The visit to the local LEO's had gone well. Deale was under the jurisdiction of the state police and there was a local barracks just outside the town. To Rachel's surprise, the lieutenant in charge of the barracks lived in Deale and he remembered Jacob from his childhood visits to his grandparents. To Jacob's amusement, Lieutenant Hoyle had only blinked once when Rachel introduced herself as Special Agent Young and explained that she had been called back to duty as his bodyguard.

To Rachel's amusement, Hood's sudden appearance in Deale was considered more interesting than her showing up armed at little league. To Hood's surprise, and discomfort, he had to be rescued more than once from the attentions of some of the 'desperate housewives.'

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

As usual, Jacob was the first one awake Saturday morning. He was tempted to go downstairs and wake Rachel. Since she had remained adamant that he spend the majority of his nights in the guest bedroom, he figured she'd object to his slipping into bed with her now. Instead, like most mornings, he dressed, made coffee and went out to sit on the back porch swing to enjoy the early morning calm. He reflected on how quickly the last few days with Rachel had passed.

Mornings were sheer hell. Over his objections, he and Rachel spent quite a bit of time in and around town. Rachel insisted that they had to do this for appearance's sake. Like most men he hated shopping and Rachel's endless round of errands drove him mad. But according to her, it was the only way to ensure that people didn't speculate about their relationship; Rachel tried to explain that it had already raised some eyebrows that he hadn't shown up in Deale until Alex had left town. He privately thought that Rachel was being unreasonable, but he went along; he figured she was better at reading people than he was.

Afternoons weren't so bad, most of that time was spent in the park either playing with Owen or watching little league practice. During those public times they were Hood and Rachel, protectee and bodyguard with Owen just another of Rachel's charges. He was amused, and sometimes a little worried, at how easily Rachel slipped into her persona of Special Agent Young; cool, controlled and always in charge. Worried that once she was fully back on the job, she might have second thoughts about giving up that life.

Evenings were good. Then they could retreat to the old house by the bay. There they were Rachel and Jacob, a couple very much in love with a child to take care of; a family. After Owen was in bed, they would spend hours talking; about their interests, their pasts, what brought Rachel to the FBI, what sparked Jacob's interest in science, sharing their dreams for the future. All of the personal things they had been hesitant to share with each other, when they had been trying to convince themselves that their relationship was strictly professional.

But the nights were best of all. Every night they would make love. They would spend hours, tasting, touching, and exploring each other's bodies. Jacob shifted uncomfortably, his cock hardening at the memory of Rachel, hot and sweaty underneath him; her frantic cries as he caressed her, entered her. He smiled to himself as he thought that no matter how she acted when they were in public, in his arms, Rachel was anything but cool and controlled.

Their time together was interrupted by the FBI twice. First, when Felix called in triumph from Boston. He had managed to track down proof that 'the weasel' had taken money from Marchette in exchange for copies of the maternity pre-admission forms.

While the weasel professed not to know what Marchette was doing, Felix had managed to unearth evidence that proved, while not actively involved with the experiments, the weasel was fully aware of what was killing the infants. He was currently facing federal charges for tax evasion and violations of HIPPA regulations as well as state charges as an accessory to murder and manslaughter. Felix was elated at having so successfully completed his first independent investigation.

The second interruption was just the day before and was much more satisfying to him than Rachel. Ian Kendrick had been tapped to act as courier for the Bureau. Kendrick delivered the paperwork that formally freed him from the EPD and the necessary forms that confirmed Rachel's transfer from the EPD to the newly created Scientific Investigations Unit. Kendrick had also taken away McGruder's weapon. Now he and Rachel were officially at loose-ends.

Jacob's musings were cut short by the squeak of the screen door opening. He looked up and smiled as Rachel joined him on the swing. She was wearing a camisole and sleep shorts, and her hair was tousled.

"Hi there sweetheart," Jacob murmured as he shifted Rachel until she was sitting in his lap. "Umm, you feel nice."

"So do you." Rachel giggled softly; she could feel his cock hard under his jeans.

Jacob buried his face in Rachel's neck, kissing her as he ran his hand up and down her back.

"You know what I think about when I'm out here waiting for you to wake up?"

Rachel arched her neck, enjoying the feel of his lips. "No, what?"

"How much I want to make love to you in the morning. I wake up and all I can think about is how much I want you. Don't you think we could …?"

"No, Jacob, you know we can't. Owen could get up any time now."

He sighed. "So why are you up so early? I didn't hear your alarm."

Rachel snuggled into him and yawned. "Couldn't sleep, I've got tons to do today, it must have been preying on my mind."

"Rachel, its Saturday and a holiday weekend. Owen doesn't have to go to school, there's no little league, nothing we have to do. Can't we have a day to ourselves? Can't we just forget about what the people in Deale think and just take a day off?"

"I know its Saturday, and what we have to do today has nothing to do with quashing gossip. First of all, Alex is coming home tomorrow, I want to make sure that the house looks nice for her, maybe get some flowers for her room. Second, Owen is going on a birthday sleep-over today and I have to get him ready to go by ten. And third..."

"Wait a second; Owen's not going to be here today? Come on Rachel, we can have a free day. The house looks fine; let's do something fun today. Something just for us."

Rachel sat up and kissed Jacob. "Ok, I'll make a deal with you. If you help me with the chores I think need done, we can be finished before noon. Then I'll go play, deal?"

"What chores,"

"Nothing too bad. Change the beds, clean the bathrooms and kitchen, dust the downstairs."

"Deal, but on one condition, you can't complain that I don't clean things 'the right way' and insist that you have to do it over."

Rachel laughed, "Deal."

Jacob had pulled her into a kiss to seal their deal, when they heard Owen calling to them from the kitchen. Rachel tried to slide out of Jacob's lap, but he wouldn't let her.

"No," he told her firmly, "I agreed that it wouldn't be a good idea for Owen to find us in bed together, but I really don't think it will scar him to see me hold you or kiss you." Raising his voice, he called, "We're out here Owen."

Owen came onto the porch and climbed onto the swing next to them. "Morning Rachel, Uncle Jacob. Rachel, do you know where my sleeping bag is? I want to make sure I'm ready to go when Cory gets here."

Jacob smiled at his nephew. As he suspected, Owen was oblivious to the fact that he had his arms around Rachel, was holding her in his lap. Rachel threw him a rueful glance as she realized the same thing.

"Owen, you've got plenty of time before Cory comes to pick you up. Why don't you go back upstairs and get dressed? By the time you're done Rachel and I will be ready to make breakfast."

"Ok," said Owen. He hopped off the swing and went back into the house.

"I hate it when you're right," she whispered as she kissed him. "I guess I have been a little paranoid about letting anyone know about us. I suppose I've been overdoing the discretion thing, huh?"

"Just a little sweetheart," he murmured returning her kiss. They were so distracted that they failed to hear the screen door open again.

"Uncle Jacob."

"Uh, yes?"

"Why are you kissing Rachel?"

"'Cause I like her?"

Owen considered this, "Oh, ok. Rachel?"

"Um, what, Owen?" Rachel asked apprehensively.

"Can we call my mom? I won't be here today when she calls, so I thought we could call her now."

Rachel breathed a sigh of relief. "Sweetie, it's way too early to call your mom right now. We'll call her right before you leave. And don't forget, your uncle and I are going to pick you up early tomorrow so we can get you mom at the airport."

"Good. And Rachel?"

Rachel braced herself for Owen's next question,

"Can we have chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast again?"

Rachel just shook her head. "Sure."

As Owen went inside Jacob began to laugh softly. "See, I told you he wouldn't be scarred for life."

"I guess I didn't think he'd be so matter of fact about seeing us kissing, I mean, he barely batted an eye."

"We may not have been very demonstrative around him, but Owen's a bright boy, I think he's realized that we care for each other."

"I guess, Now let me get dressed. The sooner we get started the sooner we can have our day off."

Over breakfast, Rachel outlined for Jacob how the morning would go. She would be responsible for the downstairs, Jacob for the upstairs. Owen would have to change and make his own bed, with some help from his uncle, and pack his duffle. Rachel had already pulled his sleeping bag out of the mud room and had it rolled up and waiting in the entryway.

It was almost ten and the three of them had made good progress on the chores Rachel had decreed necessary for Alex's homecoming when the front doorbell rang. Owen tore down the stairs, duffle thumping behind him.

"I'll get it," he yelled, "I bet its Cory."

Rachel hurried into the entrance way just as Owen opened the door to a middle-aged woman.

"Dinah!" Owen cried, as he launched himself into her arms. "I missed you! Guess what? Cory Henderson's having a birthday sleepover and I'm going!"

The woman laughed and gave Owen a hug. "That sounds like fun Owen. Is your mom home?"

Rachel approached the door. "Um, hi, I'm Rachel Young, Alex isn't home right now, and may I help you?"

"Rachel is a friend of my Uncle Jacob," Owen explained. "She's been living here since you went away."

The older woman looked at Rachel with interest. "Oh my yes, so I've heard." She smiled and reached out to shake Rachel's hand. "My name's Dinah Jordan. I help Alex out with Owen here. I just wanted to stop by and let Alex know I'm back in town and to see if, when, she wants me to start back to work." She raised her eyebrows quizzically over the last sentence, obviously wondering how long Rachel would be remaining in Deale.

Rachel thought quickly, this was an answer to her problems. She had worried about deserting Alex, but now that she was so close she was itching to get back to the job. Plus, she had appointments in DC next week and it would be more convenient to just stay there than make the early morning commute from Deale.

"Your timing is excellent. I have to be in DC a couple days next week and I'll probably be back to my own job soon. I've been worrying about leaving Alex in the lurch. Let's see, Monday's Memorial Day, so unless you hear differently from Alex, how about you start back on Tuesday. Would that work for you?"

Dinah smiled; relieved to know she still had a job. "Yeah, that works fine. You tell Alex I'm looking forward to seeing her." With a smile for Rachel and a hug for Owen, the older woman took her leave.

Jacob came down the stairs before Rachel could shut the front door. As he joined her in the doorway, the small car driven by Dinah passed a large SUV pulling in the driveway.

"Who are the visitors?" Jacob wanted to know.

"That's Cory and his dad in the SUV," Owen exclaimed. "I gotta go now, bye Uncle Jacob, bye Rachel."

Owen took off down the steps with Rachel and Jacob following him, with his duffle, sleeping bag and birthday present. Rachel hugged Owen good-bye as Jacob helped Mr. Henderson stow Owen's things in the back of the SUV.

"So," Jacob asked as he and Rachel headed back inside, "who was that in the small car?"

"The woman who helps Alex with Owen. She's back in town and we arranged for her to start back to work on Tuesday."

"Why Tuesday? We don't have to be back in DC until Wednesday, won't she just be underfoot?"

Rachel blushed slightly as she closed the door behind them. "Um, my appointment with the Bureau shrink isn't until Wednesday, but, I, uh, well, I called my doctor yesterday and she agreed to work me in on Tuesday morning."

Jacob looked at Rachel with concern. "Rachel, what's wrong? Is your leg bothering you? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Uh, Jacob, it's not that kind of doctor." Her blush deepened. "I mean, I made an appointment to see my gynecologist."

"Why?" Jacob frowned, "Do you think you might be…?"

"No, of course not." She took a deep breath. "Look, Jacob, I need to see my gynecologist because, well, I'm not sure that a home pregnancy test will work.

I, well, I haven't had my period since I got shot. I asked my surgeon about it, and he said that the trauma to my body, from being shot, the blood loss, and from the surgery might throw my cycle off.

I think I might need a test a little more sophisticated than peeing on a stick. My doctor agreed. She told me to come in early Tuesday and she'll run some blood work for me."

Rachel hesitated, "she said that since it'll have been at least 5 days, the blood test will be accurate. I swear, Jacob, I was going to tell you yesterday, ask you to come with me. It slipped my mind."

Jacob hugged her tightly. "I was surprised, that's all. I didn't realize that there might be a problem. You should have told me."

Rachel looked up at him and asked hesitantly, "You're sure that's all, I mean, you won't be upset if I'm . . . ?"

"No sweetheart, I mean it, I know I told you it would be for the best if you aren't pregnant just now, but I swear to God, no matter which way it turns out, we'll be fine. Tell you what, why don't we plan on going in to DC on Monday night? That way we won't have to worry about getting caught in traffic Tuesday morning and we'll get you to the doctor nice and early."

Rachel sighed and rested her head on Jacob's chest. "Sounds like a plan."

They stood quietly in each other's arms for a few seconds before Jacob began kissing Rachel's neck. "I don't know about you, but my floor is nice and clean. And since we're finally alone, I think we should start our play date."

Rachel laughed. "I don't know; think I should inspect your work?"

"Nuh-uh," Jacob murmured as he kissed his way up her neck to her ear. "Part of the deal was you had to accept my standard of cleanliness." He gently nipped her earlobe and began moving his lips back down her neck. Rachel almost purred in satisfaction at the sensations his kisses were arousing in her.

"Well," she agreed, "a deal is a deal." She pressed her body into Jacob's as she tangled her fingers of one hand in his hair to pull his face down to hers. Her other arm wound around his waist and pulled his hips into hers.

"I want you, I need to be inside of you" he whispered against her lips.

"I want you there," Rachel replied, slipping her hands underneath his t-shirt and running her hands up and down his back, scratching him with her nails. Pulling his shirt over his head Rachel began moving her lips across Jacob's chest. Her tongue flicked his nipples.

She shrieked when Jacob suddenly swept her up into his arms. "Jacob," she gasped, "what are you doing?"

Smiling down at her, Jacob replied, "I think I'm a little too old to be making love to you in the hall, a bed sounds much more appealing to me."

Rachel laughed and wound her arms around Jacob's neck as he carried her through the kitchen and into the bedroom. "But I just made the bed."

"I'll help you re-make it later,"

Setting her down on her feet, Jacob's hands rubbed up Rachel's back, pulling up her t-shirt. He pulled it off of her and ran his hands back down her chest, over her breasts, murmuring appreciatively.

"Hmm, did I ever tell you that I like your taste in underwear?" Bending his head, his tongue touched the lace edging of her bra, his mouth sucked her nipple through the sheer silk. "I like this silky, lacy stuff you wear."

Holding her tightly, he sucked and licked her breasts until her breath was ragged. He unsnapped her bra and let it drop to the floor. His mouth moved lower, down her abdomen. Kneeling before her, he kissed her belly as his unzipped her jeans and slid them down her legs.

"I especially love that you wear matching panties." Rachel gasped as his tongue flicked the lace edging of her panties, stroked her already damp crotch. He eased her panties off her.

Standing, he quickly shucked off his jeans and boxers. Pulling Rachel against him, he groaned at the feeling of their naked bodies pressed close together.

"God Rachel, you have such a fantastic body."

Holding her tight, he tumbled down on the bed, drawing her down with him. Stretched out next to her, his hand traced the swell of her breast, the curve of her waist and hip.

"You make me so damned hot," he murmured. "I don't think I'll ever grow tired of touching you, fucking you."

Rachel purred as Jacob's hands caressed her, his tongue licked her neck, ears. She arched her body against his. "Umm, Jacob, you feel so good."

Shifting her body, Rachel pushed Jacob onto his back. She straddled him, his erect cock pushed up against her groin. Leaning over him, bracing her hands on his chest, she slowly rubbed herself against his cock, enjoying the feeling of him against her clit.

Jacob's hands slid to her hips, his fingers digging into her flesh. "You're so wet, baby." He tried to shift her hips, tried to push inside her.

"Not yet." Rachel leaned down to kiss him, his stiff cock pressed between them. "Let me feel you first," she whispered in his ear. Slowly, seductively, she rubbed her breasts against his chest. Arching her back, she brought them level with his mouth, allowed him to lick and kiss her nipples. Jacob's hands on her back tried to press her closer to him.

"No, you just lay back." Reaching behind her, Rachel moved Jacob's hands down to her ass.

Sitting upright, Rachel began moving her hips slowly at first, her crotch sliding over Jacob's cock. His hands moved to her thighs; one sliding between them. As his fingers found her clit, she moaned, tipping her head back. "Oh god, yes, that feels so good."

As Jacob increased the pressure of his fingers on her clit, Rachel increased the rhythm of her hips, the tension inside of her building. Leaning sideways, she quickly snagged a condom from the box on the bedside table. Fumbling a little with the wrapper, she sheathed Jacob's cock in the condom. She slid him inside her, moaning with pleasure at the feel of him. "Oh Jacob, you're so hard, so fucking hard, you feel so good inside me."

Jacob gasped as Rachel took him deep inside of her. He pulled her down as his hips bucked up off the bed. Leaning forward, her hands on his chest, Rachel rode him, taking his cock deeper inside of her with each movement of her hips. As her climax swept over her, Rachel breathed out Jacob's name as her muscles contracted around him.

Griping her hips, Jacob continued to thrust up into Rachel. The feeling of her, so hot and wet, tightening around his cock, pushed him over the edge. Thrusting up hard, he came inside of her groaning with satisfaction. Rachel sighed with pleasure, feeling his cock pulsing inside of her; and with a final contraction of her muscles, she collapsed on top of him.

Jacob held Rachel tight against him until they had both caught their breath. Cuddling Rachel against his side, he brushed the hair off her face.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he asked gently.

"Just wondering what else you had planned for our day? Or do you intend us to spend the day in bed?"

"A very tempting thought, but, really I meant what I said this morning. Why don't we spend the day out, somewhere other than Deale? Somewhere where we don't know anyone and they don't know us. Do normal people things."

Jacob looked at Rachel seriously. "I want to take you out, spend the day together, have a real date."

"Sounds good, what did you have in mind."

"Well, the Orioles' are playing in Baltimore today."

Rachel made a face.

"What," Jacob asked indignantly, "You don't like baseball?"

"Baseball, yes," Rachel teased, "but the American League? Sorry Jacob, a team with ten players on the roster is playing softball."

"So, not a fan of the designated hitter rule?"

"Actually, that sounds like fun," Rachel admitted. "We could go to the game and then poke around the shops in Fells Point and have dinner there afterward." Rachel wiggled out of Jacob's embrace. "I need to shower and get dressed, how soon do we need to leave?"

Jacob shrugged and looked at the clock on the bedside table, "Uh, in about an hour?"

"Perfect." She gave Jacob a nudge, "Scoot, let me get ready."

Jacob wrapped his arms around her. "Sure I can't join you in that shower?"

"Not if you want to get out of here sometime today."

Less than an hour later, Rachel joined Jacob in the front hall. Jacob was freshly showered, dressed in jeans and a crisp cotton shirt, the sleeves rolled up. He stared at Rachel in surprise.

"What?" She was wearing a peasant blouse with short puffy sleeves and a short ruffled cotton skirt.

"Nothing, it's just, I've never seen you in anything other than your FBI uniform or jeans. You look nice."

Rachel chuckled. "Well, believe it or not, I do have some girly clothes. But thank you for the compliment, tell you what, since you've been so nice, I'll even let you drive."

Jacob snorted. "Big of you considering it is my car."