When Nigel drifted into consciousness late the next morning, it took him a moment to realize where he was, and that he was alone. He could feel where another body had lain, though, and he could feel the draft where the comforter had been flipped over. He opened his eyes against the pale light of the room, and sat up gently, groaning slightly when he felt a slight pain in his abdomen. Looking down, he lifted his sweater and, sure enough, there was a thin, arm-width bruise from where Alexis had clung on the night before.

He rubbed his eyes, stood, and made his way to the front room.

He found Alexis sitting on the couch, a blanket wrapped around her, balancing a large mug of tea on her knees. On the table beside her was a tray with two full English breakfasts laid out impeccably. Neither had been touched.

'Good morning,' Nigel muttered, sitting down at her feet. 'Are you okay?'

Not getting a reply, he shook her foot gently, and was met with a deer-in-the-headlights gaze until she visibly shook herself, and replied, 'Huh?'

Nigel smiled, and said again, 'Are you okay?'

She returned the smile, and chuckled, 'Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Just still a little tired. And hungry.' Raising his eyebrows in scepticism, he motioned towards the piles of eggs, sausage, beans, and toast sitting mere feet from her. 'I don't like to start without everyone present.'

Nigel chuckled. 'You could've woken me, you know.'

'See, I would've, but somehow I realized after shaking and prodding you for about fifteen minutes that you weren't going to respond to anything but a gunshot. And I seem to have left my semiautomatic back in London, so...' She shook her head amusedly, and then looked down into her mug. She glanced back up again, and asked, 'I didn't imagine yesterday, did I?'

Nigel sighed patiently, and replied softly, 'No, luv. But it's ok, I-'

'No, no, no, not that.' She blushed, and shifted her fingers on the cup. 'You said you love me.'

'Oh, that.'

'Yes, that.'

'Well,' he shrugged, 'it's true, you know.'

'I know.' She set her mug aside, lay down with her head in his lap, and ran her hand softly over his rumpled sweater. 'Did you hear me last night?'

He nodded, and grinned down at her. 'You said you love me.'

'Mmhm. I do, you know.'

'I know.' He wiped a few stray hairs out of her eyes, and took her hand in his. He lifted it gently to his lips and kissed her knuckles. She giggled like a schoolgirl in reply, but winced slightly when, as she placed her free hand in front of her lips, she pushed down on the bruise Tyler had left the day before. 'You okay?' he asked, gently caressing the deep purpling handprint.

'Yeah, yeah, I'm fine.' She sat up slightly and laid her head on his chest, resting under his arm. She lightly smacked his stomach, which had growled at her movement, and he jerked. Her face contorted in a slight confusion, and she asked, 'What's up with that?' He laughed lightly and lifted his sweater, showing her the marks she had left the night before. 'Oh. My. God. I am so sorry!' Alexis placed her hand on the darkest bruise and said, 'You poor, poor thing! Here,' she said chirpily, and lowered her head to kiss it better.

Nigel laughed, and pulled her up to meet his gaze. They remained locked like that for a moment, until their lips met in the middle of the gap.

'Now,' Nigel told her, pulling away, 'no dessert before breakfast. You need to eat. You're far too thin.'

Alexis snorted and sat back onto the couch, keeping Nigel's hand draped over her waist. 'Far too thin,' she muttered amusedly. 'You're by far the thinner of the two of us per centimetre in height, you know.'

Nigel rolled his eyes, leant forward to grab one of the plates, and set it in his lap. He picked up a small piece of sausage with a pretentious silver fork and said, 'Here. You take a bite, I take a bite. Deal?' She didn't reply, merely opened her mouth. Her eyes sparkled as she shut her lips on the silver utensil, and he slid it slowly out of her mouth. 'There. That wasn't so bad, was it?'

She chewed slowly, swallowed dramatically, and licked her lips. 'Yummy,' she said, and opened her mouth for another.

'Ah, but it's my turn,' Nigel chided as he lifted a little pile of baked beans to his lips. He saw Alexis's face fall dramatically, and she pouted her lips at him. After he finished chewing, Nigel sighed, 'Fine,' and lifted another bite of sausage into her mouth. 'Better?'

'Mmhmm.'

'Don't talk with your mouth full, luv, it's rude.'

And in reply, she swallowed and stuck out her tongue.

'Oh, really.' He scooped up a piece of egg and moved to put it in her mouth, but intentionally missed, and instead hit the tip of her Roman nose, leaving behind a large yellow spot of yolk.

Nigel laughed genially, and soon they were both doubled over laughing, covered in food.

They continued like this, both of them being stubborn and childish in turn, until Alexis had eaten a whole breakfast and a half on her own.

'Urrgh,' Alexis sighed, lying back against Nigel's chest. She let her head fall backwards so she was looking up at him. 'Know what I feel like doing now?'

'Nothing?'

'Absolutely, positively nothing.' She curled up so her entire form was enclosed in Nigel's arm, and laid her head on his chest. She sighed, letting her shoulders lift and fall dramatically. 'Dr. Macy isn't expecting you back soon, is he?'

'No,' Nigel replied, leaning his chin on the crown of her head. 'He knows where I am, what I'm doing. He wouldn't call me in for anything.'

'Good.' She sighed again, and closed her eyes, letting her hand rest on his flat stomach. She began drawing circles around his navel. 'Know what I think?'

'What's that?'

'I think I should get Jessica's mum and dad to come here and pick up their daughter themselves.'

'And why's that?' Nigel asked, stroking her hair slightly, a bubble growing somewhere in his stomach.

'So I can stay here – in Boston – a little longer.' Suddenly, her demeanour changed, and she added hastily, 'If you want me to, of course.'

Confused, Nigel asked, 'Why on Earth would I not want you to stay?'

'Well…' she started, 'because before I came along, your life was probably less chaotic – '

'With Jordan? You've got to be kidding.'

' – you had more chances to sleep around –'

'After last night, do you really think that matters to me?'

'-and, of course, I'm not exactly –'

'I refuse to listen to self deprecation, my dear.' With his last utterance, he had placed a long white finger gently to her lips. 'Especially when the one who is doing the deprecating could not be lovelier. And besides –'

'You love me.'

'Yes.'

'And I love you.'

'I certainly hope so.'

Alexis laughed, and ran her arms around Nigel's waist, gently this time. 'Thank you,' she sighed softly. 'But I'd think you'd get tired of me being such a… a downer on your unbelievably positive attitude.'

'A downer?'

'Well, I'm always crying o'er one thing or another.'

'…I see what you mean.'

'Excuse me?'

'Well, in the past two days, I've cried more over you than I ever have over myself.' Nigel shrugged, and looked down into the glowing honey orbs that were the eyes of his beloved.

'You've cried over me. I'm not sure what to say to that.'

'Say you'll never do that to me again. And that you'll stay in Boston after you call up your mate's mum and dad.'

Her face lit up into a brilliant smile, and she chirped out four beautiful, wonderful words. 'Pass me the phone.'

'…No. No, look, I just think it would be better if you came here and picked her up. See her in a non-threatening environment, show her support when she has to testify in court… I know it'll be difficult to hear. That's why I want you here. Do you know how better it was for me when I had to testify to know that I had someone in the courtroom supporting me?...' Nigel was listening intently to Alexis's side of the conversation, shifting every so often as he slid unintentionally down the couch. It was only when his neck was almost fully folded into his chest that Alexis was able to say, 'Thank you, Christian. No, no, please, just tell her yourself. She'd rather hear it from you… Yeah. Yeah, I will… Thanks. I have to go, Christian... The door, someone's at the door. I have to go… Yeah… yeah. Okay. See you soon… You're welcome… G'bye.' She hung up the receiver and slid down into a perfect imitation of Nigel, slumped down and exhausted. 'Urgh. He's impossible… but they're flying out tomorrow morning. And they'll take Jessica home in a couple'a weeks, after the trial.' She sighed again, and started, 'So.'

'So, what, luv?' He sat up straighter to try and correct the crick in his neck.

'So, now what?'

And after a moment of silence, Nigel smiled.

'Get dressed, put on some lippie, and I'll show you Boston like you should seeBoston.'

'Monet!'

'Yes, luv. But you've been to Parishaven't you? The Louvre! And if I had known you were a lover of Monet I would have brought you here in the first place.'

After changing, Nigel had whisked Alexis off to Fenway Park, Quincy Market, Beacon Hill, and finally, the Museum of Fine Arts.

'Yes, but the Louvre is one thing. They don't have these paintings. Besides, I haven't been in ages. I dunno why. I should go, though. Hey! We should go together. When's the last time you went back to Europe?'

There was a sobering moment while Nigel thought back to the last time he saw Big Ben on the horizon. 'I haven't been back… well, in ages if you want to know the truth. Years.'

'Really? How come?' She continued her tour of the museum, Nigel following closely behind. He selfishly kept his hand on the small of her back, wanting to remind himself she was his.

'Well, I didn't really have a reason to go. My job is here, my friends are here…'

'What about your family?' she asked, turning back, wide-eyed, to meet his gaze.

'Well, I talk to my brother occasionally… but my dad and I… he got remarried a few years ago. Didn't tell me… has a baby boy now. I heard about him through my brother. My half brother, Frankie… he should be about six now…' He stopped, and only then realized that Alexis hadn't returned to looking at the paintings. She had stopped and turned to face him, and was resting her hands in his. He looked down where his thin ivory fingers were covering her graceful olive ones.

'What… what happened to your mom?' she asked softly, ducking down slightly to try and catch his eye.

'Died shortly after Elvis. I was ten…' He glanced up, and saw that Alexis's eyes were wide with compassion; but not false, like he usually saw. He let out a weak laugh and looked away. 'It's alright, it was so long ago.' The false smile stayed plastered on his face, trying to convince both himself and her.

'It's not, Nigel. I mean… Nigel. Nigel, if it were alright, you would look at me.'

The smile faded as he looked back and saw her eyes had not wavered.

Alexis lifted her hand to caress his cheek, and held it there on the hollows. She smiled lightly. 'I know how it feels to lose a parent, Nigel. To lose two. But… but to never see them, even though they're alive? I don't know how you can do it. Maybe… maybe we could do just that. You and me. One day, we could hop on a plane and you can… you know… see how you feel. It's hard as hell to take the first step, to extend the proverbial olive branch, but once it's out there… then you'll feel better knowing that you might soon be reunited. I've known people who don't see someone out of pride or shame, and really, is that any way to leave things?'

'Alexis, you just –' he started, clearly upset.

'I'm sorry, I know it's not my place. I just wanted to help…' She dropped her hands, and with it her gaze, and Nigel, again, felt that overwhelming feeling of devotion radiating from the woman in front of him.

'No, no, that's not it.' Softening his tone, he pinched her chin with his thumb and forefinger, and lifted her eyes to meet his. 'I just… I don't know if I can be that…' He paused, looking for the right word.

'Humble?' she smiled, lifting her hand to his wrist, holding it in place.

'Precisely,' Nigel laughed as he encircled her in his long, lanky arms. 'Although I'm not sure if I should be insulted or not.'

And, of course, she didn't reply. Just shrugged.

'Thanks. Yet another blow to my ego.'

'That oh so delicate entity.'

'See? I don't know if I should stay in such a harsh relationship.' Nigel began laughing, deep and jovial.

'But you know what they say! The worse the arguments, the better the sex!' she exclaimed, laughing, too – until she noticed a group of Catholic school children walk by, escorted by a very stern-looking nun.

Nigel pulled Alexis out into the courtyard, both of them now laughing hysterically.

'It looked… like she wanted to… to stick you with a… a… a crucifix!' Nigel gasped, hiccoughing.

'She did!' Alexis echoed, holding her hand on his chest. 'Oh, my, if looks could kill I would be a dead woman!'

'I have a suggestion,' Nigel said, lifting Alexis up by her elbows and spinning her around. 'I am in the mood to get terribly, undeniably, unquestionably drunk. How about we swing 'round to a local shop and grab a bottle of wine and get marvellously smashed. Or ouzo. Or rum. Rum! The drink of pirates. Whatever your fancy!'

Alexis laughed along with him, though somewhat belatedly, and cried, 'Drunk? You British and your liquor! Alright, you – I don't do this often… well, never, actually – but damned if I'm going to miss out on the fun. Lead the way, Nigel, you know better than I – though I must say I make a damn good daiquiri.'

'Rum it is, then!'

As they left, the draconian-looking nun watched them with a scowl on her face.

And that just made them laugh harder.