Thanks everyone for the continued support. This chapter is dedicated to my precious Gina, who always reassures me when I ask if it's 'working.' ;)

They left the hospital complex hand in hand, walking in silence until they got to the park at the end of the city block. It was a slow walk, and the silence was comfortable, but they both knew as they entered the park that the conversation they were about to have would be the one that defined their relationship. Their heads were heavy with thought, but the way their fingers laced together made it alright to feel that way.

"You remember when you asked me why I became a cop?"

James glanced over at Juliet. She looked up from the ground in front of her to look at his face, and she nodded.

"Well," he said, speaking slowly as he looked back at the tree-lined path before them. "You were right. I do get asked a lot. But I've never told the real story to anyone. So, if the words don't come out right, it's because I've never said them before."

Juliet's heart skipped a beat. She'd never seen him so serious. Without realizing it, she squeezed his hand, letting him know it was okay to continue. There were two men jogging toward them. James let them pass before he began.

"When I was nine, my mother took up with a traveling salesman. That's what she thought he was, at least. He was a grifter, and he promised her everything she ever wanted in return for her life savings. She gave it to him, and when my old man found out..."

James paused. Juliet saw his jaw clench, and she looked away, thinking it might be easier for him to tell her that way. There was a shake in his voice that made her heart pound. He was about to bare his soul to her, and she could only hope she wouldn't fuck it up afterward.

"When my old man found out, he put five bullets in her, and he saved the last one for himself. I was at my aunt's house when it happened." James continued, pressing on so that Juliet wouldn't have to respond to his sordid story. "I didn't even know the details 'til I looked 'em up later on, but I knew back then something real bad had gone on. I could tell by the way my aunt and uncle looked at me after that, like I'd been tainted by it and there was nothing they could do. They tried, they raised me like their own, but I think those looks rubbed off on me. I got to thinkin I could never be a normal kid, so I thought I shouldn't bother acting like one."

James took a deep breath. The hardest part was over, and she was still there, still listening patiently. James gently tugged her hand, changing direction so he could lead her to a wooden bench at the side of the path. They sat down, never letting go of each other's hands.

"I stole my first car at thirteen," he said. "Set fire to things." He cracked a smile for her then, laughing inwardly at the idea of a police officer with a history of grand theft auto and arson. Juliet seemed to appreciate it. Her eyes widened at the news, but she was smiling too. "I almost burned my poor uncle's house down." he went on. "I was getting into some real bad stuff, 'til my uncle, god bless him, realized what I was doing to myself. By that time I'd already dropped out of high school, but he got me a job at a garage and made sure I got my GED."

James felt Juliet squeeze his hand again. She'd turned to face him, no longer afraid to look in his eyes. He still avoided hers, so she pulled his hand into her lap, covering it with her other hand.

"The day I got my certificate, he sat me down and told me my options: join the army, or find a job where I could make a difference. I was an okay mechanic, but he knew I needed a place to channel all the anger I had. He said the army would be for running away...but if I wanted to stand up and face my past, then maybe I should try becoming a cop. See, my uncle wanted to find the grifter as bad as I did. I dunno, maybe it wasn't the safest, healthiest thing to be tellin a kid he should go after an outlaw, but I took to the idea real quick. I joined the academy, all set and ready to beat up some bad guys. I almost got kicked out for bad behavior the second week, since I started beatin' on anybody that looked at me wrong. When I think back on it, I don't know how I made it through. But I made it. I think it was a combination of being partnered up with Miles and realizing there were people out there living with pain just as bad as mine that helped me let go. Miles wouldn't put up with my temper for a second, and it wasn't doing my cases any good either."

James couldn't see it, because he still wouldn't look at Juliet, but she was smiling. She knew he was a favorite among the administration, the reliable, relatable, level-headed officer that was also respected by his peers. Turns out he'd been on quite a journey to get to that position. She was aware of what it meant for him to share all of this with her, especially coming away from a confrontation with an arrogant doctor in that pretentious restaurant she'd invited him to have lunch in.

"So you're not looking for the grifter anymore?" she asked after a silence.

James glanced at her lap and the small tangle of hands that rested gently in it. He shook his head no. "Not actively. Not with the same intentions."

Motion caught his eye, across the path at a small playground. There were two kids, a boy and a girl, on the swing set. They were laughing, their trajectories completely opposite until the girl reached out for the boy's hand. They swung by each other three times before the boy grabbed hold of her. The sudden tension made the swings wobble, which made the children laugh harder, but they held on, working together and using their feet to fix the motion of their swings. James thought about Rachel and Edmund, about the personal problems Juliet shared with him and the burdens she kept, and he thought about the reasons why he was telling her all of his now. He really wanted what they had to work, he just didn't know how. He'd never gotten this far into a relationship that didn't end badly for both parties.

"I don't do this." James said plainly. "I don't talk about my past." He finally turned to her, ready to lay it all on the line. The look she was giving him was calm and sure, but he was going to have to tell her all of it if they were going to stay together. "I don't even date, you understand? I've slept with a lot of women that I haven't seen a second time. I never trusted them to handle me, and then it got to the point where I was thinkin' maybe I didn't deserve a girl that could handle me. I push everyone away, 'cept for Miles, who I couldn't push away if I tried."

Juliet laughed, and her laughter was a comfort. She knew what he was thinking, that it should have scared her off, but everything he was showing, the self-awareness of his flaws and the courage it took to tell her about all of them, only deepened what she already felt for him. The soul he'd bared was beautiful, and he was offering it to her with honesty.

"I'm not telling you this for sympathy." said James, because he could see some in her eyes. "I'm telling you this because I want you to know who I am, so you can decide now whether or not you want me. I really like you, Juliet. I can see this goin' on for a long time, which might not sound like much to you but you're talkin' to a guy who's never looked past the one night stand. And maybe what you got goin with your ex ain't any of my business, but when I saw him lookin at you the way he did, I got jealous. When I saw the way you looked at him it only got worse. Made me realize I want you all to myself. I'll fight for you, if you let me. Just tell me it's over between the two of you. I'll believe whatever you tell me."

"It's over." Juliet said immediately, no hesitation or doubt, hope taking their place instead. James moved his hand between the two of hers, so that their fingers laced again, and he was the one to squeeze this time. He tried to keep the relief from showing too much in his features.

"Alright," he said, confidence renewed. "So whadya say? You still wanna take a chance with a fucked up, relationship-challenged police detective?"

Juliet felt a big swell of emotion after everything he'd said. Their dirty secrets had been laid out in the open, not so scary anymore now they were in the light. The only thing her mouth could do at the moment was kiss his lips, and she ignored the joggers and playing kids to plant one on him. The hand she held escaped, and she felt it at the back of her head, holding her gently, the way he always did when they kissed. His lips and his tongue were familiar, but the kiss felt different. He was her boyfriend now, and after wasting more than a decade on a life with Edmund that turned out to have never existed at all...it felt really good. She didn't want to stop kissing him, but she hadn't actually answered his question yet and he was getting kind of curious.

"I'll take that as a yes?" he said when he pulled back. She smiled, nodded, staying close enough to see the jagged lines in the irises of his eyes. His thumb stroked her cheek, and the emotion came over her again. She put her arms around him then, pulling him closer.

"Say something." James whispered, trying to make her laugh.

"I don't know what to say." she admitted. With her arms wrapped around him, she could feel his body move when he chuckled.

"Say anything." he said softly. "I just wanna hear your voice."

Juliet smiled and squeezed him. "I want you." she whispered in his ear, her voice still coming back to her. "I want you all to myself too. Thank you so much for telling me everything you told me. I'm fucked up and relationship-challenged too, but when I'm with you I feel like I'm not. That has to mean something, right?"

Juliet leaned back, releasing him, and James smoothed her hair back, running his fingers through it gently. "Yeah." he said with a half smile. "I think it does."

"Oh," Juliet said, softly and suddenly. "What time is it?"

James took his hand out of her hair so he could check his watch. "Just before one. You gotta get back?"

"I have another appointment with Rachel, then another interview."

"And I should get back to work at some point." James agreed. "Those mysteries ain't gonna solve themselves."

"Can't Miles solve them all?" Juliet deadpanned.

"I don't know..." James pretended to ponder as he stood, helping Juliet up after him. "I heard a detective only passes for top tier down at the precinct..."

Juliet laughed, and once she was standing she put her arms around his neck again. "You don't just pass, James." she said, giving him another quick kiss. "You're the best they have."

James smiled down at her, and he saw the little sparkle come into her eye. Her thumbs were rubbing the nape of his neck. She wanted to say something, and he was going to wait until she shared it.

"I want to see you tonight." said Juliet.

"Yeah?" said James. "You gonna spend the night?"

"Mmhm." Juliet nodded, not missing the hands on her lower back dipping a little lower when he leaned in to give her a deeper kiss. James held her close, and looked into her sparkling eyes again.

"You're gonna keep me up all night, aren't you?" he asked her.

"Mmhm." Juliet said again, and both the nodding and her smile had a little more emphasis. James stifled a grin, and he cleared his throat so he wouldn't think too much about her plans while they were still outside.

"You better quit smilin' like that, Blondie." James warned her. "Don't wanna have to arrest myself for lewd behavior in a public park..."

After walking Juliet back to the hospital, James drove back to the station and tried to find some shred of motivation to finish the work day. He'd seen her every night since their first date and it still wasn't enough. Every second he wasn't holding her felt like a wasted one. He was going to see his lady that night, all night, and he was going to wake up beside her. Better yet, with her in his arms.

James found Miles' chair empty, but his partner soon returned with food from the vending machines.

"Oh, welcome back, sir." Miles said with mock respect. "Are you sure you're ready to return to work? Do you need another hour for lunch?"

"I love you too, Straumey."

"So," Miles said, tossing the candy and chips on his desk. The dinner of champions. "Did she dump you?"

James sighed, lighthearted. Instead of answering the question, he opened the bottom drawer in his desk and took out the special gift he'd found just for his roomie. James tossed the unwrapped box at him, and Miles caught a brand new pair of headphones. It took Miles a moment to process, and when he figured it out he looked up at James, lips pursed.

"Our love is a lie." said Miles.

"I'd suggest the 1812 Overture, but..." James cocked his head to the side, narrowing his eyes in deep contemplation. "I don't think it'll be loud enough."

"Alright." said Miles, tossing the headphones next to the food. "Is there any other torture you need me to endure, master?"

"Yeah, look up Edmund Burke. I need to find some legal ways to make his life a living hell."

"Edmund Burke? That name sounds familiar."

"He's a big wig down at the hospital."

"Wait a minute, Burke? As in, Juliet Burke? Is he an ex? I can't believe I never made that connection..."

"You know him?"

"He's been at a few of my dad's museum functions. I heard he's a prick."

"You heard right. I had the distinct pleasure of meeting him at lunch."

"And you're giving me headphones...? Did you impress Juliet with a manly display of power?"

"Not yet." said James, flashing a smile.

"Careful, Ford. He's one of those guys with actual power. He's probably got fancy cars and...a working phone." Miles reached into his pocket for his finicky cellular, adding it to the growing pile of junk on his desk.

"And he's puttin' a frown on my woman's beautiful face." said James, a fair justification for any behavior. "Now, in this particular case, violence is not an option, because rich pricks tend to bruise a little too easy."

"And those days are behind you." Miles added.

"Right. So we gotta be clever about this."

Miles thought briefly before his first idea came to him. "We could set him up with a tranny hooker?"

"...I was gonna say start with outstanding parking tickets, but if that's where your mind goes..."

"That's not where my mind goes, Ford. That's where it resides."

"Uh huh. I should have known you'd be a little too good at this."

"That's what happens when a man is forced to listen to his roommate boning his girlfriend 'til three in the morning."

James chuckled, halfway between sheepish and proud. "I can't help the sounds she makes, Straume. I can only hope she'll keep makin' 'em."

"Oh, I'm well aware of your great love of self expression. She wasn't the only one making noise. 'Ohhh, yeeeah'..."

"Okay, that's just creepy." James interrupted before Miles' disturbing impression could continue. "Get to work."