The clock on the microwave read 2:39, its glow mocking Carlton's sleepless state. The man had been off-duty for approximately two hours but remained in his work clothes, wired and unable to relax. He stood in the kitchen, leaning back against the counter with a mug of cold coffee in his hand, lost in thought. He hadn't seen or heard from Melody since his word vomit at the station, much to the relief of a small, cowardly part of his mind. He had committed a supreme tactical slip-up, and he needed some time to rally the troops.

Carlton knew he was falling back on his natural inclination to be non-communicative when personal issues arose. His inner macho man fought with his inner sensitive pansy. And both the inner man and inner pansy were fighting with his inner terrified teenage man-child. On one hand, he felt that the best move would be to allow Melody to come to her own conclusion and talk to him when she was ready; admittedly, this was to keep Carlton from putting himself out there and being vulnerable. But on the other, more feminine (probably manicured) hand, he knew that retreating into silence was probably sending the wrong signal. He didn't want her to think that he hadn't meant what he'd said, or that he regretted saying it! On a third (mutant) hand, he was plain scared of finding out what Melody felt. Also, the fact that he'd been the first to use the "L" word made Carlton kind of feel like throwing up.

A ringing sound issued from his pocket, jolting Carlton out of his reverie. He opened his cell phone to find a text message.

I can't sleep. Can we talk?

Ominous, those words. Carlton patted his pocket, making sure he had his house keys, and took off without bothering to send a reply. He practically sprinted down the block, then gathered himself together and slowly made his way up Melody's walk to her front door. She opened the door before he could knock. He only had a moment to take in her disheveled appearance, clad in a gray tank top and lime green plaid pajama pants. "Melody, I-"

Carlton found himself with a woman attached to his face, which was not the greeting he had expected in light of "can we talk." Still, he wasn't complaining as he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend and backed her into her living room, kicking the front door shut behind him. At first he was willing to take for granted that he was experiencing his first-ever booty call, but the analytical part of his brain picked up on the urgency and desperation in Melody's kisses and forced the detective to pull away. "Not that I'm not enjoying this," he said warily, holding the girl at arms' length, "but what's going on?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to..." Melody shook her head, her voice breathless. "I promise I just wanted to talk, but then I saw you and I just..." She took a deep breath and stared directly into the detective's eyes. "Did you mean it?" She was almost one hundred percent certain she knew the answer, but she wanted to hear it from his lips.

Carlton nodded slowly. "I love you," he stated simply.

He had expected her to fling herself into his arms and cover him with kisses, declaring her love for him through tears. So maybe he'd seen too many romance movies. He hadn't expected Melody to calmly walk over to her couch and sit in silence. His heart fell as he followed her to the couch and sat down next to her. "You don't have to say it back to me," he assured half-heartedly. "I understand if you feel like it's too soon or something. I really hadn't intended to tell you yet..." Carlton trailed off, uncertain of how to repair the situation.

Melody sat in silence for a minute, staring at her hands. "I got a job offer today." Carlton said nothing, sensing that there was more to the story. "I would have my own office, and patients, and I'd be working with one of my college professors, my mentor, really." She laughed quietly. "It's the chance of a lifetime. All I have to do is say that I want the job, and it's mine."

"What's the catch?" Carlton urged gently, afraid of the response.

"I would have to move to Phoenix. And I have to decide what I'm going to do by the end of the month."

A cold shock ran through the man, but he kept his expression neutral. "Well, Phoenix isn't that far away," he mused. "I mean, it's only, what, a ten hour drive? Less, if traffic's good. We could make it work."

"Carlton, it's almost five hundred miles away," Melody replied miserably. "I don't even have a car, and you take one day off a month if Chief Vick forces you. We would never get to see each other." She looked up into his eyes. "And I'm not going to ask you to leave Santa Barbara."

Carlton started to protest that he would do it for her, but couldn't bring himself to make any sound. His whole life was in Santa Barbara; everything he'd ever worked for, everyone he'd ever known. Could he ever even consider leaving? He studied the woman on the couch next to him for a few long moments, taking in her messy hair and slightly childish pajamas, the dark circles under her eyes and the confusion etched across her face. For her?

"I would do it in a heartbeat," he replied without batting an eyelash.

Melody couldn't stop the warm feeling spreading inside her chest at his words. "No, Carlton, you can't. I won't let you. You would be miserable, and they need you here." But her eyes spoke volumes. She was incredibly touched and deliriously happy for one brief moment at the thought that he would drop everything to be with her.

"So what are you going to do?" Carlton wanted to reach out, to hold her hand or wrap his arms around her shoulders, but the fact that Melody still hadn't acknowledged his words from earlier paralyzed him.

"I don't know." Melody's gaze settled back on her hands again, and she noticed absently that they were shaking a little. "I'm crazy if I don't take this job. I'll never get an offer like this in my lifetime."

"Do you want the job?"

The question stopped Melody in her mental tracks. "I'm not sure," she replied, surprising herself. "But I have a PhD, and my mentor wants me to work with him, and I would be able to pay of my student loans and buy a car... and my family wants me to be successful, and so does Dr. Schiller..."

"Never mind that," Carlton cut through. "Is it what you want?"

What did she want? That was a question Melody didn't often ask herself. She was a people-pleaser at heart, learned through years of watching various men walk all over her mother. Conflict was a terrifying creature to be avoided at all cost. Decisions were to be made with everyone else's opinions in mind. The few times Melody had considered what she really wanted, she had ended up leaving home to go to school in a new state, away from any friends and family she knew. She had spent a summer backpacking around Europe, soaking up culture and adding to her ever-growing pile of debt.

She had found herself living in Santa Barbara, answering phones at a police station.

What do I want?

"No. I want to stay here." She looked up, meeting an ice blue gaze. "I want to live here in my tiny little rental house and answer phones at a police station, and I want..." Deep, shaky breath in. "I want to stay with you."

"You're sure about this?" Carlton struggled to keep his voice under control. "You're going to abandon a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity just to be with me?"

Melody nodded, a grin spreading slowly across her face. "I'm in love with you, Carlton," she admitted. "I'm finally happy and I'm not about to give that up."

It was as if a carefully constructed, very fragile dam burst. Carlton pinned the woman down on the couch. "Good, because I'm never going to let you get away." He crashed his lips down on hers and felt her respond eagerly, full of passion. Her hands traveled up his chest and Carlton jerked away. "Still wearing my gun," he explained when he noticed the confusion in Melody's eyes. Glancing down at his holster and badge caused the detective to snap back into reality. It was three AM and he was over at his girlfriend's house, making out with her on her couch. He struggled to force his hormones back under control and made to sit up. "I should probably..."

Melody caught hold of his tie. "No. Stay with me. Please." She was startled by her own assertiveness, but unapologetic.

The look in her eyes was enough to shatter his resolve. "You're sure?" Even as he asked the question, Carlton was uncertain if her answer would have mattered.

In response, the woman pulled the detective close until their mouths were almost touching. "I love you," she whispered. Unable to hold back any longer, he closed the gap between their lips.

...

Melody woke to the sound of a phone that was not hers. Confused, she moved to sit up but was pinned down by an arm reaching across her body to her nightstand. Oh. She sunk back into her pillow, resigned to listen in on the conversation with a dreamy smile on her face.

"Lassiter." His voice was rough first thing in the morning; Melody decided she could easily grow used to waking up to it. "Where? ...Is O'Hara there? ...Right. Twenty minutes." Carlton snapped the phone shut and allowed himself to fall back into the mattress, sighing heavily.

"I guess I have to give your shirt back, huh?" Melody grinned, having elicited a laugh from the sleepy detective.

Carlton rolled over and planted a gentle kiss on his girlfriend's lips. "Keep it," he replied. "I can run home and change." He pushed himself up and out of bed, wincing at the slight chill that struck his bare skin.

Melody propped herself up on her elbows and watched as the man quickly dressed. She glanced at the alarm clock next to her bed. Six-thirty. They couldn't have been sleeping for more than an hour. Guilt crowded in as Melody took in the dark circles under Carlton's eyes. She swung her legs out of bed and wordlessly made her way to the kitchen. Carlton watched her go, slightly curious, but continued to gather his things together.

The detective followed the sound of clanging dishes into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around his girlfriend, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck. "I'll see you tonight," he mumbled through her hair. "I'm not sure how late I'll be, but I'll call you when I'm done. We've got an apparent homicide today."

Melody nodded distractedly, searching through her cabinets. "I'll wait up for you," she replied.

Slightly put-off, Carlton left and jogged the block to his house. He hastily changed clothes and ran a comb through his hair before glancing at his watch. He had ten minutes to get to the location Vick had given him. The man rushed to his car and had every intention of speeding to the scene of the crime when he noticed a familiar figure standing out on the curb. He slowed to a halt and rolled down his window. Melody was still wearing his shirt and had added a pair of sweat pants declaring the initials of her alma mater.

The woman held out a travel mug. "Three creams, four sugars?" The detective took the coffee gratefully, and Melody leaned in the window of the squad car. "Be safe," she whispered and pressed a kiss to his startled lips. She backed up, once again standing at the curb. "I love you, Carlton."

If he could have, Carlton would have parked the car and gone back inside with her. But duty called. "I love you too," he replied. He drove off, glancing back in the rear-view mirror to find Melody still at the curb, hugging her arms to herself and smiling.

The detective couldn't stop the grin from spreading across his features. He'd never gone to a homicide in this good of a mood before.