Dear Readers, I'm still not home from my trip yet...so I have been trying to post as I get access to wifi and have my computer. I'll be home on Wed. Thanks for your kind comments.

Chapter 12 Part 2

Maia looked at House, "Bill? Who's Bill?"

"Bill Arnelo, I saved his brother Joey."

"Joey Arnelo? You saved Joey Arnelo's life?"

"It's what I do." He exhaled, "Sit back, this is quite an adventure. Not to mention you're in some deep shit." House told Maia what Bill had told him, punctuating it with embellishing details about his bravery when he first entered the bar. Maia loved every word, he told a good yarn.

Maia sat up, the pain searing through her torso. She grabbed her side, "Ahhhgg."

"Lay down you Idiot.

"I never want you doing that again…don't ever risk your life to do something like that again." Maia was genuinely upset when she had time to think of what danger he had placed himself in. She calmed down, "What should I do?"

"I always think better after sex, but since that's out of question…"

She glared at him.

He gave her a sheepish smile, "First try getting better. Everything else can wait. And I'm serious. You need to get better before you do anything."

She looked at him and shook her head, "You can be such an ass. But then, just when I ask myself what I'm doing with you, you say something like that. Not quite romantic, but just enough to show that you care. You're a very complicated date."

"Not so complicated…feed and fuck me and I'm happy."

Giggling she blurted out, "You're never happy. Satisfied maybe, but not happy."

"Happiness is overrated, but if we could get you well enough to provide the two f's, it would go a long way to making me happy."

"I don't know what I'd do with a happy Greg."

He smiled, "Feed me and fuck me."

Maia threw a wadded up napkin at him. He gave her a feigned look of surprise and then walked up, leaned down and kissed her. She loved his smell, so manly and warm. Bending back down for another, he kissed her with more passion. She wrapped her free arm around him and pulled him down. House was making a move with his hand for her breast when they heard someone clear their throat. House looked up without disengaging. When he saw that it was Smithers, he pulled back.

Smithers smiled at the two of them, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I need to ask some more questions."

"Can't this wait? I was just getting lucky."

Smithers smiled at House and shook her head. She walked a little closer to the bed and pulled out a pad and pen. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm doing better. Not as groggy."

"Glad to hear that. I just received disturbing news that you're the focus of attention of two families. We pulled in an informant last night. He's not sure exactly why, but the Bellinghere's want you dead and the Torinos want you alive, but in their control. I know you didn't think you had any connection to the mob, but think hard Maia, what do you think is your connection to these families?"

She looked up at House, her eyes fixed on him. He shrugged, indicating that she had to do what she had to do. House turned to Smithers, "We think we know what it is." House turned to Maia.

Smithers also turned her attention back to Maia, wondering just what it was that had her so nervous.

Maia swallowed and sighed, "Phil once brought Joey Maglione over for help in filling out some forms in his divorce. They were financial forms. He got mad when I told him that he had to fill them out truthfully and left. But he had dropped an envelope containing the account information for an account in the Caymans. I only glanced at it to see what it was. I tried to get Phil to take it back to him, but he said that Joey had moved. Of course, now we know he was really dead. I stored the document along with others in a box when I moved. I don't have it at my studio."

"Where is it?" Smithers asked.

"The Umbatus, a family in my old apartment building, are keeping the box for me. They have it."

Smithers felt goose bumps ruin down "Jesus Christ. Does anyone else know that?"

Maia shook her head violently, "No. I didn't even know it was important until today."

Smithers sighed in relief, "Obviously, we need to retrieve that document."

"I need to call the Umbatus or their going to think you're there to arrest them. What's going to happen?"

"I'm not sure, it depends on the impact of the document."

House sat down, "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, if it leads to an indictment…"she trailed off, looking over at Maia.

Maia understood, "I'll be asked to testify to authenticate the document." Looking at Smithers, Maia shook her head and sighed, "You do know about my past? You know that I'll be a hard sell to the jury?"

"I'm not so sure. You've done pretty well since you wigged out. You've stayed in the community when most people would have left; you repaid your victims and you 've been on the up and up ever since."

"Thanks, but it hasn't won me any kudos."

She chuckled, "Well, you don't really expect to be patted on the back for being clean when most people do it on a daily basis?"

"Et tu brute?"

"Huh?" Smithers cocked her head.

That afternoon the Umbatus brought the boxes of documents down to the hospital and gave them to Maia to go through. She couldn't let the police have them because there were sensitive documents from other clients also in the boxes. Maia cut open the tape on the cardboard boxes and started her search. It was in the second box that she found the envelope. She pulled it out, having never really looked at it that closely and read it. The account had several deposits adding up to $1.85 million dollars. Maia laughed when she saw it. She understood now why everyone wanted her dead or alive. The FBI agent and Smithers showed up a few minutes later.

Smithers smiled, "Maia, you have your own special agent assigned to you, this is Andrew Quail."

Maia was already staring at the man and his deep blue eyes. Greg's eyes may be a brilliant light blue, but Quail's are a luminescent dark blue. If it weren't enough that the eyes were an incredible color, he looked a lot like Errol Flynn. When he smiled, he had a glint of mischievous imp that made you squirm with delight. He reached out with his hand which Maia didn't notice at first. She was still staring at the eyes.

"Call me Andy." He waited until she finally noticed the hand.

Maia slowly took his hand and gave him a gentle, but firm handshake, "Maia, but you can call me Maia."

They are chuckled.

"I've been assigned to do two things. First I'll collect and analyze the document you have. Second, I'm here to protect you. We'll most likely put you into the witness protection program until the trial. We'll be a team."

Maia, sounding almost drunk, narrowed her eyes and straightened up, pushing her hair behind her ear, "A team?"

"Yes, you'll have access to me 24 hours a day. If I'm not with you, you'll have a direct line to me and will have FBI protection 24/7."

"Oh shit." Maia said absentmindedly. Upset that she might have to go into a protection program, knowing House would have a fit.

Andy looked at Smithers, puzzled. "Excuse me?" he said to Maia.

Maia came out of her stupor, "Huh?"

"You seemed upset?" he ventured.

Upset? I'm going to be thrown in with a handsome thirty-something FBI agent for who knows how long? I'm not upset, I'm just pissed it didn't happen sooner. Maia smiled warmly at Andy and was about to reassure him when she saw the door open and House stepped in, "Oh shit."

Andy was just as puzzled. But upon hearing the door open he went immediately for his gun, putting a calm, but ready, hand on it. He didn't take it from its holster. Maia noticed that he was very fast, reassuring her that she would be in great, expressive and capable hands.

House walked over to take a look at the new addition to the room. He was no fool, this guy was law enforcement and he was strikingly handsome. The women in the room were both postured in a way to best display their hair, face, bodies, meaning that they had noted his features too.

Smithers held out a hand to introduce House, "Andy, this is Dr. House, the doctor I told you about. Dr. House, this is Andrew Quail, FBI."

Quail shook House's hand, "Oh, yes. I'll have to interview you later, doctor." He turned back to Maia, "How long will you be in here?"

Maia shrugged her shoulders, "They're waiting to see if I need one more surgery before letting me go."

House cleared his throat, "I came to tell you that they found a bleeder, they have to reopen you and go in to close it up."

Maia looked up at Smithers and Andy, both quiet. "I guess I'll be in for a few days. When will they do this?"

House put his hand on top of hers, "It's not life threatening yet, so they plan to do it tomorrow."

Maia didn't squeeze House's hand or even acknowledge the touch. She smiled up at Andy, "Now what?"

"Well, first, where's the document? Second, the FBI will be taking over your protection. In fact, the big ugly guy out there right now is FBI."

Maia, handed the document to Andy, who, in turn, nodded to Smithers to take it. Smithers put on gloves, took the envelope and put it into a clear baggie, closed it up and wrote something on the white label.

"Well, Maia, I'm going to get going and leave Andy here to take care of you. Nice seeing you Dr. House." Smithers gave House a smile that made Maia take notice.

She has a crush on him. She has a crush on Greg! Maia glanced over at House and noticed the smile was returned with a flirty grin. Two can play that game. And I'm better at it.