Manhattan, New York - July 18, 2012

After twenty-seven hours of labor, Ryan was born. The second Elizabeth heard the beautiful sound of his crying, her heart seemed to stop. She watched as the doctor wrapped her newborn son in a soft blue blanket, coming to her side. But instead of letting Elizabeth hold her newborn, he pulled down his face mask. Elizabeth tried to gasp, but ended up choking on her own oxygen as her eyes grew wide at the sight of Hans holding her beautiful child, grinning like a mad man.

"You want him? You know what you have to do," he said before he started to leave the room with a laugh. Ryan began crying, and Elizabeth was powerless to stop him, as she was numb from the waist down.

"No! Hans! Give him to me! You can't do this! Hans!"

Elizabeth sat up in her bed with a start. She was hyperventilating and had broken out in a cold sweat. She felt tears rolling down her cheeks and wiped them away with her palms. The clock on her bedside table read almost four in the morning.

After her experience with the Sandman, Elizabeth had no desire to go back to sleep. Instead, she showered and dressed. When she went back into the bathroom to brush her hair, she ended up staring at the woman in the fog-covered mirror. She questioned if she was really looking at herself. The tired, bloodshot, tear-stained, and worried eyes were unrecognizable. She thought about the dagger in her boot, pressed against her leg, and what it was meant to do.

Was she really going to do this? Could she really bring herself to murder? Another image flashed through her mind. She was standing there, dagger in hand, staring at her perfect opportunity to complete her task, but was unable to do it. She just stood there in hesitation. What if that was how things were really going to turn out? What would happen if she ended up hesitating?

After brushing her hair back and fixing it into a bun, she pulled the dagger from her boot and out of its sheath. She ran her middle finger along its razor-sharp edge. The blade was only about six inches long and caught the light glowing from the light in the bathroom, glimmering into her eyes. Elizabeth turned back to the woman in the mirror, imagining she was Skipper and held the dagger in a threatening position at him. That woman in the mirror stared back at Elizabeth with her center of gravity low and murder in her eyes, threatening to stab her with a dagger.

The two women then stared at each other in disbelief when they realized they were the same woman.

0614 hours

Kowalski was in the downstairs diner, looking over some figures with a cup of coffee. He always went down to the diner at this time because it was quiet since there weren't many people that went there so early in the morning. Aside from a couple of customers at the opposite side of the diner, that is. A waitress came by his table with a coffee pot and just as Kowalski started to punch in a number into the calculator, the waitress answered the figure for him.

"37.6841 cubic centimeters."

Kowalski looked up. "Pardon?"

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help but notice your work. The answer to your figure is 37.6841 cubic centimeters," the waitress answered.

"You sure have the math down quickly, don't you?" Kowalski asked with a chuckle.

"Yes, I was a nurse eight years ago before I went into architecture, so I'm pretty good with figures," she said with a smile.

Kowalski nodded and looked at her nametag. "Elizabeth Shields? You wouldn't happen to live in apartment 48D, would you?"

"Yes, how'd you know?" Elizabeth asked with a curious smile.

"Private told me he met you. I'm one of his—friends," he told her, unsure of what to call his and Private's relationship to a citizen. "Name's Kowalski."

Elizabeth held out her hand. "Nice to meet you, Kowalski. I remember meeting Private. Sweet boy. So, what are you working on?" she asked.

Kowalski awkwardly cleared his throat and looked down at his papers, trying to cover some of them up. "Oh, nothing. It's stupid," he answered.

"Oh, come now. Tell me!" Elizabeth playfully urged. The more she played this innocent act, the more guilty she felt.

Kowalski laughed nervously. "It's—just something I'm making is all," he answered.

"Making? So, like an invention?" Elizabeth inquired.

"I—guess you could call it that," Kowalski answered. Talking to citizens about his hobby wasn't something he did very often, and for good reason.

"Fascinating. So, you're an inventor?"

"Sort of, but they never work," Kowalski told her disappointedly.

"So? You still try. That's more than most people do. I admire your moxie. One day you'll make something great," Elizabeth encouraged with a reassuring nudge to his shoulder.

Kowalski coyly glanced up. "Thanks."

Elizabeth nodded. "More coffee?" she offered.

"Please," Kowalski accepted.

Elizabeth filled his cup and turned to the customers across the diner. Kowalski watched her leave.

0931 hours

Kowalski entered the apartment with his heart soaring. "Hey, guys!" he called.

"Kowalski, what took you so long? You've been gone for over three hours. I was about to file a missing nerd's report," Skipper said with a roll of his eyes.

"Sorry, Skipper. I just lost time of track—I mean track of time," Kowalski said as he shifted his weight from side to side and fidgeting with his fingers.

Skipper cocked an eyebrow. "Kowalski, are you all right?" he asked cautiously.

"I'm fine, why?" Kowalski answered as he leaned against the wall and drummed his fingers against it.

Skipper exchanged a glance with Rico.

"Kowalski, how much coffee did you have this morning?" Skipper asked, stepping closer and examining Kowalski's eyes.

"Oh, not much. Four, five, maybe around eleven cups. Want some? I do!" Kowalski said as he retreated back toward the door, but Skipper grabbed his arm.

"Oh, no. You're not going to drink any more coffee for the day. Or the week. Back to what made you so preoccupied this morning. You shouldn't have been down there for more than maybe half an hour to an hour. What were you doing so intently that you lost track of time? I mean, besides getting wired," Skipper asked.

Kowalski suddenly stopped drumming the wall and scratched the back of his neck. "Well, I—"

"You met Elizabeth, didn't you?" Private piped up cheerfully. "She told me she applied at the diner to make a few bucks while looking for a job! Am I right, Kowalski?"

Kowalski looked nervously to the floor. "Well—"

"Kowalski, did you meet Elizabeth?" Skipper asked with a skeptical look. Kowalski cleared his throat.

"Yes," he answered.

"Isn't she nice, Kowalski?" Private asked sweetly.

Skipper refused to be convinced. "What did you two talk about for so long?" he asked sternly.

"Just some random things here and there. She spent most of her time serving other customers. Honestly, I don't see anything wrong with her. She seems legit to me," Kowalski admitted.

"Oh, Kowalski! Not you, too! You barely know her!" Skipper argued.

"Neither do you!" Kowalski negated.

Skipper sighed and wiped his hand over his face. "Fine, Kowalski. I'll make you a deal. As long as you don't get too personal with her and you're in public with her when you see her, talk all you want. Capisce?"

Kowalski rolled his eyes. "Yes, mother," he muttered inaudibly under his breath.

"What was that?" Skipper snapped.

Kowalski cleared his throat and raised his voice. "Yes, sir."

"That's what I thought. Now, you go off and finish your whatchama-whosadingit-invention-thing. Rico, get the fire extinguisher ready for when it explodes. Private, look concerned," Skipper ordered.

"Aye, sir!" Private said before he contracted on the couch and started chewing his nails.

Kowalski gave another impatient eye-roll and went into his lab.

2119 hours

"Hey, guys, have you seen my calculator?" Kowalski asked, coming out of his lab. "I can't find it anywhere."

"Perhaps you left it at the diner this morning," Private suggested.

"Good idea, I hope it's still there. It took me hours to make," Kowalski said, making his way for the door.

Once he'd arrived at the diner, he stopped at the sight of Elizabeth, wondering why she was still there. She must have worked a triple shift on her first day, which was odd. Perhaps she needed the money. She had her back turned to him as she cleaned off a table while swaying to the radio. The diner was empty now, since it was meant to be closed twenty minutes ago. It appeared Elizabeth was the only one there. Kowalski cleared his throat to get her attention.

She turned around with a start. "Oh, hello, Kowalski. I suppose you're back for your calculator?" she asked, pulling it out of the pocket of her apron.

"Yes, thank you," Kowalski replied, accepting it from her and putting it in his shirt pocket. "What are you still doing here?"

"One of the other waitresses had a family emergency and asked me to lock up for her. I was planning on dropping by the calculator when I returned to my room, by the way," Elizabeth answered.

"Oh, I see. Thanks again," Kowalski replied.

"You're welcome. See you later," Elizabeth said with a smile.

Kowalski nodded and turned to leave, but stopped short when he heard the radio volume turn up. He turned back around to see Elizabeth moving to the music as she cleaned off another table.

"I love the tango," Kowalski said nonchalantly, recognizing the beat.

"Do you?" Elizabeth asked, glancing back at him with a smile.

Kowalski turned back and approached her from behind. "Yeah," he answered.

"I too love the tango. Never learned the dance, though. Never had the time," Elizabeth explained.

Kowalski leaned smoothly against the table next to her. "I could teach you," he said suavely.

Elizabeth turned her head to look at him but quickly looked away in embarrassment.

"Oh, no, no. I appreciate the thought, but I just can't. I've never danced anything but a waltz. Even still, I had two left feet," she told him. Although, she regretted it, since it was Hans whom she'd waltzed with.

Kowalski took her rag and laid it on the table. Then he took Elizabeth by the hands and led her to the center of the diner.

"If I can invent, you can dance," he said.

Just at the heat of the song, Kowalski tugged her close, causing Elizabeth to laugh.

Kowalski then led her in a series of dips and twirls across the diner. He held a firm grip on her waist and she, his shoulder as they moved with one another as if they were the only two people in the world. Elizabeth looked down at her feet in fear that she'd step on Kowalski's, but he lifted her chin with a smile.

The song slowed into a series of climactic trills and Kowalski fit his hand in the bend of her knee and held her leg to his side as he slowly brought her into a low dip. He and Elizabeth looked deep into each other's eyes as their lips hovered barely an inch apart. Kowalski smiled broadly and pulled her upright when the song picked back up for the finale.

Finally, the song came to a dramatic end, and Kowalski gave her a twirl and once again caught her leg at his side. The two waited a moment as they held each other so close, a sheet of paper couldn't fit between them, staring into each other's eyes as they caught their breath from the adrenaline of the moment's intensity. Kowalski glanced from her lips and her eyes, and she, his. Slowly, Kowalski started to close the distance, and Elizabeth nearly let him before she realized what she was doing.

She braced her hands on his chest below the collarbone to keep him from continuing with the moment.

"I should—probably lock up, now," Elizabeth said quietly with her eyes still locked on his lips.

Kowalski nodded with somewhat of a disappointed smile. "I'll—catch you later?"

"Sure. Catch you later, Kowalski," Elizabeth replied. After a moment of silence, she raised her eyebrows. "May I have my leg back?"

Kowalski's eyes widened in realization and he released her leg and backed away. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—" He ran into a chair and straightened it as he moved past the table. "I didn't mean to—well, you know, heh!" he said as he scratched his neck and foolishly smiled.

Elizabeth couldn't help but smile back. "It's fine, Kowalski. I'll see you tomorrow," she said, rubbing her arm bashfully.

"Yeah, I'll see you to—" Kowalski then backed into the door. "—tomorrow. Heh, who put that there?" he asked with a nervous laugh. Without waiting for a response, he ducked into the hallway that led to the elevators.

Elizabeth watched the open doorway for a moment longer, grinning as if it was going out of style. Kowalski was so amazing. And handsome, too. And strong. And funny, and sweet, and kind . . .

Elizabeth's face fell into distress when the dagger in her boot seemed to press deeper into her skin, as if sternly reminding her that she was digging herself into a hole that she really needed to get out of. Tears began to well up in her eyes. She'd only felt this way once before.

She was falling in love.