Sam slouched down in the passenger seat and let her arms rest listlessly against the hem of her short blue jean skirt. She had purposely not shown this little ensemble to Harper, even though this had been his idea in the first place, until she hopped in the car. Accompanied by a stretchy white top with a blue star across the center of it and a pair of sin-red high heels, she worried she might pull off the part a little too well. The last time she had been this naked, to quote Janeane Garofalo, had been when she was coming out of a uterus.

She tried her best not to look in his direction. There was no telling what he might be thinking. No doubt, he was remembering the hot little offer he had made to her a few days before...or was that just her? Why couldn't she forget about that? Guys had come onto her for as long as she could remember. She had had no problem blowing them off. What was so different about this one? He hadn't been quiet about what he wanted and she had heard him, God had she ever. Enough Samantha, she scolded herself. You have a job to do. It wasn't like she could play it off like it didn't matter. She was absolutely tempted, but too smart for her own good. Giving into Harper could, quite possibly, destroy the life she had managed to put together in the short time since Vincent's death. She wasn't willing to give all of it up, all she had accomplished, to satisfy her curiosity.

"Is this guy coming or what? Are you sure you got the address right?" Sam stared hard at the chipping nail polish on her right hand.

"He's coming Gorgeous. Just relax." Harper continued to scan the area, just as his training had taught him. His body was held rigid in an alert state. He was on the hunt and right now all his energy was focused on that one aim. No matter how appealing the distraction sitting next to him was, he thought with a grin, remembering his first glimpse of the sorry excuse for fabric she had called clothing. "You're too anxious."

"Don't call me that." Sam gritted through her teeth. "This better work."

"It will work. Trust me. No man would be able to resist you looking like that."

Sam barely restrained the urge to punch him. It would probably blow their cover and then this hour they had spent waiting would have been for nothing. Still, he was pushing it. "There are a lot of gritty alleys in Port Charles. This could be the wrong one."

"Nope. This is his. He must be busy tonight destroying the lives of the children of Port Charles."

Sam inwardly flinched at the tone of his voice. He sounded so cold, so distant. Without her conscious approval, she touched his shoulder with her left hand, just a show of comfort. "We'll get him."

The feel of her hand on his shoulder shot through him like lightening, but Harper fought to not show any outward recognition of it. The second she suspected he liked the contact, she was going to remove her hand. "You know the plan right?"

"Sure do." The words were barely out of her mouth when a man entered the alley. One look in her partner's direction proved that their bad guy had finally showed up. "I'll give you the signal." She promised sliding out of the car.

"Right. The signal." Harper swallowed thickly against the fear that suddenly welled up in his throat. What the hell was he thinking sending her, of all people, out there to meet up with a common street thug? Sam wanted people to think she was hard as nails and twice as tough, but he knew better. Even though she didn't realize it, he had heard her cry out in her sleep for her lost son. And now she was walking out into a crime infested back alley wearing what he suspected to be the skimpiest outfit she owned, and he was just sitting in the car, waiting for her signal. No wonder she constantly ran from him. He was one Grade A moron for this plan.

"Just get out of the car and stop this. Call it off." He told himself. "You can still take her out of this. Protect her like she deserves." It all sounded good, but there was one catch. If he left the car before it was time, she would be in more danger than she was now. Then the creep would know she had backup. Sick as it was, she was protected best if he stayed right there.

As she crossed the parking lot, Sam forced herself to remember every detail about the man in front of her. He was a pimp, to be put in the simplest of terms, and took to murdering fifteen-year-old girls on the weekends. A hobby and all that. Harper had one gory photo after the other of his three victims and she had seen them all, memorized their faces. The skirt was far too improbable to hide a gun, but she had managed to bring a nine-inch switchblade. Just in case. Gerard Donnelly was two years older than she was and had been arrested on a number of charges fifty-two times, his victims either dying before his trial or suddenly remembering that they had seen a different man. She could feel Harper's eyes on her back and felt both safe and scared. If this went sour, she would have to kill Donnelly.

"Are you Donnelly?" Sam asked stopping just before their shoes touched.

"That depends. Who's asking?" She fought back the urge to shiver as he scanned her from top to bottom.

"Why, I'm asking." Sam pointed to herself and gave him her best smile. "You see, I just got in from the Big Apple." She wasn't sure where the New York dialogue had come from since she was from Los Angeles, but she attributed it to being scared. "And I don't have a lot of money."

"How much money do you have?" Donnelly inquired taking a step forward. He was testing her. She planted her feet.

"My mother told me a lady never tells all her secrets." Sam countered breezily.

"You don't look like no lady I've ever seen." Donnelly responded without hesitating.

"I was told you like your girls to look a certain way." Sam explained.

"My girls? I don't know what you could mean." Donnelly played dumb. It wasn't that far a leap, Sam thought to herself.

"I need money. I'm willing to do anything." Sam clarified with a brief nod of her head.

"I don't need a charity case. There's a shelter up the road." Donnelly informed her.

"But," Sam insisted, "...if I go there, they'll call my parents."

Donnelly gave her another once-over. "How old are you?"

"I'll be sixteen in a few weeks. I was thinking about getting my nose pierced." Sam told him.

"Well, you're a little old..."

"I am?"

"Yes, but I think you could pull off fourteen if you really tried. My clients, they like 'em young." Donnelly informed her.

"Like I said..." Sam lowered her voice and leaned toward him, forcing the bile down. "I'm willing to do whatever I can."

"Sounds good." Donnelly reached out and grabbed her arm to which she couldn't help but shudder at.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Harper's voice shot through the darkness and towards them both. "Let the lady go."

"Isn't that just like heroes?" Sam rolled her eyes. "Always showing up when you don't want them."

"Who is this guy? You know him?" Donnelly had to squint to even make out how much of the darkness Harper took up.

"Just call me Batman." Harper joked before raising the butt of his gun up to the level of his eye. "Let her go."

Three men stepped out of the shadows and cocked their weapons as well. "Gentlemen...is all this violence really necessary?" One hand free, she reached into her back pocket.

"What's the matter?" Harper drawled out slowly, keeping his gun carefully aimed at Donnelly's shoulder. "Man enough to grab a girl, but can't handle a man on your own?"

"Guy's got to have insurance." Donnelly pulled Sam to him and then slung her into the throng of guards.

Harper didn't think; he just reacted. His finger reared back on the trigger, firing a round directly into Donnelly's shoulder. As the perv started to fall, he turned towards the three goons who were too busy re-aiming their guns to get a shot off. "Run." He commanded Sam. "Get out of here."

"Like hell I will!" She argued, driving the blade into one of the guard's shoulders.

"Damn it woman." He swore as he fired shots towards one guard, then the other, managing to hit one in the hand and the other in the wrist. Seeing all three start to slump towards the ground, he reached out and grabbed her hand, hurrying towards the waiting car. "Could you just listen to me for once?"

"We're partners." She reminded him as they fled the scene with Donnelly in Harper's grip.

"It doesn't do us a bit of good if you end up hurt." Harper pointed out.

"We got the bad guy." Sam argued. "I'm fine."

"You shot me..." Donnelly moaned. "You son of a bitch."

"Shut up you big baby." Harper barely glanced back at him. "You're damn lucky all you got was shot."

"Who are you people? I'm an honest pimp."

"I told you. We're Batman. Now shut up."

"Do you not trust me?" Sam asked, turning her attention to Harper as they shoved Donnelly into the backseat.

"You I trust. Him? Not so much."

"Sure. Sure. Blame the pimp. He's an easy enough target."

"Then why didn't you wait for the signal?" Sam demanded, ignoring Donnelly.

"Because he wasn't going to let you go long enough for you to give it." Harper argued calmly.

"I was handling him just fine." Sam climbed into the car and slammed the door.

"I know you were." Harper assured her as he got into the driver's side and started up the car. "I just wasn't going to give him the chance to handle you."

"If you don't trust me to do my job, then we're not equal." Sam said over the engine.

"If you two would keep your marital problems to yourself and take me to a hospital, I'd appreciate it." Donnelly whined from the backseat.

*****

Mike unintentionally slammed the menu down on the counter startling Maxie. He reddened when he realized what he had done. "Sorry." He said with a small smile. "You have a phone call."

Maxie's eyebrows furrowed together. "I do?" A quick scan of the diner proved that they were filled to the rim with customers. "Can you take a message?"

"What am I, your secretary?" Mike teased her gently.

"Thanks Mike." Maxie said moving quickly around the bar toward the office. A hand shot out and caught her arm.

"It's about time you answered the phone." Ric teased as his eyes settled on her startled face. He dropped a quick kiss on her nose before smirking at her. "Hello Blondie."

Rearing back Maxie smacked him solidly in the chest. "What is wrong with you? You scared me to death!"

"I thought it wasn't in your DNA to be scared." He taunted as he pulled her close to him, completely ignoring the fake outrage she was trying to show him.

"What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?"

"I need a reason to see you?" He really didn't have the time to stand around and flirt with her. His flight was leaving in about two hours, but somehow he just couldn't seem to stop himself when it came to Maxie Jones.

"No, you don't need a reason, but I do have to get back eventually." Maxie reasoned.

"Well that's eventually." And eventually he would have to get on a plane to face his father and sister with his ex-wife. Eventually could wait. Ric nuzzled his nose into her neck.

"Ric..." Maxie whined leaning into him. "You have the worst timing." Even as she said it, she felt herself giving in.

He did, but she didn't need to know that right now. "No right now I have perfect timing." This would have to last him for who knew how long.

"Is that right?" Maxie touched her lips to his, maneuvering them toward a corner with a little more privacy.

"Of course I'm right." He wrapped his hands tighter around her waist and deepened the kiss. Considering how addicted he was to her, how exactly did he think he was going to survive this without her?

"Do you want to tell me what's really going on?" Maxie offered, sliding her hands under his gray t-shirt and tracing his chest with her fingers. He held her face in his hands stealing her breath and she felt a little disoriented.

"What makes you think something is going on?"

"Well, for starters, we've never gotten this hot and heavy in the hallway. Offices, yes. Kitchens definitely. Even living rooms. But nothing this open and public."

"Where's your sense of adventure?"

Maxie touched her finger to his nose. "That's my line."

Kissing the tip of her finger, Ric let out a sigh. Ever since she confronted him about distracting her with the physical, Maxie had been making an effort to keep that from being effective with him. "I have to go out of town for a while." He admitted.

"Out of town?" Maxie repeated. "All of the sudden?"

"My father had a heart attack last night."

"I'm sorry. Is he okay?"

"I don't know." He admitted. If Charlotte had offered that information, Kate hadn't shared it. He hadn't even thought to ask how his father had been doing. No wonder he and the Colonel hadn't ever gotten along. Maybe he really was as selfish as the old man had sometimes accused him of being. "My sister is pretty upset about it."

"You have a sister?"

"Charlotte. She's younger. You'll probably like her." Yes, he could clearly see Charlotte and Maxie not only getting along, but being fast friends. They were similar. Almost too similar.

"When are you leaving?" Maxie wanted to know.

"Two hours." He admitted.

"That soon?" Maxie asked quietly.

"It's the last flight out that gets me to Tucson tonight." Ric explained.

Maxie nodded because she didn't really know what she could do about it. His dad was sick, and of course he had to go there. "Then we'd better get you on that plane."

"Come to the airport with me."

"And do all that sappy goodbye stuff? No way." Maxie countered.

"Who said anything about sappy goodbyes?" Ric questioned. "I think I'm starting to like hallways. And I hear the airport has tons of hallways to explore."

"Gross. I've heard horror stories about airports." Maxie dissuaded him.

"Only from people who got caught."

"What am I going to do without you here?" Maxie wondered.

"Same thing I'm going to do there. Go crazy missing you." Ric countered easily.

"Will you call me?" Maxie asked latching her arms around his waist and hugging him to her.

"Every night." He buried his face in her hair, inhaling her unique scent.

"What will we talk about?" Maxie tilted her head back so she could look into his eyes.

He winked down at her. "Come the airport with me and we can come up with some discussion topics."

"Just give me one minute." Maxie promised giving him a quick kiss. She disappeared around the corner and literally ran into her boss. "Mike. How are you Mike?"

"What do you want Maxie?"

"I kind of have to leave—"

"Leave? Have you seen how many people we have working here?" He challenged.

"Lulu's upstairs." Maxie bargained. "She was complaining to me about needing a little money. Maybe she'll cover. I really have to go. I'll work double shifts every day for a week if you want."

"Fine." Mike allowed. "Go out the back."

"You're the best!" Maxie kissed him on the cheek noticing Ric leave his post and lift his eyebrows at her. "What?" She asked as she made her way toward him, her purse in her hand.

"That was impressive."

"I try." Maxie giggled.

Ric dropped his arm over her shoulder. "Now how do you plan on impressing me?"

Previews:

Smiling at her was going to be the best acting performance of his life. With a wave of his hand, he gestured towards the empty chair opposite him. "Take a seat. How's the business been treating you these days?"

"It's about to be treating me to a corner office." Sherry replied with a smile taking her seat. "You?"