Story Note: Chapters will switch between Jack and Allison's POV.

Spoilers: Contains references to seasons 1 & 2

Author's Note: Thanks so much for the reviews! Yay!

Allison sat in the back of an elegant black limousine, surrounded by rich leather and deeply tinted windows, and resisted the urge to tell the driver to turn around. She wasn't used to being driven around by a chauffer, but as the director of Global it was expected. The opulent mode of transportation wasn't what was bothering her today. Instead, it was her destination.

She was on her way to pick up Carter for their day at the spa. Originally, she'd decided that bringing him along as her guest was the perfect solution. It would give him the trip to the spa she'd promised without earning her a reputation as an executive who didn't follow the company rules. The fact that she could have just said no to Carter's request for access to the spa occurred to her and she refused to examine why she hadn't thought of it before.

She was realizing now that there was a lot about this plan she hadn't thought through. Like the fact she'd be spending the entire day with Carter. No meetings to rush off to or phone calls to take. In other words, there would be no convenient excusing for walking away if he got too close. And Carter seemed to have a knack for getting too close. Her mind flashed on the memory of being pined together against a magnetized fence and her heart speed up. She remembered what it felt like to be pressed up against him. She remembered—

The limo rolled to a gentle stop, interrupting her thoughts. They were parked outside of Carter's home. The unwelcoming bunker entrance in the middle of an empty field disguised the sumptuous luxury of the smart house inside. With a slight chuckle, Allison realized that Carter and SARAH, the smart house, had a lot in common. Both of them were easy to dismiss based on first impressions, but could be surprisingly charming and contained hidden reserves of strength.

Suddenly, Allison felt oddly vulnerable. Dressed casually in a t-shirt and jeans, she missed the protective armor of her business suits. Since it was his day off, Carter would presumably be out of uniform. No nice shiny badge on his chest to remind her what their respective roles were and why it was important to keep a professional distance.

Her breath caught in her throat as she realized what else Carter would be wearing soon. Or rather, not wearing. Her mind quickly formed an image of him wearing one of the white cotton robes provided by the spa. And nothing underneath.

Maybe it wasn't too late to turn around? Drive away and make a quick call begging off? Her mind was already coming up with excuses. But SARAH would have already registered the limo's presence within her perimeter, and Carter would know she had been parked right outside. Besides, running away would be cowardly.

Allison took a deep, calming breath and stepped out of the limo. The daylight was painfully bright after sitting in the dark interior of the limo and she blinked rapidly until her eyes adjusted. Squaring her shoulders, she marched toward the front door of the bunker.

She identified herself at the door, despite the fact that SARAH would have scanned her by now and knew perfectly well who she was. Seconds later, the door swung open with a loud clank followed by a soft hiss.

Carter, standing just inside, waved her into the room. "Hey, Allison! Ready for our day at the spa?" He chugged down the last of his coffee before setting the mug down on the counter. As she'd expected, he was dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt. What she hadn't counted on was how the contrast of a black t-shirt made his eyes impossibly blue.

"Hello, Allison. Nice to see you again!" SARAH's voice chirped pleasantly from overhead.

Allison startled at the sound and automatically glanced around for the exit. She hadn't forgotten the experience of being one of SARAH's hostages. Fargo had made several changes to her programming to prevent anything like that from happening again, but the memory of it still made Allison nervous. "Um…Hi, Sarah," she said cautiously.

"I wanted to thank you for taking Sheriff Carter to the spa today," said SARAH. "Research shows that alternative therapies such as massage and aroma therapy can be beneficial, especially when combined with traditional medicine to ensure optimal health."

Carter leaned in and whispered to Allison, "If she offers you a massage, say no. Trust me."

Unsure how to respond to that, Allison switched to a safer topic. "Ready?" she asked him.

"All set," he grinned down at her. "Sarah, door!" he called out and the door swung open.

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Allison ended the call with General Mansfield and sighed. So much for no interruptions, she thought wryly. They'd only just arrived at the spa when her cell phone rang. Several staff members and a few patrons shot disapproving looks her way as the loud noise disturbed the tranquil quiet. Leaving Carter at the front desk, she stepped out onto the balcony for a little privacy while discussing Global's storage vault. New security measures had already been put in place, but she would be hearing about the breach for a long time to come.

Slipping the phone back into her purse, she turned and looked through the sliding glass door at the spa's lobby. She smiled at the sight of Carter pouring over the brochure and discussing the various options with the desk clerk. Some men turned up their noses at this kind of thing, as if a spa could somehow rob them of their masculinity. Clearly, this man held no such reservations. As she stepped into the lobby, she caught part of his conversation with the clerk.

"Yeah, I just hate it when my chakras get out of balance... Okay, so what's accusage?"

"A combination of acupuncture and massage. It focuses on neural and musculoskeletal imbalances."

"Uh-huh...Interesting... And what's Breema?"

"Breema is a healing system involving a practitioner who rocks, cradles, and stretches a fully clothed client in fluid rolling sequences. I know it sounds odd, but several members who've tried it swear by it."

"Yeah…maybe not. I get pushed around enough as it is."

"I'd recommend this treatment on the bottom of page 3 in the brochure..."

"Wow! Okay, I definitely want that."

Allison shook her head, trying not to laugh. Carter was like a kid in a candy store. The entire ride over, he'd been full of restless energy, fiddling with the windows and inspecting the sound system. Now that they'd arrived, his open enthusiasm was infectious.

Maybe a little too infectious, she thought, narrowing her eyes at the clerk's hand resting lightly on his arm. The willowy young blonde tossed back her hair and laughed at a little joke Carter made. The phone rang at the front desk and she smiled apologetically before dropping her hand and stepping away to answer it.

"So much for being into brunettes," Allison murmured from behind him, referring to something he'd once said. He'd actually said he was into old brunettes, but she liked to leave that part out when she remembered the conversation.

Turning around, he grinned, "Don't worry. I know whose special guest I am."

She felt a rush of petulant irritability as her own weakness. Why should she care if the desk clerk hit on him? And why should he feel the need to reassure her? Feeling uncomfortable at both her own display of jealousy and his teasing recognition of it, she stepped away from him. "Well, have fun," she said casually before turning to leave.

"Wait! Where are you going?" he asked, hurrying after her.

He stopped right behind her, and she felt his hand hovering just above her shoulder. When she turned around, she was very aware of just how close they were standing. Still, she forced herself to sound cool and disdainful. "What? Did you want to join me in the women's locker room?"

"Well, no! But—"

"And I wasn't exactly planning on sharing a hot tub with you…"

Carter cleared his throat a couple of times before sputtering, "N-no…"

"So?" she asked challengingly, crossing her arms and shooting him an expectant look.

"Um…" Carter cast his eyes around the lobby as if an idea of what to say might appear on one of the walls. And, when his eyes landed on a framed review of the spa's restaurant, it did. "Lunch! We could meet up for lunch."

Allison froze, not sure how to shoot down that idea. After a moment, she shrugged casually and said, "Sure," as if it meant nothing to her.

Carter's face broke out in a huge grin and she had to glance away to avoid smiling back. Over her head she heard him say decisively, "Okay! Lunch it is." He stepped away and she instantly missed the feeling of standing so close to him.

He turned and took several long strides away from her until he disappeared around a corner. After a moment, he came trotting back to her side and asked, "What time?"

The smile she'd been holding back slipped free. "I'll see you at noon."

"I'll see you at noon," Carter parroted happily before walking back out of the room.

TBC