Her hesitating footsteps drew him out of Tony Domenico's written statement. He looked up, and just watched her as she approached him. As a secretary. The distant look in her eyes stated her formal pose. " I'm sorry…I shouldn't have done that. "

Had she added 'Mr. Mason', her act had been real complete. " I'm going to my room now. "

He limped after her. She was grabbing her purse from a cabinet when he stopped her. " Della, don't. Please. Not like this. "

He had seen her struggle like this before. It stabbed him sometimes to know the only thing he could do was to conduct her process of thinking. While what he wanted to do was hold her, make love to her, let her know that he loved her, no matter what. To protect her, lock her up with him in his office, so that she couldn't be harmed by anyone. Which would be pointless. The only one harming Della Street now, was Della Street. And when the past was present like now, the only one who could really help Della Street was indeed Della Street.

He put his arms around her waist from behind, and rest his hands on the cabinet in front of her, in such a way he could relax his right leg and trap her in his embrace at the same time. " Why is this so important to you? "

She sighed. " I don't know really…"

His right arm went around her waist, and he pulled her close to him. She leaned her head back to his chest.

" I think you do… Why is this so important to you ? "

" I guess I still want it to make sense somehow, " she swallowed hard, " what happened to me and Angelina…that it happened for a reason. That I can help Tony somehow. "

" Assault never makes sense, baby, " he said softly.

" Yes, Perry, I know, " she sniffed. " But every now and then it just gets to me, it's hard, she lost her sight and I lost my ….."

" Yes...? " talk to me, baby ...

" I couldn't give you children…"

" I didn't want them…" he said truthfully.

She turned in his embrace. " You didn't want them, because I couldn't give them to you…"

" No. That's not true. We've been through this before. And I said to you then as I say to you now, I don't care about it, Della, I never really did. I had you, I have you, you're mine, forever, I love you, forever. I have never loved you less because you couldn't give me children. You gave me so much joy, you gave me your life… you're part of me. And you allow me to be part of you, of your life. That's more than I can ever ask from you...and from life. " He kissed her forehead, lingering, pouring all his love and devotion for her in it.

" Look at me... " but she kept staring to the floor " I love you…"

" I love you too, " she whispered. " I just need some time alone. I need to think. " She looked up into his eyes. " Can you give me that? "

" Sure…" he nodded, looking deeply into her eyes.

" Will you be okay? " she put her hands on his face, and returned his loving gaze.

" Yes, I will. Take your time…." he took her hands and kissed them.

" I won't be long…"

" Take your time…" he let go of her hands, then she turned to grab her purse, and walked out of the room.

####

It had been hours since she left. He wasn't really worried, he just noticed how much time had passed. In the early years, it usually took her days to come back to herself. He was and always had been very aware of her struggle, and what it was about. It wasn't just that he would never be a parent, a role in which he couldn't see himself when he was younger anyway. The point was, she also would never be a mother, a role that would have suited her so very well. Like it would have suited her so well to be a grandmother at this point in life.

He was stretched out on the couch, his knee resting on a pillow, while he was writing and setting his strategy for the next day in court. He heaved a sigh when he heard the door to his suite open and close silently. Though he couldn't actually see her coming in, he detected her smile and the lightness in her footsteps. Then her scent waved past him, she had taken a bath or a shower, she had changed, and not just clothes.

" Are you here to blackmail the defense ? " he said when she walked past him.

" Does the defense mind? " she indeed smiled at him. Her eyes were warm. Her time alone had been soothing, as always.

" Maybe I should..." he took off his glasses. " Is it dangerous? " He watched her in amusement as she sat down next to his legs.

" Noooo…well, you know, as long as the prosecution doesn't know..."

" Did you blackmail the prosecution too? " He enjoyed her playfulness, it assured him she really felt better.

" Reston? Oh, dear…no. "

Their eyes met. Blue met brown. Respect met gracefulness. Gratitude met honesty. Love met love.

" Feeling better? " His eyes drank from her strength, her beauty, the warmth coming from her eyes matching the intense waves he felt inside.

She nodded. " Yes, putting events in perspective, you know. "

" Yeah, I know…"

He threw his notepad on the floor and pulled her to him. She relaxed her head on his shoulder, and closed her eyes. His warmth and the feeling of his arms around her were so very reassuring, so safe.

He moaned softly. " Have you eaten? "

She nodded to his cheek. " Thank you, Perry. "

" I have to feed you…"

" I mean, for letting me take my time. "

" It didn't take you that long this time." His voice was soft. " And, you worked your magic on me…"

" Oh, I thought I hadn't even started my magic yet…"

" Ow, that's so female…." he used her earlier words against her.

" I thought that's what you liked about me…" she continued his banter.

He roared with laughter. " That's even more female…" and pulled her closer to him " you minx…"

" What? I didn't minx you today…"

" Perry...it's for Tony…" he mouthed her. " That was minxing…"

" And I fought you. "

" Yes, you stood up against me. You even scared Paul…"

" Good. As long as I can still scare Drake jr., I should be fine. But I didn't scare you, did I? "

" Kind of…"

" Meaning ? "

" I'm going to let you testify…"

" Really ? "

" Really. However, there are three conditions…"

" Being…? "

" First… if Reston starts about your engagement with Michael, I let him continue. If Reston starts about you and Angelina, I'll ask for an adjournment, and I'll withdraw your testimony. " She started to say something, but he cut her off. " No matter what. "

" Second, I'll stand behind you at the witnessbox… I don't want to see your eyes when I question you. "

She smiled. " All right. "

" Third... Wear the blue suit. With yellow. Stand out. "

" For you? "

" For the crowd. For the drawing. I want to make sure you're noticed. " He snorted. " As if you don't know I always notice you. No matter what you wear. Preferably if you're not wearing anything at all. But I don't think that would be appropriate tomorrow. "

" U-uh. "

" Fourth…"

" Hey, you said there were only three conditions…'

" Yes, I eh well… I just made up another one…for my own convenience. It's new. "

" U-uh. Being ? "

" You let me have my ways with you afterwards…"

" What? "

" You heard me. "

" What? Why? "

" Because I'm willing to let you testify, and I'm going through great lengths to make sure I conduct the process in the right way. And, I'm getting a Domenico of the hook. "

" And that's it, uh? "

" I really need it to be about just you and me afterwards…" the strong hint of seriousness in his low voice didn't escape her. Earlier she had noticed the tiredness in his eyes, his worry about her, his inability to help her, her inability to let him help her. How she loved this man, and how she loved to love him. And, how she was going to love him, provide him with herself in a way he would know she was his.

" Yes, just you and me. " She sought for his hands. " I love you…"

" I love you, Della. " He entangled his fingers with hers, and pulled her to him again. " And you're so very, very attractive to me…" he kissed her "..so real and sweet..." he kissed her again " …so divine…"

" That sounds so very, very good to me. " She breathed against his lips. " I want to show you were I've been just now…" she tilted her head. " I've been shopping, you know…" he put his hands on hers when she started to unbutton her blouse. A strong and very welcome desire mastered him. " I think I like it already... " he groaned. " Maybe I'll have my ways with you before and after you testified…? "

" Just wait and see…"

####

The courtroom was more silent than usual when she walked to the stand, or maybe that was just her imagination. She was still sure it was the right thing to do, but it didn't feel good somehow. She told herself to approve of the means, because of the goal. Sitting straight up in the witnessbox, she pushed the chair backwards slowly. It was just enough for him to reach her back and stroke her spine gently with the tip of his fingers, in a way it couldn't be noticed by the judge. His touch eased her nerves immediately, steadied her breathing and her voice. It made her feel as if she could just lean back to him, and pull his warm arms around her. His courtroom voice bashed through her when he asked the questions, and she answered them genuinely.

When he was done questioning and limped past her, he glanced sidewards into her eyes for one second, narrowed his gaze and blinked.

He had told her his usual rules: Focus. Only answer the questions asked. Don't provide any other information voluntarily. Be truthful. Don't get distracted. Don't show emotions.

The moment Reston approached her, she knew he knew and she glanced to the defendant's side of the courtroom for reassurance. Perry answered her gaze. His heart raced as Reston asked the questions about Michael Domenico and her short engagement to him. Perry raised his voice and bashed ' Objection. Relevancy ' through the courtroom louder than usual, but was overruled by the judge. He squeezed his hands into fists, and released them as soon as Reston went back to the prosecution's table and rest his questioning. No questions about Angelina, nor about the assault. He blew out a deep breath.

He closed his eyes to hear her rehearsed sentence, as she put her hands on his shoulder. " But that was all a very lang time ago. " His stiffening was caused by the knowledge that the information about the love of his life had obviously been so easy to access, and that she knew that now too. It frightened him. This information had been very close to the surface, if Reston had found out so quickly. And what else had he found? Which one of Reston's employees had found the information? What if they had seen Della's medical files? What if they threw it all out in the open, and he couldn't fight it? What if he opened tomorrow's papers and saw her complete private history displayed in front of not only him, but the whole nation? What hurt would it cause her?

He swallowed hard, before calling his next witness. Determined to put an end to it, he forced his mind to work on finding as much reasonable doubt about Tony Domenico's guilt he could possibly think of.

####

He found her at his balcony, sipping a glass of wine. She was at ease. The sight of her like this calmed him down immediately, made him able to concentrate completely on what he was going to do. Tomorrow's problems could not be dealt with today anyway.

" I'd thought I'd find you here. " He rest his hand on her hips and nuzzled his face in her hair. " How are you now? "

" Fine. I'm just glad I did it, for Tony's sake. The rest is history. " She leaned back to him.

" I'm proud of you…"

" And you were behind me. "

" Baby… " he whispered low and seductively to her ear " I'm always behind you... " He took her hand to take her inside his suite. His intentions were obvious.

" Mmm-mmm. Well, not now. "

It was not her perfume, it was not her softness, it was not the wine, not the promising atmosphere, not the way she watched him with her darkened eyes from over her glass, and it was not her robe that made his head spin. She could do this to him, she could make the whole world around them disappear, by just taking off his tie. It still felt like the first time, making him feel young and invincible. And in a way he knew he was, with her on his side.

His strong feelings for her and his fierce desire were showing in his darkening blue blue eyes, and made her swoon. The possessive way he loosened the sash of her robe without losing eyecontact reached her inner thighs without mercy. She gasped. He didn't take the robe off, but left it to dance along her body, while he provokingly slowly lingered his hands down from her neck to the soft skin between her breasts, down to her belly, and then to either side of her waist to pull her to him when they reached the small of her back. The robe fell on the floor unnoticed, after his kiss had started slowly, and had deepened passionately because she had moaned approvingly at the sultry movements of his pityless hands, and breathed to him he had to take her. That she was his only, and that she wanted him only. And that she wanted him now.

That was all he needed to ravish her, letting his eager mouth and hands be the prologue of what the rest of his body was going to tell her ardently shortly afterwards.

Slowly regaining consciousness, his hands on her face, her hands on his, she whispered. " We're very good at this, aren't we? "

" Yes. We practised a lot. "

She chuckled, and sighed. " I love you, Perry Mason…"

" I love you more than anything, baby… Come here…" he pulled her into his arms, " let's practise sleeping. "

####

His broad smile was meant for the D.A.. " Reston. " They shook hands firmly.

" Well done, Mason. Congratulations again. Wonderful job. "

" It was easy, he was innocent. "

" Yes, that's what you always say. But this time: was that your opninion when you took the case, or Miss Street's? "

" Mine, Michael. Though I have to say I do listen to her feminine instincts at occasions. " He smiled softly as Reston nodded. " Speaking of her, Michael, I want to know something... "

" I think I know what you want to know..." Reston put his hand on Mason's shoulder " Now, of course I won't reveal my sources, Mason. But I can tell you this, the facts as I registered them, are not hard to find. I had them on my desk within 24 hours. " Michael Reston walked away, but then turned and walked back. " And, I'm sorry about the rest, by the way. I'm sorry for Miss Street. "

" Thank you for not using it, Michael. "

" It wasn't relevant now. Though, I would have used it if she had been dishonest, Mason. "

" I knew that. But that never worried me. She's never dishonest. "

" I thought you were going to say that. Well, I'll see you next time, counselor. "

####

" Just you and me. " It sounded like a statement, coming from his mouth now. He felt like a winner should feel, wornout, but very self contented.

" You can say that again. " She watched the son they never had walk off with what she'd call the 'temporary love of his life'.

" Just you and me. "

He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him. Watching her smiling eyes he felt their unconditional everlasting bond capturing his entire body and mind. Her eyes told him she felt the same. He tucked her head under his chin.

" So, what if 'just you and me' have dinner in our suite ? No priers. You know, really 'just you and me' ? Like last night? "

" I'd love that… " she chuckled " just you and me." She looked up at his face again, and smiled at him. He narrowed his eyes, brought his lips to hers, and kissed her long and lingering, not giving a damn about the world around them.

#####

' Hope you enjoyed this. Now, I have to get back to TCOT Envious Enemy. Wish you all a nice weekend. LK