It was quite a strange transition going from bowling to her first day on a new undercover assignment. This was always the most exhilarating part: the beginning. The lying. The convincing. The fear. The cool feel of a gun pressing snugly against her back. David had insisted on the gun, just in case, even though he was never far. She hadn't seen Cassidy yet, but he was here somewhere. It was good she hadn't spotted him immediately. Mary Muffett hadn't made her entrance yet. Sam began to wonder if she was across town scoring something while they were working. Probably. She wouldn't put it past her.

She had spent all of her free time staring at Vermin's picture so she would recognize him immediately. It would be dangerous to get caught up with the wrong kind of people without knowing the players. That's what her plan was for tonight: find the rest of the players. It would easier to manipulate and eventually turn them against each other if she knew what kind of thugs she was dealing with.

David wanted to pick them off one by one, but she had warned him against it. They would get suspicious if their pathetic little posse started disappearing. Best to wait it out and see who would take the bait. She bit back a smile, remembering how angry he had gotten when she had referred to herself that way. Even though that's exactly what she was. Her beauty was all too often her greatest weapon. It was amazing she wasn't vain--but then how could she have been with the life she had had to deal with as a child? She told herself not to even entertain a life with Alexis, especially not right now. One change in expression could be all it would take to blow her cover and, even though she trusted her expertise with a gun, she didn't want to have to use it.

She was wearing a tad bit more clothing than she had on their assignment with the street pimp and David had been just fine with it until he realized she hadn't worn it for him. Her black boots were longer than the dress she wore. It was white and clingy and dipped just below her ass. She noticed a growing circle of partygoers and danced her way toward them. She had never realized just how short she was until she was standing face-to-back with a six foot nothing giant dressed in all black leather. He wasn't going to intimidate her. She wouldn't let him. The gun might go unused, but the six-inch switchblade stuck into the side of her right boot wouldn't.

"You're new." The giant grunted.

"I'm not new. You probably just couldn't see me under that chin." Sam remarked.

His eyes narrowed in annoyance as her words hit the desired mark and he took a step toward her. "You don't know who you're messing with girlie..."

"Oh lay off." Lulu's voiced sailed over about the deafening music. "You're just mad she's not drooling all over you like the rest of your harem."

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Little Miss Firecracker." The giant leaned back and folded his arms around the barrel he considered his chest. "You've been scarce lately. I thought you found some new friends."

"No. More like had to ditch some unwanted ones." Lulu muttered just under her breath enough for Sam to hear. "You know how the life is. I'm here now. And I have money. Isn't that all that matters?"

"That's right. I'll get Vermin." The room seemed to shift as he turned his attention to the crowd where Vermin must have been stashed.

"He makes an awfully nice secretary, doesn't he?" Sam teased.

"Are you stupid or something?" Lulu spat as she whirled around to face Sam, dragging her away from the crowd. "What the hell where you thinking going up to him like that right away?"

"Why not?" Sam challenged.

"Number one he's a creep. Vermin doesn't even really like him. And when Vermin doesn't like you..." Lulu let her voice trail off as if to prove her point. "Number two no woman just talks to Derek, not unless you want to end up in his 'office' which by the way is the backseat of a Chevy Nova."

"He struck me as a Ford man. Will wonders never cease."

"Look I have a good thing going here and you and your cop friends aren't going to mess it up for me."

"Then by all means, out me. Save yourself the complex this case will likely cause you." Sam dared her.

"And get labeled a rat by association? I'm not a moron. Besides Cassidy will probably get you all outed anyway."

"Good. I'm missing House." Sam rolled her eyes.

Seeing Derek beckon her forward, Lulu made her way back towards the crowd. "Stay away. I mean it." She hissed to Sam.

"Thanks for helping me win that bet by the way." Sam called after her.

"What bet?"

"That you would jump to my defense if I was in trouble. I mean, I could have handled myself, but you didn't know that. Looks like you're not completely dead inside which is good. It'll make working together a lot easier."

"It was a free pass. It meant nothing." Lulu assured her.

"We'll see."

*****

He was going to strangle her once he got her home. First he was going to get her out of that dress and then he was going to strangle her, David decided. Referring to herself as bait. Swearing she had studied everything he had given her. Then wearing that, well it barely qualified as an outfit that wouldn't force him to use public indecency laws. And then she shimmied her way right up to Derek Underwood. Good Lord would she ever just stick to the plan?

It was such a good plan too. A safe one. Cassidy would be near by and able to step in if things got out of hand. That is if he didn't step in first. All she had to do was approach the group Lulu Spencer joined. That was it. The two of them didn't even need to talk. All Sam was supposed to do was meet the girls. The weakest links, the ones most likely to be addicts. Addicts couldn't keep quiet. And it would be easy to flip them. But no. Samantha just had to prove to him how capable she was of handling herself once again. He would even bet she snuck that switchblade into her boot again.

Spotting Cassidy standing just a few feet away, David made his approach. Where the hell had he been? "What's wrong with you?" he spat out once he got close enough. Hell he had even warned the younger man about Samantha's disturbing mistrust of a plan. "You were supposed to be close enough to stop her from getting near that dirt bag."

"I'm supposed to be able to read minds? And she did just fine. If you didn't think she could handle this, you shouldn't have included her." Secretly, Evan was grinning. What's that? Harper needed him? Well he would just ignore that need and go about his way just as the senior detective had done.

"Don't think I didn't notice you didn't come here with Lulu tonight." David shot back. "Having some issues keeping her in line too?"

"Keeping her in line, no. Keeping her in one spot, yes. I do think I've found a secret weapon."

"Handcuffs?"

"Might as well use them for something, right?"

"I can think of a few uses for them."

"Shit." Evan muttered, his eyes scanning the crowd.

"Lose her?"

"Story of my life. It's times like this when I wonder why I worked so hard to get into the police academy. At least babysitting in the real world would pay more than I make." With that, Evan strolled off to find Lulu.

Ignoring Cassidy's quest to find his missing assignment, David locked his sight on Samantha and made his way to where she was dancing. Oh she had some explaining to do. Catching her from behind, he rested his hand on her hip lightly before whispering in her ear, "Do you like giving me heat attacks?"

"I live for it." Sam grinned. "For an undercover detective, you should be more worried about not blowing your cover."

"Maybe if you stuck to a plan once in awhile you wouldn't have that worry."

"I just wanted to see which team Lulu was pitching for. I promise. I wasn't in any real danger." Sam insisted, leading him away from witnesses.

"That you know of." He pointed out.

"I could have handled it."

"I know you could have. I just don't want you to have to use that switchblade you think you snuck past me."

"I just don't like guns."

"Well Vermin does and I don't want you bringing a knife to a gun fight."

"Would you have saved me?"

Pulling her closer to him, he wrapped his arms around her so his hands rested on the small of her back. "Haven't I always?"

"Yeah? Shouting and reading them their rights? Using your handcuffs? Maybe your gun?"

"Definitely the gun. Maybe the rights. And I'd save the handcuffs for something else."

"Maybe we go home and you can read me my rights?" Sam whispered against his ear.

*****

Beyond his frustration at losing her again—did it really count as losing her when she was the one who kept running off?—he was a little (okay very) surprised with the way she had walked up and basically saved Sam from herself. There was no real reason for her to do so, especially if all of her whining about being followed and babysat was true. She had set the trap herself and walked right into it. He smiled. Sam was right: Lulu wasn't nearly as cold-hearted as she was trying to project. He wished he had known her before the drugs because there must have been a time when she was different, nicer, maybe even a little trusting.

Not that he deserved her trust. Following her around and looking out for her wasn't his favorite pastime and he wasn't doing it out of the goodness of his heart. If the commissioner wasn't making him hang around Lulu, he would have split weeks ago. He was the worst kind of man for taking advantage of her and he could almost convince himself that, no, he was a good guy and had never done anything like that but was enchanted—for lack of a better understanding of the foreign feeling—and thus distracted by her take-it-or-leave-it attitude. Almost. If he were such a man, he wouldn't have slipped in the first place.

Thinking about that night would be a waste of time. There was nothing he could do to change it. She wouldn't let him make up for it. He could tell her he was sorry for the rest of his life and he bet she'd never hear a word of it. She was determined to push him as far away from him as she could, along with the rest of the world. He wondered what inspired such a tragic life choice, but decided it wasn't his business. Drugs did different things to different people and he didn't need to know her story. He shouldn't care. It was just since meeting her father that he had started to think about the kind of daughter Lulu must have been, what kind of person before the drugs started to take over. He bet she was a lot like her father...at least at one time.

Shit. Until he heard the click of a gun being triggered, Evan didn't realize he was in trouble. He had been walking in this particular direction for some time now. He was at least two blocks from the bar where his only backup was and he highly doubted Harper would come to his rescue. He was on his own.

"On your knees." He recognized the voice well and did as he was told.

"What's your problem man?" Evan asked, keeping his voice and expression blank. Surprisingly enough, this was not the first time he had had a gun aimed at his head. All he had to find was a weakness. Underwood was only twice his size after all. So what if most of his size was due to muscle? It could be worse. He could have friends.

"I don't like your face. Hand over the gun." Underwood ordered.

"What gun?" Evan challenged, wondering what state he had caught the giant at. Was he stoned? Drunk? Uncertain? Blitzed out of his mind?

"The one you're trying to hide under that nice jacket." Underwood clarified.

"Do you like it? I thought about leather, but it is summer." Evan joked.

"Easier to repair." Underwood said after a minute of contemplation. "Now, the gun."

"I don't think I really want to do that. This isn't exactly a safe neighborhood."

"I grew up in this neighborhood." Underwood growled.

"Well it's one thing if you come out your size." Evan pointed out.

It had been easier than it should have been to give her Commissioner appointed babysitter the slip. If there was one redeeming quality to Evan Cassidy, Lulu thought with a smile, it was he obviously hadn't had much of an exposure to stories of the Spencer family. Anyone who had wouldn't constantly give her golden opportunities to escape so easily. The highlight of her day was imagining the look on his face whenever he realized she was gone again. Not that she spent time thinking about him.

"Here." Evan handed over the gun, keeping it tightly grasped in his hand. "Separation issues. You understand."

He was smug. Irritating as all hell. Still a bastard. So what if he was somewhat good looking she told herself as she rounded the corner, nearly bouncing off the brick wall. That didn't overcome his more...her thoughts trailed off as two figures blurrily filled her eyes. Blinking to clear the fog, gradually she recognized Cassidy. The annoyance she felt on seeing him slowly giving way to alarm as she realized who had him at gunpoint. She hadn't been joking earlier when she said Cassidy would probably blow everyone's cover for them not her. But that still didn't mean she wanted another crime on her conscience. Yanking one of the shoulders of her aquamarine shirt down to expose her collarbone, she stumbled in their direction. "Derek. I've been looking for you."

"I've been busy taking out the trash." Derek explained his eyes glued on Evan.

"That's not very nice. I didn't insult you. I thought we were friends." Evan complained.

"Do it later. I need you now." Lulu pouted.

"Busy little girl. You've got more than enough there to keep you busy for the rest of the night. Last thing I need is you OD'ing on this shit."

"You know Vermin's just being a hard ass." Taking another step toward him, she rested a hand on his meaty arm. "I'd be so grateful if you would help me out."

"I guess I could. It's not like Sergeant Dick is going anywhere." Underwood reasoned, advancing on Lulu.

Evan let him take half a step and then he kicked him in the back of the knee, sending the giant stumbling forward. He caught himself and spun around, Evan's gun dangling from his hand, but Evan already had his backup piece and fired a shot, barely knicking his shoulder. For the yelp that emerged one might have thought he had been shot through the heart. He finally fell forward, howling and carrying on about his "wound." With his knee pressing into Underwood's back, Evan wrapped both arms around the pumpkin sized head and squeezed until the giant gave up and lost consciousness.

"Took you long enough." Lulu sniped as she grabbed his hand and led him down the alleyway.

"Thanks." Evan said once they cleared the street.

"Don't read anything into this. You're still a pain in my ass. I just didn't want to call Mac to clean up your mess."

"He wouldn't answer. He's on his honeymoon."

"Minor detail."

"And I think I did pretty well."

"Let's get this straight. I saved your ass."

"Why?"

The truth was she didn't really know. She hadn't even stopped to think, the instinct to step in had just taken over. And she didn't even really want to analyze that instinct. "I told you. I didn't want to worry Mac."

"Loyalty to someone other than yourself? I never thought I'd see the day. Here's what I think Leslie: Whether or not you want to, you care about me."

"Dream on."

"You know, the only difference between this and my dreams is your clothing." Evan smirked, not caring that he was crossing a line. It was fun to watch her eyes ignite in anger.

She balled her fingers up into a fist and held it until she felt blood. "Then keep dreaming cause that will never happen."

"Doesn't it count that the dreams are always complimentary?"

"No. Because I don't want compliments from pigs."

"I bet if you gave me half a chance, you'd get a taste for bacon." Evan smirked.

Lulu fixed her best glare on him, before advancing slowly. "Can't be that good if I draw a total blank when I think of you."

"Maybe if you didn't make it a point to be blitzed all the time, you would remember some important details." Evan remarked harshly.

"I'm not blitzed. I only use when things get to me and I can handle this. No one is asking you to save me."

"Maybe I saw someone worth saving. I don't see her now."

"Just keep out of my way." She warned turning on her heel, determined to lose him once more in the exiting crowd of the pool hall across the street.

"I don't think so Princess." Evan countered, snapping a pair of handcuffs on her left wrist.

"What? What the hell are you doing?" She yelled indignantly. "You can't arrest me."

"I'm not arresting you." Evan assured her, snapping the remaining bracelet on his right wrist.

"Oh excuse me! I don't know how I could think that!" Lulu rolled her eyes.

"Time to call it a night."

"I'm not into kinky games."

"You just haven't tried enough. Come on. I'm taking you home."

"I'm not a child!"

"Maybe not, but you are still my responsibility." Standing at the edge of the sidewalk, he hailed a cab. He turned back to her just long enough to say, "Or I could call Luke and tell him how you're really spending your nights."

"Luke?" Lulu parroted. "You're on a first-name basis with my father?"

"What can I say? We have a few things in common. Let's go."