"… and maybe you better think long and hard about that before you tell Vanessa – 'if the breeze blows out a candle my dress will fall off' – Galiano to be less formal," Danielle Melnick began in an acidic tone as she closed the French doors that led to the balcony.

Sam Prescott bit his tongue to keep from chuckling, as he turned to look at the view if the evening skyline. Ever since his ill fated decision to try to take the lead on Malinowski's kidnapping case, he had felt the weigh of Melnick's silent doubts. After going through the usual conciliatory gestures – flowers, surprising his lover with a romantic weekend for two, admitting his knee jerk reaction was over the top, even for him –he knew Melnick was still wary. Being a master prosecutor had taught him one thing that applied not only professionally, but personally: Never rely on a single strategy to achieve your goal.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing," Melnick snapped as she joined him by the railing."You find this funny? What did you think you were doing flirting with that bimbo with a law degree? Was that your idea of a joke? Did you think I'd find it amusing to watch ..."

"Listen Danielle," he began as he faced her, poker face securely in place. "If my bein' friendly upsets you so much, maybe you better make me a list of the women you approve of me speakin' to. I mean, you don't want me talkin' to Mal, and now Vanessa…maybe I better stop invitin' Abbie Carmichael to lunch. I wouldn't want you to feel obliged to add her to the list."

Melnick fought to keep her composer. She knew he was baiting her, she just didn't know why. During the months she had been involved with Prescott she had grown to care for him deeply; to even secretly flirt with the idea of a future with him. But no matter how deep her feelings ran, Melnick's pride was too strong for her to suffer in silence, for any man.

"Abbie Carmichael doesn't behave like a tart and I never said I didn't want you to talk to Brooke," Melnick interjected."I said you were too involved in her life. We're not married. You can talk to whoever you choose… or do anything else you choose with whoever you want… just don't think I'm going to stick around and watch."

"So you're sayin' it would be different if we we're married," he asked, with feigned annoyance.

"You'd have never made that comment to Vanessa when you were married. You have too much respect for Brooke, not to mention the fact that if she'd throw a drink at Vanessa for kiss..."

"What?"

Prescott sharp response to Melnick's unfinished sentence, told her she'd made a huge misstep. The only reason she knew about the fateful kiss at Gino's and the liquid comuppance Malinowski had given Galiano, was that Melnick had had a meeting with Charlie Graham the next morning. When Graham retold the story of why he had taken Galiano to the twenty four hour dry cleaners by the court house, Melnick had found she was at once horrified and in awe.

She'd been in awe of the fact Malinowski had unceremoniously staked her claim to Jack McCoy without apology. She'd been horrified that McCoy had not only made a potentially fatal misstep by kissing Vanessa Galiano, but he'd done in a way that begged for that misstep to be exposed.

An misstep that if exposed, could have a ripple effect of undermining not only McCoy's engagement, but Melnick's relationship with Malinowski's former husband.

She knew it was irrational, but looking at the puzzled expression on her lover's face, Melnick couldn't help but wonder how long Prescott would remain with her if his former wife wasn't involved with Jack McCoy.

"Danielle? Is there somethin' you plan to say or is that thought gonna just hang in the air unfinished?"

"Brooke walked in on Vanessa flirting with Jack at Gino's the other night. She decided to cool Vanessa off by throwing a drink at her."

Prescott scratched his head thoughtfully; deliberately avoiding the tell his ex-wife had tipped Melnick off to. Knowing not only how much his ex-wife trusted the womanizing DA, as well as how much she had given up to commit to Jack McCoy, Prescott's immediate reaction was to visualize beating the other man senseless and throwing him under a moving train afterwards.

Aware of Melnick's eyes measuring his reaction, Prescott kept his expression neutral, before responding with cool calmness.

"Did she? Sounds like Mal hasn't forgotten how to take care of herself."

Melnick's eyes narrowed.

"That's it? You don't want to kill Jack?"

Prescott shrugged his shoulders.

"Should I?"

"Unless you've suddenly turned into one of the pod people, yes," Melnick exclaimed."For God's sake Sam I wanted to kill him when I heard about it! Of all the stupid stunts. Don't get me wrong. I know Jack. He loves Brooke. I have no doubt of that. But to let that…that…"

"Bimbo with a law degree," Prescott offered.

"Exactly. To let her put him in a position where he could jeopardize what he has with Brooke…after everything they've been through…"

Prescott gave her a bashful smile, letting her know he was well aware there was more on her mind than concern for her good friend's love life.

"Danielle, do you really think I'm fool enough to base the longevity of our romance on the actions of someone with the attention span of a fly, like your friend Jack McCoy? Not only did I think you had more faith in me than that, I thought you had more faith in yourself."

Melnick instinctively opened her mouth to launch a defense, but as her uncertain gaze met Prescott's knowing stare, she turned away instead.

"You know, we really should go in," Melnick said at last. "I'm sure they've started serving dinner and..."

"I don't give a hang about dinner and neither do you," Prescott said as he caught her hand."You know the only reason you raced around for tickets this afternoon, was that you heard Jack was gonna show up. I swear, you're more like my ex-wife than you'll ever know."

Melnick whirled around; inadvertantly giving Prescott the reaction he had intended. Anticipating her response, Prescott planted a quick kiss on the shiny red lips that parted, to launch another verbal attack.

"I thought that would get your attention. I just meant, when it comes to protectin' your friends – especially Jack – you're as loyal as Brooke is, when it comes to Jake Cohen. I'll bet you figured you'd come down here and make damn sure Jack didn't make the same mistake he made that night at Gino's, didn't you? Only thing is, you didn't plan on endin' up out here with me while Jack does God knows what with that Galliano woman."

Melnick shuffled her feet uncomfortably.

"You make it sound so silly… so paranoid," she said quietly. "But you forget, anyone who's been in the legal profession more than two seconds in the tri-county area, knows how things were between you and Brooke before you left. I'm not usually one who's shy about competing but..."

"Sweetheart, don't you know by now how crazy I am about you," he asked, dropping the ironic tone of his banter and replacing it with quiet sincerity, as he responded to the vulnerability reflected in his lover's eyes. "The only competition going on between you and Mal is in your mind. You're a sharp gal, Danielle. Don't you know why I took the job in Manhattan, instead of starting fresh in Buffalo?"

"Honestly?"

"Is there any other way to go with you," he said with a wink.

Melnick searched the pale green eyes, feeling more and more foolish by the second. She could see the warmth, the genuine concern he had for her. But her own concerns seemed to engulf her thoughts more and more in the past few weeks…concerns that could only be laid to rest if Melnick brought them directly into focus.

"I thought … as much as I knew you wanted to see where things would go with us…I thought part of you wanted to see how long it would be before Jack screwed things up and you had a chance to win your wife back."

Prescott gave a heavy sigh. Noticing the chill that ran through his lover, he slipped his suit coat off and placed around Melnick, resting his hands on her shoulders.

"Dear God woman," he finally replied as he pressed his chest against her back."You are truly a conundrum. For a woman that goes on blind faith with clients that are affiliated with such upstanding organizations as the Aryan Brotherhood, you sure are a hard nut to crack."

"That's because I'm a romantic. I know true love when I see it," she said softly.

"Do you now," he asked as he turned her to face him.

Prescott could see where his lover was taking their conversation and a wave of shame washed over him. As much as he'd enjoyed baiting her and watching her tightly controlled responses... not just that night but over the last few weeks…he never dreamed she'd be willing to give up so easily.

Prescott slipped his hand into the vest pocket where his pocket watch rested.

"Before you say something you won't be able to take back and we'll both regret, may I ask you somethin'? Do you love me Danielle or was this just a causal thing for you? A flirtation...an infatuation at most…"

Melnick's eyes widened disbelief.

"I think you have me confused with the bimbo with a law degree," she sputtered."I don't play with people's feelings. If you think I do then..."

"Neither do I darling, neither do I," he countered with the faintest of smiles as he pressed her hand to his. "But I must confess, I have been less than honest with you. I did see Mal before she left town. I will admit, that woman is somethin' special and she had somethin' I wanted…somethin' I could get only from Mal."

Melnick tried to wrench her hand from his as confusion and anger nearly blinded her to the feel of the object pressing against the palm of her hand.

"You know Sam, I don't know what kind of game you think you're playing, but I've had enough..."

Prescott grinned as he watched her react; her face first tightening and then relaxing, as her eyes widened and her mouth formed a silent 'Oh'. Melnick opened her hand and stared down at the gold ring with the single round solitaire diamond.

"It belonged to my mother," Prescott explained. "It's not very fancy and I'd only ask that you wear it until we have a chance to get you a proper ring…you should have your own ring. I'd still like you to keep it, for sentimental reasons…that is… if you're ready to forget about all this nonsense and consider bein' my wife."

Melnick's stunned gaze traveled from her hand upward to meet Prescott's expectant gaze.

"This...the ring… this is what Brooke had that you wanted?"

"She tried to give to me when we were doin' the divorce settlement. Said it was a family heirloom and since she wasn't officially family …anyway…I didn't see much point in takin' it then," he said as he took the ring from her hand and began slipping it on her finger. "Didn't expect I'd be needin' it. Not until that night you dressed me down about takin' the case. I knew I loved you, I just didn't know how much I needed you. I love you Danielle Rose Melnick. Now, unless you'd rather go chasin' after Jack right now to make sure he's behavin' himself, I'd like an answer. I'd like to know if you'd do me the honor of becomin' my wife?"

Melnick could feel the mixture of tears and mascara slowly streaming downward from her eyes. Taking the handkerchief Prescott offered, she dabbed at her eyes.

"You've been carrying the ring around with you just waiting until I was good and ticked off? You've done this before, Sam. Is this your idea of how these things are done?"

"It is, when a point needs to be made," he said as he took her in his arms. "I'll always have room in my heart for Mal. If somethin's not right, I'll be there for her Danielle. As a friend, as someone who knows her backwards and forwards, but not as a man. As a man, I've moved on with you. Sweetheart, you know I'm no Jack McCoy…never wanted to be either. I don't dally when it comes to matters of the heart. I've always been a one woman man and you are the woman I want, if you'll have me."

"If I'll have you," she asked as her lips turned upward. "Oh, Sam if that was all I had to consider, you know I'd say 'yes' in a heartbeat."

"If that was all you had to consider," he replied with a disappointed frown.

"Marrying a Jewish woman involves much more than whether or not the woman in question wants to get married," Melnick was the feigned seriousness. "Especially to a non-Jew. For example, the reception. Do we go kosher or non-kosher and then there's the ceremony…"

Prescott bit his lip as he gave her a respectful nod.

"Touché , Ms. Melnick," he whispered before reaching for the back of her neck and planting several light, rapid kisses on her lips before pressing her close and letting his lips linger on hers as their last kiss turned passionate.

When they finally came up for air, endearments where exchanged along with more tender kisses and hugs.

"I suppose I deserved that non answer after givin' you such a hard time," he said, his eyes dancing with pleasure. "For the record, I am a practicin' Presbyterian, as you well know. But, if you have your heart set on a ceremony in the synagogue… "

"I have my heart set on you; everything else will work itself out."