I can't tell you guys how much I'm enjoying writing this scenario especially in this genre. I have a feeling this will be longer than In between the Heartaches but we'll see. Off topic: There's someone who reviews under the name of "A" and for months i've been waiting for a few more letters. joke inside my head, don't laugh...okay not that loudly Back on topic: Thank you all, readers, reviewers and fellow writers alike and anyone who wants songs featured on Missing (see profile) PM me.

Inspirations: Judy Blume, Rainforest Films, Rosa Guy and Eric Jerome Dickey

Peace

Detroit, Michigan

The bartender slid another Tequila shot in her direction and under Landon's glare she downed it without revealing how it stung her tongue, raised her temperature or made her toes clench together.

"You got a man?" He asked tentatively, remembering how alcohol used to loosen her tongue.

"Why?" She responded, looking boldly in his eyes.

"You smell like him."

"Where's your lawyer?" She asked, changing a subject she knew he wouldn't forget about.

"Coming."

"Liar. I know you."

"And I know you."

"You know Alex."

"I know you're not hungry."

"Lucky guess."

"Or experience. Sex curbs your appetite. That…and cigarettes."

"Like most people."

"Why did you come? I could kill you right now."

"You wouldn't."

"I could."

"Between courses? I don't think so."

He laughed. "You got me. Now I've got you."

"No you don't. You already had Alex, for what it cost me."

He leaned in towards her and directed his request at her face and her cleavage. "Let's dance."

Sacramento, C.A.

In Nicole's absence, Nina and Angela danced their way around the kitchen to Dazz Band's 'Let it whip'. In Angela, Nina had regained her own daughter in a convoluted way. Although she wasn't her daughter; she loved her unconditionally as all young kids do and served as a constant reminder of what she had missed out on first time around. That was why she spoiled her rotten and could never say no. Deep down Nicole didn't like the idea of her daughter being used as penance but never complained outwardly about it because Rashad's family outnumbered hers and she was responsible for not knowing her paternal family.

"Your mom used to love this song."

"Really?"

"Yeah. She was moody, it was her pick-me-up."

"Like ice-cream?"

"Something like that."

"I miss Mommy."

"I'm sure she's doing something important, wishing she was here with you."

"No more Tequila."

Landon put his arm around her for coercion. "Just one more."

"Designated driver remember?"

"I guess it's time to turn in."

"Are we headed in the same direction?" She teased.

"Where you are is where I want to be."

"Are you going Donell Jones on me?"

He laughed at and with her. "Alex, Nicole; there's no difference."

"How'd you figure that?"

"I looked you up. The only thing stopping you from being Alex is a badge."

"And my ethics, my education…" She neglected to mention her family.

"Your rationalisation. Alex is…"

"Perfect for Landon; unreal."

"Let's get out of here."

Since Nicole kicked him out of her office Antonio had been working on the case even though he knew she wanted nothing less. He was waiting for an opportune time to tell her what he had found, fully aware that she wouldn't want to believe him. Seeing her again had tickled his insecurity and made him question what Rashad had that he didn't; besides the obvious.

"Hello?" The mild, male voice was unexpected or rather unwanted.

"It's Antonio. Is Nicole there?"

"No. Is there anything else?" Rashad's annoyance at Antonio's violation of boundaries flared in his voice.

"Tell her I called, I'm worried."

"Like hell you are. Listen, she's fine. Your mind games don't work on her."

"I care about her still."

"I take care of Nicole. We have a family."

"We have a history; you can't erase that."

"And you can't leave it alone. She doesn't want you here."

"The Nicole I know can speak for herself."

"Then you must be hard of hearing because she made that crystal clear at the office."

"How would you know?"

"I know everything there is to know about her; she's my wife."

"I know her." Antonio said, thinking of a riposte to silence him.

"You don't know she can sing or why she doesn't or why she saved your life that night. I know all about Sam Lewis, what she did and didn't do with Landon Warfield and how you always judged her. So let her go." His command was the sting after the slice of the knife.

"What if I don't?"

"Ask Harris."

His sinister statement preceded the dial tone from his hanging up. The tension in his face was softened by Angela's head, poking through the door to the study.

"Was that Mommy?" She asked. He opened the door fully and picked her up.

"No. If it was I would've called you precious." He kissed her on the cheek, sending a chill through Nina's body. She had overheard the whole conversation and recalled the times Ray did the same to a very young Nicole, whenever she saw him hit her mother. It was times like that that she wished Nicole knew she wasn't being spiteful, she had genuine concern. In her mind, men who were social chameleons were capable of anything but Nicole wouldn't accept that where Rashad was concerned because he wasn't her father.

"It's time for bed. Brush your teeth; I'll be up in a minute. Unless you want to put her to bed?"

Nina hugged her granddaughter and declined. "No, I have to be up early. Be good and if you have to be bad..."

"Have fun." Angela finished her sentence.

She flashed him a knowing look before leaving. "Goodnight."

The long shower she took to forget about the previous night was the only therapy she indulged in when she arrived home. With five days left to the trial she longed for a time when she wasn't involved. Since that was impossible to attain, she thought forward to when it would all be over and she could return to whatever counted as normal in her own life. She sang 'Use your heart' by SWV for the fifth time before stepping out of the steamy shower to find Rashad waiting in his gym clothes in the kitchen.

"Why didn't you join me?" She asked, still wrapped in a towel and snatching the bills from his hands.

"No reason." He took the credit card bill she was trying to hide. "I can't believe you spent four grand on shoes."

"I can't believe you can't believe I spent four grand on shoes."

"I thought we were saving for a bigger house."

"Was that before or after you bought a Chrysler?"

He dropped the subject. "Antonio called last night."

"What'd he want?"

"To talk I guess."

"You were rude to him. Weren't you?"

"I was blunt."

"Then that makes two of us. Hey, what are you doing here at one in the afternoon?"

"With all this overtime, I needed a day off…to decompress." He gently sucked on her bottom lip. "You should try it sometime."

She laughed. "Fat chance."

Antonio finally got a hold of her at the office when she was pulling an all-nighter with Agents from another investigation she was running.

"Nic, I know you don't want to talk to me."

"I'm sorry." The shock silenced him. "I shouldn't have taken my frustration out on you."

"It's okay. This isn't easy to say."

"Neither is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."

"I get your point. I ran the security tapes from Marlon Harris's office."

She exhaled with impatience. "You're off the case."

"Your husband's on the tape." He blurted out.

"pardon me?"

"From 8.55 to 9.30 a.m. you can check for yourself, I'm sorry Nic."

"Can you do me a favour?"

"What's that?"

"Stop calling." She hung up with zeal and went back to the bullpen where the exhausted agents crowded around the Chinese food on the table.

Nina gave her 'I told you so' facial expression when she told her over lunch.

"I told you he was trouble. All you had to do was walk away. Look at his eyes; just shady."

"Mom." Nicole said to stop her.

"What do you want me to say?"

"Nothing. You don't think he…?"

"Is ruthless? Yes."

"You're enjoying this. Why?"

Nina ignored the question at hand. "Baby he's looking out for you because that's the man Antonio is."

"A married man with three and a half kids is what he is. Look I don't care. We'll work it out; we always do."

"Spoken like a true Chambers."

Nicole took immediate offence at the mention of her mother's real surname. "Don't say that."

"You sound like my mother; always trying to fix something that was born broken."

"We weren't."

"Fine. Play that role. I know you're the ride-or-die type, to the wire and all that so you won't listen, but I won't stop talking."

"Like you ever do!"

"That's right." Nina flicked back her hair. "Ask him. Ask him and I bet he'll deny it."

After hours at the club they retreated to the leather seats of her rented car. His hand slid from its comfortable resting spot on her knee up to her thigh.

"Landon." She said with an inkling of warning in her tone. "I'm not one of your conjugal visits."

"So what did your man say about you coming here? Or did you have another fit of that Chronic lying disease?"

"Cute, where are you going next?"

"I told you; to Atlantis if I have my way."

"And when you don't?"

"If."

"When."

"I'll figure something out.

"No you won't." She said with resolve.

"What's wrong?" Rashad asked with concern, bringing her back to consciousness by caressing her neck.

"I can't wait for it to all be over, that's all."

"It already is." His eyes locked with hers and she couldn't get over how ominous he sounded.

"Why did you meet with Marlon Harris?"

"Are you trailing me?"

"No, it just came to my attention. Do you work with him?"

"He owns the Conference Hall."

"Oh. Did he seem jumpy to you?"

"No and he shouldn't have, seeing as I went to pay him. He was cordial, as usual."

"Alright." She conceded, still deciding whether she believed him or not. "There's something I have to tell you. It's about Landon."

The look in his eyes changed from understanding to puzzled to suspicious. "You didn't."