When Evan returned, the apartment was very dark. Had he not lived here for any amount of time, had he been the guest instead of the tenant, he would have stumbled from one stick of furniture to the next, but he was familiar enough with it to slip through without making any noise. He locked the door behind him and set the alarm, something he hadn't shown Lulu how to do on purpose. He would be sure to set it every time he left for work so he would know if she tried to leave. The response would come directly to his cell phone.

At least in the dark he couldn't see his shaking hands. He could feel them, but the sight was unable to bother him in the dark. He listened for any sign of life, wondering if Lulu had woken up once he had left or slept on through. As promised, he had taken one hour and no longer but he hadn't stepped foot in the station. All of his tracks were covered because he had known she would never call the station to confirm it.

He wasn't even breathing hard; his shaking hands were the only telltale sign that he had done anything at all. And he knew she would catch it. He needed to stay out of the bedroom but the quickest way to the shower was through the bedroom and he needed to get this smell off of him.

Making certain that she was asleep, he stripped out of his clothes and dropped them into a paper sack he remembered stuffing under the bed just this morning. A grocery sack, but it was plenty big enough to hold all of his clothes and his shoes. He kept his movements quick and efficient.

Evan glanced at Lulu's face, wishing to find peace there but knowing he wouldn't. By forcing her off drugs when she was so clearly dependent on them would affect more than her current mood; it would interrupt her sleep patterns. Still, she looked asleep to him. He grabbed the bag and headed to the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

The water was as hot as it would go, but he couldn't feel it. He grabbed the soap and scrubbed until his skin burned, never satisfied, never feeling clean. What had he been thinking, running off like a chicken without a head, going on his emotions of all things? At least it had served some purpose. She wouldn't have to be scared for much longer, not that he would immediately tell her that. He knew she would leave the moment she knew and he could admit he was selfish enough not to want to let her go.

It was improbable to interfere in her life the way he had, even if she had invited him this time. Mere moral obligation had thought up the third and final rule of her living under his roof. Improbable as it might be, if he could separate her from her drugs then that was enough of a reason to lie—no not lie, edit—until she saw the error of her ways. He wouldn't fail this time.

The sound of the running water was barely audible, but it was enough to startle her. It was a Spencer thing, a complete and total inability to ignore new noises. She assumed Evan had come back but she wasn't taking any chances. "Evan?" Lulu called out. "Evan?"

Making her way slowly down the hall, she kept herself hidden in the shadows. Her eyes starting to adjust to the dark, she was thankful it appeared Evan had the same aversion to non-functional furniture her brother and cousin had. The sole light was from what she assumed was the bathroom. Cracking the door, she stood back as a wave of steam hit her face. "Evan?"

"Who were you expecting?" Evan chuckled through a mouthful of water.

"I didn't...I wanted to make sure."

"Just me. I'll be out in a minute. Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." Lulu made her way back to the couch, sitting in the still darkened room.

"I didn't mean to bother you." Evan told her, towel-drying his hair when he found her in the living room.

"You didn't. I guess I'm still jumpy."

"Understandable." He glanced down at her t-shirt and jeans. "If you want to change, you can. I'll be staying on the couch."

"No. This is your place. I'll stay on the couch."

"I'm not going to argue with you. You have your rules to follow and I have mine."

"The rules said nothing about me taking your bed. I'll stay here."

"Exasperating." He muttered under his breath.

"There's no reason for you to give up your bed when I am perfectly fine out here." Lulu continued on as if he hadn't spoken. "I have my own rules and number one is not inconveniencing anyone."

"You're not inconveniencing me. I'm not going to have you sleep out here in the open. I told you I would keep you safe and I meant it."

Lulu looked into his dark eyes. "I know you did. I guess I just don't think I'll feel safe anywhere so exact location doesn't matter."

"I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm a little edgy myself." He shouldn't have said that last part. It gave far too much away.

"Yeah it's been a long night." Lulu agreed.

"Did you wake up before I got home?"

"No. I heard the shower running."

Lulu leaned her head back on the cushions of the couch and closed her eyes briefly. The tension of the day slowly began to release itself from her shoulders. She didn't want to ponder too closely why exactly she felt better with Evan Cassidy of all people sitting next to her and promising to protect her. She didn't need protecting. She had yelled those very words at him often enough. So why did she like the fact he was willing to do exactly that? Looking over at him, she smiled softly. "I think this is the longest we've gone without arguing."

"Well it gets old after a while." Evan surmised.

"Only because you refuse to listen to me."

"Oh, is that how it goes?" Evan fought a smile.

"I am usually right."

"You're so funny. You should take that act on the road."

"I thought I couldn't leave the apartment."

"Well I mean afterwards." He didn't want to think about her leaving. Something must have shown in his expression because her eyes narrowed.

"Afterwards?"

"Once you feel safe again."

Lulu sighed. "That might never happen."

"You will." Evan couldn't stop from touching the side of her face. "Pretty soon you'll be right back to some new scheme."

"Oh really?"

"Unless you've decided to reform." Something in her tone made him laugh.

"Never." Lulu laughed inaudibly, brushing her cheek against his hand slightly. "I'd be disowned first."

"You come from a pretty good bunch." Evan recalled.

"That I do." Lulu smiled. "So if I'm stuck here for the foreseeable future, what do you suggest I do?"

"What do you want to do?"

"Something to take my mind off all this."

If he thought about it, he wouldn't go through with it. So he didn't think. For the first time in his life, he just acted. Unlike the last time he had kissed her, he didn't focus on any particular aspect. He felt no need to rush them through it, but didn't linger either. Her taste, he wanted only to be filled with that fleeting memory of something good, something right when everything else in the world was so ugly.

She hesitated under the force of his lips; surprised or unwilling he couldn't immediately tell. But then her hand was on his arm, keeping him from pulling back, and he decided that he wouldn't, not now. Eventually but not right now. Her nails dug into his arm and he held her face in both hands stabbing his tongue between her lips, sampling and feasting, advancing and retreating.

"Stop me," Evan pleaded, his hands moving to her lower back, dragging her closer.

"No." She shook her head. "No."

"We can't," Evan told her between kisses.

"Why not?"

"Leslie," He muttered brokenly.

"Evan."

Evan shoved her backwards and shot to his feet. He closed his eyes and forced a breath through his teeth. "Not like this."

"Not like what?"

"I won't take advantage of you again."

"But you're not."

"I would be. You're not in the right state of mind. You're scared. You just want something to hold onto."

"So what are you saying?" Lulu asked as she stood up and placed her hand on his shoulder.

Evan shook her off. "You don't get it."

"Explain it to me."

"I don't want you to wake up and not remember."

"I won't."

"You don't know that."

"You don't know that I will."

"I know that you did!" Evan grabbed her by her arms, careful to not hurt her. "Go to sleep." He steered her toward his room.

"I told you: I'm not taking your bed."

"Fine. Then neither of us will have it." Evan decided. He grabbed a pillow and blanket from the bed and threw them at her.

"Ow." She raised her hands to defend herself almost a second too late. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm sleeping on the floor. You're sleeping on the couch." He explained, closing himself into the room. "And don't let anyone in."

*****

"Shit," Evan groaned, rubbing his head as if he had a hangover. What the hell had gotten into him last night? Granted, it hadn't gone farther than a few kisses, but he was surprised either of them had let it go that far. He hadn't thought...but then he supposed he should have. He had been right though, damn it; she was feeling vulnerable and he seemed a safe enough option. So why did he want to be in the living room where she currently was? Stupid delayed conscious.

His eyes blinked open and he glanced down when he noticed something that he hadn't expected to see, Lulu's arm stretched across his side. He lightly touched his thumb to her skin, making sure she was real, and followed her arm, turning over ever so carefully to keep from waking her. Her straw blonde hair covered her face but she looked peaceful, a direct contrast to how she had looked last night. God, he wished he could forget the terror that rested in her eyes. Would he see it when she woke up? He groaned again. He had to wake her up.

Lulu stirred slightly in her sleep, moving closer to him. She nuzzled her face closer to his body heat. "Hmm," she mumbled before settling back down.

Evan sighed, seriously considering just falling back asleep. It wouldn't be the worst thing. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept with a woman, at least for something other than sex. Sex was sex and in the morning it was over. That was how he liked it and how he expected it to stay. So he didn't know the rules for this. She kept surprising him.

Biting the inside of his jaw, he whispered, "Wake up honey." Lulu grunted and snuggled in closer to him. Evan sat up, not trying to disturb her, and moved his pillow under her head. Her eyes blinked open and he smiled, not quite sure what he could say.

"Hi." She whispered.

"Hi. It's nice to see you."

"What time is it?" She yawned, stretching her hands above her head, inadvertently lifting her shirt off of her midsection.

Evan chanced a look out the window. "Dawn."

"Too early. Going back to sleep."

"I was just about to suggest that," Evan agreed, sitting up.

"Then why are you getting up?" Lulu asked puzzled, putting her arm out to touch his.

"Work." Evan clarified.

"Work? I thought you worked last night."

"I did. I've been putting in a lot of overtime."

"What time do you need to go in?"

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "Why do you ask?"

"Because..." She struggled to find the words. At some point in the night, she had woken up in a cold sweat and sought him out. For reasons she couldn't quite explain, just being near him had calmed her down and allowed her to fall back asleep. "I feel safer when you're near."

"Ah, Leslie," Evan broke eye contact with her and stood up.

"Evan." Lulu sat up and looked at him. "Do you really need to leave?"

"Yes, sorry." Evan answered noncommittally, pulling on a pair of gray slacks.

"When are you coming back?"

Evan couldn't look at her. This was too strange, her needing him this badly. He didn't know how to handle her this way. He wished she would yell at him or something. "By dark I think. I'd have to look at the schedule."

"Will you call me?"

"If—if you want me to."

"Please?"

"Okay then."

Lulu smiled softly. "Thank you. For everything."

"I keep telling you I didn't do anything."

"You did more than you know."

"I'll call you." Evan promised trading out his sleep shirt for a dress shirt and grabbing his jacket. "Oh," he said, stopping before he left the bedroom.

"Yes?"

"There's food in the cabinet. If you'll make a list, I'll bring it back when I get off work."

"Ok." She smiled up at him. "Evan?"

He wished she would stop doing that. Her smile was distracting. "What's up?"

"Be careful."

"What?" He couldn't hide his surprise.

"Just be careful." Lulu knew he had sworn they hadn't been followed, but Vermin thought Evan was her boyfriend. She wouldn't put it past him to try to find her through Evan. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

Evan let his jacket fall from his fingers and dropped down so that they were eye level. "Nothing's going to happen to either of us."

"You don't know that for sure. Vermin..."

"Is not your problem anymore." He finished for her.

"Yes he is. He's still out there and he's still looking for me."

"I've taken care of it."

"You've taken care of it?" Lulu blinked in confusion and looked into his eyes. "What do mean? Did you do something?"

"Don't worry." Evan urged her to drop it.

"I can't help it."

"Try." He pressed his finger to her lips.

She kissed his fingertip briefly, not sure where the urge to do so came from. "Only if you call me today."

"I told you I would." He reminded her, damning her silently for smiling at him.

"Promise?"

"What can I do to make you believe me?"

"Kiss me goodbye."

"I don't think that'd be a very good idea." Evan hesitated, leaning back.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't think I'll go to work if you give me a reason to stay." He replied honestly.

"I'm not seeing a problem."

"And that's why I can't."

"One kiss isn't going to kill you."

"People have died from less."

"Please Evan?"

"One kiss then." He pulled her closer and touched his mouth to hers. He would not, under any circumstances, enjoy this, at least that was what he told himself. Mind over matter or something equally as stupid. Such a bad idea. Her taste taunted him even though he refused to part her lips. The messes he got himself into.

When he pulled back, she rested her forehead against his briefly. Once again, he made her feel something other than terror and emptiness. "Now you can go."

"Nice to know you only want me for one thing." He teased reaching full height and retrieving his jacket and keys.

"We all have our uses."

"Something new to put on my résumé." He added, setting the alarm and heading out.

"Call me when you get there." She called after him.