standing beside him.

"I was waiting ta talk ta Tess."

The man nodded. "Tess!" he called. Several heads including Tess' swiveled in their direction. The man looked back toward Don. "Now, you can talk to her." Tess pushed away from the table, whispered something into the judge's ear and walked over toward Don. She stopped in front of him and crossed her arms over her chest. Brown eyes raked him up and down.

"If it isn't Donald Flack Junior."

"Hiya, Tess." Don nodded towards where the team was practicing. "Yer good."

"Thanks. That would be why I get to help coach. Your phone stop working?"

Don blinked slowly. "Yea. 'Bout that."

Tess tilted her head and pinned him with her gaze. "I told you I was really sorry to run. I had a prior commitment, or I would have hung around with you." Her voice took a hard edge.

Don straightened up and crossed his arms over his chest. "But ya didn't. Ya ran off." His voice matched hers.

Tess looked at the floor. "Okay. This is going nowhere." She looked up. Don started to say something. "That's not what I meant. I meant let's start this over. You didn't call, but now you're here."

"But yer busy."

Tess nodded. "Until about 5:30. Are you free then?"

Don shrugged. "I could be."

Tess grinned. "Good. In the meantime, you can hang out here or I can meet you out front after I get cleaned up."

Don nodded. "After 5:30. I should file some paperwork first."

"Ah, so it wasn't just looking for me that brought you down here. Not a good thing when a homicide detective is hanging out in your neighborhood."

"No, it ain't. It wasn't too bad."

Tess sighed and tugged on her braid. "Except for someone being dead."

Don looked at the floor. "Yea. 'Cept for that." He looked up at Tess. "So, around 5:30."

She nodded. "That gonna give you enough time to do what you need to do and get back here?"

"Yea. My shift's long over by then anyhow."

"Okay. See you later then." She smiled warmly at him. "I'm glad you stopped by. Really glad." She gave him one last look up and down. "You look great in a suit, by the way. Bet it throws all the female suspects into a tizzy." Tess turned around and walked away before Don could respond. He watched her go. His gaze slipped to where her jacket ended over her ass. He wasn't the only one looking good. Again, thinkin' like that in the middle of a school. He shook his head and walked away. Tess glanced over her shoulder one more time at Don's retreating back and smiled again.

She went back to the fencers she had been working with. "Watch your back, Robbie. Remember that whole thing is a target. Defend. Or Mario is gonna reach right over and stick you."

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Tess was sitting on the front steps when Don came jogging up. She glanced at her watch and raised her eyebrows. The two girls that had been talking with her said their goodbyes and wandered off. They elbowed each other and giggled as they passed Don. He stood in front of Tess, panting a little, his one hand on his ribs.

Tess stood up and looked at Don. He eyes were a little too sharp. Tess stepped closer and touched his arm. "You okay? You didn't have to hurry so hard. I was going to wait for you. Takisha and Angie were keeping me company."

Don straightened up. "Fine. Got injured pretty bad this spring. Sometimes forget." He ground his teeth together and pushed back the stitch in his ribs.

Tess' brown eyes searched his face, noting the strained lines around his mouth, and eyes. "You sure?"

"Yea." He smiled at Tess. "You clean up well."

She smiled back. "Ya think?"

Don shrugged. "Ya looked good in the fencing gear too."

Tess' lips twitched. "So you were checking my ass out. Takisha said she thought so."

"Ya let yer girls talk ta ya like that?"

Tess shrugged. "Only my fencers. We're pretty tight outside of class. If they talked to me like that in class, that would be a different story. In class, it's strictly Miss Nagy."

"Strictly, huh?" Don grinned, his eyes twinkling.

Tess grinned again. "You are way too quick."

"Do my best."

"I would expect no less of one of New York's finest."

Don stepped forward. "Live by the motto."

Tess blushed and took a step back. "Thrust, parry, thrust and I'm just going to retreat."

"Ya didn't retreat earlier."

Tess took a deep breath and shook her head. "Okay. I am not doing to repeat all of the things that just went through my mind."

Don grinned. "Chicken," he teased.

Tess tilted her head and stepped up a step, so her eyes were level with his. Blue locked with brown. "I will make you take that back. Just not today. I can win a bout with you."

"I don't fence."

Tess smiled. "I'll take you down on another field of valor. Maybe a little basketball. A little one on one."

Don grinned again. "I thought ya were retreating."

"Yea. I said that, didn't I?" Tess stepped down one step. "Okay. So. Date number two." She looked Don up and down. He had switched to black jeans, a light blue shirt opened just a little at the collar and a black suede jacket. "I feel a little overdressed." Tess was wearing a deep, red tailored shirt, gold cardi, khaki dress pants and pumps. Her damp hair was piled up on the back of her head in a bit of a messy bun.

"Ya look very teacher-ish. 'Course if I had teachers that looked like you…"

"Wouldn't have gotten much done?" Tess grinned impishly. "I have the tortoiseshell glasses too."

"Ya don't give up easily, do ya?" Don shook his head and stepped back. "Ya could let your hair down."

"I hate cold, wet hair down my back."

Don closed his eyes trying hard not to think about why her hair was wet. He opened them again to find Tess watching him with an amused expression. Her eyes had little gold flecks in them. He smiled. "Outta luck then."

"I guess I'll have to deal with it."

"While yer dealin', where we goin' for dinner?" Don shook his head. "And 'fore ya say it don't matter, I'm tellin' ya to choose."

Tess raised her eyebrows. "Demanding, aren't we?"

"I jus' don't wanna go 20 rounds again."

"No fun at all, are you, Donald Flack Jr.?" teased Tess.

"I'm plenty of fun. Jus' hungry."

"Well, you poor boy. Let's go find you some food then." Tess hooked her arm through Don's and led him down the street. "I'll take you to one of my favorite places."

"And what's one of yer favorite places?"

Tess shook her head and kept walking. "I'm going to surprise you. But it is within walking distance. So, you won't have to starve much longer."

Don let her pull him along. "Good."

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Don took a bite of his meal and chewed slowly. Tess watched him expectantly. He met her eyes and smiled. Tess relaxed.

"Ya win."

Tess sat back on her heels. "Told you it was good."

Don nodded and smiled wider. "Had my doubts. What with the takin' off the shoes and the grillin' your own food, but it's really good."

Tess popped a scallop into her mouth and smiled warmly. "Glad you like it."

"So, you like Korean food."

"Amongst others. Like I said before, no food hang-ups. You on the other hand, are none too keen on trying new things." Tess waved her chopsticks at Don.

"So, this is round two of the twenty questions thing."

"It's called dating, Don." Tess shifted and stuck a foot under the table to stretch. "I am so sorry," she said as she kicked into Don. She quickly pulled her foot back and sat cross legged.

"'Sokay." Don narrowed his eyes. He pointed his fork at her. "Unless you kicked me on purpose."

Tess smiled, looking up through her lashes. "Believe me. You'll know when I'm doing something on purpose." Tess leaned in. She uncrossed her legs. "Had I run my foot up your leg after finding it under the table. That would have been on purpose."

Don grabbed her foot and swallowed slowly. "Yer dangerous."

Tess grinned and pulled her leg back. "I'm not the only one." She sat back and waved her chopsticks at Don again. "Has anyone ever told you that almost everything you're thinking plays across your face?"

He colored slowly and looked away. "Yea. I've heard that." He looked back at Tess. "And what was I thinking?" Their eyes locked again. His eyes were dark. Tess felt her breath catch.

It was Tess' turn to blush and drop her eyes. "Never mind."

Don chuckled. "Chicken again."

Tess' gaze flashed back. "I am going to have to make you pay for that."

"So ya keep sayin'"

"This isn't the time or place."

"Name the time and place, Tess."

Tess smiled. "Tomorrow. There's a basketball court right near my apartment." Don frowned, looking confused. Tess took a bite of dinner. "Field of valor, Don. Try and keep up."

He just shook his head. "I'm still callin' ya chicken, Tess."

"No. Just interested in self-preservation. I can play with the best of them."

"So ya claim. But ya never put yer money where yer mouth is, Tess."

"Are you calling me a tease, Don Flack?" Tess raised her eyebrows at him.

Don shook his head. "Never said that."

Tess grinned. "He isn't just cute folks. He's smart too."

Don groaned and shook his head. "That was low, Tess. I called ya the winner."

"Afraid I'll bruise your ego some more?"

Don held up his hands. "I told ya. I surrender."

Tess' grin deepened. "Good. Just remember I can win if I try."

"And remember I'm letting ya keep on thinking' that."

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Don held the door open and Tess headed out ahead of him. She spun around and looked up at him. Night had fallen and the air was a little chillier. Tess puffed out a couple of breaths and watched them float away. She looked back at Don.

"So." Don just watched her, his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "I had a nice time."

"Yea. Thanks for payin'. Ya didn't have ta."

Tess shrugged. "I suggested the place and you paid last time."

"Ya live far from here?"

"Kingsbridge."

"That's a bit of a hike. Do ya want some company?"

Tess smiled. "I can't imagine it's on your way."

Don shrugged. "It's not."

Tess grinned wider. "Haven't had enough of me?"

Don frowned and closed his eyes. "Do ya want the company or not?"

Tess nodded her head back and forth. "Actually. I would. Thank you."

Don smiled. "Okay, then. Lead the way." Tess started off. Don grabbed the strap of her messenger bag. "Hey."

"Let me carry that." He slipped the bag off her shoulder and almost dropped it. "Jeez. Ya carryin' a set of free weights in there?"

Tess laughed. "New recruiting slogan. Forget the gym membership, become a teacher. That's just a normal weekend in there."

"Sound like fun."

"It pays the bills. You know you don't have to carry my bag."

"I know. My ma would kill me if she found out I let ya haul this bag of bricks."

"I guess I'll let you have it. Wouldn't want you dead."

Don hefted her bag and groaned again. "May be iffy either way."

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