DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters, Fox does. I'm only taking them out for a test drive.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story contains some adult situations, so be forewarned.
SPOILERS: Strap-on, Ryde or Die

After the Fall
By Sam

Part 1

I got a story, ain't got no moral,
Let the bad guy win every once in a while.
- Billy Preston

Billie Chambers stood outside the door, her hand resting on the knob as she fought off a sudden urge to turn around and walk away. She knew there was a very bad scene awaiting her on the other side. In fact, she had spent most of the ride over debating whether or not she should even bother. But, there was unfinished business that she couldn't ignore. There were angry words that needed to be said.

And she knew that it was only right for her to listen to them.

She pushed the door open and stepped inside, all traces of her nervousness quickly buried under a cool, confident exterior. A quick nod to the officer standing nearby was all that was needed as he acknowledged her subtle command and exited the room, pulling the door closed behind him. She stared back at it for a moment, pausing to take in a slow, deep breath as she steeled herself for this confrontation.

"What are you doing here?"

Billie shifted her gaze toward the rooms only other occupant. A pair of pale blue eyes suddenly focused on her, the betrayal and anger residing in them so palpable she felt as though a physical force had struck her.

"I just thought I'd stop by and make sure everything was taken care of," she explained.

Sara clasped her hands together and rested them on the table, her grip so tight it caused her knuckles to turn white. "Just wanted to tie up some loose ends, then?"

"What did the doctor say?" Billie questioned as she gestured toward Sara's bandaged arm.

The blonde shrugged. "I'll live."

The brunette leaned her thin frame against the wall behind her, taking a moment to examine the blonde's demeanor. She looked relatively calm, given everything that had happened today. The only sign of her inner turmoil was the slight shaking of her hands as they remained tightly clasped in front of her. "Did you tell the D.A. everything?"

There was a brief pause before Sara finally shook her head and responded, "No."

Billie narrowed her eyes. "Sara."

"I may have skipped a few details," Sara replied as she made eye contact once again, her gaze cold and intense. She stood up and came around from behind the table, her movements slow and deliberate as she approached the young detective.

Billie straightened up as Sara drew closer, not really fearful of what she might do, but still uncertain as to what the woman's intentions were. After all, this was the same person who had nearly shot her several hours ago. "Such as?"

The blonde came to a stop directly in front of Billie, arms hanging loosely by her side as she fixed the other woman with a venomous glare. "I left out the part about you fucking me last night."

Billie could feel the heat travel up her face. "That's not what I meant."

Sara tilted her head to the side and studied the attractive brunette for a moment. "Did you enjoy it?"

"Sara, don't do this," Billie pleaded, her tone barely a whisper. "You know what happened between us has nothing to do with any of this."

Sara arched an elegant eyebrow. "So, you didn't just come on to me so you could catch me?" She reached a hand out and slipped her fingers into the waistband of Billie's jeans, pulling firmly until their lower bodies nearly touched. "Maybe we should do it again." Her tone was soft and intimate, drawing the words out slowly as she fixed the young woman with a hungry look. "Only this time...I get to fuck you."

Billie's skin felt a slow burn where Sara's slender fingers made contact with her bare flesh. The other woman's close proximity was beginning to make her feel a bit.crowded. Warm breath caressed her face as the svelte blonde leaned in close, nearly brushing Billie's lips with her own.

"Would you like that, Billie?"

The brunette could feel her heart rate climbing steadily as she remained rooted to the spot, her eyes captured by the beautiful thief's simmering gaze. The only words she could find to say were, "Umm." God, she had it bad.

"What's the matter, detective?" Sara whispered before tracing her bottom lip with the tip of her tongue. She could hear the other woman's breath quicken, and it gave her a small feeling of satisfaction. "Have you forgotten how to play your part already?"

Billie's eyes dropped to focus on Sara's mouth, her mind replaying the events of last night as a warm, soft hand cupped her cheek. She tried to convince her overeager body that this was all a ploy on the other woman's part, but as their lips finally touched, she decided to block out any and all reasonable thought.

The kiss was slow and sensual at first, all warmth and softness as lips parted and tongues brushed together in a delicious tease. Billie moaned softly as Sara removed her hand from the young woman's jeans, her fingers tracing along the edge of her waist, before finally reaching under the hem of her shirt.

Sara pulled Billie tighter, pressing their bodies together as she leaned in closer, her mouth becoming more demanding, fighting for more ground. She slid her right hand through the brunette's hair, tightening her hold as she grabbed the long strands and wound them through her fingers. Her left hand slipped out from beneath the soft material of Billie's shirt, her fingers trailing slowly up the woman's spine.

Billie could feel herself being pressed down, her back arching as the blonde became more aggressive. Her own hands had been hovering near Sara's hips, unsure of the reaction if she took hold of the other woman. Now, it was obvious she needn't have worried.

A subtle shift of her leg brought Sara's body into the position she desired, as her hands worked in tandem, slowly coming together at the base of Billie's throat. She tightened her grip gently, causing Billie's eyes to snap open.

Their kiss ended abruptly as the young detective brought her hands up and grabbed Sara by her upper arms, fully intending to shove her off, if need be. The blonde clenched her teeth as Billie's left hand came into contact with her injured arm.

Billie continued to hold Sara, firmly, as she looked at the angry visage before her. The hurt and betrayal so evident in the hard stare that focused on her brought her up short. It was difficult to fathom that these were the same eyes which had greeted her when she awoke this morning, eyes as blue as the ocean that shined with warmth and affection.and desire. Now, those emotions were seemingly gone, replaced instead by something dark and cold.

"How could you use me that way?" Sara hissed as a pair of deceptively strong hands continued to tighten ever so slightly. A flash of pain shown in her eyes for a brief second, but Billie couldn't be sure if the cause was emotional or physical, although she suspected it was a little bit of both.

The blonde suddenly released her hold and pulled away, aware of the fact that hurting the other woman wasn't going to accomplish anything. A part of her wanted to strike out at the brunette, to finish what she'd started when the truth had been revealed a short while ago. But, there was another part of her that just wanted to run. to get as far away from Detective Billie Chambers as her legs would take her.

Billie stood there watching, helplessly as Sara turned her back on her and walked over to the window. After that display, she realized things were even worse than she'd thought.

The two women's first meeting had taken place only days ago, but it seemed as though they'd known each other much longer, at least that's how it was for Billie. She had never fallen for anyone so quickly, and although she was afraid to admit it, the very idea that this woman could have such an overwhelming effect on her was beginning to scare the hell out of her.

It's not as though the detective had never used her good looks to get close to anyone before. Working undercover was sometimes more luck than skill, and she often found herself in situations where she stepped over the line. Despite what people preferred to believe, it was actually done with alarming frequency. But, this was definitely one line she had never crossed. She had never slept with a suspect.

Never.

Until she met Sara Matthews.

This mysterious, sexy, dangerous young woman had managed to slip past all of the defenses Billie had spent years erecting around herself, and the detective was not even sure she knew how or when that happened.

At first, it had all been purely flirtatious, and Billie certainly had no qualms about playing that game. Sara was beautiful. She was friendly. She was breaking the law. She needed to be stopped. No problem. The physical chemistry had been there from the moment their eyes met, no doubt about that, but it didn't take very long before a deeper connection began to form.

In hindsight, Billie supposed it had started after their first dinner date. Her invented persona, along with her financial and marital woes, had obviously struck a cord with the young blonde. Those machinations had been a deliberate ruse to get a way in, but it was the unexpected display of protectiveness and sympathy that had taken Billie by surprise. It was then that she realized the person she was trying to bring down was not what she'd expected. Not at all. And that only served to make her job all the more difficult.

But, it was still her job.

So, why the hell had she slept with Sara? Why did she put her entire investigation at risk for the chance to be with her? The first answer was obvious. She wanted to.it was as simple as that. Of course, she should have used her better judgment, but in the heat of the moment, she threw out her good sense and went purely on instinct. Unfortunately, that instinct was not coming from her head.

There was also the nasty business of her sudden emotional attachment. When Sara asked her to stay at her place the day before, she spent all of two seconds weighing out the implications before accepting the invitation. The winning argument had been a simple one: If she turned the woman down, she might lose all the ground she was steadily gaining, and she was not about to let that happen. So, she stayed.

But in actuality, she was enjoying herself. She liked being with Sara. The two women seemed to share something that Billie had never experienced with anyone else before. Everything was so easy, so natural. There was a level of intimacy that couldn't have been faked. Billie just wasn't that good an actress. She couldn't exactly say it was love, but it certainly felt like it might be going in that direction. And with the knowledge that it was all about to come to a screeching halt, she wanted to savor it for as long as she could.

And now, the truth was out.

Billie had done her job. She'd done it so well, in fact, that she actually managed to convince the D.A. to go easy on Sara.in exchange for testimony, of course. Everyone was pretty much in agreement that the real danger had been Jill. And with Sara's eyewitness account of the shooting, not to mention the little altercation Billie had with the woman just prior to her arrest, she would go to jail for quite a while. Just the thought of Sara's soon-to-be former roommate cooling her heels in prison until she reached menopause almost brought a smile to the detective's lips.

Lieutenant Wilhemina Chambers had gotten her man, or rather, her woman. And she had to admit, after being away from undercover work for so long, it felt pretty good to know she still had what it took to do the job.

Unfortunately, investigations like these always left debris in their wake. Sometimes, it was friends or family members caught up in the web of deception their loved ones had created. Some were willing participants, of course, but more often they were innocent bystanders, whose only crime was that they trusted someone who hadn't deserved it. They were usually the ones left behind to deal with the lasting effects, while the guilty parties either wound up in jail, or just disappeared into thin air.

Collateral damage.

It was a cold unemotional term.but an accurate one. And although Sara could hardly be considered an innocent bystander, she was still the one left behind to deal with the consequences. Her testimony would be the nail in Jill's coffin, and Billie knew it would be very difficult for her to betray her friend, no matter what she'd done.

And in the midst of all that, there was still the small matter of Sara's growing relationship with Billie. The young woman felt betrayed, which was completely understandable. Even if the young detective could somehow convince the blonde that what they'd experienced together had been genuine, it still didn't change the basic facts.

Sara was a criminal that had to be caught, and Billie was the detective that had been assigned that duty. She had used the other woman's affections to get close enough to do it, and even though she found herself developing strong feelings for the blonde, that hadn't stopped her from taking Sara down.

Now, the worst was over. The damage had been done. Billie could admit to herself that she felt guilty for hurting Sara, but she also knew that, in the end, she had saved her. Of course, it might take some time for Sara to see that, so in the meantime, the detective would do the best she could to help the young woman through the difficult times that lay ahead. Maybe not the foundation on which to build a relationship, but she knew it would have to do.

For now.

"Don't you have someone else to do?"

The corner of Billie's lip turned up in a smirk, feeling somewhat relieved to hear the cool, steady tone of Sara's voice sounding more like herself. Having bore the brunt of the other woman's rage more than once today, the young detective found her sarcasm infinitely preferable. "I'll be at the arraignment tomorrow morning. We can have a talk afterwards."

Sara's gaze remained fixed on the street below. "I don't think we have anything more to talk about."

"Yeah, well." Billie turned and reached for the door, pulling it open as she shot a quick glance over her shoulder. "Maybe by tomorrow one of us will come up with something." Without waiting for a response, she headed out into the hallway, stopping in front of the officer waiting just outside. "I want you to keep a close eye on her, got that?"

The young policeman nodded, politely. "No problem. So far, she hasn't been any trouble."

Billie smiled to herself as she walked away, muttering under her breath, "So far."

Part 2

What I want is not to want what isn't mine.
- Tori Amos

The figure moved silently, one hand trailing languidly along the edge of the bed as she fixed her gaze on the lovely brunette's sleeping form. She reached out and stroked the woman's cheek, her fingers moving along the firm delicate jaw line, savoring the softness of skin until finally journeying further down to the base of the woman's throat. The pulse beneath her fingers was steady and strong.

She pressed down into the silky sheets, slowly stretching her body out as she lay next to the young woman. A soft sigh escaped from tired lips as a single word was whispered in to the dark.

"Billie."

Sara caressed Billie's hair as she watched the woman's eyelids flutter, holding her breath while she waited for those crystal blue orbs to focus on her. She felt her pulse quicken as the brunette finally opened her eyes, a look of confusion forming at the sight of the beautiful blonde lying next to her.

"Sara?" Billie's voice was thick with sleep. "What are you doing here?"

"Ssh," Sara placed a finger against her lips, effectively silencing the young woman. "I had to see you." She leaned over Billie's prone form, drawing her finger down over the woman's chin and along the slender contour of her throat, traveling further still, until she reached the valley between the brunette's breasts. The blonde placed the palm of her hand on Billie's chest, feeling the steadily increasing rhythm before allowing her fingers to trace along the outer edge of a rapidly hardening nipple. The silky softness of the brunette's nightgown was helping to make her gentle touches all the more appealing.

Sara could hear Billie moan softly as she began to move her hand even lower, her nails dragging gently along the flat, taut muscle of the brunette's stomach, finally reaching the hem of the fabric and making contact with the warm skin on the inside of Billie's thigh.

"Sara, please."

The blonde smiled as she leaned down and captured Billie's lips in a searing kiss. She poured every ounce of herself into it, trying to convey all of the passion and feeling that she had been unable to put into words.

Billie returned the kiss with equal fervor as Sara continued to stroke the woman's inner thigh, her hand slowly getting closer to the focus of her desire. Another soft moan was all the encouragement she needed as she slipped her fingers inside, causing the brunette to arch her back.

Sara moved inside of Billie, her hand creating a delicious friction as she continued to bring the woman to a higher state of pleasure. The brunette closed her eyes, arching her neck to give the blonde more access as warm kisses tickled the sensitive skin at the base of her throat.

"Billie," Sara suddenly stopped her ministrations, causing a small whimper of protest from the woman beneath her. The brunette's eyes opened, her blue eyes now darkened with passion. Sara thought she had never looked more beautiful.

"What's wrong?" Billie's voice was hoarse.

Sara placed a soft kiss on Billie's forehead, her lips brushing against the small bandage on the edge of her brow. "Are you sorry?"

"Sorry?" Billie echoed as the look of confusion returned.

"For lying to me," she explained.

"Of course I am," Billie sighed. "I told you that already. How many times do I have to say it before you believe it?"

Sara examined the brunette's face carefully, searching for any sign of deception. After a moment, she smiled. "I believe you."

Billie's expression was still troubled. She reached a hand up and brushed her fingers through Sara's hair, lovingly. "But, do you forgive me?"

"I."

"Are you crazy?"

The voice startled both women as they turned in unison.

Sara's eyes widened as she spotted the person standing only a few feet away. "Jill?" Seeing her roommate standing in the middle of Billie's bedroom wasn't nearly as shocking to Sara as the gun the woman clutched tightly in her hand.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Jill shouted angrily as she leveled the weapon at them. "Didn't she already hurt you enough?" She focused her aim on Billie.

"Jill, no!" Sara leapt off the bed, instantly putting herself between the two women.

"You're pathetic, you know that?" Jill remarked as she pulled the trigger.

Sara's eyes shot open as she uttered a small, strangled gasp. She sat up too quickly, one hand clutching her arm as the other came up to shield her eyes from the sunlight piercing through her window.

It took a few seconds for her to realize where she was. Home. She was home. In her own apartment.the one she shared with Jill.

Used to, she reminded herself bitterly. After today, Jill wouldn't be seeing much of anything beyond the inside of a jail cell.

She looked around for a moment, taking in all of the familiar shapes and colors. Normally, it would have given her some comfort, but now, it only served to remind her of what she was about to lose.

A quick glance at the clock on her nightstand elicited a soft groan from Sara as she realized it was nearly seven o'clock, which meant she needed to get her butt in gear. She dropped back to the pillows, defiantly, wanting nothing more than to crawl back under the covers and let the day pass by without her.

She grabbed a fistful of sheet and drew it up to her chin. There was a familiar scent still clinging to them and she felt her body shudder in response to the memory of the person who had left it behind.the very same person she had been dreaming about.

"Damn you, Billie," she whispered out loud to the empty room as thoughts of the young woman began to fill her mind. Their first meeting at the bar.dinner the evening after.the gentle touches, the whispered words, the soft kisses.

The lovemaking.

It had been intense, passionate. All of the things she knew it would be from the moment she first laid eyes on the gorgeous brunette. And after barely a week of knowing her, Sara had trusted her implicitly. Of course, that had been the plan all along, hadn't it?

Billie fed Sara all of the right lines, pushed all the right buttons. And even though she knew everything was about to blow up in Sara's face, that hadn't stopped the intrepid Lieutenant Chambers from getting into bed with her.

Sara blew out a frustrated breath and tossed the sheet aside. Sitting on her ass and musing about her stupidity wasn't going to help. She needed to take a shower and get a move on before the D.A.'s office decided she'd skipped town.

As she got up and walked toward the bathroom, something on the dressing table caught her eye.

It was a picture of Jill.

Actually, it was Sara and Jill, shot during a kayaking trip they had taken with a group of friends the previous summer. They had done a lot of traveling last year, enjoying the fruits of their illegal labors.

Sara traced the edge of the frame with the tip of her finger, contemplating the smiling face of her friend as she forced herself to face a hard truth.

Someone she cared about had betrayed her, and now she was about to do the same thing to Jill. It didn't matter that her friend was the one who pulled the trigger. Sara had been there, too. She could have done something.maybe called an ambulance after they left, or phoned in an anonymous tip to the police.

But, she didn't.

The only thing she was interested in was saving her own ass. Plain and simple. And now, here she was again, handing Jill over to the cops just to keep herself out of jail.

So, what exactly did that say about her?

Sara opened the top drawer of the table and dropped the picture inside before turning away and heading off to the shower.

"He what?" Billie practically shouted at the man seated across the desk. Steven Williams, the current District Attorney of L.A. County had originally considered himself a little too busy to talk with her. But, after she waited outside his office for nearly an hour, he finally decided that the only way he would get rid of her was to see her.

"Look, we're just as surprised as you are."

The brunette glared at him. "That psychopath shot an innocent woman in cold blood, not to mention the fact that she tried to knock me into next week." She slammed her hand against the arm of the chair, clearly frustrated by this recent turn of events. "How could he set bail?"

"It gets worse."

Billie turned as one of the Assistant D.A.'s came in and shut the door behind him. She remembered him from a previous case. The young man's dark features gave him an intense, serious look. She thought that was probably a good thing for a lawyer.

"Warren Colby, Lieutenant." He held a hand out as he approached her. "We met during the Loomis trial."

Billie nodded as she shook his hand. "I remember." He was one of the few people downtown she could tolerate. Most of her cases didn't generate any publicity for the D.A.'s office, due to the secrecy required for her work, which meant that Williams didn't give a rat's ass about them. Fortunately, one or two of the people that worked for him were still interested in enforcing the law, not making political maneuvers. "You did good work on that case."

He flashed her a brief smile. "You, too."

Williams cleared his throat to draw their attention. "What's the bad news?"

Warren handed a document to his boss while still giving Billie his full attention. "She walked twenty minutes ago."

"What?" The brunette stared at him in disbelief. "The bail was half a mil." She shot a look at Williams, who was still reading the paper in his hand. "You said you got every penny she had."

"We did."

"Then who-"

"Felicia Ralston." Williams handed the paper to Billie. "Looks like our little thief has some powerful friends."

She snatched the document from his hands in irritation. "She also shot someone, in case you've forgotten."

"Why is that name familiar?" Warren questioned.

"She owns a string of art galleries," Williams replied. "A few here in California, and one or two in New York." He leaned back in his chair, clasping his fingers behind his head. "I guess we'll have to come up with another plan of attack here."

"Excuse me?"

He focused his gaze on Billie. "Martin Rosewood is her attorney. He's one of the best in the country. It's a foregone conclusion that he'll want to settle."

"What the hell does that mean?" Billie shot back. She did not like where this conversation was headed.

"It means that I'm not in the habit of wasting the taxpayers money on a case that could take months to bring to trial, not to mention the amount of time that trial could last." Williams leaned forward and placed his hands on his desk. "Rosewood is famous for his stall tactics and we're taking about robbery and attempted murder. If it were a capital case that would be one thing, but-"

"But there won't be enough press coverage, right?" Billie cut him off as she threw the paper onto his desk.

"Colby, why don't you go see what's keeping our witness, alright?" Williams kept his gaze locked on Billie, confident that his underling would get the message.

Warren gave them each a look before answering. "Uh, sure." He turned and left the room.

As soon as they were alone, Williams pointed a finger at Billie. "I don't appreciate that kind of disrespect. You came here looking for a favor yesterday, and I gave it to you. Pull that shit again and you'll be lucky to get your fucking parking pass validated, you got that?"

"Look," Billie started, trying to keep her anger in check. As much as she disliked this man, she knew that pissing him off wasn't going to accomplish anything. "I realize that this case isn't up there on your list of priorities, but it is on mine. So, why don't we just cut the bullshit here and you tell me how you want to handle this."

Williams remained silent for a moment before finally settling back into his chair, once again. He reached a hand up and absently patted his thinning hair down as he seemed to give Billie's question some careful consideration. "They won't go for attempted murder, I can guarantee you that. The robbery charges shouldn't be a problem, but without any priors, it won't amount to much time."

"And what about Sara Matthews?" Billie questioned. "She agreed to the deal."

"Right," the older man agreed. "The problem is, it's really just her word against Kistler's."

"But, we know Jill was the shooter."

The D.A. eyed the brunette for a moment before opening a folder on his desk. He sighed heavily as he scanned the contents. "What we know and what we can prove are two different things. Even the physical evidence is a little sketchy." He shook his head as he pushed the documents away. "About the best we can hope for is that a jury will believe Matthews version of the events."

"She'll need protection," Billie pointed out.

"We can handle that," Williams confirmed.

The brunette shook her head. "No, I'll take care of it."

A knock at the door brought their discussion to an immediate halt. Warren Colby opened the door and stood aside, allowing someone else to step through before him.

It was Sara.

Billie felt her throat tighten upon seeing the young woman again. The familiar pang of guilt welled up, and it took her a moment to find her voice. "Hello, Sara." She chided herself for allowing her emotions to get the better of her. This was not the time or the place.

A pair of blue eyes turned her way. "Hello, Lieutenant." Billie almost flinched at the cool, dismissive tone. "It is Lieutenant, right?"

The brunette nodded, slowly. "That's right."

Williams cleared his throat as he got up and came around from behind his desk. "Miss Matthews, I was getting a bit concerned."

Sara shrugged her slender shoulders. "Sorry, I overslept." She ignored the man's hand and dropped herself into the nearest chair. "So, let's get on with this." The blonde directed her attention to Billie. "When do I testify?" She stared up at those beautiful eyes, the details of her dream coming back with startling clarity, as a hot flush suffused her cheeks.

Billie narrowed her eyes, noticing Sara's reddening face. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Sara responded as she looked away from the woman's penetrating gaze. "I'm just a little tired." She finally looked back at Williams, trying to hide her embarrassment with annoyance. "Where's my deal?"

Warren stepped forward, brandishing a set of papers. "I have everything here." He handed them to Sara, who began flipping through the pages with feigned interest.

"Okay," she said breezily. "You got a pen?"

"Why don't you take a few minutes to read it through," Billie suggested. "Make sure everything is in there."

"You're sudden concern for my welfare is very touching," Sara replied acidly without looking up. Instead, she stretched her hand out, palm facing up, and spoke to Warren. "Do you have a pen, or not?"

"Sure," he answered, immediately producing one from his pocket.

Sara took it from him and flipped to the last page, signing her name in a flourish. She stood up and handed both items back to Warren. "There. Can I go now?"

"Sara, there's a few things we need to talk about," Billie responded in exasperation.

"I already told you that we have nothing more to discuss," the blonde stood up abruptly, feeling her anger returning in earnest.

"I'm talking about the trial!" Billie barked at her.

Williams finally interjected. "Look, ladies, I'm not sure what the hell is going on between the two of you, but we have a case to worry about. Now, why don't you both sit down so we can discuss this calmly?" His tone implied it was more of an order than a request.

Billie tore her gaze away from Sara, frustrated at her own inability to keep her cool. She needed to push all of this crap aside for now and focus on her job. Enough was enough. She made toward the door, mindful to grab Sara's uninjured arm as she passed by her. "I'll fill her in on our way out."

Sara suddenly found herself following the brunette out the door, too surprised by the woman's actions to offer any resistance. As they made their exit, Billie could hear Williams voice calling out to her.

"I'll need to go over her testimony when the two of you can find some free time! And for God's sake make sure she stays in one piece!"

A woman seated at the desk outside William's office looked up with a startled expression. Billie flashed a quick grin and pulled another door open, nearly pushing Sara out into the hallway as she hurried them both out of there.

That action finally snapped Sara out of her compliant state. She whirled on the brunette as she yanked her arm out of the woman's firm grip. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Billie fixed Sara with a fierce look. "I'm protecting you."

"From what? I don't need-"

"Jill's out on bail," Billie interrupted her.

The angry retort died on Sara's lips as the images from her dream invaded her thoughts once again, only this time it was the abrupt ending that flashed through her mind.

"We need to find a safe place for you to stay until the trial," Billie explained

Sara ran a hand through her hair anxiously. She didn't really believe that Jill would do anything to her. The woman might be angry with her for agreeing to testify, but a part of her also believed that if the tables were turned, her friend would have done the same thing.

The real concern was Jill's nearly obsessive fixation on Sara. There wasn't any romantic component involved, but her friend had a tendency to take Sara's relationship foibles way too seriously. The restraining orders that littered the blonde's past attachments was a testament to how far Jill would go to seek revenge on her friend's behalf.

Sara had completely ignored Jill's warnings about Billie, which of course turned out to be a huge mistake. The gorgeous cop had pulled the wool over her eyes, and she and Jill had nearly come to blows over it toward the end. It wasn't until the evidence was staring Sara in the face that she could even bring herself to believe it. And she knew Jill had taken that betrayal, and her inability to protect Sara from it, deadly serious.

Even after she managed to hide from the police, she took a chance at being caught just to get her hands on Billie, to make her pay for what she did. And now that there were formal charges pending, Sara was certain that Jill would be more dangerous than ever.

A myriad of emotions were pulling at Sara. There was a part of her that wanted to see Lieutenant Chambers get what was coming to her. After the way she played Sara, a little physical punishment held a certain appeal to the young blonde. Hell, she had even attempted to dole some of it out herself.

But, there was another part of her that was horrified by the idea of anyone hurting Billie. And Jill would most certainly not stop at a few bumps and bruises.

No, Sara told herself. There was simply no way she would allow that to happen.

"Where to?" she finally asked.

Billie offered her a genuine smile. "My place."

Part 3

I once had a girl,
or should I say.she once had me
- John Lennon

Sara stared out at the ocean, her thin frame leaning casually over the railing of the large deck. The roar of the ocean's waves had a soothing effect on the young woman. Having grown up a relatively poor kid in Los Angeles, she'd seldom had the opportunity to enjoy such splendor.

Noises wafted toward her from within the house, the sounds of Billie moving around the kitchen. She could hear the gentle tinkling of ice cubes falling into glasses, followed by the rush of water from the faucet. There were so few sounds to distract her from her thoughts that she found it a bit.distracting.

Billie stepped through the open door, brandishing two glasses. She walked over to the blonde and held one out to her. "Sorry, but all I have in the house is water."

Sara reached out and took the offered drink. "Thanks." She turned her gaze back toward the shore. "Nice view."

Billie leaned her hip against the railing. "Mmm."

Sara watched the brunette out of the corner of her eye. Instead of admiring the ocean, Billie's icy blue gaze was fixed on the glass she had cradled in her hands. There was something odd in her demeanor since they'd arrived at this place. As beautiful as the beach house was, the blonde got the distinct impression that the other woman didn't like being there.

Billie could feel Sara staring and glanced up, flashing a quick grin. "I should go stock up. There's a grocery store not too far from here. I won't be long." She took a long sip from her glass. "For some reason, the water always tastes better here."

The blonde took a moment to look over the large expanse of house. The side that faced the water was nearly all made of glass. She hadn't had the full tour yet, but she guessed the bedrooms upstairs probably had a spectacular view. "I'm betting everything is better here."

Billie shrugged. "It's just a house."

Sara snorted. "Spoken like someone who grew up rich." She cast a glance at the other woman. "Which begs the question.How can you afford a place like this on a cop's salary?"

"I've got a little money tucked away," Billie stated simply.

"Well, then," Sara joked. "This time you are definitely buying me dinner." She had a smile on her face, until she turned and looked at Billie. The smile faded instantly.

Billie was staring at the blonde, watching as the wind played with her hair, tossing it about her head while the sun cast a beautiful golden light through the errant strands. She emptied the contents of her glass and straightened up, pushing away the thoughts that were screaming in her head. After a brief pause she said, "I better get going. Is there anything you'd like me to pick up for you?"

"A toothbrush might be nice, since I didn't have a chance to pack anything," Sara responded.

"Okay." As Billie started back inside, she stopped and turned back to Sara. "Help yourself to whatever you need. And obviously, I don't need to tell you not to answer the door."

"Yessir, Lieutenant," Sara quipped, still feeling a need to press a few buttons of her own.

Billie frowned. "Sara."

"What?" The blonde asked, keeping her back to the other woman.

"I didn't want to hurt you," Billie admitted, her soft tone barely perceptible over the stiff ocean breeze.

Sara took a deep breath, her response coming out in a soft sigh. "But, you did."

"I know."

The blonde stood there in silence, waiting until she knew Billie had disappeared back into the house. She looked over her shoulder at the empty doorway. "Who are you, Billie Chambers?" Her question was carried away with the wind.

"How difficult can it be to find one lousy cop?"

"Sweetie, why don't you just relax?"

Jill Kistler leaned back against the body seated behind her, her long legs dangling over the edge of the leaf shaped swimming pool. "I can't relax, Felicia, not until I pay that bitch back for what she did." She reached a hand up, wincing as her fingers pressed against the small bandage on her head.

"You've only been out for what, four hours?" The older woman rested her chin on her lover's shoulder. "Just give my people a little time," she soothed, her hands slipping off Jill's shoulders and wrapping around her waist. "I guarantee that by the end of the day, we'll know everything there is to know about Lieutenant Chambers."

Jill sighed. "What about Sara?" She could feel Felicia's body tense up at the mention of her friend's name.

"What about her?" came the cool reply.

"They've probably got her stashed somewhere, now that I'm out on bail."

Felicia could feel her anger bubbling to the surface. "So?"

"So, I kind of left her in the lurch," Jill explained. "If I jump, that means she'll be left holding the bag." She felt warm hands leave her body as the other woman got to her feet.

"I don't believe you!" Felicia retorted, flinging her long blonde hair over one shoulder in a flourish. When Jill rose to face her, the woman pointed a finger at her. "That little friend of yours sold you out, and you're worried about her?"

"Look, Felicia. You don't understand-"

"The hell I don't!" She reached around the tall brunette and grabbed her robe. "You're in love with her." The last few words came out as a strangled sob.

Jill rolled her eyes at the woman's dramatics. She liked Felicia.a lot. She was beautiful, smart, rich...and fairly easy to manipulate. Definitely a winning combination, given what Jill was going through right now. If she was going to get out of the mess she was in, she needed someone with money. And power. The fact that there was a strong physical attraction made it work all the better.

The only problem was the woman's volatile emotions. She was always flying off the handle over the smallest things. Granted, some of those `small things' were Jill's trysts with other women, but the brunette had always been up front about her desire to keep things casual between them. And at the onset of their affair, Felicia seemed perfectly at ease with that arrangement.

It wasn't until Jill introduced her to Sara that an undercurrent of tension began to develop. Initially, the older woman had been nice enough to her roommate, even going so far as to extend the occasional dinner invitation to the pair. But, it soon became apparent to Jill that what Felicia was really doing was sizing up the competition.

Of course, there was no competition.

Sara and Jill were friends, and that was all. However, the tight partnership they had formed professionally only served to bring them closer on a personal level. The element of risk they engaged in, the chance of being caught, only served to make them more cautious of others, to the point where they depended almost exclusively on each other.

Relationships had never really been a problem. Jill was never involved with any one person for very long, preferring instead to keep her options open. And Sara, well she just had lousy taste in women, plain and simple. She was always taking her lumps, and Jill had lost count as to how many times she'd helped her friend pick up the pieces. The fact that Jill was constantly running to Sara's aid had been one of the things that made Felicia so jealous of her.

And now, Sara was in trouble again. Only this time, the object of her affections was far more dangerous to the both of them than they could ever have imagined. And while Sara had obviously had her eyes opened to the betrayal that might end up costing Jill her freedom, she also knew that her friend was still being manipulated.and by whom.

Billie Chambers.

Jill had turned that name over in her head at least a thousand times in the last twenty-four hours. That conniving little bitch had used Sara, was still using her, to help put Jill away. Unfortunately, the one golden opportunity she'd received to take Chambers down hadn't gone her way. But, the game wasn't over yet.

Jill still had her trump card.

"Felicia, listen to me," Jill pleaded, using all of her patience to placate the woman. "I am not in love with Sara." She reached a hand out and stroked the blonde's cheek. "The only person I'm interested in getting my hands on is Chambers, I swear to you." She took a step closer, feeling the woman's anger beginning to dissipate. "After that, Sara is on her own."

Felicia narrowed her eyes at the younger woman, her suspicious gaze giving way to something else. "You're just saying that so I'll help you," she reasoned, leaning into the brunette's warm, inviting touch.

Jill brought her other hand up, capturing Felicia's face in her hands. She closed the distance between them, leaning in to whisper into the blonde's ear. "You're already helping me." She could feel the other woman shiver as she began to plant light kisses on her neck. "And I want to show you how grateful I am."

Felicia closed her eyes as the young woman's lips pressed against hers. She recognized the gesture for what it was.a diversion. But, she didn't have a problem with that. She didn't harbor any illusions about Jill Kistler. The girl was young and healthy, and definitely pleasing to the eye. But, she was also narcissistic, and given the right circumstances, deadly. And that only made Felicia want her all the more.

"It's not your gratitude I'm after," she whispered, pulling back to catch her breath.

Jill's eyes smoldered with undisguised lust. "Then, what are you after?"

The statuesque blonde took a step back, her manicured nails trailing down the front of Jill's bikini clad body. "Why don't you come inside and I'll show you." She felt a ripple of desire course through her body as the brunette flashed a wicked smile.

"Lead the way."

Billie had just gotten out of her car, arms filled with grocery bags, when her cell phone rang. She uttered a small curse word under her breath before dropping an armload into the backseat. She pulled the phone from her pocket and snapped it open, giving the person on the other end of the line a terse "Yeah."

"Billie, it's Oliver." Oliver. From the LAPD computer lab. Oh, shit.

"What's up?" she asked, suddenly wondering how well she'd covered her tracks the last time she'd `visited' the mainframe.

There was a brief pause, and then, "We've had a security breach."

Apparently, she hadn't done a very good job. "Um, what'd they get?" she asked, trying to sound as casual as possible. At the moment, her unit was still persona non grata with IAB, and this would probably not go over well.

"Your file."

Billie furrowed her brow, not sure if she'd heard him correctly. "What?"

"They downloaded some information from your file. We don't think they got it all but-"

"You don't think?" she replied, trying to get her bearings. "Do you know what they did get?" In other words, was this a calculated fact checker, or a fishing expedition?

"Your personal bio, academy records."

"Any of my case files?"

"No."

Fishing expedition it is. And she had a good idea who was behind it. "Do me a favor and check the boys' files, just in case-"

"Already done. They're still locked up tight."

"Well, that's a relief," Billie sighed. "Can you hold off notifying the front office for a few?"

"Umm."

"Come on, Ollie," Billie persuaded. "You know they'll make a big deal of it, which means lots of paperwork, hours of boring conversation."

"You have a clue on this?" His tone was cautious.

"Yes, I do," she confirmed.

Another long pause. "I'll give you `till nine tomorrow."

"You're a peach, Ollie. I owe you."

"Just help me plug the leak and I'll be happy."

Billie's lip turned up in a slight smirk. "You got it." She ended the call and tucked her phone away.

It looks like Jill's been a busy girl since she got out, Billie mused. Getting into the LAPD mainframe was no easy task. Even she had a tough time getting what she needed on occasion, and she knew all the back doors. The person who pulled this off was either very good, or very close.

In either case, the motivation would be money. And it didn't take a genius to figure out who bankrolled this little invasion of her privacy.

Billie dropped the remainder of her groceries into the car and pulled out her keys as she climbed back into the driver's seat. It looked as though Sara would have to wait on her dinner a bit longer. She turned the ignition and threw the car into gear, taking out a bit of her anger on the road beneath her as she sped off.

It was time for a meet and greet with Felicia Ralston.

Part 4

Something's comin' over me,
My baby's got a secret.
- Madonna

Sara walked around the house, her patience beginning to wear a bit thin as she continued to wait for Billie's return. She was still a bit awed at the sheer size of the place, with its cathedral ceilings and large, spacious rooms. It was definitely the kind of place Sara could see herself living in someday. Of course, due to her rather abrupt career change, it may take a bit longer, but she was ambitious enough to keep her eye on the prize.

The large windows facing the shoreline kept the first floor flooded with natural light, and with the liberal use of soft pastels throughout the rooms, the place had a warm comfortable feel to it. It was casual but elegant, exuding a sense of peace and calm.

In a word, it was nothing like its owner.

The blonde shook her head as she tried to imagine Billie living in this place. She glanced up the stairs, noticing the balcony that overlooked the entire living area. She could see a few rooms up there, so she decided to check them out.

Upon reaching the second floor, she headed for the first door on her left, opening it slightly and popping her head inside. It was a bedroom, as she suspected, the pale oak furnishings sparse but functional. Probably a guest bedroom, she decided.

She stepped back into the hall and headed for the next room. As she grabbed the door handle, she made an odd discovery.

The door was locked.

She gave it a few experimental twists, thinking perhaps it was just stuck, but she soon realized her first assumption had been the correct one.

Her first thought was to ignore it and move on, since Billie obviously kept it locked for a reason. But, it didn't take long before her curiosity got the better of her. If there was one thing in this world Sara couldn't resist, it was a locked door, or more accurately, unlocking a locked door.

She immediately made her way downstairs to the kitchen, hoping she might find something she could use to open it. A quick search through several kitchen drawers yielded nothing. Then, she noticed the small writing desk in the adjacent hallway.

It took her less than a minute to locate a couple of paper clips, which she promptly scooped up before running back up the stairs. She immediately set down on one knee in front of the door and went to work.

A few twists here, a few bends there, and Sara slid the now mutilated paper clip into the keyhole. She took the other one and straightened it out as best she could, and began to apply her skill. It was a simple lock, and within seconds, Sara felt the latch give.

A feeling of elation coupled with nervousness washed over her. It was a familiar feeling, one she'd experienced many times when she was entering someone's home without his or her knowledge. She wiped a sweaty palm against her pant leg, and with a flick of her wrist, she opened the door.

"Lieutenant Chambers, LAPD. I'm here to see Mrs. Ralston." Billie spoke the information into a small speaker as she held her ID in front of the camera above it. She was sitting in her car, idling at the gated entrance of Felicia Ralston's well-guarded estate.

"Do you have an appointment," the tinny voice responded.

Billie rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses. "No, but I'm fairly certain she's expecting me." She tossed her badge onto the passenger seat and began drumming her fingers on the steering wheel. As of late, patience was not her strong suit.

After a moment, the speaker crackled to life. "Please follow the drive until you reach the main house." With a soft hum, the large iron gates began to open.

"All that's missing is Cerebrus," Billie muttered as she roared through the entrance. Dense woods lined the road she followed, allowing for very little of the afternoon sun to filter through. With the obstructed view, it was difficult to tell how far the property stretched, but it was certainly secluded.

Billie sped up as she got her first peek at the mansion. She was not looking forward to this visit. In truth, she didn't even know what she was hoping to accomplish. Mostly, she just needed to even the playing field, to know what or whom she was up against.

She had quizzed Sara about Felicia Ralston during their ride out to the beach, wanting to know what kind of a relationship she had with Jill. The fact that Kistler now had such a high profile attorney handling her case was discouraging. Sara told her that she didn't really know Felicia that well, just that the two women had been seeing each other for a while and the relationship was a casual one, at least as far as Jill was concerned. But, Felicia Ralston had coughed up fifty thousand dollars to bail Jill out, so Billie could guess that things were probably a lot more serious between them now.

As her car reached the crest of the hill, Billie spotted the house and let out a low whistle. She'd seen plenty of mansions in around LA, but even judging it by those standards, this one was still quite impressive.

She slowed down, pulling her car up along the circular drive before finally stopping as close to the front door as she could. It was probably a bit of paranoia on her part, but she felt better having her wheels within sprinting distance.

As the brunette got out of her car, a woman emerged from the entryway and stood there, apparently waiting for her. By her attire, Billie decided she must be some kind of servant. She headed toward the door and stopped in front of the woman, once again presenting her ID and said, "I'm here to see Mrs. Ralston."

The woman didn't seem to take notice of it as she stretched her arm out, indicating for Billie to go inside. "Please come in, Lieutenant."

Billie pulled her sunglasses down to the edge of her nose, giving the woman a dubious look before lifting them up to rest on the top of her head. She walked inside, slowly, taking in every detail as she scanned the expansive foyer. The sound of her boot heels clacking against the expensive marble floor echoed through the room. The door closed behind her and she turned, expectantly, as the woman stepped forward to address her once more.

"Please follow me. Madam is waiting for you in the parlor."

Billie raised one dark eyebrow at the woman. "Oookay." She continued to marvel at the lush décor as she obediently followed the woman to a pair of large wooden doors to the left of the main staircase. The brunette gave them a cursory look before deciding they were definitely solid mahogany.

The servant, as Billie had come to think of her, pushed the doors open and stood to one side as she announced, "Lieutenant Chambers to see you, Madam."

"Thank you, Sophia."

Billie glanced about as she entered, trying to locate the source of that voice. She couldn't seem to shake the uneasy feeling that had settled in her gut. Her instincts were giving her a warning, and she knew enough to pay attention. As she neared the center of the room, a figure rose from one of the wingback chairs that faced the fireplace.

The first thing Billie took notice of was the woman's height, which she guessed was nearly six feet. A mane of platinum blonde hair surrounded her long narrow face. At first glance, Billie thought her quite beautiful, but like so many rich women in LA, she guessed that some of that beauty had probably come from a knife. She was wearing a simple gray silk blouse over white slacks.and she was barefoot. The brunette raised her eyebrows slightly, trying to imagine this woman in a pair of heels.

"Good Afternoon."

"Are you Mrs. Ralston?" Billie questioned.

"I am," Felicia responded, her piercing, intelligent gaze raking over the Lieutenant with obvious interest. She had seen a few photographs of the attractive brunette, but there was very little you could tell from an image. Her first impression of the young woman was that she definitely had a strong presence. And dressed as she was, all in black from head to toe, Billie Chambers cut quite a formidable figure.

But, it was obvious that there was far more to the young police officer than her dark good looks. There were other things Felicia could sense about the woman as she studied her. Confidence. Power. Danger. All of it emanated from behind those pale blue eyes. Now that she was finally meeting the woman in person, she could certainly understand why Sara Matthews had been so attracted to her.and why Jill was so obviously threatened by her.

Billie remained passive under the woman's scrutiny. "I wanted to speak with you about Jill Kistler."

"I thought as much." The blonde stepped forward, stopping within a few feet of where Billie stood. "Can I offer you something to drink, Lieutenant, or are you strictly here in an official capacity?"

"I just have a few questions," Billie plunged right in, not the least bit interested in idle chatter.

The blonde brushed by her and waved her hand at Sophia. "Please leave us alone." The woman nodded as she pulled the doors closed behind her.

Felicia glided toward a small bar in the corner and began to fix herself a drink. She held out an empty glass toward Billie, who merely shook her head. "My attorney tells me that Sara Matthews has signed a plea agreement with the District Attorney's office."

"That's right," Billie confirmed.

"And you had something to do with that." It was a statement.

The brunette folded her arms across her chest. "It's not uncommon to turn one accomplice against another," she explained. "We're talking about robbery versus attempted murder. I think the robbery charge pales in comparison, don't you?"

Felicia lifted her glass toward Billie in a mock toast. "To the lesser of two evils."

An image of Sara pointing a gun at her suddenly flashed through Billie's mind. She quickly pushed that thought away. "It's not a perfect system, I admit."

"Few things in this life are perfect, my dear." She cast Billie a sly look. "Although, some things do come very close."

Once again, Billie could feel herself being subjected to the woman's intense scrutiny. She dropped her arms to her side and began to walk slowly around the room, taking her time as she paused to admire one thing or another. There were various types of art scattered throughout the room, but it was one piece in particular which drew her attention. A large vase stood alone on a table near the far window. She stopped to study it carefully. "Ming Dynasty...looks like late 15th century." She straightened up and glanced at the blonde. "It's beautiful."

"You have a keen eye."

Billie's shrug was non-committal. "I've seen one or two before."

Felicia smiled as she seated herself on the sofa. Watching the brunette meander about the room gave the woman a chance to consider what she'd learned about the young Lieutenant. What little information her people had been able to compile, thus far, had been extremely vague.

There was a basic list of professional accomplishments: Graduated from UCLA with a degree in criminal psychology at the age of 22, entered the police academy the following winter, served in uniform for 2 years before transferring to vice. There was a brief entry regarding her beginnings as a plain clothes officer, working a few minor undercover operations, most involving either drugs or prostitution.

Then.nothing.

For nearly two years, there were no entries in her file. No record of a transfer. No mention of a suspension, not even a dismissal. It was as if Officer Wilhemina Chambers had dropped off the face of the earth.

In fact, the only thing her people discovered about the Lieutenant's whereabouts during that time was a brief appearance she made in her hometown of Portland, Oregon, where she spent several days after the death of her parents. There was a funeral.a burial, and a visit to a lawyer's office. And the details of the young woman's life ended there.

Fast forward to nearly fours years later, and the appearance of Lieutenant Billie Chambers. There had obviously been a promotion during her absence, but the details of her work, even now, were still shrouded in secrecy. She had been somewhat intrigued by the young woman before, mainly due to her ability to go head to head with Jill, which was impressive enough. But, this new turn of events only served to raise her curiosity to even greater heights. She found Billie Chambers to be a very mysterious person, indeed.

And if there was one thing Felicia Ralston loved, it was unraveling a mystery.

"I seem to recall you had some questions to ask me."

Billie continued to move about at a leisurely pace. She finally came to a stop directly in front of the other woman, noting the bemused expression that seemed to be fixated on her. "You've been looking into my background. I want to know why you're so interested in me?"

"I'm interested in anyone who threatens the people I care about," Felicia responded with a pointed look. "And it is customary to investigate potential witnesses, is it not?"

Billie couldn't argue with that logic, but this business with her file being hacked was another story. After all of her hard work, she was not about to let anyone step in and ruin what it had taken her years to build. "Someone broke into the LAPD's database," she informed the blonde. "And they were after my file."

"And you think I had something to do with that?"

Billie leaned forward, placing her hand on the arm of the sofa as she deliberately moved into the blonde's personal space. "Yes, I do."

Felicia could see the challenge in those stark, blue eyes. She closed the few remaining inches between them, taking in the scent of mint from the brunette's warm breath. Her voice was soft, but there was no denying the menacing tone that belied it. "Obviously, my lawyer's response to that accusation would be that I have no idea what you're talking about. But, as I said, I make it a point to know my enemies."

"I'm not your enemy." Billie straightened up and took a step back, giving the woman a stern look. "I'm only doing my job."

Felicia stood up, abruptly. "Really? And does part of that job include hopping into bed with your witnesses?"

The blonde's superior height forced Billie to tilt her head up as she spoke. "Jill tried to kill someone, and for that she's going to prison," Billie stated, deftly changing the subject. "Hire all the high-priced legal talent you want, but it won't change a thing. I'll make sure of that." She took another step back as she prepared to make her exit. "I don't understand how you can protect a woman who is capable of shooting someone in cold blood."

The blonde narrowed her dark eyes. "As opposed to protecting a woman who is capable of shooting someone in a fit of rage?"

"You'd be wise to distance yourself from this situation, Mrs. Ralston," Billie warned, as images of both Sara and Jill popped into her head. "You could end up getting hurt."

"I think you underestimate me, Lieutenant," Felicia responded with an edge to her voice.

Billie's ice blue gaze fixed on the blonde. "And I think you overestimate your value, Felicia." She spun on her heel and headed for the door as she spoke to the woman over her shoulder, "Once Jill gets what she wants," Billie reached out and pulled both doors open with a flourish, pausing as she cast a final look over her shoulder. ".you'd better watch your back." And with that, she disappeared into the hallway.

Felicia stared at the open doors for a moment, listening to the sound of Billie's footsteps fading away, until she heard the front door close with a slam. In a sudden burst of anger, she threw her glass across the room, where it hit the wall and shattered into a shower of tiny crystals.

She walked over and picked up the phone, her eyes straying back to the open doorway. "You're wrong, Lieutenant Chambers," she stated softly. "It's you who'd better watch her back."

Awards.A few odds and ends...things of sentimental value.

And pictures.lots of pictures.

These were the things that first caught Sara's eye as she gave the room a cursory look. Expecting to find another bedroom, she was caught off guard when she first entered the previously locked room. There was a small leather couch against the windows, and an oversized chair with an ottoman tucked in the corner. A small cedar chest sat perched in the middle of the room, serving as a makeshift coffee table. The furnishings were so completely different from the rest of the house, that for a moment, Sara thought she had stepped into the Twilight Zone.

But, it was the photographs that told the real story. They were everywhere. Some in frames, some strewn about on the furniture, but most of them were in the stack of photo albums piled on the floor. And everywhere she looked, Sara could see Billie's face staring back at her.

As she moved about the room, Sara touched the pictures, her fingers outlining the contours of Billie's face. She smiled, warmly, as she spotted an image of the brunette as a small child, a favorite doll clutched in her tiny hands. There was another shot of her, a school picture Sara could guess, standing proudly as she clutched a medal hanging around her neck. As she moved it aside, another picture was revealed.

It was Billie dressed in her police uniform. She had her arm wrapped around a fellow officer, a young woman with dark hair. Both were grinning from ear to ear, and the smile Sara had flashed in response, suddenly disappeared. As she looked around, a sense of profound sadness suddenly gripped her.

This was Billie. The real Billie. The one she didn't know.

"What are you doing in here?"

The voice startled Sara, causing her to jump to her feet. The photograph fell from her hand as she spotted Billie's angry visage standing in the open doorway. She stood, unmoving, as the brunette started toward her.

"This door was locked when I left," she commented. After a moment, she laughed, although there was no humor in it. "Look who I'm talking to, a woman who has no concept of preserving someone else's privacy."

Sara opened her mouth to apologize, but snapped it shut as the other woman reached down and picked up the picture she'd dropped.

Billie held it between her fingers, looking at it intently. "Where the hell are you when I need you?"

The blonde caught a brief flash of pain in those blue eyes. She was at a loss, not fully understanding what was going on. "I'm-"

"Don't apologize," Billie cut her off with a wave of her hand. "I asked for it." She turned and left the room, still clutching the picture, tightly.

"Billie, wait!" Sara called out as she followed the brunette into the hallway. She reached out and clutched Billie's arm. "Look, I.I was just curious, okay?"

"Fine." With a quick tug, Billie was in motion once again. She moved swiftly down the stairs and disappeared into the kitchen.

Sara stood silently, looking down over the living area. What the hell was going on? Why had Billie reacted that way over a few pictures? Hell, it wasn't like Sara was robbing her or anything. Truthfully, she didn't even understand why the room was locked in the first place. "This is ridiculous," the blonde muttered as she trotted down the stairs.

She came around the corner and cautiously poked her head into the kitchen, not entirely certain that the brunette wouldn't knock her flat on her ass. She certainly seemed mad enough to do it a moment ago. "Billie?"

"Sara, please just leave me alone."

Sara spotted the young woman sitting on a stool, the photograph now lying on the counter in front of her. She came forward, slowly. "I'm sorry if I've `invaded you privacy'," she said, her tone a bit more flippant than she meant it to be.

Billie looked up at her, her gaze unreadable. "That's the least of what you've accomplished."

Sara looked puzzled. "What does that mean?"

The brunette let out a long breath. "It means.I." She got up and began to pace, her arms waving about as she struggled to put her feelings into words. Being expressive when it came to anything other than her job was just not easy for her. "I can't do this." She stopped and stared at Sara, causing the blonde to fidget under the weight of her intense gaze. "I'll protect you.I promise you that. But, I can't.I can't."

"You can't what?" Sara nearly shouted in frustration.

"I can't get attached to you," Billie finally said.

Sara stood there, stunned. That was certainly the last thing she had expected to hear from this woman. She cleared her throat and said softly, "I didn't realize you wanted to." Her heart began to beat faster.

"I didn't either.until two days ago." The breath suddenly fled from Billie's lungs as she looked at Sara's face. There was such a chaotic mix of emotions there. Hurt. Anger. Want. She understood them all, because she felt them too.

"If this is about what happened upstairs."

"No," Billie stated emphatically. "That has nothing to do with this. or you." She looked away from those simmering blue eyes, certain her resolve would crumble if she didn't.

Sara found herself moving before she even realized what she was doing. Allowing her emotions to rule her was how she'd gotten taken in so easily in the first place, and if she had half a brain, she would put as much distance between her and Billie Chambers as she could. But, she simply could not stand to look at that hurt, wounded expression on Billie's face any longer.

There was a brief moment when Billie knew that if she kissed those lips, she would be lost. And in truth, a part of her desired nothing more than to let Sara Matthews swallow her up and make her disappear. She wanted it, craved it, with an intensity that scared her to her very core. If she allowed Sara in, gave her access to the places where no one else had been, it would change her. She was certain of that. The only thing she didn't know is whether that change would be for good or bad.

Two warm hands cupped Billie's face and she closed her eyes, giving herself over to the woman who was poised to kill her only yesterday. She could feel the heat of that body getting closer, and she gently parted her lips, waiting to die.

"Kill me slowly, Sara."

Sara's body went rigid as she froze in place. "What?"

Billie opened her eyes, and the moment was gone.

Part 5

And like a fickle flower when it first sees the light,
I cannot show just how I fight.
- Nelly Furtado

Billie clasped Sara's wrists and gently pulled her hands away. "I told you, Sara, I can't do this." She took a step back and reluctantly let go of those warm hands.

Sara remained silent for a moment, studying the brunette's face. She was still trying to make sense of Billie's erratic behavior.as well as understand the words she had just spoken. Her only thought was that it had something to do with their violent confrontation yesterday, but there had to be more to it than that.

She focused her gaze on the picture still lying on the counter. Cautiously, she reached over and picked it up to examine it again. Whatever else was going on here, she was desperate to know what it was.

"That's Alexa," Billie offered, seeing the blonde's curious expression. "We met in the academy." She tilted her head, slightly, as she looked at the photograph. "That was graduation day." A soft sigh escaped her lips. "It was a great day. One of my best."

Sara glanced at Billie out of the corner of her eye. "You and she were.close?"

The corner of Billie's mouth turned up in a slight grin. "We were friends."

The blonde grinned, slightly, in spite of herself. "Oh." She handed the picture back to Billie, who continued to stare at it, thoughtfully. "You said `were friends'. Did you lose touch?"

"She's dead," Billie replied softly as she dropped the picture back onto the counter and turned away. She began to busy herself by unpacking the grocery bags.

"I'm sorry," Sara said honestly.

"It's a dangerous job," was all Billie would say.

Sara sighed, inwardly. Okay, so obviously Billie's friend was killed in the line of duty. Well, that explained something about the way she was acting, but there was definitely a lot more to the story. The only thing she wasn't certain of is if she could coax Billie into sharing the rest of it with her.

The blonde chided herself for even entertaining such a thought. What difference did it make now? Billie just made it perfectly clear that the two of them didn't have a chance. And in truth, Sara was still angry with her for what she did. She couldn't even say if it was something she would ever be able to get past, no matter how much she cared for Billie.

Her Billie, she corrected herself.

It was odd to think of them as two people, but Sara couldn't help herself. The woman she met, the one she had been seduced by, was not this woman. Well, it was but.God, she couldn't even figure out who the hell Billie Chambers really was. And if she couldn't do that, then there really was no chance for them at all.

Which only left her one option.

"Please talk to me, Billie."

The brunette turned to look at her, as she placed a box of pasta on a shelf. "About what?"

"Everything."

"What do you mean `everything'?" Billie questioned.

Sara closed the short distance between them and took Billie's hand. "I want to know you."

Billie regarded her with a quizzical expression. "You do know me."

Sara shook her head. "No, I don't. I thought I did, but the person I got to know was a lie."

"Look, Sara. I may have lied about a few of the details, but for the most part, it was still all me." Billie tried to pull her hand away, but felt the blonde gripping it tighter.

"That's bullshit!" Sara replied angrily.

"Sara."

"No," Sara interrupted in a forceful tone. "That person wasn't you."

"Yes, it was," Billie hissed through gritted teeth as she yanked her hand free. "I'm sorry to burst your bubble, Sara, but that's who I am. I played you and I arrested you, because that's my job.end of story."

Sara grabbed Billie as she tried to slip past, and pushed her back against the counter, ignoring her arm's painfully loud protestations. "Then, kiss me."

Billie's face registered a look of surprise. "What?"

Sara leaned in close, noticing how the brunette's struggling had suddenly ceased. "If you won't talk to me, then I want you to kiss me."

Billie's eyelids dropped slightly. "I." Whatever thought she was about to give voice to was swallowed up as Sara pressed her lips firmly against Billie's, her hands sliding up well toned arms and over soft shoulders until she finally had the brunette's face cradled in her hands once more.

The kiss was molten, passionate. Billie could feel herself letting go, her desire for this moment, for this woman, overriding any and all other conscious thought. She wasn't even aware of a hand leaving her cheek, until she felt it slip into the waistband of her pants. She moaned softly as long slender fingers began to do delicious things to her.

Sara held Billie tightly between her body and the counter, continuing her seduction in earnest. There was no denying the heat she felt pressing against her palm, or the moisture that built as she brushed her fingers against her lover's center. She was aware of the sound of the surf pounding the shore outside, and subconsciously, she began to move her hand in time to its rhythm.

Billie whimpered into the blonde's mouth as she felt her muscles tightening, the beginning of her climax causing her to pull back for air, but Sara wouldn't allow it. She placed a hand against the back of the brunette's head, holding onto her as she felt the first spasms clenching around her fingers.

Strong hands gripped Sara tightly as Billie's body stiffened, a long harsh groan emitting from deep within her while her hips moved against the woman who held her, quite literally, in the palm of her hand.

The blonde finally relented, allowing Billie a moment to catch her breath as she hovered close, taking in every last detail of that beautiful face. A gentle flush bathed the woman's tanned cheeks and a thin sheen of perspiration covered her brow.

Billie opened her eyes, slowly, and Sara could see they were darkened with arousal. She removed her fingers from inside the brunette with aching slowness, her ocean blue eyes never straying from those that were the color of sky.

"That was some kiss," Billie croaked.

Sara's expression was serious as she whispered softly, "I wouldn't have pulled the trigger."

Billie looked away. "I know."

Sara placed a finger under the brunette's chin and turned her head back to face her. "No, I don't think you do. And that's part of the problem." She stroked Billie's warm cheek with the back of her hand. "We don't trust each other, Billie."

"Well, we didn't exactly start out on the right foot, now did we?" the brunette commented, her body still twitching slightly.

"No, we didn't."

"So," Billie inquired with a slight raise of her eyebrow. "What do you suggest we do about that?"

"We start over."

Billie glanced down at the hand still tucked inside her pants. "Right now?"

Sara nodded. "Right now." She removed her hand, a small feeling of satisfaction welling up as she noted the look of disappointment on Billie's face. A smile graced her lips as she lifted the hand up in front of the other woman. "Hi. I'm Sara."

The brunette shot her a wry grin. "Hi," she responded as she grabbed the blonde's hand and gave it a firm shake. "I'm Billie."

"Nice to meet you, Billie." The blonde flashed a wicked smile. "What do you say we go upstairs and-" A pair of soft lips abruptly cut off her words. She closed her eyes and savored the moment, enjoying all of the sensations that Billie Chambers kissed into her mind and body.

Her Billie. The one she knew. The only one.

Part 6

I caught you knockin' at my cellar door
I love you, baby, can I have some more
Ooh, ooh, the damage done.
- Neil Young

Sara kicked at the sheets gathered around her legs, a soft whimper escaping her lips as she woke up from another nightmare. She sat up too quickly, gritting her teeth as she felt a sharp pain shoot down the length of her arm.

She took a quick glance at the bandage still wrapped tightly around her upper arm, amazed that she hadn't yet managed to pull the stitches out, considering the workout she'd been giving it.

That thought brought a brief smile to her lips as she turned to look at the person who had helped her get all of that rigorous exercise.

The bed was empty.

For a split second, vivid images of the dream she'd just awoken from filled Sara's mind, adding fuel to a fire that had been burning there since yesterday morning. Of course, it seemed ludicrous for her to worry about Billie. It's not like the woman couldn't take care of herself. But, the nightmares she'd been having about Jill, coupled with the precarious, and newly forged bond she and Billie had begun to form, only made her all the more fearful of everything going terribly wrong.

Sara reached down and grabbed her t-shirt from the spot on the floor where Billie had thrown it earlier, slipping it on as she got to her feet and headed out of the bedroom, now feeling a need to find out where the brunette had gotten off to.

The absence of moonlight made darkness nearly absolute as she walked along the edge of the balcony, her hand trailing along the railing to help her find her way. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she noticed one of the doors leading to the deck off the living room was open, so she headed toward it, the sound of the waves getting louder as she approached.

She could barely make out Billie's profile against the dim night sky. Sara stood there watching her silently, almost afraid to disturb the young woman's solitary. As she decided to leave, a soft voice broke the stillness.

"It's so beautiful out here at night."

Sara turned back to find Billie looking at her. She moved to stand in the doorway, still feeling a bit like an intruder. Her eyes glanced up at the starless sky as she inhaled deeply, taking in the crisp salty air. It smelled like rain. "Mmm.yes it is."

"Nervous about tomorrow?' Billie asked, referring to Sara's appointment to appear before a judge. It was part of her plea agreement, and hopefully the last time she would have to appear, until she testified at Jill's trial.

"A little, I guess." Billie held out her hand. "Come here."

The blonde stepped onto the deck, moving slowly as she reached out and clasped Billie's hand, giving it a firm squeeze. "I'm sorry if I interrupted something."

The brunette gave her a quizzical smile. "What? No.no, I just couldn't sleep." She glanced out over the beach. "Something about being here," she shrugged, unable to put her feelings into words. "I don't know," she finally muttered. "Maybe it's the water."

A pair of blue eyes drew her gaze back. "Billie, are you alright?"

Billie smiled, but there a hint of sadness reflected in it. "I'm fine."

Sara looked away, a familiar feeling of frustration gnawing at her. "There's something about this place, and the way you've been acting since we've been here." She shook her head. "I know we've got a long way to go, and maybe you can't trust me enough yet but..."

"It's not that, Sara."

"Then, what is it?" She pressed the palm of her hand to Billie's cheek, enjoying the way the brunette leaned into it, probably without even realizing it. "I just want to help."

Billie could feel herself being drawn in by the beautiful blonde, those eyes promising a mixture of safety and danger. The temptation to give in to her was nearly impossible to resist, but the risk of exposing herself to this woman she barely knew was something she wasn't sure she could do.

This thing she felt for Sara, it was hard to understand. Not so much the physical attraction, of course. Just being close to her was enough to send Billie's pulse racing. And there was most certainly a whole `opposites attract' thing happening between them. But, when those deep blue eyes focused on her, wanting her, it was so much more. She felt a need for this woman, a desire that came from somewhere deep inside, and there was only one word she could find to describe it.

Addiction.

Billie certainly knew what it felt like, to need something so badly that your body physically ached for it. And that's exactly what happened to her whenever Sara was near. All it took was one look, and she felt as though Sara had could just take control of her. She would hold her breath, waiting for a hand to reach out and touch her, or for a pair of soft lips to press against her own. It was maddening, because as time wore on, it was getting more and more difficult for her to think objectively where the blonde was concerned.

.which is why it hardly came as a surprise when Billie heard herself say, "Let's go upstairs."

Jill wandered though the apartment, careful to keep her flashlight covered as she used it to guide her way. It was bad enough that she had to break into her own place; she certainly didn't need to get her ass thrown back into jail.

The details of her bail had been simple enough: keep her nose clean until her trial, don't leave the county without permission, and stay away from Sara Matthews.

It was that last item that was still burning a hole in her gut. She and Sara were friends, and even though they had been forced to turn against each other, she couldn't really blame the woman for wanting to stay out of jail. No, the blame for this entire mess rested elsewhere, and if Jill had her way, the person responsible would be made to pay.

The problem with exacting a little revenge was that you really needed to have the person handy to do it. And so far, Billie Chambers had made for an elusive target.

Even her brief visit to Felicia's house this afternoon had yielded no clues as to where Sara might be holding up. Felicia had Billie followed after she left, but the woman was hip to it and wasted no time in losing them. Which is why Jill now found herself creeping around her own apartment in the middle of the night searching for clues, anything that might give her a hint as to where Sara went. Because she was fairly certain that wherever Sara was, that bitch cop wasn't far behind.

She entered Sara's bedroom, pointing the flashlight at the floor as she followed a trail of clothes around the room. She knew firsthand that the littered items strewn about the place wasn't the sign of a hasty exit, it only meant that her roommate wasn't the neatest person in the world.

The first place she headed for was the bureau just inside the doorway. She pulled each draw open, rifling through its contents, not even really sure what she was hoping to find. There was nothing but clothing, and the occasional hundred-dollar bill tucked in her underwear. The girl was forever stashing money away for a rainy day.

Jill shook her head, ruefully. Sara was a thief for Christ's sake and here she was leaving money in the most obvious of places. Whenever they robbed someone's house, it was one of the first places they checked. Despite having high-tech safes and the most expensive security systems, even the wealthiest people were still prone to storing valuables in their underwear drawer.

When her search yielded nothing, Jill moved on to the dresser on the far wall. She pulled the top drawer open, keeping her flashlight cupped in her hand as she pointed the narrow beam inside. As she looked down, she noticed something sitting on top of a pile of t- shirts. She grabbed it and pulled it out, shining the light on it to get a better look.

A picture.

Jill stared at it for a moment, focusing on Sara's smiling face, not even aware that she was smiling back. That trip had been one of the best times she'd ever had.

It was also the first time she realized she was in love with Sara.

Nothing came of it, of course. She spent that entire summer mooning over the blonde, while her oblivious roommate continued to go after all the wrong women. About the only thing that helped Jill to get through those times was in knowing that, no matter who Sara attached herself to, it was only temporary. She always came back to Jill. During those days, the brunette slowly began to comprehend the fact that romance was out of the question for them, because it would only end badly. All of Sara's romances did.

Jill made sure of that.

She hadn't really lied to Felicia when she told her she wasn't in love with Sara. The intensity of her feelings had settled down over time, and when all was said and done, their friendship was solid, and that was enough for her. Their `extracurricular activities' had made their relationship all the more important. They depended on each other. They needed each other. And when she shot that woman, Sara had stuck by her, as Jill knew she would.

But now, it had all gone to hell.

A bitter rage came over Jill, and she slammed the picture down onto the top of the dresser, breaking the glass and scattering a few items to the floor. She felt a sharp pain in her hand, and looked down to see a piece of glass poking through her glove. She curled her fingers around it, pushing it deeper into the tender flesh beneath the leather.

Another bad romance, another bad ending. But this time, there was no shoulder for Sara to cry on, and Jill couldn't be there to help her pick up the pieces.

But she could see to it that the person who hurt Sara, the one who used her, the one who came between them, would never get the chance to do it again.

The brunette pulled the bloodied fragment from her hand and tossed it aside as she reached down and swiped away the shards of glass, removing the picture from its broken frame. She gave it one final look before shoving it into the pocket of her jacket and then proceeded to make a cursory check of the remaining drawers, not at all surprised when she came up empty.

With a quick glance around the room, Jill turned off her flashlight and headed to the window. She unlocked it and pushed it up, swinging her long legs out as she dropped gracefully to the ground below. From her vantage point, she could see that the neighborhood was completely quiet, and she flashed a smile in the dark, certain that no one would see her going.

And when the time was right, Billie Chambers would never see her coming.

"So, you worked in vice?"

Billie shifted her position on the leather sofa so she could look at Sara straight on. She gathered her legs up underneath her, bringing her arm up over the back as she nodded, "Yeah, for a while. You see some pretty sleazy stuff. It's almost like a rite of passage when you start working undercover." She smirked as she shook her head. "I thought I was really something, then."

"I bet you were," Sara said sincerely as the image of a younger, more dangerous version of the brunette suddenly popped into her head.

The brunette smiled, gratefully. "Let's just say I was a little. eager." She waved her hand in the air. "Anyway, so there was this dealer. We're talking big bad. He was pumping out a ton of shit, and we were set to shut him down. The problem was, we needed to get in close, so I got tapped, and believe me, I was just itching to get this guy.we all were." She fixed the blonde with a serious look. "A lot of people were turning up dead because of him, so things were getting pretty desperate."

Sara gave her a sympathetic look, trying to imagine what it must have been like for Billie back then, to be that young with so much riding on her shoulders. "So, what happened?"

"I worked him. Got in close. Things were going along pretty well, until." Billie's gaze dropped to the hand resting in her lap.

Sara frowned. "Until.?" The brunette looked up at Sara then, her gaze unreadable.

"Until I had to put up or shut up," Billie replied.

"Meaning?" Sara asked.

The brunette held her arm out, as if presenting it for inspection. "Happiness is a warm gun."

The blonde's eyes went wide. "You.you shot up?" She reached over, gingerly tracing the tips of her fingers across the pale skin near the crook of Billie's arm. "Heroin?"

Billie closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of Sara's soft touch on the spot where she used to feed her addiction. It seemed appropriate, somehow. "Uh-huh."

"God," Sara whispered, watching with concern as Billie opened her eyes, something akin to regret reflected in their cool depths. "So, what happened?"

The brunette pulled her arm away and shrugged her shoulders. "I got hooked."

"What about the dealer?" Sara questioned.

"I blew it," she replied bitterly. "After I started using, I was a bit.unfocused. My captain pulled me out when he realized what was going on, and thankfully before I did something to get myself killed. But, unfortunately, the damage was done."

"And what about you?"

"Well, I'm still here, right?" Billie leaned back and rested her head against the back of the couch, her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. "And I got Gavin.eventually."

"The dealer?"

Billie nodded.

After a brief moment, Sara moved in close, pressing her body against the young woman's side as she rested her head next to the brunette's, her fingers reaching up to swipe away errant strands of hair from her forehead.

Billie sighed, softly, feeling the weight of sleep pressing down on her. The combination of the late hour and Sara's gentle ministrations were conspiring against her as she felt her eyes begin to close.

The two remained quiet for a few moments, until Billie's soft, tired voice finally broke the silence. "A few months after I got out of rehab, I had a bad slip," she confessed, swallowing hard as she felt her emotions pushing close to the surface. She kept her eyes closed, hoping that would somehow keep them from spilling out. God, she was definitely tired. "Alexa found me and brought me here. This is.was her house."

Now, Sara finally understood why being here was so tough on Billie. "She obviously cared a lot about you."

"She was the best friend I ever had." Billie opened her eyes and looked at Sara. "And I missed my chance to pay her back, Sara." Tears welled up in her pale blue eyes, and she didn't bother to hold them back, because in truth, she couldn't. Not here. Not in this place where everything was a reminder of her dead friend.

Sara pulled Billie to her, wrapping her arms around the young woman as she whispered softly in her ear. "It's okay, Billie. Let it out." She could feel a pair of hands clutching at the back of her shirt, pulling her tighter as she slowly rocked back and forth.

Billie suddenly pulled back, wiping the moisture from her cheeks with an impatient hand. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Sara responded as she cradled the young woman's face in her hands. She wiped away a few stray tears with her thumbs. "You don't need to apologize for having feelings."

"Yeah, well." The corner of Billie's mouth turned up in a tiny smile. "I pride myself on being able to keep them in check.most of the time, anyway." She drew the blonde's hands away and rubbed her face, vigorously. "I'm just tired."

Sara suddenly yawned in agreement. "Yeah, me too." She glanced at Billie, offering her a wan smile. "And I've got a big day tomorrow." She got up from the couch, holding her hand out as she jerked her head toward the door. "Let's hit the sack, Lieutenant." She thought Billie looked as though she wanted to say something else, but the brunette simply nodded in reply and got up, clasping Sara's proffered hand.

When they reached the hallway, Billie suddenly turned to her. "Umm, Sara?"

"Yeah," the blonde replied, turning to meet her gaze. In the darkness, she thought she saw a smirk on the brunette's face.

"I really need to get some sleep, okay?"

The blonde turned away, trying to hide the smile that flitted across her face. With a heavy sigh, she pulled the brunette along behind her as she muttered, "Killjoy."

"She'll be going before a judge tomorrow. It's the last step before her agreement is finalized."

"And still nothing on her present location?"

"No, so this will be your only opportunity."

"I told you before, I have someone in place. They'll be able to get to her there."

"You're certain of that?"

"Absolutely."

"It's of the utmost importance that she be made to understand the gravity of her situation."

"She will be."

"Wonderful. I'll be expecting your call when it's finished."

"And I'll be expecting payment through the usual channels."

"Consider it done." Felicia Ralston placed the phone back into its cradle, closing her eyes as she dropped her head to her pillow. She needed to get some sleep if she was going to be fit for what lay ahead. Tomorrow promised to be an eventful day in her life.

...and in the life of Sara Matthews.

Part 7

Hey girl, I betcha
There's someone out to getcha.
- Dominic Ierace

"Just keep tabs for me, okay?"

Sara turned onto her stomach, her arm reaching out in search of another warm body.

"Don't worry, I'll call him."

There wasn't one.

"I'll handle it."

She opened her eyes. The other side of the bed was empty. Shit.

"Yeah, I will. Thanks, Deaq."

Soft footsteps padded around the bedroom, causing Sara to groan in protest. "It's too early." She rolled onto her back again, watching through tired eyes as Billie tossed her cell phone onto the bed.

"Time to hit the showers," Billie called out as she disappeared into the bathroom.

Sara propped herself up on her good arm and hollered back, "Is that an invitation?"

The brunette poked her head around the doorway. She held her hand up, fingers splayed as she showed the blonde the flat of her palm. "If we can do it in five minutes." And then she was gone again.

"It'll take me that long just to get my hopes up," Sara muttered as she dropped her head back to the pillow. She pulled at the sheet, catching the faintest hint of Billie's perfume as she gathered it in her hand and tucked it under her chin. Yesterday she'd woken up to the exact same thing. Of course, then it had only served to make her feel miserable.

But, not today.

"What a difference a day makes," she spoke aloud to the empty room. And it had certainly been an eventful twenty-four hours. She and Billie were together.really together this time, and she wasn't even sure exactly how it happened. But, whatever the reason, she couldn't be happier. And she was fairly certain that Billie felt the same way.

"Four minutes," Billie shouted from the bathroom.

"Shit," Sara exclaimed as she threw the covers back and scrambled out of bed. She could hear the water being turned on as she headed toward the bathroom door. "Hey, don't start without me." She walked in to find Billie standing with one foot in the bathtub, and Sara paused, looking over the brunette's naked form. The lightly tanned skin, soft gentle curves, and perfectly toned muscle. The blonde stood motionless as her mind began to imagine all of the things she was going to do to that body.

Billie glanced over at Sara. "What?"

Sara sighed, shaking her head slowly as she fixed her lover with a seductive gaze. "We are gonna be so late."

Deaq looked up as Van walked into Billie's office. "Hey man, where have you been? Or am I the only one who works around here anymore?"

Van dropped into an empty chair. "Where's Billie?"

"M.I.A.," he replied. "Like she's been for the past two days." Deaq pounded on the keyboard of Billie's computer. "And this damn thing."

"I don't think you're supposed to do it like that."

"Hey listen up V. I've gotten three, count `em, three calls from Parish this morning. And he is not a happy man, you know what I'm sayin'?"

Van looked bored. "So, call her cell phone."

"What do you think I am, stupid?"

"No, man, I don't think you're stupid."

"Well, thank you-"

"I think you're grouchy," Van nodded. "Definitely grouchy."

"Well, you would be too if you had that man chewin' yo' ass out for twenty minutes."

"What's he so worked up about?"

Deaq gave the computer one more try before finally throwing his hands up in frustration. "God damn, she's got this thing shut up tighter than a-"

Van leaned forward. "What's the problem?"

"The problem?" Deaq started, "I'll tell you what the problem is. Boss lady is too damn paranoid, that's the problem. All these friggin' encryption codes, security passwords-"

"I'm talkin' about Parish!"

"Oh.yeah." Deaq decided to abandon any hope of getting into the computer and got up from Billie's chair, walking around to the other side of the desk as he took the empty seat next to his partner. He gave Van a sober look. "Seems like downtown's sprung a leak."

Well, now Van had an idea as to why the Captain was so upset. "Someone eyeing the Candy Store?" he questioned.

"No," Deaq answered slowly. "Just the person who runs it."

"Billie?"

"That'd be the one."

"They know who?"

"Nope." Deaq gave the other man a sidelong glance. "But, Parish is pissed as all hell. I guess Billie knew about it, but didn't tell anyone."

"Shit," Van muttered. It was so like Billie to keep something like this under wraps. She was always playing it close, even with them. Deaq was dead on about her being too damn paranoid. "They get anything?"

"Nobody's sayin'," Deaq answered. "Hell, I even asked Billie straight up, and all she said was `I'll handle it'."

"So, what the hell are we supposed to do?"

"The boss wants us to do a little surveillance work." Deaq stood up and headed toward the door.

Van pushed himself up from his chair, slowly following behind his partner. "You mean she wants us to sit on our asses, while she gets all the action."

Sara pressed her lips to Billie's neck as her arms snaked around the brunette's waist, pulling her closer. Soap-covered hands slid over the taut stomach, leaving a trail of lather as she continued to explore Billie's wet body.

Billie leaned back against the young blonde, losing herself in those talented hands as they traveled to all the right places, slowly tilting her head back to rest on Sara's shoulder.

"Billie," Sara's soft whisper brushed against the young woman's ear, causing her to shiver, involuntarily. "You're so beautiful." She touched a delicate ear with the tip of her tongue, before taking the lobe between her teeth. Teasing fingers brushed across the brunette's painfully erect nipples, causing Billie to suck in a sharp breath. She couldn't believe how close she was already, and Sara had barely touched her, which just proved the whole quality over quantity theory.

With a soft moan, Billie pulled away, turning her body so she and Sara were face to face. She reached her hands up, pulling the blonde close and down as she captured those sweet, moist lips with her own.

Sara's response was immediate as she wrapped her arms around Billie and held her tightly, enjoying the friction of their breasts pressing against each other. She could feel a hand sliding down her back, coming to rest on the gentle curve of her cheek.

The kiss became more demanding as Billie slowly pressed Sara back until she hit the wall. The hand that had been on the blonde's backside now coursed its way lazily around her hip and up along her side, until finally seeking out her left breast. The brunette massaged it gently at first, her thumb barely grazing the pink bud at it's center as she stared intently into those endless blue eyes.

Sara found herself riveted to that gaze as she felt Billie's other hand slip between her legs. The barest touch caused her to jump slightly, but she couldn't look away. Those ice-blue orbs had her frozen to the spot, and she found herself almost ready to beg the brunette to take her.

For several seconds the two women stood there, their flushed faces and aroused bodies engulfed in steam as the water pelted down on them, neither one able to move or speak, as though woven in a spell of their own design.

Finally, Billie moved in even closer, her fingers seeking out Sara's most intimate place as she once again covered the blonde's wet, swollen lips with her tender mouth. Sara's breathing became labored as she dug her fingers into Billie's back, desperate to get as close to her as possible.

They moved together, hips and hands joined in an exquisite rhythm, as their passion for each other took complete control. Sara could feel herself about to come, and suddenly Billie's hand slowed its movement, causing the blonde to almost cry out in frustration. She tilted her head back as Billie kissed a trail of fire down her neck.

"God.Billie," the blonde's voice came out in a harsh rasp. "I.I need."

A soft, smoky voice spoke into her ear, "What do you need, Sara?" The brunette slowly picked up the pace again as Sara's ragged breaths caressed the side of her face. Her thumb pressed against the blonde's aching clit as she whispered, "Tell me."

"You.uhh.I.aah," the blonde's body was grinding against Billie's hand as she felt the tension building to an almost unbearable level. She forced herself to open her eyes, as she sought out the warm, passionate gaze of her lover. There was no denying the need her body felt for this woman, and she knew wherever her body went, her heart would soon follow. "I.I.need you," she finally gasped.

Billie leaned in and kissed her tenderly, surprising even herself as she admitted, "I need you too, Sara."

The blonde cried out softly as the wave she was riding finally crested, every muscle in her body feeling the ripples of pleasure as they coursed through her. She came for what seemed like an eternity, until finally feeling as if her knees were about to give out and she leaned heavily on Billie to keep from falling.

The brunette slipped her arms around Sara's petite, exhausted body as she waited for the blonde to recover. A pair of sapphire eyes locked on her, and she grinned mischievously. "I think that was more than four minutes."

Sara could feel her frantic heartbeat beginning to slow as she pressed her lips to Billie's cheek.her jaw.her neck. Soft lips closed around a hardened nipple as the brunette moaned softly. The blonde slid her hands along the length of Billie's torso, caressing the smooth skin as she knelt down in the bathtub.

A brief look of disappointment crossed the brunette's face as she felt Sara's mouth leave her breast, followed by a quick gasp as those soft lips reapplied themselves a bit further down. Billie put one hand on the wall and the other grabbed the handle of the shower door as she tilted her head back and moaned, "We are gonna be so late." She looked down at the blonde head nestled between her legs, nearly coming on the spot as Sara glanced up and flashed her a wicked smile.

"You drive fast."

Billie glanced over at Sara, her hair tousled from the wind, and smiled. "I got us here on time, didn't I?" She got out of the car and joined Sara at the curb, her eyes constantly moving about, taking in the myriad of faces around them as they climbed the steps to the courthouse.

"You expecting trouble?"

The brunette smiled to herself. Sara certainly didn't miss a thing. "No, but I try to always be ready for it." As they reached the main doors, the blonde suddenly stopped. Billie gave her a look of concern. "Are you alright?"

No.she wasn't all right. Far from it, in fact. She was about to go inside of this building and betray the best friend she'd ever had. But, she couldn't really explain all of this to Billie and expect the woman to have any sympathy for Jill, not after what had happened between them. Instead, she responded with a simple, "I'm fine."

Billie pulled her badge from her pocket, clutching it in one hand as she took a hold of Sara's hand with the other. "Come on. Let's just get this over with."

They entered through the main doors and stopped at a security check. Billie showed them her badge and ID, then removed her weapon and placed the items on a small conveyor belt. After stepping through the metal detector, she took everything back from the uniformed guard.

"Thanks, Lieutenant."

Billie nodded at the young man as she watched Sara walk slowly through the makeshift doorway, her eyes looking up as though it might sound an alarm at any second. The brunette couldn't help but smirk at her. "The speed of your movement doesn't make any difference you know."

Sara smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, but I have a thing about alarms."

"I can only imagine," Billie replied dryly.

The two women walked up another flight of stairs and headed toward a group of offices at the end of the hall. As they got closer, Sara began slowing her pace as she placed a hand on her stomach. "Umm. Billie?"

"Lieutenant Chambers."

Billie seemed not to hear Sara, instead focusing her attention on the figure that suddenly appeared behind them, the familiar voice and the use of her rank causing her to take notice. As she turned around, a large figure loomed near an open doorway.

"Captain?" Billie didn't bother to hide her surprise at his sudden appearance. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," came the subtle reply.

The brunette put on her game face, not even fully aware she was doing it as she felt a hand touch her arm.

"Billie?" Sara repeated.

"Uhh.yeah," she returned her attention to her boss. "We were just on our way to meet with Williams." She motioned to Sara. "This is Sara Matthews. She's going before the judge today.as a part of her plea agreement."

"I know," Parish confirmed. His gaze remained focused on the young lieutenant. "You still have some time to spare, so why don't we talk for a minute?" His tone indicated that it was not a request.

Judging from Billie's demeanor, Sara assumed this man was probably her boss. She was fairly certain that captains outranked lieutenants, and it seemed as though he had some kind of authority over her.

She continued to hold a hand to her stomach as she took a quick look around, spotting a restroom nearby. If she could just have a moment to herself before the meeting, maybe get a drink of water or something, she thought she'd be all right. She turned to Billie and said, "Why don't I just head down there now and you can catch up?"

Billie was torn for a moment. She didn't want to leave Sara alone, but Williams's office was within sight, and it's not like she was in any real danger at this point. Besides, judging from the look on Parish's face, she highly doubted the man would take no for an answer. "Okay." She watched as Sara started down the hall before turning back to the Captain. "In here?" she asked, pointing to an empty office.

The captain waved a hand. "After you." He gave Sara a parting look as he followed Billie in and closed the door behind him.

Sara cupped her hands together and held them under the faucet, leaning over the sink as she gently splashed some of the cool water on her face. She was still feeling a bit queasy, but it seemed as though the worst of it had passed. The door behind her opened as she bent down again, the quick flash of a uniform catching her eye in the mirror as the woman passed behind her and headed into an empty stall.

Another quick splash of water was all Sara had time for as a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around her from behind, pinning her own arms to her side and slamming her, head first, into the wall. The mirror in front of her cracked under the impact, and she suddenly found herself being pulled back, only to be shoved forward again, the second blow nearly causing her to black out.

She struggled weakly, still dazed as she felt the body behind her pressing down on her, one arm remaining wrapped around her upper body, while a forearm began pushing against the back of her neck, slowly forcing her head down into the sink.

The blonde could barely think as she caught a brief glimpse of the faucet, and then her face touched the cool porcelain. The water began to pool at the bottom as Sara's head was now serving as a makeshift plug, and within seconds, she realized the water level was rising. Her attacker had successfully managed to leave her without any leverage, and she tried pushing back against them, to no avail.

Hot breath scalded her ear as a woman's voice whispered menacingly, "Forget the deal, Sara."

The water was beginning to cover Sara's face, and her attempts to break free were becoming even more frantic, but the woman held her fast. A few more seconds ticked by, and the blonde gasped as her face was pushed beneath the surface. She tried to hold her breath, but the head and arm were throbbing painfully, which made it more difficult for her to concentrate. Just as she took in a mouthful of water, the arm let up slightly, and Sara sucked in precious air before releasing it again in a violent cough.

More pressure pushed her back under again, and Sara could feel her lungs burning for air. The voice was back in her ear once more, speaking in a soft dangerous tone. "Or the next time it'll be a bullet. One for you.and one for that pretty little fucktoy cop of yours."

Sara was pulled up and shoved forward violently, her head smashing into the wall a final time. The woman took a step back as Sara dropped to the floor bleeding and unconscious, and removed a camera from her pocket. She snapped a couple of shots before tucking it back in her pocket, and then casually headed out the door.

"I'll handle it."

Parish looked at Billie with a somber look. "You are not an island unto yourself, Billie. When you found out about this, you should have called me right away. Your group does not need this kind of scrutiny."

"I realize that," she conceded. "But, it's not like I asked for this."

"That's not exactly true, is it?" the Captain questioned. "You put yourself in the middle of this long after you should have been gone. Remember the agreement we made?"

Billie sighed as she leaned back against an empty desk, her eyes suddenly interested in the floor. "I know."

"Then, why are we having this conversation?" Parish questioned. "Sara Matthews will see the judge today, and the deal is done, which also means your job is done, as well. Period."

"She'll still need protection until the trial," Billie reasoned.

"Which we have an entire police force just waiting to provide," her boss pointed out. "Your priority is to find out where this leak goes and then plug it fast."

"I already have a good idea as to where it goes," the brunette informed him.

Parish nodded. "Good. Then you're halfway there, already."

Billie looked over at him. "I still think-"

The door suddenly opened, effectively silencing them as Warren Colby stood in the doorway. "Lieutenant, you better come quick."

Billie straightened up, her gut tightening as she saw the serious expression on the young lawyer's face. "What is it?"

"Sara Matthews was attacked."

Part 8

And if you live through this with me,
I swear that I would die for you.
- Courtney Love

Billie stood like a sentry outside the doors of the trauma room, her clothing stained with Sara's blood. It had been over an hour since they'd brought her in, and the doctors and nurses worked on her briefly before whisking her off for some tests. Of course, Billie had followed, always maintaining a respectful distance as the medical personnel did their job, but remaining close enough to keep Sara in view at all times.

As she watched through the window, Billie could see Sara lying on the table as people moved about, leaning over the young woman's prostrate form while they continued to assess her condition. She reached up to rub at her eyes, pausing in mid-air as she caught sight of the blood on her hand. Slowly, she brought her other hand up as well, staring at them as her mind suddenly conjured up the gruesome images she had been trying to push out of her thoughts for the past hour. But, her trained eye wouldn't allow her to forget a thing.

When she first caught sight of Sara's still form lying on that cold tile floor.deep gashes across her forehead, blonde hair matted with blood.there had been a brief second, a flicker of suggestion in the back of her mind that Sara was dead. And when she reached down and felt the young woman's steady pulse, her heart began to beat again. As she knelt there, trying to staunch the flow of blood from the young woman's head wound, Billie had silently vowed that she would stop at nothing to find the person or persons responsible. And of course, she already had a good idea who that was.

She seriously doubted that either Jill or Felicia had perpetrated the attack on Sara directly, but there was no doubt in her mind that they were the ones behind it. And once she knew for certain that Sara was out of danger, she would use everything at her disposal to bring them down.

There would definitely be hell to pay.

"Excuse me, Officer Chambers?"

Billie was jarred from her thoughts as she noticed one of the doctors leaning out the door to the trauma room. She dropped her hands to her side and said tersely, "It's Lieutenant." She knew she shouldn't get annoyed at the man, but she couldn't seem to help herself. What little patience she may have had under normal circumstances was, by now, completely dissipated due to the fact that it was Sara in there.

"Uhh.sorry, Lieutenant."

Billie nodded. "How is she?"

He pushed the door open further, stepping back to allow her entrance. "Why don't you come in and I'll give you the details." He paused for a moment, giving the hall a cursory look. "Are there any family members here?"

"No," the brunette replied as she walked by him.

Sara still lay quietly in the center of the room. Billie walked closer, turning back to the doctor as her unspoken question was answered.

"It's okay. We're done working on her for now."

The brunette approached the table and reached out for Sara's hand. She clasped the limp fingers, gently, leaning over the blonde as she spoke softly, "I'm here, Sara."

The doctor came up behind her. "She still hasn't regained consciousness, and that's a cause for concern. But, it's not entirely unusual, given the type of injury."

Billie turned her attention to the doctor while still keeping a hold on Sara. "Which is what?"

"Her head CT indicates she has a skull fracture. It's a linear fracture, which means there is no depression of the bone and no fragments to be concerned about. There's also no sign of any bleeding, bruising, or swelling.so far."

"But, there's a chance that could change?"

"With a head trauma, we could expect to see symptoms of that nature within the first ten to twelve hours. Once she makes it beyond that, she should be in good shape." He walked around to the other side of the table and removed a pen from his pocket as he grabbed a pad of paper. "She may also have a concussion, but I'll need to do a few more tests once she regains consciousness." He glanced up from his writing to look at Billie. "Is there anyone we should notify?"

Billie shook her head. "She doesn't have any family." At this point, there wasn't too much about Sara that the young lieutenant didn't know, having had her thoroughly investigated prior to her arrest. At the time, she kept telling herself it was purely a professional interest, of course, but now she knew better. "I have two officers outside that'll be staying with her."

"We'll be transferring her to a room-"

"A private room," Billie interrupted.

"Of course," the doctor replied.

A gentle squeeze of Billie's fingers drew her attention back to the blonde. She leaned in closer, watching as Sara's eyelids fluttered, her lips parting slightly as she tried to speak.

"Sara?" Billie's tone was full of worry. "Sara, can you hear me?"

The blonde let out a small moan as she attempted to move her head. "Billie?" A pair of glazed blue eyes slowly focused on the young brunette and she was quite sure she had never been more relieved to see anything in her life.

"I'm here."

The young woman's eyes seemed to clear a bit more as she took in the mix of emotions on Billie's face. She saw concern there, anxiety, anger.and maybe something else. She tried to offer a smile, but with her head pounding out a rhythm akin to a high school marching band, it quickly turned into a grimace of pain. Another voice sounded to her left.

"Can you tell me your name, Miss?"

Sara remained fixed on the brunette's eyes. "Sara." she cleared her throat and just that tiny bit of exertion caused her to bite back a whimper at the throbbing it caused. "Sara Matthews," a quick smile made it to her lips as she added, "Thief extraordinaire."

Her comment had the desired effect as Billie smiled. "Ex-thief."

"Oh, yeah."

"Miss Matthews," the doctor spoke up. "Do you hear any ringing in your ears?"

The blonde finally glanced at him. "No. What happened? Where am I?"

"You were brought to the emergency room with a head injury," he replied blandly as he looked over at Billie.

"A...a head injury?" Sara looked at the brunette in confusion. "Billie?"

Billie lifted Sara's hand and squeezed it tighter as her expression became more serious. "You were attacked, Sara.in the courthouse. Do you remember?"

The blonde fixed her with a blank stare. "Uhh.no." Billie shot the doctor a look of concern as he brandished a pen light from his pocket, leaning in to shine it in Sara's eyes.

"Memory gaps often occur with this type of injury," he remarked. "It's possible it'll return in time. Can you rate the pain for me? One being the lowest and ten being the highest?"

Sara seemed to consider the question for a moment before replying, "I'd have to say 80." She closed her eyes briefly before repeating her earlier question to Billie. "What happened?"

"I'd like to do a few more tests," the doctor commented to Billie. "Would you mind waiting outside?"

"We'll talk in a few minutes." Billie gave the blonde a reassuring smile. "I'll be right outside," she soothed, giving Sara's hand a firm squeeze before letting go with some reluctance. As she headed out of the room, the brunette turned back and pointed her finger at the door for emphasis. "Right outside."

As she exited, a uniformed officer approached her and said, "They just picked her up, Lieutenant."

"Good," Billie replied. "Tell them to hold her until I get there." The man nodded and grabbed his radio as he walked away. She shot a look toward the trauma room and muttered softly, "I'll get them, Sara. I promise."

"You're satisfied?"

Felicia glanced down at the open envelope on the desk, her fingers tapping idly on the corner of a photograph, which lay atop its contents. "I am. Now, what of the other matter we discussed?"

There was a brief pause. "It's taking longer than I expected."

The blonde leaned forward in her chair, holding the picture up to examine it more thoroughly. She hadn't expected it to be so violent, although she wasn't about to complain. As far as she was concerned, the traitorous bitch had gotten exactly what she deserved. "I want information. And I don't like to be kept waiting."

"My source is working on it even as we speak."

"Hey, Ollie!"

Oliver Mason picked his head up from behind a monitor, flashing a quick smile before immediately returning his attention to his computer. The LAPD computer lab had been under intense scrutiny since the breach was discovered, and he had been working around the clock in an attempt to track down the source. Unfortunately, he'd been largely unsuccessful, and this did not cast him or his department in a good light.

A petite redhead made her way to his desk and leaned against the corner, striking a casual pose. It wasn't easy trying to look sexy in such a drab uniform, but she knew the young man sitting in front of her wasn't too particular about such things. "Are we still on for tomorrow night?"

"Uh-huh."

The man had barely acknowledged her presence, and she was beginning to find that annoying. "Ollie?"

"Uh-huh?"

"Are you there?" she asked as she reached over and rapped her knuckles against the top of his head.

He finally glanced up, staring at her blankly for a moment. "What?" he asked and then shook his head vigorously. "I'm sorry, Cathy. I've obviously been at this too long."

"What's got you so dazed and confused?" she inquired.

Oliver blew out a breath and leaned back in his chair. "I've just been working on something for Captain Parish, but I'm not really getting anywhere."

Cathy gave him a look of sympathy. "Anything I can help you with?"

"Not unless you know anything about hacking a mainframe," he responded sullenly.

"Sorry, but my expertise is limited to radio dispatch, remember?"

He smiled at her. "I think your level of expertise goes a bit beyond that."

"Why, Mister Mason, what are you suggesting?" she teased, bending lower at the waist as she leaned in closer to him.

"How about lunch?" he suggested, staring at her with hungry eyes, although food was the farthest thing from his mind.

The young woman's reply was soft and seductive. "Well, I am off duty, and my place is only a couple of blocks away. I think we could cook something up pretty quick."

"Not too quick," he countered. "I've been here all night. No one's going to miss me for a while."

The redhead grinned like a Cheshire cat. "Perfect."

"It wasn't Jill."

Billie continued to pace the length of Sara's hospital room, her arms folded across her chest as she contemplated the floor. "I agree. She wouldn't be stupid enough to go to the courthouse herself."

Sara frowned. "That's not what I mean."

The brunette stopped at the foot of the bed, fixing Sara with a stern look. "I know what you mean," she stated. "But, there is no way you're going to convince me that she had nothing to do with this.so don't even try."

"You don't know Jill," the blonde responded as she raised a hand to her forehead. Christ, she had never had a headache like this in her life. "She wouldn't hurt-"

"Your old pal is looking at two counts of attempted murder," Billie's angry retort cut off the young woman's response. "I've got a newsflash for you, Sara. Jill is not a fucking girl scout!"

Sara met the fury in Billie's eyes with a look of defiance. It was obvious that Billie was upset over what happened to her, and while she found that oddly comforting, she also knew that the brunette was clearly focusing her rage on the wrong person. Jill would not hurt her.not like this. Despite everything that had happened in the past week, that was one thing she knew for certain. "If." The blonde could see Billie opening her mouth in response and she quickly held her palm up to silence her lover. "If this had anything to do with Jill. then someone else was behind it." She could tell from the lieutenant's expression that they were thinking the same thing.

Billie tore her gaze away from the blonde and resumed her pacing. "On that score, at least, we can agree. There's no way Jill could have pulled this off alone."

Sara closed her eyes for a moment. Following the brunette's constant movement was beginning to make her head feel worse, if that was even possible. The last thing she wanted to do right now was get into an argument with Billie over her former roommate. They would never see eye to eye on that particular subject, so she couldn't even see the point in discussing it.

Hearing the details of her attack from Billie had been enough to shock her into relative silence since she had been brought to her room. It was unnerving to have no memory of such a traumatic event, let alone no knowledge of who had done it. The doctor told her it might come back to her at some point, but in the meantime, she could only sit here and ponder questions to which there were no answers. Of course, if the young woman wearing out the floor in front of her had her way, they would have some soon enough.

"Are you alright?"

A pair of anxious eyes greeted Sara as she looked at Billie, who was now hovering close to the side of her bed. Up to now the brunette had been operating in what Sara had come to think of as `cop mode', trying to keep her cool and remain detached from everything. Under other circumstances, Sara thought that was probably easy for her, having done her job for as long as she had. But, she could see the anger simmering just below the surface, and even though she hadn't known Billie very long, she knew she was the type of person that couldn't sit by and wait for something to happen. She would need to act, despite the consequences, and that single thought frightened Sara more than the idea of her attacker returning to finish what they'd started. She reached out and took a hold of the brunette's hand, gently coaxing her closer. "To tell you the truth, I'm a little worried."

Billie's expression softened. "Don't be. I won't let anyone get in here-"

"About you," Sara stated firmly.

"Me?" Billie questioned.

"I don't want you going off and doing something stupid."

Now it was Billie's turn to hold her hand up. "First of all, I don't do stupid. Second of all, I have a job to do. And part of that job includes looking after law-abiding citizens." She paused, her mouth curling up in a wry grin before adding, "And you."

Sara's expression remained serious. "Just promise me you'll be careful around Felicia Ralston. There's something about her." she trailed off, unable to offer anything concrete to back up her suspicions about the woman, but still feeling a need to warn Billie, nonetheless. She knew there had been some kind of confrontation between the two women, and even though Billie had been vague about the details, Sara was certain that they shared the same concerns.

In an uncharacteristic move, Billie leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Sara's bandaged forehead. "I promise." She pulled back and offered the young blonde a tender smile. "You be careful, too." Her expression suddenly hardened as she reached into her jacket pocket. "And remember, anyone comes in that doesn't belong here, you use this," she held her hand out, producing a small .22 caliber handgun. "It's lightweight, but very accurate at close range."

Sara's eyes widened, slightly, as she reached over and took the proffered weapon. "I.You really think I need this?"

The image of Sara's beaten body lying on that cold, bathroom tile leapt into Billie's head, once again. She looked down into those warm, blue eyes and answered honestly, "I'll feel better if you have some protection. Just don't shoot any of my people.or the hospital staff. They hate that."

A quick knock at the door drew their attention and Sara quickly tucked the gun under the sheets. Billie caught the movement out of the corner of her eye and leaned in, whispering in a conspiratorial tone, "You might want to think of a better hiding place for that or the nurse will find it when she tucks you in later."

"I was hoping you'd be here to do that."

Given the circumstances, Billie was surprised when that soft, smoky voice still sent a shiver down her spine. She glanced over at Sara, catching the smile that was being directed at her, and she couldn't help but smile back.

A uniformed officer entered the room. He nodded briefly at Sara before turning to Billie. "We just got a call from central. They're getting jiggy about her lawyer. I guess he's already making a big stink down there."

"Alright," the brunette sighed. "Tell them I'm on my way."

"Yes, Ma'am."

After he left the room, Billie turned to find Sara grinning at her. "What?"

The blonde lifted her hand in a mock salute and said teasingly, "Yes, Ma'am."

"Hey," Billie retorted. "It beats being called `Sir'." She took a step closer, reaching for Sara's hand as she lamented, "I've got to take off for a while."

"I know." Sara studied Billie's face, noting her troubled expression. "I'll be okay."

The brunette nodded slowly as she fixed the injured young woman with her most serious look. "Just remember what I said."

"If it doesn't carry a badge or a bedpan, shoot it."

"Right," Billie smirked. "Oh, I almost forgot." She grabbed another item from her pocket and handed it to Sara. "Keep my cell phone. I have a spare in my car." She pressed a couple of buttons as she held it up to the blonde's face. "Just hit the one and you'll get me."

Sara took the cell phone and dropped it in her lap, grasping Billie's other hand as she gently pulled the brunette don to her. She closed her eyes as a pair of warm, soft lips pressed against her own. Hesitating for a brief moment, she fixed her lover with a pointed look. "Watch yourself."

Billie flashed a quick smile. "Yes Ma'am." She let go of Sara's hands and headed for the door, pausing as she grabbed the handle. "Get some rest. I'll be as quick as I can."

"Which is how quick?" Sara asked good-humoredly.

"Faster than a speeding bullet." Billie gave her a quick wink and walked out the door.

Sara frowned, furrowing her brow as she continued to stare at the empty space Billie had occupied a second before, a faint echo of something suddenly touching her mind.

Bullet.bullet.bullet.

The word continued to ring out as she attempted to gather her fragmented thoughts. There was something there.and if her goddamn head would stop pounding for just a second, she might be able to figure out what it was, maybe put the pieces together.

A bullet.next time.

It started as a series of brief flashes. Water. Someone's voice. A mirror. She hit the mirror, but not before she caught a glimpse of. something. What was it?

A uniform.

"Oh shit," Sara muttered, feeling the bile rising into her throat as the attack came back in a rush of images, each one fitting together like pieces of a puzzle. In a matter of minutes, she could recall nearly every detail. "It was a cop?" She voiced the question to the empty room, the accusation hanging in the air as a feeling of utter panic seized her. "Oh, God."

The blonde immediately snatched up the phone to call Billie, but even as she started to press the buttons, she found herself slowly lowering it as she realized the magnitude of the threat that had been made.

This wasn't just about her. The woman had threatened them both, and had made it perfectly clear why she was doing so.and on whose behalf.

No, Sara chided herself. There was no way Jill could be behind this. She refused to believe that, which left only one other possibility. And if Felicia had somehow engineered this whole thing, then she was certain the woman had done it without Jill's knowledge.or her consent.

So, what now? She had to tell Billie. They were both in danger, maybe Billie even more so, given the fact that her attacker could likely be someone the lieutenant worked with, maybe even someone she knew.

Of course, Sara could just do as she was told and back out of the agreement. But, would that really keep them safe? And what would happen if she did? The D.A. would probably see to it that she served some time if she refused to testify. Unlike Jill, she didn't have some big badass lawyer in her corner.

Her other choice would be to seek protection from the LAPD. But, with the possibility of a bad cop in the mix, was that really a viable option? And that might help to keep her safe for the time being, but what about Billie?

Sara held the phone tightly in her hand as a number of scenarios played out in her head. But, no matter what plan she came up with, she always ended up in the same place, facing the same horrible realization.

She couldn't protect Billie.

A feeling of helplessness welled up within her, nearly causing her to cry out in frustration as she stared at the phone, her finger poised over the call button. Her attacker's warning had had the desired effect; she was in fear for her life.and Billie's. And now, she was completely unsure of what to do.

As she sat there, frozen in place, another thought suddenly occurred to her. She couldn't protect Billie, but maybe someone else could. It was a long shot, she knew, but she was getting desperate. After a few seconds of consideration, she pressed the number two on the cell phone, holding her breath as the line began to ring.

"Yeah?" A man's voice.

"Umm...are you a friend of Billie's?" Sara's voice came out haltingly.

"Who is this?"

The blonde closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Sara."

When the voice responded there was a definite note of concern. "Is she alright?"

"Yes...she's fine." She could hear a sigh of relief on the other end. "Do you know who I am?"

"Sara Matthews."

Sara laid her head back on the pillow, feeling a small sense of victory. If this person knew of her, she could only assume they must be someone Billie trusted. "Are you a cop?"

"Yeah. What the hell is goin' on?"

"I need your help," Sara pleaded. "I.I didn't know what else to do."

"Well, why don't you start by tellin' me why you called?"

The blonde hesitated for a brief second before asking, "What's your name?"

"Call me Deaq."

Part 9

Get a load of him, he's so insane
You'd better get your coat, dear
It looks like rain.
- Elton John

Van stood at the observation window, watching with interest as Jill Kistler continued to pace the length of the interrogation room on the other side of the glass. Her lawyer was seated in a chair at the table in the center of the room, eyeing her warily as he tried to convince her to calm down.

"Billie's not gonna be happy," Deaq commented, looking over Van's shoulder.

"Nope," his partner agreed.

"She showed up yet?"

Van shook his head. "No. And I don't think I wanna be around when she does."

"I hear that."

"Hey guys."

Both men turned to see Billie coming through the door. She hadn't bothered to change clothes yet, and her disheveled appearance caused both men to raise their eyebrows.

"Hey Boss," Deaq greeted.

Billie stopped in front of them, folding her arms across her chest as her eyes moved to glance through the window. With a quick jut of her chin, she asked them, "So, what's the story?"

"We were on her all morning." Van leaned casually against the wall. "She didn't go anywhere near the courthouse."

"Yeah," Deaq chimed in. "She was at a gym downtown. Spoke to a few people there, but other than that, she was just working out."

"You could see her the whole time?" Billie questioned.

"Pretty much," Van answered. The two cops exchanged a look as they waited for Billie's reaction.

"Okay." The brunette turned to leave.

"Whoa, whoa," Deaq started as he reached out and grabbed her forearm. "That's it?"

She regarded him with a bland expression. "Yeah."

Van slowly shook his head as a smile started to spread across his face. "No way," he responded, straightening up and fixing his boss with a suspicious look. "There is no way that you are gonna be satisfied with that."

"Hey guys," Billie responded looking between them. "I didn't expect her to not have an alibi."

"Okay, fine," Deaq said calmly. "But, you can't tell us that you're not just a little bit juiced up right now," he remarked, raking his dark gaze over her bloodied clothing.

The young lieutenant's tone became defensive. "So what?"

Van walked around them, positioning himself with his back against the door as he slowly closed it. "So, we don't want you going in there and getting yourself into trouble."

Billie placed her hands on her hips, looking indignant as she said, "I am not going to get myself into trouble. I am going to interrogate my suspect." She shot Van a pointed look, ".if you'll get out of my way."

"Yo, Billie. Listen up for a minute."

The brunette tore her gaze away from Van and pinned it on her other subordinate, taking note of his serious expression. "What?"

"Look, we know you got a jones on for this chick, alright? So, why don't you just let us talk to her," Deaq advised.

Billie shook her head. "She won't talk to you."

"And you think she's gonna talk to you?" Van interjected. "Besides, with her mouthpiece there, she's not gonna say anything anyway."

"Look, guys, I appreciate your concern, okay? But, I'm gonna go at her my way." She gave Van a warning look and he moved aside, pulling the door open for her.

"Just don't take a swing at her," he cautioned as she walked by him. After she exited the room, he turned to Deaq and said, "She's wound up pretty tight."

"You got that right."

Van sighed, heavily. "So, now what?"

Deaq turned to face the window again. "I told Sara we'd keep an eye on her, so that's what we do."

"I would've liked a little more in the way of details, dude. A cryptic phone call just doesn't cut it, ya know what I mean?"

"She's scared, man. I tried to get her to spill, but all she said was Billie needed someone to watch her back.that there might be some trouble." He folded his arms and looked through the window, waiting for the show to start. "And you know what?" he asked as he glanced at his partner. "I think she's right."

As Billie entered the interrogation room, Jill spun around to face her. "Well, it's about goddamn time you-" her words died as she caught sight of the blood on the lieutenant's clothes.

"Nice to see you, too." Billie gestured toward the empty seat beside Jill's lawyer. "Have a seat."

"I'm assuming you've a good reason for keeping us waiting, Lieutenant."

Billie focused her attention on Jill's attorney, Martin Rosewood. She had seen the man in court a few times over the years, but had never actually met him. He looked to be in his late fifties, and although the thick mop of gray hair on his head made him seem a bit older at first glance, face was smooth and youthful in appearance. He was wearing a very expensive looking black suit with a red tie, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, which he pushed up the bridge of his nose as he stared at her, waiting for a response.

"I was muddling over what to wear," she replied flippantly as she turned her attention to Jill, who was still standing beside the table. Billie sat down and folded her arms across her chest, choosing to remain silent until the other woman was seated. After a few tense moments, Jill finally relented and pulled out a chair.

"Where were you this-"

"Are you charging my client with anything?" Rosewood interrupted Billie.

She shot him a look of annoyance. "This is just a little Q & A, Mr. Rosewood."

"My client will not be answering any questions until we know the reason for her being here."

"We're investigating an assault," she informed him.

"Is it Sara?" Jill demanded. The female cop's state of dress was enough to confirm that something bad had happened. "Is she alright?

Billie looked over at her, unimpressed by the look of concern there. "She's alive."

Rosewood noted the tension between the two young women. "I assume we're talking about Sara Matthews?" he asked Billie.

"What happened to her?" Jill asked.

"Someone tried to drive her head through a wall."

"Jesus." Jill got up from her seat and resumed her pacing. She could feel the lieutenant's eyes following her. After a moment, she made eye contact with her. "It wasn't me."

"Jill, don't say a word." Rosewood ordered. "What does this have to do with my client?"

"I'm just trying to establish her whereabouts this morning," Billie answered.

Jill turned away and faced her reflection in the mirror. She could see the lieutenant watching her, and resisted the urge to slam her fist into that image. The fact that she wasn't allowed to see Sara was bad enough, but the very idea that Billie could see her whenever she wanted was more than Jill could bear.

She knew Billie was still using Sara, trying to play one against the other. And now her friend was probably lying in some hospital, thinking Jill had somehow been responsible for this.and hating her for it. She could only hope that Sara knew her better than that, and wouldn't believe the worst. As she contemplated that thought, another unpleasant realization crept into her mind.

Felicia.

It was her. It had to be. The two women had been arguing frequently over the course of the past two days about Jill's intention to skip out before the trial. It had actually been her plan all along. Although in her version of events, which she hadn't shared with her rich benefactor, she would convince Sara to go with her. And then, they would both be free.

But, her lover had other ideas, which included finding a way for Jill to remain in L.A., thus remaining in Felicia's life. And the only way that was going to happen was if Jill somehow got off, hence the expensive lawyer.and now this.

Had she tried to have Sara killed? Jill thought that seemed unlikely. If she had, Sara would be dead, plain and simple. Felicia was never one for doing something half-heartedly, which only left one other possibility.

It was a warning.

If Sara refused to testify, than it would be a fifty-fifty shot over who would take the fall for the shooting. And with Rosewood pulling the strings, it was fairly easy to see who would wind up on top.

"Does she think it was me?" Jill asked quietly.

"She never saw who it was," Billie stated, not really knowing if it were a lie. With any luck, Sara's memory loss would be temporary, and eventually she would be able to give them something to go on. Of course the downside was that if she had managed to see the person's face she could be in more danger than ever if her attacker believed she would identify them.

Jill turned and faced Billie, meeting her steady gaze. "I would never hurt Sara," she said pointedly.

"Where were you at around nine this morning?" Billie asked.

Rosewood spoke up. "We need a moment-"

"I was at the gym," Jill stated softly, her eyes still fixed on the young woman across the table. "You know the one."

Billie ignored her comment as she pushed a pad of paper toward Jill, indicating the pen that lay on top. "Write down the name of the place, what times you were there, and anyone who may have seen you."

"I would prefer to speak to my client first," the attorney interceded. "Privately."

"Fine," Billie answered, standing up from the table. "I'll give you five minutes." She started for the door as she heard Jill speak up.

"Wait."

The brunette kept her hand on the doorknob and did a half turn.

Jill locked eyes with the young lieutenant. "I want to speak with you alone."

"Absolutely not," Rosewood stated firmly.

"You're my lawyer, and I'll do whatever I want," Jill spit out angrily.

The man stood up and pointed a finger at Billie. "This is a violation of her legal rights. She is represented by council, which makes this completely in-"

"Martin!" Jill cut the man off. "Just get the fuck out!" He whirled on her, his own anger now brimming close to the surface. She could see him getting ready to spout all of his pompous legal crap, so she stepped closer to him and leaned in toward his rapidly reddening face. "Now."

Rosewood straightened his shoulders and said flatly, "I'll be right outside." He snatched up his briefcase with an angry tug and headed to the door. Billie pulled it open and took a step back. He stopped in front of her. "If you cross the line, I'll have your badge."

Billie gave him a bored expression. "Bite me, Martin." For a split second, she thought the attorney would bust an artery, which under normal circumstances she would have enjoyed immensely. But, with her mind and heart focused elsewhere, she just wanted him to leave. He walked out in a huff and she closed the door behind him. She turned to Jill. "Okay, we're alone."

Jill glanced at the mirror. "Not completely."

"Eyes are a rule," Billie stated firmly. "But, I can get rid of the ears." She walked across the room and touched a panel on the wall, which sprung out to reveal a row of switches. With a flick of her wrist, she turned and faced the taller woman. "Done. Now talk to me."

Deaq held his hands out to his sides and looked at his partner. "What the hell is she doing?"

"I don't know, dude." Van's eyes remained fixed on the two women. "But, I would really like to know what they're talking about in there."

"Hey man, I think we can both figure that one out."

The two men looked at each other and said in unison, "Sara."

"Why the hell weren't you protecting her?" Jill questioned angrily.

Billie could see the barely contained fury on Jill's face, and although she seemed genuinely concerned for Sara, that didn't change the fact that she was the reason things had gotten this far. "Why don't we discuss your homicidal girlfriend?"

Jill's expression softened just a bit. "I never thought." She turned away from Billie and stared at the floor.

The young lieutenant seized her opening. "You never thought what? That Felicia would hire someone to beat the crap out of Sara?"

Jill shot Billie an angry look. "You don't know that. And you're the one that put Sara in this position. You set her up. You knew she'd be so afraid of going to prison that she'd testify against me. And now look what's happened to her." She took a few steps forward, effectively closing some of the distance between them. "If you hadn't fucked her up, this wouldn't have happened."

"Let me buy you a clue, Jill," Billie responded, her own anger and guilt over Sara's attack still churning in her gut. "If you hadn't shot anyone, hell, if you and Sara had.oh, I don't know, opted for a life within the law, then none of this would've happened. Now, I am done listening to your bullshit, so get to the point."

Jill stared at the brunette, her eyes burning with undisguised hatred. She was so close. All she needed was a few precious seconds, just the right move.and no more Billie Chambers. But, instead of giving in to her desire for revenge, she said simply, "I want to see Sara."

Billie folded her arms across her chest. "And I want the person who did this." She looked at Jill, carefully. "So, how do we both get what we want?"

"You think we should go in?"

Deaq shot Van a look. "Are you nuts?"

"Hey, it looks like they might get into it."

"And what are you gonna do about it, get in between `em?" Deaq laughed. "Man, they would kick your skinny little ass."

Van folded his arms across his chest. "They would not," he replied before giving his partner a look of uncertainty. "Would they?"

"You want me to wear a wire?" Jill looked at Billie in disbelief.

"That's right."

"No way," she responded.

"I thought you wanted to help Sara?" Billie questioned.

"I do," Jill answered honestly. "But, unlike you, I am not about to hop into bed with someone and then turn around and throw them to the wolves."

"You mean, the way you've thrown Sara to the wolves?" Billie countered.

"That's not what I'm doing."

Billie raised one eyebrow. "Really?" she asked, nodding her head slowly. "Then why haven't you confessed?"

Jill stared at her. "What?"

"Why haven't you confessed?" Billie repeated. "I mean, if you did, then there would be no reason for Sara to have to testify." She paused for a second, letting the weight of her words sink in. "There'd be no reason for anyone to come after her."

"You got her a deal," Jill reasoned. "She wasn't going to do any time. And I didn't know this was going to happen."

"But, it did," Billie pointed out. "So, why don't you save her and everyone else a lot of trouble and take responsibility for your actions?"

Jill turned away from the Billie's accusatory glare and slumped down into an empty chair. "I can't."

"You mean you won't," the lieutenant corrected her.

"I can't go to prison," Jill spoke softly.

"Then you shouldn't go around shooting people," Billie commented unsympathetically. She rested her hands on the corner of the table, leaning over the young woman as she said, "There's nothing I can do to help you, Jill. You have to pay the price for what you did. But, I can help Sara." She softened her tone a bit. "Or would you rather see her go to prison?"

Jill looked up at the brunette hovering over her. "You're a fucking bitch, you know that?"

Billie straightened up and folded her arms as she said, "I'll take that as a no."

"I'm not wearing a wire," Jill informed her. "But, I'll see if."

The door flew open. "Is this the way our civil servants earn their money, Lieutenant?" Billie and Jill both turned to see Felicia Ralston standing in the doorway.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" Billie demanded. She was about to make her way over and forcibly remove the woman when two other figures appeared behind the tall blonde.

"As I told you, Captain, Lieutenant Chambers decided to question my client without representation." Rosewood stepped inside, followed by Parish.

Jill stood up from her seat. "Felicia? What are you doing here?" She didn't dare make eye contact with Billie for fear of giving something away.

"I was told you'd been brought in for questioning, so I was concerned." She shot Billie a venomous look. "And with good reason, I see."

"Who the hell do you-"

"Lieutenant," Parish interrupted. "Can I have a word?" He motioned for her to follow him outside. He could see Billie hesitating, her hostile gaze locked on the Ralston woman. He waited a few seconds before speaking up. "Billie."

The brunette shifted her focus toward him and nodded once before storming from the room. When they reached the end of the hallway, Parish turned to address her.

"What the hell is she doing wandering around here?" Billie barked at him before he could speak. "Don't we have rules?"

"I was just about to ask you the same question," Parish responded calmly. He knew the young lieutenant very well, occasionally allowing her a bit of latitude when she was angry. She was very dedicated to the job.sometimes too dedicated. And even though that was one of the things he most admired about her, he also knew that one day, that single-minded determination would do her in, as it nearly had once before.

"Jill asked to speak with me alone," Billie replied somewhat defensively. "She kicked her lawyer out of there, not me."

"But, you shut off the observation room intercom," he pointed out. "If she had said anything to incriminate herself, you would be the only one who heard it."

"She wasn't about to talk if she thought anyone else was listening," Billie reasoned, still trying to calm down. Seeing Felicia Ralston so soon after Sara's attack rattled her a bit more than she anticipated. The brief feeling of elation she had felt upon getting through to Jill had vanished instantly at the sight of the woman. All Billie could think about after she walked in on them was how much pleasure she would take in wiping that smug look off of the taller woman's face.

Parish narrowed his dark eyes. "Did she give you anything?"

"Not really," Billie replied. "But, I think she might be rethinking her new found friendship." She blew out a frustrated breath. "If I had had more time, I may have been able to get something more."

"Well, Rosewood was good and pissed, Billie. And I don't want a pack of reporters on my doorstep shouting about police misconduct. But, I'll cool him down." Parish placed a hand on her shoulder. "In the meantime, keep your distance from Felicia Ralston, alright?" He glanced back down the hall, watching as the three people emerged from the interrogation room. He turned back to Billie. "Her husband was pretty chummy with Forsythe, and I don't think we want him pushing his way into this one.right?"

Billie held her hand up, ticking off each finger as she spoke. "I have a shooting victim in one hospital, my only witness to said shooting in another hospital, a suspect in both crimes that I can't get a confession out of, and a wealthy, obsessed psycho breathing down my neck, whose late husband used to play golf with the Deputy Chief." With a quick shake of her head she asked, "Did I miss anything?"

"Your leak."

"That makes five," Billie muttered miserably as she dropped her hand.

"Actually, we might have something on that," Parish offered.

"What?"

He lowered his voice. "Oliver Mason is missing."

"Oliver, from the lab?" Billie asked.

Her boss nodded. "He left for lunch over three hours ago and hasn't come back."

"So?"

"So, when I went to his office looking for him, I found someone else there," he commented. "Cathy McKenzie."

The brunette furrowed her brow at hearing the name. Cathy's brother, Bill, had been one of the patrolmen killed by Cyrus's hit squads during his self-declared war against the LAPD. Billie remembered speaking to her briefly after his funeral. "She works in dispatch, right?"

"Right. When I asked her what she was doing there, she told me she was looking for Oliver," the captain explained. "She seemed nervous and agitated, but I didn't really think anything of it at the time. But, a short while later, when I started asking after him, everyone I spoke with told me he had gone out for lunch." He bowed his head slightly. "Guess who with?"

"Cathy McKenzie," Billie surmised.

"Bingo."

"Wait," the lieutenant responded. "You think she's the one?"

"I'm not sure, but we can't reach either one of them now, so I decided to have a couple of cars check out their cribs." He caught sight of an officer coming toward them at a brisk pace. "I guess we're about to find out."

"Captain." They both turned their attention to the approaching officer. He stopped in front of them, giving Billie a quick nod as he said, "We found Mason, sir."

"At his apartment?" Parish questioned.

"No, sir. At Officer McKenzie's apartment."

"And?"

"He's dead, sir."

"So, you killed him?"

Cathy glared at the man in front of her. "Well, when I got back he was already awake, moving around my apartment, knocking things over. I tried to cover, but he obviously knew I slipped him something. When he tried to leave, I had to stop him." She looked up and sighed heavily. "Things just got out of hand."

"You'll be exposed, now."

"Yeah, well, the whole LAPD can go fuck themselves for all I care." The redhead gave him a serious look. "You owe me."

The man glanced down at the disk he clutched in his gloved, turning it over slowly as he asked, "So, what did you get?"

"Everything," Cathy confirmed. "Chambers has become a bit of an obsession for Hill. The file Internal Affairs has on her is about the size of a goddamn encyclopedia." She smiled faintly, eyeing her ill- gotten gains. "I uploaded his whole damn database."

The man gave her an appreciative look. "Good work."

"Now, how about we talk dollars and cents?" Cathy asked. "I've gotta get the hell outta dodge."

"Right." The man smiled at her as he reached into his suit coat. "I've got exactly what you need." He suddenly produced a gun and pointed it at her.

"Warren, what the hell are you doing?"

Warren Colby's expression changed to one of cool detachment as he pulled the trigger. Cathy's body crumpled to the floor, and he stepped forward, carefully firing two more shots at her prone form. When he was sure she was dead, he dropped the weapon next to her and tucked the disk into his breast pocket.

"No loose ends."

Part 10

I'll tell you something,
I am a wolf, but I like to wear sheep's clothing.
- Shirley Manson

Sara shifted her body, trying to find a comfortable position as she rolled onto her side and reached for the watch resting on the bedside table. With a slight frown, she realized it was nearly ten o'clock, which meant she had been asleep for over three hours.

The fact that Billie hadn't returned was beginning to concern her, especially since her vivid recollection of her attack. The brief phone call to Deaq had allayed her fears somewhat, but she knew the only thing that would make her feel better was seeing the young woman walk through her hospital room door.

A sound to her right made Sara turn around too quickly, causing a knife like pain in her head, and she brought a hand up to her forehead as her bleary eyes attempted to focus on the source of the noise. She spotted a cascade of dark brown hair draped over the arm of the chair beside her bed. The young woman it belonged to appeared to be sleeping, although Sara couldn't believe she could do so when she looked so uncomfortable. "Billie?" she called out gently.

"Huh?" The brunette lifted her head, slightly, cocking an ear at the sound of her name. A few blinks cleared the fog from her eyes, and she fixed her tired gaze on the blonde. "Sara." Billie sat up slowly, reaching a hand up to work a kink out of her neck. "How are you feeling?"

A faint smile touched the blonde's lips as she replied, "I think I feel better than you look." Her comment elicited a smile from the other woman.

"That's the thanks I get for curling myself into a pretzel just to be by your side," Billie shot back with a wry grin.

"How long have you been here?"

The lieutenant glanced at her watch. "About an hour."

Sara arched her brow. "Long day?"

"The longest." Billie stood up and stretched her arms over her head, the black t-shirt she now sported sliding up to reveal a wide swath of well-toned belly. She had finally managed to find time to grab a shower and a change of clothes before coming back to the hospital, although it hadn't been her intent to end up sleeping in them. But, when she got to Sara's room and found her fast asleep, the lure of the chair had gotten the best of her.

The brunette took a moment to shake off the remnants of her all too brief nap, and sat down on the edge of Sara's bed. She reached into the back pocket of her blue jeans and produced a small photograph, which she handed over to Sara. "Take a look at this."

The blonde took it from her. "Who's this?" she asked as she lifted it up to get a better view in the dim light. She stared at it for a few seconds before recognition finally dawned on her face.

Billie was watching her carefully, waiting to see her reaction. It was exactly what she'd been expecting. "I'm pretty sure that's the woman who attacked you."

Sara's eyes were downcast as she muttered, "I.I didn't really get a good look at her face, but the hair." She felt her body shudder in response to the face staring back at her and immediately held her arm out, indicating for Billie to take back the photograph. "How did you figure it out?"

Billie sighed heavily as she snatched the item from Sara's hand. "Deaq told me that you called him," she revealed as she fixed the blonde with a knowing look. "You remembered everything, didn't you?"

"You could have warned me," Sara replied, her eyes straying to the picture in Billie's hand. There was a hint of anger in her voice.

"I'm sorry." Billie held the photograph up, her eyes lingering on Cathy's image. "Given the fact that Cathy was a cop, I thought you might be too scared to tell me the truth."

"Cathy?" Sara questioned. "You know her?"

"No, not really," she answered, shaking her head. "I only met her once.at her brother's funeral."

"Was he a cop, too?"

"Yeah." Billie tucked the picture back into her pocket. "A while back, there was this guy who was gunning for cops, and he hired out some people to take out as many as they could." She ran a hand through her hair, fixing her hardened gaze on the floor. Sara studied the brunette quietly, waiting for her to continue. After a few moments of silence, she asked, "How many were killed?"

"Twelve."

"Jesus." Sara straightened up a bit as she reached over and touched Billie's arm. "Did you get the guy?"

"Yeah," Billie responded. The truth was, she wouldn't have minded a chance to pop a few more shots into Cyrus. Unfortunately, you could only kill someone once.

"So why do you think she came after me?"

"My guess is money. We're still following the trail she left, so it'll be a while before we have all the answers," she responded. "If we ever do."

"She's gone?"

Billie sat forward and reached for Sara's hand, giving it a firm squeeze. "You don't have to worry about her anymore. She's dead, Sara."

"How?"

"They found her body at a warehouse down on Jesse Street. She was shot three times in the chest."

Sara put a hand to her head. "None of this makes any sense."

"And it keeps getting more complicated. It turned out that Cathy was the one breaking into the LAPD mainframe. Apparently, she was getting access through Ollie Mason, the departmental supervisor. We found him at her apartment earlier today with a knife in his chest."

"Jesus," Sara breathed.

"After I found that out, I spoke with one of the guards at the courthouse, who told me he remembered checking her in this morning. Obviously, that was too much of a coincidence." She rubbed her tired eyes with her thumb and index finger. "I just wish we had found all of this out a bit sooner." Maybe then, Ollie wouldn't be dead, she thought to herself.

"What the hell does all of this have to do with me and Jill? I mean, I know we shot that woman and everything, but-"

"Inez."

Sara stopped. "What?"

"The woman Jill shot," Billie stated, putting emphasis on the name of Sara's partner in crime. "Her name is Inez."

"Oh." The blonde began to study her hands, unable to look Billie in the eye. It was obvious from the woman's tone that there was still some unfinished business between them over that incident. "I only meant that.we robbed some houses. That's it. So where is all of this other stuff coming from?"

"I think the answer to that question is Felicia Ralston," Billie answered. "But, I don't really think she was the one who killed Cathy." She paused to consider what she knew of the woman, before adding, "It just doesn't seem like her style."

Two blonde eyebrows shot up at that comment. "You think you know her that well, huh?"

"I know the type," Billie replied.

"So, that just leaves two questions," Sara reasoned. "Who shot Cathy and why?"

"She uploaded some confidential information this afternoon, which I'm sure she was planning on passing off to someone else. My guess is, once she gave it to them, they killed her. After murdering Ollie, it was a given that her days with the LAPD were over, and I'm sure the last thing they wanted was for her to get caught and spill her guts."

Sara released a sigh of frustration. "That still leaves the `who'."

"Let me worry about that," Billie replied as she gave Sara's hand a final squeeze and got to her feet. "You need to get some rest." She felt Sara's hand tightening on hers as she attempted to let go. "What is it?"

The blonde eyed her warily, knowing what she was about to say would be difficult for the young lieutenant to hear. She had been mulling over a course of action for most of the day, and now that her attacker was dead, and it looked as though Billie would be okay, she made her decision. She took a deep breath, releasing it slowly as she said, "I've decided not to testify."

Billie stared at her. "What?"

"Look, Billie, I've given it a lot of thought and.I just can't go through with it."

The brunette sat down again and said softly, "You don't have to be afraid, Sara. I won't let anyone hurt you again."

"That's not it." She could see the other woman's body tensing.

"Then, what?" Billie's tone sharpened. "You're suddenly feeling some sense of loyalty to your so-called friend?"

"She's not the only one to blame, here."

A pair of dark eyebrows shot up at that statement. "Is that so? Did you both pull the trigger?"

"You know what I mean."

"No, Sara. I really don't." Billie pulled her hand free and held her arms out in a gesture of helplessness. "You want to give me the whole spiel about guilt? About what you could have done, but didn't? Because, I've already heard all of this." She dropped her arms and sighed, heavily. "You were scared, Sara. But," she stated emphatically, ".you did not shoot anyone."

"I wonder if you'd be so understanding if Inez had died?" Sara asked softly.

Billie just stood there. She had no response to that. What Sara was implying was probably true. If Inez had died that day, her feelings would probably be quite different. In fact, everything would be different.including her relationship with the woman in front of her.

Which was what, exactly? Billie didn't really have an answer to that question, either. She was loath to admit it, but there was a part of her that was appalled at what Sara had done. It was true that Jill had been the one who pulled the trigger, and the blonde had no control over that whatsoever. But, afterwards, when Inez lay there dying, the two women had simply taken the money and walked out, leaving her there to bleed to death, struggling to stay alive until someone came along and found her.

The lieutenant knew she had rationalized Sara's participation in the whole thing by telling herself that the young woman was merely an observer to the shooting. But, she could no longer ignore what was now staring her in the face. She'd been lying to herself all along. The simple truth was that she needed to believe that Sara was inherently good, because it made it easier for Billie to justify how she felt about her. From the moment she had walked into the bathroom at the courthouse this morning, momentarily seized by the thought that Sara was dead, she had realized it

She was in love.

She didn't want to be, but there it was. And now, knowing that fact and hearing Sara's proclamation was like a kick to the stomach.

"I wish I could change what I've done, but I can't," Sara told her.

Billie's tone was cool and detached as she seamlessly slipped on her professional façade. "If you back out of this deal, Williams will make sure you go to prison."

"I know."

"So, that's it?" Billie pinned her with an angry look. "You're just throwing away your only chance at freedom? And for what, Sara? For Jill? For some twisted sense of right and wrong?" She leaned in close to the blonde. "You're willing to throw your whole life away to prove that you're a decent person?"

Sara looked into Billie's eyes, seeing the pain she was causing her. She shouldn't have done this. Telling Billie had been a mistake, but Sara needed for her to understand the reason for what she was about to do. "You would end up hating me, Billie."

The brunette's eyes flew open in astonishment. "This is about me?" She shook her head, vigorously, as she straightened up. "No.no way. If you want to prove something to me, then do the right thing. Help me put away the woman that shot Inez."

"And what will that prove?" Sara retorted. "That all I do is betray the people I care about."

"What about me, Sara?" Billie's voice dropped to a near whisper. "What about us? If you do this." The echo of Billie's ultimatum hung in the air like a thick fog. There was a brief moment of tense silence. Finally, Sara's soft voice broke the oppressive quiet.

"You're better off without me and you know it."

"You don't get to decide what's best for me." The young brunette grabbed her leather jacket from the back of the chair, tossing it casually over her shoulder as she lifted a finger and pointed it at Sara. "No one does." She turned away from the blonde and walked out of the room, never once bothering to look back.

Sara sat quietly, watching the door as it slowly closed behind the young woman. She laid her head back against the pillow and closed her eyes. That was not the way she wanted to end things with Billie. She wasn't sure why she told her about her decision not to testify.

...considering she wasn't even planning on sticking around.

Billie strolled into the barroom and headed directly for the bar on the far wall. She slid onto a stool and took a moment to eye the bartender, who was bent over the cooler behind the bar, rummaging for something near the bottom. Judging from the foul language emitting from the open lid, she surmised that the endeavor was proving unsuccessful.

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" Billie called out.

"Why don't you kiss-" The bartender's retort died on her lips when she glanced up and caught sight of the brunette sitting on the other side. "Billie?" A look of surprise was immediately replaced by a warm smile. "Well, holy shit. I haven't seen you since."

"Since I gave up hanging in sleazy bars," the brunette replied with a smirk.

"Hey," the bartender said indignantly. "It's not sleazy. Just somewhat small and dark." She quirked her eyebrow. "Kinda like you."

"That's the nicest thing anybody's said to me all day." Billie's smile broadened. "How are you, Sharon?"

The woman blew away an errant strand of black hair from in front of her face. "A sight better than you, from the look of things." She shot Billie a look of concern as she went to work pouring the young woman a drink. Although the bartender hadn't seen Billie in a long time, she could still tell when it was time to talk straight, and when it was time for chitchat. After taking note of the woman's demeanor, Sharon decided to start off with the basic bullshitting session. "You still driving that beautiful piece of machinery?"

"Nope," Billie answered as Sharon placed a glass in front of her. "I traded it in." She lifted the drink to her lips, closing her eyes as the cool liquid slipped across her tongue and burned a trail of fire down her throat. She winced, slightly, forgetting how bad the vodka was in this place. When she felt like she could speak again, she cleared her throat and said, "For a Mercedes."

Sharon whistled appreciatively. "Well, we are moving up in the world." She watched Billie for a moment, observing the way her eyes remained fixed on the napkin beneath her glass, while her hand fiddled with one corner. "So, what brings you by? It's been a couple of years, Billie."

The young woman shrugged. "I was in the neighborhood."

"Chambers, you were never in this neighborhood."

"Maybe I just liked the cute bartender then." Billie glanced up and smiled.

"Hmm.if that were true, I'd do you right on this bar." Sharon's gaze shifted to look over Billie's shoulder. "God, you always were a magnet."

The lieutenant straightened up at that comment. "What?"

"Excuse me?"

Billie turned her head and found herself face to face with a very attractive young woman.with blonde hair. Didn't that figure. "Uhh." Boy, she was still smooth.

The girl greeted her with a winning smile. "Hi."

"Hi."

"I've never seen you here before," she commented.

Billie nearly groaned aloud. "I.I haven't been here in a while."

"Old stomping grounds?"

"You could say that," the brunette replied, as her eyes remained focused on the young woman's startling green eyes. Probably tinted contacts.but at least they weren't blue.

"I'm Ally." The girl offered her hand to the brunette, who clasped it firmly.

"Billie."

Sara finished cleaning up, tossing the towel aside as she checked her appearance in the mirror. She had managed to conceal some of the bandage on her forehead with her hair, but she knew it would never pass a close inspection. Hopefully, if everything went well, no one would have the chance to get a good look at her.

She grabbed the hospital scrubs one of the nurses gave her after she'd complained about not wanting to wear a flimsy gown, and put them on, taking extra care as she pulled the top on over her arm. It seemed as though her whole body ached, but she'd needed to keep a clear head, so she opted to pocket her pain medication during the last go around. She cursed the fact that she had no sneakers, and was stuck having to wear a pair of hospital booties. Fortunately, the pant legs on her scrubs were a bit long, so no one would probably even notice.

Her heart was racing in anticipation of what she was about to do, and she took a few deep breaths as she tried to calm herself. Although there was something almost thrilling about the idea of escaping police custody, she knew she was going to have to hurt someone, and that was beginning to nag at her conscience.

"God," she mumbled to herself. "Billie, what have you done to me?"

She strapped on her watch and reached under the pillow, pulling out the gun Billie had given her. The irony of using it on one of Billie's own people was not lost on Sara. The two officers standing outside of her room were there to protect her, but in order for her to leave, she would have to put them out of commission.

Sara tucked the weapon into her waistband and glanced at her watch. It was almost one o'clock in the morning, which meant that a nurse would be in to check on her at any time, so if she was going to do this, it was now or never. She pinned her gaze on the door.

"Let's dance."

"You're kidding."

Billie laughed in spite of herself. "No, I'm not."

Ally reached over and placed her hand on the brunette's arm. "You're really a cop?" She leaned in close, her tone almost conspiratorial. "That's so cliché."

Billie's eyes drifted down to the young woman's hand, her voice sounding somewhat distracted. "So says the hairdresser."

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" Ally waited for Billie to make eye contact, before motioning to her hand.

The lieutenant didn't know if it was the liquor, the late hour, the beautiful young woman, or her tattered emotions talking when she replied, "No, not at all." She closed the small distance between them and whispered softly, "I'm not really in a good place right now, Ally. And the truth of it is, if you had blue eyes, I'd be putty in your hands."

The blonde flashed her most seductive smile. "Would it count if I told you that I wish I did?"

Billie knew that she needed to back off before things went too far, but she couldn't seem to convince her body to respond to her commands. Her eyes fixed on the young woman's lips as she felt herself moving forward, guided by the warm, gentle touch of fingertips under her chin.

The kiss was soft, dreamy, and Billie noted with some disappointment, all too brief. As she opened her eyes, she couldn't stop herself from wishing that it were someone else's face she would see staring back at her.

Ally looked at the brunette with hooded eyes. "What are we going to do now?"

"Let's dance."

Part 11

Baby let me set you down
You look so troubled and I think I know
Just when you think you've got it down
There you go

The beat of the music pulsated softly, and Billie slipped her arm around Ally's waist, gently coaxing the young woman closer while her hips began to sway to the rhythm. As the blonde's cheek touched her own, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, content to allow her other senses the chance to indulge themselves.

Now I know the business of the heart
And it'll get you anyway it can
You need someone to walk with in the dark, well
I'm your man

Donning her hospital robe, Sara took a deep breath and pulled the door open, poking her head out and speaking to one of the officers in the hallway. She was pleasantly surprised to find only one on duty. The late hour had apparently prodded his partner to head off in search of a coffee machine, and the blonde smiled at her good fortune as she coaxed the lone patrolman into her room.

I go to the trouble like a magnet
That's where I'll be
Trouble is just a place to sing
It's what you need

A hand came to rest against the back of Billie's neck, while another slipped beneath her hair, slowly lifting it up and over her shoulder. Her breath quickened as a pair of soft lips pressed against her exposed throat, and she involuntarily tilted her head to allow more access. She moved her hands forward and clasped her fingers together, holding the young woman in a casual embrace. As the music played on, a soft voice began to whisper in her ear.

I swear you look like you're in jail
And all at once you're halfway out the door
One foot dancing, one foot nailed
To the floor

With a single, brutal jab of her elbow, the officer dropped to the floor like a stone. Sara winced as she watched his head hit the floor, and quickly knelt down to check his condition. Satisfied that she hadn't done any permanent damage, she got to her feet and pulled off her robe, tossing it aside as she headed out the door.

Chasing those circles in the ground
The same old shit is still the same old lie
Just when you think you've got it down
Watch it fly

The two dozen or so people in the bar took little notice as the young women continued to dance in the corner, save one pair of hazel eyes that followed their movements with a mix of fascination and want. Billie looked over Ally's shoulder, her ice blue gaze fixing on the woman behind the bar.

I go to the trouble like a light
Or like a dare
Trouble is just a friend to me, I know
It'll always be there

The nurse's station was seemingly deserted when Sara slipped behind the counter, her eyes scanning the shelves underneath in a desperate search as she pushed aside stacks of files to reveal whatever was tucked behind them. Her persistence was rewarded as she found not one, but two different purses hiding in the back of the cabinet. She opened each one in turn, taking whatever cash was inside, along with both of the owner's car keys. Clutching them tightly in her hand, she glanced over the desktop for signs of any activity, and finding none, she immediately headed for the elevator.

It's really hard to make your peace
So give me some credit for the hell I've paid
This world's a blessing and a beast
Every day

Two bodies collapsed to the bed, hands roaming frantically as they each worked to remove the other's clothing. Their mouths pressed together in a bruising kiss, while tongues danced wildly, savoring each other's taste. Billie shifted her body, desperate to feel the other woman's heat pressing against her own as she reached up, her fingers coursing a trail through long strands of silky, black hair.

So come on baby let me show you how
The less you know the more I comprehend
You don't have to drag me down
I descend

The parking area was almost deserted, given the late hour, except for the area sectioned off for employees. Sara approached the first row of vehicles, holding both sets of keys out in front of her as she pressed the buttons of each remote lock in tandem, waiting to hear that telling chirp when she found a match. She was moving along the third row when a pair of headlights flashed at her in response to her actions. She grinned, broadly, and tossed a set of keys aside as she ran for the vehicle.

I go to the trouble and I like it
That's where I'll be
Trouble is just like love, if it's half the way
It's all I can see
And it's just what you need

The silver Mercedes raced along the freeway, oblivious to the traffic as it weaved its way along at breakneck speed. Billie turned the wheel as she reached the desired exit, her cars tires screeching in protest as she downshifted, barely missing a construction barrier blocking the bottom half of the roadway. Within minutes, she found herself back at the hospital, walking with purpose as she headed directly for Sara's room. When she reached the end of the corridor, she immediately noticed the absence of any guard outside the door. Her heart began to beat wildly as she picked up her pace and she was running at full tilt by the time she got to the door. She quickly brandished her gun and pushed the door open, aiming it straight ahead as she stepped inside. The first thing she noticed was the officer lying on the floor at the foot of the bed. The second was that he was the only one in the room.

Sara was gone.

Part 12

Carry me through
And bury all my doubts of you
Clothe my desire with spell or prayer
I'll shroud every sign of need I swear.
- k.d. lang

Billie pulled her car into the driveway, idling at the top of the hill for a moment before finally rolling down to a stop in front of the garage. She turned off the ignition and set the brake as she leaned forward and rested her head against the steering wheel. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so tired. It was nearly five in the morning, and her body was threatening to shut down if she didn't get moving.

As she got out of the car, a warm, gentle gust of ocean wind caught her hair, tossing it about wildly as she fixed her eyes on the front of the house. Despite the fact that Billie was now the owner, she would always think of it as Alexa's. She hadn't changed a single thing in the house since her friend's death, preferring to leave it as it had always been, filled with her furniture, her pictures, and her presence. It probably wasn't healthy. Billie knew that part of the process of letting go was in moving on, but she wasn't quite ready to do that just yet.

She went inside, walking through the quiet darkness with the practiced ease of someone who knew the interior very well. As she approached the kitchen, she could see the subtle beginning of daylight filtering through the glass doors leading to the back deck. The entire house was silent, and even though Billie had been entertaining the thought that Sara might come here, she didn't honestly believe it.

After finding one of her officers' unconscious when she'd arrived back at the hospital, she instinctively knew that Sara had been the one responsible. And once he came to and confirmed what she'd suspected, it seemed certain that the young woman was long gone.

For Billie, that meant there were procedures to follow. And like the dutiful cop she was, Lieutenant Chambers put the word out on Sara Matthews, and before long, cops all over the city were looking for her.

They were checking out all of the places she might have gone, including her apartment, the homes of a few friends, even Jill was being questioned about her possible whereabouts. Patrol cars were on the lookout for the stolen car she was driving. But, for reasons even she herself didn't fully comprehend, Billie held back from telling anyone about the beach house.

Her decision to drive all the way out here alone, considering she was nearly dead on her feet, had been a combination of curiosity, hope, and even a little bit of desperation. There was a part of her that wanted to believe Sara would change her mind, maybe even come to realize that she cared too much to leave.

Of course, Billie chided herself for being so sappy and emotional. The night's events had been weighing heavily on her, and coupled with her strung out nerves and exhausted mind, she knew she was probably just grasping at straws.

So it was with some surprise when she stepped outside and saw the familiar silhouette, sitting on the stairs that lead down to the shore. A fleeting moment of anger was immediately quelled by an overwhelming sense of relief at seeing her lover safe and sound.

"I wanted a picture."

Billie approached Sara from behind, her hand reaching out to touch the blonde's head, but she pulled back, deciding instead to sit down next to her. She glanced over at the photograph Sara held between her fingers and smiled, ruefully. "I can't believe I allowed myself to be photographed with Goofy."

Sara fixed her tired eyes on the brunette's captured image. "You make quite a pair," she joked, a tiny smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"So do we," Billie commented.

Sara turned to look at her. "I tried to leave," she admitted, taking a hold of Billie's hand and entwining their fingers together. "I'm sorry. I just felt like everything was closing in on me. Jill's trial, the attack, being afraid." The blonde looked away for a moment as she said, "I don't like feeling like a victim."

Billie reached over with her other hand, gently coaxing Sara to look at her. "I know."

"No, you don't." She turned back to the brunette. "This isn't me, Billie. I'm not some shrinking violet that sits around waiting for the other shoe to drop. I can take care of myself. I've been on my own since I was fifteen, and I've never needed anyone before." She bit her lip gently before continuing. "But, since the day I met you, it's like I don't even know which end is up." Sara knew she was beginning to ramble, but she couldn't seem to stop herself.

"All I wanted was to find out where this was going," she went on. "I wasn't sure we even had a chance. The idea of you and me is crazy on so many levels. I mean.you're a good person, Billie. You've got courage, convictions.a purpose. And me? Well, I don't know what I am exactly, but I guarantee you, if someone were keeping a list of my character traits, those things wouldn't even make the top ten."

"I think you're selling yourself a bit short," Billie interjected.

The blonde shook her head slowly in disagreement. "No, I'm not. You know that everything I'm saying is true. I can see it in your eyes, sometimes. The way you look at me whenever we talk about the shooting. I see the anger there, and the doubt. Your instincts are telling you this is wrong, Billie.just like mine." She held the lieutenant's gaze. "But, we just can't bring ourselves to walk away from trouble, can we?" Her gaze drifted from blue eyes to red lips. "No matter how much we know we should." She closed the small distance between them and placed a soft kiss on Billie's mouth.

The lieutenant felt her body flush at the delicate contact, but soon found herself pulling back a bit, still aware of the scent of someone else's body on her skin. "Sara, there's something I need to tell you. before we go any further."

Sara's eyes darkened as she looked at Billie closely. There was something different about her, and it was not the somber mood she slipped into when she was here. It took her a moment to realize what it was, because she'd only seen that look once before.

She looked guilty.

For a split second, Sara's brain tried to convince her that she could smell an unfamiliar perfume on her lover, but then quickly dismissed the thought as paranoia. When she finally found her voice, however, she couldn't keep the note of accusation from creeping into it. "Where were you tonight?"

Billie could feel Sara's grip on her hand getting tighter. She let out a soft sigh. "Out chasing my past, I guess," she replied cryptically. What could she possibly say that would make any sense? Her emotions were as much of a mystery to her as anybody else, and if she didn't understand her own actions, how could she explain them to Sara?

"Did you-" Sara stood up abruptly, releasing her lover's hand as she pinned the young woman with an angry stare. She felt a momentary sense of déjŕ vu, as though the two of them were right back where they'd started: Billie being deceitful, and Sara feeling betrayed. But, after everything that had happened in the last forty-eight hours, it almost felt worse than before. "Were you with someone?"

Billie looked up, returning Sara's hostile gaze. She could see the blonde was angry, even though she had no reason to be. And given what Billie had been put through tonight because of her, the last thing she was in the mood for was some jealous nonsense. But, instead of saying something to ease Sara's mind, she shot back, "I seem to recall that you gave me my walking papers earlier this evening." The blow took the lieutenant completely by surprise as it knocked her sideways, causing her to smack her head against the wooden railing.

"How the fuck could you do that?" Sara shouted at her.

Billie sat up and gave her head a quick shake to clear her jumbled senses. Upon regaining her focus, she was treated to a view of Sara's back as the young woman retreated down the stairs. Her exhaustion was now completely forgotten as she rode the adrenaline boost she'd just been given, and the brunette quickly got to her feet as she called out, "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

Sara spun around to offer an angry retort, but the air was driven from her lungs as Billie's body slammed into her and they landed in a heap on the sand. The blonde swung a fist wildly, which Billie dogged before maneuvering Sara onto her stomach.

"Stay still." The lieutenant jammed her knee into the small of Sara's back as she held the young woman's arms out behind her, pressing her wrists down onto the top of her thigh. She deftly removed a pair of handcuffs from her pocket and snapped them on within seconds. The blonde continued to struggle, despite Billie's continuing admonishments, and the brunette finally turned her over.

"Get the fuck off me!" Sara raged as she twisted her body, trying to dislodge the young woman now straddling her hips.

"Calm down!" Billie ordered. She noticed a spot of blood seeping through the bandage on Sara's forehead and cursed softly. "What the hell is the matter with you?"

Sara settled down a bit, closing her eyes, briefly, before opening them again and pinning Billie with an impatient glare. "Would you get off of me?"

"If you promise to calm down."

The blonde took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "I promise," she replied through gritted teeth. Billie lifted her leg, and dropped to the sand beside Sara, who sat up too quickly, and immediately regretted it.

Billie reached out and caught Sara by the shoulders as she began to pitch back toward the ground. She slowly sat her up, keeping an arm around the young woman to support her. "Are you alright?"

Sara nodded. "Just a little dizzy. I guess I'm not in fighting shape yet."

"I don't know about that."

Sara looked at the lieutenant's face, seeing the beginning of an angry bruise on her right cheek. She sighed, dropping her gaze to the ground. "Sorry about that."

"I'm kind of getting used to it," Billie smirked.

The blonde looked up, the promise of a smile on her lips. "Me too," she remarked, indicating the handcuffs still fastened to her wrists.

Billie got to her knees and fished a key from her jeans. She moved behind the blond and released her with a flick of her wrist, slipping the cuffs off and returning them to her pocket. She sat back on her heels and ran a hand through her hair as she said softly, "Nothing happened." She watched Sara rub at her wrists, slowly getting to her knees as she turned to face her. "I stopped things before they went too far."

"Why'd you do it in the first place?" Sara questioned.

"I don't know," the brunette answered honestly. "Maybe I felt things closing in on me, too." She shook her head in a gesture of impatience. "Everything has gotten so fucked up, Sara. And after what you pulled tonight? You're only making all of this harder for me, you know that?"

Sara finally managed a smile. "Isn't that part of my charm?"

"Maybe."

"And at least you're never bored, right?"

Billie couldn't help but laugh. "Right."

"So," Sara mused as she inched toward the brunette on her knees, reaching over to run a hand along Billie's thigh. "You want me to. what? Change my ways? Be an upstanding citizen? Become the kind of woman you want?"

Billie's expression looked almost desperate as she locked eyes with the blonde, feeling the familiar pang of want as those smoldering blue eyes drew her in, and turned her inside out. Her voice was barely audible over the sound of crashing waves. "You are the woman I want."

Sara lifted her hand up and tucked a lock of hair behind Billie's ear, sliding her fingers down to the back of her lover's neck as she leaned in close and placed a soft kiss on her bruised cheek. The blonde's lips hovered there for a single, breathless moment as she whispered, "Then show me."

"Mornin' guys." Van looked over at his boss as she breezed by, his arms still holding the basketball aloft while his partner stood nearby. He glanced over at Deaq with a look of curiosity, and the man could only shrug his shoulders in response. "Hey, sir."

Deaq walked off the court and followed Billie into her office, leaving Van alone as he tossed the ball straight into the hoop.

"Oh, man. Now that was a thing of beauty." He watched the ball bounce away and turned to catch up with his partner.

Deaq took a seat across from the lieutenant and said, "Don't you mean `good afternoon'?"

Billie glanced at her watch. "Huh.Yeah, I guess I do." She turned her attention to her computer and began to type. "So, what's going on?"

Van strolled in and perched himself on the corner of Billie's desk. "That's what we'd like to know."

The brunette tore her gaze away from the screen and looked between them. "What?"

"You took off from the hospital over six hours ago," Deaq commented. "Care to share?"

"No, I don't," she replied dismissively. "And I also don't need the two of you checking up on me, either."

"Come on, Billie," Van piped up. "She knocked out a cop and stole a car. You disappear for awhile and come back with a little swagger in your walk." He glanced over at his partner, casting him a sly grin. Deaq covertly touched his right cheek with the tip of his index finger. Van turned back to Billie. "Not to mention that little shiner you've got there." He pointed his finger at the barely concealed bruise on her cheek. "Now, why don't you tell us where you stashed her?"

The brunette eyed them coolly. "I didn't `stash' her anywhere."

"But, you know where she is, right?"

"Look, Deaq, Sara shouldn't have involved you in this." She regarded both men. "Either of you. This is my problem, okay? And I'll take care of it." She turned back to her computer, hoping they would get the message and leave.

Van moved to take the empty seat beside his partner. "You need help."

Billie sighed. "I do not need help."

"Dude," Van said to Deaq. "Don't you think she needs help?"

"I think this whole situation is getting' way outta hand," he replied, keeping his focus on their boss. It was obvious she was trying to ignore them.

"See? You need help."

"Guys!" Billie held her hand up. "I appreciate your concern, but don't you have a meeting this afternoon?"

Deaq nodded slowly. "Nothing we can't change, boss."

"Absolutely," Van agreed. "That's the great thing about bad guys, they'll always be there waiting for us."

"No," the lieutenant stated firmly. "We've been poking this guy with a stick long enough. I want to know who he's buying from, and I want to shut them down. If there's any chance you can get next to him, I want it done today." Her phone rang and Billie snatched it up, infinitely grateful to whomever was on the other end. "Chambers."

Deaq and Van exchanged a look as their boss talked on the phone. They knew better than to push too hard where Billie was concerned, but they were also worried about her recent behavior. When she got it in her mind to start playing maverick, it usually meant one thing.

"Trouble?" Van asked as she hung up the phone.

"I certainly hope so," she responded glibly as she got to her feet.

"What's up?" Deaq questioned.

Billie headed toward the door. "I called in a favor, and now I'm going to collect." She walked briskly down the stairs, slightly annoyed at the sound of additional footsteps hot on her trail.

"Hey, wait a second," Van called after her. "What about the meeting?"

She immediately halted her exit and turned around, causing both men to stop in their tracks. "I'll be back. Just find out what you can and we'll kick it around later." The brunette noted their expressions, but she didn't have time for this. Her boys would just have to take a back seat for the time being. "Look, if I need you, I'll call." She looked between them. "I promise. Okay?"

"Okay," Van answered begrudgingly.

"Billie," Deaq spoke up. "What are you up to?"

The lieutenant shot him a predatory grin. "I'm going to see a woman about a painting."

Felicia sat in her office rummaging through some documents as she balanced the phone between her chin and shoulder, waiting impatiently for the person on the other end who had already kept her holding entirely too long. There was a knock at the door and she called out irritably, "What is it?"

The warehouse foreman pushed the door open and stepped inside. "Um, Felicia, I need you out here.now."

She glared daggers at him as she grabbed a fistful of papers from atop her desk. "I am still trying to straighten out this mess, Don. I don't have time for any-"

"Maybe you'd better make some time, Mrs. Ralston," A familiar voice sounded as someone followed the foreman into the room.

Felicia felt her heart skip a beat. "Lieutenant Chambers." She rose from her chair, clearly unnerved by the young woman's arrival. "This is a surprise."

"I'm sure," Billie responded as she stepped aside and allowed another person to enter behind her. She had to resist the urge to smile as she saw the blonde visibly stiffen at the man's unexpected appearance. "Mrs. Ralston, this is Officer Walsh.with U.S. Customs."

The tall blonde dutifully extended a hand as she dropped the phone she'd been holding back into its cradle. "Well, you have impeccable timing."

The man's gaze was somewhat suspicious as he stepped forward and gave her hand a brief shake. "I'm here about some imported art works that arrived yesterday from Elliott Distributors."

Don shifted uncomfortably under the weight of his employer's stare. "This is about the shipment from Florence." He gave the woman a look of concern, which she completely ignored.

"I've been on the phone with my Custom's Broker in an attempt to straighten this out, Mr. Walsh. Unfortunately they have been less than helpful." She deliberately kept her gaze fixed on the officer, attempting to convey to Billie that she deemed her presence unimportant, although nothing could have been further from the truth. "We were unaware that the bonded warehouse released them prematurely, but when the forms were turned in to me, I noticed the proper signatures were missing." She grabbed some paperwork from her desk and handed them over to the inspector.

He scrutinized them carefully before looking up at the blonde again. "I'd like to see the items."

The blonde hesitated. "I'm afraid that's not possible. But, I'd be happy to provide you with the names and addresses of the galleries they went to-"

"You shipped them?" Walsh interrupted. "Even though you were aware that there was a problem?"

Felicia could feel Billie's eyes on her as she attempted to keep her composure. "This isn't the first time someone has forgotten to sign in the right place, Mr. Walsh."

"The bonded warehouse did not release this stuff, Mrs. Ralston," the man pointed out as he held the documents up to her. "The forms aren't signed because they haven't been cleared yet."

"As I said," The blonde's voice contained a hint of irritation. "I'll give you the information on the galleries they went to, but I think we can both agree that the likelihood of there being any problem is practically non-existent. I have no doubt that everything will have been cleared by Monday morning."

"So, that just leaves the question of what to do in the meantime?" Billie offered in her most reasonable tone. She crossed her arms and asked casually, "It's not like you were planning on selling them over the weekend, right Mrs. Ralston?"

The woman stared daggers at the lieutenant. "Several of my galleries have shows this weekend. Of course, there is always a chance that one of the paintings could-"

"I don't think so," Walsh replied.

"Excuse me?"

"I want every single one of these items shipped back here immediately."

Felicia stared at him. "You must be joking."

Walsh narrowed his eyes. "Do I look like I'm joking?" He lifted his finger and pointed it at her. "You are in direct violation of Section 592 of the Tariff Act of 1930. And not only are you looking at considerable civil penalties, but I'm also recommending a full investigation into your importing practices."

Felicia looked incensed. "I have a valid export permit from Italy, and my Custom's Broker assures me that this problem, while somewhat bothersome, is also relatively common." She pinned the shorter man with an angry look. "I have several buyers that have already expressed interest in some of those paintings. Your actions could damage my professional reputation."

"Contact the Director of Trade Relations if you're unhappy," he replied curtly. "In the meantime," Walsh turned his attention to Don. "I want to see where those items went."

The foreman glanced at his boss, who nodded briefly. "Sure. Just follow me." He passed by Billie and walked out the door with Officer Walsh close at his heels.

Felicia came around from behind her desk and walked over to the door, closing it gently as she turned to face the lieutenant. "This was your doing," she replied calmly.

"Actually, it was yours," Billie noted. "I'm just here performing my duties as a civil servant."

"Are you enjoying yourself, Lieutenant?"

The brunette could swear she saw the beginning of a smile forming on the other woman's face. "No.I'm really not. In fact, I'd say this whole situation is becoming less and less enjoyable by the minute."

"I understand Sara Matthews has disappeared." Felicia held Billie's gaze. "That certainly doesn't bode well for your case."

Billie strolled over to the desk and turned around, leaning against it as she folded her arms across her chest. "I think you should be more worried about your own troubles, right now, Felicia."

"Always concerned with my well being, aren't you.Billie?" the woman's lips turned up in a tight smile. "You don't mind if I call you Billie, do you?"

The brunette shook her head. "Considering the fact that we're fucking around with each other, I think it's completely appropriate to be on a first name basis."

Felicia chuckled, softly. "You certainly do have a way with words." She pressed her long frame against the back of the door, unconsciously mirroring the brunette's pose. "So, what now?" she sighed. "More verbal sparring? Or perhaps we could compare notes on how we both got involved with the wrong women."

Billie momentarily toyed with the idea of marching over there and knocking the taller woman flat on her ass, but she shoved that thought aside quickly. Despite the pleasure it would give her to do so, it wasn't going to solve her problem.

Unfortunately, she knew that Walsh wasn't going to do much either, except maybe piss Felicia off.and cost her a few dollars. And although she would have liked to do more, Billie had to admit that it felt good to at least see the woman thrown off balance for a few moments. For the time being, if she couldn't prove that Felicia was responsible for Sara's attack, she could still learn to enjoy the whole immediate gratification thing.

"Brooding?" Felicia queried, interrupting the lieutenant's musings. "That doesn't seem like you."

"And you know me so well, do you?"

The blonde considered the question. "I know a few things. Enough to know that we're very much alike, in some ways."

"Enlighten me," Billie challenged.

Felicia gave some careful thought before responding. By rights she should have been completely furious with the woman, given what she'd done, but in truth she found her admiration for the young lieutenant growing with each passing moment. It had been quite awhile since anyone had been able to get under her considerably thick skin, and admittedly, Billie Chambers had become quite the expert at it, in a very short period of time. For that reason alone, the young woman deserved a second look.

A lingering sense of excitement always had Felicia wishing their encounters lasted a bit longer. She could readily admit that there was something about the young cop that lit a fire within her, and it was far removed from the attraction she had initially felt for Jill.

There were definitely some similarities there, given that both women had a dangerous air about them. But, where Jill seemed angry at the world, interested only in what she could get out of it, Billie appeared to be completely at ease, confident in her abilities, and impassioned in her efforts to do good.

Of course, there was a great deal of turmoil lurking underneath that cool veneer, and shades of darkness, as well. The lieutenant hadn't walked an easy path to get where she was, and that was one of the things that made her so intriguing.

Felicia had always been drawn to people who walked the razor's edge, probably because she had a similar compulsion. Jill Kistler was one of those people. She chose to live her life outside the laws that governed most of those around her. If she wanted something, she took it, and to hell with anyone who got in her way. It was that ruthless streak that had first attracted the wealthy widow to her.

Since her arrest, however, it seemed as though everything had changed. Of course, Jill had been angry at first, fixating on the reason behind her downfall. And that thirst for revenge had been like a breath of fresh air to Felicia. It gave Jill her edge, once again, and the blonde was only too happy to stoke the fire that was burning within her.

But after walking in on Billie and Jill at the police station, something was different. Jill seemed distant, as though she were slowly becoming resigned to her fate. There was no more talk of revenge. In fact, there was no more talk of anything. Felicia had certainly thought Jill would broach the subject of Sara's attack, knowing full well she'd had something to do with it, but the young woman still hadn't even brought it up. Not once. And Felicia was becoming concerned with her increasingly passive behavior.

She knew that Jill had no intention of staying in L.A., despite Felicia's attempts to ensure her acquittal for the shooting, and at this point, she wasn't even sure she cared anymore. The heat and excitement that had made their affair so passionate from the start had been steadily declining over the last couple of days.

But now, she had stumbled upon something that was infinitely more alluring. And like the proverbial apple, the fact that Billie Chambers seemed wholly unattainable only made Felicia want her all the more.

It was one of the reasons why she enjoyed being at odds with the young woman. The attack on Sara Matthews, although a calculated move she'd made on Jill's behalf, had been an opportunity to see just how far she could push Billie. Knowing more of the young woman's past only added to her growing sense of excitement, their increasingly heated exchanges serving to give Felicia what Jill no longer could. Seeing that potent mix of danger and passion raging behind those ice blue eyes, she realized that perhaps she had pushed the brunette a bit more than she had intended. And now, to her complete delight, the brash young lieutenant was pushing back.

"Well, we're both strong-willed, intelligent." She pushed off from the door and took a step toward the brunette as she continued her assessment. "Wealthy."

Billie raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"Fearless." Another step.

The brunette shifted slightly, the sound of creaking leather punctuating the relative quiet.

"Beautiful." Felicia was now standing directly in front of Billie, her stance slightly open as she positioned her legs on either side of the brunette's, which were stretched out before her and crossed at the ankle.

Cool blue met dark brown as the blonde slowly leaned down and placed the tip of her finger under Billie's chin, tilting the young woman's head up as she moved in to capture that enticing mouth.

"Felicia." Billie could feel the woman's breath against her lips.

"Yes, Billie?" The woman's eyes were closed.

"You know what else we have in common?"

Felicia merely shook her head in response. A hand wrapped around the blonde's wrist and pulled her arm down as she opened her eyes, giving Billie her full attention.

"We both often want things we can't have."

As the lieutenant's words sank in, Felicia straightened up, her frosty demeanor sliding immediately into place as she fixed the young brunette with a steely gaze. "You think quite highly of yourself."

Billie tilted her head, slightly. "Funny, I was just thinking the same thing about you."

"I think it's time for you to leave, Lieutenant."

"And here I thought we were on a first name basis." Billie got to her feet, her stance giving the taller woman an unspoken warning and the blonde took a step back, allowing her to pass. As she grasped the doorknob, the lieutenant turned back and said, "You know I'll find out the truth about Sara's attack. And when I do, there won't be enough lawyers in the world to save you from me." With a quick tug, she pulled the door open and left the room, leaving the statuesque blonde to ponder her threatening words.

A knowing smile crossed Felicia's pale features. "Spoken like a woman in love."

Part 13

And if you want to hurt me
There's nothing left to fear.
- Annie Lennox

"That was delicious."

Sara smiled at Billie as she lifted a glass of water to her lips. "I'm glad you liked it." She studied the brunette over the rim of her glass, watching as she slumped back into her chair and closed her eyes. She looked completely and thoroughly worn out. Sara set her glass down and said, "Why don't you hop in the shower? You look like you could use it."

Billie smirked. "Thanks."

"You know what I mean," Sara scolded her. "You've been so busy I've hardly seen you." She paused for a moment and then burst into laughter. "Jesus, listen to me. I sound like an old married housewife."

The sound of Sara's laughter brought a smile to Billie's face. "Well, you certainly don't look like one." She gazed appreciatively at her dinner companion. Sitting there dressed in a plain white t-shirt and a pair of cut-off jean shorts, Sara looked every bit the California girl she was. Add to that her lack of makeup, freshly scrubbed face and gleaming blonde hair and, despite the bandage she sported on her forehead, Billie thought she looked damn near perfect.

As she got up and began to clear the table, Sara noticed Billie staring at her. "Something on your mind?"

"I like the way you look in my shorts."

"I like being in your shorts," she responded, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively before heading into the kitchen.

Since Sara had done most of the cooking, Billie decided the least she could do was help with the cleanup and got up from her seat, reaching for the serving plate that held the remains of the grilled salmon the two women had nearly demolished. As she headed into the kitchen, her eyes fell on a folder sitting on the desk in the hallway. She placed the dish on the server and walked over to it, lifting it up and flipping through its contents.

"How many times are you going to do that?"

Billie glanced up to see Sara's face poking around the corner. "Umm."

The blonde walked up to her and extended her hand. "Give it to me."

"Sara."

She snatched the packet of documents from Billie's hand and pointed toward the staircase. "Go.Shower.Now." With an exasperated sigh, the brunette reluctantly headed upstairs.

Sara's eyes followed Billie until she was out of sight, and then looked down at the item in her hand. After another quick glance to make sure her lover wasn't going to return, she opened the folder and began perusing its contents.

Judging from the layout, she guessed that Billie had compiled the dossier on Felicia Ralston through a number of different sources. There were immigration papers, medical documents, work history. everything there was to know about the woman. And given Sara's somewhat curious nature, she couldn't resist reading through it.

Born on November 10, 1962 in Rotsund, Norway, Felicia was the only child of Rolfe and Anna Karlsen. Her given name was Ilsa, although she changed it legally as an adult. Her father died in a boating accident when she was six years old. It was shortly after that when both she and her mother immigrated to the United States.

After living with relatives in Minnesota for almost a year, Anna moved them to Phoenix, Arizona, where she worked as a waitress while attending school. After receiving her degree in nursing, she and her daughter finally made the move to Culver City, California, where they lived until Ilsa was fourteen years old.

Her mother died in an auto accident, the result of an apparent heart attack while driving Ilsa to school one morning. The young girl escaped serious injury, but with the death of her only surviving parent, she became a ward of the state. Due to the fact that none of her relatives would take responsibility for her, she was passed through a series of foster homes.

Deemed somewhat of a `problem child', Ilsa moved from place to place, scarcely settling in anywhere before she quickly wore out her welcome. It was during one of these transitional phases, where she was due to be sent back to a juvenile facility, that she walked away from state custody, effectively disappearing from sight, until she re- emerged as Felicia Carlson in early 1985.

Most of the information after that point related to her rapid ascent of L.A.'s considerably wealthy social ladder, culminating in her marriage to Harry Ralston, a former Wall Street Investment Broker from Manhattan. The two met sometime in 1989, shortly after he had transplanted from New York to Bel Air, California.

During that time, Felicia had managed to make a name for herself with the opening of a small art gallery in Los Angeles, showcasing some of the best up and coming artists on the west coast. Her extraordinary business acumen soon began fueling her growing reputation as being one of the most important names in the local art community.

After she and Harry married in 1993, she opened four additional locations in California, and before long, took her name and Midas touch to New York. Her galleries in upper Manhattan now contain some of the most sought-after artists' works in the country.

Unfortunately, it seemed as though tragedy followed Felicia almost as much as Ilsa. In 1999, Harry Ralston was gunned down during a botched robbery attempt in a pharmacy near his home in Bel Air. The shooter was never caught.

Sara quickly flipped through the remaining pages before dropping the file back onto the desk. Well, Billie had certainly done her homework. It seemed like everything there was to know about Felicia was in there, right down to a list of men and women she'd been seen around town with, Jill Kistler among them.

She stared at the folder for a moment as it suddenly occurred to her that Billie probably had one of those done on her. All of Sara's experiences catalogued and archived, maybe even a few secrets, things she thought no one else knew. She didn't like to think that Billie knew everything about her, when she in turn, knew so little about Billie. Over the week, she'd been given brief glimpses here and there, but mostly, the brunette was still a complete mystery to her. And she had to admit, that was definitely part of the attraction.

But, what was it that attracted Billie to Sara? Looking beyond the physical chemistry, as phenomenal as it was, there had to be something else that drew the young woman to her. The lieutenant had put an awful lot on the line just so they could be together. She was not only risking her career. By keeping Sara's whereabouts hidden, she was risking her freedom, as well. And in light of recent events, maybe even her life.

There were some fundamental differences between them, the most obvious one being their choices in careers. It was probably oversimplifying things to say that opposites attract when, in fact, the truth might be a bit more complex.

Billie lived in a world where rules were a necessary part of her life. They kept her on the right path. They kept her sane. They kept her alive. And even though she broke them from time to time, in the end, they were the one constant thing in her life, the one thing she could always count on.

But those rules did not apply to Sara. In her mind, rules were usually something to be ignored, until they snuck up and bit you on the ass. When she wanted something, she took it. And when someone wronged her, she got even. Consequences be damned. It wasn't exactly a philosophy, rather more like a lifestyle choice.

The two women existed on different sides of the fence for most of their lives. Only the rarest of occasions found them treading on each other's territory, usually with dire results.

Sara had tried to do the right thing when she agreed to testify against Jill, but realized she couldn't go through it. So instead, she wound up assaulting a police officer and fleeing protective custody. And Billie became a drug addict. The ultimate act of rebellion against the laws she swore to uphold. And it had almost cost her everything. But, she overcame it, and it only strengthened her resolve to give the job everything she had to offer.

In pondering those two situations, Sara realized that perhaps what they both had in common was one simple truth: You could blur the lines, even flirt with the edge. But, you could never really cross over without losing sight of who you really are.

Perhaps she and Billie were merely opposite sides of the same coin. You couldn't have one without the other. You couldn't recognize the good, if you didn't know the bad. And both of them had proved that they could easily find themselves walking in the other's shoes.

So, when you got right down to it, how were they really all that different?

Sara was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of Billie coming down the stairs. She stared at the doorway, expecting to see the young woman walk through it at any second. After a brief moment, the blonde rolled her eyes and headed out to the hall.

Billie was seated at the desk, folder in hand, with a look of fierce concentration on her face. Her hair hung in damp strands, lying limp against her back and shoulders. She was dressed about as casual as Sara had ever seen her, underwear and nudity not withstanding. But, even clad in a plain black tank top and track pants, she could still manage to make Sara's pulse race.

"Feel better?" she asked from the kitchen doorway.

"Mmm," Billie responded without looking at her.

The blonde frowned at her. "Find something?"

"Mmm."

"Billie."

The brunette picked her head up and turned to look at Sara. "What?"

"See if you can string a few words together for me, okay?"

Billie cocked an eyebrow. "I'm trying to focus here, how's that?" She realized her tone was a bit sharper than she'd intended and let out a heavy sigh. "Sorry. I'm just a little tired." That was certainly an understatement.

"I know." Sara walked over and stood behind her, gathering up her wet hair and gently sliding it through her fingers. "You'll figure it out." She glanced down as Billie leaned her head over the back of the chair to look at her. "In the meantime, I have an idea." Sara was already well acquainted with the meaning behind that smile, even if it was upside down. "And get your mind out of the gutter, Chambers." She leaned down and kissed Billie on the tip of her nose before disappearing into the other room.

Billie sat there for a moment, staring at the ceiling, her mind awhirl with facts and images. She hadn't yet told Sara about what happened between her and Felicia during their last encounter, mainly because she didn't really know how to explain it. Until very recently, the woman had never treated her with anything but contempt. But, the bizarre episode in her office only served to add to Billie's mounting confusion as to what her true intentions were.

It could have been a diversionary tactic, something intended to throw Billie off her pins. It had certainly worked since now she had no clue where Felicia was coming from anymore. On the one hand, she appeared to be fiercely protective of Jill, leaving the lieutenant to assume that there was a strong romantic connection there. But, on the other hand was this spontaneous attempt at seducing her. And she was fairly positive it had been the real deal. Felicia seemed pretty pissed off at being rebuked, which told Billie that it had not been a calculated move. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed possible that perhaps the wealthy widow just got off on the whole adversarial relationship the two women now shared.

She shook her head, vigorously, as she closed the folder and tossed it on the desk. It was fair to say that she wasn't going to find her answers if she keeled over from exhaustion. She stretched her arms, languidly, and got to her feet.

Sara reappeared in the doorway, clutching a half-full bottle of wine in one hand, and two empty glasses in the other. A blanket was draped over her left shoulder. "Follow me."

"Anywhere," Billie responded as she gave the blonde a winning smile.

The two women set out along the beach, ambling slowly at the shore's edge. Billie had rolled up the legs of her pants, and was lazily kicking at the water as it rolled over the tops of her bare feet.

The sun was beginning to set and the area was all but deserted. The piece of shoreline they were on was private and that kept most people away, except for the more adventurous kids who could manage to climb down the steep bluffs with their boards to take advantage of the pristine surf. But, now that the tide was heading out, it appeared as though they were the only ones around.

They hadn't wandered very far from the house before Sara stopped and said, "How about here?"

The brunette glanced over at the blonde as she set the wine and glasses down in the sand. She opened up the blanket and laid it out on the ground, dropping down on to one side of it as she reached over and grabbed the bottle. After she poured them each a glass, she held one out to Billie, who was still standing ankle deep in the water a few feet away.

Billie couldn't help but stare as the sun's waning rays shined on Sara's beautiful face. The soft orange glow caught the clear liquid she held before her, and as she slowly swirled it with her hand, glints of light danced within the glass, reflecting in her blue eyes like tiny sparks of fire.

The brunette stood, unmoving, feeling her heart swelling within her chest. The ache was almost painful, making her realize how long it had been since she'd felt anything so strong, so intense.and so good. Her feet were moving before she even realized it, a hand lifting up as she took the glass from Sara's fingers. "Thanks."

"Sit," Sara ordered as she patted the empty space next to her. Billie did as instructed, taking a seat next to the blonde and holding her glass up in a toast. "What should we drink to?" the blonde asked as she held her own glass aloft and gave her companion a curious look.

Billie held the young woman's gaze. "To us, Sara." The tone of her voice grew softer as she leaned in close. "No more running away." She tapped their glasses together and lifted it to her lips as she drank slowly, all the while keeping her eyes on the blonde.

Sara took a small sip and set her glass down, before reaching for Billie's and doing the same. She shifted onto her side and leaned back on her elbow as she fixed the brunette with a seductive look. She bit her bottom lip and crooked her finger, gesturing for Billie to move in closer. And as her lover willingly gave in, Sara wrapped her arm around the young woman and pulled her down into a long, slow kiss.

"Isn't it romantic?"

Jill pulled the binoculars away from her eyes as she glared at the woman beside her. "So, this is why you got me all the way out here?"

"You were concerned about your friend, so I just wanted to put your mind at ease." Felicia leaned her hip against the railing of the deck and smiled. She'd had to do some considerable arm-twisting to get a house located on the same stretch of beach as Billie's, and even though it was a good distance away, the view was perfect. A few well- placed phone calls later, and everything was progressing just as she'd hoped.

After their confrontation in her office, Felicia had a strong suspicion that Billie knew of Sara's whereabouts. She knew the lieutenant had brought her somewhere on the day of Jill's arraignment, but up to now, she'd been unable to determine exactly where. Billie wasn't even staying in her own home, which meant there had to be a place she would feel comfortable in, some private hideaway where she could keep Sara safe.

While searching through the young woman's background, Felicia found only a handful of people with whom Billie seemed to have a very close relationship. That helped to narrow down the amount of places she may have sought refuge, and it was only a matter of time before she discovered that Billie had recently purchased a house in Malibu.

The details of the sale were difficult to obtain. It seemed that Billie Chambers knew someone of powerful influence. But, Felicia was nothing if not persistent, and it was through her inquiries about Alexa Tan that finally yielded some information about the exact location.

She was a bit surprised by the lieutenant's overtly sentimental reaction to the young woman's death. Buying the house purely on the basis that a close friend had been the previous owner seemed a bit extreme, even if she could afford it. But, Felicia decided it was just another one of those complexities about Billie that she'd come to enjoy. And there was the added bonus of knowing how much the house meant to her, which was the reason she brought Jill here in the first place.

"You're a real humanitarian."

"It appears as though Sara is doing quite well, wouldn't you say?"

"I'm not in the mood for your fucking games, Felicia." Jill couldn't hide her anger over this latest development, nor could she hide the fact that it was hurting her to witness it. When Felicia suggested they spend some time at the beach, this was not at all what she had been expecting. But, as usual, her lover had an ulterior motive, and she chided herself for allowing the other woman to blindside her.

After being questioned by the police about Sara's disappearance from the hospital, Jill was so concerned that she'd actually toyed with the idea of phoning Billie Chambers. Given what she was seeing now, though, the joke would have been on her.

"Aren't you the least bit annoyed that she's chosen Billie over you?"

"I already told you-"

"Yes, yes," the blonde stated impatiently as she snatched the binoculars from Jill's hand. "You and Sara aren't involved. I do realize that. But, aren't you the least bit upset that she hasn't even attempted to contact you?"

"It's not her fault," the brunette replied, defensively. "She's being manipulated."

Felicia resumed her surveillance. "Mmm, I can see that."

"What are you up to?" Jill questioned as she pulled the woman's hands down.

"I'm trying to help you, Jill." She reached over and placed her hand, gently, on the young woman's arm. "When you came to me for help, I didn't turn you away, did I? And when you wanted revenge, I agreed to help you make that happen. I'm doing this because I care about you, Jill, and because I want you to know the truth."

The blonde's face was grim as she handed the binoculars back to the other woman. "Just look at them. Go on. Look at Sara in the arms of that woman." She watched as Jill's features twisted into an angry sneer. The young woman's rage was almost palpable, and Felicia smiled inwardly. This was the part of Jill that excited her. It was the reason she'd pursued her. She was like a tightly coiled snake, just waiting to strike out at someone. "While Billie tries to put you in prison, she also manages to seduce your best friend. She's a very busy young woman, wouldn't you say?"

Jill remained frozen to the spot, unable to stop herself as she continued to watch Sara. She caught a brief glimpse of the blonde's face, although still a good distance away, but it was enough to know that she was enjoying herself.

Fuck.

How could Sara do this? How could she go back to Billie after what she'd done? And not so much as a single fucking phone call to the one person she'd always been able to trust. The one person who'd always looked out for her. The one person who cared for her more than anyone else.

Goddamn that Billie Chambers.

She was just using Sara, but her friend was too blind to see it. She always was. From the very beginning, Jill knew they should never have trusted Billie. But, as always, Sara leapt before she looked, and the whole goddamn thing blew up in both their faces. And now, to top it all off, there was Sara, right back where she started.

Unfuckingbelievable.

"I thought you wanted revenge?"

Jill dropped her hands and spun her head around, surprised that the other woman had managed to sidle up without her realizing it. Her arms remained by her side as she turned her gaze back toward the coastline far below. "I did."

Felicia moved to stand behind Jill and slipped her arms around the younger woman's waist, pleased when she felt that strong, lithe body lean back against her. Her lips were poised at Jill's ear as she whispered softly, "Do you still?"

Jill hesitated before answering. "I don't know."

The blonde slipped her hands under the woman's arms, coaxing them up slowly. "Then look again."

Jill set her sights on the young women, watching with undisguised envy as they moved against each other, oblivious to their audience. When Sara began to cover the brunette's body with soft, warm kisses, Jill closed her eyes. At that moment, she wanted to kill Billie Chambers.

And she would have given anything to be her.

"I don't want Sara to get hurt."

Felicia smiled. "There are other ways to get to Billie. You just have to understand what's important to her." She slipped a hand into her pocket and removed her cell phone, pressing a button as she brought it to her ear.

Jill looked back at her. "What are you doing?"

The blonde smiled wickedly as she used her free hand to coax the young woman's head back to face the magnificent sunset. "Remember, I promised you a spectacular view." She slipped the binoculars from Jill's hand and brought them up to her face as she spoke into the phone. "Do it now."

Sara sat up on her elbows and grinned. "I was right about this place."

"What?"

"Everything is better."

Billie laughed as she got to her feet, extending a hand to the young woman. With a quick tug, the two of them were once again face-to- face. The brunette placed a gentle kiss on Sara's lips as she slipped her arms around the blonde's narrow waist. "You know, there was always a part of me that really didn't like this place." She cast a glance out over the water. "Even though Alexa loved it here, it held some bad memories for me." When she turned back, Sara was looking at her with a saddened expression.

Billie touched her forehead to her lover's and smiled. "But, I think that's about to change," she continued, suddenly emboldened by the feel of Sara's hands as they reached up to touch her face. "Now, it'll be the place where I was finally able to tell you that I think I'm falling in lo-"

The explosion erupted with such force that it knocked both women to the ground. Billie instinctively covered Sara with her body as she picked her head up, staring in shock at the ball of fire as it climbed higher into the dimly lit sky. She scrambled to her feet and was already running before Sara even had a chance to speak. The blonde sat up, watching the scene with disbelieving eyes.

The beach house, or rather what was left of it, was completely engulfed in flames. A heavy plume of thick, black smoke billowed skyward, while pieces of charred debris rained down on the beach below.

Sara immediately started after Billie as she realized she was running directly toward it. "Billie!!" She screamed out her lover's name as she tried desperately to catch up with her.

As Billie approached the rapidly growing inferno, a large chunk of flaming wood hit the ground beside her, and she had to throw herself to the sand to avoid the hot cinders as they sprayed the air around her. Her hands curled into the dirt as she slowly got to her knees and lifted her face to the horrible scene. The smoke and fire stung her eyes as hot tears began to course down her cheeks. She was about to get back up when a pair of strong hands suddenly landed on her shoulders.

Sara dropped to the sand beside the young woman, her labored breath coming in great gasps. "Are you alright?" Her hands and eyes quickly scanned her lover's body for any sign of injury, grateful that she appeared to be relatively unscathed. When the lieutenant failed to respond, Sara reached over and turned her face toward her. "Billie?" The look in those bottomless blue eyes nearly broke Sara's heart.

Sara cupped Billie's face, using her thumbs to wipe the soot and tears from the young woman's reddened cheeks. "God, I'm so sorry." And she was. She knew how much the house meant to Billie, despite the often difficult emotions it invoked. It had belonged to someone she'd loved dearly. And Sara's gut instincts were screaming at her that someone else had just seen fit to destroy it.

The brunette suddenly got to her feet, and Sara could see by the look on her face that they were thinking the same thing. The lieutenant muttered something under her breath. When she felt Sara reach for her, she pulled back, putting her hands up as if warding the young woman off. "Don't."

"We don't know."

"The hell we don't!" Billie began moving about like a caged animal. She needed to lash out at someone, to rage at the cruelty and injustice of it all. It wasn't enough that Alexa was taken far too soon, and in such a vicious, brutal way. But now, the only thing Billie had left of her had just been taken, as well.

Sara stood up and took a tentative step toward the young woman. "We should get away from here, Billie. There might be another explosion. It's not safe."

"Not safe?" Billie shouted as her hands curled into tight fists at her side. "You're goddamn right it's not safe!" She looked back at the remnants of the house, lifting a hand up as she pointed at it. "She blew up my fucking house, Sara! What the fuck is going on here?!!"

Sara took a deep breath and reached out again, thankful this time that Billie didn't pull away from her. She slowly closed the small distance between them, and began speaking in soft, soothing tones in an attempt to calm her lover, who was still shifting back and forth as though she might bolt at any minute.

Billie needed to do something. She couldn't bear to watch the scene before her for another minute. Warm arms suddenly wrapped around her, and she felt Sara's body against her own. She shook her head as the embrace tightened, almost as if she were trying to deny the comfort it gave her.

Slowly, Sara coaxed Billie toward the shore and away from the fire. She kept a firm hold on the young woman, still not convinced that she wouldn't try to run back. When they were far enough away, she reached her hand up and cupped Billie's cheek. "We have to get help."

Billie pulled away from Sara and nodded. "Right." She took a deep breath and looked around for a moment, using the opportunity to compose herself as her eyes fell on the nearest house. "There. Go call the fire department, even though I'm sure they're already on their way." With a quick glance over her shoulder she commented wearily, "It's not like half the goddamn county doesn't know what happened."

"What about you?" Sara didn't want to split up, not when Billie was this upset.

The lieutenant removed a cell phone from her pants pocket. "It's time for me to call in some help on this." And it was time to let the personal stuff go, for now. She needed some professional detachment. If she could keep her head screwed on straight for a while, it would serve her better later.

Then, the fucking shit would hit the fan.

"Oh my God."

Felicia put the binoculars on the table beside her before wrapping both her arms around Jill. She placed a soft kiss along the contour of her neck. "You like?"

Jill pulled out of the blonde's embrace and turned to face her. "I can't believe you did that." She gripped Felicia by her upper arms, giving her a firm shake. "Are you fucking crazy?"

"Only crazy for you," Felicia replied with a broad smile.

The brunette stared at her in shock. She knew her lover could be ruthless, even cruel at times. The attack she'd engineered on Sara was proof of that, although she continued to deny that she'd intended it to go that far. But this.this was beyond anything Jill could have imagined.

"I guarantee you Billie Chambers is hurting right now," the blonde said smugly. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

"She'll know who was responsible!" Jill shouted at her.

"Well, of course she will," Felicia responded matter-of- factly. "Otherwise, what would be the point?"

"The point, Felicia," She tightened her grip as she pressed her face in closer. ".is that you could have killed someone."

Felicia's tone was frosty. "Don't tell me we're back to your precious Sara again."

"No." Jill shook her head as she let go of the blonde and took a step back. "This has nothing to do with Sara." She threw her arms up in a gesture of frustration. "When I said I wanted revenge, I was thinking more along the line of a few broken bones, which I would have preferred to do myself, by the way. Instead," Jill pointed her arm toward the brightened sky beyond them. "You decide to blow up fucking Malibu beach."

"It was only one house."

The brunette's mouth hung open for a moment as she stared at Felicia in disbelief. The two women stood in complete silence for several minutes, until Jill was finally able to find her voice again. "She'll come after us, you know."

Felicia smiled malevolently. "That's what I'm counting on."

Part 14

WARNING: This chapter contains a rather explicit scene of non-consensual sex...sort of. So, consider yourself forewarned.

I got a girlfriend that's better than that
Now everyone's getting involved
She's moving up going right through my heart
We might not ever get caught
- David Byrne

"You called it. Car bomb."

Billie walked by Van as he sat on the corner of the low filing cabinet. The small area they were in was adjacent to the Candy Store's evidence room, barely more than a single aisle between the wall and a row of cabinets, both tall and short. As she continued to work, his eyes followed her back and forth, reminding him of what it was like to watch a tennis match.

"They get a VIN?"

The young cop nodded. "Some landscaper in Encino reported his truck stolen two days ago."

"Nothing to connect him, right?"

"Not so far." Back and forth, back and forth. "What are you doing?"

"I have to turn my old case files over to IA." She grabbed another stack of folders and dropped them into an empty box at Van's feet.

He looked around at the multitude of boxes she'd already filled. "Don't you have some of this on disk?"

"Yup." She threw down another handful.

Van waited for more of a response. He should have known better. "So?"

Billie stopped and pinned him with a sharp look. "So, if Hill wants to play Dick Tracy, emphasis on Dick, he can do it the good ol' fashioned way. I'm certainly not going to make it easy for him."

"What the fuck is with this guy?" he questioned. "Your place gets torched, and he's bustin' your balls?"

"You have met Hill, right?" She reached down and picked up the box resting at his feet. Without another word she walked out of the room. Van immediately got up to follow her. "Don't come out empty-handed," she called back over her shoulder.

After several trips, the boxes were all sitting in a neat pile in Billie's office. She dropped to the chair behind her desk and picked up the phone. Van was about to take a seat across from her when she said, "I need some privacy."

"I thought we were all on the same page here," he immediately protested.

"We are," she informed him. "But, that doesn't mean you get to eavesdrop on all of my phone calls. And aren't you supposed to get back to that guy at the lab?"

"I told him I'd stop by to eyeball what he had." He leaned back in the chair, adjusting himself to a more comfortable position.

Billie stared at him. "The day isn't getting any younger."

Van sighed, heavily. "Right." He stood up and headed for the door, giving his boss a final look as he started to leave.

"Hey, Van, " the lieutenant called to him.

He leaned back inside her office door. "Yeah?"

Billie took a deep breath and said, "I know I haven't said it, but... thanks...for everything."

Van lifted his eyebrows at her. Billie saying thank you was about as common an occurrence as a total eclipse. He was about to say as much, but then decided against it. She'd had a tough night, and one of his insightful, albeit sometimes annoying comments probably wouldn't go over very well. "Ahh.no problem."

Billie watched Van leave and then picked up the phone. She stared at the receiver for a few seconds before dropping it back into its cradle and taking out her cell phone. For better or worse, paranoia was fast becoming her constant companion.

After a couple of rings, a voice answered. "Hi."

The corner of Billie's mouth turned up, slightly. "Hi yourself."

"How are you?"

"I'm hanging in. You settled?"

"Yeah." Sara laughed softly. "Your friend Aquarius is quite a character."

Billie could tell from the young woman's tone that said man was in the room with her. "Yes, he is," she agreed. "More importantly, we can trust him."

"I still wish you'd come by."

"I know." The lieutenant's well-worn gaze suddenly fixed on the top of her desk as she began to fidget with a pen. "But, it's not safe. for either of us."

"How'd it go with your boss?"

For a moment, Billie considered telling her the truth. Things hadn't gone well, at all. Parish was a good man, but even his protection had its limits. And if Hill had his way, she'd be out of a job by weeks end. "Alright," she lied.

"So, what are they gonna do about Felicia?"

"She and her lawyer are coming in for a little bull session. I'll be heading downtown in a while."

"I thought they told you to back off?"

Billie suddenly threw the pen across the room in a gesture of frustration. "I'll just be there to observe." Which absolutely sucked, but at least Hill couldn't stop her from doing that much.

"I'd really like to get my hands on that bitch."

The lieutenant could envision the blonde's expression at that moment, right down to the firm set of her jaw and the dangerous narrowing of those intense, blue eyes. Sara's impulsive nature was one of the reasons the lieutenant wanted her to stay away. Billie knew she was already way over the line here. If Sara's whereabouts were discovered, the two women could easily wind up sharing a nice, comfy jail cell together. And as it was, she was already feeling way too vulnerable.

Billie had always been an intensely private person, but the job had made her even more secretive about her life outside of it. Having someone digging around in her business was tough to take, and although she'd recently become somewhat accustomed to the jack-offs at Internal Affairs poking around, at least they were usually more interested in her cases, and not her personal relationships. The situation she found herself in the middle of now, however, was completely different.

Felicia Ralston was systematically picking through the most intimate details of Billie's life, with the sole intent of using that knowledge against her. And unfortunately, there was plenty of ammunition. Her life was littered with secrets. Most of them pertained to her job, but when you worked undercover, the lines you drew for yourself would inevitably bleed into each other. And in her case, some of that history was extremely damning.

One of Billie's greatest assets as an undercover detective had always been her innate ability to see trouble coming before it saw her. But, her initial assessment of the woman had been completely off base, and not for the first time since everything started, she reprimanded herself for allowing someone to sneak in under her radar. Felicia was far more than she appeared to be, and she wasn't using her money and power simply to throw her weight around, as so many of L.A.'s self- important elite often did. No, this was a vendetta of a far more personal nature.

The woman was textbook crazy, no doubt about that, but she was also extremely intelligent, and that dangerous combination was now being pointed in Billie's direction. She'd underestimated Felicia's resolve, and it had cost her big. Now, she was rethinking her plan of attack. Funny how having your house blown into a million pieces right in front of you could completely change your perspective.

It was doubtful the woman had murder in mind, but it could just as easily have come to that, and somehow, she didn't think Felicia would have lost any sleep over it. She'd arranged Sara's attack, and by a member of the LAPD, no less. Even Jill Kistler had been convinced of that fact.

But, there was still the matter of Cathy McKenzie's shooting. The lieutenant was fairly convinced that someone other than Felicia had pulled the trigger. She'd briefly entertained the idea of Jill being the shooter, perhaps as some kind of retribution for Sara's attack, but she quickly pushed that thought aside.

The more likely scenario was that Felicia had a contact on the inside. Someone with access to cops, but most likely not a cop themselves. Cathy had been very unhappy with the department's handling of her brother's murder, had told Billie as much at his funeral. Whoever approached her knew that, and exploited it. She would never have sold out for another cop. No way.

So, who was Cathy's murderer?

It was the one question Billie had absolutely no answer for, and that was the main reason she wanted to keep Sara away from everything. There was a killer out there, and she'd already been a target once before.actually twice, if you included the bombing last night, although Billie was damn sure that message had been intended for her alone.

"I want you to stay out of sight," she told Sara, firmly. "And leave this to me." There was a heavy sigh at the other end. "You got that?"

"Got it." There was a brief pause, and then, "If you need me-"

"I know where to find you," Billie finished for her. She got up from her desk and slowly walked the length of her office, one hand coming to rest on the stack of boxes near the door. "Stay out of trouble."

"Coming from you that's almost funny."

"I'll call you later."

"Billie, wait a sec."

"What?"

There was a brief pause. "At the beach yesterday, before.you know, before the explosion."

Billie closed her eyes. Shit. Not now. She couldn't do this now. Choosing to tell Sara how she felt had been a mistake. Her lover could easily wind up having to serve time, and since it was doubtful she'd want to, there would only be one option left when this was all over: Sara would have to run. Billie wouldn't stop her, but she certainly wasn't going to go with her. So, what kind of relationship could they possibly have? The answer was simple: none.

What the hell had she been thinking anyway? Actually, that was precisely the problem. She hadn't been thinking.at all. Spending time with Sara, away from everything, had colored her perspective. It was easy to dream about the future when the present seemed so far away. Maybe she could just say she'd been caught up in the whole atmosphere. Blame it on the wine. Or the sun. Or the water. Or those amazing blue eyes.

Or her own propensity to want what she shouldn't have.

It was a bad habit. And if there was one thing Wilhemina Chambers knew a lot about it was how to kick a bad habit. She'd done it before. And though it seemed callous to think of Sara that way, it was the only analogy that worked for her.

Their relationship had been ill-fated from the start. Billie had known that going in, but kept trying to ignore what was staring her right in the face.

She couldn't be with Sara. And she sure as hell couldn't love her.

"We'll talk later," Billie finally responded coolly. "I need to get going." She pushed a button, abruptly ending the call.

"Lieutenant Chambers needs to be brought in line."

Captain Robert Parish stared at the younger man across from him. In all his years on the job, he thought he'd seen just about every kind of cop there was. Good, bad, green and mean. Some were too righteous. Many were too ambitious. But, he couldn't seem to pigeonhole the Director of Internal Affairs. Roland Hill was definitely an enigma.

"I believe that's my call."

"Then, I suggest you answer it, Captain," Hill responded with his trademark sarcasm. "She's become a liability that this city's beleaguered force can no longer afford."

Parish met the man's steady gaze. "You seem to forget, Hill. We take care of our own."

"Not at the expense of our credibility."

"Someone has a serious ax to grind here. I think we can agree that she needs whatever resources we have to offer."

"Billie Chambers went looking for trouble, Captain. And I'd say she found it. Now, I'm not suggesting we toss her in a boat without a paddle, but I do think we need to do some serious damage control."

"Meaning?"

"She needs to be removed from active duty."

Parish leaned back in his chair, slowly rubbing the palm of his hand against his face. "I don't agree."

Hill's expression was placid. "I'm shocked to hear that."

"Look, Hill." The Captain picked up a folder from his desk and tossed it toward the younger man. "I agree that this situation has become extremely serious, but I think you've made a bad call here. The lieutenant was doing her job, that's all."

Roland ignored the proffered file. "Did you know that the person who reported the explosion to the fire department was a young woman who happened to show up on a neighbor's doorstep to use the phone? That this same woman somehow managed to disappear from the scene before talking to police? And that her description was consistent with that of Sara Matthews, who is currently wanted by the LAPD for assaulting a police officer?"

"It could have been someone who just happened to be walking by."

"And it could have been Cheryl Tiegs," Hill shot back. "But, I don't think it was. Let's review the facts for a moment. Sara Matthews was arrested for armed robbery and attempted murder. She flipped, giving up her partner-in-crime. Lieutenant Chambers then decides to personally provide her with protection until the trial. Someone, and we only have Billie's word that Sara Matthews identified Officer McKenzie as her attacker, manages to get to her, and proceeds to put her in the hospital. Once again, under the ever-watchful eye of Lieutenant Chambers, Sara Matthews flees protective custody by attacking a police officer that the Lieutenant put in place to guard her. That worked out very well, I might add. Then, the lieutenant's house gets car bombed by some heretofore-unknown party. At least two people at the scene place a young woman there fitting Sara Matthew's description. I see a pattern here, Captain. And I feel a need to knit some socks."

Parish slowly drummed his fingers on the desk. "Firstly, the two witnesses you're referring to only described the woman as a `pretty blonde'. I have news for you, Hill. The state of California is the blonde capital of the world. Secondly, if Sara Matthews was indeed attacked by a police officer, it's not so surprising that she may have felt unsafe being in protective custody."

"Unfortunately, due to the untimely death of Officer McKenzie, we'll probably never know the truth about that," Hill added. "But, based on Sara Matthews' performance so far, I'm a bit skeptical as to the validity of her statement."

"And that brings us to another mystery." Hill continued as he finally picked up the folder from Parish's desk. "Officer Oliver Mason calls Billie to inform her that her records have been compromised. But, does either of them immediately report this? No. Instead, she coerces Officer Mason into keeping it under wraps, and lo and behold, he ends up dead."

"She didn't coerce him," the captain quickly countered. "She wanted to keep a tight lid on it while she checked out a possible suspect."

"A suspect she did not identify until after both officers were found dead. I'm thinking convenient scapegoat."

"Mason was found dead in McKenzie's apartment. I'd say that makes her more than a scapegoat."

"I agree. It makes her another dead cop."

"Which brings us back to the `heretofore-unknown party'."

"And the one and only Felicia Ralston." Hill glanced down at the paperwork in front of him and quickly closed the file. "Lieutenant Chambers is under the impression that this woman is some kind of a homicidal maniac who goes around killing cops and blowing up houses in her spare time."

"She's involved with Kistler. And whoever engineered the bomb was heavily bankrolled."

"So, she has lousy taste in women and she's rich. I'm sorry if I don't readily jump to the same conclusion as Lieutenant Chambers. I prefer to get down and dirty. The only thing that will convince me of her duplicity in Billie's latest dog and pony show is rock.solid. proof."

Parish studied the man for a moment. "Why are you so intent on derailing her career?"

"Officers like Billie Chambers operate by a set of rules that only they understand. The rest of us are sitting on the sidelines while they run rampant with a kick asses and take names policy that they justify by saying `I give my all for the job'. They believe they know best. I believe that makes them dangerous." He stood up and tucked the folder under his arm. "And just for the record, I've already made my recommendation to the Deputy Chief. This visit was strictly a courtesy."

"Don't you mean a formality?"

"That would imply that I was required to come here." Hill turned and headed for the door.

The captain eyed Roland Hill with disdain. The man didn't have a clue what it took to go after the kind of people Billie had spent most of her career pursuing, and he knew even less about the cost. It was true that working deep cover operations required a different set of rules. But, when your life became a series of careful moves and endless lies, it was all too easy to become caught up in a dark fantasy of your own creation. And in Billie's case, he had witnessed that first hand.

She had been the kind of cop who lived and breathed for one purpose: The takedown. She went in, she called the shots. There was no front office to account to when she was on the street, only her instincts and her experience. Opportunities, informants, backroom deals, and human carnage guided the life she led. It was a life that very few could live for long and still manage to somehow come out of it with their souls intact. Despite the hell she went through, Billie found her way back. She was one of the lucky ones.

Parish' soft baritone broke the silence. "She does give her all."

Hill turned around to face him, a serious look on his otherwise normally smug face. "That is precisely what worries me."

The interior of the Candy Store was completely quiet, save for the soft hum of Billie's notebook, which lay on the table in front of her. After spending nearly an hour sifting through case files, she'd been unable to keep her eyes open any longer and stretched out on the sofa, falling asleep almost instantly.

Her eyes began to roll around under her lids. A sudden intake of breath coincided with a furrowed brow as she began to twist and turn, caught in the grip of her own subconscious.

Billie opened her eyes, but the surrounding darkness was unfamiliar. As she tried to move, she realized that her arms were tied to something above her head.possibly a pipe, judging from the dim shape she could discern as she turned her gaze upward. The thick rope was coiled tightly around her wrists, effectively immobilizing her arms as they stretched painfully overhead. In spite of the warm, humid air, a cool shiver made its way up her naked body.

"Billie."

A soft, feminine voice whispered from behind and she turned her head around to look, but the woman remained hidden in the shadows. She felt a hand slide across her taut stomach and pulled back instinctively, but she couldn't manage to break the contact. The feel of sharp nails scoring her bare skin was enough to spur her into action as she began to pull, desperately, at her bonds.

"You can't get away, Billie."

Something like a soft whimper escaped the lieutenant's throat as she continued to struggle. The delicate touch continued, and as she began to thrash about in earnest, a flash of something teased the corner of her vision.

Blonde hair.

"What the hell do you want from me?" Billie shouted, trying to mask her growing fear with anger.

"You know what I want." The woman's tone was sultry and thick with arousal.

Another hand touched her back, moving with agonizing slowness as it coursed its way around her upper body, dexterous fingers seeking out her left breast as Billie sucked in a harsh breath.

"You should have stayed away from me, Billie." There was a hint of anger there.and a promise of retribution.

"I...I was...just doing...my job," Billie rasped as the woman's hand began its manipulations. The ache in her arms was nearly forgotten as her body slowly responded to her captor's constant attention.

"Jill and I would have been happy if you hadn't interfered." The statement sounded like an accusation.

"She...she shot someone," Billie's words were coming out faster as her breathing became increasingly labored. "I had to." Her voice broke off as she felt the hand on her stomach begin to journey further down. "Oh...God...don't...don't."

"You know you want me to."

Billie shook her head, frantically. "No!" Gentle fingers reached the apex of her legs, slowly stroking the soft, dark curls before slipping inside of her.

"Isn't this why you really came after me?" The woman's hands began to work in tandem, gradually increasing their rhythm as they moved in time with the brunette's involuntary thrusts. A pair of lips pressed against her neck, and Billie closed her eyes.

"Don't."

"Don't what, Billie?" The hands continued their onslaught as a warm body pressed up against her from behind. The brunette could feel her heart pounding as she fought for breath.

"Don't make me."

Teeth bit down on her earlobe, causing Billie to moan. She could feel the touch of lips and tongue along the slender contour of her throat. The pressure was beginning to build, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get away from those hands.

How could she want this? It was wrong, and she knew it. But, right down to her very core, her mind and body were enslaved by the physical and emotional sensations the woman was creating inside of her. And though she tried her best to deny it, the beautiful face that finally revealed itself to her could see the truth. A pair of pale blue eyes gazed longingly into that face as shallow, ragged breaths blew across her lips.

"Don't make you what?"

Billie could feel the beginning of her climax, and she pushed herself against the woman's devilishly talented hands. She tilted her head back and let out a soft cry as warm, salty tears ran down the sides of her heated face. Her body stiffened, reaching for release as she forced herself to utter a final, desperate plea.

"Don't make me...love you...Sara."

"Billie, wake up."

The brunette's eyes flew open as her body jerked, involuntarily. Her hand gripped the side of the couch and she sat up like a shot, pushing away the hand on her shoulder. After looking around for a moment, she slowly began to realize where she was.

It was just a dream.

Of course, her body was taking a bit longer to come to the same conclusion. She could feel the heat emanating from every pore as she wiped a hand across her forehead, pushing back strands of sweat- soaked hair. Her hardened nipples strained against the thin material of her shirt and she folded her arms across her chest in a self- conscious gesture.

"Damn," he remarked as he took in her somewhat tousled appearance. In spite of her effort to hide it, Deaq had no trouble surmising her current physical state. "That must have been some dream. You need some water, or something?"

"I need a fucking shrink," she mumbled.

"Come again?"

Billie shook her head. "Nothing." She looked over at Deaq as he sat down on the edge of the coffee table in front of her. "Sara's all set?"

Speaking of wet dreams, he thought, but didn't say. "Yeah. The A man's taken a shine to her already." He sat there watching her for a moment before asking, "You okay?"

She nodded slowly and glanced at her watch. "Oh shit." She immediately jumped to her feet and headed for the stairs.

"What's up?" Deaq called after her.

"I have to get downtown." She pulled at the collar of her shirt, a look of distaste forming on her face as she felt it clinging to her sweaty body. "And I need to grab a quick shower."

Deaq's dark eyes followed Billie until she disappeared. "Better make it a cold one, Boss."

Sara sat on the floor with the cell phone clutched tightly in her hand. She couldn't stand this. Being benched was not her idea of a good time. Billie was out there taking care of business, and she was stuck here sitting on her ass.

She replayed their last phone conversation over in her head. It hadn't been very encouraging. Yesterday, it seemed as though they were moving forward. Now, everything had changed.

She could sense it from the moment they'd said their goodbyes in Malibu. Billie had been cool and distant, and Sara had tried to chalk it up to the situation. Losing the house had been very difficult on her. Besides the emotional impact, there were also a great many personal mementos that had been destroyed, as well. Even though Sara never really had much of an attachment to anything, she could still empathize with Billie's pain. Unfortunately, at the time, it seemed as though that was all she could do.

But now, she realized that wasn't entirely true.

She looked down at the phone in her hand again. After a moment's consideration, she began to dial. There were several rings, and finally a voice answered.

"Hello?"

"It's me."

"Sara?"

"I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't be calling, but I didn't like the way we left things."

"Me either."

"I need to see you."

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea."

"Look, I know we're not supposed to, but it's important."

"Where?"

"The place we first met."

"Okay. I need some time, though. Say...four o'clock?"

"Works for me."

"See you then, Sara."

"Bye, Jill."

Part 15

Like any hot-blooded woman
I have simply wanted an object to crave
- Alanis Morissette

Billie stood in front of the window, her blue eyes fixed on the scene taking place on the other side. She'd been in the same spot for nearly twenty minutes, her posture rigid and tense. More than anything, she wanted to be in there right now.

Felicia and her lawyer were sitting in the interrogation room. They were spending most of their time in silence, only occasionally putting their heads together and speaking in whispered tones. Despite the speaker being on, Billie couldn't hear what they were saying, but she thought it likely they were just discussing strategy.

The blonde's demeanor was cool and calm as she crossed one long leg over the other, revealing a moderate slice of creamy, white thigh under the rather form fitting black and white Prada dress she wore. The woman's attire gave one the impression she was attending a cocktail party, rather than coming in for police questioning.

Her lawyer glanced at his watch for the fifth time in about as many minutes, a look of annoyance flashing across his face. He spoke to the blonde briefly before getting up and exiting the room, obviously in search of someone in charge.

As Billie continued to watch, Felicia reached into her purse and removed something, keeping it clutched, tightly, in her hand. She rose from her seat and walked purposefully toward the mirror, coming to a stop almost directly in front of the young lieutenant.

The mirror was preventing Felicia from seeing anything but her own reflection, but as she stared into her own eyes, Billie could swear the woman was looking right at her. There was something in that dark gaze that felt as though it would burn right through her, and Billie felt a slight shiver run up her spine.

Felicia leaned in close and brought a thin lipstick to her mouth, slightly parting her lips as she applied it in slow, methodical strokes. She rubbed her lips together in a lazy, seductive manner, giving them a moist, thorough application. When she finished, she placed a gentle kiss on the mirror, leaving behind a set of blood red lips.

Billie stared at the mark as the tall blonde returned to her seat. Obviously, the bizarre display had been for her benefit, but what she couldn't decide was if it was a gesture of arrogance, or an invitation. Knowing what she did about the woman, it was probably both.

After a few quiet minutes, Felicia's lawyer finally returned, followed close behind by Captain Parish. Billie lifted a brow in surprise. When he told her he wanted her to remain an observer, she assumed another detective would do the interview. It never occurred to her that he would do it himself. It wasn't customary for someone of Robert's rank to do a routine round of questioning, although the brunette considered this particular situation anything but routine. She listened as the trio exchanged a brief greeting before Parish jumped right in with his inquiry.

"I appreciate you coming in today, Mrs. Ralston."

The blonde's smile was not entirely unfriendly. "Of course, Captain. I would like to set the record straight, as you police people are so fond of saying."

"Well, then," Parish continued smoothly. "Why don't we get right to it?" He opened a folder sitting on the table in front of him. "Can you tell me your whereabouts-"

"Shouldn't we wait for everyone to join us?" Felicia interrupted.

Parish glanced up from his file. "I'm the only one doing this interview, Mrs. Ralston."

The blonde's expression registered surprise. "I assumed Lieutenant Chambers would be present."

"The Lieutenant had other matters to occupy her," the captain informed her. "As I happen to be familiar with this case, I'm conducting the interview in her absence."

Felicia's eyes quickly glanced at the mirror. "I see." Her tone changed instantly. "I think my lawyer can speak for me."

"This is an informal discussion," Parish assured her. "There are no charges being filed at this time." He paused for effect. "It serves you better to be cooperative, Mrs. Ralston. I'm sure we can put this matter to rest if you would just answer a few simple questions."

"I don't feel the need to be cooperative, Captain," Felicia responded irritably. "In fact, I don't feel the need to even be here." She immediately stood up from her chair. "I believe, as this is an informal discussion, that I am free to end it whenever I choose."

Parish looked up at the woman. "Yes. But, it would be in your best interest-"

"Well, I choose to end it immediately." With that, she walked to the door and pulled it open, casting a final look toward her reflection before strolling from the room.

Billie watched the woman's behavior with a mixture of anger and curiosity. It seemed as though Felicia was extremely unhappy that she wasn't involved in the interview. Well, that made two of them. For a split second, the brunette had contemplated going in regardless of her captain's orders, but she had far too much respect for Robert to treat his authority with such flagrant disregard.

She saw Parish and Felicia's lawyer exchange a few words before exiting the room. Billie stood with her arms folded across her chest, her brow furrowing as she turned toward the door. Within seconds, Parish entered, closing the door behind him as he let out a heavy sigh.

"You were right about that one," his deep voice resonated through the small room. "We have to find another way to go at her."

Billie walked over and leaned her shoulder against the wall. "I'm open to suggestions."

"Maybe there's something we're not seeing."

"I've been over everything, sir." She ran a hand through her hair. "The only vibe I get is off her husband's murder."

"The detectives who worked it couldn't find any link."

"I know it was a hit."

Parish absentmindedly patted the folder against his open palm. "Knowing and proving."

"Right." She pushed off from the wall and began to pace the confined area.

The captain watched her, sensing her growing frustration. "Okay, run it down for me, step by step."

Without missing a beat, Billie started. "Harry Ralston stops in to pick up a newspaper after playing eighteen at his club. He's standing near the register when a guy comes in wearing a mask and waving a gun. demands all the cash and some drugs. Harry makes a move, gets plugged with two quick shots, one in the chest, one in the head. Dead before he hits the floor. Gunman freaks, drops the gun and splits." The brunette stopped, her gaze fixed on a spot on the floor.

"What?"

"I'm still stuck on that. Ralston's killer and McKenzie's killer both left their guns at the scene. That's too coincidental."

The captain lifted a finger to his lips, tapping them several times as he mulled over her suggestion. "Could just be a coincidence."

Billie resumed her pacing, though at a noticeably faster speed. "Could be, but I don't think it is. We're talking about two completely different murders here. And both are connected to Felicia Ralston."

"There's also four years between them. That's a long time for a hired gun to hang around."

"Assuming she used a pro."

"But, you're thinking is.?"

The brunette stopped and turned to look at him. "It's got to be someone she knows."

Parish's expression remained neutral. "This woman probably knows a lot of people, Billie."

"Yeah," she agreed. "But, it would have to be someone she trusted completely, and I think that list is a whole lot shorter."

The captain opened the folder is his hand, quickly skimming through its contents. "What about Kistler?"

Billie shook her head. "They haven't known each other that long."

"Employees?"

"I've already checked them out," she confirmed. "Nothing, so far."

The lieutenant's gaze seemed distant for a moment. Robert Parish was very familiar with that look. Having watched Billie work many cases over the years, he could tell when something was nagging at her. It could be the smallest detail, but if it didn't jive, she couldn't live with it. And right now, he could tell she was mentally searching for a piece of this convoluted puzzle.

"What's missing?"

Billie gave him a slightly startled look. "Jesus, am I that easy to read?"

Parish smiled at her, something he rarely did to anyone. "Only to me." Their gazes remained locked for a few more seconds before Billie finally turned away and resumed her pacing.

"Okay," she answered, her tone all business, once again. "From the time she took off from foster care to having her name changed, there's nothing. That's almost nine years. I want to know what she was doing, where she was, who she was with. I think it might help if we can fill in the blanks."

The captain nodded in agreement. "Then, you'll just have to do some more digging." As he turned to grab the doorknob, his eyes caught sight of the mark on the window. He stared at it for a few seconds before looking back at her. "Just remember, Billie, whatever you do, do it quick. Hill's already made his recommendation to Forsythe. I'll do whatever I can to support you, but with two dead cops, they're looking for someone to blame."

"How much time do I have?"

"A few days...if that."

"Should be a piece of cake," she replied somberly.

Parish placed a supportive hand on her shoulder. "Show them how you earned that gold shield, Lieutenant." He opened the door and walked out of the room.

The young woman released a heavy sigh as she glanced over at the window. "Piece of cake," she repeated to herself before following Parish out the door.

Billie walked through the parking lot to her Corvette, fingers curling around the ignition key as she grabbed hold of the door's handle. Just as she pulled it open, a familiar voice called out from behind.

"Lieutenant Chambers."

The brunette paused a moment, rolling her eyes as she slowly turned around to see Felicia's head poking out of the back window of a silver Bentley. She swung her car door closed with an air of impatience and leaned back against it, folding her arms across her chest. The rear door of the expensive car opened and Felicia stepped out, her height outflanking the automobile by a considerable margin.

"What do you want, Felicia?"

"I was hoping we could have a chat," the woman answered smoothly. She motioned toward the interior of her car, giving the lieutenant a clear invitation to get inside.

Billie didn't move. "We can have a chat right here."

Felicia pouted, slightly. "I assure you, Lieutenant, I have no sinister motive." A seductive smile played across her lips. "I'll be a good girl." She lifted her arms and brought her wrists together. "You can even handcuff me if you like."

Watching her antics made Billie wonder whether or not she could just shoot the woman right on the spot and claim insanity, which wouldn't be far from the truth. She stared at the blonde for a moment before straightening up and walking toward the car.

The rational part of her mind was trying to convince her not to go. The idea of putting herself in such a dangerous position, given what the woman was capable of, was completely preposterous. Still, there was that other part of her, the one that thrived on challenge, enjoyed the risk. That was the part that usually won. And there was always the possibility that Felicia might give Billie something she could use. Just for that chance alone, she decided it was worth it.

"Make it quick."

The blonde's eyes followed her as she climbed into the back of the car and took a seat on the far side. Felicia got back in and took a seat beside her, leaving a small amount of distance between them. She pressed one long, manicured nail to a button on the console beside her. "Drive."

Billie watched the driver, his head tilting slightly in acknowledgement. She did a half-turn and faced the blonde, their close proximity putting all of her senses on high alert. "So, what do you want?"

"Why weren't you there?"

The directness of the woman's question threw Billie for a moment. She knew Felicia was somewhat irritated at her absence in the interrogation room, but the way the blonde was looking at her suddenly made it sound like the accusation of a jealous lover.

"I was told to stay away," she finally answered.

Felicia studied her for a moment. "But, you were watching.weren't you?"

The lieutenant didn't see any point in lying. "Yes, I was."

"I'd hoped you would be," Felicia responded with a sly grin. "Why were you told to stay away?"

Billie had no intention of divulging any details in regards to her recent dressing down, so instead she simply replied, "It's routine for an officer to be removed from a case when there's a personal component involved."

Felicia frowned. "That sounds very.procedural."

"Is that all you wanted, or are you going to confess now?"

"I do so enjoy your dry sense of humor."

"And I enjoy imagining what you'll look like in heavy denim." Billie shot back.

"Is that what they're wearing in prison nowadays?" The woman gave Billie a knowing look.

"Well, it isn't Prada, but I'm sure the pants come in tall."

The corner of Felicia's mouth curved up in a slight smirk. "You are precious."

Billie's patience was wearing dangerously thin. "Discussing the latest fashion trends for psychotics has been interesting and all, but is there a point to this conversation?"

"I thought, perhaps, you might want to ask me some questions."

That single sentence brought the young lieutenant up short. "What do you mean?"

"Well," the blonde shifted, slightly, one knee now touching Billie's leg. "Isn't that what you wanted...to conduct an interrogation?"

"It was only routine questioning," the lieutenant corrected her.

"Whatever you want to call it," Felicia said breezily, waving a casual hand in the air.

"Why?" Billie's tone belied more than a hint of suspicion.

"Because you've earned that right," she answered as she held the young woman's gaze. "And that is the reason why I wouldn't speak to your captain. This is strictly between us, Billie. I thought I made that clear."

"The only thing that's clear to me is that you want to play some kind of game," the brunette responded. "And, in case you haven't noticed, I'm not into playing games."

"Really?" The blonde leaned back and regarded the young woman with a cool expression. "Isn't that what you've been doing with Sara?"

Billie's gaze hardened. "Don't even try to fuck with my head, Felicia. That's been tried by people who were a hell of a lot better at it than you."

The blonde studied her for a moment before replying, "I wouldn't dream of it. I'm merely pointing out the fact that you're walking a very fine line, Lieutenant, and if you were found out, it would mean the end of your career...at the very least." She leaned back and draped a slender arm across the back of the seat. "I can't help but wonder if that isn't part of the attraction."

Billie could sense the underlying threat in the woman's words. "So, what's the thrust here? Are you concerned about my employment status, or just interested in probing my psyche?"

"As I said before, you do have a way with words." The blonde's hand brushed against Billie's arm, and she could feel the muscles tense beneath her fingers. "I believe I was the one giving you the opportunity to do the probing." She smiled as the brunette glared at her. "Are you interested?"

"Yes," Billie responded without hesitation.

Felicia laughed, softly. "So eager." She straightened up and moved in closer. "There is one favor I ask in return."

The lieutenant stiffened, eyeing the woman with distrust. "There's always a catch with you homicidal types."

The blonde's eyes flashed momentarily at Billie's comment. "I assure you, it's a very simple request."

"What?"

"I want you to kiss me."

A pair of dark eyebrows shot up. "You what?"

Felicia began to close the distance between them. "I said I want you to kiss me."

Billie suddenly realized that the incident in Felicia's office wasn't just a fluke. The woman was coming on to her again, only this time she was purposely dangling a carrot, and as the blonde had obviously anticipated, she was having a difficult time coming up with a single good reason not to comply.

If the woman had an angle, Billie couldn't honestly see it. For her, the kiss would mean nothing. And God knows, she'd done a hell of a lot more than kiss someone to get information from them. Not quite so openly, of course, but it still didn't change the fact that using someone's emotions to get something from them was a handy tool.

Of course, that's assuming the woman had any emotions, which Billie still hadn't been able to figure out. Felicia seemed far too narcissistic to have any real attachment to anyone. Even her relationship with Jill seemed driven more by possessiveness than any feeling of warmth or affection.

"Why?" she questioned.

"Does that really matter?"

"You know it wouldn't mean anything," Billie finally responded.

"Then, where's the harm?" Felicia was close enough to catch the faint smell of peppermint on Billie's breath.

The lieutenant closed the distance between them as she touched her lips to the blonde's, her eyes still open while she watched Felicia's close. After a few seconds, she did the same, placing a firm hand behind the other woman's head as she deepened the kiss.

Felicia parted her lips and slowly drew the tip of her tongue across the edge of Billie's teeth, nearly pulling back in surprise when she felt the brunette bite down gently, pulling on her lower lip. As their lips came together again, she uttered a soft moan into the young woman's mouth, her hands reaching up to cup the lieutenant's face.

The blonde's fingertips captured an earlobe, and she massaged it slowly, causing Billie to further tilt her head. The kiss was beginning to heat up as the women pushed against each another, one fighting for dominance while the other tried desperately to remain submissive.

As Billie continued to deliver what she hoped was a convincing performance, a hand suddenly slipped into her jacket, brushing against her breast as it gently took hold of her erect nipple. The sensation was immediate, and her heart began to beat faster as those long, delicate fingers worked through the soft fabric of her shirt.

Felicia's insistent ministrations finally elicited a moan from Billie as her hands suddenly gripped the other woman's shoulders. The blonde held fast, using the hand on the brunette's head to pull them down together, slowly reclining against the seat as she guided the young woman down on top of her.

The sudden shift in movement was enough to snap Billie to attention and she immediately broke the kiss, both women gasping for breath as they lay there staring at each other, lips swollen and faces flushed.

"God," Felicia sighed through a series of ragged breaths. "You are every bit as good as I knew you would be."

Billie placed her palms to the seat on either side of the blonde's head and pushed herself up, backing toward her original position. For the moment, she could only sit there as she waited for her body's urges to cool down, all of the places Felicia touched still tingling with excitement.

Felicia sat up, brushing her hair away from her forehead as a grin slowly spread across her face. "Well, I suppose you'd like to ask your questions now, hmm?" After a few seconds of primping, she released another heavy sigh and looked over at Billie, clasping her hands together and resting them in her lap.

The brunette was silently cursing herself for allowing her hormones to get the better of her. It was something that had been happening all too frequently, only in this case, the situation was fraught with far more dangerous consequences. There was also the lingering effect her dream had left on her, coupled with her somewhat overeager affinity for all things blonde. Add to that her physical and mental exhaustion and it was all one big recipe for disaster.

"Are you still with me, Lieutenant?"

The brunette shot her a look. "I kept my end of the bargain."

"Indeed you did."

Billie looked away for a moment, suddenly wondering what the driver had been doing during those few moments. She was unable to catch his eye in the rearview, so she stared at the back of his head until she finally decided he was either completely oblivious, or amazingly discreet. She turned back to see Felicia still smiling at her.

"So, what would you like to know?"

"Were you expecting me to be in the house last night?" Billie asked.

The smile on Felicia's face faded instantly. "If I was, you wouldn't be here."

The lieutenant took a moment to digest the woman's response. "Then, why did you do it?"

"For Jill," she answered simply, her mind still focused on their brief physical contact. She wanted to reach over and take a hold of the younger woman, picking up where they left off. Unfortunately, that would have to wait. And Felicia had long since decided that Billie Chambers was definitely worth waiting for.

"You arranged the attack on Sara." Billie spoke it as a statement.

Felicia pursed her lips at the young woman. "You're supposed to be asking me questions," she chided softly.

Billie suddenly leaned forward with a menacing look on her face. "Don't pull that cutesy shit with me, lady. You're lucky I haven't broken your fucking neck for what you did to her."

"I made a phone call, nothing more," the blonde stated reasonably. "You were the one that failed to protect her."

A hand suddenly shot out and grabbed Felicia's slender throat. Her body went rigid, dark eyes boring into Billie's as the lieutenant tightened her grip. The two women remained perfectly still, only the sound of the blonde's labored breathing filling the interior of the car.

"You feel guilty, don't you?" Felicia rasped, bring her hands up to clasp Billie's wrist and pulling at it, ineffectually.

"I can think of a way to cure that," Billie whispered threateningly.

"Haven't...you...forgotten something?" The blonde's face had a decidedly pinkish hue.

"Where to dump the body?" the lieutenant offered.

Felicia was beginning to visibly struggle. "Cathy McKenzie's.killer." The pressure immediately ceased, although Billie still maintained a firm grip, and the blonde gratefully swallowed several gulps of air.

"Who is it?"

"I'm afraid we've run out of time."

Billie looked out the window and spotted her car just as the Bentley came to a halt. She turned back to Felicia. "We're not done yet."

"I agree," the wealthy woman responded, still trying to catch her breath. "Perhaps we can continue this discussion over dinner."

The lieutenant released her hold and backed off a bit as she regained her self-control. She fixed her blue eyes on the blonde as she replied, "I think we'll continue it inside."

Felicia slowly shook her head. "No.I'm afraid I can't. I'm due to meet Elizabeth Forsythe for dinner this evening." She reached a hand up and gingerly stroked her neck. "I suppose I'll need to wear a scarf now. I certainly wouldn't want to have to explain where the bruises came from."

"Your connections don't impress me," Billie replied flatly.

"They don't need to impress you. They only need to serve as a reminder of what you're risking." She suddenly reached up and touched the outer edge of Billie's bottom lip, wiping away a smear of red lipstick. The brunette pulled back, purely out of reflex, but didn't make a move to stop her. Felicia sighed, heavily, regarding the lieutenant with a saddened expression. "You have no proof. I'll deny everything. It will be my word against yours, Billie. And while my credibility might be in question here, yours is rapidly deteriorating. Roland Hill wants your badge. If you make a move against me now...he'll have it."

Billie's gaze was pure ice. "You've certainly done your homework, haven't you? Well, if you know so much about me, then you know I won't stop until I get you."

Felicia returned the brunette's look with equal intensity, although the emotions behind them were altogether different. "And still one more thing we have in common."

Billie turned away and immediately pushed the door open, one foot to the pavement as she felt a hand touch her arm. There was no resistance there, but the gesture stopped her all the same. She looked over at those dark, obsessive eyes, feeling as though they were holding her in place through shear force of will.

"I have no desire to hurt you, Billie. In fact, I think we could be powerful allies, if you'd give me the opportunity to prove it to you."

The loud blast of a car horn distracted the lieutenant, breaking the spell she seemed to be under, and she quickly got out of the car, slamming the door behind her.

Felicia stared down at the smudge on her finger. She brought it up to her mouth and closed her eyes, slowly running the tip across her lips as she savored the memory of those warm, soft lips.

It had been only a few weeks ago that she'd thought Jill Kistler might be the one for her, but she soon realized that it wasn't meant to be. The relationship had a purpose, of course, just as all of her relationships did. Only recently, though, had she discovered exactly what that was: Without Jill, she'd have never met Billie. And now that she had, it was clear to her that she would need to proceed with careful steps. But, no matter how long it took, it was inevitable that she would get what she wanted.

She always did.

Throughout her life, there had been very few people who challenged her, and even less who managed to bring about feelings of true desire. Despite the numerous affairs she'd had over the years, she never felt any strong emotion for a lover, until the day she met Harry Ralston.

He had been an obsessive, controlling, manipulative person. By most standards, people would have even regarded him as cruel. But, Felicia had understood him better than anyone. He was a survivor, just like her. And though, sadly, she'd had a need to remove him from her life, it had been a wonderful experience while it lasted.

And now, finally, it seemed as though she'd found someone else to incite her interest once again. There were some similar qualities between Harry and Billie, although the latter was far more honest and kinder of spirit. But, both were driven to excess, single-minded in their desire to obtain their goals, and willing to do what most others would not to get what they wanted. And it's those traits, the things that made them both so strong, that were also their greatest weaknesses.

Harry was ambitious. His selfish, boundless need to climb higher had ultimately been his undoing. Billie was like that, in some ways, although her needs were somewhat different. She was fighting the good fight, but she still pushed the envelope, always raising the stakes far beyond the safety of her own net. Most people could never understand a person like that. They would always see them as self- destructive. But, Felicia knew better.

Billie was not her own worst enemy. The real danger came from those around her, the ones who would try to stop her from reaching her objectives. And since it was obtaining those objectives that kept Billie going, Felicia wanted to help her accomplish them.

Perhaps, that would be the way in that she needed. By proving to Billie that she could be just as ruthless, just as focused on achieving the ends by any means, maybe that would open the young woman's eyes and make her see what they could be capable of doing together.

And then, Billie Chambers would fall for her.

Billie sat in her car, head resting on the seat as she stared, unseeing at the sky above her. There were a myriad of thoughts pulling at her, but her tired mind wasn't being cooperative in helping her to put them in some type of coherent order. The last week had proved to be one of constant chaos, and sleep was fast becoming a distant memory.

After the Bentley had pulled away, she'd been left standing there, royally pissed off.and though she was loath to admit it, maybe even the tiniest bit aroused. Lately, it seemed as though those two emotions were inextricably linked, and the primary reason for that, of course, was a beautiful blonde-haired thief named Sara Matthews.

There was something almost comical about the whole situation, and if she wasn't so utterly frustrated at her own inability to gain control of it, she'd probably just sit down somewhere and have a good laugh.

Like maybe in the middle of the L.A. Freeway.

And speaking of beautiful blondes. Okay, so she'd kissed Felicia. So what. Yes, it had felt good, for all of two seconds. For whatever reason, she'd found herself enjoying it.but the reality of the cause was perfectly clear: She was tense. She missed Sara. Felicia was blonde. End of story.

She blew out a frustrated breath and slammed the clutch to the floor as she turned the ignition. The Corvette roared to life and she listened to it momentarily, finding herself feeling almost apologetic to it for the abuse she'd been heaping on it recently. Maybe after everything was over, she'd take it for a nice long ride along the coast for a few days. Just the two of them.

"Chambers, you are really losing it," she muttered as she threw the car in gear. She backed out of her space and was heading for the exit when her cell phone rang. She pulled it from her jacket pocket and gave her usual friendly greeting. "Chambers."

"Billie?"

"Yeah?"

"It's Aquarius."

Billie felt her gut clench. "What's wrong?"

"Seems your lady friend decided to hit the pavement."

Shit. Shit. Shit. "How long?"

"Maybe thirty minutes...no more."

"Thanks." Billie immediately dialed another number as she tried to tuck the phone between her chin and shoulder, nearly taking out a young couple as she blew through the open gate.

Sara pulled in to the parking lot and found a spot near the back of the building, sandwiched between a beat up old van and a dumpster. She got out and looked around, hoping to keep the car out of sight long enough to meet with Jill and get the hell out of there before the cops found it. Or her.

Since Billie's friend, Aquarius, had other things to occupy him, she'd managed to slip out without alerting him. After a brief walk around the neighborhood, she'd spied an old Chevy Impala parked in an alley and immediately decided she could get where she was going much quicker in a car than a bus. And even though it had been years since she'd hot-wired a car, it was just like riding a bike. Less than thirty seconds under the front dash and she'd been on her way.

She walked casually toward a side door, heading up the cement stairs as she kept one eye on the street to her left and the other on a group of teenagers hanging around near the corner. Images flashed through her mind as a torrent of memories came back to her, most of them unpleasant, save for a few rare exceptions.

"Hey, blondie."

Sara had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed the door opening in front of her. She stopped in her tracks, hand still resting on the railing, until she recognized the face.

For a split-second, she felt as though someone had turned back the clock. It had been eight years earlier when Jill had greeted her for the first time, and in exactly the same way. Only then, Sara was bruised and bloodied, and barely able to stand on her own two feet. Things had certainly changed.except for maybe the bruised and bloodied part. No matter how far she'd come since those awful days, her life still seemed destined to be mired in violence.

"Hey, Jill." She quickly stepped inside, moving passed the taller woman so she could get off the street. With a quick turn, she found herself face to face with her old roommate for the first time since the day of their arrest.

Jill's pale green eyes held Sara's for a moment before shifting focus to the bandage on the young woman's forehead. The blonde thought she saw a brief flash of guilt there. She reached out and clasped Jill's hand, giving it a firm squeeze.

"I'm fine," she offered. "Just a little headache. It could've been worse."

"It could've not happened at all," Jill said remorsefully. "If I'd confessed."

"Yeah, and you'd be in jail," Sara reminded her. "Not a good alternative."

"Looks like we could both end up there, now."

"Yeah, well, I'm not planning on testifying." She waved a hand in the air. "So, whatever happens...happens."

Jill pulled Sara aside, tucking them into a darkened corner as she lowered her tone to a near whisper. "Sara...I'm leaving. Now. Today." She placed her hands on the blonde's slight shoulders. "I've got plenty of money." The brunette hesitated before adding, "For the both of us."

Sara's eyes widened. "You want me to go with you?"

"Of course, I do," she answered, her eyes shifting about nervously. "Listen, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I shouldn't have taken off when the cops showed, but I was scared. I didn't know what to do. And then Felicia flipped out and sent someone after you," she blew out a frustrated breath. "I didn't know about that. I swear to God."

Sara smirked. "Well, at least for once you're in the right place."

A corner of Jill's mouth turned up, slightly, as she looked out over the pews. "I haven't seen the inside of this place in a long time."

"Me either."

Jill turned back to her. "Come with me. We can go anywhere we want. But, it has to be now. When Felicia finds out I've taken off." Her voice trailed off, but the implication was clear enough to Sara.

"She's crazy, Jill."

"You don't know the half of it," the brunette replied cryptically.

"Why is she after Billie?" Sara could see her friend bristle at the mention of her lover's name. It wasn't unexpected, certainly, but she'd hoped Jill had come to understand the reasons behind what Billie had done by now. Apparently, that had been asking for too much.

"As far as I'm concerned," Jill responded angrily. "Those two deserve each other."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Sara." Jill looked away for a moment. There were plenty of things she could say about Felicia, none of them pleasant. But, the last thing she wanted was to give Sara more reasons to stay. And if she knew how bad Felicia had it for Billie, she'd never leave.

The incident that had opened her eyes to Felicia's obsession had been the explosion. She'd been pushing for revenge, without a doubt. However, the scale to which her lover had endeavored to raise that desire was far beyond anything Jill could have comprehended.

But, it was the immediate aftermath that had left its most indelible image. Having kept a vigil out on the deck as she watched the situation unfold down shore, Felicia had finally come back inside and instigated an extremely passionate round of lovemaking, the likes of which the brunette couldn't ever remember being so good. Toward the end, as the blonde was about to finish, she called out a name.

It wasn't Jill's.

She'd been so shocked to hear Billie's name that she froze for a moment. Felicia's rather loud protestations fueled her to complete what she'd started, and when they were done, she realized that her lover hadn't even been aware of the slip she'd made.

The voyeurism.the explosion.even the chaos that erupted after it, Felicia had gotten off on it. All of it. She'd had the cop's house bombed, while she stood by like a spectator at a ball game. And when there was no more destruction and pain to lay witness to, she proceeded to fantasize about that very same cop while she fucked Jill's brains out. It was at that moment that the younger woman realized it was way past time to get the hell away from her.

Having been the object of Felicia's affections for a short while, Jill knew how obsessive she could be. The whole idea of getting revenge on Billie had been her idea, of course, but when Felicia had taken up the mantle like it was some kind of crusade, even she realized how out of control the woman really was.

Originally, she'd decided to stick it out for a while, figuring she could kill two birds with one stone. She'd be able to siphon off enough cash from Felicia to take off without her knowledge, and still have a chance to wreak a little havoc on Chambers before she left. All in all, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

But, after the bombing, Felicia was different. Jill was beginning to get the feeling that the woman was planning something. Something big and nasty. And her fear for her own safety was more than enough to motivate her. After receiving Sara's call, she decided it was the perfect time. Convince her friend to come away with her, and leave Felicia and Billie far behind. Hell, with any luck, maybe they'd end up killing each other.

"The woman just gets off on other people's misery, alright? I wanted to get back at Chambers and she took it too far. But, the truth of it is, I don't give a shit. The house went up, Felicia got her rocks off watching it, and no one got hurt." Jill reached over and placed a gentle, but firm hand on Sara's forearm. "Now, let's just get the hell out of here while we can."

Sara frowned. "Jill, how can you say no one was hurt? You don't know what that place meant to Billie."

"Yeah, well maybe I didn't, but you can bet your ass Felicia did." Her tone became more insistent. "Look, we have to go." She glanced about nervously, as though expecting someone to appear at any minute. She could feel Sara pull away from her.

"I can't."

Jill narrowed her eyes. "You mean you won't."

"Whatever."

"Sara," Jill responded in exasperation. "How can you still care about her?"

"It's complicated," was all the blonde would say.

The brunette's expression hardened. "Fine. I'm done with this shit." She turned and headed for the door.

"Jill, wait."

Sara followed in close pursuit as Jill pushed the door open and rushed down the cement stairs. When she reached the bottom, she turned to face the blonde as a familiar voice rang out from behind her.

"Well, this is certainly the last place I would've expected to find you."

Sara stood poised at the landing, her hand resting on the wrought iron railing as she felt her stomach start to turn. "Shit."

"Actually, the correct term is deep shit, because that's what the two of you are in now."

Jill turned back to see Billie Chambers standing a few feet away pointing a gun at her. Her body tensed as she moved a hand toward her back.

"You move and I'll kill you."

"Billie, this is-"

Billie pointed a finger at Sara. "Keep your mouth shut. I don't want to hear a fucking word." She took a few slow steps, her eyes and weapon never wavering from Jill's shocked face. "On your knees," she ordered. "Hands on your head."

Jill stole a glance at Sara, who could only stand there, feeling helpless.

"Now!"

The brunette immediately complied, moving carefully as she lowered herself to the pavement. She clasped her fingers together and rested her hands on top of her head.

Billie walked around her at a safe distance and approached, cautiously, from behind. With a quick move, she produced a pair of handcuffs from her pocket.

"Wait," Sara spoke up as she came down the stairs. "What are you doing?"

"What the hell does it look like I'm doing?" Billie responded angrily as she pressed the muzzle of her gun against the back of Jill's head. "Now, stay out of this."

Sara knew Billie couldn't afford to take her eyes off of Jill, so she took a few tentative steps toward the two women, not at all sure what she could do.

"You know, Jill, so far, today has really sucked," Billie told her. "But, if you're carrying, you are really gonna make my day." She snapped a cuff on one wrist and closed it firmly.

"Billie, no." Sara came up from behind and grabbed Billie's arms, pulling them down to her side.

Jill immediately sensed an opening and dropped her hands to the ground as she kicked her leg out and swept the lieutenant off her feet.

The sudden attack brought both women to the ground in a heap, causing Billie's arm to hit the pavement with enough force to knock the gun from her hand. She immediately scrambled to her knees and put a hand on it, only to have a booted foot slam down on top of her fingers.

"Looks like I'm gonna make your day, huh Chambers?"

Billie picked her head and found herself staring down the barrel of a gun.

Part 16

Here in this lonely place
tangled up in our embrace
there's nothing I'd like
better than to fall
but I fear I have nothing to give
- Sarah McLachlan

Sara quickly got to her feet, cursing silently as she watched the scene unfolding in front of her. She'd only wanted a chance to reason with Billie, to try and convince her not to make an arrest. Unfortunately, her careless actions had given Jill the upper hand, and now the situation had suddenly become extremely volatile.

"When I lift my foot, you're going to take your hand off that piece, you understand me?"

Billie's eyes remained fixed on Jill as she gave a quick nod. "Yeah."

Jill took a step back, carefully watching the lieutenant's movements as she slowly took her hand off the gun. She immediately kicked it away and walked around the young woman, all the while keeping the gun pointed at her head.

Billie tried to keep an eye on Jill as she made a move to get to her feet. The barrel of the gun suddenly pressed against the back of her head.

"Jill," Sara warned.

The brunette didn't spare her a glance. "Put you hands on your head." This was it, the moment that Jill had been fantasizing about for the last two weeks. Unfortunately, the combination of Sara's presence, and her own need to speed things along was almost completely ruining any chance she had of enjoying it. Almost. "Amazing how quick things change, isn't it?"

"Let's see," Billie responded, still on her knees. "You with a gun. breaking the law." She shrugged her shoulders. "Doesn't sound like much of a change to me."

"And you with that smart mouth," Jill replied jamming the barrel against the brunette's head in emphasis.

"Stop it."

Jill finally turned to look at Sara. "Get the key," she instructed, holding up her cuffed hand.

Sara hesitated for a moment, her eyes darting between her friend and her lover. She knew how much Jill hated Billie, but she was fairly certain she could convince her not to do anything foolish, so long as it meant she could still get away.

Of course, Billie wasn't about to agree to let Jill walk. The only way that was going to happen was if she was physically incapable of stopping her, and right now Sara could only see two ways of accomplishing that. One was clutched tightly in Jill's right hand; the other was dangling from her left wrist.

She stepped forward and bent down to look over Billie's shoulder. "Which pocket?" Her question was met with an icy glare and silence. "Just trust me, okay?" she said softly as she went about checking the young woman's jacket, quickly producing the key. She could tell by the look on Billie's face that trusting her was about the farthest thing from the lieutenant's mind at that moment, and Sara certainly couldn't blame her for that. More than anything, she wanted to explain herself, but that battle would have to be fought later. She stood up and turned around to Jill, quickly freeing the brunette's wrist.

"Somebody's going to come along any minute." Sara moved to stand in between the two women, but Jill held a hand up, signaling for her to back off. "You need to get out of here. Now."

"And have little miss bloodhound sniffing my trail?" the brunette queried. "I don't think so."

Sara could tell by Jill's posture that she was preparing to take some sort of action. In desperation, she stepped forward and held out the handcuffs. "I'll take care of it."

The brunette hesitated. "How?"

"We'll get in her car," she explained reasonably. "Take a drive for a while. That should give you enough time to get away."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Billie spoke up as she tried to twist around enough to catch a glimpse of the two women.

"Billie, please."

Jill glanced around nervously. "I don't know." She pushed the gun against Billie's head again. "What if she gets away? Something could happen. I should just-"

"Nothing's going to happen," Sara interjected, once more attempting to step in between them. She locked eyes with Jill, the tone of her voice soft, but firm. "I won't let you hurt her."

The last thing Jill wanted was for the two of them to go at it, especially over Billie Chambers. They already walked that rode once before, and it had ended very badly. "Do it," she responded, gesturing toward the handcuffs as she walked around to face Billie. "You so much as flinch and I'll put a new part in your hair."

Billie stared at the woman in defiance. "You won't be able to run far enough, you know."

Jill smirked. "With the pair you've got on you, Chambers, I don't know how Sara can even get near you."

The lieutenant was about to regale the woman with a string of colorful epithets when she felt cool metal attach itself to her wrist. She jerked out of reflex, and Jill reacted swiftly by slamming the butt of the gun against her temple.

Sara jumped back in shock. "Billie!" She dropped to her knees and bent over the brunette's prostrate form, her hands cradling the young woman's face.

Billie had taken her fair share of knocks to the head over the years, but very few of them hurt more than the hard metal of a gun handle. She lay there for a moment, her eyes shut, tightly, as she waited for the pounding in her head to ease off. She could feel Sara's hands on her, and she pushed the young woman away, roughly.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Sara shouted at the woman standing over them. "I told you I'd take care of this, now just leave her alone." The anger in her voice caused Jill to look at her in surprise.

"I can't believe this. After everything she's done-"

"Well, believe it." Sara ignored Billie's gestures of protest and helped her to a sitting position. "Are you alright?"

Billie shoved her hands away. "Get off me."

Sara noticed a trickle of blood running down the brunette's cheek. "Shit." She shot Jill an angry look. "She's bleeding."

"That's the least of her problems right now," Jill replied unsympathetically as she gestured to the lieutenant with the gun in her hand. "Get up." Billie slowly climbed to her feet, swaying unsteadily as she put a hand to her head.

Jill tapped her forehead. "Now we're even."

"Fuck you," Billie responded.

"Let's just get the hell out of here, alright?" Sara interjected as she watched the two women stare each other down. "Billie, turn around and give me your hands."

The lieutenant shot her a look. "So, you're adding kidnapping to your repertoire now?"

"I'm trying to help you," Sara said softly.

"Yeah," she replied flippantly. "So far, you've been a real big help."

"If you don't do as she says," Jill warned as she lowered her aim. "I'll make sure you don't follow me."

"Jill, stop it!" Sara stepped between them, effectively blocking the woman's view. "Billie, just do this, alright?" She could see the feeling of betrayal in those blue eyes, and it cut through her like a knife. "Please."

The lieutenant turned around, reluctantly, and placed her hands behind her back. She closed her eyes as Sara fastened the other cuff to her wrist, feeling the blonde squeezing her hands, firmly, before letting go. Billie knew the gesture was intended to be reassuring, but as she felt those same hands slip inside her pocket to remove her car keys, it only felt like another kick to the stomach.

Sara turned around and fixed Jill with a hard stare. "I'll be right back," she said pointedly as she held up the keys clutched in her hand. She stepped away from them, stopping to pick up Billie's gun and tuck it into the back of her jeans. She shot a parting glance over her shoulder before turning the corner of the building and disappearing from view.

Billie turned around to face Jill, her eyes narrowing, slightly, as she tried to ignore the throbbing in her head. "So, Felicia can't be too happy about this."

Jill shot her a venomous glare. "That crazy bitch is your problem now." She took several calculated steps toward the lieutenant, moving close enough to press the gun into her stomach. "And you better make sure Sara doesn't get caught in the crossfire."

Billie met the woman's steady gaze. "Yeah, I can see how concerned you are for her, what with taking off, and all."

"I wanted her to come with me," Jill informed her. "But, for some stupid reason, she wants to stay here with you." She jabbed the gun into Billie's ribs. "I honestly don't know what she sees in you."

"Ditto."

The sound of a car engine brought their conversation to a halt as Sara pulled up beside them in Billie's Corvette. Both women turned to look as the blonde got out and made her way toward them.

Jill leaned in and said softly, "The next time I see you, will be the last time."

Billie glanced at her. "I can hardly wait."

"Okay," Sara said as she came around and opened the passenger door. She gestured to the lieutenant to get inside. "Come on, Billie."

Billie suddenly received a not-so-gentle nudge from behind, forcing her to take a few steps toward the car. Without so much as a parting glance, she climbed in and dropped into the leather seat.

Sara closed the door and turned back to Jill. "I'll give you as much time as I can."

Jill tucked her own gun away. "You sure you won't change your mind?"

Sara nodded as she shot a quick look over her shoulder. "I'm sure."

"Okay, then"

The two women stared at each other in silence.

"Take care of yourself," Sara finally said.

"You, too." Jill's voice was slightly rough as she leaned in and gave Sara an awkward hug. When she pulled back, she jutted her chin toward the car's lone occupant. "Watch yourself with that one."

"We'll be okay."

The brunette rolled her eyes. "If you say so."

A loud siren suddenly began to wail, startling both women as they turned to see Billie jamming her foot against the dashboard.

"Shit." Sara waved a hand at Jill as she ran around the car. "Get going!"

"Later, Sara!" Jill called out as she ran for her own car.

The blonde yanked the driver's door open and jumped in, pushing Billie's leg aside as she started pushing buttons frantically. "How do you shut this thing off?" She glanced over at the brunette, only to realize that the young woman wasn't even looking at her. She followed Billie's gaze as the two of them watched Jill drive away.

When the car disappeared from sight, the lieutenant answered, "Bottom left button."

Sara quickly pressed it, sighing in relief when the siren immediately shut off. She slumped back against the seat. "God, that was loud." She noticed someone coming out of the side door of the church. "We better go." She pulled the door closed, giving Billie an apologetic look as she reached over and fastened her seatbelt. "I'm sorry about this."

"Save it."

"It's not a good idea for us to meet like this."

Felicia smiled at the young man. "You worry too much."

"And you don't worry enough," Warren replied tersely. "They're watching you, you know."

"I'm well aware of the Los Angeles Police and their inept surveillance tactics." She sat down on the edge of a small sofa and crossed her legs. "I'm here to see a man about a painting, nothing more. The room was rented under an assumed name. They'll never even bother to check."

"I'm concerned about you, Ilsa." He stepped forward to look her, squarely, in the eyes.

She reached over and patted his cheek. "You needn't be."

"You're playing a very dangerous game."

Felicia grinned mischievously. "They are my favorite kind."

The man turned away from her and began to pace. "Everything is getting completely out of hand."

"You were the one who decided to shoot the young woman."

He spun around and pinned her with a dark look. "She killed another cop. It was only a matter of time before she was caught. And I was going to have to do it, eventually, anyway."

After a brief pause, she replied, "Then, you did the right thing."

Warren tucked his hands into his pockets, eyeing her warily as he shifted from foot to foot like a nervous child. "You really think so?" His expression registered self-doubt as he waited for her to respond.

"Of course." She smiled like a proud mother. "You always do."

His face lit up as she offered her hand to him. "So, what's your next step?" he asked as he walked up and eagerly accepted it.

"Actually," Felicia responded with a firm squeeze. "I've decided to give Billie a little gift."

The young man frowned. "A gift? What kind of gift?"

Felicia arched a thin brow. "You're not jealous, are you?"

The young man looked wounded. "No...no, of course not."

"That's good, because you have no reason to be." She stood up and placed her other hand on his shoulder. "No one can ever replace you. You do know that, don't you?"

Warren looked at her with loving eyes. "I like hearing it."

The blonde regarded him for a long moment. "Now, as I was saying, I want to give her something, a token of my growing affection for her."

"She's not like the others," the man warned.

"Mmm...I agree." Her hand moved from Warren's shoulder to his face, stroking it softly. "I sense a kindred spirit in this young woman."

"I've heard a lot of things about her," he continued, hoping to discourage her from having anything to do with the young lieutenant. "Very bad things. She's not the kind of person that can be led around by the nose."

"I'm well aware of what she's capable of," the blonde mused. "And that is precisely what makes her so worthwhile."

"You thought that about the last one," he pointed out, looking somewhat crestfallen as she removed her hands and stepped away from him.

"Well, I may have been mistaken about Jill," she relented, her voice sounding a bit distracted as she wandered her way around the near empty loft. "But, it wasn't a total loss, now was it?"

"I don't see what makes her so special," Warren said impatiently.

The woman eyed him, dubiously. "Is it so important that you understand my motivations?"

"Since I'm the one that usually has to clean up after you, than I'd have to say yes," he shot back.

Felicia stared at him, coldly. "If you find our relationship to be so tedious, than why are you here?"

Warren blinked a few times, clearing his throat as he held his arms up in a gesture of supplication. "I didn't mean...I'm just worried, that's all." When she didn't immediately respond he asked, "Are you upset with me?"

The blonde moved, gracefully, taking slow, measured steps toward him as he stood there, watching her, a knot of fear twisting in his gut. He suddenly dropped to his knees, burying his face against her legs as his muffled voice pleaded, "I'm sorry, Ilsa. Please forgive me."

She reached down and placed her fingertips under his chin, gently coaxing him to lift his head. As he looked up at her, she could see his eyes were filled with tears. "Of course, I forgive you," she cooed softly. "You're my one and only. Don't ever forget that."

He shook his head, vehemently. "I won't."

"Now," the blonde whispered softly. "Would you like to help me arrange my little surprise?" Warren wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand and nodded. "Good." She prodded him to his feet, straightening his tie as he stood there watching her, intently. After a brief moment of fussing with his collar, she took a step back and looked him up and down. "You are a handsome one."

He smiled, proudly. "So, what would you like me to do?"

The car rolled to a stop near the edge of the ravine, pointing outward over the spectacular view of the valley. The area was completely devoid of any signs of life, save for the two people sitting in the parked vehicle.

"A secluded area. So, is this where you're planning on dumping the body?"

Sara undid her seatbelt and reached over, doing the same for Billie. "I thought this would be a good place for us to talk."

Billie glared at her. "Take these goddamn cuffs off my wrists and maybe I won't haul your ass off to jail. There, we've talked."

The blonde sighed, heavily, as she leaned back against the headrest. "I had to do something otherwise Jill would have probably shot you."

"You were the one who gave her that chance."

"I told you I was sorry about that."

Billie stared at her in astonishment. "Do you honestly think that makes everything okay, Sara? You go around doing whatever the hell you want, and then come back to me and say `Sorry, Billie', and that just wipes it all away? While my career flushes away like piss down a toilet, you sit here and apologize. You even helped Jill get away. She has a gun, and a friggin' attitude to match, and now she's merrily wandering the state in search of some other poor son of a bitch she can pop. And, thanks to you, maybe she'll even end up killing the next person. But, hey, don't worry, because when that happens, you can always look me up while I'm serving ten to fifteen for aiding and abetting and let me know how fucking sorry you are!"

Sara raised an eyebrow. "Are you done?"

"Yeah," Billie nodded, vigorously. "Yeah, I'm done, all right. In fact, I've had it. I've had it with Jill, I've had it with Felicia, I've had it with Hill, and most importantly," she twisted around in her seat and used her hands to lift the door latch. "I've had it with you." The lieutenant spun around and kicked the door open, quickly pushing herself out of the car.

The blonde put a hand to her forehead and muttered, "Jesus." She quickly got out of the car and followed Billie as she marched down the empty road. "Where are you going?"

"Away from you."

"Billie," Sara called out as she picked up her pace.

"Leave me alone, Sara." The brunette continued to walk, briskly, along the edge of the road, kicking at an occasional clump of dried grass.

"Why won't you give me a chance to explain?"

The lieutenant stopped in her tracks, turning around slowly as she pinned the blonde with a furious look. "Explain what, exactly? How you've screwed up my life to the point where I can hardly even recognize it? Or, how, because of you and you're little buddy, I get to star in my own personal version of `Fatal Attraction'? Or, maybe you'd like to explain how I'm going to tell my boss that I've completely lost any and all of my objectivity to do this job because I've been too busy getting fucked until I can't see straight!"

Sara frowned. "What happened between you and Felicia?" Billie rolled her eyes and started back down the road without a word. "Billie!" The blonde set off in a jog until she dropped in step beside the lieutenant. They walked side by side for several minutes until Sara finally grabbed Billie's arm and forced her to stop. "Tell me."

"It's my problem and I'll handle it."

"God, do you ever play a different tune?"

"Yeah," Billie retorted. "Here's a golden oldie, for ya." She pulled her arm free. "Fuck off."

As she began to walk away again, Sara cut off her path, placing her hands firmly against the woman's shoulders. "Don't talk to me that way."

Billie pressed her face up close to the blonde's, drawing the words out slowly as she repeated, "Fuck. Off." Sara's immediate response was a hard slap to the face. The lieutenant's expression remained cool as she turned her head back to look at her. "Do you ever play a different tune?"

Sara stared at her for a moment. "I'm sor." she stopped herself before the words were out of her mouth. "Right." Billie took a step back and walked around her without a second glance.

An unpleasant sensation was gnawing at Sara as she looked over her shoulder, watching the brunette's retreating back. How the hell had things gotten so out of control? All she wanted was to help the people she cared about, but she only seemed to be making everything worse.

And now it looked as though she had managed to wreck the only thing that really meant anything to her. Billie was beyond upset, and with good reason. Everything she said was true. She'd put everything on the line for her, and Sara had paid her back by betraying her.

So, what did Billie want from her, exactly? Sara supposed the very same thing she wanted in return: Trust.and truth. Well, so far, she'd managed to blow it on both counts. The only chance she had of salvaging anything meant that she would have to start giving Billie what she wanted.

The blonde broke into a run, swiftly closing the distance as she caught up and grabbed Billie's hands from behind. The lieutenant was about to turn around and have another go at her when she felt the first cuff being released from her wrist. The second immediately followed, and as Billie finally turned to face her, Sara had the empty restraints dangling from her fingers.

"My mother left my father and me when I was six. He was a drunken son of a bitch who could never forgive me for looking so much like her, so he used to beat me. And I don't mean an occasional slap, or a spanking. I'm talking curled up fists giving me all he could dish out. When I was fifteen, he pounded the living shit out of me so bad I ran...well, more like I limped away as fast as I could. I was hurting badly, so I went to the only place I thought I might be safe."

"When I climbed the stairs to that church, a girl opened the side door and gave me the once over. She wasn't much older than me, but I figured I was pretty much screwed. She'd call the police, or have the priest take me to a hospital, which meant they would call my father. But, all she did was take me inside and help me get cleaned up. She treated my wounds, convinced the priest to let me crash there for the night, and eventually, she found me a place to stay."

"Almost a week after I left, my father found me at this shelter. He was pissed as all hell, ready to beat the living daylights out of me, and I knew if he got his hands on me again, he'd kill me for sure. But, this same girl was there that night, and she got in between us. I couldn't believe the way she talked to him. I had never seen anyone with more balls in my life. She actually threatened him, and when he swung at her, she took him down with three hits. The cops came and arrested him, and before they had a chance to question either one of us, she pulled me out of there and we bolted."

Billie studied Sara for a moment. "Did you ever see your father again?"

"No."

"Lucky for you she was there."

"I owed Jill," Sara said softly. "I can't make it any clearer than that."

Billie's expression was still a bit guarded. "I know a little about owing a debt."

"What I did was wrong, Billie. I know that. But, I was the one who asked her to meet me there. You would never have known she was taking off if you hadn't somehow managed to follow me." Sara suddenly paused, giving the brunette a curious look. "By the way, how did you know where to find me?"

"I put a GPS in your cell phone."

Sara smirked. "Nice of you to tell me."

"I did it for your protection," Billie stated firmly. "Not so I could follow you." She threw her hands up in frustration. "Don't you see, Sara? This is exactly what I'm talking about. I'm so blinded by you that I'm making a lot of stupid mistakes. I should have brought backup when I went to find you, but I didn't want you to get arrested. So instead, I almost ended up getting myself killed."

"Do you think I should turn myself in?" Sara asked.

"And to top it all off, I-" Billie looked at her. "What?"

"Do you think I should turn myself in?" she repeated.

The lieutenant cocked an eyebrow. "Why would you want to do that?"

"You just said it yourself," Sara pointed out. "You were so concerned about me getting arrested that you put yourself at risk. You've put your career on the line...you could even end up going to jail. I don't want you to ruin your life over me."

Billie blinked a few times, but didn't respond. Logically, she knew what Sara was suggesting would probably be the smartest thing, if only to help the young woman get her life back on track. She would definitely have to serve time, but there was still a good chance she could get a lighter sentence if she turned herself in now. It was her first offence, and coupled with the circumstances surrounding her attack, a judge would likely find it difficult to go hard on her.

But, there was still a part of Billie that couldn't bear the thought of it. Her own brief stint in prison was enough for her to know that it was the last place on earth she would allow Sara to end up.

"No," she finally answered.

"Billie, how can we ever get anywhere living like this?"

"No," she repeated vehemently. "I told you I would keep you out of prison, and a person is only as good as their word."

"That deal wasn't a free ride, and I didn't keep my end of the bargain," the blonde reminded her.

"A lot has changed since I made that offer, Sara."

The blonde tilted her head, slightly, as she reached out and touched Billie's cheek. "I am sorry I hit you."

"I know you are."

"I'm just like him," Sara commented, a touch of irony in her voice.

"No, you're not," Billie responded as she folded her arms across her chest. "You just need to work on your problem solving skills."

"You're acting pretty blasé for someone who keeps winding up on the receiving end of those skills," Sara commented.

Billie gave her typically vague response. "I've had worse."

"Speaking of which," the blonde replied, "You should let me take a look at that cut on your head."

"It's fine."

Sara held a hand out to her. "Come on, I promise I won't bite."

The lieutenant's lip curled up in a slight smirk. "Hardly seems worth it, then."

"Well, Billie's feeling playful all of a sudden," Sara said in mock surprise. "So...does that mean we're okay?"

"I wouldn't go that far."

The two women fell in step beside each other, slowly making their way back to the car in relative silence. Billie took the keys from Sara and removed a first aid kit from the trunk, sitting quietly on the grass while the blonde went about patching up her wound.

When she finished, Sara sat down beside Billie, studying the young woman's profile. "So, will you tell me what happened with Felicia?"

The brunette shrugged. ""There's not much to tell." The lie was automatic. She didn't want Sara within a hundred miles of Felicia Ralston. The woman was clearly unbalanced, and without being able to anticipate her next move, the lieutenant knew that everyone around her was now at risk.

She turned and fixed Sara with a serious look as she immediately switched the subject. "I have to call it in now." Billie was just about to get to her feet when she felt a hand grab her wrist. She gave the blonde a sympathetic look. "I've already waited too long as it is."

"I know."

Billie looked at her, expectantly. "Then...what?"

Sara released her grip as she turned to gaze out over the valley. "Once we leave here, things will have to change."

"What do you mean?"

The blonde expelled a heavy sigh. "I'll have to go...at least, temporarily."

"You can still stay with Aquarius."

"No, Billie," she said firmly. "Not this time." Sara knew Billie couldn't maintain this juggling act for much longer, which meant something had to give. Or more accurately, someone had to go.

The lieutenant reseated herself, reaching over to place a hand on the young woman's knee. "Where?"

Sara pulled at the grass, absently, her blue eyes cast to the ground. "I think it's better if you don't know."

Billie frowned at her. "I'm not sure I like that arrangement." That was putting it mildly, of course. Despite the difficulties of keeping Sara hidden, she felt better at least knowing where she was. "What if you needed...something?"

The blonde shrugged her narrow shoulders. "I'll keep the cell with me." She quickly shot her companion a look. "Minus the GPS, Lieutenant."

"I don't suppose there's anything I could say to change your mind, is there?" Billie already looked resigned as she leaned back on her hands and stretched her legs out, her gaze wandering out to the horizon. Only this morning she had told herself this was bound to happen. It would be hard to let Sara go, but in the long run, it was necessary. She was absolutely right when she said they couldn't continue to live like this. And since jail was out of the question, there weren't a lot of other options.

Sara eyed the young woman with concern. She knew what Billie was thinking. It wouldn't be a temporary arrangement. If she left now, it was unlikely she would ever come back.

But, she had no intention of staying away. Her only desire was to give Billie the space she needed, both to do her job, and to work out how she felt. Their relationship was fraught with complications, and even though Sara was sure of what she wanted, she couldn't say the same for her lover.

They had been so close. It seemed as though the difficult circumstances that surrounded them had actually served to bring the two women together that much faster. She knew Billie had been about to tell her that she was in love with her, but then, in one explosive moment, everything had changed. Her only hope now was that, if given time, she would get the opportunity to finally hear those words.

"It'll only be for a while," Sara assured her as she placed a soft kiss on Billie's cheek. "Just until things cool down. And then, when we're both ready, we'll see where we go from there." Her lips moved to tease a partially exposed earlobe.

Billie pulled back, slightly, pinning her with a serious look. "It could be a long while."

The blonde smiled. "Then you better make this one count, Lieutenant." She placed a hand behind Billie's head and pulled her closer, uttering a soft sigh as their lips came together in a gentle kiss.

Billie's response was immediate as she cradled Sara's face in her hands and began to kiss her with ever-increasing fervor. Her fingers worked into silky, blonde hair as she shifted her position, pushing both of their bodies to the ground. She rolled on top of her lover, her breathing growing more ragged as her hands began to roam across soft, familiar curves, all other thoughts shoved to the back of her mind in the wake of her rising passion.

Sara could sense something different in Billie's movements, an urgency in the way she kissed her, touched her, as though her lover were trying to take every ounce she had to give. But, there was also a feeling of desperation in it, a kind of finality, and she found herself being overcome by the torrent of emotions that seemed to emanate from the young woman.

"Billie." The word came out in a gasp as Sara fought to catch her breath. Her lover seemed not to hear and she called out her name a second time with the same result. She could feel lips, tongue and teeth along the contours of her throat, insistent hands that seemed to be everywhere at once, and the brunette's rapid heartbeat pounding against her own. She squirmed against the onslaught of sensation, finally shouting her lover's name as she grabbed her face and forced her to stop. "Billie!"

The brunette's pale blue eyes were dark with arousal as she stared down at Sara, her expression a mixture of surprise and uncertainty. She couldn't move, kept frozen by the weight of Sara's gaze, waiting for the words that would either save her.or condemn her.

Instinctively, Sara knew she needed to be cautious. This was truly a side of Billie seldom seen by anyone. A complex surge of the young woman's emotions had pushed their way to the surface, and she seemed as unsure of how to deal with them as Sara did.

Gentle fingers stroked the brunette's flushed cheeks as soft lips placed feathery kisses on her slightly parted lips. Sara could feel the tension in Billie's body slowly draining away as she wrapped her arms around her and held her close.

"I'm sorry," came the soft whisper in Sara's ear, and she shivered as she pulled Billie tighter.

"Don't ever apologize for wanting me."

The brunette's only response was a heavy sigh.

"It won't be forever, Billie."

"I'll miss you."

Sara closed her eyes. "I'll miss you more."

Part 17

I'm gonna change my name
Things won't be the same
Cos I'm tired of playing your game
Ain't no use baby I tell you ain't no use
- Nina Simone

"Please come in, Lieutenant."

Billie nodded, passing by the woman holding the door as she entered the small apartment. The layout made it possible for her to get a glimpse into each room, and every inch of sparsely furnished space was immaculate. It reminded her of her own place, which she decided was probably an indication that, like her, its occupant didn't spend much time at home.

"I appreciate you letting me stop by so late," she offered.

"Not a problem," the woman responded as she closed the door. "I have a pile of work that'll keep me up for hours, anyway. I'm almost grateful for the diversion."

"I know the feeling," the lieutenant replied.

The older woman headed toward the kitchen, talking to Billie over her shoulder as she went. "Can I get you anything? I was just making myself some coffee."

The brunette followed her, stopping at the small divider between the living room and the kitchen. "No, thank you." She watched the woman move about, stifling a yawn as she leaned her thin frame, casually, against the counter.

The gesture didn't go unnoticed. "Are you sure?" her host prodded, gently. "You look like you could use it."

Billie grinned, sardonically. "Spoken like a caffeine junkie."

"Sometimes I think it would be easier to just stick a needle in my arm and eliminate the middleman," the woman replied, good-naturedly.

"Been there, done that."

A raised eyebrow was the woman's only response. "So, you were a bit cryptic on the phone."

"I know," Billie acknowledged. "But, I wanted to speak to you in person, Ms. Spencer."

Lois Spencer had been working in social services in the state of California for nearly thirty years, having begun her career as a caseworker back in the early seventies. When she first started out, much of her time had been spent in the placement of children into foster care.

"Well, then," Lois replied as she set her cup on the counter and grabbed a stool. "What can I do for you?" She motioned for Billie to sit down, as well.

The lieutenant seated herself. "I was hoping to jog your memory about an old case."

"What old case?" she questioned as she lifted the coffee to her lips.

"A young girl named Ilsa Karlsen."

The cup froze halfway to the woman's mouth. "Ilsa?" Lois looked at Billie in shock.

"You remember her?" the brunette questioned.

The woman immediately set her cup down. "What is this about?"

"Her name came up in an investigation," Billie explained vaguely. "So, you do remember her?"

Lois leveled her gaze at the young woman. "Vividly."

"I was hoping you might be able to give me a little background on her. I know she was in the system for about a year before she ran away. But, other than the basic info, there isn't much in the files. I was hoping you could fill in a few details."

Lois gave a subtle shake of her head. "I honestly don't know how much help I can be." She picked up her cup and took a long sip.

Billie eyed her, curiously. "According to the records I have, you were her caseworker."

"Yes, I was," the woman confirmed. "But, all I really did was shuffle her around from place to place. When she finally ran away, that was the last I ever saw of her."

The lieutenant seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before she said, "I'd still appreciate whatever insight you can provide."

"Well, I'm not sure what insight I can offer into that child."

"Why is that?"

The woman let out a heavy sigh, as though she were preparing to unload some enormous burden. "No one really knew Ilsa, Lieutenant, least of all me. I spent a lot of time with her in the beginning, but she never seemed interested in getting close to anyone. She could be very charming, at times, I will say that." She stared down at her coffee, swirling the liquid, slowly, in her hands. "But, that was only when she really wanted something."

"You make her sound very manipulative for a young girl," Billie commented.

"That's because she was," Lois said firmly. "Do you want my honest opinion?" Billie nodded. "Ilsa Karlsen was a classic sociopath. egocentric, incapable of any real empathy. In fact, if anything, I think most people bored her."

"What about her foster families? Did she ever make a connection with anyone there?"

"No," the woman replied sadly. "I don't think she was even capable of such a thing. She lied to them, stole from them, and even when they found out, she didn't seem to care. For Ilsa, relationships were simply a means to an end. She moved from house to house, family to family, always wearing out her welcome before too long. She basically burned a trail through the foster care system, and when it no longer served her purposes, she simply moved on."

"So," Billie pushed on, "What happened when she ran away?"

The older woman frowned. "I had to pick her up from another foster family. When I got there, I asked her to wait in the car while I spoke to them. I wasn't inside more than three or four minutes, but when I got back to the car, she was gone."

"And that was the last time you ever saw her?"

Lois nodded, noting the look of disappointment on the brunette's face. She stared at the lieutenant for a moment, as though she were holding something back, and debating with herself whether or not she should speak of it. "There is one thing.truthfully, I don't feel entirely comfortable telling you about it. Ilsa is a grown woman now, with a life I know nothing about. I wouldn't want to bring anything to light that might cause her pain or embarrassment."

"Look, Ms. Spencer, I understand your hesitancy to divulge certain information, but I wouldn't be here if it weren't vitally important." Billie's gaze was intense as she fixed the woman with a serious look. "Please.I need something."

Lois could hear the desperation in the young woman's voice, despite her best efforts to conceal it, and not for the first time this evening, she found herself wondering what it was that caused Ilsa Karlsen and Lieutenant Billie Chambers to cross paths. "Alright. But, I just want to say that this information never made it into Ilsa's records, mainly because I was never able to confirm it."

"I understand," Billie responded softly. "And I promise to keep your name out of this."

The woman released a heavy sigh. "About a month after Ilsa disappeared, I'd been having dinner with a friend of mine. He was a police officer over in West Hollywood. Well, given the nature of our work, we would often compare notes on some of the more difficult cases we'd dealt with. Since I'd nearly lost my job after Ilsa took off, he was extremely interested in hearing about her. After telling him what I could, he told me about a raid they'd conducted on a massage parlor up on Santa Monica Boulevard the week before. At least a dozen or so girls were picked up on suspicion of prostitution."

"Because he thought one of these girls might have been Ilsa?"

Lois nodded. "Well, his physical description of her certainly fit. She was unusually tall, which Ilsa certainly was, and she had long, blonde hair. He also said that she occasionally spoke in a foreign language."

"What language?" Billie asked, although she already felt certain of the answer.

"He wasn't sure, of course, but he thought it could have been Norwegian." Lois held her hand up, quickly. "Now, as I've already said, I couldn't confirm any of this, but there seemed to be too many coincidences. And, she wouldn't be the first runaway to have ended up turning tricks."

"Was there an arrest record?" the lieutenant asked.

"Unfortunately, no. I'm sure you must know these sweeps have been pretty routine for a long time, Lieutenant. They take names and check I.D's, but little else can be done, short of filling every jail cell in the county with these poor young women. And back then, I'm afraid these types of places were a dime a dozen."

Billie nodded in agreement as she pondered this new piece of information. If Felicia had been a prostitute, that might account for the name change. She certainly wouldn't have wanted anyone to find out what she'd done to earn money as a young woman. And, provided she'd managed to find the right backer, that could also explain how she'd earned enough money to move into L.A.'s upscale social scene.

During her time working undercover, the lieutenant had met a few high- priced call girls. Some of them were extremely well educated, even a few college grads. And the money they pulled in could be quite impressive. Of course, these were not the type of women who worked in massage parlors giving hand jobs, or walked the streets at night hustling frustrated husbands and college boys from car windows. They were set up with fancy digs, and their clientele consisted mainly of well-to-do men and women who required the utmost discretion, and were willing to pay top dollar for it.

"Do you know Ilsa, Lieutenant?"

Billie pulled herself out of her thoughts and glanced at Lois. "We've recently become acquainted."

"What is she like?" the woman asked softly. "How has her life turned out?"

The lieutenant looked pensive for a moment. She guessed that Lois had probably needed to hear the answers to those questions for many years, no doubt still feeling some sense of responsibility for the young girl that ran away so long ago.

"She seems happy.and she's done very well for herself."

"I hope the things I've told you won't be hurtful to her in any way," Lois lamented.

"I'm sure they won't," Billie lied.

Jacket.

Boots.

Socks.

Shirt.

Gun.

Belt.

Jeans.

Billie left a trail of debris from the door to the bed as she collapsed onto the mattress, clad only in her black tank top and underwear. She stretched out onto her stomach, arms sliding underneath the pillows as she burrowed her head into the soft, feathery down. She couldn't remember ever feeling so tired in all her life.

A single lid lifted up as a bloodshot, blue eye glanced at the clock on the bedside table. It was almost midnight. Her muscles protested as she shifted, slightly, reminding her of the fact that she hadn't slept since yesterday morning. Just then, her stomach decided to get in on the game, as well, growling at her for not having eaten anything since.since when?

Last night. Sara had cooked grilled salmon.

Sara.

Billie rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling. She needed to stop thinking. Thinking was counterproductive to sleep, and if there was one thing she wanted more than anything at that moment, it was to sleep. She closed her eyes and tried to relax, taking slow, deep breaths, and willing her body to shut down.

Her mind, however, was another story.

She couldn't help wondering where Sara was sleeping tonight. Was she okay? Was she with friends? Was she thinking about Billie?

"Oh, for Christ's sake," the brunette muttered as she grabbed a pillow and placed it over her face. She held it there, firmly, trying to determine whether or not it was possible to render herself unconscious. The sound of her cell phone ringing was a clear indication that it wasn't working.

She groaned, loudly and climbed out of the bed, hunting around for her jacket. She found it lying near the door and fished her cell phone out of the pocket, collapsing back onto the bed in a heap as she answered, "This had better be an emergency."

"Would you consider phone sex an emergency?"

The corner of her mouth twisted up in a small grin. "Why do you people always call late at night?"

"The rates are cheaper."

Billie tucked an arm under her head and closed her eyes as she conjured up an image in her mind. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Beautiful face. Killer body. "Remind me to buy you a phone card."

"Why, that would practically make me a working girl," Sara responded in mock indignation. "Now, where was I?"

"Emergency phone sex, I believe."

"Oh, yeah." There was a brief pause. "So, what are you wearing?"

Billie smiled into the dark. "Nothing but a smile."

"Mmm.Well, then, I think I'll start at your cute little earlobe...stroke it softly with the tip of my tongue, take it between my teeth and nibble on it as the tips of my fingers slide, slowly, down to that lovely, sensitive spot at the base of your throat." Her soft, husky voice continued on as she verbally roamed Billie's body, describing, in the most lurid detail, all of the delicious deeds as she performed them in her head. After several uninterrupted minutes, she stopped, waiting for her lover to respond in kind.

One minute.

"Billie?"

Two minutes.

"Billie?"

Nothing.

Sara strained her ear, listening for anything on the other end of the line. For a brief moment, she thought they'd lost their connection. Finally, she heard a faint sound coming through. It was strangely familiar.

Billie was snoring.

The lieutenant opened her eyes, a feeling of disorientation permeating her senses until she finally realized she was in her own bed. She sat up, quickly, feeling something drop to the blanket beside her. It was her cell phone.

She picked it up as she glanced over at the clock. It read four- thirty. She'd fallen asleep right in the middle of.something. Still fighting the cobwebs, she rubbed at her eyes as she struggled to recall what she'd been doing before going to sleep. She glanced down at the phone in her hand.

Sara. She'd been talking to Sara and.

"Oh, shit," she said aloud to the empty room. She dropped back to the mattress again, letting the phone fall from her grasp as it bounced across the bed. How on earth could she have fallen asleep in the middle of that?

She glanced over at the phone again, watching the tiny green light as it flickered like a beacon in the darkness. Sara must have realized what happened, otherwise her lover probably would have already beaten her door down to make sure she was okay. She considered calling her for a moment, but realized it would have to wait until a more reasonable hour. As she reached over to grab it, her cell phone rang, startling her as she snatched it up and hit the button.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out immediately. "I've never fallen asleep in the middle before."

"No need to apologize, elsker."

Felicia.

Billie was taken completely off guard by the sound of her voice. She lay there in the darkness, suddenly feeling very alone.

"I know you're still there, Billie. I can hear your heart beating."

"What do you want?" the lieutenant asked, not liking the way her voice sounded.

Felicia made a noise reminiscent of a purring cat. "I just awoke from the most wonderful dream, and I had to call and share it with you."

"Did it involve iron bars and a woman named Big Mary?" There. That sounded better.

"You never stop, do you?" the woman chided, gently. "Actually, there was a woman in my dream. Would you like to know who it was?"

"I'm breathless with anticipation," the lieutenant replied flatly.

"It was you," Felicia said softly.

Billie could feel her control slipping. "Felicia, why don't you just knock off this shit-"

"And do you know what the best part was, Billie?" the woman continued speaking, completely ignoring the lieutenant's outburst.

Felicia was goading her, of course, and as she seemed to so often these days, Billie took the bait. "What?"

Felicia's voice lowered to a whisper. "You were mine."

The line went dead.

Billie sat up, staring at the phone as the woman's words echoed in her mind. Felicia certainly loved to play her games. But, Billie was already way past the point of play.

She was ready to fight.

Deaq walked up the stairs to Billie's office, stopping in the doorway as he took in her appearance. She sat behind her desk, staring down at a pad of paper as her hand remained poised above it with pen in hand. She seemed to be lost in thought, not noticing him until he finally cleared his throat to alert her to his presence. "Hey, Billie."

"Hey," she responded without looking up as she began to write again.

"I've never seen you in your fancy threads," he commented, taking note of her dress uniform.

"Funny, I feel like I've worn them more in the last year than during the entire span of my career." She dropped the pen and looked up at him. "I know you and Van want to be there, but you know it's too high profile."

"Yeah, we get that," he confirmed. "But, it still sucks. Ollie was one of our own."

"I know." Billie got up from her desk and grabbed her hat and gloves. She looked around for a moment. "Where's Van?"

"Well," he held his hands out to either side. "Slick was out kinda late last night."

Billie arched a brow. "A new girlfriend?"

Deaq smiled. "Now, come on, Boss. You know, if it don't have a rap sheet, he just can't get with it."

"Right," the brunette smirked. "So, what's the story?"

"Ellis was doin' a little braggin' about him being able to drink anybody under the table and shit."

Billie took a second to process his words. Ellis. The drug dealer. The Candy Store's latest mark. "Oh, God, don't tell me..."

"He was sick as a dog," Deaq laughed. "You should have seen him. all `I love you man' and everything. I had to carry him out over my shoulder when he started singin' Neil Diamond songs."

"Are we still in?"

"I got a meeting with him this morning," Deaq answered confidently. "Everything goes fly, we should be making a deal by the end of the week. One mil in smack, two mil in blow."

Billie nodded. "Nice work."

Deaq approached her desk. "You still got that info on the warehouse?"

"Yeah," she answered, handing him a folder. "This is where we want to set up the buy, but if he seems too jiggy let him make the call. So long as we have some notice, we'll be able to get everything set up. And I want to meet with the two of you later this afternoon when I get back."

"Right." Deaq glanced down at the pad of paper on Billie's desk, narrowing his dark eyes as he tried to read her writing upside down. He had trouble making sense of the words, until he finally realized it was only one word.written over and over again. He turned to Billie as she started out the door. "Hey."

She stopped in the doorway and looked back at him. "Yeah?"

"What does `elsker' mean?"

Billie fixed her hat onto her head, giving it a firm tug. "It means `lover'."

Deaq's gaze followed her as she quickly headed down the stairs and strode, purposefully, toward the large metal doors at the other end of the warehouse. Blinding sunshine spilled in as the main entrance opened before her, bathing the young lieutenant in its warmth as she walked outside.

It was a great day for a funeral.

Part 18

All I feel is heat and flame
and all I see are dark eyes.
- Bob Dylan

"Felicia Ralston was a hooker?"

Billie was leaning against the driver's door of a Red Lamborghini, watching with feigned interest while Van slid a soft rag across the hood, his arm moving in slow, lazy circles as he polished it to a pristine shine.

She'd been bringing her two operatives up to date on recent developments, including her visit to Lois Spencer last night. She kept the details of Jill's disappearance vague, purposely omitting Sara's participation in the whole fiasco. Deaq, in particular, had been very unhappy to find out she'd jumped bail, and Billie had no desire to tell him that her lover had been the reason Jill had gotten away. Additionally, the two men were more than curious over Sara's decision to leave town for a while, but they seemed to understand Billie's need to table that discussion for the time being.

"I still have to confirm it," she answered. "But, that's the gist of what I got."

"Doesn't seem so out there to me," Deaq commented as he walked over to them, a basketball cradled in his hands. "A fifteen year old girl, no family, no money, out on the streets.you do what you gotta do to survive." He rolled the ball between his fingertips. "But, that's still goin' back quite a ways, Billie. You got somebody in mind?"

"I know a couple of people I can tap. One of them operates some upscale digs in Inglewood now. I'm paying her a visit as soon as I go home and get changed."

Van immediately stopped his motions and looked up at her. "Ahh, you sure you wouldn't rather leave that up to us?"

"Yeah," Deaq agreed as he flashed a broad smile. "We'd be happy to do some of the.leg work."

"I'm sure you would," Billie smirked. "But, Maeve isn't about to talk to the two of you. And besides," she shrugged, "I helped her out of a little jam once, so she owes me."

Van glanced over at his partner. "Translation: We don't get to go the whorehouse."

"Damn."

Billie shook her head, briefly, before turning her attention to Deaq. "So, what's up with Ellis?"

"A1, baby," he answered as he twirled the ball on his index finger. "We're down for five on Friday." He breathed in, deeply, through his nose and let it out in a quick, heavy sigh. "Nothing like a good bust to start your day out right."

Van turned to him. "Five in the morning?"

Deaq rolled his eyes. "I told you-"

"When you said five, I thought you meant, like, five at night, not five in the morning," Van argued. "That is just way too early."

"So whatcha want me to do? Call up Ellis and tell him that we can't make our score because poor little Van needs his beauty rest?"

"I'm a night owl," Van replied defensively. "I can't help it." He looked over at Billie. "It's an internal clock thing."

"Well, you better make an adjustment," she informed him. "We'll have everything in place. They'll be hauling the both of you in, as well, so make it look good." She suddenly pointed a finger at Van. "Just don't hit any Unis, alright?"

"Why do you always direct those comments to me instead of-"

"No problem, Boss," Deaq replied quickly cutting off his partner.

Billie straightened up and grabbed her uniform jacket off the seat of a nearby motorcycle. "Alright, guys. Play nice. I'll catch up with you later." She started toward the doors as Deaq called out to her.

"Hey, hold up."

The lieutenant stopped and turned to look at him. "Yeah?"

"You said there were a couple of people you could tap," he reminded her. "Who's the other one?"

"A last resort." She waved a hand at them and strolled out the door.

He stared after her for a moment before turning back to his partner. "Looks like things are getting extremely complicated, my man."

"You think maybe Sara's hooking up with Jill?"

Deaq shook his head, slowly. "She seems like she's got some genuine concern for Billie, and all, especially since the house went up. And she wanted to stay close, so I kinda doubt she'd take off for good."

Van straightened up and tossed the rag aside. "So, maybe she just needed a little breathing room," he suggested.

"Or, maybe she's got Billie's back without Billie knowin' about it."

Felicia walked, briskly, through the warehouse, her long strides giving her movements an almost feline gracefulness. She nodded on occasion to a passing employee, more out of habit than any genuine sense of camaraderie. The constant presence of U.S. Customs was making everyone a bit tense, and she'd discovered that simply by acknowledging the hired help, it seemed to assuage some of the discomfort everyone was feeling. She honestly couldn't have cared less about the scrutiny, knowing it was mostly manufactured for the sole purpose of irritating her.

Thinking about the root of that little thorn brought a smile to the blonde's face as she approached her office. The phone call she'd made to Billie early this morning had been her own way of planting a little seed of discord. She knew the move was unanticipated, and it gave her a small thrill to know she'd thrown the young lieutenant a curve she'd been unable to see.

She slipped a key into the lock and pushed the door open, letting it swing wide as she walked over to the desk and dropped her purse on top. The sound of the door shutting behind her was completely unexpected. She spun around, fully prepared to dress down whoever had the nerve to come in without first announcing themselves, but, when she saw who it was, the words died on her lips.

"Hello, Felicia."

Felicia took a few seconds to regain her composure, as well as wanting a chance to assess the other person's demeanor. The visit didn't come as much of a surprise to her, although she'd been expecting it sooner. She endeavored to keep her expression neutral as her eyes fell on the gun now being pointed in her direction. "How are you, Sara?"

"I'm good," the young blonde answered casually. "Well, except for a teeny, tiny skull fracture." She cocked the trigger and leveled the gun at the taller woman. "And you?"

Felicia gave her a tight smile. "I'm so happy to see you haven't lost your sense of humor."

Sara shrugged her shoulders and moved a step closer. "Yeah, well, if you can't laugh at life.blah, blah, blah." Her eyes narrowed, dangerously. "I thought it was time for you and me to have a talk. Or, better yet, I'll talk, you listen."

Felicia's dark eyes remained fixed on the gun. "You have my undivided attention."

"Good," she replied, the tone of her voice remaining soft and steady. "Now that Jill's gone, I think it's time to put all of this nasty revenge business away, don't you?" She took another step, bringing the barrel of the gun to within inches of Felicia's chest. "Because if you so much as look at Billie again, I'm going to come back here with a step stool and put a bullet right through that fucked up little head of yours." She tilted her head, slightly. "Are we clear?"

Felicia pursed her lips as she shook her head, giving the young woman a look of pity. She released a heavy sigh and said, "I think you've misread the situation, Sara."

"Excuse me?"

The taller woman lifted her hands, slowly, in a gesture of surrender. "I have no quarrel with Billie."

"Oh, I see," Sara said, her brows knitting together. "So you go around blowing up houses just for the hell of it?"

Felicia leaned back, slowly, and perched herself on the edge of the desk. "Admittedly, my actions were irrational. I was blinded by my feelings for Jill, and I allowed those misguided emotions to get in the way of my good judgment. But, as you say, now that she's gone, all of that unpleasant business is settled."

The blonde stared at Felicia. "You have got to be kidding."

"I assure you that I'm not." She crossed her arms and legs, briefly flashing back to the other day, when Billie had been seated in the exact same spot. A tiny smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, and it took enormous effort for her to suppress it. "When I explained everything to Billie yesterday, she was very.understanding."

"You're full of shit, Felicia," Sara shot back, not liking the way her lover's name rolled off the woman's tongue. It had an intimate quality that she didn't like. Not one little bit. "Billie would never fall for that pile of crap."

Felicia could see the tiny shred of doubt in the young woman's eyes. Mistrust was like a cancer. If you gave it the opportunity, it would spread, eventually killing everything in its path.

"It might interest you to know that she and I have recently discovered that we have a great many things in common." Her eyes fixed, pointedly, on the gun in Sara's hand. "I suppose now we can add one more item to the list."

"You are every bit as crazy as Jill said you were." Sara's voice lowered to a husky whisper. "And I'm not going to stand by while you set your sights on Billie."

"Is that what you think is happening here, Sara?" Felicia laughed, softly. "Jill was right about you. You are a misguided, naïve young woman."

Sara's jaw clenched as her finger tightened on the trigger. "I'm warning you," she said menacingly. "Stay away from her."

The tall blonde cast a sly look. "What if that isn't what she wants?"

Sara rolled her eyes, almost laughing aloud in exasperation. "You really are out there, lady, you know that? You don't know anything about what Billie wants."

"Perhaps not," Felicia conceded as she started to rise. "But, more importantly, do you know what she wants, Sara?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I have something in there that might be of interest to you," the woman answered as she gestured toward the far wall.

Sara followed her gaze, immediately spotting the large fireproof safe sitting in the corner. Her blue eyes narrowed in suspicion as she looked back at the older woman. She knew she should just get the hell out of there. Her only intent had been to deliver a message, and she'd accomplished that. Still, she couldn't seem to contain her curiosity. And if she really wanted to help Billie, it would be better for her to know what Felicia was hiding up her sleeve.

"Be my guest." She gestured toward the safe with her gun and allowed Felicia to walk over to it. As the woman knelt down and began to press a series of numbers on the electronic keypad, Sara hovered directly over her, readying herself for any sign of trickery. Purely out of habit, she made a mental note of the combination: 36040.

Felicia removed a small, manila envelope, which she promptly held over her shoulder for Sara to take. "This should make everything perfectly clear."

She reached out and snatched the envelope from the woman's hand before moving back toward the front of the desk. She kept the gun trained on Felicia as the woman stood up and walked over to stand on the other side. Sara dropped the small packet to the desk, emptying its contents with a quick motion of her hand. An array of photographs spilled out, and she quickly scattered them around trying to get a better look at the images.

Sara froze.

Felicia...and Billie.

The young woman stared in disbelief, unable or unwilling to take her eyes off the pictures. Each snapshot was like a knife tearing into her, and she finally closed her eyes for a few seconds, her head slowly moving back and forth, as if she were trying to rid herself of what she'd just seen. "This is some kind of trick. These pictures." Sara finally opened her eyes, shooting the other woman a hateful glare. "You did this," she accused Felicia, angrily. "Billie would never-"

"Never what?" Felicia interrupted. "Never lie to you?"

"She would never be with someone like you," Sara spat, her eyes darting between the pictures and Felicia.

"As opposed to someone like you, Sara?" Felicia said calmly. "Why, you're little more than a common thug, as well as being a fugitive from the law. If you and she were ever discovered, it would mean utter disaster for Billie. Her career would be over. She could even go to prison." The tall blonde leaned forward a bit, her voice lowering to a near whisper. "Do you know what they do to police officers in prison, Sara? She's already been there once, and you've seen the scar she carries from that awful experience. Are you so eager to see more?"

"What are you talking about?" Sara demanded, watching as Felicia dragged the tip of her finger across her mid-section.

Sara had noticed the scar on Billie's stomach the first night they'd spent together. But, the story given was that it was the result of a mugging. Of course, that was before she knew Billie was a cop. Even after everything came out, she'd never given it a second thought. And her lover had never bothered to correct the lie, probably because there were so many lies that the lieutenant simply couldn't remember all the ones she'd told.

She could feel her rage bubbling up, threatening to choke her if she didn't let it go. She moved with amazing speed, grabbing Felicia by the arm as she shoved her, roughly, into the chair behind the desk. With murderous intent, she pressed the gun against the woman's forehead. "I don't know how you got those," she gestured toward the pile of pictures with a quick jerk of her head. "But, right now, the only thing I care about is making sure you stay away from her. Period."

A knock at the door drew their attention and Sara leaned down as she whispered, "Tell them you're on the phone."

"I'm on the phone," Felicia called out in a steady voice. She remained silent until she was certain the person had gone away. Her dark gaze fixed on Sara's blue eyes, the anger and jealousy now residing in them giving her incentive to push the young woman just a bit further. "What are you going to do now, Sara? Shoot me? That would most certainly ruin any chance you have with the lovely lieutenant, now wouldn't it?"

Sara could only stare at her with pure hatred.

"I think you're angrier at Billie right now," Felicia continued to taunt her. "She certainly keeps many secrets, doesn't she? And she refuses to let you in, to let you know who she really is." The woman's tone sounded reasonable, but her poisonous words were beginning to worm their way into Sara's somewhat troubled psyche.

The young woman tried to block them out, to tell herself that it was merely Felicia's way of attempting to drive a wedge between her and Billie. But, there was no denying that those words were hitting just a little bit too close to home.

Billie had deliberately lied about her confrontation with Felicia, and the photographs certainly spoke volumes about how much she was purposefully hiding. Unfortunately, that critical omission had only served to give Felicia the opportunity to blindside Sara, allowing her to brandish those pictures like a weapon. And they were definitely having the desired effect, by shattering an already delicate bond of trust.

She glanced over at the pictures again, a pained expression crossing her face as she straightened up and lowered the gun, slightly. "I'm going to slip out the back door. Make a sound, and I'll come back here and kill you. You understand me?"

"Perfectly."

Sara stepped back, her eyes straying to the pictures as she came around to the front of the desk. She reached down and scooped them up, along with the envelope, and headed out the back door without another word.

Felicia leaned back in her chair with a pleased look on her face. "Well, something tells me our young lovers are about to have a nasty quarrel."

Dark and exotic.

Those were the words that came to her mind as Billie stepped off the elevator, pausing a moment to examine the dimly lit hallway as the doors closed behind her. She took a few slow, tentative steps, unsure of where she should go, as there didn't appear to be anything ahead of her except a narrow, empty corridor.

Since the logical move was to go forward, she began to pick up her pace, the sounds of her footsteps muted by the plush carpeting beneath her. The walls on either side were covered with a rich, textured tapestry that served to swallow up what little brightness the overhead lights could offer.

As she approached the end of the hall, a door opened in front of her, emitting a shadowed figure, and Billie immediately felt the hair on the back of neck rise in response. She knew the surroundings were meant to be mysterious and alluring, but with everything that had already happened over the last week, the sensory deprivation was merely serving to make her cautious and tense.

"Can I help you?" came a soft and distinctly feminine voice.

Billie watched as the woman closed the door behind her, although she made no move to come out of the shadows. "I'm here to see Maeve."

"And you are?"

"Just tell her Billie is here to see her."

There was a brief pause. "Would you mind waiting for a moment?"

"Not at all."

The door opened again as the woman retreated back to wherever she came from, and Billie began to fidget in place, reaching her hand out to stroke the soft material on the wall. As her fingers brushed it, the door opened and another figure emerged. The lieutenant could tell right away it was someone else by the outline of his or her shadow. This new person was decidedly taller.and wider.

"Would you follow me, please?" It was another woman's voice this time, which made Billie's brow arch in surprise. She obediently followed them through the door, slowing as she stepped inside so she could have a chance to survey her surroundings.

The room she was led into reminded her of a small hotel lobby, complete with velvet couches, floor plants, and a front desk. There were two women seated against the far wall, and both made eye contact with her as she looked in their direction. There was a third woman, a very attractive brunette with dark eyes and skin to match, standing behind the counter. When she saw Billie, she flashed a brief smile.

The woman directly in front of Billie turned to the others across the room and said, "Why don't the two of you wait in the other room?" They immediately stood and walked around the desk, disappearing through a door located just behind it. She then turned her attention back to Billie. "My name is Sondra."

The lieutenant's blue eyes fixed on the taller woman, taking in her formidable appearance: jet black hair, closely cropped, and a rock- solid frame covered with lean, taught muscle. She wore a white silk shirt and dark green pants, her statuesque look seeming more like that of a model than a bouncer, which is how Billie thought of her.

"Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" Sondra asked.

Billie knew she wouldn't get any further if she refused the request. "Go ahead."

"Are you with a law enforcement agency?"

"I'm LAPD, which Maeve is aware of."

"Can I see your I.D?"

Billie immediately produced her badge, which Sondra took a moment to examine before giving a slight nod. "Anything else?"

"Are you carrying a weapon?"

"Yes," she answered. "And it stays with me."

Sondra nodded in understanding. "Do you have any electronic listening devices on you at this moment?"

"No."

"Would you mind if we checked?"

Billie sighed in exasperation. "Look, I'm not here for any action. I just want to talk to Maeve."

"I'm afraid the only way you're getting through there," Sondra pointed to the door behind the desk, "is if we can verify that you are not wearing a wire."

"Oh, for Christ's sake," the lieutenant muttered. She looked between the two women, noticing the dark beauty behind the desk smiling at her again. With a quick shake of her head she reluctantly replied, "Fine."

The sound of a cell phone interrupted them as Sondra removed her phone from her pocket and answered a call. After a brief exchange, she ended it and glanced at the other woman present. "Someone's on their way up that I need to greet. Why don't you take care of this?" She turned her attention to Billie and said, "This is Maria. She'll do the search, and then, when I come back I'll take you to see Maeve." She didn't wait for a response before exiting the room.

Billie glanced at the pretty brunette. "Alright, Maria, let's just get this over with."

A mischievous smile curled the young woman's lips as she came around from behind the desk holding a device in her hand. She removed a small wand attached to the side and held it up in front of the lieutenant. "Feet slightly apart, arms out to your sides please."

Following the woman's instructions, Billie adjusted her stance, waiting patiently while Maria moved the wand across her body. As it passed over her hip, Billie heard it make a slight chirping noise.

"Your gun?" Maria asked. Billie nodded, moving her jacket aside and exposing it to her. She continued on for a few seconds, until she got a signal from Billie's waist. "Do you have a belly piercing?"

"No."

Maria repeated her motion, getting the same reaction again. "Would you mind undoing your belt?"

Billie complied with a slightly irritable gesture as she unbuckled it and let the ends hang loose. The same thing happened a third time. "That thing must be defective."

The other woman turned away from her and placed the device on the counter before turning back to look at her. "I'll have to check for myself."

Billie's eyes widened, slightly. "Excuse me?"

Maria smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'll be gentle." Without further ado, she reached over and unsnapped the waistband of Billie's jeans, slowing pulling the zipper down and sliding her hand inside.

The lieutenant visibly stiffened as she felt the woman's slender fingers moving across her skin, flirting with the thin band of her underwear. A thumb stroked her rapidly tightening abdominal muscles. "Ahh.I don't-"

"You're in very good shape, Billie." The two women were standing face to face as Maria's other hand slipped inside, as well. Her fingertips glided along the edge of the brunette's pants, probing the rough material in search of something she knew she wouldn't find. "You've put on a little weight. It looks good on you."

The lieutenant's voice sounded distracted. "Umm.thanks." She stared at those dark, beautiful eyes, blinking several times as the realization of Maria's words finally struck her. "Have we met before?"

"Yes, we have," Maria said softly. "Unfortunately, you don't seem to remember." Her face hovered in front of Billie, their eyes locking as her hand moved a little lower. "Maybe, I can jog your memory."

Billie's hips jerked as she felt a pleasurable jolt between her legs, the young woman's fingers brushing against her as soft, full lips pressed against her own. She reached up and gently pried the woman's hands from her body as she broke off the kiss.

Maria frowned, slightly. "I'm sorry if I-"

"Don't apologize." Billie could feel the heat emitting from her face. along with one or two other places. "Believe me, it's taking every ounce of willpower I have right now to put on the brakes."

The young woman smiled. "You still make the same correlation between sex and cars."

The lieutenant's face was somber. "We met a few years ago, right?"

"So, you do remember?"

Billie took a step back and proceeded to put herself back together, avoiding eye contact with Maria as she answered, "Actually.no."

The dark-haired woman's expression registered confusion. "But, you just said we-"

"Let's just say I have a few blank pages from back then," Billie interrupted.

"Because of the drugs?" Maria asked gently.

The lieutenant stared at her. "Yeah.yeah, that's right." She found it extremely unsettling that this young woman seemed to know so much about her when she couldn't even remember her.

Maria seemed to sense her level of discomfort, because she immediately changed the subject. "Why don't you go on ahead, and I'll let Sondra know when she gets back."

"You sure that isn't a problem?" Billie asked, suddenly feeling as though she'd just offended the young woman.

"No, not at all," Maria responded. "I'm sure Maeve will be happy to see you."

She walked around to the door and paused, turning back to Maria as she said, "Why didn't you just tell Sondra that you knew who I was?"

The woman leaned across the counter, her eyes raking over Billie as she answered, "Then, I wouldn't have had a chance to.check you over."

"And what if Sondra had done it?" Billie asked, curiously.

"I would've watched."

The lieutenant met Maria's steady gaze. "You know, I really wish I could remember."

A seductive smile played across the young woman's lips. "Well, I'll tell you this much," she replied softly. "It was fabulous." She gave Billie a quick wink.

Billie smiled at her and went inside.

Part 19

I've been down every road you could go
I made some bad choices as you know
- Pink

"Well, will you look at what the cat dragged in?"

Billie approached the older woman standing in an open doorway. "Hey, Maeve. It's been awhile."

"That it has." The tall, slender redhead reached out and took a hold of Billie's chin, moving the young woman's head from side to side as she nodded approvingly. "You look good.a little tired, maybe, but still a face and body that would stop traffic."

The lieutenant politely extracted herself from the woman's hold, suddenly feeling a bit like a prized stud at a horse auction. "Thanks. I guess."

"So, what brings you by? I heard you'd moved up the ranks." She stepped aside and motioned for Billie to enter the room.

"Keeping tabs on me?" Billie asked looking over her shoulder as Maeve followed her inside and closed the door. She glanced around at the furnishings, which seemed better suited for a bedroom than an office. But, given the woman's occupation, she supposed it probably made some kind of twisted sense.

Billie had known Maeve Tierney since her first undercover assignment with the vice squad. She was still in uniform at the time, but a certain captain had seen her potential, and tapped her to help out with a brief stint in plain clothes, which translated to barely any clothes, as the job called for her to pose as a prostitute.

The whole operation was beyond Billie's level of experience, but she rose to the challenge, garnering her first collar, and her first conviction. The pimp she nabbed was beating up on his own girls, and after seeing the results of his work first hand, the young officer was more than eager to take him down.

Her way in had been through Maeve, who ran an upscale escort service in Santa Monica at the time. She and Parish went way back, and in exchange for her cooperation, he allowed her to conduct her business with little interference. It wasn't a perfect arrangement, but the LAPD knew all too well that they had to look the other way sometimes, in order to focus on the more serious criminals. Prostitution was never going to disappear, so the general consensus was to weed out the worst of them, and try to keep the rest in line.

Maeve had shown Billie the ropes, so to speak, and in less than a week, she was put next to the man she'd been sent after. It didn't take long before she was in a position to witness a vicious beating he was delivering to one of his girls. After recklessly putting herself in between them, she managed to make her very first undercover bust, and even had a broken arm to show for it.

She received her first commendation for that arrest, standing proudly in the squad room with her arm in a cast, while her fellow officers applauded her performance. That single case had been enough to convince her that she had found her true calling, and that becoming a detective was the single most important thing in her life.

Maeve looked the young woman over as she answered, "Hardly, I just haven't seen you since.well, you hear things, that's all." She walked over to a large glass-top desk and seated herself behind it, gesturing for the lieutenant to take a seat. "You had a long reach for a while there, Billie. People were naturally curious when you just up and disappeared one day."

The brunette's shrug was non-committal. "I moved on. No big mystery."

Maeve held her hand up in the air, making a sweeping gesture. "The great Detective Billie Chambers suddenly vanishes." She dropped her hand to the desk and smiled. "It reads like a tabloid headline, honey." Her green eyes twinkled, mischievously, as she pinned the lieutenant with a knowing look. "The bigger they are."

Billie shot the woman an impatient glare. "I didn't really come here to talk about that."

"Then, why are you here?" Maeve questioned as she leaned back in her chair. She couldn't assuage her curiosity over the woman's disappearance. The last time she'd seen Billie, the detective had been in very rough shape, and it didn't take a genius to see that she was headed for a major crash and burn. But, looking at the confident, steady young woman seated across from her now, one would never know just how bad off she'd been.

"I need some information."

Maeve sighed and waved a hand at her. "I only dance with Bob, sweetheart. You should know that by now."

"I'm still working for him," Billie explained. "Look, Maeve, its ancient history. It won't come back at you."

"So you say," she responded coolly. Her gaze hardened as she contemplated the lieutenant's request. She knew to be cautious where Billie Chambers was concerned, and she'd learned early on to never take anything the detective said at face value. "You better not bring anything down on me, Billie."

"I won't," the brunette insisted.

After a moment of consideration, the older woman nodded her consent. "Lay it on me."

"I'm interested in a woman who worked your old stomping grounds back in the late seventies."

"You're kidding," Maeve responded, taking notice of the serious expression on Billie's face. "Okay, you're not kidding. So, what was her name?"

"Ilsa Karlsen."

"Ilsa." The redhead furrowed her brow in concentration, lowering her gaze as she repeated the name to herself several times. "It's not a common name, that's for sure." After a moment, she shook her head in frustration. "It definitely rings a bell."

"Was she one of yours?" Billie questioned.

"No, I remember the names of all my girls." She looked up, suddenly, snapping her fingers as recognition dawned in her eyes. "Wait a minute. There was a woman.umm.Swedish or something, right?"

"Norwegian."

"People always think I'm Scottish," Maeve commented with a shrug. "Yeah, I remember hearing her name from some of the other girls."

"What can you tell me about her?" Billie asked.

"Not much, honey. She was one of Pelli's heavy hitters."

The lieutenant released a long sigh. "Somehow, I knew you were going to say that."

The older woman gave her a sympathetic look. "Is it really that important?"

"Yes."

"He won't be happy to see you."

"That'll make us even," Billie commented.

Maeve sat back and studied the lieutenant more closely. She knew Bob Parish thought very highly of Billie Chambers, and his opinion carried a lot of weight with her. That was the main reason why she had trusted the detective enough to rely on her once before, during a rather difficult business situation.

The young woman's methods certainly weren't pretty, but in the end, she had gotten results. Unfortunately, everything came to a head in one extremely volatile evening, and Maeve ended up having to call on Billie, not realizing it couldn't have been at a worse time. She had no way of knowing how bad things would get, but at least she'd managed to save Billie from the one person who seemed determined to do her in that night.

Herself.

Maeve wouldn't have used the old `Jekyl and Hyde' analogy to describe the woman's behavior, but it was fair to say that the Billie Chambers she had come to know, and the one who showed up on her doorstep that warm, July evening, were two very different people.

She eventually discovered the reason behind the woman's sudden personality change from another young detective by the name of Alexa Tan, who came to Billie's aid when everything went to hell.

After a brief period of silence, Maeve asked, "Did you see Maria on your way in?" The way the brunette's posture suddenly stiffened told her that she had.

"Yeah."

"You know, she's asked about you many times."

Billie narrowed her eyes. "Was she the one there that night?"

Maeve gazed at her curiously. "Did you forget that?"

The lieutenant's gaze darkened, as she tried to recall the events of a night several years ago. What little she could remember stayed with her as more of a feeling than any real memory. The bits and pieces she'd managed to recollect were reminiscent of staring out at the horizon on a scorching summer day: Everything was hazy and out of focus. There were only two things she could remember with absolute clarity: beating someone until her fists bled, and winding up in Malibu with Alexa.

Unfortunately, the days that followed were all too clear as she once again battled to get control of her addiction. Some time later, Alexa filled in some of the blanks for her by talking to Maeve, and then proceeded to cover up the mess Billie had left behind.

Eventually, they'd managed to form a coherent chain of events, beginning with a phone call she'd received from Maeve on the day she returned from her parent's funeral in Oregon, and culminating in a brawl with a man named Anthony Pelligrini, who had been giving Maeve some trouble over territories and clientele. Along the way, there had been a lot of booze, sex, and heroin, and all of it had been fueled by Billie's dangerously self-destructive behavior.

"I was pretty messed up, Maeve," she finally admitted.

"Well, I won't argue with you there." The redhead leaned forward and removed a cigarette from a small glass jar on her desk, pausing to offer one to Billie, who merely shook her head, distractedly, still trying to drudge up the details of her first encounter with Maria.

"I quit."

"Heroin.and cigarettes?" Maeve gave Billie a look of genuine admiration. "I'm impressed."

The lieutenant focused her attention on the woman as she said, "You'll get there."

"Not until they can invent something better." She put the cigarette between her lips and lifted a lighter to the tip, taking a long, slow drag. "I can't even imagine that," she sighed as a small cloud of gray smoke drifted upward. "Did you tell her that you don't remember her?"

"Yeah." Billie looked away at that point, her gaze wandering around the room as she once again took notice of the unusual décor. "This is quite an interesting place you've got here."

"You're avoiding the subject," Maeve pointed out.

"No, I'm changing the subject," Billie corrected her.

"Why?"

"Because I don't like it."

"Your friend said you went through a very bad time," the redhead stated. "I'm sorry I got you mixed up in that mess. If I had known what was going on-"

"Yeah, well, timing is everything," Billie interrupted as she stood up and began to move around the room, idly touching the furniture as she went. "And besides, it wasn't your fault. I came looking for trouble." She approached the desk and folded her arms across her chest. "He still operating in the same place?"

Maeve knew Billie would do whatever the hell she wanted, but still felt it necessary to warn her, nonetheless. "Yes, but I don't think it would be a good idea for you to go to there alone."

"I'm a big girl."

"Maybe so, but he's not exactly the forgiving type," the older woman cautioned. "And I'm sure he'd love nothing better than to even the score, considering how emasculated he felt after you beat the shit out of him in front of his girls."

Billie shrugged her shoulders. "He had it coming." She turned away and headed for the door, holding her hand up in a casual wave. "I gotta go. Thanks, Maeve."

"Billie?"

The brunette paused in the doorway. "Yeah?"

"Say hello to Bob for me, will you?"

"You bet."

"And tell him to come up and see me sometime."

Billie shot her a wry grin. "Isn't that Mae West's line?"

"What can I say?" Maeve replied with a broad smile. "She's my hero."

The lieutenant merely shook her head and laughed as she headed out the door.

The waiting room where Billie entered earlier was now filled with at least half a dozen men, all standing around looking anxious as Sondra spoke to each of them in turn, apparently making arrangements for payment in advance.

When Billie came through the door behind the desk, one of the men pointed at her and said something to Sondra under his breath. She grinned at him and looked over her shoulder at the lieutenant as she said, "I think she'd be a little too much for you."

The brunette rolled her eyes and headed out of the room toward the elevator. She was surprised to see Maria standing out there alone, leaning against the wall with her arms wrapped tightly around her. She immediately straightened up as Billie came through the door, making it obvious she had been waiting for her.

"Did you find Maeve?"

Billie nodded. "Yeah.thanks." She walked by the young woman, determined to stay on course and get the hell out of there.

"Umm.Billie, could we talk for a second?"

The lieutenant slowly came to a stop, rolling her eyes as she realized that a quick getaway was not in the cards. She turned around and folded her arms across her chest, clearly signaling that she was not up for another pat down. "About what?"

"I.ahh.I was thinking about what you said before," she replied.

"In regards to?"

"That you didn't remember me." Maria began to shift around, nervously, her dark gaze looking around, deliberately avoiding making eye contact with the lieutenant.

"I'm sorry," Billie responded. "You already know the reason for that, so I don't know what more I can say."

Maria clasped her hands clasped, tightly, in front of her. "Actually, that's what I wanted to tell you."

The lieutenant was beginning to lose her patience. Her mind was already focused on her next destination, and she didn't feel much like engaging in idle chatter. "Look, Maria, I really need to be somewhere, so why don't you just spit it out, okay?"

There was a moment's hesitation before the young woman finally whispered, "It was me."

Billie furrowed her brow. "What was you?"

"I gave it to you."

The brunette's body went rigid as she began to comprehend what Maria was trying to tell her. She could feel her chest tightening, her blood beginning to pound in her ears as she willed herself to utter two simple words. "The fix?"

The dark-haired beauty nodded, weakly. "You were.you were really drunk. After Maeve left, I got your hands bandaged and.and then we started to.get into it, you know? It was really.intense." She stopped and took a deep breath before continuing.

"Afterwards, you were laying there, tossing and turning, like you were in pain, or something. And you seemed upset." Maria held her hands out in a helpless gesture. "At first, I figured it was because of what happened, but, you kept talking about wanting a pop. You were mumbling about for a while, and then, I noticed the track marks on your arm. They looked old, but I thought.well, I don't know what I thought, but you seemed to be going through such a hard time. I was using then, too, although Maeve didn't know it." She felt the weight of Billie's hard gaze and started to turn away.

Billie reached out and gripped her by the upper arms, giving her a rough shake to get her attention. When their eyes locked, she tightened her hold. "Go on."

The young woman swallowed hard. "So, I.I shot you up." She winced, feeling Billie's fingernails digging into the soft flesh of her arms. "You had such a bad reaction. I didn't know you'd kicked until Maeve called your friend, and then she showed up and started asking me questions. I was scared, Billie. I was afraid Maeve would toss me out on my ass if she found out." Tears shimmered in Maria's eyes as she gave Billie a pleading look. "Your friend just assumed that you'd done it yourself, and I didn't have the guts to tell her it was me. I knew it was only a matter of time before you'd figure it out, but after a few days went by, and nothing happened, I thought you just decided to let it go."

The lieutenant's jaw worked, furiously, her eyes ablaze as she finally pushed the woman away from her with a hard shove. "Do you have any idea what you did to me?" She clenched her fists, tightly, as she took a step back, not trusting herself to maintain control.

Maria took a few cautious steps of her own, backing away from Billie as she waited for the woman to lash out at her. She knew she had it coming, and she fully expected there would be consequences when she decided to come clean. But, as she saw the cold fury in Billie's eyes, she realized there were probably worse things than being out of a job.

"I'm so sorry," she said sincerely. "I never meant to hurt you.I swear to God."

The lieutenant could only stand there, her mind still trying to process this new revelation. All of the times she'd berated herself for being so weak, for allowing her basic urges to control her to the point of throwing away everything she'd fought so hard for, and now she was finding out that she hadn't been responsible after all.

Those days spent in Malibu with Alexa had been some of the hardest in her life. Knowing that Parish had put his career on the line to help her, believing that she could get herself straight, and there she was, barely ten weeks out of rehab, and seemingly right back where she'd started.

When she finally sobered up and came down, it seemed as though there was nothing left for her to feel, except shame and self-loathing. It was like trying to climb out of a deep hole, and just when it appeared as though she would finally reach the top, she'd lose her grip and end up right back at the bottom.

Alexa had done everything she could to be supportive. She knew that Billie desperately needed something to hold onto, an anchor that would keep her from drifting away. With her parents gone, and her career nearly destroyed, it seemed as though everything she loved was slipping from her grasp.

So, she went about setting up a place for Billie to get her head together, arranging for some furniture to be shipped from the house Billie had grown up in, along with several boxes of old photo albums and some of her parents personal belongings.

And it was in that room, surrounded by so many things that reminded her of who she was, and where she came from, that Billie confronted the damage she'd wrought, and was finally able to get back to the business of living her life.

Her mother once told her that she was destined to always take the hard road, not because she was the kind of person who relished a challenge, but simply because she could. And whenever Billie was faced with a crisis, she would think back on those words, and realize that her mother had been absolutely right. She would take the risks, she would get beaten down, but she would never take the easy way out.

As she stood there in the darkened hallway, her head pounding and her heart aching, she was suddenly reminded of someone else's words, the only ones her best friend ever spoke on the subject of her heroin addiction:

"You'll beat this, Billie, just like you did before. You are just about the toughest son of a bitch I know, and there is no way a needle is gonna take you down. I see you as more of a `hail of gunfire, blaze of glory' type o' gal. But, this shit? No. Not ever. And, if you put that stupid `Bullitt' movie in the VCR one more time, I'll kill you myself. Booyah?"

She could almost hear the sound of Alexa's voice, filled with concern, but always layered over with her matter-of-fact frankness. There was no one on this earth she trusted more, and no one's opinion she valued greater. At a time when harsh recriminations would have been expected, she received none. And during those long days, when Billie hurled just about every hateful, vicious comment she could think of, Alexa's only response was to ride out the storm, and graciously accept the apology that would always follow.

Through all of Billie's anger, frustration, physical ache and psychological torment, Alexa stood nearby, never interfering in the difficult journey she had to take, but always close enough to offer comfort whenever she could muster up the courage to ask for it.

And when the dam finally burst, and Billie was able to grieve for the loss of her mother and father, her friend cried right along with her, so she wouldn't ever have to know what it was like to feel so utterly alone.

At that moment, Billie would have given anything to be able to talk to Alexa just one more time, to tell her that it wasn't true. She hadn't given in. She hadn't fallen. She hadn't blown it. But, it was too late for that.

Alexa was gone.

"Do you have any family?"

Maria had been so afraid as to what would happen next that she didn't even comprehend Billie's question. "What?"

"Do you have any family?" Billie repeated.

"I...I have a sister in New Mexico." She just stood there and continued to stare at the lieutenant.

"Are you close?"

"Umm.yeah, well, we were," Maria answered haltingly, still unsure of where the conversation was heading.

Billie's cool gaze softened, imperceptibly. "Do yourself a favor and call her." She walked away and got into the elevator, turning to face the young woman as she slapped her hand against the inside panel. "And then, get the fuck out of this life."

Maria could only stand there and watch as the doors closed.

The woman moved silently in the darkness, keeping her back to the building as she reached the edge of the wall and peered around the corner. The floodlights were shining brightly on the warehouse door, and directly onto the rather large man standing outside, his demeanor clearly indicating that he was there to stop unwanted visitors from going inside.

Billie leaned back and rested her head against the wall, taking a few deep breaths as the familiar surge of adrenaline began to pump through her veins, preparing her body for whatever she was about to face.

She knew it probably wasn't the smartest thing to go in alone, but Van and Deaq were involved in other matters, and she had no desire to bring along a SWAT team for what she hoped would be a simple little chat. And right now, it seemed that her only obstacle to getting inside was the muscle at the main entrance. With any luck, he was one of Pelligrini's typical sidekicks, long on bulk, short on brains.

With only a brief moment of deliberation, the lieutenant decided that the best approach would be the most direct. She immediately checked her weapon, and then grabbed her cell phone from her pocket, steeling herself as she walked out into the open. Her eyes fixed on the man directly in front of her and she headed straight for the front door.

"So, how long do I have to wait? Do you have any idea how scary it is around here? A girl could get raped for Christ's sake."

The man at the warehouse door spotted the young brunette as she headed toward him, her arm waving about as though she were in the middle of a heated discussion. As she got closer, he called out to her. "What do you want?"

Billie glanced up at him as she continued to talk into her phone. "Look, I can't stay here and sit on my ass for three hours," she rolled her eyes and made a helpless gesture to the guy at the door, who was now only a few feet away.

She pulled the phone away from her ear and gave a disgusted look. "Can you believe this shit?" she said in an exasperated tone as she made eye contact with him. "I pay this friggin' auto club for how many years, and the one time I finally need them, they tell me they're busy."

"Car broke down?"

"Yeah, and these assholes are telling me it could take at least three hours before they can get out here." She pretended to hang up the phone in frustration and gave him a hopeful look. "I don't suppose you know anything about Corvettes, do you?"

The man smiled at her. "Maybe."

She immediately smiled back. "Well, wouldn't you like to prove that chivalry isn't dead and give me a little help here?"

His gaze lingered on her, appreciatively. "And what do I get for my trouble?"

"I'll let you know once you get my engine running."

His smile widened. "Where's it parked?"

Billie did a half turn and pointed back toward the corner of the building. "Right over there. I was lucky I got it off the road before it died."

He glanced behind him, the obvious debate as to whether he should leave his post lasting all of about two seconds. With a quick nod, he walked over and fell in step beside her, not noticing as she slowed down a bit and slipped a hand behind her back. As he paused to say something to her, Billie slammed her gun against the back of his head, causing him to drop to his knees. His hand fumbled inside his jacket as he pressed a palm to the ground in an effort to support himself, and another heavy blow finally dropped him to the pavement with a heavy grunt.

Billie glanced around to make sure no one else was in sight, and she reached down and picked up the man's limp arm, rolling him over onto his back. With a quick tug, she removed a gun from his hip and took it with her as she ran back toward the building.

"Get up!"

The young man held a hand to his jaw, wincing in pain as he tried to crawl away. A pair of large hands grabbed the back of his shirt and hauled him to his feet.

"I said get up, you little piece of shit!"

He tried to open his mouth to respond, which sent a fresh wave of pain across the side of his face. "I think you broke my jaw."

"God, you're such a little pussy!"

"But, Dad-"

"I see you're still the nurturing type."

Anthony Pelligrini stood on a large mat in the center of the room, his hands still resting on his son's shoulders, as he looked up at the sound of that voice. His entire body tensed as he spotted the brunette standing a few feet away.

"Oww.you're hurting me."

Pelli never took his eyes off the young woman as he shoved his son forward, roughly. "Shut the fuck up and get out of here." The young man didn't even look back as he headed for the nearest door and disappeared through it.

"You keep that up and they'll be giving you the `Father of the Year' award."

The man's hazel eyes fixed on her with undisguised malice. "Jesus Christ, Chambers, hasn't somebody put a bullet in you yet?"

"Yeah," Billie nodded, slightly. "But, it didn't take."

"Well, maybe I can do something about that." He glanced over to his right as two men approached.

Billie was fully prepared and immediately brandished her gun, closing the small amount of distance remaining between them as she said, "We can do this two ways. Talk here." She lowered her weapon to his crotch. "Or, talk in the emergency room."

The man frowned as his eyes strayed to her right hand. "Aren't you pigs supposed to have a fucking warrant, or something?"

Billie remained still, keeping the other men in her sight. She jutted her chin in their direction and said, "Tell the testosterone twins to take five."

The man lifted his gaze and fixed her with an angry look, acknowledging that she had the upper hand for the moment. "Wait outside." They hesitated, until he shot them a furious look. "Go!"

When they were finally alone, Billie took a step back, still holding her weapon on him. "I'm here for some info."

He lifted a hand to his grizzled face and stroked his chin, thoughtfully, as he leaned in toward her. "Go fuck yourself."

"How about I fuck you?" Billie reached behind her back and produced another gun, pointing it him as her expression turned grim. "You know, I'm betting that when they run the ballistics on this piece, it'll probably match up to a few other shootings. And then all of this will look like just another wiseguy powerplay."

He sneered at her. "You don't have the balls."

"And in three seconds, you won't either." She tightened her finger on the trigger. "One.two."

"Let's make a deal."

"I don't make deals, Monty."

There was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. "Okay, wait." He held a hand, trying to placate her. "Tell me what you're looking for."

"I want you to tell me everything you know about Ilsa Karlsen."

The request seemed to take him by surprise. "Ilsa? I haven't even seen that crazy bitch in about a hundred years." He gazed at Billie with obvious interest. "Why are you checking up on her?"

"None of your business. Now, start talking."

Anthony Pelligrini was not exactly the smartest man in the world. He had a reasonably good head for business, and he knew when to seize the right opportunity, which was how he'd managed to stay in the game for so many years.

But, the one thing he could do was read people. Paying close attention to the way they talked, being able to read between the lines of conversation, and understanding the importance of body language had saved his bacon on countless occasions.

He focused that experienced eye on the young woman in front of him. Billie Chambers certainly maintained a cool exterior, but he could almost feel the tension in her rigid posture. And her eyes showed just the slightest hint of desperation. If she was coming to him, than it must be something she needed very badly, which probably meant that he was the only person who had what she wanted. And that knowledge was beginning to make him feel very good.and very powerful.

"Ilsa and I did business together for a few years. I set her up in a nice place, and she made me a shitload of dough." He stopped speaking and lifted his chin up, slightly. "That's it."

Billie's jaw clenched as she met the man's steady gaze. "I want more."

"Don't we all." He gave her a smug look.

The lieutenant immediately realized she wasn't going to get anything more from the man with threats. Despite the fact that she would have thoroughly enjoyed castrating the son of a bitch, she knew it was something she just couldn't do to an unarmed man. And it was obvious from his expression that Pelli knew it, too.

Her blue eyes never left his face as she tossed the extra gun away and slipped her own back into its holster. "What do you want?"

He licked his lips and smiled, coldly. "Another chance." Spreading his arms wide, he took a few steps back, pinning the brunette with a determined look. "Five minutes on the mat."

Billie could feel her heartbeat quicken, the familiar rush of danger and excitement twisting in her gut as she considered the man's proposal. She knew she wasn't exactly in top form, still battling with the ever-elusive concept of sleep. And her reflexes were a bit off, as her disastrous confrontation with Jill had clearly demonstrated.

But, Pelli was her only lead right now. She needed whatever information he could provide, and her instincts were telling her that he knew a great deal, which really only left her with one option.

"I'll give you three," she relented as she shrugged out of her jacket.

"I'll take it."

Part 20

When the road gets dark
And you can no longer see
Just let my love throw a spark, baby
Have a little faith in me
- Jewel

Billie held her hands up, automatically transferring her weight to the balls of her feet as she waited for her opponent to make the first move. She could see him shifting, slightly, trying to gauge her weak point. The last time they tangled, she had taken him by surprise, not because she hadn't given him fair warning, but because he'd underestimated her. She knew he wouldn't make that mistake again.

Pelli watched her movements, carefully, determined to make the first hit count. He knew all too well what kind of damage the brunette could do, and he had no intention of giving her an opening she could exploit. His eyes followed her as he circled around, fists tightly clenched in anticipation of the pain he was hoping to inflict.

He lunged forward, swinging his arm in a tight arc. Billie anticipated his move and easily stepped out of his reach. The man was only a few inches taller than her, causing him to keep his motions conservative. He certainly couldn't afford to get too close.

The brunette eyed him, cautiously, as the pace of his movements increased. He took another swing with the opposite arm, and when Billie attempted to avoid it, he suddenly surged toward her, catching her shoulder as they both tumbled to the floor.

Pelli landed on his side with a heavy thud, cursing when he realized Billie hit the mat behind him. He quickly turned over, bringing both arms up as he tried to grab her.

Billie had landed on her back, immediately rolling away from the man as he attempted to take a hold of her arm. She got to her knees and kicked out her right leg, landing a booted foot squarely in the center of his chest. As he fell back against the mat, she jumped to her feet and moved back, giving him a chance to rise from the floor.

"You little bitch!" Pelli got up, one hand pressed against his chest as he pinned her with a furious look. He ran at her, his movements still slightly off-balance, and Billie stepped aside as he approached, driving her knee into his stomach. The older man doubled over, but not before managing to catch a hold of Billie's thigh, and he took her with him as dropped to the mat in a heap.

Billie was attempting to get away from him when a hard, solid fist slammed against the side of her head, causing it to smack against the mat. Another fist immediately began pounding her ribs, and she tried to tuck her knee up in a vain effort to protect her body from his attack.

The older man's superior weight was keeping one of her legs pinned to the floor, and the compromising position was proving to give him the advantage. Billie used all her leverage, spinning her upper body toward him as she drove her elbow into his head, finally freeing her leg. He toppled over onto his side, cursing, as she quickly flipped over and stood up again.

Pelli rubbed a hand across the side of his face. "I'm gonna fucking kill you for that." As he rose, he slipped a hand under his pant leg, producing a wicked looking knife. In one fluid motion, he got to his feet and lunged at her in a clear attempt to skewer the brunette.

Billie stepped to the side and caught him by the wrist, twisting his arm painfully as she moved behind him and pushed her free hand against his shoulder. Instinctively, Pelli bent forward to relieve the pressure, dropping to one knee as the lieutenant bent his arm back at an odd angle. "Drop it, or I'll break your arm," she growled.

He grunted once before complying, knowing full well the young woman would follow through on her threat. The knife fell to the mat and Billie kicked it away, sending it skittering across the floor. She gave Pelli a hard shove and sent him sprawling. The man slowly climbed to his feet, rubbing his wrist as he glared at her.

The lieutenant could tell by the man's expression that he wasn't finished, and sure enough, he dove at her in a rage, his forward momentum less controlled and more desperate. She nailed him with a vicious right hook, dropping him back onto his knees, and then proceeded to grab two fistfuls of hair, pulling his head forward as she brought up her left knee and drove it into his face.

Pelli shouted in pain as bone shattered and blood sprayed out, leaving a crimson trail running down his chin. "Fuck!" He dropped his hands to the mat, hunching over as Billie took a step back, her nose wrinkling in disgust as she spotted the blood stain on her jeans.

"Oh, that's never gonna come out," she lamented.

The man remained on his hands and knees, clutching at his face as he moaned, "You broke my fucking nose."

"That's what you get for fighting dirty," Billie offered. "And your time is up."

Pelli sat back on his heels and tilted his head back, his hands cupped against his face. He slowly climbed to his feet and walked toward a pile of clothing at the edge of the mat, grabbing a shirt from the floor and pressing it to his nose.

Billie placed a hand against her side and winced as she took a brief assessment of her own injuries. Her head hurt and her ribs ached, but she was certain nothing was broken. There was sure to be some nasty bruising, but nothing a few well-placed ice packs and a pound of aspirin wouldn't cure.

She walked over and picked up her gun, returning it to the holster on her hip as she bent over and scooped her jacket up from the floor. "So, you ready to talk now?"

Pelli seated himself on the mat, his muffled voice sounding somewhat defeated behind his shirt as he replied, "What do you want to know?"

"I already told you," she replied as she slipped on her jacket. "Everything."

He leaned back on one hand, the other remaining pressed against his face. "She was only sixteen when I met her, and she was different than my other girls. They were hooking because they couldn't do anything else. But, she was.well, she was in it for the money, to be sure, but on some level, I think she really enjoyed it.especially later on." He pulled the blood soaked garment away from his face and refolded it, before putting it back in place.

"I was running a couple of parlors back then, nothing fancy. Ilsa was bringing in some beau coup bucks, but eventually, she got it into her head that there were greener pastures out there. So, she came up with a business proposition, which involved catering to more.special clients."

"Define special."

"You know the type. They're into pain, domination, women dressed up as little girls, shit like that. L.A.'s full of people who can't get it up unless someone else tells `em to."

Billie knew the sort of people he was referring to. She'd certainly busted plenty of them during her days in vice. "So, what are we talking here, a little S&M club?"

Pelli chuckled, softly. "That would be normal compared to some of the people Ilsa was doing back then. But, she was good at what she did, a real natural. And she had a lot of repeat business."

Billie grabbed a chair from against the wall, spinning it around and straddling it as she rested her arms across the back. She discreetly slipped a hand inside her jacket, placing it against her side as she asked, "What was the proposition?"

"I set her up with a nice place of her own, she brings in expensive clients, and we split the money."

The lieutenant eyed him, skeptically. "And you agreed to that?"

The man's head nodded, slowly. "I knew a good arrangement when I saw it. I figured if I turned her down, she would've been gone in no time, and somebody else would end up making all that bread. Ilsa wasn't some stupid slut. She knew exactly what she wanted, and how to get it."

"How long did this go on?"

"For about three years. She was doing a bang up business. Her clients were some of the richest people in the goddamn state. I was pulling in a fucking wad the size of my dick every other week." He removed the ruined shirt from his face and looked at her. "We're talking movie stars, CEO's, politicians."

"So, what happened?"

"That stupid fucking kid, that's what happened."

Billie's ears perked up. "What kid?"

"He tried to steal her purse, or some stupid shit." Pelli shook his head in disgust. "Nothing but a two-bit little hustler doing five dollar blow jobs in the bus station johns. I don't know why she took a liking to him, but the next thing I know, she's got this kid living with her."

"How old was he?"

"I don't know," Pelli said irritably. "Eleven.twelve?"

"So, his being there messed up your business arrangement?"

"Not at first. Things were status quo for a while. The kid was nutty as hell, but Ilsa never let him get in the way of business. But, not too long after he moved in, a couple of people went missing, so I knew something weird was going on over there."

Billie narrowed her gaze at him. "People went missing?" she repeated. "You mean clients?"

He nodded. "A couple of out-of-towners. She got one-shots every now and then, people just passing through.maybe on a business trip, or something. They'd usually been referred by a regular."

"How did you find out they were missing?"

"I got a couple of inquiries.discreetly, of course. Rich people like to keep their secrets. They're always so fucking concerned with how things look to everyone else. Once I found out, I knew it had to be him."

"You think the kid was to blame for the disappearances?" When Pelli nodded his head, Billie then asked, "What was his name?"

"David," Pelli responded as he stretched out on the mat. He continued to apply the balled up cloth to his injured nose, patting it softly in an effort to soak up the remaining droplets of blood. The intense pain was slowly beginning to ease down into a dull throb.

The lieutenant decided to press on. "So, did you ever find out what happened to these people?"

"No," he answered. "But, I knew they were probably stone cold, and I sure as hell wasn't about to get my balls in a vise because of that freaky little shit. So, I told Ilsa to get rid of him."

"And did she?"

"Yeah.eventually. She was pissed as shit at first, but as soon as I tipped her off that I knew he'd whacked someone, she shut up about it and shipped him off."

"Did she say he'd actually committed murder?"

"All she said was that things got out of hand, whatever the fuck that means. But, that was good enough for me. I just wanted him gone before anybody put two and two together."

"And so you and she covered it up," Billie summarized with more than a little anger in her tone.

"Hey, I didn't know a goddamn thing, okay? It was all just guesswork. And the only one Ilsa was covering for was herself. It's not good when rumors get going that your clients are turning up dead, and believe me, she would have done just about anything to protect her business."

The lieutenant took a moment to run through the story in her mind. While this new information was intriguing, it was also very disturbing. If the young boy had actually committed murder, why hadn't Felicia gotten rid of him as soon as she found out about it? Why risk everything for someone she barely knew, only to end up tossing him aside as soon as her business partner intervened? Was she really just concerned about her business? And could there be others missing that no one knew about?

Of course, Billie was still trying to figure out why she'd taken the child in to begin with, especially if he was so unstable. She didn't exactly strike Billie as the motherly type. But, she had to remind herself that it was a long time ago, and despite what Lois Spencer said, maybe Felicia still had some genuine feelings back then.

After hearing all of this, Billie should have been almost elated at the abundance of ammunition she was stockpiling, but unfortunately now there was another matter of greater concern. "I want their names."

"Jesus Christ, Chambers, we're talking over twenty years ago. Who the hell remembers the names of a couple of johns?" He could see by her expression that the lieutenant wouldn't be so easily put off. "It was in early eighty-two. Look up the missing persons cases, you'll find `em easy enough. Just follow the money."

Billie stared at him for a moment. "Where did the kid go?"

"She had this one client," the man explained. "A judge over in Sacramento. He took him off her hands."

"And did what with him?" Billie asked.

Pelli looked over at her. "Ilsa claimed he found him some place to live."

"Did this judge know the kid might have been a murderer?"

"I doubt it," Pelli answered.

"I don't suppose you remember his name, do you?"

"Dylan, like Bob Dylan. That's the only reason I remember it."

Billie idly drummed her fingers on the back of the chair. "What happened after he left?"

"A few months went by, and Ilsa said she was ready to move on. She claimed she was tired of the whole thing and wanted out." Pelli shrugged his shoulders. "I knew from the get go it wasn't gonna last forever, so we had a parting of the ways. End of story." With a heavy sigh, the man stood up, pausing to focus pained eyes on the lieutenant. "Now, why don't you go crawl back under whatever rock you came out from, huh?"

Billie's lip turned up in a slight smirk as she got up from her seat. "Gee, it was just like old times, wasn't it?" She caught sight of someone entering through a door across the room, immediately recognizing the man who'd been guarding the main entrance. He spotted her right away, and the brunette tensed up as he began to approach.

"Well, it's about fucking time you showed up," Pelli called to him. "God, what a dumbass."

The man rubbed the back of his head as he came over to them. "Sorry." He took note of Pelli's bloodied face, but judging from the man's demeanor, he decided it best to say nothing. Instead, he shot Billie a hateful look. "Where's my gun?"

Billie folded her arms across her chest. "Do you have a license to carry, Mister?"

His eyes widened as he glanced over at his boss. "What's she, a fucking cop?"

The brunette looked over at Pelli and shrugged. "He seems smart enough to me."

Pelli jabbed his thumb at Billie as he barked, "She is the person who got the jump on you, you stupid asshole!" He then motioned toward the far wall. "And your piece is over there. See if you can hold on to it for a while." He shook his head in disgust as the other man walked away from him. "What a fucking idiot. No wonder you had no problem getting in here."

"Yeah, well, good thugs are hard to find." Billie gave him one final look before walking across the mat and heading toward the door. She lifted a hand in a casual wave. "Thanks for the workout, Anthony."

"Fuck you, too, Chambers," he called after her. "Here's hoping the next bullet puts you out of my misery."

"Hope springs eternal," Billie offered as she left the room.

Billie came through the door of her apartment, tossing her keys and badge onto a table in the hallway as she walked by it and turned on the small table lamp. The living room was still shrouded in darkness as she made her way in, the soft light behind her spilling across the floor, leaving the edges of the room covered in shadow.

Her movements were a bit sluggish, the aches and pains beginning to set in after the long car ride, and she carefully slid her jacket off her shoulders and tossed it onto the back of a nearby chair. She hadn't yet taken the time to examine her ribs, but judging from the way they were hurting, it didn't take a genius to know that they were badly bruised.

Standing there in the semi-dark, she felt a slight tingle run up her spine, suddenly sensing another presence in the room. She didn't show any signs of reacting, until her hand made a quick move for her gun.

"It's only me, Billie."

"Sara?" The lieutenant turned toward the direction of her voice, spotting the outline of a silhouette seated on the sofa. Sara was not the person she'd been expecting to find, and for a split-second she was utterly relieved. "What are you doing here?"

There was no response.

"I thought I explained that it wasn't safe for you to come here," Billie said softly, her tone sounding a bit impatient as she contemplated the terrible risks for the both of them if the young woman's presence was discovered. She suspected Hill had her under surveillance, and the last thing she needed was for him to find Sara here.

The blonde rose from her seat and walked toward Billie, studying her lover's dark form as she drew closer. With the light shining on her from behind, the lieutenant's features were obscured, and all Sara wanted at that moment was to see those ice blue orbs looking back at her. "I needed to see you."

There was a hint in Sara's voice, in the way she moved, that told Billie something was terribly wrong. She took a step toward her, holding her hand out as she waited for the blonde to grasp it. Her voice immediately went from slightly irritated to deeply concerned. "What's happened?"

Sara walked toward the doorway, ignoring Billie's offered hand, and the lieutenant had to turn around to face her. The ex-thief stood perfectly still, the soft, yellow light catching her lover's pale eyes, causing them to shine with an iridescent glow. A sudden surge of emotions churned within her, and she had to take a deep breath to stop herself from giving in to them.

She'd been sitting in the darkness of Billie's apartment for almost two hours, words running through her head over and over as she tried to decide how to confront her lover. She wanted to tell her that she was hurt and angry, that she felt betrayed. But, none of the things she could think to say seemed adequate enough.

Seeing Billie kissing that woman, being touched by her, was more than Sara could bear. And it wasn't just jealousy. She'd specifically given Billie an opportunity to tell her what had happened between her and Felicia, and instead of her trademark vagueness, the lieutenant had chosen to lie. And since her brief outburst yesterday had only given a hint of the trouble that was really brewing, she hadn't doubted that Billie left out a few important details. That was just her way. And Sara was coming to understand that as she got to know her better.

But, this was different.

This was Felicia Ralston, the woman who'd nearly murdered them both, despite Billie's insistence that they were never really a target. This was the woman who hired someone to beat the crap out of her, and Sara couldn't believe that Billie would allow herself to be so easily manipulated. Why did she do it? How could she stand to get so close? How could she handle that woman having her hands on her?

Sara desperately needed the answers to those questions, although she wasn't even sure if she was really ready to hear them. But, right now, she was in a world of hurt, and the only thing that was going to stop her from going over the edge was to confront her lover, to know the truth, no matter what the consequences.

Billie's concern was growing with each passing second. She was unable to read Sara's expression in the darkness, but her silence spoke volumes. "Sara, tell me-"

"Are you playing her?"

Blue eyes narrowed as Billie tried to comprehend the question. "What?"

"Felicia," Sara spit the name out angrily. "Are you playing her?"

The lieutenant could only stand there looking a bit dumbfounded. Where in the hell had Sara gotten that idea?

"The same way you played me?"

The wounded tone of Sara's voice drudged up those all too familiar feelings of guilt in Billie, and she quickly squashed them down with a healthy dose of ire. "I thought we'd already gotten passed that."

"Yeah," the blonde sighed. "Well, apparently not."

"The answer is no," Billie stated firmly, still not understanding what was going on.

Sara reached a slender hand into her pocket and took something out, holding it up in front of Billie's face. "Then, this must be someone who just happens to bear an uncanny resemblance to you."

The brunette furrowed her brow, snatching the picture from her lover's hand and holding it up at an angle toward the light. As soon as she realized what it was, her expression changed to one of recognition.

Felicia. The Bentley. The kiss.

"Oh, shit," Billie muttered as she dropped her hand with a heavy sigh. "I should've known. I can't believe I was so stupid." As she chided herself for falling for such an obvious move, another thought suddenly occurred to her, and she locked her steely gaze on Sara. "Where did you get this?"

"Excuse me, Lieutenant," Sara countered, drawing the last word out, slowly. "But, I'm the one asking the questions here."

Billie's thoughts were too intent on the idea of Sara taking such a blatant risk that she wasn't giving a single moment's thought to her lover's emotional distress. "You went to see her, even after I told you to stay out of this."

"Yeah," Sara laughed, bitterly. "Imagine.I was worried about you. I wanted to protect you."

"I don't need your protection," Billie stated.

"I get that now." The blonde removed an envelope from her jacket pocket and threw it onto the hallway table. "Why don't you keep the rest of these? You need to start a whole new scrapbook anyway, and how appropriate that it should be pictures of her." Since Billie lost almost all of her family photographs in the explosion, Sara knew her words would be hurtful, and that was exactly her intent.

Billie opened her mouth to offer a scathing retort, but then quickly closed it, reminding herself of what was really going on here. She knew her lover was upset about the pictures, and she could certainly understand that. The thought of Felicia throwing them in Sara's face, using them to hurt her, made the lieutenant's blood boil. And she knew she was partly to blame for not telling her what happened.

"It was just a kiss, Sara, that's it."

"Oh, is that all?" Sara replied caustically. "Well, what a relief."

"I just did it to try and get some information out of her."

"Oh, I get it," Sara replied with dripping sarcasm. "So, while she felt you up, you thought maybe you could coax a confession out of her, right?"

"Sara."

"Or, how about you pushed her down onto the seat and fucked her hoping that might convince her to plead guilty to all of her heinous crimes."

"Sara, stop."

The blonde's voice was getting steadily louder. "Better still, perhaps you tried to-"

"It didn't mean anything!" Billie nearly shouted as she interrupted Sara's tirade. "I was just doing my job, okay? I was hoping to trip her up, get her to let something slip-"

"I'd say she let something slip alright."

"Oh, for Christ's sake!" The lieutenant threw her hands up in a gesture of frustration. "It was nothing. God.I was thinking of you the whole time!" She saw the anger flare up in Sara's eyes and pressed her fingertips to her temple. "That didn't come out right."

"Oh, no," the blonde shook her head, slowly, her voice softening to a more conversational tone. "By all means, tell me how you were imagining that it was my hands roaming your body, my lips kissing you. And be sure to tell me how good it felt when you imagined climbing on top of me and-"

"Nothing happened!"

"Funny, isn't that what you told me that night on the beach?" Sara turned away from her and walked into the hall, wrapping her arms around herself as she tried to figure out what to do next. More than anything, she wanted to believe Billie, to forgive her for lying.

But, those pictures.

"I should have told you."

Sara could feel Billie standing behind her, the warmth of her body so close it almost burned right through her. She turned around to face her, locking eyes with the lieutenant, as she said, "Why didn't you?"

Billie could have said that she'd done it to protect her, that she didn't want her any more involved than she already was, which was all true. But, that wasn't the only reason she'd kept Sara in the dark.

In all honesty, she just wasn't used to accounting to anyone about what she did. The decisions she made, both in her personal life and her professional career, were done with very little consideration as to how they might make someone else feel. And when you spent most of your time having to think of no one but yourself, it was hard to do anything else.

That wasn't to say that she didn't care how her actions affected others, but she never allowed that to sway her.especially where her job was concerned. Hard choices played a vital part in her survival, as well as the survival of those she was responsible for, and she couldn't let emotions get in the way. Ever. If she did, people died. To some, that may seem like an oversimplification, but to Billie it was a creed, a rule that she always lived by, no matter the situation.

Her relationship with Sara was complicated, to say the least, but it didn't exactly feel like unfamiliar territory. She'd gotten close to other people during her time undercover, some of whom were directly involved in her investigations. And those relationships would often become a dangerous high-wire act, especially when she found herself getting in much deeper than she'd intended.

But, after the busts were made, and the paperwork filed, she would always walk away, and try to never look back. It was often difficult given the amount of time she'd spent getting to know someone. And there were those rare occasions when she found herself wishing that things had turned out differently.

And now, they finally had.

Seducing Sara Matthews had been a means to an end, but now, Billie realized that she'd been the one seduced, and while her own motives had been self-serving, Sara's had been just the opposite. She made Billie fall in love with her by showing her who she really was. No tricks. No deception. Just a young woman who wore her heart on her sleeve, and was willing to give it away, no questions asked.

Billie knew she could easily put an end to things by exploiting her lover's fears, by giving substance to the nagging doubts the young woman still harbored. A part of her almost wanted to, knowing that their relationship probably wouldn't survive the rough waters that lay ahead.

But, after all the events of the day, from Ollie's funeral and Maria's startling confession, to the possibility of a serial murderer on the loose, she'd managed to gain some clarity that she'd been sorely lacking the past few weeks. And as she looked into Sara's soulful eyes, the depth of her feelings told her what she'd somehow known all along: No matter what happened, she wouldn't be the one to walk away.

So, for better or worse, she would try to follow Sara's lead. And, though it wasn't in her nature to expose herself so completely, at least she could try her best to be honest, both with Sara, and with herself.

"I just didn't want to," she finally answered. "I know that sounds callous, and maybe even a little arrogant, but I'm used to doing things my own way, Sara. This is my job, and it's my case. I know you have a vested interest, but I don't want you involved."

"But, I am," Sara stated adamantly.

"That's because you did what I specifically asked you not to," Billie pointed out. "And if you had listened to me, you never would have gone to see Felicia, which means you never would have seen those pictures." The brunette lifted a tentative hand to Sara's cheek, stroking the soft skin with a gentle caress. "I'm sorry she hurt you, Sara." The blonde's eyes were downcast as Billie slipped a finger under her chin, tipping her head up as she caught Sara's gaze. "But, more importantly, I'm sorry that I hurt you."

If Sara had any doubts before that moment, they were all erased by the sincerity of Billie's words, and by the deeper emotion that lay beneath them. She could feel her eyes becoming moist with tears, her chest tightening as she tried to keep her own emotions in check.

But, it was no use. She could no more reign in her feelings than she could catch the wind. And as she stood there, looking into her lover's earnest gaze, she felt something from deep within that gave her hope.

There was a storm churning all around them, threatening to destroy what they were so desperately trying to build. But, when she was this close to Billie, when their hearts and minds were filled with only each other, it was like being in the eye of the hurricane. And with that sense of calm suddenly overtaking her, she knew the time was right to throw caution straight into the raging winds.

"I love you, Billie."

Billie leaned in close, feeling Sara's warm breath against her lips. Her heart began to beat faster as she cradled the blonde's face in her hands, her own breath fleeing her lungs as she whispered into her lover's mouth.

"I love you, too, Sara."

Their lips met in a soft, sweet kiss.

Part 21

All your life, you were only waiting
for this moment to arise.
- Paul McCartney

Sara slowly wrapped her arms around Billie's neck, pulling the young woman tighter as she parted her lips and granted her lover the access she craved. Gentle fingers trailed down her spine and she shivered, involuntarily, as she pressed her hips against the brunette and moaned, softly, into her mouth.

Billie moved her hands lower as she smoothly slipped her leg between Sara's thighs, her hands gripping the young woman from behind and lifting her up onto the hallway table. She settled against the blonde, her hands coming up to cup her lover's breasts as she broke off the kiss to release a ragged breath. "Sara." Her passionate gaze locked on her lover's eyes as their lips came together, once gentle movements now giving way to a more frantic pace.

Slim fingers wound through Billie's dark hair as she took advantage of her superior position and leaned her upper body against Sara, pushing her back to the wall. The blonde wrapped her legs around her insistent lover's narrow waist, effectively trapping the young woman's body as she crossed her ankles and squeezed her tighter.

Sara shifted, slightly, feeling something jabbing into the back of her thigh. "Oww." She slipped her hand underneath her leg and produced Billie's badge. She held it up and smiled, ruefully. "Gee, I guess the law's out for my hide after all."

Billie was about to make a comment when she noticed Sara's smile faltering. "What's the matter?" The blonde continued to stare at the shiny object with a somewhat shocked expression on her face. "Sara?"

"Your badge number." Sara's voice sounded distracted, as if her thoughts were somewhere else.

The lieutenant furrowed her brow. "What about it?"

"36040." She pulled her other hand away from Billie's shoulder, tracing her fingers over the numbers. "I don't believe this."

Billie continued to look between her lover and her badge, her expression completely mystified. "What are you talking about?"

Sara lowered her hand and placed Billie's badge on top of the small manila envelope that lay next to her. "That was the combination to the safe where Felicia kept those pictures." She shifted her gaze to her lover. "She is really fixated on you, Billie."

The brunette released a soft sigh. "Don't worry about-"

"Don't tell me not to worry about it," Sara said forcefully, dropping her legs to the floor as she straightened up and looked at Billie in alarm. "God, I didn't even realize how bad things were until today." She frowned at the memory of her brief conversation with Felicia. "If you could have heard the way she talked about you, like she knew you. intimately."

Billie reached out and grasped Sara's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Well, she doesn't. Everything she knows about me came from a file, Sara. It's just details, okay? It has nothing to do with what's in here," she tapped a finger to her temple. "Or, more importantly," she took Sara's hand and placed it over her heart, her voice soft, but firm. ".what's in here."

The blonde closed her eyes for a brief moment as she felt the beating of her lover's heart beneath her palm. When she opened them, Billie's face still hovered close, her blue eyes filled with raw, naked emotion.

"Don't let her get between us, Sara."

Sara shook her head, slowly, giving the young brunette a determined look. "Never." She slipped her arms around Billie and squeezed her tightly, eliciting a soft hiss from the lieutenant. She pulled back immediately, seeing a brief look of pain on the brunette's face. "What is it? Did I hurt you?"

"It's nothing." Billie's voice was tight. The blonde immediately grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it up, instantly catching sight of the bruises on her body.

"Jesus, what happened to you?" Sara straightened up and Billie had to take a step back as she immediately hopped off the table.

Billie shrugged. "It's not that bad. You should see the other guy."

Sara could tell the woman wasn't joking. "Come with me." She took Billie's hand and promptly led her into the kitchen, motioning for the lieutenant to take a seat. "You should have iced it, at the very least."

"I was kind of distracted when I got home."

Sara sighed, heavily, as she opened the freezer and began to examine its contents. "I'm sorry about that."

"Don't be," Billie responded. "That was largely my fault, remember?"

"Right," the blonde agreed with just the slightest hint of a smile in her voice. She turned around and faced the brunette, a cold pack in each hand. "Take off your shirt," she ordered.

"I knew this was all a setup."

"Later, lover," Sara smirked. "Right now, you need a little TLC." She watched as Billie dutifully unbuttoned her shirt and slipped it off her shoulders, her slow, awkward movements making it obvious that she was in a great deal of discomfort. When she finished, Sara could better see the extent of the injury and said, "Umm.why don't you lie down on the couch? It'll make it easier to keep the ice on it."

"Yes, ma'am." Billie got up and walked back into the other room while Sara disappeared into the bathroom in search of some aspirin. The brunette seated herself and pivoted her legs, dropping them to the soft cushions as she stretched her body along the length of the sofa. "Ohh.that feels better already."

Sara smiled and knelt down on the floor next to her, carefully laying the packs across the young woman's torso as she tried to arrange them in just the right way. She could feel Billie's eyes on her as she fussed with them for a moment, finally satisfied with their position. "Here." She handed Billie two aspirin and a small cup of water, noticing the amused look on her lover's face. "What?"

"I'm just not used to someone making such a fuss over me."

Sara tilted her head, slightly. "Too much?"

"No," the lieutenant answered quickly. "I'm actually enjoying it. It was almost worth the bruised ribs." She laughed, softly, but it turned into a small groan of pain. "Almost." She took the offered medication and repositioned herself, trying to relax. As her eyes closed, she could feel Sara's fingers gently stroking her arm.

The blonde sat there, quietly, contemplating the young woman's prostrate form. She wanted to ask about where Billie had been this evening, and who had done this to her. But, since she hadn't offered any information, Sara knew that meant she didn't want to talk about it, at least, not yet. And for better or worse, it was time for her to get used to her lover's guarded ways.

"So, what happened between you and Felicia today?"

The sound of Billie's tired voice pulled Sara from her musings. She knew the question was coming, and she immediately went about mentally filtering through her confrontation with Felicia Ralston. "I only went there to try and scare her," she explained. "I thought, since Jill was gone, that maybe I could convince her to stay away." She released a heavy sigh as she ran her fingers through her hair. "But, needless to say."

"She isn't so easily put off," Billie finished for her, giving Sara a sympathetic look. "But, I appreciate what you were trying to do. Please, just do me a favor?"

"What?"

"Stay away from her. Okay?"

Sara could see the concern in those cool blue eyes and she offered a wan smile. "I will if you will."

"I'll do my best."

The two women fell into a comfortable silence as Billie closed her eyes, again, her mind beginning to drift, caught in the haze between sleep and wakefulness. Images of both Sara and Felicia filled her thoughts, making her realize how intertwined her life had suddenly become with these two very different women.

The best part of it all, of course, was Sara. And even though it was still inconceivable to Billie how she'd managed to fall for the young woman so quickly, and so completely, there was no denying the way she felt about her.

Before they met, so much of Billie's time was spent on the job. She lived and breathed it nearly every waking hour of every day. Everyone who knew her thought she was obsessed, but the young lieutenant preferred to think of herself as intensely dedicated. At times, it seemed as though there would never be room for anything else, and she never really mourned that idea, because nothing ever interested her more than her work.

Until now.

But, how ironic that the job she loved so much had also brought her the woman she loved. And maybe it was meant to be that way. The fact that she and Sara had so many obstacles to overcome seemed to only strengthen their bond, which probably said something about both of them. The ebb and flow of their whirlwind love affair would probably have scared off even the most resilient souls. But, for the two of them, the risk of it all.hell, the plain insanity of it, was like fuel on a raging fire.

How else could you explain a cop falling for a criminal, or stranger still, a criminal falling for a cop? Billie decided it wasn't even worth trying to rationalize anymore. Some things just defied explanation.

And under the heading of the unexplainable there was also Felicia Ralston. She, too, could definitely be categorized as someone who thrived on adversity, but in a completely different way than her lover.

Sara engaged in risk primarily for monetary gain, and maybe the underlying thrill that comes with doing what you're not supposed to, but underneath it all, she was still a decent person. For the most part, her victims had always been wealthy people who would hardly even miss what she'd taken. And on some level, Billie could even see it as her way of striking back at those whom she perceived to be so much more fortunate than her.

But, Felicia's motivations were far more difficult to ascertain. Lois Spencer believed her to be a sociopath, and Billie would certainly agree with that assessment. She had all of the identifiable traits, to be sure, but there was something else there, as well.

In the beginning, the lieutenant hadn't noticed it, perhaps because her focus had been on Jill. But, after their first few encounters, it quickly became evident that Felicia was concealing a much more dangerous side of her personality. Billie could sense it, feel it whenever she was around her, like a thick, cloying scent that pressed in on her whenever she got near Felicia.

Over the years, Billie had a number of encounters with people she considered to be psychotic. Usually, they were extremely violent, although that might not have been readily apparent at first glance. But, before too long, they would always reveal themselves, unable to keep up the pretense of normalcy for any real length of time.

But, there had been one or two individuals who'd managed to conceal their darker nature, skillfully manipulating everyone around them as they kept up a persona that fooled the outside world.

Skylar Kase had been one of those people. Her moves had been precise and calculated, like a master chess player. She could maneuver people with a few carefully chosen words, quietly encouraging them to do her bidding, but always making them believe the ideas or choices were all their own.

Billie had only minimal contact with her, but the repercussions from their brief encounter, combined with the woman's adept machinations, had nearly gotten her killed. What Sky had managed to accomplish was no small feat, and the lieutenant spent long hours pouring over every detail of the F.B.I. agent's life when it was all over, determined to educate herself on how someone like that had been able to conceal themselves so well, and for so long.

In college, she'd studied numerous cases of psychopathy and sociopathy, trying to get inside the minds of those whose thought processes were so completely different than her own. She learned a great deal about human nature, and the somewhat warped, often deeply troubled minds of criminals, both average and not. But, it wasn't until she became a police officer that she actually witnessed the most heinous side of humanity firsthand.

Her education had given her some helpful insight, but her experience gave her the know-how to engage people like Sky and Felicia. Both women were extremely cunning and dangerous, but they were not infallible. They had weaknesses just like everyone else.

In Sky's case, it had been greed, pure and simple. Her all consuming desire to get what she wanted caused her to make a grievous error: She didn't take the time to find out the extent of Billie's operation before deciding to lie about Cyrus' shooting. And that single misstep had been a fatal one, luckily for Billie. With Van and Deaq already in place, it was only a matter of time before they were able to uncover her deception, thereby exonerating their boss of murder, and exposing Sky for the rogue agent that she was.

But, what was Felicia's weakness? Billie hadn't yet figured that one out, except that the woman seemed to have a twisted fixation with her. The lieutenant had considered trying to get close to her, to use that bizarre attraction to her advantage, but Felicia was far too clever to fall for something so blatantly transparent. And after what happened in the car yesterday, it was clear that Billie was being outfoxed at every turn.

Felicia was methodical, taking her time as she endeavored to learn everything she could about the young lieutenant. But, Billie didn't have the luxury of time. Her neck was on the chopping block, and if she didn't have something concrete by the end of the week, it was likely she'd end up losing everything: Her operation.her boys.

Her badge.

"Billie?"

"Hmm?"

"Were you really in prison once?"

The question took Billie completely off guard and she hesitated answering for a moment. She opened her eyes and looked at Sara, releasing a soft sigh as she replied, "That must have been quite a conversation you had today."

Sara lifted her right hand, tracing the thin scar along Billie's stomach with the tips of her fingers, her touch soft and gentle. "She said that's how you got this."

Billie could see how much it hurt Sara to have found out something like that from someone else, and the fact that it was Felicia only made it worse. When all of this was over, there were quite a few things she would have to sit down and tell Sara, but for now, she would handle the questions one at a time.

"If it bothers you to talk about, I understand," Sara said softly.

Billie could see the love and concern in Sara's warm gaze as she reached up and stroked the blonde's cheek with the back of her hand. "Do you remember the guy I told you about before, the one who hired people to kill cops?" Sara nodded. "Well, when I tried to arrest him, he pulled a gun on me. So, I shot him."

Sara furrowed her brow. "But, that was self-defense."

The brunette ran her finger along the edge of Sara's jaw. "Not according to the only witness." She could see the confusion on the blonde's face. "The guy's gun disappeared from the crime scene. Evidently one of his boys snatched it and split, and the woman who saw the shooting turned out to be an undercover F.B.I. agent who just happened to be dirty. I didn't even know she was a fed until she showed up and fingered me for murder."

Sara's eyes strayed back to the pale scar. "And this happened while you were in jail?"

Billie nodded. "The case was under such intense scrutiny by Internal Affairs that the fed panicked and tried to have me killed. A couple of people on the inside came after me, and I got cut during the scuffle." She reached out and touched the jagged line, absentmindedly. "If she'd been one step closer, I wouldn't be here."

The blonde's hand sought out her lover's, entwining their fingers as she brought it to her lips and kissed it softly. "Lucky for me you're quick on your feet."

A sudden knock at the door startled both women, and Billie quickly sat up, stifling a groan as she placed a finger to her lips in a gesture of warning. Sara nodded and got to her feet, glancing around as she tried to decide where she should hide.

"Go into the bedroom," Billie whispered. "And not a sound until I give the all clear."

`Okay', Sara mouthed silently as she turned and quietly headed into the other room. The lieutenant waited until she disappeared before walking into the kitchen to grab her shirt, slipping it on as she went back to answer the door.

With an impatient gesture, she yanked it open, one hand still on her shirt collar as she muttered, "This better be important."

"Hello, Billie," Felicia greeted, warmly. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

The lieutenant blinked a few times before finally finding her voice. "What do you want?"

"I apologize for stopping by at such a late hour, but it's rather urgent." The statuesque blonde waited a few beats before asking, "May I come in?"

"No," Billie answered simply.

Felicia tilted her head, slightly, regarding the brunette with a somewhat wounded expression. "Please, Billie. I need to speak with you." She made a point of glancing around the outside hallway before resettling her gaze on the lieutenant. "I don't really think you want all of your neighbors to know your business, do you?"

"I'm really not in the mood to play, Felicia."

The blonde raked her eyes over Billie's somewhat disheveled appearance. "Yes, I can see you're all.played out "

The lieutenant stared at her for a brief moment, releasing a heavy sigh as she finally relented and took a step back, allowing the older woman to enter her apartment. She pushed the door closed with an angry shove, causing it to nearly shudder in its frame. "Alright," she said as she turned around and faced the blonde. "Speak."

Felicia turned around, her amused expression instantly falling away as she pinned the young woman with a serious look. "Something rather disturbing happened today, and I thought you should know about it." Her eyes strayed to the table next to her, immediately spotting the envelope. "Well.I see I'm too late."

Billie followed her gaze, but remained silent. Her last bastion of privacy had just been invaded, and she was not at all happy about it. There didn't seem to be anyplace she could go to get away from this woman.

Felicia took a cursory look around the modest apartment. "Is she still here?" She fixed the brunette with a suspicious look. "Hiding in the bedroom, perhaps?"

"If that's all you wanted to talk about, then we're done," Billie responded angrily as she placed a hand on the doorknob.

The taller woman ignored her gesture. "I want you to know that my driver took those pictures without my knowledge," she explained. "He can be a bit overprotective, at times. He's concerned about people taking advantage of me.because of my wealth, and such. When he presented them to me this morning, I immediately locked them away, fully intending to destroy them later." She could see the look of skepticism on the lieutenant's face and she clasped her hands, tightly, taking a few experimental steps into the living room. When she noticed Billie removing her hand from the door and following her, she continued.

"When Sara showed up at my office, waving a gun at me, demanding that I stay away from you.I just couldn't help myself." She jabbed a finger into the air for emphasis. "That young woman is clearly unbalanced."

Billie tensed, fully expecting Sara to come charging out at any minute. An image of the petite blonde tackling Felicia from behind suddenly jumped into her head, making her smile, inwardly. "So, you thought pissing her off would be a good idea?"

"Admittedly, I didn't take the time to consider her reaction," Felicia noted as watched the lieutenant, carefully. "I was merely determined to enlighten her."

Billie folded her arms across her chest and leaned, casually, against the doorjamb. "About what, exactly?"

"Her delusional ideas of romance."

Billie arched a dark eyebrow. "Oh, I see. So, you think Sara is the one who's delusional here?"

Something shifted behind Felicia's eyes, giving them a dangerous glint as she said slowly, "I'm fully aware of the nature of our current relationship, Billie. My desire to change that may seem unrealistic, but there is one thing you need to know about me: I've been known to accomplish the impossible."

Billie studied her for a moment as something clicked inside her brain. With sudden clarity, she knew what Felicia was trying to do. Her normally sharp instincts had been misdirected by the tumultuous events of the past few weeks, but now she finally realized it had been staring her in the face the whole time.

She thought the blonde wanted her, and perhaps she did on some basic level, but it wasn't a romantic obsession that drove the woman to pursue her so doggedly. What Felicia craved was infinitely darker.and far more dangerous.

Corruption.

All of the things Felicia had done: hacking her records, the attack on Sara, the explosion, they were all tactfully engineered to push the lieutenant, inexorably, toward an act of retaliation. And each time the two women had a confrontation, it was obvious that the blonde was getting off on it, wreaking havoc in Billie's life, not for Jill, or the often talked about excuse of revenge, but purely for the pleasure it gave her to do so.

She wanted Billie to do something, to strike back. When she brought U.S. Customs to Felicia's warehouse, she'd suspected that the woman was enjoying the whole thing on some level, particularly since she chose that moment to make her first romantic overture. And being rebuffed had most certainly spurred her on to do even more serious damage later, by destroying Alexa's house to get back at Billie, determined to make the lieutenant suffer for rejecting her.

And it worked.

Billie was now fighting her own self-destructive impulses. They were there, just beneath the surface, waiting for the right moment to be unleashed. She wanted to let go, to let her rage rule her actions. But, she was determined to keep it at bay, knowing full well the damage she could do if she gave in to that darker side of her own personality.

As she'd done before.

It was so easy to blame the heroin for her fall from grace. But, the truth was, she was so intent on getting what she wanted that she was willing to do anything, risk anything.

Risk anyone.

And she'd done just that, without so much as a second thought, even though she was not the only one jeopardized by her reckless actions. She had a partner, she had informants, she had a boss.and none of it mattered. Her only desire was to get the dealer, take him down, and put him out of business. With several years of hindsight, it was obvious where she'd gone wrong, but not so easy to admit that she was a victim of her own blind ambition, so determined to accomplish what she'd been sent in for that she willingly crossed the line in order to do it.

It's a funny thing, drawing that line for yourself. Just when you think you know your limits, along comes a situation that causes you to re-examine them. And suddenly, you discover that maybe you can go a little longer, reach a little further.

Push a little harder.

When Billie stuck that needle in her arm for the very first time, she wasn't thinking about becoming a junkie. Her own arrogance didn't allow her to consider the possibility of getting hooked. She simply viewed it as a means to an end. And so she'd taken a huge gamble.and lost.

Badly.

Now, she used that awful experience to guide her. And even though she still had those same reckless tendencies, she also had a firmer grasp on the proper way to channel them.

But, that wasn't to say that her somewhat tenuous hold on the straight and narrow couldn't still be shaken. There had been moments when Billie's fatal tunnel vision resurfaced, and that rash behavior that she so desperately tried to curb had gotten the better of her.

Felicia was trying to entice her, to lure that part of her out into the open, and Billie was having a difficult time not giving in to the siren's call. She wanted to get the woman so bad she could taste it, and she knew that was exactly what Felicia Ralston wanted. What she didn't know was where the woman wanted to lead her.

The only way to find that out was to follow.

"Let's see you accomplish the short walk to my door," Billie said as she straightened up and motioned to the hallway with her outstretched arm. "I'm through talking."

The blonde's dark eyes sought out Billie's blue ones as she took several measured steps toward the lieutenant. Standing before the brunette, she suddenly brought a hand up and pressed it against the young woman's side, applying gentle pressure.

Billie stiffened, gritting her teeth as she snagged the woman's wrist and pulled it away from her body. "Don't touch me," she warned.

"I could tell you were favoring your side. Who did this to you?" Felicia narrowed her eyes. "Was it Sara?"

The lieutenant knew a golden opportunity when she saw it. She wanted Sara out of harm's way, and in order to insure that, she needed Felicia to believe she'd succeeded in destroying their relationship. But, the woman wouldn't be so easily duped, which meant she needed to be extremely cautious, and play things just right.

"It's time for you to leave." Billie's tone was sharp. "Now." She saw something flicker across the taller woman's features, but it was too brief for her to interpret its meaning.

"You're right, it is very late." Felicia stared at Billie for a long moment, as if taking the young woman's measure, before moving past her and walking to the door. As her hand gripped the knob, she stopped and turned to look back at the brunette, her voice as soft as velvet. "Come to the house for dinner tomorrow night."

Billie closed her eyes, briefly, the term `be careful what you wish for' suddenly popping into her head. She was getting what she wanted, all she had to do now was to make Felicia believe otherwise. The brunette turned around and stepped into the hallway, shaking her head, slowly, as she replied, "You are persistent, I'll give you that."

"Does that mean you're accepting my invitation?"

"I think I'll pass."

Felicia sighed, softly. "Aren't you the least bit curious as to why I didn't call the police today?"

"You didn't want them to see the coffin in the basement?" Billie replied flippantly.

The blonde smirked. "I did it to protect you."

Warning bells were going off in the lieutenant's head. "Really. How so?"

"They would have wanted to see the tape from my security camera," Felicia informed her. "And I didn't want to have to explain to them about the pictures." Her eyes flickered to the envelope on the desk, then back to Billie as she arched a slim brow. "Your captain might think you have a thing for blonde criminals."

Billie could feel her cheeks heating up as she stared daggers at the woman. It wasn't bad enough that Felicia had pictures of them together, but now, she apparently had Sara's little visit caught on tape.

Irrefutable proof that she threatened to kill the woman.on Billie's behalf...with a gun.

Perfect. Just fucking perfect.

"What time?" Billie asked.

Felicia smiled, triumphantly. "Six sharp." She pulled the door open and walked out without another word. The lieutenant stepped forward and closed the door, her body slumping forward as she began to bang her head, repeatedly, against the door.

"Dinner?" Sara's voice chimed up from behind her. "You're having dinner with her? Are you crazy?"

Billie looked up at the ceiling and mumbled something under her breath before turning around and facing her lover. "Thanks for waiting for the all clear."

"You said you'd stay away from her." Sara stood there with her hands on her hips, all thoughts of concealing her presence now forgotten.

"I said I'd do my best," the lieutenant corrected her. "And did you hear what she said?"

"Yeah, I heard."

"You didn't bother to check for surveillance cameras?" Billie asked incredulously. "You were a pro, for God's sake."

"I wasn't thinking clearly," the blonde replied defensively, knowing she'd walked right into a setup, and seeing her lover preparing to do the exact same thing. "And you aren't either."

"Yes I am," Billie retorted. "This is what I need, Sara. There are cracks in that veneer Felicia wears, and the only way I'm going to find out what's underneath is to get next to her."

Sara couldn't believe what she was hearing. Felicia was a dangerous person, and the fact that Billie seemed to have no qualms about taking such an obvious risk was a major cause for concern. "Does my opinion on this mean anything to you?"

"Yes, of course it does," the lieutenant answered. "But, I can't let emotions get in the way here."

"What the hell does that mean?" Sara demanded, but she already knew. It was a done deal. From the firm set of her jaw, to the ice blue sparkle in her eyes, Billie would do this, regardless of how she felt about it. And that unwavering determination was somehow noble, maddening and frightening all at the same time.

"It means that if I don't come up with something within the next two days, I'm out of a job, which also means I'll be helpless to do anything." Billie held Sara's gaze, unflinchingly. "This woman came after me personally, Sara, and nothing is going to get in the way of me stopping her."

Sara looked at Billie as though seeing her for the first time. This was a side of her lover she wasn't really familiar with yet, despite the conditions under which they'd met. Even when the lieutenant had arrested her and offered a deal, her demeanor was more gentle and kind, not like this other side, which was obsessive, controlling.and reckless.

Billie's cell phone began to ring, and she walked over and grabbed the envelope off the table before heading into the living room. She could feel the blonde's eyes on her as she pulled the phone from her jacket pocket. "Chambers."

As the brunette began to pace the area from the living room to the kitchen, Sara listened intently to her side of the conversation.

"Hey, Hal. What have you got?"

There was a brief period of silence as Sara walked over and seated herself on the sofa. She watched Billie's expression change as the seconds ticked by.

"He's dead? Are you kidding me?" The lieutenant continued to move, restlessly, running an agitated hand through her hair as she spoke to the person on the other end of the line. "I didn't think there'd be any record of it." After a few more seconds of silence, Billie replied, "Yeah, well, thanks for getting back to me so quickly. Let me know if anything else turns up." She pressed a button to end the call, remaining rooted to the spot as she stared at the phone in her hand.

Sara jumped, slightly, as Billie suddenly launched her cell across the room, knocking a small table lamp to the floor.

"What's wrong?" the blonde asked, quietly.

Billie turned away from her and dropped into a chair at the kitchen table, laying her head back as she stared up at the ceiling. "Everything."

The ex-thief rose from her seat and walked over to her lover, who looked utterly defeated and exhausted. She knelt down beside Billie and placed a comforting hand on her knee. "What was that call about?"

"I got a lead on someone from Felicia's past and I was hoping to track him down." The lieutenant covered Sara's hand with her own, enjoying the feel of her lover's warm body so close to hers. Despite the chaos surrounding them, it somehow kept her grounded. She began toying, idly, with a ring on the blonde's finger. "Unfortunately, the only person that had the answers I needed died ten years ago."

"Who?"

"A judge in Sacramento."

"Was it some kind of legal issue?" Sara asked, hopefully. "Maybe there would be records, or something?"

"It was a back door adoption," Billie explained. "There aren't any records."

The young lieutenant's frustration was almost palpable, and Sara wished there was more she could to do help. Unfortunately, she knew her presence was only making things more complicated for Billie.and more dangerous. She couldn't keep moving in and out of the young woman's life forever. Sooner or later, the police were bound to catch up with her, and the last thing she wanted was to pull Billie down with her.

"I wish you'd reconsider tomorrow night," Sara said softly. "I don't like the idea of you being alone with her."

"I'll be okay," Billie reassured her. "I doubt she'll try to poison me."

"That's not funny."

Billie looked at her, solemnly. "I know." She gave her lover's hand a squeeze and let go, immediately changing the subject. "Hey, how'd you get in here, anyway?"

"Trade secret, Lieutenant." A tiny grin tugged at the corner of Sara's mouth. "If I divulge anything, they throw me out of the union."

Billie sat forward and cupped the blonde's face in her hands, her voice a low, throaty growl. "Ve have vays of making you talk." She leaned in and kissed her lover, tenderly.

As their lips parted, Sara smiled and whispered, "Do tell, Natasha."

Billie settled herself between Sara's legs as she planted a trail of soft kisses along her flattened stomach. She could taste the salty remains of their exertions on her lover's slick skin, and she rested her cheek on the young woman's chest, listening to the steady pounding beneath her ear.

"Okay," Sara said breathlessly. "What do you want to know?"

The brunette chuckled, softly. "I knew you'd be a pushover." She felt a hand reaching down to stroke her hair, the soothing touch eliciting a soft sigh of contentment as she closed her eyes and reveled in the comforting sensation. For a while, at least, she could try to block out the world.

"Only for you, baby."

Billie lifted her head, her blue eyes peering up at the blonde. "Did you just call me baby?"

"Ahh.I think so." Sara lifted her head from the pillow, meeting her lover's surprised look. "What would you rather I call you.my bitch?"

The lieutenant blinked a few times into the darkness, feeling the sudden urge bubbling up, and she knew, instinctively, there would be no holding it back. So, she didn't even bother to try.

The sound of Billie's laughter caught Sara by surprise, mostly because it wasn't a sound she was very familiar with. They'd had a few laughs here and there, but she'd never seen the young woman really let loose, as she was doing now, and the thought that she'd managed to rouse it made her feel exceedingly happy.

As the brunette reached a hand up and wiped her eyes, she lifted her head again. "I think I prefer the first one."

Sara's hands gently tugged at Billie's arms. "Come here." The brunette complied, lifting her body up and moving higher, until she was poised directly above her lover's beautiful face. A pair of arms wrapped around her, holding her gently, as soft, warm lips reached up and caught her in a slow, sensual kiss. Her body's response was immediate, and she lowered herself down, pressing their bodies together as passion ignited all over again.

Billie lay on her side, her breathing slow and deep as an arm wrapped around her from behind and squeezed her, gently. She seemed to sense the warmth of the body lying spooned against her and she moved closer, nestling herself into the welcoming embrace.

Sara tightened her hold as she pressed herself against her lover, her head propped up on one arm as she leaned over and kissed the brunette's earlobe. Her lips continued to hover there for a brief moment.

"I love you, Billie," she whispered softly.

As she continued to listen to sound of her lover sleeping, she was suddenly gripped by a feeling of anxiety. Despite everything else, what was happening between her and Billie seemed to good to be true, which was precisely why Sara was convinced that something was about to go terribly wrong.

She couldn't help it. It was part of her father's legacy to her, to always be waiting for the next blow, the next hit that would knock her back down to the ground. But, this time, it wasn't her own safety she feared for, and that was so much worse.

There had been other women before Billie. Sara always had a tendency to drift from one romance to another, never really having time to process one disastrous relationship before moving on to the next, always telling herself that this one would be different.

But, now it was finally true.

She thought she'd been in love before, but it was never like this. Her body ached for Billie when they were apart, no matter whether the distance was ten miles or ten feet. And now that they'd been able to admit their feelings for each other, Sara couldn't comprehend leaving her.

Even though she knew she had to.

It wasn't fair. She didn't want to go. Billie was playing a dangerous game with Felicia Ralston, and Sara hated the idea that she had to stand aside and let her lover go it alone. But, she knew she was a liability, a weakness that Felicia could use against Billie, as she'd demonstrated earlier in the evening. And Sara had absolutely no intention of giving that woman an edge.

She just had to resign herself to the fact that this was Billie's job, and she was very good at what she did. The lieutenant had obviously faced down worse than Felicia, and each case only made her better. She would win this one, as well. She had to.

With quiet stealth, the blonde carefully extracted herself from her lover's bed and picked up her clothes as she came around and gave Billie one final look. She bent down and kissed her forehead, her lips smoothing out the small crease between the young woman's eyes.

Upon reaching the door, she gave the sleeping form a parting glance, blowing a kiss as she soundlessly crept out of the room.

Part 22

Oh, a storm is threat'ning
My very life today
If I don't get some shelter
Oh yeah, I'm gonna fade away
- Mick Jagger

"So, here's how it'll go down." Billie spun around to look at the screen behind her. "I'll bring a team to the warehouse at midnight. The place is already tripped out, so all we have to do is get comfortable and wait for the sunrise." The warehouse schematics were displayed next to her as she motioned to the areas displayed in red. "Ellis' M.O. is to get there at least two hours ahead of time, so he can scope out the area. But, our hardware is so small he'll never find it."

"How `bout bug hunters?" Deaq asked as he leaned back in his chair. He knew from experience that the more sophisticated the technology, the more likelihood for something to go wrong.

"I guarantee you there's nothing out there that'll spot these babies," Billie replied confidently, noting his skepticism. "But, just in case he somehow manages to scramble us, we'll have some remote units at the ready."

"So, all we have to do is show up with the cash," Van added.

Billie nodded. "The money always goes first. Once his runner splits, we just have to follow the trail. Everybody else gets to hang back and have breakfast with the LAPD."

"Just remind the boys I like my coffee black," Deaq offered with a smile. He glanced at his partner. "What about you, player?"

"I like a decaf cappuccino, low-fat, no whip." The other man just stared at him. "What?"

Deaq shook his head in dismay and looked over at their boss. "Next, he'll be wantin' tea and crumpets."

"Hey, what's wrong with tea?"

Billie grinned, slightly, as she dropped back into her chair. "Well, that's it. You guys can take off. We'll meet back here at eleven." Her tone was clearly dismissive as she turned her chair and began to type on her computer.

Van eyed his partner, jerking his head toward Billie. Deaq rolled his eyes and discreetly pointed a finger at the brunette, before holding his hands out in a helpless gesture.

The lieutenant watched their silent, but increasingly animated exchange out of the corner of her eye before finally spinning back to them and dropping her hands to the desk. "What the hell is going on with you two?"

"Uhh." Van pointed a finger at the man seated beside him. "Deaq wanted to ask you a question." Said man glared over at him before flicking his dark gaze back to his boss. He could see her eyes widening, that familiar look of impatience firmly affixed to her face.

"What?" she asked, expectantly, now looking between both men.

"Is this gonna be our swan song?" Deaq finally asked

The meaningful question took Billie by surprise. She hadn't given much in the way of details to either man in regards to her career woes, mostly because she'd been hoping for an eleventh hour stay of execution. Plus, with a major bust looming, she didn't want them distracted by internal politics. But, it was obvious they'd sensed trouble, and judging from their somber expressions, they knew it was going to be bad.

Just as the brunette opened her mouth to answer, her phone rang. She stared at them for a moment before snatching up the receiver. "Chambers."

"The word just came down, Billie." It was Parish, and he didn't sound happy. Of course, he never sounded happy, but the young lieutenant could immediately sense more glumness than usual.

"Tell me."

"Meeting in Forsythe's office tomorrow morning. Nine o'clock."

This was it. The other shoe was about to drop. Swan song, indeed. "I'll be there."

"So will I. And, so will Hill." There was a brief pause. "You know I'll do whatever I can."

Billie closed her eyes for a few seconds, the only outward indication of her distress. "I know." And she did. "Thanks, Bob." She dropped the phone back into its cradle and folded her hands in front of her, glancing back and forth at her two operatives, unsure of how much she wanted to tell them.

"What's up with Parish?" Van queried.

"I've got a meeting with him tomorrow." That part was true. "It's just all part of IA's follow up on their investigation." Also true. "Don't worry about it. Everything will be fine." Okay, there's the big, fat lie.

Van looked at her somewhat doubtfully, but decided there wasn't much point in pushing his boss further since it wouldn't do him any good anyway. "Whatever you say, sir." He stood up from his chair and stretched, languidly. "I think I might catch a few Z's before tonight."

"Still working off your big night?" Billie smirked. The young cop was such an easy mark, and teasing him always seemed to help her get out of a funk.

"Hey, I held my own, thank you very much," he replied, indignantly.

She shook her head, slowly. "That's not what Deaq said."

Van shot his partner an accusatory glare. "What? What did you tell her?" He looked back at his boss. "I was just about the last man standing. The only other guy that even came close was too busy puking his guts out on his Bruno Magli's."

"I hate to be the one to break it to you, my man, but that was because of your singing."

"Is that supposed to be funny?"

"It's very gratifying to see the three of you carrying on as if you didn't have a care in the world."

The two men didn't even have to turn around to know who was standing at the entrance to Billie's office. Only one person could put that look in her eye.

"What do you want?" Billie questioned.

Roland Hill walked in and came to stand next to the lieutenant's desk. He glanced over at the detectives seated across from her. "If Itchy and Scratchy can make themselves scarce, we have a few loose ends to tie up before tomorrow."

"We were kinda in the middle of something," Deaq commented as he shot the man a hostile glare.

"Yeah," Van piped up as he came around his chair and walked over to where Hill was standing. "Maybe you should've made an appointment. We're very busy around here, what with fighting crime, and all." He leaned forward, slightly, giving Hill a curious look. "You do know what that is, right? Fighting crime? Going after bad guys? Or, didn't they teach you that at the pencil neck geek academy?"

"Guys," Billie held a hand up in a gesture of silence, seeing Hill readying himself to make some caustic remark. She knew it would be in reference to tomorrow's meeting and she wanted to keep the details under wraps for as long as she could. Unfortunately, they would both know soon enough. "We're done here, okay? So, just take off. Go, relax.or whatever." She could see their hesitance, and though a part of her was grateful for the way they were so protective of her, another part of her got profoundly annoyed when they didn't follow her orders.

Deaq looked thoroughly unconvinced. "Maybe we should stick around.you know, do some paperwork?"

"Yeah," his partner agreed. "You're always telling us we don't do enough of that." He kept his gaze locked on Hill.

"I wouldn't worry about that much, if I were you gentlemen," Hill's mouth turned up in a smarmy grin. "After tomorrow, I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to get caught up."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Alright!" Billie nearly shouted as she stood up from her desk. The motion got the attention of all three men. "That's enough. Van, Deaq, I want you to go. Now."

Deaq got up and pushed his chair back in an angry gesture before immediately heading for the door. Van stood his ground for a few more seconds, finally relenting as he shot a glance at Billie. "If you need us."

"I won't," she replied firmly. "See you at eleven." She watched as both men slowly made their way out the door, waiting until they were out of earshot before turning her attention to Hill. "I should knock your teeth out for doing that to them."

"You mean, telling them the truth?" Hill folded his hands and turned to her. "I do realize that it's an antiquated notion around here."

"They have a big deal going down in the morning and they need to keep their heads in the game," the lieutenant replied in an angry tone. "Despite what you may think about me, or this operation, they are still your colleagues, and you shouldn't be trying to undermine them."

"Spare me the `we're all in this together' speech," Hill responded. "You and your boys have been running amok for too long, Billie, but as of tomorrow, that's all going to change. In fact, by the time I'm done with you and your renegade operation, they'll be giving you your own entrance at the big house. It could be like one of those swinging doors people install for their house pets."

Billie dropped back into her seat. "You know, Hill, if you weren't such an asshole, that would almost be funny."

He leaned in toward her and dropped his voice to a near whisper. "I guarantee you, once Forsythe hears my department's findings even your Captain in shining armor isn't going to be able to save you. But, don't worry," he remarked, making a show of looking around her office before finally settling his gaze on her again. "I'll clean up the mess you leave behind."

"Well, that is what you're best suited for, isn't it?" Billie's tone was beginning to climb, along with her blood pressure. "It must be really gratifying to watch everyone else do the actual police work while you wait around for the opportunity to stick it to your fellow officers in the hopes that it'll get you that big corner office."

"I think you misunderstand my motivations, Billie."

The brunette glared at him. "That's Lieutenant Chambers."

"Not for long." Hill narrowed his eyes at her, his voice belying an intimate quality as he said, "Are you aware that your little `Candy Store' here currently holds the distinction of having the highest kill rate of any division in the LAPD?"

"I'm flattered you're keeping score."

"That's exactly the type of response I want you to give to the Deputy Chief when he asks you the same question."

Billie's jaw clenched as she struggled to keep her temper in check. "All of our shoots were clean, and this division's record speaks for itself. We've busted some major players over the last year, people that no one else could touch. And if our kill rate seems so goddamn high, maybe you ought to match it up against our arrest record. We go all the way in, Hill, further and deeper than you could ever imagine, and we do whatever it takes to get the job done."

"Your ability to pontificate about your brutal and reckless methods is equaled only by your capacity to justify said methods with an inflated ego and an overblown sense of self-righteousness."

"Wow," Billie leaned back in her chair as she looked at him with raised eyebrows. "You must have been working on that one all morning."

"What can I say, Billie? You bring out the beast in me." He opened his mouth and took a bite at the air.

The brunette looked nonplussed, still not quite sure what to make of the man's bizarre antics as she stated firmly, "As this is still my office, I want you out."

"I have a few more questions before concluding my investigation."

"You can shove your questions up your ass," Billie shot back. "Whatever happens tomorrow, I'm done giving face time to you." Her cell phone suddenly rang, and she plucked it up from the desk, eyeing Hill with a look of irritation. "Chambers."

"I'm sorry I slipped out without waking you."

Billie could feel Hill's eyes on her as she dropped her gaze, making a concentrated effort to suppress any emotion from registering on her face. "I tried to reach you earlier."

"I thought it would be less complicated for you if I just left," Sara explained.

"Apparently, although I can't say I agree with that assessment," the lieutenant replied, a hint of frustration creeping into her tone, despite her attempt to mask it.

"Someone's there with you?" Sara questioned.

"Yes," the lieutenant confirmed. "I'll have to get back to you, assuming I can get you at the same number."

"Yeah, of course."

"Okay, then, I'll talk to you later." With the press of a button, Billie got to her feet and grabbed her jacket, tucking her cell phone into the pocket as she pinned Hill with an impatient glare. "We're done here." She breezed by him and walked out of her office door without so much as a backward glance.

Hill turned and watched her leave, unable to resist a final parting shot as he called out, "I'll see you tomorrow, Billie. Oh, and you might want to think about packing your toothbrush."

She held her hand up and made a gesture just before disappearing through the side entrance.

"I'll just assume that was a thumbs up, Lieutenant!"

"Sophia, you have marvelous hands."

The dark-haired woman smiled as she continued her ministrations. "Thank you, Madam."

Felicia released a heavy sigh as her muscles melted under her employee's deft touch. She was stretched out on a massage table, her head resting on her hands as she lay there enjoying the special attention being lavished upon her. She lifted her chin and craned her neck to look at the older woman. "Although, you do seem a bit distracted."

"I'm sorry."

The blonde waited for her to elaborate, but soon realized that no further explanation would be forthcoming. The woman never offered anything more than what was asked of her, and never gave anything less, which was precisely why Felicia was so fond of her.

The sound of a cell phone caused Sophia to halt her motions. "Would you like me to answer that, Madam?"

"No, thank you." Felicia propped herself up onto her elbows and reached over to answer the phone lying on a small table beside her. "Yes?"

"I'm having some difficulty, Ilsa."

"Sophia, I'd like a moment of privacy, please," the blonde informed her as she indicated the phone clutched in her hand.

"Of course, Madam." She nodded once and immediately left the room, closing the door behind her.

Felicia put the phone back up to her ear. "We are running out of time," she responded tersely.

"I didn't realize we were on a schedule," Warren snapped.

"Don't take that tone with me, David."

There was a weighted pause. "I'm sorry."

She immediately continued on as if nothing happened. "If Elizabeth Forsythe's drunken ramblings are in any way accurate, then I need this errand completed by tomorrow morning."

"When you said you wanted to give her a gift, I didn't think you had something like this in mind."

"I'm a firm believer in seizing an opportunity when one presents itself," she replied smoothly. "And what better way to prove my unerring devotion to Billie than by ridding her of any.troublesome obstacles."

"Somehow, I don't think she'll be grateful for your intervention," Warren commented wearily.

A malicious smile curled Felicia's lips. "It's not her gratitude I'm after." Thoughts of the young lieutenant began to flit through her mind, and she had to mentally shake them off in order to keep her focus on her younger co-conspirator. "And remember, once this is done, it will be necessary for us to refrain from contacting each other for a while."

"I still don't like that idea."

She could almost envision the childish pout on his handsome face. "I know, sweetie," she replied in her most soothing tone. "But, it has to be this way. There will be a great deal of attention focused on me afterwards. Billie will most assuredly see to that. And I don't want to do anything that might reveal our connection." Her only response was a heavy sigh.

Knowing the young man as she did, his resistance didn't really come as a surprise. But, Felicia sometimes found it difficult to balance her desire to keep him emotionally needy, while still trying to nurture his violent tendencies. It was a balancing act she was growing increasingly tired of, and realistically, it was only a matter of time before he was discovered. Sadly, she knew the day was fast approaching when he would become a serious liability for her.

"Now, the question is, are you up to the task?" she asked. There was no denying the challenge being made, and she knew he would readily accept it. He always did.

"I told you I'd help you.and I will."

"I knew I could count on you," she said softly.

"I may have to take some extreme measures," Warren reasoned. "It's very risky."

The blonde contemplated his words for a moment. "I trust your judgment, David."

"Thank you, Ilsa," he replied gratefully.

Felicia put the phone back on the table and sat up, a tingle of excitement working its way along her nerve endings as she anticipated the evening ahead. The opportunity to have the sexy young detective all to herself for a while was more than she could have hoped for, considering the circumstances, and she was going to take advantage of every single minute.

She didn't have any preconceived notions about what might happen, preferring instead to let the endless possibilities reveal themselves in time. But, there was still something exquisitely arousing about the idea of seeing the look on Billie's face when she received her gift. It would most definitely be a thrilling moment for Felicia.

Unfortunately, it would be murder on Roland Hill.

Billie stared out at the water as she leaned back against her car, one hand resting on the edge of the door while the other held the phone to her ear. She'd spent the better part of an hour driving aimlessly, not really sure where she was going, but just wanting to have some time alone.

Amazingly, she ended up at the ocean, which wasn't usually her first choice for a little respite. She actually preferred the mountains, probably because of her upbringing. When you grew up in the shadow of Mount Hood, it was hard to look at the horizon and see nothing but a straight line.

"Hello?"

The lieutenant cleared her throat, surprised at the lump that had suddenly formed in it. "Hi."

"So, did I interrupt some big important meeting?" Sara questioned.

"Hardly."

"Too bad," she replied, teasingly. "I'd really enjoy talking dirty to you while you tried to keep your cool in front of your boss."

The corner of Billie's mouth turned up in a smirk. "I'm sure you would." There was a brief period of silence until the lieutenant finally spoke up again. "So, is this what you consider to be `less complicated'?" she asked, quoting her lover's earlier comment.

"Even I can't avoid the cops forever, Billie," Sara explained. "The further away I stay, the better for both of us."

"At least, tell me where you are," the brunette insisted.

"I'm in California."

Billie could hear the humor in Sara's tone, but she wasn't the least bit amused. "If anything goes wrong-"

"Then, I'll call you to bail me out."

"Sara." The lieutenant let out a heavy sigh, frustrated at her own inability to adequately express herself. It was nothing new, certainly, but now that she and Sara were involved, it was becoming increasingly difficult to just let her actions speak louder than her words, particularly since words were all she had at the moment.

"So, what's your plan for tonight?" Sara asked in a deliberate attempt to steer Billie away from their current topic of conversation.

It was obvious from Sara's tone that she was still very unhappy about Billie's pending dinner date. "I don't really have a plan," she answered. "I'm just going to try and make conversation. If she opens any doors, I'll see where they lead."

"Just be careful, okay?" Sara pleaded. "I've been thinking about something Jill said to me the other day. I meant to tell you about it, but with everything else going on it kind of slipped my mind."

Billie frowned. "What?"

"When we were talking about the explosion, she said that Felicia got off on watching it."

The lieutenant furrowed her brow. "Now, why would that surprise you?"

"She watched it, Billie," Sara stated pointedly. "As in, she was there."

Billie was about to come back with any number of scenarios on how Felicia could have witnessed the bombing.from being parked down the road, to seeing it caught on videotape.

But, she knew instinctively what Sara was implying. And she had to admit, knowing what she did about Felicia, it did seem possible that the woman had devised a more elaborate viewing of her handiwork rather than settling for a video or a car window.

"So, you're thinking she set herself up someplace nearby?" Billie surmised.

"I know it might seem like a stretch, but look who we're talking about here."

The lieutenant's mind was already buzzing with the possibility of finding a connection between Felicia and Malibu. If she could somehow prove that the woman was staying somewhere on the beach at the time of the bomb blast, that might be just enough to get her a search warrant.

"Umm.you're not saying anything," Sara commented. "Is that bad?"

"You should have been a detective," Billie responded.

"Now there's an idea for a career I've never thought of before," the blonde replied good-naturedly. "Just imagine the fun we could have on those late night stake-outs."

The brunette smiled. "The city would be doomed." The sound of Sara's warm laughter wrapped around Billie, making her wish for about the millionth time that they could just take off and leave everything behind them. Her mood suddenly darkened as her thoughts turned to what lay ahead in the next twenty-four hours.

"Umm.Sara?"

"Yeah?"

"I...ah...I have a meeting tomorrow morning," Billie stated haltingly. "Things aren't looking too good right now...for me, that is. My job." She released an impatient sigh. "What I mean to say is that my career is in serious trouble. It wouldn't be the first time, but this is...different. The guy I told you about, the one from Internal Affairs-"

"You mean Hill?"

"Yeah. He seems to think he's got enough to get me tossed out on my ass, and to be honest, I'm not so sure he's bluffing."

There was a brief moment of silence on the other end. "Is this because of me?"

"What?" Billie questioned. "No...no, Sara. Trust me, I was headed in this direction long before you came along."

"Well, how bad could it be?" Sara asked. "I mean, are you actually out there breaking laws?"

"Left and right."

"Anything they can prove?"

Spoken like a true criminal. "I guess I'll find out in the morning."

"I'm a little surprised you told me about this."

The lieutenant gave a mental shrug. "I wanted you to know...just in case." Her cool gaze wandered out to the horizon, taking in the beautiful blue sky as it touched the shimmering water. "Hey, Sara?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever climbed a mountain?"

"No," she answered. "But, I've fought an uphill battle. Does that count?"

Billie grinned in spite of herself. "When this is all over, you and I are going to take a nice long, relaxing vacation."

"And climb a mountain?" the blonde asked dubiously.

"Exactly."

The lieutenant straightened up and checked her watch. It was almost time for dinner. She opened her car door and slid in behind the wheel, glancing toward the sky one last time before starting up the engine. With a quick check in the rearview mirror, she shifted smoothly, easing up on the clutch as she pulled out onto the coastal road.

"You find mountain climbing relaxing, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Then, tell me something, Lieutenant Chambers." Sara's throaty timbre caressed her ear like a warm breeze, causing a shiver to run up Billie's spine. "What do you do for excitement?"

The brunette smiled behind her sunglasses. "I catch bad guys."

Part 23

I had a long list of names that I kept in my back pocket,
but I've cut it down to one and your name's at the top
- Margo Timmins

Billie followed Sophia down a long hallway, passing a number of closed doors before arriving at an expansive, circular foyer. The lieutenant paused to admire a single painting that hung on the large column standing in the center of the room. The dark-haired servant continued on toward an archway on the opposite side, waiting patiently for the young woman to catch up with her.

She stared at the canvas, noticing that one edge looked slightly damaged, as if it were burnt. The painting showed a raging sea churning, as darkened clouds billowed down to touch the cresting waves, while far off in the distance a single boat battled to ride out the storm. As Billie's eyes roamed the gloomy images, her eyes caught a tiny figure standing along the shore in the foreground. Although impossible to distinguish clearly, she had the distinct impression it was a little girl.

"This way Lieutenant."

Billie's gaze lingered on the painting for a few more seconds before she finally turned and walked toward Sophia. The older woman's expression remained neutral as she motioned for the younger woman to enter ahead of her. "Madam is waiting in the garden. Please follow the path at the bottom of the stairs." She stood motionless, the finality of her tone and her extended arm a clear indication that Billie was to continue on alone.

"Thank you," the brunette replied as she started to make her way down the stone steps. When she reached the bottom, she looked back over her shoulder to see that her guide had already disappeared from view.

Taking advantage of her solitude, Billie ambled along at a leisurely pace, using all of her senses to survey her surroundings. The flat stone path beneath her feet guided her along through a series of high, arcing trellises. In some places the foliage was so thick they could barely keep the wild greenery at bay. There were flowers everywhere, their rich perfume filling the air as stunning colors created an indelible image of beauty.

It would be easy to be taken in by the splendor around her, if it weren't for the reason that Billie was here. Her usual cocksure attitude was somewhat muted, mostly due to her own uneasiness at the thought of being in Felicia's company for an extended period of time. She had to be on her guard every single minute. Having worked undercover for years, it wasn't exactly a new concept for her, but the idea of a whole evening of parrying the woman's advances wasn't something she was looking forward to.

Even more disturbing was the possibility of having to give in to those advances if the opportunity presented itself. She knew that getting physically close to the woman might be her only chance to find the flaw in Felicia's otherwise impenetrable outer shell. And no matter what the cost, Billie was determined to breach that barrier.

The sound of water reached her ears several moments before she saw the fountain. The path she was on eventually opened up into a small courtyard, a whole new array of flora assaulting Billie's senses as she walked straight ahead, her blue eyes fixed on the ornate granite monolith before her.

As she stood there, staring up at the carved figure, a soft voice broke the silence, startling Billie with its seemingly close proximity. "Isn't it beautiful?" The lieutenant spun around, fully expecting to see Felicia standing directly behind her, but to her surprise, the taller woman was more than ten feet away, watching her from a previously unnoticed opening in the greenery.

"Yes, it is," Billie answered, keeping her voice steady. She knew it was Felicia's intention to take her by surprise, obviously wanting to set the tone for the evening, but she wasn't about to allow the other woman to gain the upper hand. She paused for a few beats before adding, "It looks a bit like your mother." The startled expression that flashed across Felicia's face was so fleeting Billie almost thought she'd imagined it.

"As I said before," the blonde replied softly. "You do have a keen eye."

"It's an important tool in my line of work." The lieutenant turned to look back at the statue again. "It's quite an image," she commented. "You must have loved her very much."

Felicia stepped forward, keeping her eye on Billie as she said, "The relationships of mothers and daughters are very complex." She came to stand beside the lieutenant, clasping her hands together in front of her as she lifted her eyes to look at the fountain. "I didn't really know her all that well. She was far too busy with the matter of providing for us. But, she was a very strong person, and I always admired her for that." She glanced over to see Billie's gaze focused on her. "Such a maudlin topic, don't you think?"

The lieutenant shrugged as she said casually, "We could always switch our conversation to dead cops and their killers. I, for one, would be very interested as to what you'd have to say on that topic."

"We haven't even had a drink, yet," Felicia responded with a slight grin. "The least you could do is wait until the main course before going for the throat." She suddenly leaned in toward her guest as she placed a hand to the base of her neck. "Oh, how forgetful of me, you've already done that, haven't you?"

A pair of ice blue orbs fixed on her. "Why did you want me to come here tonight, Felicia?"

The taller woman turned fully around this time, her face tilted to one side as she studied her guest for a moment. The young woman was wearing a lovely, black dress with the barest hint of royal blue trimming along the moderately plunging neckline. Her tanned legs were in full view, and Felicia almost felt compelled to reach out and touch that soft, enticing skin.

Her considerable physical aspects aside, there was something so irresistible about the lieutenant, a mixture of qualities that drew Felicia to her in a way she'd never been drawn to anyone before.

Billie was impossibly earnest, yet remarkably deceitful. There was an air of danger about her, but carefully tempered, when necessary, by an easy-going nature. Her manner was completely unflappable one minute, explosive and unpredictable the next. She was an outgoing young woman who emitted an innate sense of complete self-confidence, yet she was secretive and introverted, always trying to keep her volatile emotions hidden somewhere deep within.

And all of it was wrapped in an incredibly enticing package.

"I know you feel that you've been coerced into coming here this evening."

"Blackmailed would be a better word."

"Perhaps," Felicia conceded. "But, I thought this would give us both a chance to get to know each other better."

"I know everything I need to know about you, Felicia," Billie stated firmly.

"Do you?" Felicia questioned. "Then, just consider this evening an opportunity to.make your play." The blonde smirked. "That is the correct lingo, isn't it?"

Billie folded her arms across her chest, a familiar gesture when she intended to take control of a conversation.or close herself off from it. "Considering how much you already know about me, Felicia, I doubt there would be an angle I could play on you."

The older woman flashed her most seductive smile. "My dear Billie, something tells me you are nothing if not.creative." She turned away and began to stroll along the path, casually running one hand along the edge of the stone rim as she made her way to the other side of the fountain. Once again, her voice dropped to a softer tone, barely reaching Billie's ears over the sound of trickling water. "Let's get started, shall we?" Felicia disappeared from view and the young lieutenant lifted her gaze skyward, shaking her head with an air of impatience as she started to follow.

This was going to be the longest night of her life.

Detective Deaqon Hayes was not a happy man. There were only two things in this world that could bring him to the brink of utter frustration.and both of them had dark hair.

Van was supposed to be at home, sleeping off his lethargy from the previous evening so his skills would be sharp as a tack when needed. which was in about five hours from now. But, unfortunately, downtime was not something that Officer Ray did very well, a fact that his more grounded partner had reluctantly grown accustomed to over the last year.

With a big bust looming so close, Deaq often found it difficult to relax, as well, but he usually tried to replace sleep with more sedate pursuits, such as reading or an occasional yoga session. And although he would have been more than happy to have a few hours to himself, he knew with absolute certainty that his co-workers would be up to more rigorous activities.

So, it came as no surprise when he arrived back at the Candy Store several hours earlier than necessary, only to find his partner beating the hell out of a punching bag.

"Yo, V," Deaq called up as he spotted Van's agitated form at the top of the stairs.

Van immediately stopped his pummeling and grabbed the bag to steady it. "Hey," he replied, breathlessly. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question, slick." He glanced around at the empty warehouse. "Where's Billie?"

"Don't know," Van answered with a shrug and a quick jab. "Maybe she and Hill went out for Mai-Tai's." He resumed his movements and began to throw his punches a bit more vigorously.

"Or, maybe she's out dumping the body somewhere," Deaq mumbled.

"So, what the hell is up with that, huh?" Van continued to jump around, slamming his fists with ever-increasing speed. "I'm sick of this shit. She's always leaving us in the fucking dark, man." His final hit seemed to put the emphasis on his last words. He leaned over, slightly, resting his wrapped hands on his knees as the sound of his labored breathing punctuated the quiet.

"I hear that." Deaq watched the younger man make his way down the stairs, unwinding the tape from his hands as he went. It was obvious he'd been at it awhile, as evidenced by the shabby condition of his knuckles. "Why don't you use those slip-ons, my man? They are much easier on the hands."

"It takes away the feel," Van replied. "I like the feel."

Deaq arched his eyebrows. "The feel of pain?"

"It lets me know I'm hitting something solid." Van dropped the balled up, bloodied remains of his workout into the trash barrel and faced his partner, a scowl firmly affixed to his face. "So, what do you think?" There was no need to explain the change of topic to the other man.

"I think she's doing what she always does."

"Need to know," they both stated in unison.

"Yeah, well, I say screw that," Van shot back, angrily. "With everything going on around here, I think we need to know. Now. Don't you?"

Deaq regarded his partner with a weary expression. His head began to move, slowly, back and forth, as if already in denial. "I know that look, man."

"We can be in and out in five minutes."

"Forget it."

"Come on, Deaq." Van knew his partner would play it the same way he always did. There would be token resistance, a little bit of heated debate, and then.

"We're just supposed to waltz into Hill's office?" Deaq asked, incredulously. "After what happened to Ollie? Are you fuckin' nuts?"

Van flashed a grin. "You said the same thing when we busted in here."

"That was different." Deaq pointed his finger at the younger man. "Billie's life was on the line."

"It's on the line here, too.".

"The rat squad isn't gonna kill her, you dumb shit," Deaq barked. "They might want to fry her ass, but we're talking about her job.not her life."

"First of all, the job is her life," Van pointed out. "And, secondly, if she's out in the cold, she's a sitting duck. No badge, no access. No access, no protection."

The young detective knew that everything his partner was saying was true. If Billie were suspended, or worse, it would only leave her more vulnerable. Jill Kistler may have skipped town, but Felicia Ralston was still in the picture, along with who else knew. And after what happened in Malibu there was no longer any doubt that someone was after their boss.in a big way.

Hill's usual smugness had been on full display earlier, but it was tough to tell if he really had something on Billie, or if he was just looking forward to raking her over the coals for past transgressions. Either way, shining a spotlight on the lieutenant wouldn't be good for her, especially in light of her newfound relationship.

Deaq hadn't realized exactly how serious things had gotten between the two women until Billie showed up in the interrogation room on the day of Sara's attack. Her demeanor was all business, as it usually was, but there was no denying the emotional impact the event had on her, and for he and Van that meant there was only one thing they could do: It was time to circle the wagons.

One of their head's had been turned by a mark. This certainly wasn't unfamiliar territory, but it was usually Van who ended up dropping his pants for any chick with a gun and a sob story, although even Deaq could admit to an occasional turn of the screw.

But, this was Billie. Big, badass, I'm-in-control, I-call-the-shots, Chambers. The woman who prided herself on always being in the know. The one who had an answer for everything, even when that answer was just about the last thing on this earth you wanted to hear.

She'd gotten in close. Too close. And before you could say lickety- split, she was ready to put it all on the line for someone she barely knew. Sara Matthews had managed to find a way to get to Billie, and even though she certainly wasn't the worst criminal Deaq had ever seen, he still wasn't sure how he felt about the idea of her getting next to his friend.

Regardless of that, however, was the simple fact that Billie was in way over her head, and it was up to him and Van to watch out for her. She'd pulled out all the stops to bail them out of trouble when they needed it, and they owed it to her to do the same.

Hopefully, they wouldn't end up bringing the house down on all of them.

"If we get caught," Deaq warned. "You are a dead man."

Van smiled at him.

"I would've expected servants to be running around," Billie commented as she stared across the small table at her hostess.

"I wanted us to have some privacy," Felicia explained as she filled the brunette's wine glass.

"So, there aren't any hidden cameras anywhere?" the lieutenant questioned as she made a show of looking around her.

The blonde began to pour the vintage Beaujolais into her own glass, as she answered, "Not out here." She placed the bottle on the table and reached for her glass, lifting it up toward the younger woman. "There's only you and I. Let's toast to that, shall we?"

Billie lifted the delicate crystal goblet to her lips and hesitated. Felicia peered at her over the rim of her own glass, an amused smile on her face. "I assure you, it's not been poisoned." Their gazes locked for a moment, until the lieutenant finally took a small sip and reset her glass on the table.

"It's very good."

"An educated palette, as well," Felicia said approvingly.

"Truthfully, I'm not much of a wine drinker," Billie informed her as she leaned back in her chair. "I prefer vodka."

"I know."

Silence fell over the two women as they started with the first course of their meal. Felicia watched as Billie began to pick through her salad. She kept moving things around, but didn't appear to be eating anything. The older woman observed her for a few moments, a small crease forming on her brow. "Is something not to your liking?"

"The food is fine," the brunette replied absently as she continued to skewer the fresh arugula with her fork, only to flick it off with a quick motion. She finally dropped her utensil to the plate with a loud clatter. "My problem is the company."

"I see," Felicia responded coolly as she carefully set down her own fork. "Well, I'm not keeping you here at gunpoint, now am I?" She pushed her chair away from the table and stood up, throwing her napkin to the plate in a dramatic flourish. "Feel free to find your own way out, Lieutenant." The tall blonde spun around and purposefully headed toward the large, leaf-shaped swimming pool.

Billie watched as Felicia slipped off her sandals and removed the aqua-colored sarong she wore, revealing her well-toned, sleek body, clad in a bikini of the same color. With slow precision, the blonde walked straight out to the edge of the diving board, executing a single jump as she dove, effortlessly, into the clear, blue water and disappeared.

Taking a moment to contemplate her strategy, Billie stood up from the table and fixed her cool gaze on the water. If Felicia was going to persist with her little mind games, then perhaps the only thing she could do was to give the wealthy woman what she wanted.

She grabbed both glasses of wine from the table and walked to edge of the pool, waiting for the blurred figure below to come to her. As she set the goblets down and kicked off her own shoes, Felicia broke the surface of the water with a heaving breath, her head lifting up in surprise when she spotted the brunette standing in front of her.

"I still don't have what I came for," Billie replied as she seated herself on the ground, letting her bare legs dangle over the edge and slipping her feet into the water. She took one glass into her own hand and held the other one out to Felicia, who merely looked at her with a curious expression. "I want the name of Cathy McKenzie's killer."

Felicia knew the young woman was completely serious. She gripped the tiled wall with one hand and took the offered glass with the other, her fingers leaving a trail of droplets along the back of the brunette's hand. Sipping the wine, slowly, her eyes never strayed from Billie's as she savored the rich taste, along with the sight of the young lieutenant's determined gaze. With a pleasurable sigh, she set the glass back on the ground, pausing for a single instant as she ran a hand along the inside of Billie's leg. She could feel the muscles tense underneath her fingers, and she smiled. "We both often want things we can't have." With a quick twist, she slipped beneath the surface and swam away.

Billie held the glass of wine to her lips and tossed back its contents in a single motion, her cheeks puffing out as she held it in and swallowed hard. "Oh, Chambers, you are out of your fucking mind," she rasped softly, clearing her throat as she felt the alcohol burn a trail down to the pit of her stomach. She swiped the back of her hand across her mouth, her eyes following the lithe form as it streaked across the clear depths, coming up for air at the opposite end of the pool. Long legs took slow, methodical steps up and out of the water, and immediately began heading in her direction.

Her mind was giving her all sorts of useful advice, but Billie was too focused on her objective to hear reason. As she continued to watch those legs coming closer, her blood began to race through her veins at lightning speed, the loud thumping of her heartbeat drowning out all other sounds. A shadow fell over her and she glanced upward, seeing nothing but a dark eclipse against the bright sun.

"Come in for a swim," Felicia prodded, gently.

"I didn't bring my suit," Billie responded crisply, her voice sounding far off to her own ears. As Felicia knelt down to retrieve her wine, the sun hit the lieutenant's eyes like a knife, causing her to flinch in response.

"I took the liberty of purchasing several for you," the blonde said helpfully as she gestured to the small building just behind her. "They're hanging up inside." She flashed a quick smile and straightened up before turning away and heading back toward the table, her cat-like steps somewhat quicker than usual. "I'll get the wine."

The lieutenant sat there trying to will her body to do her bidding. She had to keep reminding herself of the purpose of this dangerous exercise. There was a killer out there, and catching them was paramount to everything else.

Felicia watched with interest as Billie got to her feet and walked into the cabana. She could feel her pulse speed up, the anticipation nearly suffocating as she stood there and waited for the young woman to reemerge. She continued to sip her wine, warmth flooding her body as the alcohol worked in tandem with the sunshine, leaving her feeling both relaxed and humming with a pleasant tension.

After a few moments, the brunette stepped back outside, and Felicia gazed appreciatively at the woman's semi-nude form. Her athletic, yet distinctly feminine body looked nearly perfect in the black two-piece suit she wore. As Billie raised her arms to tie her hair back, a small slice of her flat stomach was revealed, and the other woman smiled. She knew all along that would be the suit the young lieutenant would choose.

The blonde waited for Billie as she retrieved her empty glass and made her way back to the table. Without a single utterance, she held it out to Felicia, who dutifully poured the wine.

"The water is lovely at this time of the day," Felicia commented as she walked away, still holding the bottle by its neck as her arm swung, casually, at her side. When she reached the edge of the pool, she set it down, along with her glass, and held her hand out toward the young lieutenant. "Come to me, Billie."

Billie found herself riveted by the woman's powerful gaze, a trickle of sweat running down her back as she felt the subtle draw of Felicia's commanding stance. This time the warning bells going off in her head were more like a deafening klaxon pounding against the inside of her skull, and its message was loud and clear: Once she set the wheels in motion, there would be no turning back.

Without the slightest hint of hesitation, she walked toward the pool.

Part 24

I do not struggle in your web
because it was my aim to get caught.
- Fiona Apple

Felicia Ralston considered herself to be an extremely patient person. It was in her nature to be slow and methodical, having learned from vast experience that the longer it took to achieve her goal, the more infinitely sweet the moment of victory.

When she first laid eyes on Lieutenant Billie Chambers, her thoughts were focused on a single objective. She knowingly stoked the fires of Jill's anger, thereby feeding her own desire to manipulate her lover and bring about a violent confrontation between the two women.

But, as Jill grew increasingly squeamish about the execution of her revenge, Felicia had taken control of the situation. And it was in helping the young woman to have what she so obviously craved that Felicia soon came to realize exactly how formidable and determined the object of their joint obsession really was.

Now that her former lover had run off to parts unknown, she was free to pursue Billie in her own fashion, no longer hindered by concerns of subtlety. Not that she ever really was, but there were certain precautions she'd needed to take in order to make her moves without giving Jill any indication of her ultimate plan. Unfortunately, her biggest obstacle where Billie was concerned was the very same one she'd had with Jill.

Sara Matthews.

It was almost maddening how she continued to get in the way of everything Felicia wanted. In hindsight, she knew the critical error she'd made in not removing the young woman permanently when she'd had the chance. But, at the time of Sara's attack, she and Jill were still very much involved, and her desire for Billie not yet known to her.

Apart from observing their physical interaction, Felicia's face off with Sara had been her first opportunity to gauge the depth of the young woman's feelings for Billie, and it was perfectly clear from her insistent threats that the blonde was in love, or at least thought she was. After hearing endless stories from Jill about her roommate's somewhat disparaging love life, it was obvious that Sara attached herself to people who were inevitably going to hurt her. And Felicia knew that Billie was no exception.

The young detective was far too intelligent to be taken in by Sara's dim-witted bad girl image. Of course, it must have seemed alluring at first, the element of danger adding some excitement to their budding relationship. And there was no denying that Sara was pleasing to the eye. But, once the newness of the physical attraction wore off, Felicia knew it wouldn't stand the test of time. The proof of that had been the pictures. Sara's look of utter betrayal hopefully marked the beginning of the end, and even though Felicia wasn't sure if it had been enough, at this moment, it didn't matter.

She stood there, watching Billie coming closer, intense blue eyes filled with anger and hell-bent resolve. The lieutenant's movements were calculated, but cautious, years of hard-won instinct undoubtedly taking over, and Felicia couldn't help but admire the young woman. She knew Billie could feel the dangerous undercurrent between them, but despite the threat, the young woman continued to play the game, and Felicia found that compulsive determination to be utterly exhilarating.

She'd greatly enjoyed sparring with the seasoned detective, their exchanges serving as a type of intellectual foreplay, only now, that was no longer enough to satisfy her. It was time to move to a different battleground, and she'd already decided here and now to launch a new offensive. But, what she wanted from Billie went far beyond anything in the physical realm, and even she wasn't sure how much the young woman truly understood that.

As Billie came forward, she tilted her head up and gave the blonde a defiant look. "I'm not a trained poodle, Felicia." She placed her wine glass on the ground and stepped up onto the diving board. With casual grace, she took several quick steps and jumped, coming down on the board and pushing off with her powerful legs, body arcing into the air before slicing, cleanly, into the water and swimming away.

Felicia smiled, broadly and turned to watch the brunette's fast- moving form. "Indeed, you most certainly are not."

Billie's thoughts were racing through her head, strategy and intent slowly coming together as she swam toward the shallow end. She kept telling herself that this situation was no different than any other. She would do what she had to, and later on, hopefully distance herself from it, just as she'd done so many times before.

But, there was a difference.

Most of the people she'd worked over the years were mainly interested in things like drugs, weapons, or money. There were even a few that dealt in jewels, or other rare, stolen goods. Throw in one or two unscrupulous corporate raiders, and it all boiled down to a group of lowlifes who were only interested in whatever they could get. None of them had ever been interested in her.

Until Felicia Ralston.

As Billie neared the end of the pool, she waded up to the first step, immediately spotting Felicia, who was just getting into water. The blonde began her descent, not stopping until she reached the bottom. When she closed the short distance between them, the two women were standing face to face.

"I'm not letting you get away this time," Felicia announced.

"I wasn't trying to get away," the brunette informed her. "I just wanted to get wet." She continued to hold the blonde's steady gaze.

Felicia lifted a hand out of the water and trailed a single, manicured nail along Billie's jaw. "Well, now that we're both wet." Her fingertip came to rest under the brunette's chin and she leaned in close, her soft, full lips making delicate contact with the young woman's mouth. She could feel a fraction of resistance, but within seconds all opposition seemed to dissolve.

The kiss was soft and sensual, nothing at all like Billie had anticipated. Their first encounter in Felicia's car had been intense, even a bit forceful. But, this was very different.and quite unexpected. As the kiss slowly deepened, the lieutenant tried to push all other thoughts from her mind. She just had to stay the course, and remember that pleasure was not a part of the equation.

Just as before, Billie decided to play the role of aggressor, resting her hands on Felicia's hips and pulling the woman toward her. But, this time, she was not the one who broke the kiss.

As their lips parted, Felicia took a small step back, fixing the brunette with a hungry look. Slowly, she reached back and undid the ties to her bathing top, letting the loose strands slip down over her shoulders. Billie took her hands away, watching with rapt attention as the other woman removed the garment, exposing her upper body to the lieutenant's cool gaze.

Felicia moved closer, bare breasts pressing against Billie's as her hands came to rest on the young detective's shoulders. With her bathing top still clutched in one hand, she slowly trailed her fingertips down along the moist skin of the brunette's arms and slipped them under the water, finally reaching a pair of slender wrists. She clasped them gently, but firmly, and began to move them toward the small of Billie's back.

"Wait," Billie warned, staring into those dark, dangerous eyes.

Felicia pressed their bodies together even tighter as she leaned in and caressed the brunette's earlobe with the tip of her tongue. "You want his name, don't you?" she whispered hotly, pulling back just enough so their eyes could meet again.

His name. Billie heard that loud and clear. But, she knew the slip-up had been intentional, its only purpose being to lead her into more perilous territory.

"Give me what I want," the blonde replied, her voice soft and sultry. "And, I'll give you what you want."

Billie stiffened, slightly, the warmth of their close proximity causing her to break out in a light sweat. "What do you want, Felicia?" she finally asked.

Felicia brushed her lips against the young woman's cheek. "I want control, Billie." She continued a trail of soft kisses along the slender contour of the young woman's throat, finally reaching her shoulder and biting down gently. "Do you understand?" The blonde picked her head up and met the other woman's stunning blue eyes. They stood there in the water, barely an inch of space between them, as a test of wills was waged in absolute silence.

Once again, Billie realized she'd been unwittingly maneuvered. Giving up control wasn't something she thought she could do, and it was obvious Felicia had anticipated that, which was precisely why she wanted Billie to do it.

She seriously doubted that Felicia intended to do her any harm. This was purely a psychological game, and even with the remote chance that things took a turn, Billie knew she wasn't exactly helpless. Coupled with the innocuous surroundings, the risks were negligible. Still, none of that was sweetening the deal.

Felicia could see the indecision in Billie's eyes. Choosing this particular method to seduce the young woman was no accident. She knew how difficult the choice would be for her. Allowing someone you didn't trust to actually restrain you, especially given the nature of what they were about to do, involved a certain daring that very few people possessed. But, knowing what she did about Billie, Felicia never had any doubt as to the outcome.

The movement was barely perceptible, but Felicia felt it. Her expression never changed as she reached around behind the brunette and began to wind the fabric around Billie's left wrist.

The lieutenant could no longer see Felicia's face as she worked, but the woman's warm breath blew, tantalizingly, across her neck, causing the tiniest shiver to run up her spine. She closed her eyes, briefly, cursing her own recklessness. Once again, she was playing with fire, but for some unknown reason, that realization never seemed to cross her mind until she was well past the point of no return.

Or, perhaps, she wouldn't allow it to.

Felicia's face came back into view, her dark eyes boring into Billie's as the young lieutenant gave the makeshift restraints an experimental tug. They were surprisingly strong. A sudden smile graced the blonde's pale features, but Billie couldn't see the slightest hint of pleasantness in it.

"What if I were the killer?" Felicia questioned as she dragged a finger down the length of Billie's torso. "You'd be placing yourself in a very dangerous position." She flicked her eyes at the brunette, who remained silent, and the corner of her lip turned up in a slight grin. "You enjoy taking risks, don't you Billie?"

"You didn't shoot Cathy McKenzie," the lieutenant replied, her tone steady and confident.

"You say that with such conviction," the blonde noted. "So.you don't think me capable of murder?"

Billie looked down at the woman's hand as it moved across the exposed skin of her abdomen. "I think you're capable of anything."

Felicia laughed softly and slipped her arms around the brunette's waist, her hands sliding over Billie's bound wrists as she pulled their bodies together in a tight embrace.

"Let's test that theory, shall we?"

"Here he comes."

Van tilted his head to look in the rearview mirror, just in time to see Roland Hill walking toward his car. The man's back was ramrod straight, his movements quick and confident. For some reason, he always reminded Van of his high school principal, which was one explanation as to why he disliked the man from the moment he first laid eyes on him.

Of course, he also had that whole by the book, smug, sarcastic, major league asshole thing working for him, as well.

"Two minutes and we move, got it?" Deaq glanced over from his position behind the wheel to stare at his partner. "Hey, player, where are you?"

"Something's not right," Van mumbled.

"Your damn right something's not right," Deaq shot back in a hushed, irritated tone. "We're about to break into the rat's nest, man. And based on past experience with some of your stupid plans, my ass'll probably wind up as a big piece of fuckin' cheese."

"Hey, at least I can think on my feet," the other man replied, indignantly. "And, if you recall, my stupid plans have saved your ungrateful booty on more than one occasion."

"Thanks to you, my booty is damaged goods."

"Thanks to me, the rest of you is still in pretty good shape."

Deaq stared daggers at him. "You shot me in the ass."

Van rolled his eyes and replied, "Am I gonna have to hear about that for the rest of my life? Can we focus on work here?"

"Fine."

"So, as I was saying-"

"Something's not right," Deaq interrupted. "Yeah, I heard that. So, what is it?"

"His briefcase."

Deaq furrowed his brow as he watched Hill getting into his car. "He doesn't have a briefcase."

"Exactly," Van confirmed.

"So?" the other detective said slowly, knowing that fact was significant, but not quite sure as to why.

"He's got this big meeting tomorrow, right?"

"Right."

"So, after months of bustin' our nads and chasing after Billie, he finally gets his chance to lay her out and he isn't even taking any work home to get ready for the big day?"

"That's assuming he's going home," Deaq pointed out.

"Well, if he's not going home, and he doesn't have his briefcase, then that means he's definitely coming back," Van reasoned. "So, the question is, where is he going?"

"And how long is he gonna be gone?"

Van nodded and glanced at his partner. "That's actually two questions."

Dark eyes still pinned to the mirror, Deaq immediately came to a decision and started the car. "Let's see if we can get some answers."

Hill's car pulled out of its space and headed for the parking garage exit, the driver completely unaware of the small black Jaguar discreetly following at a safe distance.

Billie was seated on the stairs of the pool, chest high in the water, with a beautiful, half-naked blonde on her lap. Her hair had been pulled out of its ponytail, a combination of water and sweat causing long, dark strands to stick to her neck and shoulders.

Felicia was moving her body slowly, and rhythmically, one hand buried in Billie's dark hair, the other beneath the water, fingers moving teasingly, between a pair of taut, tanned legs. The bikini top was doing its job in preventing Billie from using her hands, so she tried to use her mouth to its best effect, but from her current position, she was definitely at a disadvantage.

Despite being aroused, Billie tried to stay focused on her objective, part of which was supposed to include that she be the one doing the seducing. Unfortunately, things were not exactly happening the way she'd hoped.

The blonde's movements suddenly stopped, and her hand traveled up the front of Billie's body. One finger brushed against an erect nipple and Felicia cupped the breast and began lavishing attention upon it. The sudden intake of breath from the young, firm body beneath her only served to spur her on.

"Felicia." Billie's voice was soft and raspy.

A pair of dark, brown eyes gazed, lustfully, at the lieutenant. "I love the way you say my name." Felicia tugged on Billie's hair and tilted her head back, exposing the soft, vulnerable skin to her eager mouth. She slid her tongue across the brunette's pulse point, finally eliciting a small moan from the young detective, and she smiled against the warm, heated skin.

"I want the name," came another breathless response.

Felicia took Billie's earlobe between her teeth, biting down gently as her hand traveled lower to resume its earlier ministrations. She could feel the lieutenant's legs closing in response to the sudden intrusion, and she suddenly leaned forward, her superior leverage serving to drive Billie further back against the stairs.

The back of Billie's head came to rest against Felicia's forearm, the water's edge barely licking against her cheeks. Her ears were now submerged, and she squirmed against the uncomfortable sensation.

"Ssh." Felicia brought her hand up and placed a finger against Billie's lips to silence her. "Can you understand me?"

Billie could easily make out the woman's words, although she doubted the muffled sounds would have made sense if it weren't for the fact that Felicia was hovering directly above her. "Yes," she answered.

The blonde kissed her, softly. "Well then, Billie, it's time to give you want you want." Her hand reached down and cupped the brunette's crotch, pressing firmly as she began to rotate her palm in small, tight circles.

The lieutenant's breath quickened, the sound loud against her blocked ears, and she was finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate on anything outside of her own body. She stared up at Felicia from her nearly prone position, unsure as to why she was even allowing this to happen. The woman was manipulating her body in a way that she'd never allowed anyone else to before.

Not even Sara.

The thought of her lover suddenly jolted Billie out of the surreal state she was falling into, and with a quick mental shake, her mind immediately refocused itself. All she needed was the name, and then she would put a stop to all of this.

Felicia's lips were slightly parted, and Billie was certain she was about to speak again, until she suddenly lifted her gaze to look at something else.something Billie couldn't see. The blonde's expression turned angry, and that was all the incentive the lieutenant needed to push back to an upright position.

"-were not to be disturbed."

The last few words Felicia spoke reached Billie's ears as she came out of the water. The blonde was already backing off, although she kept one hand poised, possessively, on the brunette's shoulder. A shadow fell over them, and Billie glanced over to see Sophia standing at the edge of the pool.

"My apologies, Madam, but it's urgent."

Felicia glared at the other woman, briefly, before turning her attention back to her dinner guest. "Would you excuse me for a moment?"

Billie had to admit that she was still somewhat amazed by the blonde's unflappable demeanor. The fact that they were discovered in an extremely compromising position, not to mention that Felicia barely had any clothes on, didn't seem to bother her in the slightest. The lieutenant, on the other hand, decided to practice a bit more discretion. Servant or no servant, she didn't want the other woman to see her.unusual accessory.

Billie merely nodded as she shifted to look in Sophia's direction, and Felicia gave her a knowing smile. She slipped her hand off Billie's shoulder, brushing her fingertips across the young woman's cheek as she stood up. "Don't go away."

The lieutenant squinted as she looked up at her, preferring to remain seated until the newly arrived party's attention was diverted. "Where would I go like this?" she mumbled under her breath.

Felicia headed out of the pool and walked back toward the house with Sophia trailing dutifully behind. The two women stopped near the edge of the patio, speaking in hushed tones that Billie had absolutely no chance of hearing. She sat there twisting her wrists in an agitated fashion to free herself, all the while keeping an eye on the conversation taking place nearby.

Within a short time, she successfully removed her bindings and started to make her way out of the pool. She could see Felicia coming toward her, her mood considerably darkened by whatever news Sophia had given her. The blonde still seemed oblivious to her state of undress. Despite her nudity, the woman might as well have been walking into a board meeting.

"An important matter needs my attention, Billie," Felicia explained with a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry to have to end our evening so abruptly."

"This doesn't involve a homicide, does it?"

The blonde's stony expression suddenly faltered, only to be replaced by a look of amusement. "Whatever would I do without your witty repartee?"

"Don't worry," Billie said helpfully. "I'm just as entertaining through a plexi-glass wall."

Felicia pouted in mock disappointment. "I was rather hoping for conjugal visits."

The lieutenant held out the slightly mangled bathing top. "In that case, I'll be sure to leave my handcuffs at home."

As Felicia reached over to take the dripping wet garment, her hand lingered on Billie's, and she stared, thoughtfully, at the young woman. "Hopefully, next time, we won't be interrupted." As she started to pull away, a firm hand clasped, tightly, around her wrist.

"Not so fast."

"Interested in a little role-reversal?" the blonde questioned.

"We're not finished," Billie replied.

"Billie, I don't have time for this," Felicia responded as she attempted to wrench her arm free from the younger woman's grasp.

The lieutenant yanked, hard, and Felicia nearly stumbled as she was forced to take a step closer to Billie. "We had a deal, Felicia, and you're not going anywhere until I get what I came for."

The blonde narrowed her eyes and replied, "Neither of us got what we wanted this evening, Lieutenant. And our `deal', as you call it, was never consummated."

"I gave you everything you wanted," Billie stated firmly. "Either you ante up, or our game is over." She knew that pushing Felicia too hard was a big risk, but after everything she'd put up with today, it was painfully obvious that all she had left were desperate measures.

Felicia suddenly reached out and grabbed the back of Billie's head, pulling her in for a bruising kiss. The lieutenant was so stunned she could only stand there while the beautiful blonde ravaged her mouth.

Both women released ragged breaths as their lips finally parted. Felicia held Billie's unflinching gaze, her face still hovering close enough to brush the younger woman's swollen lips with the tip of her tongue. "The game ends when I say it ends, Billie," she replied, fiercely. "Don't ever forget that." She reached up and cradled the brunette's chin with her thumb and forefinger, turning her head slightly as she placed a soft, tender kiss on her cheek. She paused to whisper a single word into Billie's ear and pulled away.

The lieutenant remained perfectly still and watched as Felicia walked away from her. The blonde tossed the wet bathing top, casually, over her shoulder as she headed toward the main house. In less than a minute, she completely disappeared from view.

The first thing Billie did was walk back to the cabana to grab her clothes. She managed to do a quick change and found her way through the garden, where she found Sophia waiting at the top of the stairs that led back the way she came. Eerily, the woman seemed to be poised in exactly the same spot where they'd parted ways only a short while ago.

"This way please, Lieutenant."

As the brunette followed her, she decided to try and make some conversation. "So, how long have you worked for Fel.uhh.Mrs. Ralston?"

"Nine years, Miss."

"You must have known her husband, then."

"Yes."

Billie rolled her eyes. Sophia was definitely a woman of few words. "What was he like?"

"He was a very fair employer," Sophia answered in a bland tone.

"Uh-huh." As they approached the main doors, Billie decided to take one last shot. "Is there anything I should be concerned about, Sophia? In relation to this urgent matter, I mean."

"If Madam requires your assistance, she will notify you." She pushed on the ornate, carved handles with smooth, practiced efficiency, and stepped outside, perching herself against one of the open doors. If the woman's rigid posture wasn't dismissive enough, her next words made everything perfectly clear. "Good evening, Lieutenant."

Billie hesitated, lingering in the doorway for a few seconds. The older woman remained where she was, not even sparing a glance. With a soft sigh, the lieutenant walked by her and headed for her car, giving the servant a casual wave. "Nice chatting with you, Sophia."

Just as she reached her car, her cell phone rang. She quickly grabbed it and tossed her purse onto the passenger seat, before slipping behind the wheel. "Chambers."

"Billie, it's me."

It was Van's voice on the other end of the line, and he sounded stressed. More so than usual. "What's up?"

"Hill's been shot."

Billie blinked a few times. "What?"

"Hill's been shot," the young cop repeated emphatically. "Look, Deaq and I are on our way to CSU. You'd better get over here."

"Who did it?" she immediately asked.

"We don't know," came Van's agitated response. "We never saw them."

"How bad is it?"

"Pretty bad."

"Were you with him when it happened?" Billie questioned, trying to comprehend what the hell Van and Deaq would be doing with Hill when they were supposed to be getting ready for tomorrow's bust.

"We were.close by, okay?" He quickly headed off any further inquiries. "It's a long story. Just get here as soon as you can." The connection went dead.

"Van!" Billie nearly shouted into her phone. "Shit." Angrily, she threw the phone aside and started up the car, not bothering to spare the pavement as she floored down the driveway and headed for the gates.

Someone shot Roland Hill the day before he was about to put an end to her career. That absolutely could not be a coincidence. She thought of Felicia's sudden exit, which must have practically coincided with the shooting.

Unfortunately, that just didn't seem to fit. Felicia would never have made such a tactical error as to be called away right at that moment. And without knowing the reason she left, Billie would have to put that connection aside for now.

Her first order of business was to get the lowdown on Hill's shooting. She had no idea how Van and Deaq had gotten involved, but knowing them as she did, it couldn't be good. Van probably hatched up some little scheme, looking to work some angle or another. She could only hope that the two of them had enough sense to cover their asses.

As she sped through the gates and made a somewhat suicidal turn onto the steep, winding road, Billie's thoughts turned to the other unexpected event of the evening.

She wasn't sure Felicia would be truthful with her about McKenzie's murderer, mainly because in giving up the killer's identity, she could risk being implicated herself. But, if there was one thing Billie had learned in these past few weeks it was to never try and second-guess Felicia Ralston. The woman always seemed to be one step ahead of her, and tonight had been no exception.

But, from the wealthy widow's very own lips had come the first tangible piece to a frustratingly erratic trail. She'd only given Billie his first name, just to tease her, but in doing so, she unknowingly confirmed what the young lieutenant had already suspected: There was a serial killer out there.

And his name is David.

Part 25

'Cause it's only time before we all must bleed.
- Ed Roland

Billie flashed her badge at the nearest officer as she came through the doors of the trauma center, her eyes scanning the area in search of a familiar face. She immediately spotted Captain Parish standing near a set of double doors to her left, speaking to a man dressed in an expensive looking suit. He caught her eye and gave a quick nod before resuming his conversation. She was about to approach him when she felt a hand touch her arm.

"Lieutenant Chambers."

She turned to see Lieutenant Rick Martell from Internal Affairs. The two had known each other for many years, having started out working together at Rampart when they were both still in uniform. He'd been something of a flirt back in those days, and every bit the overzealous rookie. But, he had good instincts and a strong ethic, and Billie had always liked him.

After Hill was promoted several months back, Rick's impressive record had easily managed to secure him the position of Chief Investigator. Unfortunately, his transfer put a slight strain on his relationships with his fellow officers, Billie included. People in his division were usually greeted with suspicion and animosity by their co- workers. It didn't matter who or what they were before, once they ended up in IA, they were seen as the enemy.

The last time Billie had even spoken to him was at Alexa's funeral. Despite the tension that existed between them, he'd been kind and supportive, and she hadn't forgotten that. But, the fact that he'd just addressed her so formally had not gone unnoticed.

She decided to dispense with the usual pleasantries. "What's the word on your boss?"

"Not sure yet." He glanced over at Parish, who made eye contact, briefly, giving Billie the distinct feeling that some silent exchange had just taken place. "Can we talk in private for a minute?" he asked, looking back at her.

"What about?" she questioned, her tone already bordering on argumentative.

"I'd rather do this somewhere else." Rick motioned toward an open door behind him. "How about in here?"

Billie shot him an irritated look. "Let's make this quick," she responded, brushing by him and walking into the empty office. When she turned around to face him, Rick stepped inside and closed the door.

"Look, Billie-"

"Oh, so now it's Billie, all of a sudden," she quickly cut him off, already fully aware of what it was he wanted to discuss with her. "Just get to the point."

The other detective stared at the floor for a moment, looking uncomfortable, before resettling his gaze on her. "Where were you tonight?"

The brunette's eyes widened, slightly. She wasn't surprised by the question, but it still smarted that he would even ask it. "You want an alibi from me, Rick? Is that it?"

"I need to know where you were...that's all." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and leaned back against the door. "It's just SOP."

The two colleagues stared at each other, the weight and severity of the accusation hanging between them. Billie drew a slow, deep breath before finally responding, "Go fuck yourself." She stepped up to him and put a hand on the doorknob, her hardening gaze clearly warning him to step aside.

"Jesus, Chambers, you're just as arrogant as ever," he remarked with a hint of frustration. "Why the hell are you so intent on digging your own grave?"

"Get out of my way," she advised him.

Martell let out a heavy sigh as he straightened up and moved back to give her some room. "If you had nothing to do with it, you should have nothing to hide."

"I don't," she said simply.

"Then, why not answer my question?"

"I already told your boss this once before," she informed him. "And now, I'm telling you. I file my reports with Parish. You want answers, talk to him." She opened the door and walked back out toward the main entrance. Martell followed her, casting a weary eye at Parish before moving off to speak with someone else.

Bob noticed Billie storm out of the office, studying her as she made her way through the throng of reporters that were collecting near the check-in desk. When an older, well-known newscaster purposefully got in her way, she practically shoved her badge in his face before using some off-color language to motivate him into abandoning his quest for an interview.

The captain sighed, inwardly, still unsure as to what motivated him to spend so much time and energy on her over the years. He genuinely cared about her, although her hotheaded nature often made that difficult. Still, there was no denying that he had thrown in with Billie Chambers for the long haul, and he intended to stick by her.

At her best, she was a steadfast, stalwart cop. During her days working undercover, she'd conducted some of the best investigations he'd ever seen. Her impressive list of convictions alone put her career on the fast track early on, and she remained one of the youngest officers in the LAPD to ever reach the rank of Lieutenant before her thirtieth birthday.

But there was always something about her that was both unpredictable and destructive, and he supposed it was those very qualities that enabled her to take some incredibly dangerous risks. She could also be amazingly calm in the most intense situations, which in most cases would be a valuable asset. But, where Billie was concerned, Parish often wondered if she didn't see herself as indestructible. He certainly couldn't ever remember seeing another officer with a cooler head, even when bullets were flying right over it. And it was that do or die bravado she possessed that made her an amazingly proficient detective. Unfortunately, he'd always been afraid it would also end up putting her in an early grave.

When they first met, he saw her as little more than a young, eager rookie, although somewhere in the back of his mind, he sensed there was something special about her. His only intention was to use her for a brief stint as a prostitute, and even though there were always risks involved in any operation, he didn't really think she could get into too much trouble...so long as she followed his instructions.

Which, of course, she didn't.

When the hulking, six foot-plus, psycho pimp she was after was too busy beating on a young girl to even notice she was there, Billie should have called for backup, despite needing to leave the scene to do so. She didn't. When her cover was blown, she was unarmed and barely dressed. She should have turned and run. She didn't. And even when the victim chose to save her own skin by pointing the finger at Billie, the young cop should have saved herself, instead of standing her ground to protect the person that put her life on the line. She didn't.

After the dust settled, Parish stood next to Billie in the emergency room as they set her broken arm, giving her just about the sternest dressing down he'd ever delivered. She sat quietly, only making the occasional expression of discomfort as the doctor patched her up, and her captain tore into her. When they both finished, she quietly laid back on the gurney and went to sleep.

Nerves of steel. With a head to match.

At the time, he thought her reckless behavior might have been some misguided attempt to impress everyone. But, after getting to know her better, he came to understand that her actions were not motivated by career ambitions or professional gain. She simply thrived on getting the job done. And she threw every bit of herself into that single pursuit, no matter the risk. He thought her determination was admirable, though he tried to convince himself it would temper with time. She certainly wasn't the first inexperienced cop to push too hard.

But, he soon realized that just the opposite was true. As she became more immersed in undercover work, her tenacity steadily grew. The more complex and lengthy the assignment, the more she seemed at ease. She enjoyed the chase. It gave her an opportunity to pit her skills against a wide range of people, many of whom had previously escaped prosecution on numerous occasions.

Although, sometimes it seemed as though she measured her own worth by the size of the criminals she pursued. The bigger they were, the more desperately she wanted them.

And that was when the trouble really began.

"Thanks for the help there, Bob."

Parish was drawn out of his own thoughts by a familiar voice and looked to see Billie's angry face staring back at him. She stood there, arms folded across her chest, fully prepared to give him her best `I don't give a shit if you're my boss or not, because I'm pissed off' attitude, which he had to admit, he was absolutely not in the mood for at the moment.

"Let's get away from here," he responded, placing a large hand on her shoulder to guide her along. She resisted the temptation to shrug it off, despite being angry with him for not warning her about Rick.

They walked over to a small waiting area near the elevators. When he was certain the crowd was out of earshot, Parish turned to face her. "Before you decide to bust my chops, let me remind you that Martell could have had you report to his office, along with your advocate, and made the whole thing very official." He tucked his hands into his pockets and lowered his voice for effect. "Getting called in stays with you, Billie. It's a stigma you don't need. We both know that. He was doing you a favor."

"I don't need any favors," she replied somewhat petulantly.

He was about to point out how untrue that statement really was, given the current circumstances, but he knew she was well aware of her reputation with Internal Affairs. As she stared back at him, he could already see her switching gears.

"Where are Van and Deaq?" she asked.

"They're tucked away in a room down the hall," he informed her. "I didn't want their mugs showing up on the evening news."

Billie shot a quick glance across the room. The media was beginning to fill the lobby as a handful of uniformed officers battled to keep them away from the action. "What the hell happened?"

"Someone decided to use him for target practice. They popped him five times as he was getting out of his car at the downtown courthouse."

"And he's still alive?" she asked, disbelievingly.

"He was wearing a vest."

The lieutenant raised her eyebrows. "You're kidding me."

"Only one bullet made it through," Parish explained as he removed a hand from his pocket and pointed to his waist. "Right between his belt and his armor. He lost a lot of blood on his way in, but they seem pretty confident he'll pull through."

Billie shook her head, slowly, unable to hold back the tiny smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. It appeared as though Hill's paranoia had finally paid off. In spades. "Where is he now?"

"Being prepped for surgery," Parish answered. "They wanted to get him stable, pump him up with a few pints before they go in to remove the bullet."

"Any suspects?" She had one or two of her own, of course, but she wasn't ready to show her cards yet, not when most of what she had was only pure speculation.

"It's a long list," Parish sighed. "They're looking in their own house, but they don't really think this was done by another cop."

Billie frowned. "Why is that?"

"Something he said to your boys at the scene before he passed out," Parish explained, as he gazed at her, solemnly. "He mentioned McKenzie's killer."

The young lieutenant froze. "He knows who it is?"

Parish shook his head, slowly. "We're not sure, but it sounds like he knows something."

"Jesus, Bob," Billie breathed. "If he really does."

"They might try again," he finished for her. "Believe me, he'll have so much protection he won't be able to have a dirty thought without me knowing about it."

"I think he's going to need it." Any doubts Billie may have had about Felicia's involvement were instantly erased, thanks to Parish, but she was still finding it difficult to grasp the reasoning behind all this.

For a brief second, she'd thought perhaps it had been because of her. If Felicia had somehow known about the meeting tomorrow, maybe she'd sent David after Hill as some kind of twisted way of protecting her. Put in the simplest terms, by removing him, her career would be safe. at least temporarily. And as extreme as that all sounded, even to her, it would probably seem perfectly acceptable to Felicia.

But, what did Hill know about Cathy McKenzie's murder?

"There are a lot of unanswered questions here," Parish commented, as if reading her thoughts. "Like how your guys just happened to be at the scene, for starters."

"Have you talked to them yet?" she asked.

"Only for a minute," he answered. "I've been too busy with security and the press."

"Which room are they in?"

Parish pointed toward a door just beyond the bank of elevators. "There."

"Can you give me a couple of minutes?" She knew he had people to answer to, as well, but Van and Deaq were in the middle of this because of her. And she was not about to let their asses swing in the breeze simply because they were in the wrong place at the right time.

"I'll go find Martell," he offered. "That should give you enough time to help them get their story straight."

"Thanks, Bob," she replied, gratefully.

He studied her for a moment before adding, "If they hadn't been there, Hill would probably be dead. Right now that's their only saving grace."

"I know."

As Parish turned to leave, he stopped and looked at her, curiously. With everything going on he'd only just taken note of her appearance. "You have a date tonight?"

"I was working," was all she would say.

He wanted to ask for more details, but decided against it. Sometimes, the less he knew about Billie's numerous activities, the better he slept at night. Without another word, he walked away, quickly disappearing into the sea of activity.

Billie took a deep breath and headed toward the closed door.

"Have you phoned the New York galleries yet?"

Don turned around to see his boss coming toward him. Her expression was calm, but he knew from the look in her eyes that she was furious. "Umm...not yet. I thought you might want to speak with them yourself."

"Yes, I suppose that's best." Felicia looked over the damage, making a mental note as to the dollar value involved. "How many paintings did we lose?"

"I've accounted for ten, so far." Don tossed aside a charred crate cover and peered down into the blackened interior. "Make that twelve."

"And what about the fire department?" she questioned.

"They took a look around, but since we were able to contain it, they aren't concerned about any structural damage. Our insurance rep is on his way over. He'll start the claims process, and probably take a few pictures."

Felicia stared at the fork truck standing against the wall. It was about the only thing in a ten-foot diameter that wasn't completely burned up in the fire. She found that annoyingly ironic considering the machine's faulty wiring appeared to have been the cause.

"I already called the company we bought it from," Don offered as he noticed her studying the piece of equipment. "The fire chief said he was almost positive it was the point of origin, but an investigator will be over to get a better look."

"Fine," the blonde replied curtly. "I'll be in my office." She spun on her heel and stalked across the platform, leaving her foreman to handle the situation.

Felicia slammed the door behind her, attempting to block out the commotion on the other side, and turned to rest her forehead against the lacquered surface. The fire had been a small one, and she knew that if it had happened at a later hour, the entire building could have gone up in flames. The damage was considerable in terms of dollars, thanks to the unfortunate misplacement of some newly arrived paintings. But, overall, it could have been much worse.

And she didn't give a damn.

The evening was ruined. Her carefully orchestrated plans derailed because of a stupid mechanical malfunction. All she'd needed was a little more time, and Billie would have been hers.

She had the young lieutenant right where she wanted her: So desperate to know the truth, and so willing to do anything in order to get it.

An involuntary shudder ran through her as she recalled the feel of that young, nubile form beneath her. The mystery she'd pursued with such abandon, finally ready to be fully explored. She had been so close.

A hand drifted down to the apex of her slim thighs, long tapered fingers rubbing gently against the soft fabric of her pants. She closed her eyes, her tall, thin body pressing firmer against the door as her hand continued its smooth, stroking motions.

Eyes clear and cool as ice-water...dark hair so soft and silky...lips full, sensual and warm.

Felicia's breathing became slightly labored as she used her free hand to grip the doorknob, her knuckles turning white with the increasing pressure.

That incredibly erotic scent...a mixture of wildflowers and raw sex.

The blonde remained standing, the steady pace of her hand increasing with each passing second. Sounds continued wafting through the door, but soon the muffled voices and clattering tools began to subside as her mind continued to focus inward.

The subtle flavor of wine...the warm, unique taste of a beautiful young woman.

A quiet moan escaped Felicia's lips as she kept her body teetering on the edge, determined to hold on until the fantasy was complete.

The gentle flicker of candlelight...a coil of thick, white rope...a gleaming, razor sharp blade, tracing the exquisite contours of lightly tanned skin.

"Oh...Billie." The tall, slender figure arched her back and cried out, softly, to the empty room. Her posture remained rigid as she pushed against her own hand, dark, disturbing thoughts filling her mind and driving her body.

As the minutes ticked by, she began to relax, breath slowing, heated cheeks cooling to a pinkish hue. Her body twitched, slightly, and she finally released her hold on the door.

As an after thought, her brown eyes traveled to a small bookcase directly across from her. She walked over and pulled out an old, well- worn art book, lifting the cover to reveal a small digital camera mounted inside the binding. After making a small adjustment, she removed it from its mooring and pulled out the memory card, being mindful to insert a new one from her desk drawer before replacing the camera in its inconspicuous hiding spot.

She dropped, tiredly, into her chair and leaned back, studying the small card as she held it between her fingers. Her performance had been a silent one, but better to remove the chance of anyone becoming privy to her somewhat lurid behavior.

Her phone suddenly rang, the soft sound nearly deafening to her startled ears. She snatched it up in irritation. "What?"

"You didn't answer your cell."

Felicia recognized the voice immediately. "I told you never to call me at this number," she hissed.

"I needed to talk to you," Warren told her. "I'm at a pay phone."

The blonde sighed, wearily. "Just tell me it's done."

"Well, yes, but Ilsa-"

"Don't call me that!" Felicia shouted into the phone, her face twisting into an angry sneer as she shot up from the desk. "Don't ever call me that again! Do you understand?" There was nothing but silence on the other end of the line, and for a moment, she almost thought he'd hung up. But, of course, he didn't. He never did.

"I'm sorry." Warren's whisper was barely audible.

She glared at the phone still clutched tightly in her hand, wishing he were standing right in front of her, instead of being just a disembodied voice she couldn't see or touch.

And she wanted to see him.

Touch him.

Hurt him.

"I just wanted to let you know that there were some...complications," he explained.

Complications. She didn't like that word. Unfortunately, she didn't dare ask him to elaborate. Not over an open line. "Then, you'd better tend to them," she finally answered, her voice sounding much calmer than she felt. After skipping a beat, she added, "And don't disappoint me."

"I won't," Warren assured her. "I'll take care of it...I promise."

Felicia dropped the phone back into its cradle, one finger idly tracing the smooth outside edge while she fought to regain control of herself. The shake was barely perceptible, at first, as she brought her other hand down to grip the side of the base. With a sudden burst of rage, she yanked the cord, viciously, and launched the unit across the length of her office. It hit the wall and dropped to the floor in a broken heap.

She stood there staring at the pile of debris, one hand clutched to her chest, the other resting on the desktop as she took in small gasps of air. A tiny whimper escaped her lips, the sound reminiscent of a frightened child, and her dark eyes took on an almost feverish glint as she narrowed them to mere slits.

Her mouth began to move, soundless words forming on her lips as she repeated the same phrase over and over again, the volume steadily increasing with each passing second.

"De er min."

Deaq picked his head up as Billie walked in, noticing how his partner always seemed to stand a little taller and straighter whenever she came into a room. He knew Van had sported a little crush on the attractive lieutenant for some time. He also knew that nothing would ever come of it. She was their boss, and in their line of work, business and pleasure just didn't mix, despite Van's best attempts to prove that theory wrong. And besides the fact that they were like oil and water together.

...there was also the small matter of the woman she was currently involved with.

"Well, well," Billie folded her arms across her chest. "You guys have been busy." She cocked her head to one side as she asked, "Care to fill me in?"

"Okay, sir," Van piped up immediately. "Before you go all `Captain Dobey' on us, I'd like to point out that we did just save somebody's life." He glanced at Deaq, who merely raised his eyebrows. "Of course, considering who we saved, maybe that's not scoring us any brownie points."

"Why were you following him?" the brunette asked, glancing between them until her eyes finally rested on Deaq.

"We went to pay him a visit, but when we got there he was on his way out," the detective answered. "So, we decided to follow him. We were twenty...maybe thirty seconds behind coming into the lot...that's all it took."

"We saw Hill drop," Van continued on with the story. "But, by the time we got to him, the shooter was gone."

"Were there any witnesses?"

Deaq shook his head. "A guy from the D.A.'s office was heading to his car when he heard the shots, but he was too far away to see anything. Other than that, there was no one else around."

Billie's eyes narrowed. "Who was the guy?"

"His name's Colby," Van answered. "We checked him out."

"I know who he is," she responded. "So, what exactly did Hill say to you?"

"He mumbled something about McKenzie's killer," Deaq told her. "But, all those slugs knocked the wind out of him, and then he ended up passing out." He moved his head back and forth, slowly, as he added, "All I can say is it's a good thing they didn't go for the head shot."

Van gave a derisive snort before replying, "It's probably harder than his vest."

"Why were you going to see Hill in the first place?" Billie pressed.

Van looked over at his partner before answering, "We wanted to know what was going down tomorrow." He quickly shot Billie an irritated look. "And since no one seems interested in keeping us on the up, we thought we'd just go straight to the horse's ass."

The lieutenant pinched her nose with a thumb and forefinger before placing her hands on her hips. "I told you what you needed to know."

"Like hell you did, Billie," Deaq retorted, mirroring the other man's expression. "You're keeping things...things we should be in on."

Billie raised an arm and pointed her finger at him. "In case you've forgotten, I happen to be the one in charge, Deaq," she replied angrily. "And I am sick and tired of the two of you always questioning my decisions." She immediately held her palm up to Van as he opened his mouth to respond. "This is my problem, okay? My problem, my call. You get that?"

"Why can't you just be straight up with us, Billie?" Deaq held his hands out in a pleading gesture. "I mean, if bad things are comin' down on you, they're comin' down on us."

"Okay," the brunette started, clearly frustrated with the entire conversation. "You know what? The only thing you two have to worry about right now is the bust. Period. All this other business is just a lot of bullshit. Do your job and I'll do mine." She turned and yanked the door open, almost walking into Parish and Martell. Billie stepped aside and gestured to the two men to enter. With a quick glance at her watch, she pinned the latter with an impatient look. "Ten minutes, and they're out. We have a play going down tonight." The lieutenant walked out, slamming the door behind her.

"I guess we better make this quick, then," Martell noted.

Part 26

I can go where no one else can go
I know what no one else knows
- Dave Pirner

For anyone who didn't know the purpose of The Candy Store, they might think it some kind of museum; a room filled with the remnants of some long forgotten society whose sole purpose was the pursuit of decadence and excess.

But, for the young woman seated on the floor near the center of this vast monument to greed, it was little more than a tool shed, a pile of nuts and bolts she put together to aid her in bringing down the very type of people who continually fortified it.

Billie sat with her back against a chair, her jacket tossed, casually, over the arm as she threw a tennis ball at the outside wall of her office. It bounced back to her and she snatched it in mid-air, pausing to rotate it once in her hand before launching it again.

Her eyes remained fixed on the small, green object as she hurled it in a high arc, watching it fly briefly before coming into contact with the clear divider and returning to her in a single bounce. She cocked an ear, slightly, hearing the sounds of approaching footsteps, but even as two pairs of legs entered her peripheral vision, she never took her eyes off the ball.

Her two operatives stood a few feet away, waiting for their boss to give them her attention. Van dug his elbow into Deaq's side as he gestured toward her. "See? What'd I tell ya? She identifies with Steve McQueen."

Deaq's only response to his partner's comment was to shake his head and walk away from him. "Yo, Billie."

"Hey, guys," she responded as she kept up her monotonous exercise.

Van approached her, his eyes following the ball as it traveled the length of its appointed trajectory. "So, what's the word?"

"We bagged `em," she replied, a small note of satisfaction in her voice. "It looks like the trail leads all the way back to a port in Guatemala. According to my contact at the DEA, they've been moving everything through to Mexico with a fleet of go-fasts. Since Ellis and his group were handling the trucking over the border, we've just managed to plug up their flow. She paused a few beats before adding, "You guys did good work."

Deaq dropped to the floor beside her, leaning back on his hands as he watched her cock her arm back for another throw. "How's Hill doin'?"

"He made it through surgery," she answered, launching the ball again. "They got the bullet out, but he's still unconscious." As she reached up for it, another hand suddenly snatched it out of the air in front of her. She turned and gave Deaq an annoyed look. "Get your own ball." She started to grab it from him, but instead, he tossed it to his partner, who caught it and immediately started to bounce it on the floor.

Deaq got to his feet and held a hand out to Billie. "Ain't we supposed to be havin' a meeting?" The brunette released a heavy sigh and allowed him to pull her to her feet. She picked up her jacket as she turned and walked to her office.

"Come on," she called back to them.

The three cops seated themselves in their usual places, Billie behind her desk and the two men settling in across from her. There was an uncomfortable tension in the air as they all sat, quietly, each waiting for the other side to begin.

The lieutenant could see that the responsibility for getting underway was resting, squarely, on her shoulders. She sat forward, clasping her fingers together and placing her hands on the desk. The conversation they were about to have would not be a pleasant one.

"My meeting was cancelled," she started in a matter-of-fact tone. "For obvious reasons." Van and Deaq remained silent, knowing there was more to say. After a brief hesitation, she continued. "But, I omitted one small detail. The meeting was actually with the DCP." The two men exchanged surprised glances.

"That wasn't exactly a small detail, Billie," Van remarked irritably.

"I'm with slick on this one," Deaq agreed. "Why the hell didn't you tell us?"

"And don't say it was `need to know'," Van quickly added.

Billie resisted the urge to get up and leave, not liking the feeling that she was somehow accountable to anyone. Deaq and Van worked for her, and although her professional troubles would most assuredly end up affecting them, she still didn't feel any real sense of obligation to disclose the details.

But, there was a part of her that knew their attitude of righteous indignation was somewhat justified. The Candy Store was certainly a unique and intimate operation, and the two men who now shared this inimitable space with her had come to understand the most basic tenet of its foundation: Without Billie Chambers, there was no Candy Store.

"Look, guys," she responded in a weary tone. "It's no secret that Hill has been gunning for me for months. He's obsessed with shutting this place down. And with everything that's been going on lately, he's more convinced than ever that our operation is out of control."

Deaq met her steady gaze. "You think he's got something solid?"

"I don't know."

Van narrowed his eyes, slightly, giving his boss a suspicious look. "Does this have something to do with Sara?" Even Deaq looked a bit surprised at his partner's candidness.

The brunette's jaw worked as she tried to formulate an answer to his question without biting his head off. "Again, I don't know."

Deaq saw his partner gearing up to say something else, undoubtedly intending to irk their boss even further, so he quickly intervened. "Look, Billie, we both get that something big is goin' on between the two of you, alright? But, we got some concerns of our own."

"Such as?" Billie asked, her tone sounding a bit on edge.

"Such as, why the hell you'd risk exposing this entire operation just for a little piece of ass!" Van's voice boomed as he shot up from his seat and slammed his hands down on the edge of Billie's desk. Deaq put a hand across his eyes and slumped back into his chair. He knew this was coming, he was just hoping to be miles away when it finally happened.

Billie immediately stood up, a furious look in her eyes as she jabbed a finger in the young officer's face. "Who the fuck do you think you are?"

"I think I'm the guy that's gonna end up writing parking tickets because you couldn't think with your head instead of your pussy!" Van hollered right back.

"Woah!" That comment was enough to galvanize Deaq into action as he jumped up and placed a restraining hand on his partner's shoulder. "You'd better back it up there, my man."

"You hypocritical son of a bitch," the lieutenant breathed. "You stick it into every goddamn hole you can find, and you've got the fucking nerve to call me out?"

"Oh, yeah?" Van continued his tirade, completely ignoring Deaq's attempts to reel him in. "Well, at least when I'm fucking someone, I'm not fucking you at the same time!"

"That's enough!" Deaq bellowed.

Billie's face was red with rage. "You're absolutely right," she responded, her voice deceptively calm. "It is enough." She glared at Van with open hostility. "The next time you mouth off to me like that, you can bet your ass you'll be trading in your alias and your posh little bachelor pad for a skirt and a fucking scooter." She tore her jacket off the back of the chair and started to leave.

Deaq caught her arm as she passed him. "Billie, wait. Come on, now, don't leave. Not like this."

She yanked her arm free and pinned him with a sharp look. "You, of all people, should know the way things are, Deaq." With that, she turned and stormed from the room. The young detective watched her leave, those final parting words causing a painful ripple to course through him.

He did know the way things are...or were, at least, for him. How things just happened, whether you wanted them to or not. How two people, who might never have crossed paths under normal circumstances, suddenly found themselves holding on to each other, so tight that it seemed as though they would never let go.

But, he and Alexa didn't get the chance to find out how long they could hold on, or how far they would go together. She was taken from him, ripped away in a single, heinous, act of violence. And because of that, he would never know what might have been.

"You were way over the line."

Van dropped down, heavily, into his chair and laid his head back to stare at the ceiling, all the anger he'd been expressing now having seemingly fled from his body. "I know."

Deaq turned to look at him, resisting the urge to smack him on the back of the head. Hard. "What the hell got into you?"

"Everything I said was true, Deaq."

"Even so," he replied. "We've both been there."

"This is different."

"Why?"

"It just is," was all Van would say.

"Man, you sound like a goddamn five year old, you know that?" Deaq shook his head and started to walk out, pausing at the door as a thought suddenly occurred to him. He leaned against the doorjamb, his arm stretched against the opening as he looked back at his partner in understanding. "You're jealous."

"I am not," Van replied adamantly.

"Are too."

"Now who sounds like a five year old?" The young cop got to his feet and turned to face his partner.

"Hey man, it's me, okay?" Deaq prompted. "I know you got a little thing going on for the boss lady."

Van's eyes widened in astonishment. "What?"

The detective gave him a sympathetic look. "It's kinda obvious."

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about." Van walked to the door, waiting for the other man to remove the arm that was blocking his exit.

"We gotta set this right, V."

"Would you move your arm, please?"

Deaq did as he asked, allowing his partner to walk by him. Van followed the same path Billie had taken only moments ago, quickly disappearing from view. The loud slam that echoed through the warehouse seconds later confirmed that he was now completely alone. The young man turned his dark gaze skyward and sighed.

"How the hell did I end up with these two, `Dre?"

Billie walked through the front door of her apartment, heading directly for the kitchen with a pile of mail clutched in her hand. She dropped it on the table, shrugged out of her jacket, and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.

Too tired to even care what correspondence may need her attention, she walked down the hall to her bedroom, the bottle tilted to her lips as she drank the cold liquid, greedily. With only one foot across the threshold she froze in her tracks, immediately spotting the figure less than ten feet away.

She stared at the blonde hair, noticing the way it spilled, lightly, across her pillow and she moved closer, taking soft, quiet steps so as not to disturb her unexpected guest. The young woman seemed oblivious to her presence, and she found herself kneeling down to study her peaceful, beautiful face.

Sara lay on her side, facing Billie, with one arm tucked under the pillow, the other draped over her slender waist. Her breathing was slow and deep, giving the lieutenant the impression that she'd been there for quite a while. She was still fully clothed, although her shoes were lying on the floor at the foot of the bed. Obviously, she'd been waiting up for her and just happened to fall asleep.

With hardly a moment's debate, Billie set down her water and stood up to begin removing her clothes, quietly stripping down to nothing before climbing onto the bed and settling in beside Sara. She covered the young woman's arm with her own and rested her cheek on the pillow, soft strands of blonde hair tickling her nose. She lay there, quietly, enjoying the feel and smell of her lover, both sensations comforting to her in a way she could never explain to anyone else.

Sara stirred a bit, but quickly settled back down, and Billie pressed her lips, gently, against the warm skin of her exposed neck. She could feel her body relaxing for the first time in what seemed like days, and she closed her eyes, falling asleep almost instantly.

The feel of something warm against her body roused the young lieutenant, and she rolled onto her back, pale blue eyes blinking against the bright sunlight streaming in through the window beside her.

The sensation grew more acute and Billie uttered a soft moan, the touch on her bare skin awakening her desire, even as her body struggled to shake off the cobwebs of sleep. Moist, warm lips took possession of her left nipple, and she arched her back in response, eyes now closing tightly as she pressed her head further into the pillow beneath her.

Soft fingers trailed along the inside of her thigh, the light, feathery touch bringing forth a surge of heat in their wake. The brunette raised her leg and bent it at the knee to allow her lover easier access, and the gesture was immediately rewarded as she felt a hand moving closer to her core.

The brush of a tongue across her breast switched her focus for a moment, and she gripped the bed sheet, bunching it tightly in her hand, as her breathing grew somewhat labored. The sensuous assault became more intense as that same hand parted her, the pad of a thumb stimulating her suddenly throbbing center with a smooth, tender caress.

"Sara." Billie gasped.

The blonde smiled against her lover's flushed skin. With deliberate slowness, she dragged the tip of her tongue around the gentle swell of her lover's breast, her warm breath teasing across the sensitive skin, causing the dark areola to pucker in response.

Sara moved up and took the other nipple into her mouth, teasing it as she flicked her tongue against the tip, bringing it to full erectness almost instantly. After a long moment, she released it and kissed her way further up, her mouth still forging a trail of fire.

She pressed her face into Billie's neck, feeling the brunette's racing pulse against her lips. Her thumb continued to move about in lazy, uneven strokes, accompanying fingers constantly breaking whatever steady rhythm her lover started to grow accustomed to and she could feel as well as hear the young woman emit a low growl deep within the base of her throat.

"Ssh." Sara admonished gently as she lifted up and captured Billie's luscious mouth, using gentle, but insistent persuasion to part her lover's lips.

Billie laid there, her body aching with need from head to toe, the only thoughts in her mind focused on the beautiful creature on top of her, and inside her. She began to thrust her hips against Sara's hand, desperately trying to draw the young woman's talented fingers deeper, as her heart pounded rapidly in her chest.

The kiss broke for a second, and Sara gazed down at Billie, seeing a longing in those gorgeous eyes that made her pulse race. She bit down on the brunette's lower lip, tugging it gently and sliding her tongue along the edge before releasing it again. The hand between Billie's legs continued its seductive dance, and she could feel her lover's body trembling beneath her.

She began to kiss her way along the young lieutenant's cheek, and Billie turned her head, slightly, in a deliberate gesture of submission. Sara flicked a delicate earlobe with the tip of her tongue and whispered softly in her lover's ear.

Billie could feel her life's blood racing to a single point, the very essence of her being drawn to Sara, as if wanting to be carried away by the hand that commanded her body so completely. Her muscles began to tighten, rapidly, her lips parting in a silent plea as she reached the pinnacle of her climax, and gave her lover everything she had in a single cry of utter rapture.

Sara could feel the young woman's body shuddering, and she kept her motions steady to make the pleasure linger a bit longer. Her lover's chest heaved with the effort of her exertions, and the blonde's hot breath tickled Billie's ear as she said, "That's what you get for coming to bed naked." She could feel the smile that broke out on Billie's face.

"I'll never wear clothes again," the lieutenant quipped, still somewhat out of breath.

"Fine by me," Sara replied as her hand began to travel up the length of the young brunette's body. She brushed her moistened fingertips over soft, supple skin and settled to one side, a blue-jean clad leg still thrown casually over Billie. Seeing her lover's blue eyes watching her, intently, she lifted her hand and slipped the tip of one finger passed her lips, sucking on it in a stunningly erotic gesture.

Driven by a wicked impulse, Billie suddenly flipped over on top of the blonde and seized her wrists in a gentle, but firm hold, pressing them down against the pillow on either side of her head. She stared down into those seductive, cornflower eyes, desire pulsing through her veins like thick, hot lava. "Do you have any idea what you do to me, Sara?"

"You mean, besides what I just did?" The blonde's momentary look of wide-eyed innocence slowly dissolved into a sexy smile.

Billie flashed a smile in response. Still holding Sara pinned, she leaned down to kiss her lover, moving in and pulling back in a teasing fashion, their lips barely making contact. After repeatedly denying the blonde's insistent attempts to meet her halfway, she pushed her mouth down on top of Sara's and kissed her, passionately.

Sara moaned into Billie's mouth as she felt a thigh pressing between her legs. One of her wrists was quickly abandoned, and a strong, skilled hand began moving down across her body, nimble fingers making fast work of the buttons on her blouse.

With one hand now free, Sara placed it on the warm skin of Billie's bare back, feeling heat and muscle as her lover moved over her. Her top quickly fell away, and gentle fingertips traced delicate lines along the black lace trim of her bra. The brunette began to tease the creamy flesh through the soft fabric, and Sara arched her back into the young woman's loving touch.

Just then, the soft, annoying ring of a cell phone could be heard in the other room.

The two women's mouths parted and they both released ragged breaths. Sara looked up at Billie, her eyes glazed over with lust. "If you answer that," she warned in a throaty rasp, "I'll kill you."

"I'm sorry." Billie hesitated for a few seconds before reluctantly climbing off both her lover, and her bed, as she went in search of her phone.

The blonde released a frustrated sigh and glared at the ceiling. She could hear Billie's voice in the other room, speaking in that familiar tone of authority, indicating that it was probably a work call.

"Big surprise," she mumbled, unhappily.

Billie walked back in and perched next to Sara on the edge of the bed, reaching out and touching her hand. "I have to go."

Sara's gaze remained fixed on the ceiling. "I can find my own way out."

"I would much rather stay here with you," the brunette told her with complete honesty. Coming home to find Sara in her bed was something Billie was deathly afraid she could get used to, given half the chance. Sadly, with the current state of things, it seemed as though that possibility was little more than a pipe dream.

"But, duty calls, right?" the blonde's tone was somewhat resentful. She was really beginning to hate Billie's job, even more so than before.

"I assume you heard about Hill?"

Sara finally looked over at her. When she first heard about a cop shooting, her heart leapt into her throat, dreading that it was Billie. The newscast had been decidedly vague with information, and even though the chances were so remote, she couldn't deny the overwhelming feeling of relief when they confirmed that the shooting victim was a man. The initial scare had been enough incentive to make her re-think her decision to keep her distance, even though she'd promised herself she wouldn't get in Billie's way.

"It was all over the news last night," she confirmed. "That's actually why I decided to stop by." Her hand reached up and cupped Billie's cheek. "I'm worried about you."

The lieutenant pulled Sara's hand away and kissed her palm before setting it back down on the bed with a reassuring squeeze. "I know," she said softly. "I'll be careful. I promise." The blonde sat up and planted a soft kiss on Billie's lips.

A heavy silence descended on the two lovers, as they sat there looking into each other's eyes. Both women had words that needed to be said, but neither could seem to give voice to them.

Sara finally broke the mood by asking, "So, how's Hill doing, by the way?"

"He's holding his own," Billie answered. "The department is pulling out all the stops to find the shooter. At this point, they're still working through a long list of suspects."

"Considering what you've told me about him that's not so surprising," the blonde commented. "At least, they can't point a finger at you."

The lieutenant looked at her, curiously. "Why is that?"

Sara shrugged. "You have an alibi." She adjusted her position to lean against the headboard. "Speaking of which, how was your evening?"

Billie immediately pushed back the guilt she was feeling about last night, telling herself she did what was necessary, although she doubted Sara would see it that way. "It was cut short."

"Oh?" Sara looked at Billie with interest. "Because of the shooting?"

"Actually, no. I didn't get the call about Hill until I was already on my way out."

"Then, what happened?"

"Felicia got called away in the middle of dinner. I found out this morning it was because of a fire at her warehouse last night. It wasn't anything major, but since she left so abruptly, I'm afraid my efforts didn't amount to very much." She knew there were a series of lies in that statement, but it was better if Sara didn't know anymore than she already did. Sometimes a little knowledge could be a dangerous thing.

The blonde's mood seemed buoyed, suddenly. "Gee, you'll forgive me if I don't share your sense of disappointment."

"You're forgiven." Billie got up and walked over to the bureau, opening drawers and rummaging through their contents. She grabbed a few items from her closet and tossed them on the edge of the bed. As she started dressing, she could feel Sara's eyes on her and she turned to look at the blonde. "Things are getting pretty crazy, aren't they?"

The blonde nodded. "Anything I can do?"

The lieutenant was about to pull up the zipper on a pair of tan pants, when she suddenly stopped, arms dropping to hang at her side as she said, "Tell me where you're staying."

Sara just stared at her, eyes moving across the brunette's body. She couldn't help it. Billie looked so sexy standing there, pants still hanging open, and the stark whiteness of her bra a delicious contrast to her tanned skin. Even with her dark hair still in disarray, she was the most beautiful thing Sara had ever seen.

And she wanted her. Now.

She got up from the bed, slowly, eyes remaining fixed on her lover. "I'm staying right here, in this room," she replied, huskily, one finger pointing at the floor. "Until you make love to me."

Billie raised an eyebrow. "Did I mention that I have to leave?"

"Did I mention that if you so much as even try to walk out of here right now, I'm going to make enough noise to raise the dead?" Sara flashed Billie her sweetest smile.

The young lieutenant merely stood there, watching with growing interest as Sara came closer to her. Once again, she felt the young woman's seductive charms bearing down on her, and like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car, she didn't have a prayer of getting out of the way.

"My boss is."

Sara knelt down in front of Billie and ran her fingers along the edge of the brunette's pants, inching them down as she planted moist kisses on her stomach.

"...expecting me."

Billie's hooded gaze stared at the top of Sara's head as she moved just a little bit lower.

"Sorry I'm late."

Bob Parish looked up from his desk to see Billie standing in the doorway of his office. "Come on in," he responded with a wave of his hand as he leaned back in his chair. She walked in and shut the door before seating herself across from him.

"So, how'd it go with fric and frac?" Parish seldom addressed Billie's two operatives by name.

The lieutenant's shrug was non-committal. "They've been brought up to speed." It was immediately clear that no more details would be forthcoming.

He pushed a folder across his desk and motioned for her to take it. "Since this one is a multi-jurisdiction, I thought everyone should be sharing information."

Billie immediately opened the folder and quickly scanned its contents. "This is all there is?"

"I know it's not much to go on," Parish acknowledged. "Until Hill can be questioned all we've got is a few statements, phone records, and alibis up the yin-yang." He watched the young lieutenant as she continued to study the pages, carefully, as though searching for something specific.

She finally glanced up at her boss. "No ballistics yet?"

He shrugged. "They just called a few minutes ago. The slugs were .40 caliber...nothing special. What we need is the gun that fired them." The captain sat forward in his chair and clasped his fingers together. "Take a look at Colby's statement."

The lieutenant flipped through the remaining pages until she found the lawyer's official account of the shooting. After reading a few lines, she glanced up at Parish. "He was supposed to meet with Hill?"

"Apparently. He claims that Hill wanted to ask him a few questions about the Kistler case," the older man explained. "In particular, Sara Matthews' plea agreement." He could see something flash across Billie's eyes in response to that bit of information, but, as quick as it appeared, it was gone again.

The brunette furrowed her brow, the tip of one finger running along the page in front of her as she gave an overview of the detailed version. "According to Colby, Hill was a no-show. He got tired of waiting and decided to leave, but just as he got to his car he heard the shots."

Parish nodded. "Unfortunately, he didn't see anything. Neither did any of the security people."

"I wonder why Hill was so late, though," Billie commented without looking up. "That certainly doesn't-"

The captain tilted his head, slightly, waiting for Billie to complete her thought. She appeared to be reading something when he noticed her eyes widening dramatically. "What is it?" She looked up at him, but at that moment, Parish got the distinct impression that she wasn't even seeing him.

The young woman jumped up from her seat and headed for the door, her hand clutching the folder in a near-death grip. "I have to check something."

"Check what?" Parish questioned as Billie practically ran out of his office. "Billie!"

Warren was stretched out in an oversized leather recliner, the television remote dangling from his nervous fingers as he flipped channels, indiscriminately, not even paying attention to whatever appeared on the screen. His gaze was almost vacant, as if his mind and body weren't currently occupying the same space.

And in some regards, they weren't.

The young attorney's thoughts were currently in another time and place, as a dizzying array of memories assaulted him with their vivid imagery. And the pictures of his past were always filled with the same face.

Ilsa.

She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. The fact that she showed even the slightest interest in him had been nothing short of a miracle. He had tried to steal from her, and in return.she saved him.

Him.

Useless garbage.

That's what his mother always called him. From his earliest memories of her, it seemed as though she'd always hated him. He never knew his father, and she never spoke of him, unless it was to compare the two, which usually meant that he was being particularly bad.

She worked sometimes, but keeping a roof over their heads was difficult, and the two of them had spent most of his young life living on the streets, occasionally procuring a bed or two at a wayward shelter. It was in such a place that he woke up one morning and found himself alone, abandoned by the one person he depended on...the only person he loved.

He was eight years old.

It didn't really hurt to think about her anymore, although there were times when he thought of searching for her. But, when those moments of weakness would arise, he would simply tell himself that she was dead. It was better for a little boy to have a dead mother, rather than one who just didn't give a shit about you.

Once on the streets alone, the young child had been a fast learner. With his puppy dog eyes and forlorn appearance, he quickly figured out how to hustle people, barely existing on spare change and the occasional hand out, while still managing to avoid the local and state authorities.

At one point, he'd met a group of boys that hung around at the train stations, and they'd taught him how to earn more money. Initially, he was disgusted by the acts he began committing, but it was amazing how a few extra dollars and a full belly could help him overcome his strenuous dislike for such deviant behavior.

He would occasionally rob people, as well. His primary method was purse snatching, as he was a fast runner and could usually get away clean. Despite the terrible conditions under which he lived, he still couldn't bring himself to commit some of the more serious crimes that others did.

When he first saw the tall, blonde figure walking down the street, his only thought had been the contents of her bag. Judging from the way she dressed, it looked like she had money.

He approached from behind, using the crowded street to his advantage. Once he had the purse in his hand, even the most athletic person would be hard pressed to follow him, let alone a rich woman in heels.

The theft had been easy enough. The strap hung, casually over her shoulder, and with his expert timing, he deftly removed it and was already in motion before it even registered on his victim's face. But, when he spared a glance over his shoulder to convince himself he was home free, the sight of her sprinting up behind him was such a shock, he ran straight into a group of young girls peering through a storefront window.

He plowed into them, knocking several people to the ground, including himself, and quickly set about trying to disentangle his body when he felt a strong, firm hand close around his arm. Immediately, his hand curled into a fist, the need to flee overruling his normally docile nature. But, he froze when he realized that the person who had a grip on him was actually a police officer.

As he tried to fumble for an excuse, he could see the woman approaching, the firm set of her jaw a clear indication that she was about to rage at him for what he'd done. But, for the second time that fateful day, she completely surprised him by taking the officer aside and speaking a few quiet words to him. Seconds later, to the young boy's utter amazement, the man proceeded to let him go with a stern warning. He was grateful, but suspicious of her kindness, and when he opened his mouth to question her, she simply told him it was time to go home.

And that was when she first called him David.

A knock at the door jarred Warren from his thoughts and he quickly sat up, glancing at his watch. It was still early in the evening, but he wasn't expecting anyone to stop by. After being at the police station all night answering the same questions over and over to what seemed like more than a dozen different detectives, all he wanted was to be left alone.

He got to his feet and walked to the door, hands resting on the knob and the deadbolt as he called out, "Who is it?"

"It's Lieutenant Chambers."

Warren froze. That was certainly not a voice he'd been expecting to hear. He took a step back from the door, a momentary feeling of panic seizing him. What did she want? Was she here about Hill's shooting?

Of course, that had to be it. She probably wanted to ask him a few questions, just like every other cop in the LAPD had done in the last twenty-four hours. There was absolutely no reason for Billie to be suspicious of him. No one knew of his connection to Ilsa.or Felicia. He was a good, upstanding citizen. They were colleagues. He'd worked with her once before, and she seemed to like him.

Plus, he'd been careful. He made sure that Hill never saw his face. The gun was safely hidden away, and there had been no witnesses. Even the two cops who just happened to be nearby at the time hadn't been suspicious of him. He'd carefully planned everything out, and the execution had been nearly flawless.

Except for the fact that Hill was still alive.

Warren took a deep breath, turning the bolt and knob, simultaneously. He pulled the door open just a bit, at first, as if to convince himself that a SWAT team wasn't about to burst into his apartment.

He saw cool, blue eyes looking back at him, but the young lieutenant's expression gave nothing away. With growing trepidation, he pulled the door open, fully, and that was when he noticed the others standing behind her...the same two officers from the scene of the shooting. Inexplicably, their names suddenly popped into his head.

Hayes and Ray.

"Uhh...Hi, Lieutenant," Warren greeted, eyes darting, nervously, at the men flanking her. "What can I do for you?"

Billie held her hand up and produced a warrant. "I'm here to search your apartment."

The young attorney just stared at her, blankly. "I don't understand." A sickening feeling was beginning to roil his stomach as he watched her demeanor change almost instantly, and he realized that his initial concerns about her were not unfounded. He didn't know how it could even be possible, but there was no mistaking the look in her eyes.

She knew.

"This piece of paper allows me to search the residence of the person against whom it's been issued," Billie replied in a steady voice as she held it out to Warren, who accepted it and quickly studied its validity. She peeked over the top edge of the paper and pointed out a specific spot. "That is you, isn't it?" The younger man remained silent as he stared at his name in bold type.

David Warren Colby.

Part 27

And I hope that she believes
Yes I wonder if she sees
The killer inside me
- Kevin Griffin

Billie dropped a single piece of paper on the table and leaned over Warren's shoulder. "There it is, Colby. Take a good look." The young lawyer gave no indication that he'd even heard her, keeping his stony gaze fixed on the wall. "This was the proof I needed to link you to Oliver Mason and Cathy McKenzie."

The interrogation room was eerily quiet, the sound of Billie's voice the only thing interrupting the tense silence as she continued her one-sided conversation with the man she'd arrested less than two hours ago.

"You didn't know Ollie Mason, did you?" the lieutenant asked, not bothering to wait for an answer. "He was a hell of a guy. And smart as a whip." She straightened up and folded her arms across her chest. The white tiled room she and Warren were in was devoid of any furnishings, save for the small table and chairs in the center, and the young woman began to walk around them as she spoke.

"When the leak was first discovered, everyone just assumed the hacker was an outsider. But, Ollie didn't take any chances. He made sure if anyone tried to download files by using his computer, they also picked up a little hitchhiker. A virus. It was completely innocuous, mind you, because he didn't want to tip anyone off. But, once the stolen files were uploaded, that little, tiny signature would drop itself into an unsuspecting hard drive and sit there, just waiting to be found."

As she rounded the chair at the opposite end, Billie stopped and turned to face the young man fully. "And guess what we found in your notebook?"

The only acknowledgement Warren gave was to shift his vacant stare to the tabletop. He didn't dare look at her, fearful of that intuitive sense she seemed to turn on him whenever they made eye contact, as though she could somehow read his thoughts.

He'd barely spoken more than a few words to her since she and the other two cops first entered his apartment. One of them, Hayes, had stood next to him, watching him, while the other two moved around his apartment with purpose. It was obvious they already knew what they were searching for, and after less than twenty minutes, the lieutenant read him his rights and took him into custody.

He was still in shock at having been found out so quickly. The details of the shooting were fresh in his mind, and he went over them at least a hundred times during the ride to the station, trying to determine where he'd gone wrong. But, he couldn't imagine where he'd slipped up, or what piece of evidence had led them to his door.

"So, you want to know how I see this whole thing going down?" Billie asked, as the man remained mute. "I think you were the one who approached Cathy McKenzie. You worked her for a while, used her grief and anger over her brother's murder to convince her to help you out. Maybe money was a big factor there, as well. So, Cathy gets next to Ollie figuring she can get what she needs through him, only the security access is more difficult than she expected, and what she really needs is some quality time in his office.without interruption. She invites him back to her place, slips him something to put him out for a while, then goes back and gets the information. However, when she returns, she finds Ollie awake, maybe he's even hip to what's going on. Knowing he'll blow the whistle on her, she kills him." At this point, Billie stopped her meandering as she looked down at Warren, her hands resting on her hips. She leaned in a bit and asked, "How am I doing, so far?" When her suspect didn't bother to respond, she continued to pace.

"Finally, she brings the information to you, tells you what happened, and tries to squeeze you for more cash so she can disappear. But, you decide that you can't just let her up and leave, not when she could implicate you.and you shot her." The brunette sauntered over, her movements slow and casual, until she ended up beside him again. With lightning quickness, she grabbed a fistful of his hair with one hand, and squeezed his jaw tightly with the other, holding his head back as she bent over him and whispered menacingly, "And you paid her to go after Sara, didn't you?" When he tried to look away from her, she pulled even harder, almost knocking him off the chair as she yelled in his face. "Didn't you?!"

Warren could only stare up at her, his ineffectual movements spurring her on as she continued to apply painful pressure to his jaw. He finally made a slight whimpering sound, which seemed to have some effect on the lieutenant, and with an angry shove, she pushed him away and took a step back.

"And don't think I don't know about the others, David," Billie informed him, a feeling of grim satisfaction setting in as she noticed something flickering behind the man's eyes. "You think it was just dumb luck that I found you out?" She began to move her head back and forth, as if pitying him. She pulled out a chair and seated herself next to him, resting one arm against the tabletop as she stared at him for a moment, waiting for him to look at her. His eyes finally found hers again, as she said, "She gave you up, David."

The besieged attorney quickly straightened up and opened his mouth, as if he were about to counter the lieutenant's statement. But, just as quickly, he shut it again and dropped his gaze back to the table.

The brunette sat forward and rested her elbows on her knees as she leaned closer to him. "I know you did all this for her. The attack. the stolen files.Hill's shooting. She got you to do all the dirty work, didn't she? And now, you're sitting here looking at the business end of a needle, and she's sitting in her plush little mansion thinking about how giving you up is going to get me into her bed." The lawyer shot her a quick glance and then looked away.

"She got what she needed, and now, she's cutting her losses. It's time to get rid of you before you drag her down." She tilted her head a bit, trying to make eye contact again. When Warren finally gave her his complete attention, she knew she was beginning to get through to him.

"I know you two have a long history together, and you feel like you need to protect her, but keeping silent is only making things worse." The detective paused briefly before adding, "Felicia gave you to me, David. Doesn't that tell you something?" As the young man turned away from her again she released a heavy sigh and stood up, stopping to push her chair back under the table before heading toward the door. "I'll be sure to call her and thank her for the gift."

Warren's body went rigid at that comment. He'd kept telling himself this was all a ruse, designed to worm a confession out of him, and he was well versed enough in police interrogation tactics to know when he was being worked over. But, given the lieutenant's choice of words, he suddenly had the sinking feeling that there was some inkling of truth to what she said. A twinge of panic began to gnaw at him as she opened the door and started to walk out.

"Wait."

Billie stopped on the threshold and turned back to look at him. The young man's expression was so despondent that she almost felt sorry for him.

Almost.

"What?" she asked.

A shudder ran through Warren's body as he tried to find his voice, but even taking a simple breath seemed like an impossible endeavor. His chest suddenly felt as though it were being held in a vise. His mouth opened and closed several times, but no words would come.

"Colby, what do you-"

"Are you afraid of her?" Warren asked softly.

The lieutenant held his gaze for a long moment, trying to ascertain whether the question was being asked for his benefit.or hers.

"No," she finally answered.

"You should be." The man's eyes slowly dropped to the floor. "I want a lawyer."

Billie nodded and left the room.

"So, that's that, I guess," Deaq surmised as Billie walked into the adjacent observation room. The detective was standing near the window, his gaze still lingering on their suspect.

"Now that he's lawyered up, we have to concentrate on building a case," Parish added. "We'll need a hell of a lot more evidence to hang on to him."

"There's so much shit going on here I don't even know where to start."

Billie shot Van a quick glance but didn't respond to his remark. "It'll be a while before we'll be able to talk to him again," she informed them. "CSI is checking over his car and his office, along with his apartment. Hopefully, they'll turn up something."

Parish nodded. "Williams already called to say he was on his way over."

"Time for the big press conference," Deaq observed.

The captain grunted in agreement. "I better get out there myself." He headed for the door, catching Billie's eye as he walked by her. "You planning on making a visit to Ralston?"

"Not just yet," she answered. "I have something else I need to take care of first."

"Anything you need from me?"

Billie offered him a tired smile. "No, thanks."

He gave a quick nod and glanced toward the window. "Nice work." After a meaningful glance at the other two men, Parish walked out of the room.

"Well, I guess all we do now is hurry up and wait," Van lamented.

Deaq reached over and put a hand on his partner's shoulder. "You do that, slick. Right now, I have a date with a very soft, neglected." Van's eyes widened as he looked over him.

"Mattress," the detective finished with a broad grin.

"Actually, that sounds like a decent plan."

"Sorry, player," Deaq needled him. "I'm going home alone."

Van smirked. "Funny." Both men looked over at Billie, whose gaze was firmly fixed on the figure in the other room. "You need us for anything else, sir?"

"No." Despite the late hour, the lieutenant was buzzing with pent up energy. "I've gotta split." She turned and started to leave.

"Billie, wait."

She turned to face Van, who was standing there scratching the back of his head. "What?"

"Look, y'all, I'm taking off," Deaq interjected, clearly wanting to get out of the room before Van attempted his apology du jour. The young detective brushed passed his boss and was out the door in a flash.

Billie folded her arms and leaned back against the doorjamb. "What do you want?"

Van avoided her gaze for a moment, finally holding out his hands as he said, "I'm sorry, okay?" He dropped his arms and sighed, heavily. "I was way outta line."

"Yes, you were," Billie quickly agreed. "But, I can appreciate where you were coming from."

Van looked at her, doubtfully. "I just.well, I just wanted to say my peace."

"Okay," the brunette nodded as she jerked her head toward the door behind her. "Go get some sleep."

"Consider me gone." Van started to leave, but stopped just as he passed by her. With their faces only a few inches apart, he gave her a serious look. "Just watch your back, you got that?"

She raised three fingers and saluted. "Aye, aye, captain."

"I'm not kidding, Billie. You don't know what she's capable of."

The lieutenant narrowed her gaze. "Are we talking about Felicia here?"

Van merely shrugged. "Sure. Whatever." He walked out, leaving her standing there alone.

As Billie watched Van disappear around the corner, her eyes drifted back to Colby. Two officers were in the process of removing him from the interrogation room, while two others stood nearby, just in case. Watching the young man's defeated stance, it was hard to imagine him as a cold-blooded killer.

But, that's precisely what he was.

And now, the business of discovery was at hand. Billie already had a list of names, at least a dozen people who fit the criteria given to her by Anthony Pelligrini. She didn't know if they had all fallen victim to Colby. The only way to find that out was to get him talking.

The white room quickly emptied out, and the lights were snapped off, plunging the space on the other side of the glass into darkness, and Billie's thoughts along with it. She stared at the cold, dark partition, vacantly, as her mind spiraled down into the bleakest recesses of her past.

During her years on the job, she'd witnessed plenty of death, even delivered it with her own hand. But, despite the sometimes crippling after effects it could have, she'd been told early on that she'd better learn how to deal with it, and move past it, or else get out of her desired profession. That wasn't always easy, of course, but she managed to find a way to compartmentalize her feelings and keep them from overwhelming her, an absolute necessity if she hoped to make it as a police officer.

But, while it was one thing to be faced with the death of someone you didn't know, it was quite another to lose someone you loved.

Her parents' deaths, although accidental, had left her shaken and hurting beyond belief. It had also left her vulnerable to her own evolving self-destructive tendencies. But, as difficult as that event was for her, it was another death that had left her wounded to her very core.

Just the emotional impact of Alexa's murder had been grueling enough, but the way in which she'd been so brutally executed had given Billie many a sleepless night. The worst of it was wondering what those final seconds had been like for her. Did she know it was coming? Had she seen the face of her killer right at the end?

Unfortunately, Billie was fairly certain the answer to both questions was yes. Alexa told her about Jackson Yu, confided about her fear of being exposed, and what the man would do to her if he ever found out who she really was. And the young detective's premonition had come true.with a vengeance.

When Billie first came through the front door of Alexa's house that day, she'd immediately felt it: The weight of death. It was as if everything surrounding her had been sucked into a vacuum. No air moved. No sound broke the stillness. Only the constant hum of something primal, a current of electricity that charged the air and titillated the nerve endings, as if giving fair warning to the living that death was present, and if you weren't careful, it would get you too.

In the span of less than six hours, Billie had gone from cradling her best friend's lifeless body, to drilling half a dozen bullets into the man who murdered her. It was, without a doubt, the worst day of her life.

While trying to deal with her friend's death, she'd thought long and hard about her own mortality. Her life had certainly been threatened during the course of her work, but in the heat of the moment, there was very little time for contemplation. You had to act, or suffer the consequences. When immersed in such intense situations, Billie always stayed totally in the moment. The outcome was usually the furthest thing from her mind.

Which was exactly why she couldn't stop herself from wondering what it must have been like to be in Alexa's place, knowing that she was about to die, and being helpless to stop it.

Billie was jarred from her gruesome thoughts by the shrill ring of her cell phone. She quickly removed it from her pocket, her eyes suddenly fixing on her own reflection. "Chambers."

"Congratulations, Billie."

Catching her own gaze in the darkened glass, the lieutenant's shadowed features looked almost sinister. She quickly turned away, inwardly chastising herself for being so easily spooked. "Speak of the devil."

"And the devil appears," Felicia finished for her.

"So, I guess good news does travel fast," Billie commented.

"This should be quite a feather in your cap, Lieutenant." The blonde's voice dropped to a throaty purr. "You can thank me later."

"How about you come down here now and save me the drive?" A soft chuckle sounded in her ear.

"And spoil your fun, Billie?" the woman mused. "I wouldn't dream of it. I know how you love the hunt."

"He'll talk to me, eventually."

"I very much doubt that," Felicia replied confidently.

Billie leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes for a moment. She knew Felicia was right. Once Colby talked to a lawyer, it was more likely he'd just plea out. There wasn't a single shred of evidence to connect him to Harry Ralston's murder, let alone a series of possible killings that took place almost twenty years ago. And since it appeared that Cathy McKenzie killed a fellow officer just before she was murdered, the fact that she'd been a cop wouldn't carry as much weight anymore. Williams would be open to just about anything that could put this whole mess to bed. Fast.

It was an election year, after all.

"It doesn't matter, Felicia," she finally responded in a soft tone. "None of it matters, because I'm still going to get you."

"You'd better be careful, Billie," Felicia taunted. "People might think you're developing an obsession with me."

"Do you honestly think you'll get away with everything you've done?" Billie asked with genuine curiosity.

"None of us can truly `get away', can we Billie?" Felicia queried. "We reap what we sow."

The lieutenant mulled over that comment before replying, "Don't tell me you believe in karma, Felicia?"

"I believe we all pay for our transgressions, no matter how righteous our motives," she answered cryptically. "But, sometimes, the price is far greater than we expected."

"And now you're waxing philosophical?" the lieutenant noted. "I think that must be a sign."

There was a hint of amusement in Felicia's voice as she asked, "A sign of what, elsker?"

"That the walls are closing in."

"Mmm.perhaps," the blonde conceded. "But, the question is, on whom?"

Billie's eyes snapped open and she pulled the phone away from her ear, knowing that Felicia had ended the call. The woman always had to have the last word.

Well, not this time.

There may not be any evidence to connect her to Colby right now, but Billie just had a feeling in her gut that would change. Something was out there, a mistake just waiting to be uncovered. And even if it were the last thing Billie did on this earth, she would find it, and exploit it.

Felicia Ralston's days were definitely numbered.

Sara paced the floor of Billie's apartment and glanced at her watch every few seconds, willing the time to move faster. It had been nearly two hours since her lover's mysterious phone call, and despite the fact that she hadn't been waiting for more than fifteen minutes, it seemed like an eternity.

The sound of a key turning the lock finally brought a sigh of relief to the young woman as she quickly headed into the hallway. "Thank God, I was going crazy waiting-" Sara immediately stopped speaking as she saw Billie coming through the door.

She wasn't alone.

"Hi," Billie greeted her casually as she stepped forward and planted a firm kiss on Sara's lips. The blonde looked at her, quizzically, noticing the smile firmly affixed to the brunette's face.

"Hi, yourself," she finally responded.

"This is Jarod," the lieutenant offered, gesturing to the man behind her as he closed the door. "He's a friend of mine." She reached out and took Sara's hand, squeezing it firmly. "Jarod, this is Sara."

"Hi." He offered her a boyish grin. "Nice to meet you."

Sara stared at him for a moment, seemingly at a loss for words. Whatever thoughts she'd had about why Billie wanted to meet her had completely vanished as soon as she'd seen her coming in with a guy who looked barely old enough to shave. "Hi," she finally managed to spit out before turning to glare at the brunette, a single, blonde eyebrow raised in question. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure," Billie replied as she turned to her companion. "Have a seat. We'll be right back."

"No problem." He lifted a hand and gave them a wave as Sara led Billie through the doorway and headed into the kitchen.

As soon as they were alone, Sara spun around and pointed her finger back toward the hall, as she demanded, "Who is that?"

Billie pulled out a chair for the blonde and gently coaxed her toward it. "Have a seat, Sara. I have something I need to talk to you about."

Sara glanced at the chair, and then at Billie. "Oh, God, this can't be good." She stared at her lover as she lowered herself down. "What's happened?"

The lieutenant grabbed a chair and seated herself in front of Sara, leaning forward and taking her lover's hands in her own. She began to move her thumbs across the soft skin in a soothing, gentle motion, as she fixed the young woman with a steady gaze.

"I arrested Cathy McKenzie's killer tonight."

The blonde stared at her. "Who?"

"Warren Colby," Billie answered. She could see the puzzled look on the young woman's face as she added, "From the D.A.'s office."

Recognition immediately dawned on Sara's pretty face. "The guy I borrowed the pen from," she said softly, looking down at Billie's hands as they continued to brush across her skin, creating warmth with their subtle friction.

"That's right," the lieutenant confirmed. "He was the one who paid her to attack you."

Sara looked up at that. "I thought Felicia was behind it?"

Billie nodded. "She and Warren go way back. Do you remember me telling you about the person from Felicia's past that I was trying to get a line on?"

"Yeah."

"Well, he was the one," she explained. "Only, I didn't realize that until today."

"But, how did you-"

"It's a long story," Billie interrupted her. "And I don't have time to explain it all right now."

"Did you arrest Felicia, too?" the blonde asked hopefully.

Billie released a heavy sigh. "No, not yet." She could see Sara's back go rigid. "But, I will, Sara. It's only a matter of time." The lieutenant leaned forward, impulsively, and kissed her lover, trying to offer her own brand of reassurance.

Sara flashed a warm smile in response. "So, what now?" she asked. "And what's that cop here for?"

Billie's eyes widened as she gave her lover an appraising look. "You are good, you know that?"

"You said he was a friend of yours," Sara reasoned. "And judging from how you seem to spend all of your time, he's gotta be either a cop or a criminal." The corner of her lip turned up in a slight smirk as her eyes flicked back toward the doorway. "And that guy just reeks of do- gooder."

The lieutenant laughed at her comment. "You certainly hit the head of that nail." When Sara looked back at her, Billie sobered up and said softly, "He's here because he's one of the few people I can trust."

"Trust with what?" Sara asked feeling a bit uneasy.

Billie tightened her grip on her lover's hands. "I had a talk with the D.A. tonight, just before I called you. He's decided that it would be in all of our best interests if he dropped the charges against you."

Sara looked at her, disbelievingly. "You're kidding."

The brunette tried to hold back the grin that threatened to spread across her face. "No, I'm not."

"Why would he do that?"

"Because, he had it on good authority that you were prepared to turn yourself in, right after you hooked up with a certain high-profile attorney, who was going to initiate a series of lawsuits against the District Attorney's Office, the Los Angeles Police Department, and Los Angeles County for what happened to you while you were in protective custody as a trial witness in a criminal proceeding. The fact that you were attacked by a police officer, who was paid off by a member of the D.A.'s own legal staff." Billie shrugged her shoulders, casually. "All in all, not the best publicity an elected official could hope for, particularly one who's planning on running for re-election."

"And just who, exactly, was this `good authority'?" Sara questioned, although she already knew the answer.

This time, the lieutenant didn't bother to hide her smile. "Guilty as charged."

Sara squeezed Billie's hands a little tighter. "And?"

"And Jarod is here to take you into custody. A few minutes with Williams and a judge, and all of this running will be over."

Sara frowned. "Why can't you do it?"

"It'll look better this way," the young detective explained. "Trust me."

The blonde suddenly lunged forward and threw her arms around Billie's neck. "With my life," she whispered in her lover's ear, before placing a soft kiss on the young woman's cheek and pulling back just enough to meet her gaze.

Billie stared at Sara, the enormity of that simple declaration somewhat shocking to her given everything that had happened between them. She could almost feel the weight of that responsibility, and it was both amazingly exhilarating.and incredibly frightening. "Sara."

The blonde placed a finger against Billie's lips to silence her. "This makes twice you've saved me from going to jail. And all this time you've been risking everything for me." Sara swallowed hard as she placed her hands on the brunette's face, her voice coming out in a hoarse whisper. "I love you, Billie Chambers."

Billie could feel her emotions welling up, and though she would normally fight to keep them in check, she decided to stop thinking so much and just let herself fall into those endless blue eyes. "I love you, Sara Matthews."

As their lips met, Sara felt a chill run up her spine. Her hands began to move down over Billie's shoulders, fingers spreading out as they trailed down the edge of soft leather, until finally slipping underneath to caress her lover's firm body. She started to press in closer, leaving her chair and settling on her knees as she positioned herself in between Billie's legs.

The lieutenant had to lean forward to maintain contact, her fingers sifting through Sara's silky, blonde locks. She felt her lover's tongue pressing against her lips, and she opened her mouth to the welcomed heat, reveling in the taste of the woman she loved.

The sound of someone clearing their throat reached Billie's ears and she pulled back, reluctantly, before turning to meet Jarod's apologetic look.

"Umm.sorry to interrupt, but I'm on duty in less than two hours," he reminded her. "You know how crabby McNichol gets when people show up late for roll call."

Billie smirked. "Yeah, I remember." She turned to look at Sara, who was just getting to her feet.

The blonde walked over to him and held a hand out. "I'm the one who should apologize," she commented. "I appreciate you helping us out."

Jarod smiled, broadly, as he shook her hand in a firm grip. "My pleasure." He shot Billie a meaningful look. "If it weren't for Billie, I'd probably be doing traffic control in Beverly Hills."

The lieutenant stood up and pointed a finger at him. "Just be careful what you wish for. Rampart isn't exactly a walk in the park."

"That's an understatement," Jarod responded, his expression turning a bit more serious. "My Dad is still pissed off, but he respects my decision."

Sara folded her arms across her chest as she asked casually, "He doesn't like you being a cop?"

"Not really."

"What does he do for a living?" the blonde questioned, noticing the odd look that was exchanged between the two officers. "What?"

Billie leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, "His father is the Deputy Chief of Police."

Sara's eyes widened as she looked back at him. "Really?"

The young cop nodded, sheepishly. "I'm actually thinking of changing my last name from Forsythe to Smith."

"Oh, that's original," Billie teased. "Well, Officer Smith, I think we're ready to get this show on the road." She glanced at Sara. "You all set to go?"

Sara nodded, catching Billie's hand as she started to walk away. "Is there anything special I need to know?"

"No," the lieutenant answered as she threaded their fingers together. "Just tell them the truth about the attack, and play up the whole angle about being afraid of the police to explain why you took off from the hospital. They'll probably go over the details of the plea agreement again, but that'll just be a formality."

The blonde straightened up a bit at that last sentence. "The plea agreement?"

"Yeah," Billie said, giving her a sidelong glance. "It's still valid, so long as the additional charges are dropped." She gave her lover a gentle tug as she turned back to Jarod. "Give me a call when she goes in, okay?" The feel of some resistance caused her to look back over her shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"I told you I wasn't going to testify, Billie," Sara replied with more than a little vehemence.

"That was before Jill jumped bail, Sara," Billie retorted. "Now that she's gone, it doesn't matter. No Jill, no testimony."

"But, what if they find her?" Sara removed her hand from her lover's grasp and folded her arms across her chest. She didn't like being maneuvered, and suddenly, that's exactly what this whole deal felt like. The fact that Billie was the one pulling the strings was bothering her even more, although she couldn't exactly say why.

"Can we please just jump off that bridge when we come to it?" Billie asked in a sharp tone. She was tired and stressed, and the last thing she needed was for Sara to balk at the deal she managed to put together. After thinking the situation nearly hopeless, she'd finally found an out, but her lover's tendency to be uncooperative in regards to her increasingly complicated legal problems, was beginning to wear down the young detective.

Sara could see the silent plea in her lover's blue eyes. This entire mess was taking a toll on Billie, in ways neither one of them even understood yet. So, despite her reluctance to give in, just the chance that it would help ease Billie's mind, even for a little while, was enough to persuade her.

"Okay," the blonde replied with a quick nod. "But, if Jill gets caught-"

"I know, I know," Billie held her hands up in surrender. "You won't testify. I get that." She made a sweeping gesture with her hand as she asked, "Can we go now?"

Sara narrowed her eyes at Billie before looking over at the patrolman and flashing him a winning smile. She held her arms out to him and drawled, "Okay, copper, take me in."

Jarod's eyes widened, his gaze moving from the blonde to Billie. "I don't have to cuff her, do I?"

Billie rolled her eyes and grabbed one of Sara's extended arms, pulling her along as she marched out of the kitchen without a word. The blonde looked back over her shoulder and winked at the young cop just before disappearing through the doorway.

Jarod glanced up at the ceiling, shaking his head, slowly. "I am gonna be so late."

Part 28

The secret to a good life is knowing when you're through.
- Tim Armstrong

"This feels a little weird."

Billie looked up over her menu. "What does?"

"Being in a public place with you," Sara explained.

The lieutenant smirked. "Thanks a lot."

Sara tilted her head and smiled, ruefully. "You know what I mean. The last time we actually went out together was...before," she explained, using her own designated code word to refer to the period of time when Billie was working undercover. She almost winced when she noticed the look of regret that quickly flashed across her lover's face.

"I'm really hoping we can both just forget about all that someday," Billie commented, her gaze dropping back to her menu.

Sara reached over and placed her hand on top of Billie's, squeezing it gently. "Not a chance," she said firmly, catching Billie's eye. "Everything we went through brought us here." She smiled, sweetly, as her foot slipped out of its sandal and began to smooth its way up along the inside of the brunette's leg. "And I definitely like it here."

The lieutenant returned her smile, blue eyes now completely fixed on the blonde as she dropped her menu on the table and leaned in a bit closer. "I'm starting to like it here, myself." She jumped, slightly, almost spilling their water as a set of wiggly toes reached the apex of her legs, and she reached under the table to slip her lover's foot off the front of her seat. "Ah, why don't we focus on lunch first?" Despite her gentle admonishment, her smile was proof that she was enjoying the subtle teasing.

"I'll do my best," Sara sighed as she leaned back in her chair and lifted her own menu to hide her grin.

The outdoor café they were at was alive with activity, people coming and going in rapid succession as the lunchtime crowds flooded the open market. The small fence along the edge of the tables was the only thing separating the restaurant from the busy walkway, and the two women slipped into a comfortable silence, watching as the narrow thoroughfare became increasingly congested with patrons and shoppers alike.

A waiter came and took their order. When he quickly scurried off to the next table, Billie turned to her companion. "So, what's the plan, now that you're a free woman again?"

"Well, since my old digs are history, I guess the first order of business is finding a new place to live," Sara responded.

Between Jill's arrest and Sara fleeing from protective custody, the police had tossed their apartment several times, which left the place a complete wreck. Once Jill jumped bail, the landlord immediately set out to get a court order to have all of the young women's property removed.

Fortunately, Billie had intervened, offering to pay him the back due rent if he allowed her to have everything placed into storage. The man quickly agreed, more than happy to be rid of his two notorious tenants.

"You have some money tucked away?" Billie asked, curiously.

"Yeah, a little." Sara took a sip of water and then set the glass down again before asking, "Would you mind if I stayed at your place for a few days? You know, just until I work something else out?"

Billie knew it was pointless to ask Sara where she'd been staying the past few days, so instead she simply responded, "No, of course not."

The waiter appeared with their food, setting the plates down in front of them and fussing over them for a brief moment. After making sure they were both satisfied, he quickly retreated, leaving them alone again.

Billie looked at Sara, thoughtfully, taking her time as she dropped a napkin onto her lap. "Umm...Sara?"

The blonde glanced up at her, shoving a forkful of lettuce into her mouth. "Mmm?"

"Why don't you just move in with me?"

Sara's eyes widened. "What?" she asked around a mouthful of food, quickly grabbing her napkin and wiping her mouth as she swallowed her bite of salad. "What did you just say?"

Billie blinked at her a few times, a little surprised at having uttered the words aloud. "I said...why don't you move in with me?"

"I...I don't." Sara stammered as she looked at her lover, seemingly stunned by the question.

"Look, I know it seems sudden," Billie interjected. "But, after everything that's happened between us, what are we supposed to do now?" she questioned, her tone sounding a bit defensive. "Date?"

"Well...I."

"I'm hardly ever there," the lieutenant pressed on. "It would be practically like living alone. We stayed together in Malibu, and that was good, wasn't it?" Sara gave an affirmative nod. "And, besides, I've kind of gotten used to having you around." She sighed, softly, and looked down at her own food, poking at the plate of pasta with an air of impatience. "I can hardly even sleep when you're not there," she admitted softly, not looking up from her lunch.

Sara couldn't help but smile as she watched the young woman trying to maintain her cool demeanor. "I honestly don't know if you're ready to have me around all the time, Billie."

The lieutenant dropped her fork onto the plate and leveled her gaze at the blonde, any trace of uncertainty now gone. "I'm happy when you're around, Sara...well, most of the time, anyway." Sara merely lifted a brow at that comment, and Billie could see she wasn't explaining herself very well, which certainly wasn't anything new. "I haven't exactly had a lot of happiness in my life, Sara," she said softly. "I can't make you any promises. I have to take everything a day at a time, because I just can't think beyond that. And today, I love you, and I want us to have as much time together as we can."

Sara looked somewhat taken aback. "You say that like you think it won't last."

Billie shook her head, emphatically. "No, I say that like a person who lives their life behind a gun, Sara," she stated with brutal honesty. "I don't know what the future holds. I can't even tell you that when I go to work later I'll ever lay eyes on you again. I won't even bother mincing words here. You know the way things are." The lieutenant reached across the table and clasped Sara's hands as her eyes desperately tried to convey what her words couldn't seem to express. "I feel like I've been given a second chance here, Sara, and I want to take advantage of it."

The two women stared at each other across the table, their hands linked together as all the noise around them seemed to fade into the background. Everything was moving so fast. Their romance was still so new, yet they felt so certain about their feelings for one another. Both had experienced loss, and knew first hand how fleeting life could be. Individually, they had known their share of heartache, and valiantly stared down the worst that life could throw at them.

Or so they thought.

"I hosey the left side of the bed," Sara announced, flashing a smile.

"Hey, you know I sleep on the left side," Billie argued, playfully, squeezing Sara's hands firmly, before picking up her fork and starting into her lunch again.

"You won't be doing much sleeping with me around," the blonde shot back, wrinkling her nose at her lover as she skewered a piece of tomato and popped it into her mouth, triumphantly.

Billie shook her head and laughed. "God, what did I just get myself into?"

"Sophia!"

The older woman was rushing up the expansive staircase in search of her employer. Felicia's shouting could be heard from quite a distance, and the servant had been in the process of putting out some flower arrangements when the alarming outburst caused her to drop the vase she was carrying. Without a second thought, she left the shattered remains where they were and began her frantic search.

As she came to the upper landing, Felicia suddenly leaned over the railing in a near panic. She glared down at her and gestured, impatiently. "Come up here, immediately!"

Sophia quickly complied, and found herself standing at the end of the main hallway, watching with rising concern as the tall blonde paced the length of the Persian rug beneath their feet.

Felicia suddenly whirled on her. "Did you escort Lieutenant Chambers out yesterday?"

"Yes, Madam," the servant replied. "Just as you requested."

"And you never left her alone? Not even for a minute?"

"No, Madam."

The woman made an exasperated sound and stormed down the hallway, quickly disappearing into the master bedroom. Sophia dutifully followed, her concern as to the cause of Felicia's distress growing with each passing second.

"May I be of some-" Sophia's voice faltered as she entered the bedroom. The room was in a complete shambles.

Felicia turned as the woman came in behind her. "Are you absolutely certain that the lieutenant never had an opportunity to come into this part of the house?"

The dark-haired woman stared wide-eyed at the destruction. "Yes, I. Madam, should I phone the police?"

"What?" Felicia followed her gaze. "No, no, Sophia," she said, waving her hand at the woman, impatiently. "I did this."

"May I ask why?"

"I'm looking for something," the blonde answered as her eyes moved, frantically, over the ruined contents of her dresser drawers. "And it's imperative that I find it."

"Perhaps I could help you look for it?" Sophia offered in her most calming tone.

"No," Felicia stated firmly. "It won't do any good." With a heavy sigh, she turned a piercing gaze at the older woman. "Someone has taken it."

Sophia could see the stirrings of panic continuing to grow behind the woman's dark eyes. "Are you sure you wouldn't like me to call the police, Madam. I'm assuming it was something of value, which means there may be more items missing, as well."

Felicia strode forward, stopping directly in front of her employee. The blonde's agitated manner and superior height would have intimidated most people, but Sophia didn't seem the least bit put off by it. "Oh, it was definitely something of value," she declared through gritted teeth. "Great value. But, only to the right person." She shook her head again. "No, I'll have to address this issue personally."

"Is that wise, Madam? There are other ways to pursue a matter such as this." The suggestion seemed innocuous, but there was an undertone of something hard and cold in the older woman's tone that only Felicia could recognize. Sophia had been in her service long enough to know that people of great wealth could often do things others could not.

The blonde's hands began to shake as she stood there, and she curled her fists, clenching them, tightly, in an effort to bring her temper under control. "I will handle this my own way," she said slowly.

"Very well, Madam." Sophia took a step back and cast another look at the cluttered room. "I'll have Rosalie tidy up right away." She waited for her employer to acknowledge her statement.

Felicia closed her eyes and nodded. "That would be fine, Sophia." A strange calmness came over her, and she glanced down at her hands, uncurling her fingers to see the blood her fingernails had drawn as they dug into her skin. A hand reached out and clasped her wrist, gently coaxing her toward the bathroom.

"We need to take care of this first, Madam."

The blonde followed, dutifully, like a wayward child, allowing the older woman to lead her to a chair in front of the vanity, where Sophia went about cleaning the self-inflicted wounds. She worked swiftly and efficiently, occasionally stealing a glance at the younger woman, as though waiting for some kind of reaction from her.

"I've made a critical error." Felicia's voice was barely audible as she finally shifted her gaze to meet the other woman's eyes.

Sophia could see that her charge needed some reassurance. "I'm sure you'll be able to rectify it, Madam," she stated, succinctly.

"Rest assured, I most certainly will."

The two young lovers strolled, hand in hand, as they made their way to the red Corvette parked at the curb. Neither seemed in any great hurry to part company, and when they reached the car, they lingered for several minutes, oblivious to everything but each other.

Billie leaned against the passenger door and slipped a hand around Sara's narrow waist, pulling her closer as she said, "We should take a ride and pick up some of your things."

The blonde looked at her, pensively. "Are you sure about this, Billie?"

"Yes," the brunette replied without hesitation. "My idea, remember?"

Sara nodded and lifted a hand to lightly caress the young woman's cheek. "Right." She closed her eyes just as a pair of lips brushed the corner of her mouth, the gentle kiss a promise of better things to come.

It seemed as though everything was beginning to fall into place for Sara. Her legal troubles were over, at least for the time being, and she and Billie would now have the time to explore their complex relationship. And though it was true that moving in together would only serve to make things even more complicated, she had to admit that she was definitely looking forward to the challenge.

The only thing still troubling her was Billie's case. With the arrest of Warren Colby, it seemed as though the worst of it was over, but the fact that Felicia remained free and clear continued to plague her thoughts.

The wealthy woman had an obsession with her lover, and though Billie was very much aware of it, she didn't appear to be the least bit concerned. Of course, she was probably just downplaying it for her lover's benefit, but that only made Sara worry even more.

Felicia had already tried to come between them by using those pictures, and she'd almost succeeded. The temptation to just disappear completely had occurred to Sara when she first left the warehouse that day, the pain of her lover's betrayal so acute. Thankfully, she'd had the good sense to give Billie the chance to tell her side of the story.

But, the contents of those photographs, and the connotation behind them remained, the vivid images they projected still weighing heavily on her mind. The way Felicia had spoken about Billie left little doubt that she had a twisted fixation on the young lieutenant, and despite the suppression of one threat, Sara couldn't help but feel that there was an even greater danger still lurking out there.

"Earth to Sara?"

The blonde looked somewhat startled. "What?"

Billie frowned as she studied Sara's face for a moment. "Are you okay?"

"Sure," she replied, immediately shrugging off the unpleasant thoughts. "I'm just a little tired." The flash of a smile and another soft kiss seemed to assuage both of their concerns, and Sara pressed the length of her body against Billie, effectively pinning her to the car. "Why don't we go home first?"

The lieutenant smiled. "I figured you'd be dying to get all of your clothes back."

"Right now," Sara confessed, her hand slipping under the hem of Billie's shirt to tease the soft flesh with her fingertips. "The only clothes I'm interested in are yours."

Billie felt the hypnotic pull of Sara's seductive gaze, while the touch on her back caused tiny shivers to shoot up her spine. She was suddenly very aware of their public surroundings and straightened up, still holding her lover in a casual embrace as she dangled the car keys in front of her face. "Want to drive?"

Sara's eyes widened, dramatically. "Are you kidding?" She quickly snatched the keys from Billie's hand before the woman could change her mind. "I figured, after the last time I drove it." With a quick shake of her head, she took a step back and commented, "Sometimes, I feel like I'm walking in a minefield." As she started to turn away, Billie caught her arm.

"We'll get beyond it, Sara," Billie said softly. "That much I can-" The sound of her cell phone interrupted them. She turned and grabbed her phone from her purse. "Chambers."

Sara watched her lover's subtle transformation, the thoughtful young woman she was kissing only a moment ago now giving way to the hardened police lieutenant. She clasped the brunette's hand and squeezed it, but it was clear that the caller now had Billie's complete and undivided attention.

"Yeah, okay. I'm on my way." Billie lowered the phone, her thoughts still focused on the call. The gentle tug on her hand caused her to look up, and she smiled apologetically. "Sorry, but I have to go to work."

"I figured," Sara replied. "What's going on?"

"Hill's awake," the lieutenant informed her. "I need to talk to him."

"Okay."

The two women got in the car and Sara quickly pulled out into traffic. After several minutes of heavy silence, she shot a look at Billie out of the corner of her eye and asked, "What's on your mind?"

The brunette leaned her head back and turned to her. "I have to come up with a clear motive."

Sara tightened her grip on the wheel. There was no doubt in her mind exactly what the reason was for Hill's shooting. She was about to say as much when Billie spoke up again.

"It'll be impossible to prove that Felicia put Colby up to it, unless I can find something to connect them."

"I knew she did it for you," Sara said quietly.

Billie was still studying Sara's profile and could see the look of concern in that furrowed brow. She considered saying something to allay her lover's fears, but there didn't seem to be any point. As always, the former thief's instincts were dead on, and the more attuned she was to what was going on, the better prepared she would be if something were to happen.

Now that Hill was awake, Billie was desperately hoping he would have some kind of information to share. Just the thought of having to explain to him about Felicia's role in his shooting was giving her a headache.

"You never did tell me how you found out about Colby," Sara commented, trying to draw the lieutenant out of her characteristic brooding.

"It was his statement," Billie explained. "When I saw his full name typed out at the bottom...I just knew. It took me a few hours to do some digging, but I found enough to convince Williams to get a search warrant."

Sara gave her a confused look. "His full name?"

"Warren is his middle name. I never knew his first name was David. And by coincidence, the person I've been trying to locate was also named David."

"But, what made you think he was the killer?"

Billie paused a few beats before finally admitting, "Felicia told me."

Sara suddenly swerved the car to the right and came to a stop, completely ignoring the horn blasts and shouts of the drivers who were now being forced to go around her. She yanked on the brake and spun around to face her lover. "Felicia told you?"

"Yeah."

The blonde sat there and stared at her in shock. "She told you the name of the killer?" she repeated, as if still trying to comprehend the idea. "When?"

"At dinner."

A pair of blue eyes narrowed in suspicion. "So, you were just making small talk when, suddenly, Felicia decides to give up her accomplice... just like that," Sara replied with a snap of her fingers. "Why would she do that when she could end up being implicated herself?" There was no denying the accusation in the young woman's tone.

"Because it suited her purpose, I suppose," Billie replied matter-of- factly. She could see her lover becoming increasingly agitated and suddenly wished she'd said nothing about Felicia's confession.

"And what purpose would that be?" Sara demanded to know.

Billie could feel those old, familiar defenses going up like so many bricks in a wall. "What's with the third degree, Sara?"

The blonde's jaw worked, furiously, as she pinned Billie with an angry look. "Because, I want to know what the hell is going on. You're keeping things from me." She quickly held a hand up. "And don't give me that excuse about protecting me, or how it's a part of your job. I'm not stupid, Billie. There's something going on between the two of you, and its time you let me in on it."

"I want to get her for what she did, Sara," Billie spoke softly.

There was something in the young woman's blue eyes; a wound that cut so deep Sara couldn't understand how she'd managed to overlook it up until now. Her expression softened as she reached over and took Billie's hand. "I know you lost a lot in that house, Billie, but you need to try and keep your objectivity."

The lieutenant frowned and dropped her gaze. "Look, can we talk about this later? I really need to get to the hospital, and we still have to drop you off at the apartment first."

The apartment. Not `home'. That distinction wasn't lost on Sara. "Okay," she relented, turning away from Billie as she eased the car back into the busy traffic. "But, we're not done with this yet."

"Don't I know it," the lieutenant mumbled to herself.

Warren sat and stared at the paper on the table. His lawyer reached over and picked it up, speaking a few words with two of the detectives present, but the young man paid them no attention. He could feel the eyes of the officers behind him boring a hole in his back. He knew how they felt about cop killers, and he was thankful that he hadn't been left alone with them for too long. Fortunately, he wouldn't need to be concerned about that for much longer.

It was done.

When he told Ilsa he would take care of everything, this wasn't exactly what he'd had in mind, but he knew now it was for the best. All of the details were there. The only thing he wasn't certain of is whether or not they would believe him.

But, that didn't really matter.

The most important thing is that he'd protected her. He knew she doubted him. She thought of him as weak. And maybe he was. Certainly all those years ago he'd felt like a coward. When Ilsa tried to teach him how to overcome his fears, he'd always ended up crying like a baby, pleading with her to stop, and knowing that when she finally did, he would gladly seek out someone else, always so desperate to pass on that pain.

Not this time. This time, he would take it. He would be the one to suffer. He would prove to her that he could be strong, face his fear. and defeat it.

Two pairs of hands grabbed him roughly from under his arms and lifted him out of the chair. Warren kept his eyes downcast, not wanting to incite some imagined threat so the officers would have an excuse to beat on him.

As they escorted him out of the room, he found himself wondering what Ilsa's reaction would be when she found out what he'd done. Would she be angry with him? Would she understand the reasons why? He could only hope that she knew how much he cared for her and, despite his actions, he would forever be the one person she could always count on.

Her one and only.

Her David.

Billie pushed the door open and entered Hill's hospital room, trying to keep her footsteps quiet in case he was asleep. She approached the bed, her eyes taking a moment to scan the assortment of wires and tubes going in and out of various body parts.

An imperceptible shudder coursed through her as she stood next to his still form. She'd always hated hospitals, particularly after the death of her parents. Her father had been a very strong person, and he'd lasted for more than twelve hours after the crash, his mind refusing to give up despite the irreparable damage his body had suffered. She'd made it to the emergency room with just enough time to watch him in the throes of death, and those few horrific moments would forever be her last memory of him.

"Did I die and go to hell?"

The lieutenant looked down at the sound of Hill's weak, raspy voice. He hadn't moved at all, but his eyes were open and looking over at her. "Well, you didn't die," she informed him with a smirk. "But, as for the `go to hell' part."

"Feel free to turn up the I.V. at any time, Billie," he croaked. "Deliberate unconsciousness suddenly appeals to me."

"I see the bullet didn't take out your rapier wit," she said dryly.

"I think that's about the only thing it didn't take out." He tilted his head a bit in an effort to face her and blinked his eyes a few times. "After I get out of here, I may decide to forgo the glasses completely. You're a little less scary when you're out of focus." His comment elicited a smile from the young woman standing beside his bed.

"So, you always go to the office in a vest?"

"I do now."

She nodded at the gravity of that simple statement. "I assume you know we made an arrest?"

"Colby...I heard. I still don't get it. And, more importantly, how did you know it was him?"

"Long story," the brunette answered.

Hill lifted his eyebrows. Even that small movement took a Herculean effort. "I've got nothing better to do."

"What do you know about McKenzie's shooting?" she asked, deflecting his question with one of her own.

"Nothing," Hill replied. "Colby called me and told me he had some information about the case, but that there was another cop involved and he was too afraid to come forward. I pressed him on it, and eventually he agreed to meet with me."

"He set you up."

"I realize." Hill's face scrunched up in pain. "Uhh."

Billie looked at him with concern. "Do you want me to get someone in here?"

"No." He took a few calming breaths, waiting for the intense discomfort to pass. "They're already pumping too much into me. I can barely think straight."

"You need to rest."

"Gee, Billie, I didn't know you cared."

"I didn't say I did."

He glanced over at her. "Tell me what this has to do with you."

"It turns out that Colby is an old friend of Felicia Ralston's."

"Quite a coincidence," Hill commented.

"Also, by coincidence, Felicia Ralston is friends with Elizabeth Forsythe."

"And we were supposed to have a meeting with her husband this morning," the man added.

"Follow the bouncing ball," Billie confirmed.

Hill coughed a bit, wincing, as he placed a hand on his stomach. "It... seems that...all roads lead to you." He closed his eyes and began to breathe deeply through his nose. After several minutes of relative silence, he turned to look at her again. "I guess the message she's trying to send here is `Don't mess with Billie'."

"I haven't been able to come up with any evidence to connect her to this yet," the lieutenant admitted.

"What about Colby?"

"I think I have something to add on that one." Billie and Roland both turned to see Bob Parish standing a few feet away.

"You really have to fill me in on how you do that," Hill commented.

"Why?" the captain asked. "You think it'll help you dodge a few bullets?"

"I think I've already done pretty well on that score."

Billie could read Bob Parish like a book, and she knew immediately that something was very wrong. "What's happened?"

The burly man looked at her. "This is gonna be one of those good news, bad news things."

"Good news, first," Hill responded quickly. "I could use it."

"Colby signed a confession," Parish told them. "He admitted to shooting Officer McKenzie." He gave Hill a meaningful look. "And you."

"Why?" Hill questioned.

"Well, there's a long story about him and McKenzie having an affair, her anger at the department's handling of her brother's murder, and her plot to avenge his death." Parish regarded Billie as he added, "He claims that she stole the information on you because it was your investigation."

"Then, why didn't he shoot Billie, instead of me?" Hill demanded as Billie rolled her eyes.

"Because, you hindered the investigation," the captain answered. "And you locked Billie up for killing the man that killed her brother." He let Hill chew on that unpleasant little reminder for a moment.

"If they were lovers, then why did he shoot Cathy?" Billie asked.

"Self-defense," Bob answered simply. "She was so freaked out over Mason's death that she panicked and threatened him, too, so he shot her. He claims that he was so overwrought about her death that he decided to finish what she'd started...because he loved her, and he thought he owed it to her."

"That is total bullshit, Bob," Billie interjected. "And what about the attack on Sara Matthews? Or the car bomb? How did he explain all of that?"

"He didn't. The responsibility for those incidents is being left on Kistler's doorstep."

"But, we know all of these things are tied together, and we know who the common denominator is. All I need is a little time, and I'll get the truth from him," she stated angrily.

Parish sighed, heavily, and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Well, now, that brings me to the bad news." He could feel the weight of Billie's gaze and he gave her his full attention.

Hill looked between them, suddenly feeling as though they no longer knew he was even in the room. "What?" he asked in exasperation.

"Colby hung himself in his cell twenty minutes ago."

Part 29

Night turns to day
And I still get no answers
- Chris Martin

Billie swung her fist, feeling the satisfaction of hard impact all the way up to her shoulder as she moved in closer with a tight, left jab and quickly followed through with a spinning kick. The muscles in her arms and legs were aching, fiercely, but she just ignored the pain and continued a rabid dance around the bag. Sweat stung her eyes as the young lieutenant's hands pounded, relentlessly, her sole intent to push all rational thought from her mind, and with it, her mounting frustration.

After finding out about Colby's suicide, she and Parish had a brief meeting with the District Attorney's office, who made it perfectly clear that the investigation into the deaths of Officers Mason and McKenzie had run its course now that they had a signed confession. Williams had gone over the particulars of Warren's statement, which included his admission to the shootings, as well as the location of the gun he'd used on Hill. By being able to provide intimate knowledge of the events, there was no doubt in the D.A.'s mind that Colby was the perpetrator, and with his death, their case had just reached a conclusion.

The lieutenant had immediately launched into her own dissertation of the facts of the case, including Cathy McKenzie's role in Sara's attack. Unfortunately, Williams quickly pointed out that there were only two people who could explain that connection, one of whom was now dead, and the other still a fugitive from the law. Until Jill Kistler was caught, there was no way to tie everything together, which, in Billie's mind, meant only one thing.

Felicia had gotten away with it.

The wealthy woman had been pulling all the strings, yet she was completely untouchable. There was no proof to connect her to Warren, only the word of a career criminal who would never come forward for fear of implicating himself. Jill jumped bail, so any hopes Billie may have had to convince her to turn on her rich lover were quickly dashed. All of which meant that there was now only one person left who knew of Felicia's guilt, firsthand, and who was still close enough to expose the truth.

With increasing speed, Billie continued to pummel the bag, feelings of anger and helplessness threatening to overwhelm her as she started to beat the heavy canvas, repeatedly, with her right fist. She put all of her remaining strength into one final punch and nearly stumbled, grabbing the bag with both hands to keep from falling over. Her breath was coming out in harsh gasps and she took a step back, leaning over to rest her hands on her knees.

"I know that right hook."

Billie looked up at the familiar voice, still fighting to catch her breath. "What...what are you doing here?"

Deaq raised his eyebrows. "I work here, remember?"

The brunette paused to straighten up and take a few long, deep breaths. "I told you to take the day off," she reminded him.

"I thought that worked both ways." His eyes followed her as she walked past him and started down the stairs. "You and V must have been separated at birth," he mumbled.

"I heard that," she shot back, grabbing a towel off the railing and patting her face dry before draping it around her neck. It was obvious from her sluggish walk that she'd overdone it, and she stopped every few seconds to stretch out a limb.

"So, you wanna tell me why you're here instead of...well, wherever you were gonna be before Colby decided to check out?"

"I just needed a workout," she replied casually. "You?"

"I got tired of staring at four walls," he explained. "So, I thought I'd come down and give the bikes a tune-up."

"Really?" Billie asked, giving him a skeptical look. "Because, I could have sworn that you did that two weeks ago."

Deaq shrugged. "What can I say? I'm thorough."

She stared at him for a moment. "You're also a liar."

"Thank You," he answered with a smug grin. "I do it for a living, you know."

"Not for long," she warned.

"Take it easy, boss." Deaq used his most reasonable tone in an attempt to sooth her. "I just thought I'd check in, is all, alright?" No matter how long he knew Billie, he would never understand how she could be so cool and so hot-tempered at the same time.

"How did you even know I'd be here?"

Deaq gave her a look. "Like I said before, I work here, remember?"

"Everything's fine," she told him before turning away and heading for her office.

"Yeah, I can see that," he called after her.

Billie just waved him off. "Let it go, Deaq."

The lieutenant went into her office and dropped, heavily, into the chair behind her desk. She carefully removed the gloves from her hands, wincing at the reddened, raw skin underneath. Despite wearing protection, her knuckles still received some fierce punishment. She looked down at them, her jaw flexing as she finally rested her elbows on the desk and dropped her head into her hands.

After leaving the D.A.'s office, it had been her intention to pay Felicia a visit. But, less than halfway there she turned around and headed to the Candy Store instead. She felt too tense. She needed some release. And based on past experience, she knew the last place she should be when she felt that way was anywhere near Felicia Ralston. She was growing weary of playing the woman's game, and now that Sara had agreed to move in with her, Billie wasn't even sure she could do it anymore.

Her own feelings of guilt were becoming increasingly difficult to bear. Sara knew she was hiding something from her, and the last thing Billie wanted was to have a repeat of the other night.

Before Warren's death, a part of her had already decided to come clean about her most recent encounter with Felicia. She knew it was a huge risk. Sara could easily turn around and reject her for what she'd done. But, no matter what the consequences, she had a right to know. She deserved the chance to walk away, if she wanted to.

Unfortunately, things had suddenly changed.

Colby was dead. Felicia was still free. And Sara was moving in with her.

"God, what next?" Billie muttered into her hands.

Sara chewed on her thumbnail as she looked around the room, pondering where she would put all of the clothes she now had strewn across the bed. The closet space was moderate at best, and there were only two bureaus to choose from. She still didn't understand why Billie lived so frugally when it was obvious she could afford so much more.

After being dropped off, she borrowed Billie's truck to go and pick up some of her things, since neither of them had any way of knowing how long Billie would be gone. The storage space had been filled to capacity, and at first, Sara was afraid she'd never find her clothes. But, she quickly discovered that Billie had left them conveniently located just inside the door, already packed in suitcases and ready to go.

"Maybe I should just become a minimalist," Sara muttered to herself as she decided to pick a drawer at random. When she pulled it open, she was surprised to find a few lingerie items inside. "Oh...what's this?" Her fingers danced along the silky material as an evil grin spread across her face. Upon removing the sexy, sheer nightie a small chuckle escaped her lips. "Black. Why am I not surprised?"

The sound of the doorbell interrupted her lascivious thoughts, and she dropped the item back into the drawer, making a mental note to have Billie model it for her later. She headed out of the bedroom and down the hallway, her mood suddenly buoyed by thoughts of how she and her lover would celebrate their new living arrangement tonight.

With a quick turn of the knob, Sara yanked the door open, the smile on her lips withering instantly.

"Well, this is a surprise," Felicia stated icily.

Sara's glare was pure venom. "What do you want?"

"I'm here to see Billie," the blonde responded, looking beyond her toward the interior of the apartment.

"She's not here," Sara stated as she started to swing the door closed. She immediately felt some resistance and glanced down to see Felicia's hand gripping the doorknob.

"Harboring a fugitive is a dangerous offense," the woman warned. "I would have thought Billie more intelligent than that."

"Gee, you mean you haven't heard?" Sara asked, mockingly. "Oh wait, your little grapevine's been cut off, hasn't it? Well, the charges against me have been dropped." Her gaze flickered between the woman's face, and the hand holding the door ajar. "Now, if you don't let go of that doorknob, I'm gonna break your fucking wrist."

Felicia's dark eyes bore into the young woman. The opportunity to confront Sara directly was unexpected...but not unwelcome. "Perhaps her absence is fortuitous, Sara, since you're actually the reason why I'm here."

"Really?" she responded. "Well, unlike Billie, I don't have to talk to you. So, why don't you-"

"Did you really think you could get away with it, Sara?" Felicia interrupted in a calm voice.

"Get away with what?" Despite trying to appear indifferent, it was obvious that Felicia had gotten her attention, and Sara's hold on the door slackened just a bit.

"I do have to say, I am impressed with your ingenuity," the wealthy woman commented as she held Sara's gaze. "You managed to fool the manufacturer of that fork truck, as well as the arson investigator from the fire department."

"Sorry," Sara responded with a casual shrug of her shoulders. "Still no clue here."

"Did you know that several months ago, one of my employees tried to steal some money from my office?" the woman inquired in a conversational tone. "No, I suppose not. Well, the clever boy managed to cover up the security camera on the wall, but fortunately my foreman caught him in the act. It occurred to me that our system had some major flaws, and that even the most foolproof security can be tampered with...by the right person."

"Look, this is all very uninteresting," Sara snapped. "And I don't see what any of this has to do with me."

Felicia could feel the young woman's nervousness. "After that incident, I had a digital camera installed in my office. It's small and very easy to conceal. This way, in the event of sabotage, my office still has some type of surveillance."

Sara could feel her heart beginning to beat faster as she fought to keep her expression neutral. Felicia had been correct when she said that the security system at her warehouse had some major flaws. Still did, in fact.

Because she'd easily managed to exploit them.

Getting into the building had been easy enough, and after a few minor adjustments, she bypassed the zones she needed to access, and set to work on the fork truck. Tampering with the wiring had been tricky, but during her `career' she had been well schooled in some fairly sophisticated devices, both mechanical and electrical. Afterwards, she'd even moved a few packing crates closer to the fire for good measure.

Her motive had been a simple one: Get Felicia away from Billie. Sara knew it was her fault that Billie had to agree to that stupid dinner date in the first place, and she was not about to sit by and do nothing. Her only concern had been the method to use, and the idea of a fire at the warehouse held a certain appeal for her. All she had to do was wait for Billie to arrive at Felicia's house, and then she could set everything in motion. Her lover would be keeping her end of the bargain, and Felicia would have a big, fat mess on her hands. Certainly not a perfect plan, but short of storming the house and carrying Billie out over her shoulder, it was the only one Sara could come up with.

Unfortunately, she had overlooked one small detail.

"Imagine my surprise when I examined the contents of the memory card this afternoon and just happened upon this." Felicia reached into the purse hanging on her shoulder and produced a single photograph, holding it high enough for Sara to view it straight on. "The quality could be better, but under the circumstances, I believe it's still worth a thousand words, don't you?"

With a heavy sigh, Sara reached out and snatched the item from Felicia's hand. "More pictures? You really need to get a new hobby." She had used Felicia's private entrance to sneak into the warehouse since it was the only part of the building she was familiar with, and evidently walked straight into the camera's path. After taking a moment to study her own image, she added, "And this doesn't really prove anything."

"Your ridiculous stunt was little more than an inconvenience," Felicia stated matter-of-factly as she pushed the door open and walked passed Sara, who followed her movements with a stunned look.

"I don't recall inviting you in," she said angrily.

"Did Billie know?" Felicia quickly spun around to face her. "Or, was this merely your own pathetic attempt to save your lover from my evil clutches?" she asked in a mocking tone.

"She didn't know anything about it, and she certainly doesn't need me to save her from anyone," Sara pronounced. "Maybe I just thought it would be fun to piss you off."

The taller women took a threatening step toward her. "You have no idea who you're dealing with, little girl."

Sara stood her ground, the photograph slipping from her fingers. "Right now, I'm thinking `big blonde psycho', but feel free to come up with a better analogy, if you like." She tilted her chin up in a gesture of defiance, waiting for Felicia to strike out at her. But, the older woman seemed to grow calmer, suddenly, and that made Sara even more leery of her.

Felicia closed her eyes, as though reliving a pleasant memory. "You think Billie is yours, don't you?" she asked softly.

"I think it's time for you to get the hell out of here," Sara said firmly.

"Oh, I know she feels a strong attachment to you," the blonde continued as if she hadn't heard. "And she certainly has done a lot for you, hasn't she?" She ran her manicured nails through her long, platinum mane in an almost thoughtful gesture. "But, that's just a part of her nature, that desire to help people. It certainly contradicts other aspects of her personality though, wouldn't you say?"

Sara eyed her with a look of suspicion. "What are you talking about?"

Felicia fixed her with a hard, cold stare. "Billie is driven by compulsions that you know nothing about, Sara. She deliberately put herself in my path. And with each passing day, she finds it increasingly difficult to control those dangerous impulses of hers."

Sara found herself at a loss for words. She knew Felicia was unbalanced, even Jill had been somewhat fearful of her, which said a great deal. But, she had no idea how bad things actually were, until she saw that fevered glint in the woman's dark eyes. She suddenly wondered if Billie knew how dangerous this woman really was.

Felicia leaned in close and whispered, intimately, to her. "I nurture that part of her, Sara, because I know it's what she really wants. And every time she gives in, a little bit more of her belongs to me."

The feel of Felicia's warm breath caressing her face caused a chill to run up Sara's spine.

"Gee, am I interrupting something?"

Sara jumped at the sound of another voice and shifted her startled gaze to the open doorway, almost wanting to cry out in relief at the person's sudden appearance.

Felicia turned to look at the young man standing in the hallway. "Not at all," she answered smoothly as she started toward him. "I was just leaving."

Van stood aside as she approached, offering her his most charming smile. "Not on my account, I hope?"

The wealthy widow smiled in return as she passed by him, pausing to glance back at Sara. "Do be sure to tell Billie I stopped by." With that, she walked away, her long, elegant strides carrying her swiftly down the hall and out of sight.

Van turned to Sara, his expression now completely serious. "What the hell was she doing here?"

"She was looking for Billie, who isn't here, by the way." The petite blonde spun on her heel and headed into the living room. She felt a bit shaken up by the bizarre encounter, but didn't want him to notice. Van was the last person Sara would confide in, besides which, the only one she wanted to speak with about it was Billie.

The young cop was about to follow when he spotted something lying on the floor. He bent down and grabbed the photograph, looking it over, carefully, before shutting the door behind him.

Sara heard the door shut and dropped onto the sofa, closing her eyes and breathing a sigh of relief.

"Why was she really here?"

The blonde opened her eyes and glared at Van. "I thought you left."

Van returned her look with equal malice. He didn't like Sara, and he most definitely didn't trust her. Their first meeting had set the tone for everything that followed, and regardless of whether she straightened herself out or not, he decided from that very moment that she wasn't someone he would ever turn his back on. Add to that the fact that she was sleeping with Billie, and his feelings of intense dislike turned into something darker.

"Hey, I find you in Billie's apartment with Felicia Ralston, having what looks like a pretty intense conversation...and I also just happened to find this on the floor." He held the picture up between his fingers. "Now, I'm gonna ask you again, what the fuck's going on here?"

"I already told you," she replied, quickly getting to her feet. "She came to see Billie, and we had a few words. That's all." Without thinking, she marched over and snatched the picture from his hand. "Now, would you please leave?"

"Where is Billie?"

"I don't know," Sara answered impatiently. "She went to the hospital to see Hill a few hours ago. My guess is she's still working."

Instinctively, Van knew that Sara had no knowledge of Colby's suicide, which only made him wonder all the more what had brought Felicia to Billie's door. And Sara was definitely hiding something. He'd noticed the date on the photograph, and his mind was already playing through a number of possible scenarios.

"Isn't that what you should be doing, by the way?" Sara said pointedly.

Van gave her a menacing look as he stepped closer to her. "If I find out that you're working Billie, or that all of this is some kind of a setup, I'll make that scratch on your arm seem like a love nip."

Sara folded her arms across her chest, fingers brushing the small scar without realizing it. "You know where the door is," she told him, coolly, as she turned and walked out of the room.

"Bitch," he muttered under his breath as he stormed out of the apartment.

Billie was staring through a large window that overlooked an expanse of thick, dense woods, but the view wasn't holding her interest. Instead, her mind was busy calculating her next move as the sound of footsteps came closer.

"What a pleasant surprise."

The lieutenant turned to see Felicia coming through the door of the study. The blonde immediately approached, and without evening realizing it, Billie folded her arms in a protective gesture. "I doubt that," she immediately replied.

"Well, I'll admit that I'm not entirely surprised to see you," Felicia conceded, "But, having you in my home is always a pleasure." She stopped a few feet away, sensing the young woman's defensive body language, and smiled, inwardly. It was obvious they were about to have another confrontation, and nothing could have made her happier. "Would you care for a drink?"

"Sure, why not?" Billie's eyes followed her adversary as she made her way to the bar and began to fill a couple of glasses. She remained silent as the woman worked, still unsure as to how she wanted to play her hand.

Felicia finally walked back to her carrying two glasses, one of which she held out to her young guest. "Vodka, neat." As Billie took the drink from her hand, their gazes locked. "Well, here we are again, Billie," she remarked. "What shall we drink to this time?"

The brunette raised her glass. "To you...Ilsa." The smile on Felicia's face turned to an icy glare as Billie reached over and tapped the edge of the fine-cut crystal tumbler against its mate. Without waiting for a response, she tilted her head back and tossed the entire contents down her throat. "Mmm...very smooth," she commented, quickly placing the empty glass on the table beside her.

"Feeling adventurous, are we?" the taller woman questioned as she continued to stare at Billie, her own glass still poised in front of her.

"Let's just say I'm feeling the need to dig a little deeper." The lieutenant felt a warm flush coursing through her, the alcohol now traveling quickly into her blood stream. She let her jacket slip from her shoulders and tossed it aside, casually, onto the back of a nearby sofa.

Felicia placed her glass down next to Billie's, leaving it untouched. "I think the ground beneath our feet is already quite unstable," she stated with clear warning.

The lieutenant walked away from her and began to amble around the room, once again looking over the beautiful works of art and expensive objects that only someone with great wealth could ever acquire.

"More candy," she muttered to herself.

"Pardon?"

Billie turned and gave Felicia an innocent look. "I was just thinking out loud."

The blonde shook her head, impatiently. "Why are you here, Lieutenant?"

"What's wrong, Ilsa?" Billie asked. "Don't feel like playing today?"

"Stop calling me that," Felicia ordered calmly.

"Why?" The detective held her arms out to her side. "That is your name, isn't it?" She suddenly dropped herself into the chair behind her, leaning back and throwing a leather clad leg over the side, swinging it like an impatient teenager.

The older woman was becoming suspicious of Billie's odd behavior. "You obviously have something on your mind," she coaxed. "Why don't you just tell me what it is?"

Billie began to chew on her lower lip in an exaggerated gesture of deep thought. "Something on my mind." she repeated softly. "You know what? You're absolutely right. I do have something on my mind."

Felicia was trying not to lose her patience, knowing full well that was Billie's aim. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, steadying her voice before responding, "Would you care to share it with me?" she asked in a clipped tone. "Or, am I to remain in suspense?"

The brunette rested her elbow on the arm of the chair and dropped her chin into her upturned palm. "I guess I'm just wondering what Anthony Pelligrini would say if he could see you now."

The woman's posture visibly stiffened and she stared at Billie, unable to hide the look of genuine surprise from her face. She hadn't heard that name in many years, and had sincerely hoped she would never hear it again.

A pair of dark eyebrows shot up. "Cat got your tongue, Ilsa?" She could see Felicia's breaths coming more rapidly, so she stood up and walked over to stand in front of her, pressing the attack. "You know, seeing you now, amidst all of this wealth." Billie's eyes wandered around the room before settling on her again. "It makes me realize how lucrative a career one can have laying on their back."

The stinging slap wasn't entirely unexpected, but Billie was still annoyed with herself for not putting a hand up to stop it. She cocked her head and looked at Felicia, whose face was beginning to twist into an angry sneer. "Poor Ilsa," she said softly. "Your mask is slipping." Felicia quickly brought her hand up for another strike, but this time Billie was ready for it and seized her wrist in a tight grip. "Sorry, only one to a customer."

Felicia tugged her arm free and took a step back, still reeling from the shock of Billie's revelation. Of course, the logical explanation was that David had betrayed her, but she refused to believe that. Not after all this time. Which could only mean that Billie discovered the truth some other way. Unfortunately, she knew the young lieutenant would be far too clever to reveal her source.

"David signed a confession earlier this afternoon," Billie stated, using her best poker face. This would be her only opportunity to try and corner Felicia. Once the woman knew the truth about David's confession, and worse still, his suicide, there would be no chance of getting to her. "He owned up to all of it, Felicia. McKenzie's murder, Hill's shooting. The only question now is, what are you going to do?"

After weeks of verbal sparring and emotional, as well as physical tension, Felicia believed she had gained some insight into Billie's moods, and at that very moment, she could almost feel the rush of adrenaline pumping through the detective's veins, could recognize the expectation behind her shimmering blue eyes.

Cold. Calculating. Anticipating the kill.

"What can I do?" Felicia questioned, suddenly drawing closer to the young woman. "It seems you've somehow managed to peel away the layers that it took me years to build. I didn't even think that was possible." Her hand reached up and cupped the lieutenant's cheek in a warm, loving gesture, the pad of her thumb stroking across the smooth skin, still burning an angry red from her brief outburst.

Billie resisted the urge to knock the woman's hand away, instead choosing to allow her this last, fruitless attempt at seducing her. But, there was something much different in the way Felicia was looking at her now. It was the same kind of look her mother used to give her whenever she won a swimming competition in high school.

She was proud.

"I was right about you, Billie," Felicia told her. "You deserve to be the one."

"The one?" Billie asked cautiously.

"My one," the blonde clarified as her hand slipped under the brunette's chin, lifting her head up, slightly. "My one...and only." She turned Billie's head just a bit and placed a soft kiss on the same spot where she'd struck her only a moment ago.

Billie was immediately reminded of Sara, and their early morning encounter on a warm, Malibu beach...and she shivered in spite of herself. "If you cooperate, I'll make you a deal," she offered.

Felicia lowered her hand and pulled away, staring at Billie for a moment before casting a sly grin. "You are very good, Lieutenant." She reached over and picked up the previously abandoned drink, her gaze never wavering from the young woman as she brought the glass to her lips and took a long, slow sip. "So smooth," she remarked, pressing the moist rim against her chin as she continued to contemplate the detective.

"You almost had me, you know," she continued, looking away and setting the glass back onto the table. "Using my past association with Mr. Pelligrini was wonderfully devious of you." She glanced over, smiling at the young woman's obvious frustration. "How long have you known?"

"A while," Billie admitted.

"And how is Anthony?"

The lieutenant knew she was fishing for information. "As big an asshole as ever."

"It sounds as though you have a history with him, as well," Felicia commented.

"Not as colorful as yours."

"Probably not," the blonde conceded with a soft chuckle. "So, you knew about David before last night."

"Yes."

Felicia walked around the table and seated herself on the sofa, crossing her long, slim legs elegantly. "I certainly did underestimate you, Billie." She smoothed a hand across the cushion beside her and patted it, gently. "Tell me what else you know."

"That's supposed to be my line."

"Indeed," she acknowledged with a slight tilt of her head. "Quid pro quo, then?"

"I don't think so." Billie grabbed her jacket off the sofa.

"Don't leave yet, Billie," Felicia pleaded. "Things were just getting interesting."

"Interesting?" Billie responded angrily as she rounded the end of the sofa to confront the woman directly. "You know, you haven't even once asked me how David is. You took him in when he was just a kid. Apparently, at some point in your life you must have cared for him. You even arranged it so he would have a family when you could just as easily have thrown him back on the streets." She shook her head in disbelief. "He was willing to give up everything for you, and you don't seem to give two shits about what's happened to him."

Felicia's expression was solemn as she replied, "He made his decision and it has nothing to do with me."

"Really?" Billie glared at her, hatefully. "Well, I think it has everything to do with you."

"My dear Billie, David is a grown man," she pointed out. "And he knows full well the consequences of his own actions."

Billie shook her head. "No, Felicia, he doesn't. David doesn't know anything anymore, because he's dead." She immediately detected the tiniest flicker of emotion in the woman's brown eyes...and then it was gone.

"How?" the blonde asked simply.

"He tied his pants around his neck and hung himself in his jail cell."

Felicia took a moment to process Billie's words. She could see the young woman studying her intently, searching for a weak spot, wondering if she would fall to pieces at the news of David's death. In truth, there was a part of her that would miss him. She'd known him nearly his entire life, and even though they had been separated from time to time, he had always managed to find his way back to her.

But, that was no longer to be.

"Suicide?" There was a note of surprise and awe underpinning Felicia's voice. She would never have imagined him strong enough to do such a thing, to be capable of such sacrifice. And she knew he had done it for her.

But, for the first time in many years, she found herself alone again. David was the only person she'd genuinely cared for since her mother's death, and the two had shared a journey of self-discovery that changed the course of both their lives. Their long, and often arduous relationship was almost symbiotic, and with him suddenly gone, there seemed a strange sense of unbalance in her world.

"Felicia?" Billie continued to watch her carefully, trying to catch a glimpse of what was going on behind the woman's icy façade. Felicia's gaze had grown distant, fixing on a point just beyond her, and without really understanding why she was doing it, the lieutenant walked over and sat down next to her on the sofa. "Felicia?"

The blonde finally turned to her, dark eyes clear and focused, and as Billie was caught by the woman's cold, penetrating gaze, she suddenly realized the true connotation behind the question David had posed to her last night.

"Yes?"

"Why was David afraid of you?" she asked softly.

She took a moment to consider the question. "Perhaps, because I revealed the truth to him," Felicia answered, holding the young lieutenant's gaze. "And confronting your demons can be a very frightening experience, particularly if your guide already knows what they are." She slowly lifted her hand and brushed a few errant strands of hair from Billie's brow. "Your time is coming, Billie, and I promise you I'll be there to help you through it."

Billie reached up and clasped the woman's wrist, gently coaxing it down. "I think you've got that backwards, Felicia. You're the one whose time is coming." She stood up, still gripping her jacket, loosely, in one hand. "And I will definitely be there. Every step of the way."

Felicia shot up from her seat as Billie started for the door, feeling a sudden surge of desperation, as if, by allowing the young woman to leave, she would never see her again. "Our conversation isn't over, Billie."

"Well, you'll have to continue it without me," the lieutenant told her without looking back. "I have more important things to do." As she reached the double doors, Billie pulled on one of the handles and opened it, almost walking right into the person standing on the other side of the threshold.

"I doubt that, Chambers."

For the third time in her life, Billie found herself staring down the barrel of a gun.

And straight into the eyes of Jill Kistler.

Part 30

The harder the chase
The sweeter the catch
- Mikael Rickfors

"Keep your hands where I can see them."

Billie stepped back, slowly, her eyes never leaving Jill's face. "You know, Jill, you really need to bone up on the whole fugitive concept," she stated calmly. "The idea is to avoid the police."

Jill moved forward, watching the young detective, carefully, as she closed the door behind her. "Believe me," she sneered. "I'd like nothing better than to avoid you like the plague."

Felicia remained standing on the other side of the room, taking only a few steps toward them, her hand coming to rest atop a large antique desk. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Felicia," the young woman responded, not bothering to spare a glance. "I think it's time for me and Billie to finish what we started."

The lieutenant cocked an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

"You wanted something from me," Jill explained. "Now, I'm ready to deliver. And the two of you being here together makes it that much easier for me...since I can kill two birds with one stone." Her lip turned up in a smirk. "Just a figure of speech."

Billie was relieved to hear that, whatever Jill's reasons were for coming, shooting her didn't seem to be one of them. She watched as the tall brunette looked over at her former lover for the first time, and gauging by the reaction she witnessed, it was suddenly clear to her: Jill had some damning evidence...and Felicia knew it.

"So, it was you," the blonde surmised.

"I was keeping them for insurance," Jill offered. "In case I needed more money, or whatever. But, somebody made me realize just how valuable they really are. And after everything that's happened, I decided it was time for a little payback." She shifted her gaze back to Billie. "I'm sure you'll agree once you see what I have. All I need to know from you is...how bad do you want it?"

"Okay," Billie spoke up with an impatient tone. "Since it's obvious I'm the odd man out," she remarked, looking at each of them in turn as she dropped her jacket onto the chair beside her. "Just show me what you've got."

Jill shook her head. "Not until I know what I'm getting in return."

"I can't answer that until I see it for myself."

"Look, Chambers, you and I both know that is bullshit," she replied angrily. "You better make it worth my while, or I'm outta here." She raised her gun, pointedly. "Alone."

Billie stared at her, not at all happy about being pushed into a corner, especially when there was so much at stake. Jill was dangerous. She knew that first hand. Unfortunately, having to concede to one criminal in order to catch another was pretty standard stuff, even if it was a bitter pill to swallow.

But swallow it she would, if it meant that she might finally get some hard evidence on Felicia.

"Less than twenty," she finally said.

Jill snorted. "That's the best you can do?"

"You shot someone, for Christ's sake," Billie retorted. "During a robbery. And you attacked a police officer. I'm not a fucking miracle worker."

The young woman stared at her for a moment. "I can't."

"Jill." the lieutenant warned.

"I can't do that much," she said adamantly, a hint of desperation in her voice. She continued to look at Billie, her eyes nearly pleading with the woman to make her a better offer.

After being in hiding for more than a week, Jill was tired. Getting out of the country was far more difficult than she thought it would be, and trying to elude the police in the process was wearing her down much too fast. She had to avoid everyone she knew, and it seemed as though there was never an opportunity to relax and regroup.

Paperwork. Transportation. A new identity. Each minute of the day brought new and more dangerous hazards as she weaved her way through a series of contacts, trying to get everything she needed to move on. It was all she could do just to find safe places to stay while she tried to put it all together.

And then, she got a message from Sara.

It had come through a mutual acquaintance. Someone they could both trust. Jill immediately got in touch with her, and after talking things over, her friend had finally managed to convince her that perhaps it was time to re-examine her options.

Going to Billie Chambers was the last thing in the world Jill wanted, but she knew better than anyone how desperate the situation was with Felicia, and with the evidence she'd stolen in tow, she might just have the edge she needed to start getting her life back. Suddenly, doing some time didn't seem like the end of the world, especially if she could cut the amount by working out a deal.

"Five to ten," Billie said firmly. "Take it, or leave it."

Jill lowered the gun, slowly, as she reached into the back of her jeans and produced a small envelope, tossing it to Billie, who caught it with both hands. "I haven't touched anything inside," she informed her. "But, I'm betting Felicia's prints are all over them."

Billie glanced up at Jill, questioningly, before opening the envelope and gazing at its contents. Her eyes widened, instantly, and she held her hand out, allowing the photographs to slide, carefully, into her palm.

Sara.

"You." She almost choked on her own words as she turned and glared at Felicia, who met her gaze, but remained eerily quiet. "You kept pictures?" Billie's eyes were filled with cold fury.

"My guess is that cop probably used her own camera," Jill commented with a sickened look on her face. "I know it might not be enough, so... I'm willing to testify about the bombing in Malibu. I owe Sara that much."

That was more than enough for Billie, and she slipped the pictures back into the envelope and extended her empty hand. "Give me the gun."

"Jill."

The young woman glanced over at Felicia as she turned the gun around in her hand, holding it out to Billie. "Yeah?"

"In lieu of the fact that you've chosen to betray me, the least you can do is provide a distraction."

Out of the corner of her eye, Billie could see Felicia's arm coming up, and in the split second it took for her to see what the woman was holding in her hand, the loud crack of gunshots began to fill the air.

Jill didn't seem to comprehend what was happening until the second bullet penetrated her chest, causing her own weapon to slip from her fingers, and she felt her legs giving out on her, unable to keep her body from falling to the floor.

Felicia immediately redirected her aim, sweeping to the right as she continued to pull the trigger. Billie turned and dove behind the chair, her own gun already out as she got to her knees and readied herself to return fire. She stole a glance at Jill, who was laying on her back a few feet away, blood pooling, rapidly, beneath her still form.

Without bothering to look for her target, Billie stuck her hand out and fired a few shots in Felicia's direction, hoping to score a hit. She poked her head around the edge of the chair, just in time to see the blonde heading toward a door in the corner of the room. She was still shooting as she moved, pausing only long enough to pull the door open and make her escape.

Billie immediately rose up and took aim, just missing her mark and demolishing a sculpture perched on a small table just to the left of the open door. Without thinking, she bolted across the room, closing the distance in a matter of seconds.

She pressed her back against the doorjamb, peering around it and into the hall beyond. It was empty. There were at least four different doorways leading off the small corridor, but no sign of her target. Felicia definitely had the advantage here. This was her territory, and Billie had absolutely no idea where anything would lead, making pursuit both difficult and dangerous.

The decision was a hard one, and Billie released a frustrated breath, knowing she had no choice but to abandon the chase. Jill had to be her first priority. As she lowered her weapon, an agonized wail split the quiet. The lieutenant looked over to see Sophia standing over Jill, hands covering her mouth in horror.

"Call 911!" Billie shouted to her.

Sophia was visibly shaking as she met the young woman's wide-eyed gaze. "Mrs. Ralston?"

"Gone," the lieutenant told her. "Now, do as I say and call 911!" Her harsh tone seemed to jolt the older woman into action and she ran to the phone and began to dial.

Billie took out her cell phone and rushed back to Jill's prone form, grabbing her jacket as she went. "This is Lieutenant Wilhemina Chambers, 8W5K90. I have a 246 at the Ralston Estate, 1730 Langley Drive, Bel Air. Single victim. Shooter is still at large. Code 3." She gave the dispatcher Felicia's description, finished her instructions and tossed the phone aside.

Sophia was hovering over Billie's shoulder as the lieutenant knelt down and placed her jacket on Jill's chest, pressing on the wounds in an effort to staunch the flow of blood. But, she knew it was in vain. There was already so much blood loss, no doubt indicating that a major artery had been severed.

Jill's eyes fluttered open and she emitted a harsh, guttural moan.

"Be still, now," Billie admonished gently.

"I can't." the young woman's voice was thick and hoarse. "...believe."

"Jill, don't talk."

"...you'll be the last.person I see." Jill finally focused her anguished gaze on the young detective, sounding weaker as she added, "It figures."

Billie offered her a half-hearted smirk. "We both know you're too much of a bitch to die, Kistler." The woman's body shuddered, violently. "Jill, stay with me. Come on, help's on the way." She could see Jill's grey eyes losing their focus. "Jill, can you hear me?"

The sound of sirens could be heard in the distance and Billie turned to Sophia without breaking eye contact with Jill. "Go to the front door and bring them here." The distressed servant said nothing as she left the two women alone.

"Sara."

"That's right," Billie stated firmly. "Think about Sara. She cares about you, Jill. You're her best friend." The lieutenant couldn't stop herself from thinking of Alexa, of wishing someone had been there with her when she died.

Someone other than her killer.

"Stay with me," the detective commanded as she watched Jill's face slacken.

"...always had...lousy taste.in women," Jill mumbled.

Billie continued to apply direct pressure to the young woman's decimated chest, no longer able to feel the heart pumping against the palms of her hands. "God, Jill, don't do this," she responded, already mourning her lover's loss, despite her own feelings toward the woman.

After a moment, Billie lifted her bloodied hands and sat back on her heels, her face hardening in anger as she pressed her fingers to Jill's throat. With grim determination, she got to her feet, using the front of her shirt to wipe the dead woman's blood from her hands before pulling out her gun and walking out of the room.

Sara leaned against the kitchen counter, dialing Billie's cell phone for the third time in the past hour. After several rings, she got put into voice mail again and simply hung up, not bothering to leave another message.

Logically, she knew there was probably nothing wrong. Billie might have been tied up with her boss, or still wrapping things up at the hospital. But, she still couldn't seem to shake the feeling that her lover had run into some kind of trouble.

"God, this sucks," she muttered miserably, tossing the cell phone onto the counter. She reached for the beer she'd been drinking and made her way back into the living room, pausing to run her fingers along the edge of the stereo on the bookcase. There was a modest collection of CD's on the shelf above it, and the blonde glanced at the titles, suddenly wondering what kind of music her lover enjoyed.

A smile curled her lips as she slipped a case from its slot and examined it closely. "You have got to be kidding me." With a soft laugh, she tucked it back where it belonged, unable to picture Billie grooving to the easy listening sounds of Neil Diamond.

After pacing the room a few times, she finally dropped to the sofa and grabbed the remote, turning the television on and settling back. Programs flipped by rapidly as she pressed the button, not actually seeing anything...and not really caring.

As she went by KABC, something caught her eye, and she immediately flipped back, her heartbeat quickening when she saw the man on the screen and recognized him instantly.

It was the man from the courthouse. The one she assumed was Billie's boss. He appeared to be making some kind of statement to the press, and Sara turned the volume up to listen.

"...released until we have a chance to notify the family."

"How long has she been missing?"

"The suspect has been gone for eighty-five minutes," Parish spoke over the throng of voices. "We have people searching the entire area, and we're working with other agencies as we expand our search beyond the Los Angeles area."

"Do you know what she's driving?"

"The only vehicle owned by Mrs. Ralston that is currently unaccounted for is a black Mercedes SL600 Roadster."

While the reporters continued to barrage the man with questions, Sara watched in shock as an overview of Felicia's mansion came on the screen, the shaky picture obviously being provided by a helicopter as it passed over the property. There were police cars everywhere, and several other types of emergency vehicles, creating a cacophony of colored lights, adding to the surreal chaos.

Sara heard a key turn in the door and jumped up from her seat, racing out to the hallway. As she saw the familiar figure stepping inside, she released the breath she'd been holding in a great sigh of relief. "Billie, what's going on? I just saw the news."

Billie turned toward her, giving the blonde a full view of her bloodstained clothes. When she saw Sara's eyes widen in shock, she held her hands out and reached for her. "I'm alright."

"Oh, my god." The lieutenant's words didn't seem to register as Sara approached her, eyes and hands moving over her lover with increasing alarm. "What happened?" Her voice rose, slightly, as she held Billie's face.

Billie covered Sara's hands with her own, saying calmly, "I'm okay, Sara. Honestly. This isn't." she hesitated for a brief second. "I'm fine." Her voice sounded firm and reassuring.

Sara threw her arms around the young woman, who melted, gratefully, into her strong embrace. "Are you sure?" She could feel the brunette's affirmative nod against her shoulder. "God, I knew something was wrong."

The sound of the television reached the weary detective's ears and she suddenly pulled away from Sara. "How much have you heard?"

"Not much," Sara answered. "I just turned it on."

Billie marched into the living room and grabbed the remote, immediately shutting the T.V. off with a heavy sigh. "I came as quick as I could. By the time I got your message I was already halfway here." She looked away and ran a hand through her hair, seemingly at a loss for words.

"It's okay, Billie," Sara soothed as she came forward and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

The lieutenant reached up and removed her hand, squeezing it, gently, as she used it to guide her to the sofa. "Let's sit down for a minute."

The blonde eased down next to Billie. "They were showing Felicia's place on the news."

"Yeah, I just came from there," Billie explained, pulling Sara's hands into her lap as she readied herself for what she had to do. "I don't have a lot of time."

Her lover's grave expression was beginning to frighten her. "What happened?" Sara asked again.

Billie met the young woman's concerned gaze. "I stopped by Felicia's this afternoon. I had some information I was hoping to use." She shook her head, impatiently. "I won't bother to get into the details of that right now. What matters is what happened when I was leaving." She could feel Sara's hands tighten their grip, and she responded in kind. "Jill showed up."

Sara's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"Believe me, I was just as shocked as you are."

"But, she." The blonde looked down for a moment. "Why did she show up there?"

Billie hesitated, momentarily stunned at the sudden realization that her lover was not at all surprised to find out that Jill was back in town. A hot flare of anger ignited within her, but she immediately quelled it. This was not the time for recriminations, and since Jill was dead, it didn't really matter now anyway. "She had some evidence against Felicia and wanted to use it to make a deal," she said evenly. "But, I get the feeling you already knew that."

Sara nodded, slowly. "I wanted her to come back. I was afraid something bad was going to happen." Comprehension dawned in Sara's eyes as they traveled up from the blood on Billie's shirt to her somber face.

"I'm sorry, Sara," the lieutenant said softly.

The whole room seemed to tilt for a split-second as Sara opened her mouth, the accusation already dangling from her parted lips. "Did you." Her breath caught in her throat. She couldn't even complete the thought, let alone give voice to it.

"No," Billie responded quickly. "No, it wasn't me." She released another long sigh, wishing she could spare the young woman the pain that she knew so well. "It was Felicia. She shot her, Sara. Jill's dead."

Sara stared at Billie with a bewildered expression, her voice barely a whisper as she echoed her lover's words. "Jill's dead?"

"Everything happened so fast. I couldn't stop it," Billie replied, knowing that if she'd paid closer attention to Felicia's demeanor when Jill arrived, perhaps she could have prevented what happened.

But, admittedly, she'd been so thrown by seeing the pictures of Sara, those images she'd tried to put out of her mind all brought back with sudden, brutal clarity, that she never even gave a second thought as to what the woman's state of mind might be with everything caving in on her. In those few precious moments, overwhelming anger had blinded Billie's instincts, and Jill was dead because of it.

The brief snippets from the news report suddenly began to make sense to Sara. "She got away, didn't she?" Her voice was tight with anger as she looked down at the floor.

"Yes, she did. But, she won't get far, Sara. I promise you-"

"Don't," Sara interrupted as hot tears began to course down her cheeks. "You said you couldn't make me any promises, remember?" Her eyes met Billie's again as she said, "I don't want any more lies between us."

Her words cut Billie like a knife. Sara was hurting, and the fact that Billie had to be the one to tell her about Jill, knowing how the two women felt about each other, couldn't be making it any easier. She and Sara both knew that, given the right circumstances, it could just as easily have been Billie who pulled the trigger.

When Jill and Sara had chosen to live life on the wrong side of the law, they accepted all the risks that came with it. But, Sara had been given a momentary reprieve. She was the lucky one. No one could predict whether she would continue to walk the straight and narrow, least of all the woman who loved her, but at least she seemed to be heading in the right direction.

Unfortunately, Jill Kistler, like so many others before her, was left to suffer the awful consequences of her ill-fated decision. It didn't matter that she was trying to look to the future, because the present had finally caught up with her.

Billie could sense Sara withdrawing from her and she moved down to the floor, resting on her knees in front of her lover, whose head was now bowed in quiet grief. "Sara, I may not have cared for Jill, but I do know what this feels like. I lost my best friend, too." She waited until their eyes met before continuing in a soft tone.

"I've never told you how Alexa died. She broke cover during an investigation and the man she arrested escaped from custody. He tracked her down and." Billie hesitated. She'd never said it out loud before and was surprised to find how difficult it was to form the words, as if speaking about it were some kind of sacrilege.

Sara was watching her, intently, eyes still blurred with tears. She could see the anguish in Billie's face, but remained silent, wanting to give her lover a chance to work through it in her own time.

"He cut her throat." The brunette shut her eyes against the memory, amazed that all the months gone by since that day still hadn't managed to dull the pain. "By the time I got there, she was already dead."

"I'm sorry, Billie," Sara told her as she felt her own emotions getting away from her. "I can't imagine how hard it must have been to see her that way." She suddenly got up from the sofa and walked over to stand near the window, hugging herself, tightly. "But, this was my fault. I was the one that convinced Jill to come back."

The lieutenant got to her feet and approached Sara from behind, wrapping her arms around her, protectively. "I made the arrangements for Jackson Yu's transport that day," she said as her eyes met Sara's reflection in the glass. "If I had put on an extra detail, Alexa would still be here." The blonde immediately spun around to face her.

"There was no way you could have known what would happen," Sara stated firmly, cheeks flushed and wet with tears.

"I could say the same thing to you." Billie held Sara close. "You were right to try and get Jill to come in, Sara. We both know the police would have caught up with her sooner or later." She placed her hands on the blonde's shoulders, her grip gentle, but firm. "And the only person responsible for her death is Felicia."

Sara nodded her head, although she still wasn't fully convinced. Billie was trying to ease her guilt, even reliving her own painful memories for Sara's sake, and for that she was grateful. She hugged Billie tight to her, a thought suddenly occurring as she pulled back to look at her. "What ever happened to that guy?"

The detective's face darkened. "I killed him." The familiar ring of a cell phone interrupted them and Billie quickly dropped her gaze as she removed it from her pocket. "Chambers."

Once again, Sara witnessed the strange shift in Billie's demeanor and wondered if the young woman was even aware of it happening. Her lover was quickly being buried somewhere underneath the ice-cool detective, and a part of Sara had come to hate the transition, feeling an irrational stab of fear that the present persona might one day take over completely, and the person she loved would never come back.

"Yeah, I'll be there shortly," Billie informed the caller before hanging up and looking at Sara with a mixture of apology and regret.

"Anything?"

"We still have a lot of ground to cover," the lieutenant answered vaguely.

"Which obviously means you're leaving," Sara replied impatiently.

"I have to find her, Sara."

"Why you?" the blonde nearly exploded with pent-up rage and anger, backing away from Billie and pacing around the room. "Why the hell can't they find someone else to do it?"

"The whole department is straight out on this," the detective stated calmly. "Sara, she's dangerous-"

"Yeah," Sara cut her off. "To you, especially, Billie. Or, have you forgotten how obsessed she is?"

"I'm certain Felicia's main concern right now is getting as far away from here as she can," Billie reassured her. "She's done, Sara. We're talking murder one. She either gets the hell out of the country, or she gets a needle. There isn't anything keeping her here."

The blonde looked at her, doubtfully. "You're talking about her like she's a rational person."

"Well, I don't know about rational," the brunette conceded. "But she's smart. And sticking around waiting to get caught would be infinitely stupid."

A heavy silence descended between the two young women, stretching on for more than a minute, until Sara finally covered her face with her hands and began to cry, softly. "I can't believe she's gone."

Billie immediately closed the gap between them and took Sara into her arms. She hugged her, fiercely, as the young woman's body shook with the force of her grief, no longer focused on blame or guilt, only the profound sense of loss.

After a short time, Sara's crying began to ease, replaced by quiet sniffles. She pulled back and wiped her eyes, only to find them being drawn to the front of Billie's shirt, the terrible image forcing her to turn away as she said softly, "You'll need to change before you go." The blonde took a few steps toward the hallway, pausing to hold her hand out to her lover, who merely nodded as she clasped it and followed her.

When they reached the bedroom, Billie quickly grabbed a pair of jeans and a black tank top and removed her soiled clothes. She took everything and disappeared into the bathroom for a moment, while Sara seated herself on the edge of the bed, still trying to absorb the shocking news.

The lieutenant soon emerged with a small duffel bag clutched in her hand, already changed and ready to go. She grabbed a pair of boots and sat down next to Sara, bending over to lace them up as she said, "Maybe you should think about staying somewhere else tonight."

Sara furrowed her brow. "Why?"

"Because, I'd feel better if you weren't here alone."

"I'll be fine, Billie," she responded. "She could care less about me."

The lieutenant straightened up and looked at her with concern. "What about staying with a friend? Wouldn't you rather do that than stay here by yourself?"

"I'd rather be with you."

Billie felt a terrible pang of guilt, torn between wanting to stay and comfort Sara, and needing to go after the person who had done so much to hurt her. But, she had to see this through. Felicia was out there somewhere. If they didn't find her soon she would end up hurting someone else, all because Billie had failed to stop her.

And that was something she couldn't live with.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." The brunette was about to stand up when she felt Sara's hand on her arm and she looked at her, expectantly.

"Was it quick?" Sara asked quietly.

The young detective gave an affirmative nod and wrapped an arm around Sara's shoulders. She thought of saying more, but decided it was better to leave things as they were for now.

The sound of Billie's footsteps echoed through the small parking garage as she made her way to the car. She slowed down to remove her keys, approaching the driver's door and disarming the Corvette's alarm before tossing her bag onto the passenger seat.

Her hand was reaching for the handle of the door when something hit her in the back. The impact felt like a sledgehammer and her body went completely rigid from head to toe, every muscle clenching in response to the electrical current racing along the length of her nerve endings.

With an inaudible sound, she fell backwards and slammed into the car behind her, back pressed against the door as she slid to the ground, finally coming to rest on her side and feeling the touch of cool cement on her cheek.

Her limbs continued to twitch, slightly, and she was aware of someone standing over her, but she couldn't seem to concentrate. The stun gun's effects were still causing a wave of interference, leaving her physically helpless and unable to think clearly.

Felicia leaned down and removed something from her pocket, moving the collar of Billie's jacket aside and brushing her fingertips against the detective's throat. Without hesitation, she pierced the tender skin and pushed the plunger, emptying the contents of the syringe into her victim's momentarily defenseless body.

"I'm sorry, Billie," she said softly. "I'm sure you must have an aversion to needles, but it's much less painful than an additional shock would be."

Billie's blue eyes tried desperately to focus on her assailant. For a split-second, her muscles began to respond to her commands again and she moved the arm lying against her hip, only to feel a restraining hand on her wrist, forcing it back down toward the ground.

"No more guns, Billie," Felicia chided her. "There's been enough of that for today, don't you think?"

The detective's eyes began to roll up in her head, her eyelids fluttering as the drug began to take hold. "Felicia." she mumbled.

"Ssh, it's alright," the blonde soothed, lovingly. "Just relax. I promised you I'd be there for you, and I'm a woman of my word."

Billie felt as if she were falling down a hole, everything around her growing darker with each passing second. She tried to fight it, willing herself to stay awake and alert, but before too long she finally succumbed as her eyes closed and her body went limp.

Felicia leaned in close and studied her for a moment. She lifted an eyelid, taking note of the inactivity beneath it and smiled, removing the wires that had attached to Billie's back and wrapping them around the taser she had set on the ground beside her. Quickly snatching Billie's keys, she lifted the unconscious young woman to a sitting position, allowing her to rest against the car, which caused Billie's head to fall forward against her shoulder.

The older woman closed her eyes, reveling in the feel of complete and utter control. She had waited so long for this one. It was inevitable from the moment she first saw Billie, and she knew that the young detective felt it, too...maybe even desired it on some level, though she would never admit to it.

As she cradled Billie's head, Felicia placed a gentle kiss on her temple and whispered, softly, into the detective's ear. "We must be going, now, elsker. It's time to face your demons."

Part 31

You will never see
So come dance with me
- Jonathan Davis

Sara sat in the front seat of Billie's truck with the key in the ignition, her tired eyes still red, but no longer moist. It had been so long since she'd really cried that she'd almost forgotten how physically draining it could be. But, she was finally finished, the deep-rooted pain slowly being replaced by a feeling of numbness. And acceptance.

Her friend's murder had most definitely come as a shock, but she'd already been forced to admit to herself that it wasn't entirely unexpected. Between the two of them, Jill had always been the bigger risk taker. When they began robbing people, she was the one who carried a gun. Sara never bothered. She owned one, but kept it mostly for personal protection.

At heart, Sara was a thief, nothing more. Shooting someone who deserved it was one thing, but the idea of killing someone simply because they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time was quite another. Fortunately, she and Jill had been exceptionally good at what they did, managing to maintain their `occupation' for nearly three years without incident. Of course, her friend told her time and again that if anything went wrong they might have to hurt someone, but she simply chose to shrug off those unpleasant thoughts.

Until it actually happened.

Ever since that awful day, two images had stayed with her: The housekeeper's agonized expression as she crumpled to the floor, and Jill's face suddenly exposed from behind, cold and passive as she watched her fall.

At the time of the shooting, Sara had been so shocked that her only thought was one of self-preservation. She never intended to hurt anyone. All she wanted was the money. Leaving the woman to die was something she still struggled with, and now, in the wake of Jill's murder, her only desire was to bring this horrible chapter of her life to a close.

But, could she ever really do that?

Perhaps the answer to that question lay somewhere in between her anguish over Jill's death, and the belief that she, herself, had gotten off way too easy. Logically, Sara knew she'd hardly walked away from the whole mess unscathed, but when the dust settled, she had Billie and the chance for some real happiness for the first time in her life. All Jill got was a bullet.

After staring, vacantly, through the windshield for several long minutes, Sara finally started the vehicle and backed out of her parking space, quickly heading through the garage toward the exit one floor up. She didn't know where she was going, but her mind was so full of grief and worry, that she thought a drive might help to clear her head.

As she rounded the first corner, something caught her eye and she slammed her foot down on the brake, immediately stopping the truck. She jumped out of the SUV and ran over to the car parked near the wall, not even giving a thought as to whether its owner might still be lurking nearby. As she came to stand directly behind it, she felt her blood run cold.

It was a black Mercedes SL600.

"Oh, fuck," she breathed softly as she turned and sprinted back to her own vehicle. She jumped in and grabbed her cell phone from the console, nervous fingers fumbling over the buttons as she dialed, already fearing the worst.

One ring.two rings.

"Come on, Billie," she pleaded, her eyes moving about, anxiously, now searching for any sign of Felicia.

The familiar recording of Billie's voice mail sounded in her ear and Sara's heart sank, the terrible possibilities playing through her mind as she began to dial again.

Deaq slammed the cover down on the notebook sitting on the table in front of him and leaned back, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips. "There's nothin' here, man."

Van was pacing the small, carpeted area a few feet away, a cell phone pressed to his ear. "Big surprise," he responded to his partner, who'd been busy sifting through the contents of Felicia Ralston's personal computer. "If she's half as-" His attention was suddenly diverted to the person on the other end of the line. "Just send it over, okay? We might need it." He ended the call and walked over to the other cop, dropping down, heavily, on to the sofa beside him. "Well, at least the info Billie wanted is on its way. Surveillance reports for the last three weeks."

"How bad?"

He shrugged his shoulders, knowing that every single place Felicia had been to since the LAPD began it's round the clock surveillance on the woman was in the process of being checked out. And from the look of things, it was going to take a while. "She got around."

"Speaking of Billie." Deaq glanced at his watch. "Where the hell is she?"

Van dropped his gaze and began picking at an imaginary piece of lint on his pants. "Probably busy consoling the ice queen," he replied, contemptuously.

"It was a nasty way to go," his partner commented.

"Yeah, well, if you ask me, she had it coming."

"We all got it coming, slick." Deaq was just getting to his feet when his cell phone rang. He immediately pulled it from his pocket and flipped it open. "Hello?"

"Deaq?"

The detective felt his gut clench. Every time she called him it was bad news. "Sara?"

"What's the plate number on Felicia's car?" Her voice was tight and edged with panic.

Quickly grabbing the pad of paper lying next to the laptop, he answered, "SLG-588." Van was now perched on the edge of the sofa, giving him a questioning look.

"Oh, God."

"Did you see her?"

"She's here.at Billie's, or she was here. I don't know." Sara responded, now sounding slightly breathless. "Her car is parked in the garage. But, I already tried Billie's cell and she's not answering."

"How long ago did she leave?" Deaq questioned as his partner now stood up in front of him.

"A little over an hour, I guess," she answered in a distressed tone.

"Stay outta sight," he told her. "We're on our way."

The entire parking garage was alive with activity. Crime scene tape cordoned off the area surrounding Felicia's car as investigators went over the automobile with careful scrutiny. Some of the building tenants were standing around watching, but were kept at bay by a small group of uniformed officers.

On the lower level, there was a similar setting, though only three young people were keeping vigil. An older man wearing gloves and carrying a small bag of equipment hovered near the ground, examining the space once occupied by Billie's Corvette.

Sara was leaning against a cement support pillar, her eyes fixed on that single, empty parking spot. Billie had now been missing for over two hours. She still couldn't believe it. Almost every cop in LA had been looking for Felicia Ralston, including her lover, and now it appeared that she'd been right under everyone's noses all along, lying in wait for the opportunity to get Billie alone and-

"Hayes. Ray."

She quickly straightened up and watched as Deaq and Van, both of whom had been standing nearby looking every bit as anxious as she was, approached the investigator she'd been observing, who was now kneeling down with some type of odd looking flashlight in his hand. The blonde immediately walked around another car to get a better view, since they wouldn't allow her on the other side of the tape.

Everyone was too far away for her to hear them, but she could see the man holding the light to the ground and pointing at the car beside him, apparently explaining his discovery to the two young officers. After several minutes of discussion, Van threw his arms up in exasperation and immediately turned and headed in her direction.

"That crazy bitch got the jump on her," Van seethed. "That's it. I gotta get the fuck outta here."

"Whoa, man," Deaq rested a firm hand on his shoulder to stop him from fleeing. "Where you going?"

"My question, exactly."

The two men turned to see Captain Parish standing a few feet away. Van opened his mouth, fully intending to vent his frustration at the man, but felt Deaq squeeze his shoulder, almost to the point of pain. He immediately reeled in his temper as best he could. "I can't sit here on my ass looking at hair samples and paint scratches while Billie is out there somewhere at the mercy of some psycho." He paused, meaningfully. "Sir."

If Parish was annoyed at the young man's attitude, he didn't show it. "You planning on knocking on every door in LA?" he asked calmly.

"At least, I'd be doing something," Van retorted. "Because, right now, I feel pretty fucking useless."

"You want to do something?" the captain queried. "Be a cop. Think with your head, or you will be useless." He watched Van deflating a bit, and addressed his next question to Deaq. "What about a Triggerfish?"

The detective shook his head. "Nothing yet." He could see Parish' gaze wander toward a certain young blonde standing nearby.

"She ID'd the car," Deaq supplied, unsure as to why he suddenly felt a bit protective of Sara. Maybe it was because he knew she cared about Billie. And since his boss wasn't here to look out for her, a part of him thought someone needed to do it in her absence.

"Then, that still leaves us with the big question, gentlemen: What does Felicia Ralston want with Billie?" Parish questioned, looking at each of them in turn.

The two young men exchanged a look, but said nothing.

The room was dark, save for the gentle warmth of candlelight casting long shadows that flickered and danced across the bare walls. There was a single exposed metal girder running across the ceiling, thick heavy rope coiled around its center. A few cords hung down, pulled taut by the weight of the body suspended beneath it.

Felicia moved, silently, her expression contemplative as she lit a few more candles resting on a small table near the corner. The glow was both comforting and titillating to her, and her eyes continually wandered over to rest on the room's only other occupant, who remained still and unmoving, as if willfully trying to build her anticipation to a fevered pitch.

With a few quiet steps, she found herself standing in front of Billie's unconscious form. The young detective's arms were stretched up above her head, wrists bound together, tightly. Her chin rested on her chest, leaving her long, dark hair covering her face like a shroud.

Having prepared everything to her satisfaction, Felicia needed to perform one final task. She removed a piece of cloth from her pocket, stopping to finger the soft material before reaching out with both hands and lifting Billie's head, gently, tilting it back so her face was now exposed and pointed toward the ceiling.

She walked behind the brunette and covered her closed eyes with the black scarf, being careful to tie it comfortably, but firmly. The tips of her fingers traced the edges, taking a moment to enjoy the feel of silk against skin, and she leaned in to whisper, softly, "Don't keep me waiting too long, Billie."

A quiet moan brought a smile to her lips.

"Miss Matthews."

Sara looked over at the man as he approached, eyeing him with a look of distrust. She couldn't help it. Her lover might be a cop, but the rest of them still got her fur up, and she automatically folded her arms across her chest, her stance already full of attitude.

"I'm Robert Parish," the man told her, not bothering with gestures of civility. "Billie works for me."

"What's going on?" she immediately asked.

"I was hoping you could tell me."

He certainly talked like a cop. "Look, Mr. Parish-"

"Captain."

"Whatever," she continued on. "I already told them everything I know," she replied with a brief glance toward the two young men watching them. "Now, how about you tell me what's being done to find her?"

Parish studied her for a moment, thankful that she seemed to be just as shocked by Billie's apparent abduction as everyone else. Unfortunately, it also confirmed his suspicions about the extent of their relationship, which, for the sake of Billie's career, he'd hoped had been completely off the mark. "We're pulling out all the stops, but it would help if we knew more."

Sara stared back at him, trying to get a sense of this man who might be her only hope of finding Billie. His face was inscrutable, but something about him told her that his concern was more than just a professional one. "If I knew more, I would tell you."

The captain nodded as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Instead of giving me facts, let's talk about your personal observations." The blonde opened her mouth to speak, but quickly snapped it shut and looked away. "Miss Matthews, I'm not exactly blind to what's been going on between you and Billie, which means that, right now, you are the only person that can shed any light on this."

"Look," Sara finally relented with a heavy sigh. "You may not believe this, but Billie kept me in the dark just as much as everyone else about her dealings with Felicia."

"I don't doubt that," Parish replied, all too familiar with the young lieutenant's reticent nature. "But, I understand that you and Felicia had a run in earlier today." He quickly lifted a hand to stop her from responding. "I'm not saying that I think you have any culpability here. But, I do think that you're holding something back. Maybe you think it's irrelevant. I don't." He hovered over her, lowering his voice to a more dangerous tone. "Billie is in serious trouble here and finding her is my top priority."

The blonde narrowed her eyes at him. "It's my only priority."

"Then, tell me why Felicia was here today," Parish pressed on, fully aware that she was already carefully crafting her response.

"She came to see Billie." There was the barest hint of hesitation. "But, she wasn't here."

"Why?"

"I don't know," Sara answered impatiently. "And I don't see how any of this is helping us find out where Billie is..." She put a slightly trembling hand to her forehead and looked beyond him, the empty parking space almost mocking her.

"Because, I think you're hiding something."

Her blue eyes locked on his brown ones and immediately she knew what he was thinking. "Look, this isn't about me, okay?" she said hotly. "Felicia is fucking crazy. She went after Billie because she's totally fixated on her. Don't you get that?"

Van and Deaq approached them and she turned her anger and frustration on them. "Why the hell are you all standing around here staring at me like I have the answers? You're the ones that are supposed to be looking out for her!"

"Hey, you were the reason she came back here," Van quickly retorted. "And speaking of which, if it weren't for you and Jill, we wouldn't even be standing here!"

Deaq stepped in between them just in time to catch Sara's arm as she raised it to take a swing at Van. "Hey, come on!" He held her by the wrists and yanked hard enough to get her attention. When her furious gaze settled on him, he could see the tears threatening and willed himself to speak calmly, despite his own desire to let loose on someone. "None of this is helping Billie, so let's all just chill out for a minute, alright?"

Van glared at him. "If you want to sit here and play nursemaid to her, be my guest, but I'm outta here." He turned and stormed off in the direction of his car.

Sara pulled away from Deaq. "I have to get the hell out of here."

"Miss Matthews," Parish called after her after as she started to walk away. "We're not done here." The blonde completely ignored him and headed toward Billie's SUV. An officer standing nearby glanced at Parish as he moved to stop her, but the captain merely shook his head.

Deaq released a heavy sigh as he watched her leave. "I don't think she's involved in this."

Parish gave him a skeptical look. "She may not know what happened to Billie, but she is most definitely involved."

Van suddenly pulled up beside them and leaned his head out the window. "You coming?"

"Yeah," Deaq nodded before turning his attention back to the captain. "We'll work a few angles.see what's what."

"Keep me posted," the captain ordered. "Got that?"

"I got it," Deaq acknowledged.

Parish watched as Van and Deaq followed the same path Sara had taken a moment ago, his stoic façade still fastened, firmly, into place. The only outward expression of stress and anxiety he would allow himself was a quick rub of his fingers along his brow.

"Wherever you are, Billie," he muttered softly. "Hang in there."

Pain.

The unpleasant sensation wormed its way into Billie's drugged mind as she struggled to wakefulness. Everything hurt. Her muscles flexed in response to the severe discomfort, and her movements caused a terrible cramping in her shoulders. She sucked in a quick breath and held it, instinctively trying to pull her arms closer to her body in order to relieve the strain - only to discover that she couldn't.

That realization propelled her into action and she began to thrash about, ignoring the pain and focusing on freeing her arms from whatever was holding them in place. She opened her eyes.or at least she thought she did, but all she could see was darkness.

Her motions ceased as a rush of comprehension finally broke through the fog that still lingered and she fought, desperately, to push down the panic threatening to overwhelm her. Still feeling disoriented, the young woman bowed her head, slightly, and pressed her face against the inside of her arm, almost breathing a sigh of relief when she felt the cloth touching her skin. At least, that was one question answered.

Slowly drawing a few deep breaths, Billie took a moment to gather her thoughts, which were somewhat murky, bringing her to the conclusion that she'd been given some kind of sedative to put her out.

The last clear memory she had was of leaving the apartment and heading down to the garage. The `Vette was parked in its usual spot, and she'd been about to get in when something stopped her.

She stiffened recalling the feel of the taser on her back. She'd been struck with stun guns before during training exercises back when she was still a beat cop, but whatever had hit her was much more intense than she remembered. It had certainly brought her down quickly and efficiently, and had left her vulnerable to whatever happened afterwards. Unfortunately, that was the one critical detail that still eluded her.

Other sensations were now creeping into her body and mind, and Billie became more alert to her predicament. She had no idea where she was, or how long she'd been out. She tried working at the bindings holding her hands aloft, but numbness had already settled into her fingers, and she only succeeded in causing more pain from the rope biting into her wrists. Her ankles were tied in a similar fashion, but she discovered that by stretching her legs she could just barely touch the floor, and she balanced, precariously, on the tip of one boot in an attempt to give her wrists some much needed relief.

A ghostly touch against her cheek made her jump, and she quickly recoiled, spinning her head around in that direction. "Felicia?"

Silence.

"I know you're there," Billie rasped, swallowing hard against the dryness in her throat. The rational part of her mind was telling her to be careful. The woman was already unbalanced, and the fact that she'd now committed murder meant she had little to lose. "Talk to me, goddammit!" A firm tug on the back of her shirt startled the young detective and she tried to pull away, grunting in pain as her full weight bore down on her arms, once again, the pressure on her shoulders becoming almost unbearable.

The fabric was being cut away from her body and Billie struggled in her bonds, doing a half-spin as she tried to raise her legs, hoping she could strike a blow at her unseen attacker. But, whatever was holding them together was also keeping them anchored to the floor.

She hissed as something sharp pierced the skin on her back and she had to stop herself, knowing that her frantic motions could do her more harm. What remained of her shirt was finally torn off with a single, vicious yank, and she shivered at the unwanted exposure.

"What are you doing, Felicia?" Billie called out, angrily, sensing movement all around her. Getting no response, she held still for a moment, trying to catch any sound that might reveal the woman's location. "Is this your way of getting what you want from me? We've been going round and round all this time.and for what? So you could tie me up and fuck around with me? Is that what this is about?" Her voice was strong and steady, without a trace of the fear she was feeling inside.

"Ssh."

Warm breath tickled her ear, and Billie turned her head, only to feel the touch of cold steel against her cheek. It took every ounce of willpower she had not to pull away as it traced the edge of her jaw and slid down, teasingly, along the slender contour of her throat. Her heart was racing, waiting for the blade to pierce her skin, and her tormentor pressed the sharpened point to her vein, the pulse pounding beneath it in response.

"Don't be afraid, elsker," whispered a soft, seductive voice.

Despite her best efforts, Billie could feel her body trembling, every muscle wrung and exhausted from the punishment they'd already endured. "I'm not," she lied. Soft, lilting laughter filled the impenetrable darkness around her.

"I almost believe you."

"Take off the blindfold," the lieutenant demanded, trying to remain calm. Several agonizing minutes ticked by and Billie could feel the woman's presence hovering close, purposefully making her wait, wanting to see her anxiety build.

Finally, the woman responded, "As you wish." The movement was swift and reckless, the tip of the blade cutting into silk and skin with equal ease. The cloth was sheared away from Billie's face, leaving a thin trail of blood running down from her brow. "Hmm.it would appear I'm out of practice."

Billie barely noticed as she squinted, trying to focus her blurred vision and take in her surroundings. At first glance, the space around her was little more than shadow and light, shifting ominously with the flicker of each candle.

The room was unfamiliar. There were no discerning features that might give an indication as to where she was. From what she could make out through the dimness, there were also no windows, and only one door was visible from her point of view.

Taking in as many details as she could, something caught Billie's eye and she dropped her gaze to the floor. Still struggling to see clearly, it took several seconds for her to comprehend what she was looking at. A pair of arms slid around her from behind, encircling her waist as the fingertips stroked across her taut abdomen and hot breath scalded her neck.

"Now do you see, Billie?" Felicia asked softly. "This is all about you. It always has been."

The pictures were strewn about in seemingly random order, fanning around them in small arcs that grew wider as Billie's eyes followed the trail across the room, where they were eventually swallowed up by the darkness.

From everywhere, familiar faces stared back at her. All the photographs she'd thought were long gone now lay out before her like some kind of crazy collage.

"You took them?" the detective finally managed to say, still not quite believing what she was seeing.

"Actually, it was David," Felicia answered, wistfully, the barest hint of regret in her voice. "He went inside the house shortly before the explosion." Her tone suddenly brightened, as she added, "Imagine how delighted I was when he surprised me with your little treasure trove."

Billie's expression hardened, now wishing that everything had been destroyed, rather than saved as some kind of perverted tool to be used against her. It was just too much, all of it way too personal. In the past, she'd been beaten, stabbed, shot, and had a host of other punishments inflicted on her, but no one had ever gotten to her in this way, using the intimate details of her life as a means to break her down.

"I'm gonna fucking kill you!" she suddenly erupted in a blind rage, trying to lash out with everything she had, not caring what Felicia would do to her as she pulled and twisted against the ropes, anger and adrenaline momentarily masking the shards of pain that radiated up and down her body.

The blonde stepped back and watched, passively, as the young woman quickly wore herself out with her futile exertions. Seizing an opportunity, Felicia reached out with one hand and grabbed a fistful of dark hair, pulling back, savagely, until Billie was forced to arch her back. She hovered over the lieutenant, her face moving down to glare into a pair of hate-filled eyes as she brought her other hand up and pressed the knife to Billie's exposed throat. "I understand that you're angry, Billie, but I'm only doing all of this for your own good."

"Fuck you," Billie spat in defiance.

The blade left her throat and was halfway into her shoulder before the pain even registered, all the while the two women's gazes remaining locked on one another. Billie's face scrunched up in agony as the knife slid out, the flawless metal now stained with her blood, its dark wetness shining in the subtle glow of candlelight.

"I can hurt you in ways you can't possibly begin to imagine," Felicia whispered, menacingly. "You'd be wise to remember that."

Tears of pain stung the brunette's eyes as she looked up into Felicia's cold, cruel gaze. She was finally being given a true glimpse into the woman's darker personality, and what she was seeing was far worse than she could have imagined.

She knew now that Jill's murder hadn't been a fluke. Felicia may not have planned it, but she executed her former lover without hesitation. It wasn't a crime of passion. It wasn't anger. It wasn't even panic.

And it definitely wasn't her first time.

"It was you," Billie released the words through a ragged breath, her shoulder throbbing, painfully, with every beat of her heart. "You killed them."

Felicia suddenly released her hold and walked around the younger woman, slowly dragging the flat of the blade along the gentle curve of Billie's hip, leaving a crimson trail across worn, faded denim. As they faced each other, even with the knife hovering dangerously close, Billie's startling blue eyes never wavered from hers, and the blonde could feel her desire growing more intense with each passing second.

"I was hoping you would be the one to discover the truth, Billie," Felicia admitted. "And, as always, you haven't disappointed me."

Billie's mind was reeling. All along she thought David was the killer. It had made perfect sense, given his background. He fit the profile to a tee. The fact that his most recent crimes had been committed with a gun only meant that his MO had changed, which was not unusual when killers continued their spree over a long period of time.

But, she'd been wrong.

And now, here she was, face to face with perhaps the most exceptional breed of killer. Female serial murderers were extremely rare. Even more uncommon was the woman who killed for reasons other than monetary gain or a warped sense of mercy. Billie didn't yet know what motivations drove Felicia, but the one characteristic that certainly fit her was the need for power and control, two things the young lieutenant could very much appreciate at that moment.

"What do you want from me?" Billie questioned in a strained voice.

"It's not what I want from you," the blonde corrected her. "But, rather.for you."

Given her situation, the detective had little patience for word games, but her aching shoulder was a reminder to her that keeping the woman talking might be the only thing stopping her from delivering more of the same. "Which is what?" she asked, her body trembling from pain and shock.

"You have so much potential, Billie," Felicia explained, her dark eyes and the knife she held constantly in motion across her prisoner's bare midriff. "But, you also have certain.constraints. I'm going to help you overcome them."

"Why?"

"As I told you before, the two of us are very much alike."

"Yeah, we're like two peas in a pod," Billie answered derisively, her tone sounding a bit distracted as her own gaze followed the weapon's movement.

"We're both killers, are we not?" The blonde looked up and caught Billie's eye.

"It's my job to protect people," the lieutenant said firmly. "Sometimes, in order to do that, someone dies."

"Indeed," Felicia responded, her eyes locking onto the tip of the blade as she raised it up and held it in front of Billie's face. "Which is precisely the point of all of this."

"What point?" the young detective finally pleaded with her. "What the hell is this about, Felicia?"

"Protecting you, Billie." Felicia bent down and picked up a photograph, holding it up to the young woman's confused gaze.

It was a picture of Sara. One that Billie had never seen before.

"And, as you stated so eloquently, sometimes in order to do that." She suddenly skewered Sara's image with the tip of her knife.

Billie tried to stop the fear from showing in her eyes as she stared at the picture in Felicia's hand, immediately grasping the horrifying implication, but she couldn't stop the echo of her own words from filling her mind.

.someone dies.

Part 32

You consider me the young apprentice
Caught between the Scylla and Charybidis
- Sting

"If you touch her, I'll kill you."

"I don't doubt that," Felicia replied, pulling Sara's picture off the blade and holding it between her two fingers. She stared at it, thoughtfully, before tossing it aside.

"Leave her alone," Billie warned, feeling the warmth of her own blood traveling down her back. The pain in her shoulder was excruciating, but at least it was helping to shake off her drug-

induced lethargy. "This is between you and me."

"Sara isn't good for you," Felicia stated. "And she doesn't understand you.not the way I do. That's why you didn't tell her about us."

"There is no `us', Felicia."

The blonde reached out and stroked Billie's hair, fondly. "I'm not a fool, Billie. I was always aware that our `encounters' were little more than a means to an end for you. The truth is, they were for me, as well. But, as I learned more about you, I soon came to realize that our relationship had a greater purpose. You needed me, Billie, which is why fate saw fit to cross our paths. I'm the only one who sees what lies beneath, and armed with that knowledge, I will do what I must to set it free."

"Set it free? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" she shot back, angrily, wincing as her frustrated motions only increased the throbbing pain.

"There are very few people like you and I," Felicia responded, holding the point of her knife against the detective's stomach. "We both have a killer's instinct. But, a part of you still tries, desperately, to cling to certain ideals, even if they have become somewhat tarnished by experience. Your life is governed by two different worlds, the one you've sworn to protect, and the one you dwell within in order to do so. I believe it's time to break the tether that holds you to the benign."

Without warning, Felicia drew the blade across the brunette's midriff, deliberately mirroring the same path as her previous injury, causing Billie to release a strangled gasp as the searing pain took her breath away. It was an all too familiar sensation, but now, unlike last time, she was powerless to fight back.

"You were sent to prison once for doing what had to be done, weren't you?" Felicia scorned, her eyes narrowing as if to study her own handiwork. "When everyone else stood around wringing their hands in vacillation, you acted without hesitation. Your determination and cunning won the day, but the people you work for obviously lack the ability to see that."

Billie's muscles quivered, violently, as she tried in vain to close in on herself, desperate to protect her body from any further damage. Her breathing became increasingly labored and uneven.

"And what about this?" Felicia queried, shifting to a more conversational tone as she raised the knife and rested it against the younger woman's left arm.

Instinctively, Billie recoiled from the wicked steel, but with no slack in the ropes, she could barely even twist her arm. "Felicia.no.

stop."

"Once again, your colleagues stumbled about, allowing some insipid little worm to escape from police custody. As a result, he murdered your closest friend. Fortunately, even though you were accompanied by a group of officers, you were able to deal with him on your own terms." Felicia lifted a finger and stroked the small indentation of flesh still visible from the bullet that struck Billie's arm all those months ago.

"I have to admit," she continued on in a slightly dreamy voice. "I've often wondered what that must have been like for you, the opportunity to kill at will, no restraints, no cloak of secrecy, just your anger and rage unleashed for all to see." The blonde stopped talking for a moment, turning the knife and rolling it across the palm of her hand with practiced precision. As her slender fingers closed around the smooth, ivory handle, she pulled her arm back and whispered, "I envy you the freedom you must have experienced in that moment."

Billie's head snapped back, her tortured scream filling the room as the knife was driven into her arm, slicing through flesh and muscle as though it were little more than wisps of vapor. She kept her eyes shut tight against the blinding pain, her lungs still fighting for air.

Felicia withdrew her weapon in one quick motion, eliciting another moan of agony from her captive, and began to circle Billie, walking at an almost leisurely pace. She ran her fingertip along the flat of the blade, watching with mild fascination as the red liquid smeared across her finger. "I know how difficult it is to be true to your nature when it goes against everything you've been taught to believe." She lifted her hand and brushed the tip of her tongue against her finger.

It tasted like heaven.

An eerie silence fell over the two women. Billie was aware of the sound of her own ragged breathing and the soft, methodic tap of Felicia's footsteps, but the awful pain seemed to be making everything fade to the background. She was in shock, every inch of her body shaking in response to the brutal punishment Felicia was inflicting. She had never felt so much pain, which she knew was precisely the point: Her injuries weren't meant to kill. But, logically, it was only a matter of time before her body shut down, and she almost welcomed the thought of passing out for a while.

"So, you pursue the worst of humankind, sometimes adhering to the rules imposed upon you, often times not. And what, exactly, do you get in return?" Felicia continued her query, dark eyes moving over Billie's form as she walked. "The constant drone of some annoying little flies, always questioning your motives and methods, thinking that they have control over you." She shook her head, slowly, her long, blonde tresses brushing against her back and shoulders. "Those idiots have no idea what you're capable of.but I do."

Billie finally lifted her head, blue eyes squinting against the sting of both tears and sweat, watching as Felicia came around from behind and stood in front of her, studying her, closely. "Isn't that what you really want, Felicia?" she croaked. "To control me?"

"No," the blonde stated firmly. "I'm not arrogant enough to believe that I could control you, nor would I want to. I'm merely employing some rather harsh methods to gain your undivided attention."

The detective closed her eyes as hot pulses of pain coursed through her. Speaking was becoming a tremendous effort. "Well.you have it," she mumbled, her voice soft and distant. Felicia turned away from her and walked to the small table in the corner, lingering for a moment and picking up another item, which she immediately pocketed.

"I've tried to determine what it is that holds you back, Billie. Why do you continue to be beholden to others, when they clearly are not worth your time and effort? The death of your parents certainly must have changed your perspective on the world. Your behavior during that time was nothing short of reckless.professionally, at least. I can only imagine what must have transpired after hours."

Billie's eyes opened only slightly and her unfocused gaze drifted across the floor. Lying just a few feet away was a picture of her mother and father. It was a photo she had taken as the three of them were going out for a celebratory dinner after her mother had won a particularly grueling case in court. The snapshot was an impulse, and it had always been one of her favorites. A sudden surge of grief squeezed her heart, the pain of her loss so frighteningly close to the surface after all this time.

The young woman closed her eyes as the tears began to fall. She didn't want to do this, would have given just about anything to make it stop, in fact, but she was being brutalized on all fronts, her defenses systematically broken down, and there was very little she could do about it.except to keep telling herself that everyone was out looking for her by now. She just needed to hold on for a while, and try not to give anything away to this woman who seemed so intent on dissecting her, both physically and mentally.

"Perhaps, your friend had something to do with that, hmm?" As Felicia walked back, her eyes scanned the young woman from top to bottom. Billie wasn't moving very much anymore, except for the involuntary shudders that wracked her body almost constantly. Her skin was pale and slick with sweat, and blood flowed, freely, from her wounds, which meant that time was running short. "But, soon after, Alexa was taken from you, as well, viciously murdered with you only minutes away and unable to prevent it. That must have brought you closer to the edge than you have ever been before." The blonde leaned in close and lifted the detective's down-turned face.

Billie willed her eyes to open, feeling a small sense of triumph at still having the strength to look her tormentor in the eye.

"What would become of you, if you had nothing left to hold on to?" Felicia prodded gently.

"I guess I'd end up a soulless, sadistic monster like you," Billie answered in an equally soft tone.

Felicia's face darkened as she drew her hand away. Without another word, she bent down and picked up the silk scarf she had used as a blindfold, making a show of checking the knots strength by pulling on either end of the fabric. Seemingly satisfied, she lifted her hands toward Billie's face.

Despite her condition, Billie made an attempt to back away in protest. "No.don't put that-" Her words were cut off as the cloth was pressed against her mouth, wedging between her teeth and tied, firmly, behind her head, rendering her incapable of speaking. She could only utter soft moans from the back of her throat. Even supplying any volume required more lung capacity than she could give.

When she finished, Felicia remained where she was, hovering over her prisoner, enjoying the closeness that she knew would be over too soon. She removed something from her pocket and held it up in front of Billie, whose glazed eyes immediately sharpened in recognition.

It was her cell phone.

"I think it's time to call your lover."

"Sorry, but the gallery is closed."

Sara nodded and glanced around the policeman, trying to see through the darkened glass of the main door. "Umm.I had an appointment with the owner. Is she expected back soon?"

"I'm only here to watch the door," he answered in his standard-issue monotone.

"Is there anyone inside I could speak with?"

"No, Ma'am. All of the employees have gone home for the day."

"Okay, well, thanks anyway."

"Your welcome."

With a heavy sigh, Sara turned and headed back to the car. She didn't even know what she was doing there in the first place. The police had been at every stop she'd made, including the warehouse, and it was obvious they had all the bases covered should Felicia make an appearance. In the meantime, all she could do was continue to grasp at straws.

She got to the car and leaned back against it, thoughts of what might be happening to Billie playing over and over in her mind.

"Where are you?" she whispered to herself.

The cell phone in her pocket suddenly rang and she straightened up immediately and pulled it out, quickly spotting the I.D. on the display screen.

Her heart stopped.

She hit the button and nearly shouted into the phone. "Billie?"

"Say a single word before I've finished speaking and I'll hurt her."

Sara recognized Felicia's voice and opened her mouth before the words even registered, but she quickly pressed her fingers to her lips to stop herself.

"Good girl," Felicia told her. "Now, I'm going to ask you several questions. You will answer me without hesitation. A simple yes or no. If you lie to me I'll know, and Billie will suffer the consequences. Do you understand?"

"Yes," came Sara's immediate reply.

"Are you alone?"

"Yes."

"Is anyone else listening in?"

"No."

"Are you near a car?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to save Billie's life?"

Sara closed her eyes and placed a hand to her forehead. "Yes," she said softly.

"Excellent," the wealthy woman praised. "Now, tell me exactly where you are."

"Standing in front of your gallery in Beverly Hills."

Felicia chuckled softly. "Playing detective in your lover's absence?"

"Let me talk to her, Felicia," Sara pleaded. There was a momentary pause and she pressed the phone, tightly, to her ear, trying to catch the slightest background noise, but was greeted with nothing but a deafening silence.

Until a muffled scream cut through her like a knife.

"No! Stop!" Sara shouted into the phone, oblivious to the curious onlookers that passed by her as she pounded her fist on the car in frustration.

"Now, are you ready to do as I instruct?" Felicia spoke up in a dulcet tone.

Sara slumped against the car, her head coming to rest on her forearm. She had never wanted to kill anyone before, but at that very moment, her only desire was to hunt down Felicia Ralston and tear her apart with her bare hands.

She shot a quick glance at the cop standing nearby, who was looking over at her. The idea of trying to alert him occurred to her, but she didn't know exactly what to do or say. There was also the risk of Felicia overhearing, or worse, he might try to stop her from leaving. She decided she just couldn't take that chance, not with Billie's life.

"Yes." She barely managed to get the word out.

"Get in your vehicle."

The young blonde did as she was told. After starting the engine, she slipped a hand under the front seat, pulled out a gun, and dropped it onto her lap. "Where to?"

"Head east on Santa Monica Boulevard," Felicia ordered. "Keep to a normal speed. Obey the traffic lights. The trip shouldn't take you more than twenty minutes."

Sara kept the phone pressed to her ear and pulled out into traffic. She knew Felicia was still on the line, a deliberate move to keep her from calling anyone. After driving for several minutes in silence, the older woman's voice finally sounded in her ear again.

"To keep you from becoming bored, what say we have a little chat?"

"Why are you doing this?" Sara asked.

"Maybe I just thought it would be fun to piss you off."

"You-" Sara immediately bit back her retort knowing anything she said would only put Billie in more danger.

"Temper, temper," Felicia chided.

Without realizing what she was doing, Sara ran straight through a red light. "Shit!"

Felicia's tone changed, instantly. "What's wrong?"

"I ran a light." Her announcement was met with silence. "Felicia?" Nothing. "Felicia?"

"You want to know why, little girl?"

Sara breathed a quiet sigh of relief. "Yes," she answered as her eyes flickered between the windshield and the rearview mirror.

"Because she belongs to me," Felicia declared. "From now on, I'll do the talking. You just concentrate on driving."

With a death grip on the wheel, Sara followed Felicia's instructions to the letter, all the while praying, silently, that Billie would still be alive when she reached her destination.

".and then she drove straight to some building on West Temple. It looks like one of those old factories that's been converted to apartments. I saw her get out of the car and head inside. She was talking to someone on her cell the whole time, and it seemed like a pretty serious conversation. Just like the last one."

Van changed hands on his cell phone as he grabbed a stack of paper off the dashboard. "Whoa.wait a minute. West Temple. That's familiar."

Deaq watched his partner from his position behind the wheel as the younger man rifled through the surveillance reports Billie had requested. The two of them had been checking out leads for almost two hours and, so far, nothing. As their frustration mounted, so did their fear of what they might eventually find.

"She was there a week ago," Van practically shouted in excitement. "That's gotta be it." He shoved the paper in Deaq's face. "There. Let's go."

"We're not that far," Deaq replied with just hint of optimism. "Tell him to call it in."

"Don't fuck this up, you got that?" Van was speaking to the caller again. "Yeah, call it in. We'll be there in five." He hung up the phone and turned to his partner. "Sara got a call on her cell outside of Felicia's shop on Rodeo and it left her pretty torqued. She took off and headed straight to some apartment building." Again, he pointed to the paperwork. "No stops, no nothing."

"No shit."

Van pounded his fist on the dashboard. "I knew that bitch had something to do with this!"

"Hey, man, now hold on," Deaq soothed. "We don't know jack, alright? All we gotta do right now is work this thing with a cool head and a steady hand. You down for that?"

"Yeah." Van pulled his gun from its holster and checked the clip. He knew it was full, but just going through the motions helped him to focus. He was more than ready. "Yeah, I'm good."

"What about Jarod?"

"He'll scope it out in the meantime," Van replied.

"Okay," Deaq sighed. "Let's punch it."

Sara walked down the alley and straight to the side door as Felicia had told her to do. Glancing around, cautiously, she pulled on the handle, not at all surprised to find it unlocked.

Her hand moved to the gun tucked into the back of her pants, more as a comfort than anything else. She didn't know if Felicia could see her, so she thought it best to keep it concealed for the moment.

Stepping inside the dimly lit hallway, she noticed a few garage doors to her right, each one leading to a small parking bay. Her eyes fell on the last car in the row.

Billie's Corvette.

Seeing it sitting there in plain view was unnerving. Felicia didn't seem the least bit concerned with anyone finding it.

"Take the stairs straight ahead."

The young blonde had been so focused on the car that she jumped at the unnaturally loud sound of Felicia's voice in her ear. She turned and walked down the short corridor, stopping as she put her foot on the first stair.

She could do this. She had to. "What floor?"

"I always prefer to be on top," Felicia replied in a seductive tone. "Just ask Billie."

Ignoring the woman's attempts at baiting her, Sara began her ascent. Her strong, well-toned legs took the stairs two at a time, heart pounding, breath quickening, and upon reaching the top floor, she carefully slipped the gun out and held it behind her.

She stood in front of the only door. Even though the phone was still pressed to her ear, she called out, "I'm here." Getting no response, she glanced at the cell phone.

The call had ended.

She snapped it shut and tucked it away, bringing the gun up in front of her. There was no element of surprise here, but her instincts told her the situation still warranted going in as quietly as possible.

With a quick wipe of her hand on her pant leg, Sara reached out and turned the doorknob, giving the door a gentle push, causing it to swing wide. She stepped inside and pointed the gun, sweeping back and forth as she tried to take in a full view of the room.

It was empty.

She looked around, taking slow, careful steps and trying to keep her back to the nearest wall. The cavernous loft had an `L' shaped layout and the two outside walls were lined with oversized windows, allowing a generous amount of moonlight to filter through.

As Sara walked further, she noticed a door on her left leading to what looked like a smaller room that took up the remaining corner of space. She stared at it for a moment before deciding to check the rest of the surrounding area first. She crept further along, peering around the corner, but all she could see were two small sofas sitting in the middle of the floor.

She leaned back again and took a deep breath, silently easing back the way she came. The gun suddenly felt very heavy in her hands.

With deliberate slowness, she moved back to the second door and opened it. Although her eyes had adjusted to the lack of lighting, the room beyond seemed almost pitch.until she stepped inside and noticed the small flicker of candles.

The shock of seeing her lover strung up and covered in her own blood made Sara forget about everything else, and she immediately charged across the small room.

"Billie.Oh, God!"

Billie hung, motionless, scarcely able to lift her head. She heard the familiar voice, but for a split-second, thought she had imagined it. She opened her eyes and made a small noise.

Sara looked around, but could see nothing in the surrounding darkness. She tucked the gun in her pants and reached for Billie, cupping her face and talking in a soothing tone. "Billie.Billie, it's me. Can you hear me?" She looked into the brunette's eyes, trying to get her to focus on her.

The young lieutenant felt warm hands touching her face and she realized that the voice wasn't a hallucination at all. She groaned around the gag in her mouth, suddenly remembering where she was.

"It's okay, Billie," Sara whispered softly. "I'll get you out of here." She looked up at the ropes, longingly, wishing she had a knife.

Becoming more alert, Billie began shaking her head in a somewhat frantic motion. She tried to talk, but could only make weak, pathetic mewling sounds.

"I know," Sara acknowledged her lover's warning as she reached around her to remove the gag. "Felicia's here somewhere. But, I can't leave you like this. I just want-"

Billie could feel Sara's body lurch against her, the arms around her suddenly stiffening before slumping down against her shoulders. Their gazes locked, and she could see the pain erupting from the depths of Sara's cornflower blue eyes.

Sara opened her mouth, but no sound would come. She wanted so desperately to hold onto Billie, to comfort her, to tell her everything would be all right, but her body betrayed her and she fell to the floor at her lover's feet.

Billie watched her fall, the feeling of those strong, loving hands slipping away from her like having her heart torn out. She couldn't breath. She couldn't even move. Inside, her mind was screaming, but outwardly, she was frozen in place, as if denying the release of her agony could somehow stop it all from happening.

Felicia knelt down beside Sara, her hand still clutching the knife, both covered with the young woman's blood. She leaned over her and drew the blonde's head around with her free hand, turning her away from Billie. "I told you, Sara.Billie belongs to me."

Sara could feel her heartbeat slowing down, all the warmth in her body seeping out from beneath her. This couldn't be it. It wasn't fair. She and Billie had only just found each other, had only just moved in together. They hadn't even had a chance to celebrate.

To have dinner.to dance.to make love in the home they now shared.

The young woman closed her eyes.

Billie's paralysis was finally broken, and though her cries were unintelligible, Felicia knew it was only one word she screamed out over and over again.

Part 33

I'm here to be your only go-between
To tell you of the sights
These eyes have seen
- Anthony Kiedis

Sara.

"So, would this be considered our second date?"

Billie dropped her head to the pillow with a satisfied sigh, her body spent but still aroused.to her utter amazement. Her fingers began to trace delicate lines along the soft skin of the arm that had draped itself across her stomach. "I guess."

"It'll be kind of tough to top this one."

"Don't tell me you're giving up already?"

Sara propped herself up on her free arm, errant strands of blonde hair pasted to her forehead. "I said tough, not impossible."

A playful grin appeared on Billie's lips. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well, you'll be coming into a little money," Sara said casually, as if breaking into someone's home and stealing every penny they owned was an everyday occurrence. "It'd be a good time to take a trip somewhere, you know.that way you could enjoy it, instead of having to worry about your ex wondering where it came from."

Billie's eyes focused on the ceiling. She didn't want to think about tomorrow. Not here. Not now. "I can handle Van."

"I'm sure you can," the blonde placated. "I was just thinking that it might be nice to do a little traveling myself, and we could go anywhere we wanted."

The brunette gently eased her lover onto her back and rolled on top of her. "Can we talk about this later?" She pressed her face into the young woman's neck and began teasing the sensitive skin with her lips and tongue.

Sara closed her eyes and sighed. "You're not having second thoughts about tomorrow, are you?"

"No," came Billie's muffled reply.

Please.

"I love this beach."

Billie's eyes followed the young, lithe figure coming toward her, moving with unconscious grace and deliberate sensuality.

Sara dropped into an empty beach chair and reached for the towel Billie held out to her. "Thanks."

"My pleasure."

"So, how come you haven't gone in for a dip?" Sara quizzed as she placed a pair of sunglasses on her face.

Billie shrugged. "I prefer fresh water."

The blonde immediately turned and eyed her companion over the rim of her shades. "You're kidding."

The detective waved a hand at the pounding surf only a few feet away. "Salt water's overrated."

Sara was stunned. "You can actually sit here, on one of the most beautiful shorelines in the world, and say "it's overrated"?" She shook her wet, stringy hair in disbelief. "That only makes me wonder just how much it takes to impress you, Wilhemina Chambers."

Billie watched with interest as Sara suddenly stood up from her chair and stepped in front of her. With a sly smile, the blonde hooked her thumbs into her bikini bottoms and slowly guided them down her slim, toned legs, letting them fall to the sand before stepping out of them. She then reached behind her back and undid her top, hesitating for a brief second before removing it and revealing her nude form to her lover.

"You've forgotten something," Billie announced, tapping her own sunglasses with her finger.

With a determined, yet playful look, Sara slipped her sunglasses off and tossed them over her shoulder. She stood there, confidently, knowing her lover's eyes were moving over her.

The young brunette rose from her chair and stepped forward, leaving little room between their bodies as she reached out to run her fingertips along the gentle curve of the young woman's hips. As her hands traveled higher, she leaned in and whispered, "I'd say that's enough.

Don't.

"Hey there."

Sara spun around and saw Billie coming toward her. "Hey, what are you doing here? I thought Jarod was giving me a lift back."

"I told him to take off," the brunette explained. "He needed to get to work. Plus, I decided that we should go out and celebrate." She clasped Sara's hand and they fell in step, heading out of the courthouse.

"Sounds good to me," Sara smiled. "Where to?"

"I know a place. Great pesto."

The two women walked through the doors and down the front steps. Billie felt a sudden resistance and stopped to look at Sara. "Something wrong?"

"What if you can't get Felicia?" she frowned.

"I told you, I will," Billie said simply. "There's no if, only when."

A look of uncertainty flashed across the blonde's face. "How?"

"I'll get something on her," the lieutenant replied confidently.

"But, what if she-"

"Hey," Billie interrupted with a squeeze of her hand. "Let me worry about Felicia Ralston, okay? Now that Colby's locked up, the worst is over, so let's stop talking about her. She's already taking up enough space in my life."

Sara tried to relax a bit by returning her lover's gesture and flashing a smile. "Yeah, well, if she messes with you, she messes with me. Got it?"

"Got it."

Die.

"It's a fitting end, Billie."

The detective's blue eyes remained fixed on her lover, bleeding to death at her feet. The woman she loved was slipping away from her and she was completely powerless to prevent it.

Felicia stood up and removed the black shawl covering her head. The garment had served its purpose, helping to keep her presence concealed in the darkness long enough to take the young woman by surprise. "It wasn't so long ago that she left someone else to die, and as I told you, I believe everything in this life eventually comes full circle."

Billie tore her gaze from Sara, and stared into the cold, cruel eyes of her murderer. A low, feral sound rose up from her throat, as if all her agony and pain were slowly being ripped from her body, and in an explosion of rage and despair, she began pulling, unmercifully, at the ropes, a last desperate act to break free and save her lover.

Witnessing her young protégé's anguish was more than enough to convince Felicia that, even though Jill's betrayal had forced her to alter her plans, the outcome would be more than she could have hoped for.

She had tried to get to Billie through her job, providing her with the ultimate game of cat and mouse.teasing her, enticing her, challenging her skills while learning more about what motivated her, both as a detective, and as a woman.

But, she soon realized that her tactics had been only partly successful. Despite the young lieutenant's utter obsession with her work, she still remained emotionally detached, further proving that her drive to excess had more to do with engaging her intellectual abilities than her bleeding heart.

In studying her background, however, it became apparent that the detective had serious emotional scars, and that was clearly the lynchpin Felicia needed. By using the ghosts of her past, along with her relationship with Sara, the wealthy widow managed to make Billie combine her head and her heart, effectively coloring her normally sharp perceptions, while fueling her desire to protect the person she loved.

"As one predator to another, I'm going to give you what you've wanted all along," Felicia stated as Billie finally exhausted herself. In a gentle, protective gesture, she stood behind the brunette and wrapped her arms around her, enfolding her shaking form in the shawl she still carried. She hovered over Billie's shoulder, pressing her face against the detective's hot, moistened cheek. "A chance to view the world through my eyes."

Billie groaned and tilted her head back, trying to convince the woman to remove the gag from her mouth, desperate for the chance to plead for Sara's life, no matter how futile the effort would be. But, Felicia merely reached up with one hand and cupped her chin, holding her in place as she continued to speak.

"When you begin the chase, you study your prey: determine their weaknesses and what makes them tick. Soon you come to know how they think. You can predict their movements, calculate their steps.and then you have them. But, in order to move in for the kill, you must get close, blend into their surroundings, become like them, so when you're ready to deliver the critical blow, they will never see it coming." Felicia took the brunette's earlobe between her teeth, biting down just enough to draw blood, but Billie was so physically drained she barely showed any reaction.

"Isn't that how you've done it, Billie?" she taunted. "You've pursued drug addicts and murderers by actually becoming one of them. You wanted.needed to be in their shoes, to know the minds of those you hunt. But, what you really discovered is that you're not all that different from them, are you?"

Billie tried to pull her head away, but the taller woman's firm grip held her fast. She couldn't bear to listen anymore. With every passing second, Sara's life was spilling out of her body, and she was being forced to watch it happen, all for the amusement of a madwoman.

"And what of you and I?" Felicia pondered. "You didn't have the pretense of a false identity, did you? There was no illusion to hide behind. But, you were still able to get in close, by matching wits with me, by being just as clever, just as ruthless, and by showing that you were willing to risk whatever it took to catch me." Her hand suddenly tightened on Billie's jaw and with a firm tug, she pulled her face down to look at Sara lying on the floor. "And now you have," she stated with a note of triumph. "You've proved yourself, Billie.you're just like me."

That was enough to push all rational thought from the young detective's mind and she finally cried out, shaking her head, weakly, as darkness threatened to close in on her from all sides.

Felicia kissed Billie's tear-stained cheek and smiled. "You were a great hunter, Billie Chambers, but now.you'll be even better."

When she felt the touch of Felicia's lips on her face, Billie simply went numb. She had nothing left. Sara might already be dead, and she could only hang there, uselessly, waiting for blessed oblivion, which she knew was not that far away.

"I have to leave now," Felicia announced. "But, rest assured, we will see each other again someday." She released her hold on the lieutenant, allowing the shawl to drop to the floor and whispered softly, "Goodbye.elsker."

Billie felt a subtle shift in the air; so faint she thought she'd imagined it. But, after more than a minute of silence, she realized that Felicia must have slipped out through a door somewhere behind her. Her eyes began to droop, but she willed herself to stay awake, not really believing that the woman wasn't coming back.

There had to be a way out of this. She just needed to concentrate. Breaking her bonds was obviously out of the question. She'd given it everything she had earlier and she was in much better condition then, now she was having trouble just keeping her eyes open.

Her weary gaze remained on Sara. She was lying so still, and the dim light made it impossible to see if she was still breathing. All Billie could do was to listen for any sound that would tell her if she was still alive. She tried to speak, hoping to get her attention, but her muffled grunts elicited no response.

There was nothing she could do to help Sara, and Felicia made absolutely certain that she wouldn't be able to comfort her, either. All she could do was pray for someone to come, knowing all the while that rescue would never arrive quick enough to save her lover.

Just when the young detective thought she might go completely insane with grief, the softest sound reached her ears and she held her breath, fearing she'd imagined it. The movement was almost imperceptible, at first, but finally, Sara turned her head.and opened her eyes.

They stared at each other, the blonde's heavy-lidded gaze holding Billie transfixed. Only the detective's eyes could convey what she was truly feeling, and she gave everything she had in that one look, pouring out her desperate plea as a single word formed in her mind, begging to be spoken.

Live.

"Billie?"

The hushed voice startled her and she broke eye contact with Sara long enough to see a figure peeking around the edge of the doorway in front of her. Her heart soared when she recognized the young man's face.

"Is it clear?" Jarod asked softly.

Billie quickly nodded and he stepped inside, moving cautiously with his weapon extended. She shifted her attention back to Sara, but the young woman's eyes were closed again.

Jarod immediately approached, his concerned gaze giving way to one of shock as he got a closer look at both women. "Jesus." he breathed, carefully stepping over Sara and reaching up to pull the scarf out of Billie's mouth. "Are you-"

"Sara." Billie gasped, unable to get the words out fast enough. "She was stabbed in the back. You have to turn her over, put pressure on the wound.try to stop the bleeding." She started to choke on her words, the inside of her mouth dry as dust.

The rookie cop immediately knelt down and did as she instructed, removing his shirt and turning her over with as much care as he could. He balled up the garment, clearly struggling to find the location of her injury. Her back was covered in blood, and the candles offered only a fraction of light, so he pulled up her shirt and slid his hand across her slick skin until he found the wound. He placed the cloth on her back, applying as much pressure as he dared and used his free hand to take out his cell phone and call for help.

"Sara." Billie's graveled voice called out softly. "Help is here. Just hang on, you're gonna be okay."

When Jarod finished, he looked up at Billie, wishing he could be helping her, as well. "How bad are you hurt?"

"Not bad."

"How long has she been gone?"

She.

Felicia.

"A few minutes."

"I should cut you down."

"No." There was a strange buzzing sound in Billie's ears and she was beginning to feel increasingly disoriented. "Just take care of her." It was becoming very difficult to concentrate on anything, and her head began to drop, slowly, to her chest.

"Holy shit."

Van bolted into the room, followed by his partner, who swept the room with his gun poised in front of him.

"She was already gone when I got up here," Jarod confirmed.

Deaq tore his gaze away from his boss to look at the rookie cop. "What happened to Sara?"

"She was stabbed. Man, she's bleeding all over the place."

"Help me here," Van barked, pulling a knife from his pocket and reaching up to cut the ropes that held Billie suspended. He could see that she had numerous injuries, but there was too much blood to determine exactly how bad they were.

"Billie.Billie, come on, now, girl," Deaq's steady voice called as he held on to her while Van cut her free. She dropped into his arms and the two men, carefully, lowered her to the floor and began to untie her wrists and ankles. "Talk to me."

Pain quickly cut through the haze and Billie let out a soft cry as her arms began to feel the blood flow that had been cut off hours ago. She tried to roll onto her side, but found she didn't have the strength.

"Hey," Van spoke to her softly. "How bad is it?"

"My stomach.left arm," she mumbled, struggling to stay alert. Her head lolled to the side and she was able to see Sara lying next to her. She wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch her lover, but she couldn't move her injured arm.

Van took notice of all the pictures lying around, catching his partner's eye as he quickly grabbed the discarded shawl from the floor and placed it on Billie's stomach. "What the hell is all this?"

Deaq's expression was grim. "I don't know, man."

"I can barely feel her pulse," Jarod spoke up, unable to conceal his frustration. The shirt he'd been wearing only minutes ago was now soaked with Sara's blood.

"I'll show `em the way up," Deaq announced as the sound of blaring sirens reached them. He placed a hand on Billie's knee and gave a reassuring squeeze before getting to his feet and running out of the room.

Van looked down at Billie, realizing she could be dying, and for the first time since they met, he found he was actually afraid of losing her.

Maybe Deaq had called it right. Maybe he did feel something for her.

something more than friendship, or loyalty, or lust. But, trying to define it was as pointless as admitting to it, because she would never feel the same way about him.

He took a hold of her forearm, moving it as gently as possible, until her fingers came into contact with Sara's arm. "Just hold on, Billie."

Billie whispered her lover's name and finally slipped into unconsciousness.

".as though some of the damage was extensive, so we called for a consult. I'll let you know as soon as we have more information."

"Thank You."

The voices pulled Billie out of sleep and she opened her eyes, immediately regretting it as awareness came back, brutal and swift. She could see a large figure standing next to where she lay, and it took her a few seconds to bring him into focus.

"Bob?" she croaked.

Bob Parish looked down at the young woman, her battered, bandaged body appearing so small in the harsh, sterile whiteness of the hospital bed. He'd always teased her about her rather demur height, but the truth of it was that when she got in your face, she seemed much taller than she really was. Right now, he would much rather be arguing with her than seeing her like this.

"Welcome back," he greeted her.

"How's Sara?" she immediately asked.

With the barest hesitation, he replied, "Not good."

"I have to see her," Billie announced as she tried to sit up.

"You're not going anywhere," Parish interceded as he set himself down on the edge of the bed and placed a restraining hand on her right shoulder. It took very little effort to hold her down.

"Bob."

"She just got out of surgery," he explained. "You'll have to wait a while."

The brunette grimaced as a shot of pain ran down the length of her left arm. She adjusted it inside the sling she was now wearing and stared at him. "Tell me what's going on."

"The knife got one of her kidneys," he informed her. "They lost her once in the ER, but the surgery couldn't wait. If they didn't go in, she would have died."

Billie's head slumped back against the pillow. "Oh, God," she said softly, placing a hand across her eyes.

"I told them to give me an update as soon as possible."

"Did they find Felicia?"

The captain released a heavy sigh. "No, not yet."

"It was her," Billie stated, still in shock over her untimely discovery. "She murdered all those people, not Colby. I can't believe I didn't realize it sooner." Billie's voice quivered, slightly, and she kept her hand to her face, not wanting to let go of her emotions. Even though she trusted Bob Parish implicitly, there was still a line she wouldn't cross.

"She admitted this to you?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell me what happened?" Parish asked, knowing that engaging the cop in her was the best way he could help Billie at the moment.

Taking a few seconds to gather her thoughts, the lieutenant nodded and said, "I was just getting to my car and." She paused and lowered her hand, her eyes searching for a clock on the wall. "What's today?"

"It's Friday morning,' he confirmed.

Billie breathed a small sigh of relief. Her ordeal had only just begun last night, but it seemed like she was in that dark, hellish place for days.

"Anyway," she continued. "She hit me with some kind of a stun gun. I don't really remember much else until I came to and I was tied up in some room."

Bob nodded. "She rented an apartment under a false name. Big place. It used to be a recording studio. The room you where in was soundproof."

"How did Jarod find me?"

"He was tailing Sara."

Billie studied him for a moment. "Why?"

"Your boys asked him to keep an eye on her while they were out looking for you," he explained. "Which turned out to be a pretty smart move."

"Where are they, anyway?"

"Once they found out you'd be okay they went looking for Ralston." Parish watched as the young detective stared, blankly, at the hand in her lap. "You should run it down while it's still fresh, Billie."

"I'll give a statement later," she replied firmly.

"Any clue as to where she might have gone?" he prodded. "A place.a friend.maybe a lover we don't know about?"

Billie almost laughed aloud. "No. If I knew anything, I'd tell you."

The captain gave her a meaningful look. "Would you?"

"Of course, I would," she frowned. "It's not like I'm in any shape to go after her myself."

"I've seen you do crazier things."

She met his sharp, intelligent gaze. "Look, Bob, I know I haven't been completely forthcoming during all of this, but I have my reasons. Can you just give me a little time to sort this out. please?"

Parish knew he should press on, that the opportunity to catch Billie this vulnerable probably wouldn't come again. But, he also knew that if he pushed her too hard right now, their connection, solid as it was, could easily be severed.

"Alright," the captain relented as he stood up and tucked his hands into his pockets. "I just want to say one thing, though."

She looked up at him. "What?"

The older man studied her, carefully, and said, "This woman didn't get away with a twenty year killing spree by being stupid. What happened to you could have happened to any one of us."

The lieutenant seemed to consider his words before replying, "Point taken."

Parish nodded. "Take care of that arm." He started to the door, but suddenly turned around and pointed his finger at her. "And do what the nurse tells you." Billie furrowed her brow at him as he turned and left the room.

As soon as she was alone, she threw back the sheet and began to assess her physical condition. Both of her wrists were wrapped with gauze, but didn't feel too bad. Lifting her hospital gown, she pressed her fingers, gently, against the bandage on her stomach. More stitches, no doubt, but the wound, itself, didn't seem to hurt very much at the moment.

Her left arm was another story. The injuries to both her shoulder and her upper arm had obviously done some serious damage. Just wiggling her fingers caused enough discomfort to bring tears to her eyes.

"This can't be good," she muttered darkly.

Using conservative movements, she inched her legs off the side of the bed, wincing at the various aches and pains as they announced their presence, including her stomach, which was now beginning to throb, rhythmically.

When her feet touched down on the cold tile floor, she moaned. This was going to be the longest excursion of her life.

"What are you doing?"

Billie looked over at the nurse now standing in her room. "I.uhh.I need to get up."

"Why?" the woman asked.

The room was beginning to tilt just a bit and the brunette closed her eyes against a wave of nausea. "Can you get me a wheelchair?"

"Stay put." The nurse walked over toward the window and grabbed the handles of a wheelchair sitting against the wall. She brought it around the end of the bed and parked it. "Let me help you," she insisted, before quickly adding, "The Captain said you'd do this."

Billie allowed the woman to support her as she maneuvered into the chair. "He thinks he knows everything."

"Apparently, he does," the older woman commented with just a touch of annoyance. "Look, Ms. Chambers, your friend is in recovery. I've agreed to take you down there under two conditions: You do not get out of this chair, and when I say time's up, I mean it. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

"Alright, let's go."

An intern stood at the foot of the stretcher where Sara lay as Billie entered with her escort. The older woman skillfully maneuvered the chair to the back of the room, parking Billie directly beside the blonde and setting the brake.

She leaned down to speak into Billie's ear. "Remember, stay put," she stated firmly. "She's being brought over to ICU shortly, so you only have a few minutes." She nodded to her co-worker and they quietly retreated to the other end of the room.

"Thanks," Billie responded mechanically as her eyes fixed on her lover's face.

Sara looked ghostly pale, but her expression was calm, nothing in her fragile features giving any indication as to the horrible trauma she'd suffered. But, her surroundings told the tale quite clearly. There were numerous machines connected to her, monitoring every breath, recording every beat, emitting sounds that served as some kind of soothing, rhythmic background noise, and Billie found herself mesmerized by their seemingly random orchestration.

She slipped her fingers beneath Sara's hand and lifted it up, carefully, as though it were a delicate piece of porcelain. Drawing closer, she leaned in and kissed it, gently, before pressing it to her cheek.

"Sara," she spoke softly. "I'm here.and I'm okay." Her eyes began to fill with tears as she stared at the young woman, solemnly. "You saved my life."

Painfully aware that their time together might be running out, Billie was determined to say something that mattered. If there was even the slightest chance that Sara could hear her, she wanted her to know how she truly felt.

"I've never known anyone like you. A few weeks ago, I couldn't have imagined feeling like this, but it's.it's like a piece of you found its way inside of me. All I do is close my eyes, and I can see you, hear you, feel you all around me. I think a part of me fell in love with you the first time we kissed." The tears were falling freely now, and Billie squeezed her lover's hand, tightly, desperate to get through to her, to give her something to hold onto, to come back for. "There are so many things I haven't told you.things I want to share with you. After everything you and I have been through, we deserve a chance to know some happiness.and that means you have to fight, Sara, you have to make it."

Sara remained still and silent as Billie watched the slow rise and fall of her chest, the agony of seeing someone she loved so hurt and helpless almost more than she could bear.

She couldn't do this. Not again.

"Please don't leave me, Sara." Billie rested her head against the railing of the stretcher, still holding onto Sara's hand, and began to cry in silence.

Billie sat, mutely, as the nurse pushed her down the hall. She hated leaving Sara, but she knew she was in no shape to argue with the nurse, and would only get in the way of people doing their job, so she allowed herself to be wheeled back to her room.

As the two women came around the corner, the lieutenant immediately spotted the three figures outside her room. All three men turned in unison as she approached, and while they looked genuinely pleased to see her, she could see bad news written all over their faces.

"Hey, Boss." Deaq was the first to speak up when she reached them. "How you doin'?"

"It didn't take you long to get a set of wheels," Van commented with a weak smile.

"I'm okay, guys." She looked at each of them in turn. "What's going on?"

"Ralston's holed up in her gallery over in Santa Monica," Parish announced. "She's got a gun and a hostage." He could see Billie was already connecting the dots.

"Forget it," she stated defiantly. "I'm not leaving Sara. And besides, they need a hostage negotiator, and that's not me."

"You're the only one she'll talk to," the captain explained.

The young lieutenant sat there, feeling thoroughly unable to refuse, but equally unwilling to give in to Felicia's latest manipulations. A silent war waged within her, each argument compelling, but ultimately, the possibility of another innocent life being lost was the only thing that persuaded her.

"I'll need some clothes."

Part 34

We're cut adrift
But still floating
I'm only hanging on
To watch you go down
&bnsp;  - Bono

"Have a seat, Lieutenant."

Billie nodded at the young officer and sat down at the desk, taking a moment to observe the bustle of activity around her. The short walk from the car had left her feeling sore and fatigued although she tried her best to conceal it, and despite passing on a much needed dose of pain medication before leaving the hospital, her senses didn't feel as sharp as she would have liked.

The Santa Monica Police Department had cordoned off the entire city block that surrounded Felicia's gallery and set up shop at a real estate office directly across the street. SWAT members were placed in key positions outside, keeping constant vigil on the off chance their suspect made a grievous error, giving them an opportunity to bring the situation to a quick and brutal conclusion.

But, Billie knew better. Felicia was nothing if not resourceful. She may be backed into a corner, but she always had a contingency plan. The only thing the detective wasn't sure of is exactly where she fit into it.

"You alright?"

The brunette glanced up at Deaq as he perched himself on the corner of the desk. Both he and Van had refused to leave her side, despite her insistence that she could handle the situation on her own. Before yesterday, she wouldn't have allowed them such an obvious display of over-protectiveness. But, as the young man looking down at her with concern in his eyes was so fond of saying.

Things done changed.

"I'm fine."

"Yeah, right," Van grumbled as he fidgeted with his badge. "And I'm the fucking Duke of Earl." He dropped his hands and released a frustrated sigh. "How the hell did you get it to stay on like that?"

Deaq glanced over Billie's head, watching his partner's failed attempts to find a place to wear his shield. "Clip it to your jacket."

The young cop stared at him for a moment. "This is my brand new Ermenegildo Zegna."

"My brother," Deaq commented with a weary sigh. "You are really beginning to scare me."

"Billie."

The brunette looked up as Captain Parish came over, accompanied by another man whom she assumed was the person in charge.

"This is Captain Arnold Gray," he announced.

Automatically, Billie got to her feet and held out her right hand. "Sir."

"Sit down, Lieutenant," Gray ordered as he gave her hand a firm shake. "I'm hoping we'll be able to put an end to this quickly and peacefully and then you can go get some proper rest."

"Officer Ray and Detective Hayes," Parish offered as Van and Deaq each nodded, respectfully.

"Gentlemen," Gray acknowledged before focusing his attention on the young woman seated in front of him.

"When was the last phone call?" Billie asked him.

"She broke off contact with our CNT over an hour ago."

The brunette's fingers tapped, thoughtfully, on the phone in front of her. "Who's your primary?"

"Sergeant Mulvey." The captain gestured toward a tall, lanky man with blonde hair who was standing across the room. His attire mirrored that of the two SWAT officers he was speaking with. As if sensing Gray's eyes were on him, he quickly finished his conversation with the two men and came over to them.

"Some idiot with a video camera almost got himself shot," Mulvey explained to the captain before looking at Billie and giving her a quick nod. "Thanks for coming, Lieutenant."

"So, fill me in," she stated, getting right down to business.

"She has one hostage," he began. "Jason Coolidge. He's the manager of the gallery. He was the only person in there besides the officer we had watching the place. Ralston shot him in order to get inside."

"How's he doing?" she asked.

"Holding his own, thanks." Mulvey held up a pad of paper he had clutched in his hand and scanned it for a moment. "Felicia and I have had three conversations, fairly brief, and very one-sided. She's been calm most of the time, but she was getting pretty agitated during our last phone call. She didn't like how long it was taking to get you over here."

"Have you spoken to Coolidge?" Parish questioned.

Mulvey gave an affirmative nod. "He answered the first phone call, but nothing since then."

Billie steeled herself and put a hand on the phone receiver. "Has she made any demands?"

"Just the one to speak with you."

The young brunette took a deep, calming breath. She hadn't even had a chance to process everything that happened in the last twenty-four hours, and here she was, once more being pulled along on the end of a leash Felicia still held in her hand. After the abusive treatment she'd received, a part of her needed the opportunity to engage the woman on more equal footing, but this was not exactly the scenario she had in mind.

"Okay," she replied. "Let's give her what she wants."

"Right," the sergeant answered as he grabbed a phone off the desk behind him. "Just pick up and it'll ring you through."

As Van watched Billie, he felt a small sense of awe at the way she handled herself. Most people couldn't do this job on their best day, let alone their worst, and he knew the wounds inflicted on her ran much deeper than the obvious physical ones. But, as bad as things were, somehow she still managed to put it all aside and keep her focus. As hurt and exhausted as she was, she still looked steady, strong, and in control. Just like always.

Surrounded by the three men who were about the closest thing she had to family, Billie lifted the phone and brought it to her ear, the pounding of her heart so loud she was certain everyone around her could hear it.

After only two rings, a soft-spoken, male voice answered, "Hello?"

Feeling both relieved and apprehensive, Billie spoke in a calm, reassuring tone. "Hi Jason. This is Lieutenant Chambers with the Los Angeles Police. Are you okay in there?"

"Y-Yeah," he answered, haltingly. Billie could hear Felicia speaking to him in the background, but her words were unintelligible. "It's her," Jason answered in response to whatever the woman said. It sounded as though he had pulled the phone away from his mouth, but after a few seconds, his voice came back on the line, tinged with a slight tone of panic. "She doesn't want to talk over the phone. She wants you to come in alone."

Mulvey immediately held a hand up in protest and shook his head. Billie kept her eyes on him as she said, "Jason, tell her I can't do anything until she picks up the phone and talks to me."

The man repeated Billie's words, but after a brief pause, suddenly raised his voice in fear. "She.she'll kill me if you don't come in.

please." There was a brief scuffling sound, as if he may have dropped the phone, and then the line was disconnected.

Without hesitation, Billie put the handset down and waited for Mulvey to follow suit before she picked it up again, listening as the phone rang in her ear. Her call went unanswered.just as she knew it would.

"What did he say?" Gray asked, seeing the despondent look that passed between the two officers.

"She wants a face to face," Billie answered as she hung up the phone.

"Which is out of the question," Mulvey immediately interjected.

The brunette glanced up at her boss. "Or she'll kill him," she concluded calmly.

"We have to go in," Mulvey explained to the small group as he finally dropped his phone back to the desk. "No communication means no opportunity to deal. And this woman has nothing to lose. If we move fast, we might be able to save the hostage." Despite his words, it was obvious from the man's grim expression that he didn't really believe there was much chance of that happening.

"Well, hell," Captain Gray lamented. "This certainly isn't what we'd hoped for." He gave Mulvey an affirmative nod. "Mobilize your people."

"Hold on a minute," Parish interrupted as he gave Billie his complete attention. "What's your take?"

She stared at him for a moment. "If I go in.I think she'll let him go."

"Oh, Christ," Van muttered.

Deaq glared at her. "I did not just here that."

"Look, Lieutenant," Mulvey said. "I can appreciate your wanting to save this guy, but all that would accomplish is giving her another hostage."

"She's not intent on killing him," Billie stated in a level tone. "That's not to say she won't, but he's just a bargaining chip."

"We don't operate that way, Lieutenant Chambers," Gray reminded her. "The rules are hard and fast for situations like this."

"I know," she quickly acknowledged. "But, you don't have any experience in dealing with this woman. I do."

Captain Gray's expression was equal parts somber and sympathetic. "I think that fact is perfectly clear to everyone here," he commented in regards to her current physical condition. "But, I wouldn't agree to this even if you were at a hundred percent, which clearly you're not."

"He'll be dead before you get to them," Billie said matter-of-factly.

"I don't send injured officers into suicidal situations," Gray replied adamantly.

"Amen to that," Deaq muttered under his breath.

"It might be Coolidge's only chance of getting out of there alive," Parish commented.

The other captain looked over at his colleague. "You're buying into this?"

"Billie's been working this case for weeks," Parish remarked. "She knows more about the suspect than anyone else. If she thinks she can talk the man out, I think we ought to let her try."

Gray looked unconvinced. "And then what? Has it occurred to you that this could all be an elaborate set-up to enable her to finish what she started?" He directed his question at Billie, who met his gaze with a look of resolve.

"She doesn't want to kill me," Billie reasoned. "That's not what this is about."

"Then, exactly, what is this about, Lieutenant?"

The detective's face darkened. She didn't have an answer to that question that was going to make sense, to him or anyone else in the room. Only she and Felicia understood what was going on between them.

"Closure," she finally said.

"For her?" Gray questioned. "Or you?"

She stood up and pulled her gun from its holster, laying it on the desk in front of her. "I guess I'll find that out when I get in there."

Two oversized glass doors served as the main entrance to Ralston Galleries, and as Billie stepped through them, her eyes took in everything around her, disseminating and cataloging each detail for later reporting. With slow, careful steps, she walked through the foyer, the effort requiring more strength than she could have imagined.

She continued on toward the center of the gallery, passing through a series of smaller rooms, each adorned with paintings or photographs, all of them containing a variety of freestanding sculptures and other rare and unusual objects d'art. There were small security cameras throughout the place, leaving Billie with the unsettling knowledge that Felicia could follow her progress as she went.

According to the layout Mulvey showed her, the room that Felicia and her unwilling companion were occupying was a small office located in back, beyond the public areas. Its primary use was to house the building's rather sophisticated surveillance system, which also meant it functioned as a crude type of panic room, and a perfect place to ward off an army of police.

Turning down the final hallway, Billie spotted the door she was looking for and immediately stopped in her tracks. "I'm in," she said quietly for the benefit of her colleagues who were eavesdropping from across the street.

Without thinking, she automatically rolled her shoulders to release some tension and had to bring her fist up to her mouth to stop from crying out in pain. She leaned, heavily, against the wall, trying to block it out, knowing she couldn't afford any distractions.

But, distracted she was. Thoughts of Sara continued to fill her mind. The emotional turmoil weighed down on her. Her lover needed her more than ever, but instead of being at Sara's side, offering her strength and comfort, Billie was standing in some darkened hallway, once more trying to save the life of someone she didn't even know.

Felicia's insidious words suddenly rang in her head. Why did she do it? What was she getting in return for this? A murdered friend? Now, maybe even a murdered lover? Is this what she deserved for trying to protect people? Or, were they simply byproducts of a life spent in the company of violence and death?

She gave herself a firm mental shake. Now was not the time to be entertaining such dangerous doubts, so she pushed them aside and straightened up, her eyes fixed on the door in front of her.

A few more steps brought her to her destination and she stepped to the side, placing her back against the wall as she reached over with her right hand and rapped on the door marked `Private'.

"Felicia," she called out with a steady voice. "I'm here, and I'm alone."

After a brief pause, Jason's voice sounded from inside the room. "Come in."

Billie had been first through the door enough times to remember that initial feeling of anxiety, along with the peculiar taste of adrenaline that always forced her to swallow hard just before going in. But, unlike those other times, she didn't have the protection and confidence of a weapon in her hand, and her physical limitations were making her feel particularly vulnerable.

She moved into position, turned the knob and opened the door, taking a single step across the threshold as her gaze locked on a familiar pair of brown eyes. To her left was a row of monitors, each screen like a stepping-stone for the path she'd taken through the building.

"Close the door, Billie," Felicia instructed as she held the gun firmly against the head of Jason Coolidge, who stood ramrod straight in front of her, his eyes wide in stark terror.

The detective moved further in and pushed the door closed, her cold, hard stare remaining on the other woman, who was watching her with equal intensity. After a moment of complete silence, Felicia seemed to relax a bit and she rested her hand on Jason's shoulder, keeping the gun poised behind his ear.

"How are you?" she asked, casually.

"Let's cut the bullshit and get straight to it," Billie replied in a hostile tone.

"You're not much of a negotiator, are you?" Felicia commented wryly. "This is a volatile situation, Lieutenant. You're supposed to be placating me."

"I am." Billie shifted her attention to the frail-looking man standing between them. "You alright, Jason?"

"I-"

"He's fine," Felicia interrupted as she pushed the gun against his head. "He's not feeling very talkative, at the moment."

The lieutenant could easily recognize Felicia's attempt to exert control. By keeping Coolidge silent, she was making him insignificant, nothing more than an object to be bartered for.

"Let him go, Felicia," Billie demanded.

"I'm not sure that I'm ready to do that just yet." Felicia flicked the man's earlobe with the gun barrel, peering at Billie all the while. "You know how I love to distract you."

"No more distractions," the detective stated firmly. "You set out to teach me something, right? So, now it's time to show you what I've learned."

The taller woman's lips curled up in a smug grin. "You've certainly been an apt pupil, Billie. And as such, I know to be very cautious where you're concerned." She suddenly pointed the gun straight at the young detective. "Are you armed?"

Billie glared at her. "I have no intention of giving you another one of my guns."

Felicia glanced at the weapon in her hand and smiled. "While I am tempted to believe you, I know from past experience how.deceptive you can be." She brought her lips to Jason's ear and spoke in a honey-sweet tone that dripped with menace. "I want you to search Lieutenant Chambers for me, Jason, my dear, and if you do anything foolish, I'll make your lovely wife a widow. Do you understand?" As if to reiterate her point, she placed the barrel under his chin and forced him to tilt his head back to look at her.

"Yes," he gasped.

"Good." She placed a hand on his back and urged him forward. At first, the man seemed frozen in place, too afraid to move or speak. He stared at Billie, unsure of how to proceed.

Billie noticed Felicia moving to stand beside them, her sharp, unwavering gaze keeping careful watch for any sudden movement. In response, the brunette widened her stance and held her right arm out parallel to the floor. "It's okay, Jason. Just do what Felicia tells you and everything will be fine."

The man stepped forward, tentatively, and reached out to her. Billie was wearing a plain black, button-down shirt, tucked into a pair of blue jeans. With her left arm in a sling, she hardly looked threatening, but if she was concealing a weapon, he concluded that the logical place would be either behind her back, or beneath a pant leg. He hoped he wouldn't find one in either location.

"I don't know where to start," Jason said softly.

"Move your hands along my waist first, then pat down each leg from crotch to ankle," Billie instructed in an easy tone, as if their lives weren't in the hands of a dangerous psychopath.

The man seemed to blanch at her seemingly cavalier attitude, but started the process anyway, following her directions with shaking hands. In his nervousness, he bumped against her injured arm and Billie released a painful hiss.

He immediately pulled his hands away as though they'd been burned. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," she replied through clenched teeth.

"Hurry up, Jason," Felicia commanded in an impatient tone.

He quickly knelt down and ran his hands the length of Billie's legs. When he finished, he stood up and declared, "There's nothing."

"Let him go, Felicia," Billie repeated as she used her free hand to cradle her left arm. "He's served his purpose."

The tall blonde came forward and gestured at Billie with her gun. "Move over there," she ordered with a quick flick of the barrel. The lieutenant complied, walking away from the door toward the farthest corner of the room. She started to turn around when Felicia suddenly barked, "No. Keep your back to me."

For a split-second, Billie was afraid things were about to go horribly wrong, but then she heard the door open and relief washed over her as she realized she'd accomplished what she set out to do.

"Leave."

Jason stood there, not quite sure if she wouldn't just shoot him in the back on his way out. He spared a glance toward the young detective who'd just traded places with him, immensely grateful to her for her sacrifice, but also overcome with guilt. Even if this was her job, he wondered if she had a husband, or a child that might be waiting somewhere, unaware of her predicament, or maybe even keeping vigil, praying for her safe return.

"Thank you," he said to her, clearly at a loss.

Felicia released a heavy sigh and stuck the gun in his face to motivate him. "Now."

Without another word, Jason quickly exited the room, and Felicia closed the door behind him. She leaned back against it and rested her head, taking a moment to contemplate the young woman who still stood, dutifully, across the room.

"She's still alive, isn't she?" the blonde suddenly asked.

Billie tasted a hint of bile rising in her throat, her hatred for the woman so intense it was all consuming. As the sound of muted footsteps came up behind her, she had to force herself not to react. This would be her last chance to get Felicia, to make her pay for what she'd done to Sara, and the young detective had absolutely no intention of blowing it.

"I knew it the minute you walked through the door," Felicia told her as she pressed the gun into the small of Billie's back. "I could see it in those lovely, blue eyes."

"Is that why you wanted to see me, Felicia?" Billie's voice was edged with steel. "To know if you'd been successful in destroying my life?" She stiffened at the feather-light touch of Felicia's fingers as they came to rest at the base of her neck, just grazing the bare skin before her shirt, and the bandage on her injured shoulder, thankfully buffered the uncomfortable sensation.

"I don't want to destroy you, elsker," Felicia said gently. "I want to set you free."

"You want me to become like you," Billie countered.

"You are like me," Felicia replied, her delicate touch moving down the edge of the fabric covering Billie's arm. "You only refuse to admit it."

Billie closed her eyes, the voice in her ear, that touch on her body, raising horrible images still so fresh in her mind and making her heart beat faster. A heady rush of adrenaline pumped through her veins, every muscle tingling in response, waiting for the command to take action.

"You've already tried to take everything from me, Felicia," she said angrily. "What more could you possibly want?"

"You said it yourself," the blonde pointed out as she stepped back, putting a small amount of distance between them. "It's time to show me what you've learned."

Billie could sense the woman pulling away from her and knew this was the moment she'd been waiting for. She turned around, smoothly, her body uncoiling with deadly precision, and brought up her right hand to reveal a small handgun.which she pointed directly at Felicia's chest.

Felicia looked down at the weapon in Billie's hand, staring at it for a moment before lifting her gaze and flashing the detective a radiant smile. "You'll always be mine, Billie," she whispered as she raised the gun in her own hand.

Without a moments' hesitation, Billie fired three shots at point blank range. Felicia stumbled back and looked down at her chest with a strange expression on her face, watching the blood begin to seep from the tiny wounds. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but suddenly fell to the floor, where she lay, unmoving, the gun she'd taken from Billie only yesterday still clutched in her grasp.

The lieutenant stepped forward and kicked the gun away from Felicia's outstretched hand. The blonde was lying on her back, eyes half-closed and unfocused, her pale, pink blouse now stained red with her own blood.

"Suspect is down," Billie announced almost as an afterthought in response to Sergeant Mulvey's voice booming in her ear.

With barely a glance at the woman who had wrought so much damage on her life, Billie quietly exited the room, wanting only to get back to the hospital and be with Sara.

A ghost of a whisper filled the now empty room as Felicia, struggling to breath, forced the words across her pale lips.

"De er alltid min."

The Intensive Care Unit was too brightly lit for Van's tastes, and he hated the fact that there were no windows to tell anyone what time of day it was. Even the machines that filled almost every inch of space didn't help to mark time.

Unless you happened to run out of it, of course.

"You alright, man?"

Officer Ray glanced at his partner as they walked passed a row of curtains in search of their boss. In typical fashion, he stuffed his hands into the front pockets of his jeans to hide his nervousness. "Yeah.I just.this place gives me the creeps, that's all."

"Just be glad you're not the one that has to be here," Deaq commented, furrowing his brow at the other man when Van wouldn't quite meet his gaze. "What's up with you, slick?"

Van shrugged, casually. "I guess I was wrong about her."

Deaq knew by `her' he meant Sara. "Hey, V, the girl ain't no saint, alright? But, the important thing is what she did for Billie. So, maybe people change is all."

"Maybe," came his noncommittal response. "Hey, there she is."

They stepped around a partially open dividing curtain to find Billie sitting in a chair beside Sara's bed. She was leaning forward, one hand on the blonde's arm, and judging from the way she suddenly snapped to attention when they walked in, the two men got the distinct impression they were intruding on a private moment.

"Hey, Billie," Deaq greeted, thinking his friend had never looked more tired in her life.

She sat back and adjusted her arm. "Hey, guys."

"How's she doing?" Van asked, casting a long glance at Sara's still form.

Billie shook her head, briefly. "No change, yet."

"We just got back from UCLA," Deaq explained.

The lieutenant's expression hardened. "Let's do this outside," she said as she got to her feet and followed them out.

As soon as the three of them were on the other side of the curtain, Billie turned and stared at them, deliberately keeping her voice down. "So?"

"She made it through surgery," Van announced. "But, it's not looking too good."

She raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"

"She's in a coma," Deaq responded. "They don't think she'll make it."

The brunette looked away from them for a brief second as she considered the implications of this latest development. Hearing the news that Felicia was still alive didn't come as any big shock to Billie. In truth, she'd almost been expecting it.

The real complication was the Santa Monica Police Department. Captain Gray was utterly incensed that she had smuggled in a weapon without telling anyone, and the Crisis Negotiation Team headed by Sergeant Mulvey was evaluating the entire situation piece by intricate piece, including her culpability in the potential firestorm that was sure to erupt when her flagrant breach of protocol became public knowledge.

If she had managed to diffuse the hostage situation without mortally wounding the suspect, gun or no gun, she would have been hailed a hero. But, in light of the outcome as it was, her motives for going in were now being called into question.

"Well, I certainly won't be crying into my pillow if she doesn't," Van scoffed. "And this whole thing is bullshit, Billie. That guy is alive because of you, and those candy ass dickheads at the SMPD know it."

"You talk to Parish yet?" Deaq asked.

The lieutenant shook her head. "Not since I got back."

He immediately sensed something wasn't right. "He must have come down on you pretty hard."

"I knew it was coming," she said blandly. "Look, I'm going to stay here for a while, so if anything comes up, just let me know, okay?"

"Umm.shouldn't you be here, anyway?" Van questioned.

"I've already checked in with the doctor," Billie quickly countered. "He told me to take it easy, which I'm doing. So, just drop it, okay?"

He quickly held his hands up in surrender. "Okay."

She turned away from them without another word and disappeared behind the curtain. The two young men looked at each other, neither needing to speak aloud what was clearly on both of their minds.

Their boss was hiding something.

"I think we're through here, gentlemen."

"So, this is just a temporary situation?"

"If Lieutenant Chambers can adhere to the guidelines we're putting forth.then, yes, this will only be temporary. Contrary to what you might think, I'm not looking to shut down her operation. But, I think we can all agree that this young woman is out of control."

"With all due respect, that assessment seems a little over the top to me. But, I will admit that, given what she's been through in the last couple of days, time off would do her some good."

"And, if she talks to Doctor Shapiro, there should be no problem reinstating her."

Deputy Chief Forsythe closed the folder in front of him and leaned back in his chair at the head of the conference table. "I'll leave the matter of her divisional operatives up to the two of you."

"A transfer to Major Crimes seems in order, given their service records," Rick Martel offered.

Bob Parish shook his head, slowly. "No UC cases. It's taken these guys almost a year to build their street creds. We can't undo that. It's the very basis for the Store's entire operation."

"You have something else in mind?" the IA investigator queried.

The captain looked at him, thoughtfully. "Actually, I do," he replied as he stood up from his own seat and grabbed a small stack of file folders from the table. "And it might just do them both some good, as well."

Billie's eyes fluttered open at the sound of the ICU's annoying PA speaker coming to life beside her. It was a page for some doctor or other, but after hearing what seemed like hundreds of similar announcements, it barely even registered anymore.

As she attempted to find a more comfortable position in the chair, she glanced over at Sara, expecting to see her lying in exactly the same position she'd been in all day, which she was.

Only now her eyes were open.

The lieutenant sat up straight and blinked a few times in disbelief. "Sara?" she said softly.

Sara smiled, weakly. "You're in pretzel mode again."

Billie stood up from the chair, her hand reaching out to touch her lover's arm as if she were some kind of ghostly apparition. "Are you.

how do you feel?"

"Better than you look," the blonde replied.

A broad smile spread across Billie's face. "You need to get some new material," she teased, blinking out a few tears, which she quickly wiped away with an impatient hand.

"Hey, do I look that bad?" The blonde's voice sounded small to her own ears. She wasn't in any pain, but it felt as though she had a fifty-pound weight on her chest, making a simple task like taking a deep breath seem like a tremendous effort.

Billie leaned in and placed a soft, tender kiss on Sara's lips. "You have never looked more beautiful," she whispered.

Part 35

You may believe yours are the wounds
That only she can heal
- Duncan Sheik

"A leave of absence?"

"It's only eight weeks," Captain Parish announced as he took a seat in front of Billie's desk. "You have more than that racked up in vacation time."

"And I have to see that IA shrink?" she asked incredulously.

"That's the deal." He watched her trying to absorb the words on the paperwork in front of her. They'd been in a similar situation once before, but back then it was just between the two of them. No hearings and no official documents. Now, the Deputy Chief was involved, as well as Internal Affairs, and Parish knew that being under the microscope was making Billie very uncomfortable.

The lieutenant stood up, unable to handle the conversation in an idle position. "I don't need a shrink," she said, pacing the small area behind her desk.

"IA thinks you do."

"Well, IA can kiss my ass!"

"They have concerns, Billie," the captain warned. "You can't ignore them, and neither can I."

Billie suddenly rounded on him, slamming her palm on the desk as she leaned closer to him. "You think I've gone around the bend, Bob? Is that it?"

Parish looked unaffected by her outburst. "I think something happened to you," he replied calmly. "And you're not dealing with it."

"I think Felicia Ralston would tell you differently," she shot back. "If she could."

Even being well acquainted with Billie's temper, Parish still found her response deeply disturbing. It had only been a week since her ordeal and here she was, spending all of her energy laying the groundwork for a new case involving a pair of arms dealers newly relocated to LA from Western Europe. There was no denying her workaholic tendencies, but even he had to admit that she was pushing herself much harder than usual.

Forsythe had given him a few days to bring her in line, both men assuming she'd be busy using that time to recuperate from her injuries. But, while Parish was still making arrangements to temporarily reassign Hayes and Ray, he'd found out Billie and her boys were already back in action.

And regardless of his own personal misgivings, he was here to put a stop to it.

"Look, you and I go way back," he said. "I think you're a hell of a good cop.one of the best, if my opinion means anything. But, there comes a time when this job can do things to you. Bad things."

"I've seen plenty of bad things," she challenged. "So have you. And we've both done them, as well."

"This is different," he countered with a sober look. After a brief silence, she seemed somewhat mollified by his more composed, relaxed attitude and dropped back into her chair with a weary sigh.

"How so?"

"Did I ever tell you about Tyrone Williams?" he asked.

Billie nodded. "He was your first UC case."

"The meanest son of a bitch I'd ever met in my life," the captain replied with obvious disdain. "Up to that point, anyway. The guy was into everything.drugs, extortion, prostitution, and he had a rap sheet longer than my Mama's memory. It took me four months, but I got him. It was my first time testifying in court. I was gonna be the nail in that asshole's coffin. I was so goddamn full of myself my partner could barely stand to look at me." The barest hint of a smile tugged at his lips, but was quickly replaced with a more serious expression.

Billie watched him, intently. The only time Bob usually shared details of his past experiences with her was when he had a lesson he wanted to impart, and despite her somewhat legendary stubbornness, she knew enough to pay attention.

"A week before the trial I came home one night and found an envelope taped to my front door," he continued. "No postmark, no return address, just my name in big, bold letters. Of course, I was suspicious, so I took extra care with it, just in case. Inside, there was a photograph that had been cut into little pieces. It was a picture of a woman I was dating at the time."

Although she didn't say so, Billie couldn't help but be a bit thrown by the small similarity between his experience and her own, which she knew was precisely the point. "But, you still testified," she commented with an air of respect in her tone. "And you put that piece of shit in prison where he belonged."

"I did what I had to do," Parish acknowledged. "But, I was pretty shaken up by the whole thing. Before that day, I'd never really thought about how my job could touch someone I cared about."

"I'm already well aware of the hazards," she said bitterly.

Parish rubbed his thumb against the gold band on his finger. "When I saw Sara Matthews in the ER, I couldn't help but think about that picture. I wondered what I would have done if Tyrone had decided to stick a knife into Gloria's back instead.and what it would have done to me if I'd been forced to watch it happen."

His words brought a look of surprise to Billie's face. Over the years, the two colleagues had formed a relationship based on mutual respect and hard-won trust. They'd had many conversations about the cases they'd worked, both together and apart, and there was very little they didn't know about each other - on a professional level. But, personal issues were never on the table. Until now.

And though there weren't many things in this world that Billie truly valued, her captain's opinion of her did matter to her. A great deal.

"I didn't go in there to get revenge, Bob," she said softly.

"I never thought you did." Parish got up from the chair and stared down at her for a moment. "Go and talk to Shapiro. Sort this out. Then, get your ass back to work." Without another word he walked out of her office.

Billie stared down at the papers on her desk. Eight weeks. The only time she'd ever been off the job for any extended period of time was when she went to rehab. Of course, back then she'd managed to find plenty of other things to occupy her time - vomiting, diarrhea, and tremors so bad she couldn't even hold a glass of water without spilling it all over herself were enough of a distraction to keep her from missing her work. For a little while, anyway.

"What the hell am I going to do for eight weeks?" she muttered.

"Yo, Boss."

The lieutenant looked up to see Deaq and Van sauntering into her office. Having just come from a party hosted by the Candy Store's latest mark, the two young men were still dressed to the nines.

"What's up with Parish?" Van asked as he dropped, unceremoniously, into a chair, the subtle fragrance of cologne and alcohol settling around him like an invisible cloud. "He didn't even grunt hello."

Deaq immediately picked up on Billie's mood. He slipped a Hugo Boss sport coat off his shoulders and draped it on the back of the empty seat next to his partner. "That brother never comes here with good news."

"No, he doesn't," Billie agreed, her hand coming to rest on top of the paperwork.

Van released a weary sigh. "Something tells me we don't want to hear this."

She focused her gaze on each of them in turn before finally saying, "We have to take a break."

Deaq immediately forgot about the wool and cashmere fabric he'd been fondling just a second ago, his hands tightening on the back of his chair. "Say what?"

Van sat forward, a slight look of panic on his face. "What do you mean by `take a break'?"

Billie's eyes dropped to the small stack of papers under her hand. "Effective immediately, I've been put on temporary medical leave."

"You see?" Van blurted out, giving her his best `I told you so' look. "I knew you should have stayed in the hospital a couple more days."

"No, Van," the brunette quickly countered, keeping her eyes fixed on the top of the desk. "It isn't my physical health that's in question here."

The two men looked at each other.

"Are you shittin' me?" Deaq finally responded.

"I wish I were." Billie stood up and began to pace again. Van and Deaq knew most of what had happened to her, certainly more than she was willing to share with anyone else. But, there were parts of it she would never tell anyone, things that only she and Felicia would ever know. She hated the thought that those intimate details would somehow bind her to the woman forever, but there was little she could do about it.

"How long?" Van asked

"Eight weeks."

The young cop slumped back into his chair and fixed his gaze on the ceiling. "Fucking great."

"Oh, man," Deaq said softly, echoing his partner's sentiments. He straightened up and began to do a little pacing of his own. "What about the Verenkas?"

Billie perched on the edge of her desk. "We're off it, for now."

"And how are we supposed to explain to them that we have to jet for two months?" Deaq demanded to know. "Another week or so and we would have been in, Billie. If we up and split now, that's it."

"I know, and I've given that some thought." She grabbed a pen from her desk and began to twiddle it between her fingers. "Just say you've been called back to New York."

"We'll need a damn good reason," Deaq stated in frustration as he finally seated himself next to his partner and directed his hard gaze at the floor.

"Tell them Van knocked up the boss' daughter."

Van's eyes widened. "Why me?"

Deaq considered it, briefly, before giving her a look of appreciation. "That's not bad."

"Because it's more believable coming from you," Billie reasoned.

"You can't argue with the lady on that one, slick."

"Oh, so I get to look like the asshole," Van argued, giving Deaq a withering stare. "There goes my chance with Elena, you know."

Billie raised an eyebrow. "Elena?"

"We were really hitting it off," he added, still glaring at his partner.

"As in, Lena Verenka?" the lieutenant asked. "A woman we make for at least two execution-style murders?" She looked surprised, although she really wasn't. The Ukrainian woman was very beautiful, and very dangerous, the two most important qualities Van usually looked for in a potential girlfriend.

"I thought I might be able to flip her," Van said defensively.

"No doubt," Billie commented dryly.

Deaq grinned, broadly. "Van wants to play `Spin the gorilka' with Elena." Billie smiled and just shook her head.

"Go ahead, make jokes," Van complained. "But, I think I could've gotten some good intel from her."

"Nyet likely, white boy," Deaq added.

"Okay," Billie said as she took her seat behind the desk. "Plan a meet tomorrow. Tell them you'll be in touch and leave it at that." She looked over at the two men and sighed. "I am sorry this case got fucked up, guys. But, at least we'll live to fight another day."

Van straightened up as a thought suddenly occurred to him. "Hey, what are we supposed to do while you're gone?"

"You'll be temporarily reassigned," Billie announced.

"What?" the two cops asked in unison.

The lieutenant leveled her gaze at them. "It's not a big deal. Parish wants to keep you busy, that's all. You can't just sit around and do nothing."

"Then, how about we work our case?"

"You can't go in without a handler, Deaq," she responded. "You know that."

"Why can't Parish do it while you're gone?" Van suggested.

"Because, he doesn't work that way."

"Did you even ask him?" the young cop persisted.

"No, Van, I didn't." She could see him beginning to sulk and immediately grabbed the papers off her desk, waving them at the two officers. "Look, I'm the one that has to bend over here, okay?" she said harshly. "So, instead of bitching at me about how you might have to push a pencil for a few weeks, how about you two do whatever the hell you have to do to keep under IA's radar while I'm gone."

Van met her gaze, preparing to continue arguing his point. But, it was Deaq who spoke up first.

"You're sure this is just temporary?" he asked, a hint of suspicion in his dark eyes.

Billie reflected back on her earlier conversation with Parish. He told her, in no uncertain terms, if she did what they wanted, if she just followed the rules, the Candy Store would be safe. And with Sara due to be released from the hospital next week, maybe having some time off might not be such a bad thing. At least, it would give her a chance to make up for everything she'd put her lover through the past few weeks.

But, what was really bothering her was the idea of talking to Shapiro. She'd seen the doctor twice before - once, after her first fatal, and again just prior to entering rehab. Where the former visit had been considered routine, the latter had been anything but.

Parish had arranged a meet on the DL, his concern about blowing Billie's cover being paramount to everything else. After less than an hour, the doctor emerged with a recommendation that the young detective be pulled out, confirming the captain's suspicions of drug abuse.

It had been the doctor's job to look out for her, and even though Billie's initial reaction was certainly not one of gratitude, she did come to realize later that the decision had probably saved her life.

But, only she, Parish, and Doctor Shapiro had known of her drug addiction, and yet Roland Hill had somehow managed to discover her secret. Considering the connection between the IA investigator and the good doctor, Billie didn't have to look very far to figure out who was responsible for betraying her confidence.

Once burned. ,

"Yes," she answered firmly.

A heavy silence settled over the three of them as the gravity of what was about to happen began to sink in.

Van couldn't stand the quiet any longer. "So, what are we doing, anyway?" he asked, sullenly.

"Traffic detail, I think."

His eyebrows climbed up to his hairline. "What?"

Billie smirked. At least some things hadn't changed. "I'm kidding."

"Well, it's a good thing Hill is still out of commission," Deaq remarked. "Otherwise, we'd probably be cleaning up after the K-9 patrol."

That imaged brought a brief smile to the brunette's face. "Parish is looking out for you," she said, reassuringly. "I don't know what you'll be doing yet, but he won't put you in a bad spot."

"Umm.does this mean we don't have access while we're gone?" Van queried.

"You're not supposed to touch the goods unless it's related to a case, Van," Billie commented as she cocked an eyebrow at him. "You don't sneak in and take things when I'm not here, do you?"

"First of all, when are you ever not here? And secondly, I can't believe you'd even ask me a question like that, sir," Van replied with mock indignation. "That would be breaching protocol."

Billie nodded. "Which you never do."

"Never," he confirmed.

"Except, when you took my Mustang."

There was a brief pause. "Well." Van looked at his partner for assistance. "Technically, that ended up being related to a case."

"That's right," Deaq confirmed. "And we did get it all fixed up nice," he quickly added.

"Which we would do again," Van stated, suddenly noticing the look she was giving him. "If it was necessary, I mean."

Billie rested her elbow on the desk and pointed her finger at them for emphasis. "If you so much as think about taking any of my rides out of here while I'm gone," she warned, "I'll make sure you never drive a stick again."

Van winced, while Deaq hissed at her and crossed his legs.

"Ooh.that's cold, woman."

"I don't want it."

"You need to start eating, otherwise they're not going to release you."

"I did eat."

"Crackers don't count."

"Well, I'm sick of this food. That's why I've lost weight. If you'd let me order some take-out or something I might be able-"

"Hey," Billie greeted, sticking her head through the door of the hospital room.

Sara flashed a winning smile. "Hey, yourself."

"Did I interrupt something," the brunette asked with a sly grin. "Maybe I should come back." She jerked her thumb over her shoulder and began to back out again.

"Don't you dare leave," Sara ordered, pointing her finger at her lover as if to hold her in place. She turned her attention back to the nurse at her bedside. "Why don't we have a third party settle this dispute?"

"I don't make the food, Sara," the young woman groaned. "I'm just trying to make sure you eat."

"But, you won't even taste it."

"Because, it's against the rules," the nurse replied with the long-

suffering sigh of someone who has repeated herself ad nauseum.

"You're full of shit, Karen," Sara said in a teasing voice. "It's because you know how bad it is."

The attractive young brunette rolled her eyes before looking to Billie for help. "Would you please convince her to eat something while I answer that page?" She quickly turned and left the room, casting a brief look over her shoulder as she walked out the door.

"I think she likes you."

Sara glanced at Billie who was now standing near the foot of the bed with an amused look on her face. "She is kind of cute," the blonde grinned, mischievously. "But, she's a pushy thing. To tell you the truth, she reminds me a little of you."

Billie smirked. "That explains why you're giving her such a hard time."

"Come here." Sara held a hand out and waited for Billie to come closer, clasping her lover's free hand and gripping it, tightly, as the brunette leaned down and kissed her. "I've missed you," she said when they broke apart.

"I was just here this morning," Billie replied. "In fact, your little friend there already suggested that I should bring my sleeping bag."

Sara grinned as she pulled the lieutenant down to her again. "What a good idea," she said before bringing their lips together once more. This time the kiss was soft and lingering.

When they finally came up for air, Billie remarked, "Well, you're certainly feeling good."

"Mmm.so are you," the blonde commented as she slipped a hand under the hem of Billie's shirt and stroked her fingers across the warm, soft skin beneath it.

A rush of warmth coursed through the detective's body. "There will be none of that for a while," she chided, gently extricating herself from the young woman's embrace.

"Oh, come on," Sara pouted. "I feel fine, except for a little bit of a backache."

"That's the meds," Billie pointed out. "And, besides, I'm hardly in any shape yet, myself."

The blonde glanced at Billie's arm and gently laid her hand on it. "How'd your therapy go today?"

"Okay," she answered. "It hurt like hell, but it felt good to get it moving again."

"They give you a timetable?"

"The harder I work it, the sooner it will work for me."

Sara made a face at her. "God, don't tell me that's their motto?"

"More like a battle cry," Billie smiled.

The blonde offered Billie a seat on the bed. "So, how's your new case going?"

The lieutenant settled down next to her lover. She couldn't help but be amused by Sara's enthusiastic interest in her work. Only eight days in the hospital and boredom had already set in with a vengeance. Unfortunately, in a few days, Billie would probably be right there with her.

"Actually, its not," she replied.

"Oh?"

"I'm taking some time off."

Sara stared at the brunette as though she'd just announced she could fly. "You're what?"

"It'll give us a chance to spend some time together," the detective responded somewhat defensively, as though that were the actual reason behind it.

"Uh-huh." Sara nodded and chewed her lip, eyeing the young brunette, skeptically. "And this was your idea?"

"Not exactly," Billie said slowly.

The blonde arched an eyebrow. "What's going on?"

Billie suddenly got to her feet again and began to walk around the room, too many pent-up emotions forcing her to keep moving. "I've been ordered to take a temporary leave of absence."

"For how long?" Sara asked.

"Eight weeks," Billie answered. "And I have to see a department psychologist. My boss tells me it could have been worse, but I've scored some big points lately." She stopped speaking as she reached the window, opting to stare, vacantly, at the parking lot below.

"Well, that's not so unusual, is it?" the blonde queried. "I mean, considering what you went through."

The brunette turned to look at her. "Professional hazard," she said simply.

"You must have gone through hell, Billie," Sara remarked, frowning as the young woman looked away from her.

The two of them had barely spoken about what happened since Sara woke up in the hospital. Billie had relayed the events to her in brief snippets, insisting she didn't want to impede the young woman's recovery by giving too many details she wasn't ready to hear yet. But to Sara, it all sounded like some kind of police report: Strictly cold, hard facts. There was no talk of what Billie had actually gone through, no discussion about the anger she must be feeling underneath. In fact, the only emotion she even expressed these days was her concern for Sara.

"Would it really be so bad to talk to someone?" she asked gently.

"I'm fine, Sara," the detective stated without looking at her. "I told you that."

"Yeah, you did," she agreed.

Billie turned to face her again. "Then, let's talk about something else."

The blonde stared at her for a moment. "It wasn't your fault." She could see Billie's back go rigid, a clear signal that she was about to withdraw from the conversation. But, Sara was determined to have her say.

"I don't want to get into this."

"No," she said forcefully. "You're not dodging this again, Billie. Every time I try to talk to you I hit the same brick wall." She watched the young woman resume her vigil, blue eyes fixed on some distant spot on the horizon. After waiting in vain for a response, she pressed on. "After Jill's murder, when I was feeling guilty, you told me that the only person responsible for her death was Felicia, and you were right. She's the one who put me in here, not you."

Billie shifted, uncomfortably. "I should have figured it out sooner."

"What are you saying? You think you should be smarter or more intuitive than anyone else?" Sara questioned. "Or, that you should somehow be able to predict things before they happen? Do you really hold yourself to such ridiculously high standards?"

There was a brief pause. "Yes."

Sara hesitated, unsure of how to respond. She had never been the type of person to set the bar too high. If anything, she was just the opposite. Expect very little from yourself, or anyone else for that matter, and you'll never be disappointed. That was what she'd always believed.

Until she met a certain dark-haired, young detective.

"Billie, don't let her do this to you," Sara pleaded. "You can't blame yourself. No one had any idea how sick she really was."

The lieutenant spun around, her face a mask of anguish. "She could have killed you, Sara, and that would have been my fault. I made this personal. I let her get too close."

"You did what you thought was right," Sara argued.

Billie quickly pulled herself together, refusing to hurt Sara just to ease her own conscience. "You have no idea what I did, and I don't even know if I could ever tell you." She put a hand up, bringing the exchange to a sudden halt. "I have to go."

"Billie, wait."

The detective was halfway to the door when Sara's next words stopped her cold.

"I know it didn't mean anything."

Without turning around, Billie replied, "If only that were true."

She immediately walked out of the room, leaving Sara staring after her, frustrated at her inability to get up and follow. With a heavy sigh, the blonde laid her head back and pounded a weak fist against the mattress.

Inside the small observation area just outside of Felicia's hospital room, a nurse sat quietly in front of a computer, occasionally typing small bits of information as different items appeared on the screen. A few feet away, a police officer sat flipping through a magazine, looking bored out of his mind.

Billie had produced her badge before entering the room, pausing in the doorway only long enough for the officer to glance at her I.D. He seemed to hesitate for a split-second before giving in with a quick nod.

The nurse heard her coming and turned around in her chair. "Can I help you?"

The detective approached the glass and looked beyond it, her gaze settling on a lone hospital bed, and the still figure that lay upon it. "Has there been any change?"

"No," the older woman replied as she resumed working. She glanced at Billie out of the corner of her eye. "You can go in if you like."

Billie hesitated. She didn't even know what she was doing here. More than anything, she wanted to just put everything behind her. She did her job, and then some, and now the case was closed.

Mostly.

There were still some unanswered questions, a few pieces of the puzzle that didn't quite fit. But, what had begun as a simple case of catching a couple of robbers had somehow resulted in the biggest bust of her career. Despite never having the pleasure of snapping a pair of cuffs on Felicia's wrists, or watching as she was convicted and sentenced in a courtroom, Billie still got her. She would never be able to hurt anyone else now. And, if by some miracle she ever regained consciousness, she would finally be made to face the consequences of her heinous actions.

With so many thoughts swimming in her head, Billie didn't even realize she'd gone inside the room until she found herself suddenly standing a few feet away from the bed.

Felicia still managed to look almost regal as she laid there, her long, blonde hair neatly brushed back from her face. It was obvious from her appearance that someone was looking after her. Billie figured it was probably Sophia. The woman seemed loyal to a fault.

"Well, I guess neither one of us really got what we wanted, did we, Felicia?" she said softly. "I know you wanted me to kill you.and a part of me wishes I had."

She stared at the older woman's face with a strange curiosity. This was the first time she'd ever seen her like this. Quiet. At peace.

It was unnerving.

"Jason Coolidge said you came to the gallery to get some money. It must have been quite a stash for you to take such a big risk. I just wish I could've seen the look on your face when you realized that Jill had gotten there first."

There was no response. Of course, Billie wasn't expecting one, but a part of her almost wished the woman would wake up, just so she could have the satisfaction of telling Felicia that her horrible plan had failed.

Thankfully, Sara was going to be all right and her doctor indicated there would be no permanent damage as a result of the stabbing. Billie's arm was healing, and provided she stuck with her therapy, complete mobility would return within a few weeks.

But, there were other wounds that would take much longer to heal. Maybe it was because of that Billie now found herself here, facing the woman who'd inflicted them, needing to find a way of taking back some of the power she felt she'd lost.

Her eyes lingered on the blonde's face for a long moment. "I've never been the kind of person to dwell on my mistakes for too long. I prefer to learn and move on. But, after what you did to me." Her throat tightened against emotions that were still so fresh and raw. "I'm still trying to figure what I'm supposed to take away from all of this." Felicia remained completely motionless, save for the slow rise and fall of her chest.

Having seen enough, the young detective turned and walked to the door, stopping to cast a final glance over her shoulder. Lying there, Felicia Ralston looked just like anyone else. Nothing at all like the dark, insane presence that now plagued Billie's dreams.

"I guess you really did know my demons better than I did," she whispered before slipping, quietly, from the room.

Sara shifted onto her side and released a soft sigh, a tiny glimmer of awareness beginning to filter through behind her closed lids. Although the volume was down, she could tell the T.V. was still on, the soft, bluish light warming the room as she opened her eyes, blinking several times before finally taking notice of a dark silhouette seated in the chair beside her bed.

"Billie?" she said softly, her voice still thick with drug-induced sleep.

The brunette leaned forward, bringing their faces close together. "I'm sorry for leaving the way I did."

"You okay?"

"I guess.yeah." A look of uncertainty flashed across her shadowed features, and she was suddenly grateful for the darkness. "I went to see Felicia."

Sara instantly became more alert. "Why?" she asked, adjusting her position and tucking an arm under her pillow.

"I don't know," Billie answered, honestly. "Maybe I just needed to reassure myself that she was really out of commission."

"You want to talk about it?" Sara prodded gently.

The detective shook her head. "I don't think I'm ready to do that just yet."

Sara could see how much Billie was hurting. The young woman was almost painfully secretive. It would be so much better if she would just open up on her own. But, the chances of that were slim to none.

She reached over and brushed her fingertips along Billie's cheek. The pull back was subtle, but she still felt it.

"It's late," Billie said as she got to her feet. "I just came to apologize. I didn't want to worry you."

"Please don't leave," Sara implored.

The detective looked indecisive. "You need to get some rest."

"I don't want you to go," the blonde said quietly.

At that moment, looking down into Sara's captivating, blue eyes, Billie was unable to deny her anything. She sat down on the edge of the bed and slipped her arm around the blonde's shoulders, pressing her face into soft, honey hair, her eyes shut, tightly. After everything the two of them had been through, she was profoundly grateful just to feel the familiar warmth of her lover's body against her own.

They sat that way for a while, neither one feeling compelled to speak. Sara's head was bowed as she stared at her hand resting on the inside of Billie's thigh. Struck by a sudden impulse, she lifted it and removed a small silver ring from her finger, holding it up in the semi-darkness as she presented it to the young woman beside her.

"This belonged to my Mom."

"She gave it to you?" Billie asked.

"No." The one, single word was tinged with bitterness. "I was cleaning my Dad's bedroom one day and found it on the floor underneath the dresser." Sara stared at the silver band pinched between her thumb and index finger, her mind trying to conjure up an image of her mother. But, the details were now blurry and faded, stored deep in the memories of a young child. "My Dad said she used to wear it all the time. He was kind of surprised that she left it behind."

Billie looked at the small piece of jewelry. She already knew every little detail of the ring. She'd studied it, lazily, when they were in bed together, her fingers seeking it out whenever Sara's hand touched her body. It was always there on her lover's finger, something familiar to her in the dark.

Like a talisman.

"It's pretty," she remarked, admiring the contrast of shining silver against a thin inlay of black onyx and turquoise.

Sara hummed in agreement. "For a long time after she left, I used to fantasize about her coming back for it," she confessed, shaking her head in disbelief at her own naïveté. "But, I finally figured it out. I mean, why the hell would she come back for some ring after walking out on her own daughter, right?" The blonde shrugged her shoulders, casually, having long since buried the pain of her mother's abandonment. "I guess the woman just never got attached to anything." The arm around her pulled her tighter, and she lifted her eyes to Billie's, seeing the love and compassion that resided there.

With a soft smile, Sara reached up and removed her lover's hand from her shoulder, repositioning it to rest in her lap. "Here," she said as she slipped the ring onto Billie's finger.

"What?" Billie immediately protested. "No, Sara. I can't take this."

"I want you to have it."

"But, it was your mother's," the brunette insisted. "You should keep it."

"I am keeping it," she responded as Billie gave her a curious look. "So long as I have you, I'll have it."

"But-"

Sara pressed a finger to Billie's lips to silence her. "It only means something to me if you wear it," she said softly.

The young detective parted her lips to offer another argument, but her lover quickly halted her words by moving in and capturing her mouth. Billie's response was immediate, any further protestations forgotten as she gave in to Sara's desire.

When their lips finally parted, Sara could see Billie's eyes glistening in the soft, blue light.

"Thank you," the detective whispered.

Sara smiled. "Your welcome."

Billie looked down at the band on her finger, seizing the opportunity to squeeze the moisture from her eyes. The feel of Sara's hand under her chin made her lift her head to meet her lover's gaze. "I don't know what I would have done." If you'd died was what she meant to say, but the huge lump in her throat made it impossible to even utter the words.

Sara knew Billie had suffered many losses in her life. People she cherished. And loved. Maybe that was why she was so well practiced at hiding her feelings. Exposing them to someone, as she was trying to do now, was rare. And seeing the tormented look on her face made the young blonde realize all the more just how deep those emotions really were. She caressed Billie's face with the palm of her hand, holding the young detective's gaze with one of equal intensity, before finally softening it with a lazy, sexy smirk.

"I'm like a bad penny, Billie Chambers," she warned as her hand slid down to fondle the ring that now shined on her lover's finger. "And you'll never be able to get rid of me."

Part 36

Why must I feel this way
Just make this go away
Just one more peaceful day
- Aaron Lewis

With a toothbrush clenched between her teeth, Billie shook her wet hair free from the towel and tossed it aside, grabbing her clothes off the bed before heading back into the bathroom. She turned on the faucet and quickly finished brushing, taking a few seconds to rinse with a mint mouthwash. Long strands of damp hair clung to her face as she lifted her head and caught her own gaze in the mirror.

The effects of another lousy night's sleep were beginning to show. Her tired eyes were dull and bloodshot, the slightest hint of darkness underneath them. Fortunately, she'd learned how to hide the signs of physical strain and sleepless nights a long time ago. Eye drops and a little makeup would do the trick.

She pulled a plain, white cotton blouse off the hanger behind her, ignoring the pain in her shoulder and slipping it over her head. Her movements were still a bit slow, but it was a relief just to be able to get dressed using both of her hands. Sara was being released from the hospital today and Billie had promised herself there was no way her lover was coming home in a taxi. Plus, she had something special planned for the two of them, so she'd been working the arm non-stop, despite her therapists numerous admonishments. With a brief glance at her watch, she ran a brush through her hair, pulled on a pair of chocolate brown pants and headed back into the bedroom.

A soft knock on her front door immediately ended the detective's internal debate over shoes, and she slipped on the low heel closest to her before heading out to answer the door.

Her hand gripped the doorknob and she leaned forward to look through the peephole, an old habit she'd only recently picked up again. She stepped back in surprise. It was just about the last person she would have expected to find on her doorstep.

There was another knock, this time more insistent, and Billie opened the door, revealing a diminutive, older woman with dark hair, pulled back severely from her weathered, hard face.

"Sophia?"

"Lieutenant Chambers." Felicia's servant nodded once in greeting. "I apologize for stopping by unannounced, but this will only take a moment." The woman's voice and expression gave away nothing.

The detective was certainly intrigued. She took a step back and motioned with her hand. "Would you like to come inside?"

"That's not necessary," Sophia replied in an emotionless tone. "I've merely come here to deliver something to you at Madame's request."

Billie looked taken aback. "What?"

The young woman's uneasiness was plain to read and Sophia garnered a small bit of satisfaction on her employer's behalf. "I received this last week," she explained, taking an envelope out of her purse and presenting it to Billie, who took it from her and removed the letter inside, reading it over with a puzzled expression. "As you can see, it was postmarked on the day you shot her."

The subtle change in Sophia's tone was enough to draw Billie's attention away from the paper in her hand. For the first time, she could see something in the older woman's eyes. The unspoken accusation was certainly clear enough.

"I did what I had to do." Billie knew her response was less than sympathetic, but given the circumstances, she wasn't feeling particularly charitable.

"I'm in no position to refute that assertion."

"Alright, so what is this gift?" the lieutenant questioned somewhat irritably.

Sophia bent down and reached for something just out of sight, using both hands to lift it up and hand it to Billie. Though covered with a dark cloth, there was no mistaking what it was.

"A painting?"

The servant waited, silently, as Billie accepted the item and set it on top of a small table. She rested it, carefully, against the wall, fingers searching for a seam to remove the cover. Not being completely ignorant of her charge's unusual fixation on the young detective, Sophia couldn't assuage her curiosity as to what the woman's reaction would be.

Billie lifted the fabric and stared at the canvas, an almost painful look of recognition forming on her face. "This was hanging in the foyer that led to the gardens," she said softly, speaking more to herself than her unexpected visitor.

"She asked me to tuck it away the morning after you came to the house for dinner," Sophia commented. "At the time, I had no idea what for."

In light of everything she now knew about Felicia, the images seemed even more disturbing than Billie remembered. The raging waters, moonless night, and the lonesome young soul waiting ashore.it was a critical piece of the wealthy woman's troubled psyche, a blatant and raw display of her worst childhood memory.

"When did she paint this?"

Seeing the way Billie's fingers traced across the canvas in quiet reverence, the older woman was beginning to better understand her employer's unusual request. "It was many years ago, before she met Mr. Ralston."

The brunette's eyes strayed to the top of the frame, once again noticing the damaged corner. "Do you know how this happened?" she asked, lifting her hand to the burnt edge.

"No," Sophia answered honestly.

Billie looked over at her. "I'm surprised the police allowed you to remove it from the house."

"Madame's attorney arranged it," she explained. "I brought the letter to Mr. Rosewood shortly after receiving it. I wasn't sure if it would still be appropriate to bring it to you, considering the circumstances, but then I realized that it wasn't up to me to question Mrs. Ralston's motives. She merely asked me to bring it to you, and so I have."

The detective raised an eyebrow, but didn't respond. Sophia was a smart woman. And careful. Considering who she worked for, she obviously needed to be.

"I'll be on my way now."

Billie put a hand out to stop her. "Sophia, wait."

The dark-haired woman turned back to face her. "Yes?"

Trying to get a read on Felicia's servant and confidante was an exercise in futility, but Billie found she couldn't just let her leave. There were still so many unanswered questions. Unfortunately, Sophia had already been interrogated by some of LA's finest, who had nothing to show for it. If the woman did have any knowledge of Felicia's crimes, she was extremely adept at hiding it.

But, with everything that was now known about Felicia's life, both past and present, there was one question Billie couldn't help but ask.

"Why are you still taking care of her?"

Sophia's eyes remained locked on Billie for a long, tense moment. "There's another note inside, addressed to you. I didn't open it." She turned away from the young brunette without another word.

Billie leaned against the doorframe, watching Sophia's back until she disappeared from sight. Slowly, her eyes strayed to the painting a few feet away, and then to the envelope still clutched in her hand.

She stepped back inside her apartment and closed the door. Peering inside the envelope, she could see a small gift card. Her name was written across it in a flourish.

There was absolutely no point to this, Billie told herself. It was all just a continuation of Felicia's mind games. The woman always had a calculated purpose. She always planned ahead. And she always knew the right way to get under Billie's skin.

The young detective took the card out, tore the seal and removed the note. It was a single sentence:

I'm sorry for your loss.

It took a few seconds for the meaning of the words to sink in.until Billie remembered when Felicia mailed it.

Sara was supposed to be dead.

Her fingers curled around the paper, crushing it in her hand as she turned and slammed her fist into the wall behind her.and pulled it back again. And again. And again.

She just wanted it to stop. All of it. The horrible guilt, the anger at having lost control of everything, not by choice, but because someone else had taken it away from her. She'd been rendered helpless to save herself and someone she loved. It was the single, greatest fear of her life.

But, working undercover had been a way for her to bury that fear. She could create a persona, be whoever she needed to be, all the while leaving her real life untouched and hidden away. She didn't have to worry about friends or family, because in that life, they were little more than memories she left behind while she slipped into someone else's skin.

She never contacted them. She never spoke of them. She never worried about them. To her alter ego, they didn't even exist.

But this time there had been no facade to hide behind, no guise for her to don. This was her life.

And Sara's.

She knew Felicia was dangerous. She also knew the woman was fixated on her. And that was exactly what she wanted her to be. It was her way in, and she didn't even hesitate to use it.

The physical aspect of it didn't really bother her. She'd played plenty of people before. She allowed Felicia to kiss her, touch her, because she wanted to feed that obsession, hoping it would ultimately lead her to the truth. And it did.

But, it cost her.

What Felicia did to her was.invasive, personal. In some small way, it was almost like being raped. The total loss of control, the vicious brutality, both physical and emotional, that left her feeling hurt and violated in a way she'd never known before.

And at the very core of it was the attempted murder of the woman she loved. Watching it happen, the feeling of being absolutely helplessness was unlike anything she'd ever experienced. Even Alexa's murder, despite the guilt and inevitable feelings of culpability that were to follow, had not been caused by Billie's own hand. It was a simple, horrible case of revenge. There were some things she could have done differently, but there was simply no way for her to have known what was going to happen.

But, that wasn't the case with Felicia. Billie knew Sara was at risk. The confrontation between them at Felicia's warehouse had been a clear warning sign that the wealthy woman viewed Sara as a threat. At every turn, Felicia attempted to sabotage their relationship, going so far as to use it to manipulate Billie, attempting to draw her in even further. And the detective had been an all too willing participant in her own seduction.

She put her lover in harm's way. Not realizing the extent of the danger Felicia posed was no excuse. Sara nearly died because Billie had refused to step back.

Cradling her bleeding hand, Billie pressed her forehead to the wall and dropped, slowly, to her knees, hot tears running down her flushed face. She could scarcely take a breath, her chest tightening as she tried, desperately, to hold it all in, afraid to let go, even now, alone and with no one to witness her breaking down.

But, she couldn't.

All of the emotions, the pain she'd buried so deep, felt as though they were suffocating her, and the only way to survive was to just give in and release it.

Outside of Billie's door, Sophia stood and listened, silently.

"It's time for you to make good on our agreement."

"I already did."

"I'm afraid that information, while somewhat entertaining in the abstract, was not my ace in the hole."

"That's not my problem."

"Oh, I think it very much is your problem. My office agreed to re-

examine the allegations leveled against you in exchange for your cooperation."

"I have cooperated. I gave you something no one else could. It wasn't easy for me to betray a confidence."

"Yet, miraculously, your career aspirations overcame your delicate sensibilities."

"You didn't leave me any choice."

"On the contrary, you had two very clear choices. You opted to save yourself. Now, I'm assuming that your predilection for self-

preservation still outweighs your good conscience."

"What do you want?"

"You and your old friend, Billie Chambers, are about to become reacquainted, which presents an ideal opportunity for you."

"You mean for you."

"Funny, I don't recall being the one about to embark on a new hobby in license plate manufacturing."

"I can't believe you really expect me to use this situation to help you."

"What I expect is for you to bring me something I can use."

"She'll never confide in me. Not with our history."

Roland Hill closed his eyes and settled back against his pillow, a large file folder sitting open on his lap. He was beginning to feel the effects of another dose of percosette and welcomed the hazy, numbing sensation as it settled over him.

"I think you're wrong about that," he replied, a smug grin spreading across his thin, pale features. "In fact, I'm betting that a blast from the past will be just what the doctor ordered."

Sara caught a glimpse of Billie coming down the corridor and breathed a small sigh of relief. She knew it was irrational for her to worry so much. Felicia was certainly no longer a threat to them, and Billie wasn't even working for the time being. Still, fear wasn't always an emotion driven by logic and it would definitely be a long time before either of them slept easy again.

"I'm sorry I'm late," came Billie's slightly breathless apology.

"No problem." The blonde's eyes dropped from her lover's face to her right hand, which sported a rather hastily wrapped bandage.

Billie caught Sara's eye. "Later, okay?"

"All set?"

Sara glanced behind her at the nurse now hovering at the back of her wheelchair. "Admit it, Karen, you're going to miss me." She turned and shot Billie a covert wink.

"Not if you don't leave," the young brunette quipped.

Billie picked up the small travel bag resting on Sara's lap. "You ready?"

"I am so ready."

The three women set off for the elevator, Sara and Karen making small talk and trading good-natured barbs. Billie smiled to herself, knowing all too well how her lover could ingratiate herself to others so quickly. Her bold, flirtatious personality easily disarmed even the frostiest demeanor.

When they finally reached the lobby, Karen stopped and turned to Billie, who had fallen in step just behind them. "I can wait with her while you pull the car up to the door."

"It's already out there," the brunette replied, noting the rather dubious expression on the young nurse's face. "Rank has its privileges," she added.

"Oh, right."

As Karen stepped away from them to activate the automatic door, Billie leaned down and whispered in Sara's ear. "Why do I suddenly feel like a third wheel?" The blonde just smiled, sweetly, and caressed the side of Billie's face with her fingertips.

They headed through the doors and into the blinding sunshine. Sara took a deep breath and sighed in relief at finally being out in the world again. "What a beautiful day."

Billie grinned at her. "Yes, it is." As she led the way to a row of cars parked at the curb, she could see Sara glancing around with interest.

"Which car?"

"This one."

Sara's eyes narrowed, slightly. "Hey, this looks familiar."

The detective ran a possessive hand along the edge of the dark, green hood. It was still hot to the touch. "I almost didn't bring it," she admitted. "I've kind of had some bad luck with it."

"I think we've had more than our share of that already."

Billie met Sara's smile with one of her own. "Right." She pulled the passenger door open and held a hand out to her lover. "Okay, then, let's get you out of here."

Sara stood up, slowly, her muscles still feeling weak and underused from her lengthy hospital stay. She kept a hold of Billie's hand and turned to look at the young woman behind her. "Thanks for the lift, Karen. It's been fun." On impulse, she leaned in and kissed the brunette on the cheek.

"Take care of yourself, Sara." Karen replied, looking slightly embarrassed and spinning the chair around to bring it back through the main doors. She paused just before entering and called out to Billie, "You should take her out and buy her a decent meal. I heard the food here sucks." The young nurse smiled and went back inside the hospital.

"Oh, yeah," Billie commented with a slight smirk. "She's got it bad."

Sara bumped her shoulder against the young woman, playfully. "She does not."

"Uh-huh. For a while there I had to keep waving my hand in front of my face to make sure I was still visible."

The blonde looked her lover over from head to toe with deliberate slowness. "There is no way anyone could miss seeing you."

Billie winked and jerked her thumb toward the car. "Let's blow this joint."

"With pleasure." Sara got in and waited for Billie, who went around and tossed her bag into the back seat before slipping behind the wheel and starting the car. As the detective's hand closed on the gear shift knob, another hand came to rest on top of her own, gentle fingers touching the bandage that covered up the damage she'd inflicted.

Billie knew there were unspoken questions behind that touch, and she wasn't really sure how to answer them. But, having Sara sitting there beside her, knowing how easily it could have gone the other way, she was more determined than ever to tear down the barrier she'd erected around herself.

"I hit a wall," she finally said.

"I'm assuming you mean that literally," Sara remarked, her fingers still lingering on Billie's hand.

"And figuratively." The young brunette speculated for a moment. "At the very least, I've come to realize a few things. Not all of it good, mind you, but I guess that was the point."

"The point of what?"

"It's a long story."

"I think we both have a bit of free time."

"Not here," Billie replied, flexing her hand against the tightness of the bandage. She quickly put the car in motion and reached over, giving the blonde's thigh a gentle squeeze. "You feel up to taking a little ride?"

"Sure," Sara said with a smile. "It'll give you a chance to show me what this baby's got."

Billie withdrew her hand and replaced it on the stick, easing down on the clutch and shifting the car, smoothly, feeling the deep vibrations of the engine's barely restrained power.

"Okay, let's go."

The Mustang drove swiftly along the windy road, climbing higher into the hills. The day was picture perfect, the haze of the city finally giving way to the crisper and cleaner mountain air.

Billie had helped pass the time by regaling Sara with stories of how the car they were driving in had been nearly demolished on two separate occasions, and the lengths to which she'd gone to salvage it after the second incident had left it a crushed and twisted wreck. Van and Deaq's high school pranks notwithstanding, Billie's high-speed rollover had managed to do more damage to it than they could have dreamed of.

They finally arrived at their apparent destination as Billie pulled off the road and followed a small narrow driveway leading down the side of a particularly steep hill. When they reached the bottom, the area opened up just in front of a house perched against the rock face.

After parking the car, Billie got out and went around to offer Sara a hand getting out, which she gratefully accepted. The blonde took a moment to stretch her thin frame, working the stiffness out of her back.

"God, I'll be glad when I feel more like myself, again."

Billie put an arm around her. "Let's go inside for a minute."

"What are we doing here, anyway?" Sara questioned as she looked around curiously. The house was fairly large, although a bit rustic looking, at least on the outside. A huge garden covered the front yard, wildflowers lining the stone walkway, their subtle fragrance enveloping her as the warm breeze blew her hair away from her face.

"I want to show you something."

The two women started toward the house, taking their time walking along the path that led to the front door. A few stairs brought them up to the porch and Billie fished a key from her pocket and unlocked the door. She shot a glance at Sara, whose attention was already focused on the inside, feeling a slight twinge of anxiety and silently chiding herself for it.

She allowed the blonde to enter first, admiring her graceful movements, but knowing they were also serving to hide her discomfort. Billie could feel the beginnings of a slow burn and tried to push the angry thoughts out of her mind. This moment was about Sara, what she needed, and what would help her get over her horrible experience. The detective's own issues would have to wait.

"Billie?"

The detective stared at her lover from the open doorway. "Huh?"

Sara furrowed her brow. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah."

"You look a little pale."

Billie shook her head and smiled, sheepishly. "No, I'm fine. Sorry, I guess I just zoned out there for a minute."

"You're acting very strange," Sara said with a suspicious look. "What's going on? What are we doing here?"

"Come on," Billie said as she walked over to the blonde and slipped a supportive arm around her, gently urging her along toward a set of glass doors on the right side of the room.

As they walked, Sara's eyes roamed the interior of the house. The first floor was entirely open with high, cathedral beamed ceilings and gleaming hardwood floors over every inch of visible space. On the far wall was a large fireplace, constructed of white stone and darkly tinted glass. Oddly, despite the lovely furnishings, the house looked devoid of any signs of occupancy, which only served to increase her curiosity to a near fever pitch.

The lieutenant pushed the doors open and led Sara out to a deck, one side jutting out from the rock and following a peculiar kind of zigzag pattern as it worked its way around to the front of the house.

The blonde felt slightly breathless as she stepped forward and took in the sight of the canyon spreading out below them. The deck hung over a steep drop, leaving nothing but a bird's eye view of the tree tops. With the horizon slowly turning a deeper shade of orange and purple, the spectacular scene before her was almost total perfection.

Staring soundlessly, something else suddenly caught her attention and she dropped her gaze to the small table near the railing. It was set for two.

"Oh, Billie."

"I thought it was a nice spot for dinner," the detective said casually. "Are you hungry?"

Sara's lips parted and she turned to the brunette standing beside her, looking more than a little overwhelmed. She slipped her arms around Billie's waist and pulled her closer. "It's so beautiful."

Billie lifted a hand to Sara's face and stroked her thumb, lightly, against the blonde's cheek, her gaze intense. "I wanted to do something special," she said softly, planting a delicate kiss on her lover's lips.

"Well, I'd say you've succeeded," the blonde replied in a husky voice. One of her hands slid down over Billie's hip, cupping her from behind and pressing their lower bodies together. The feel of such close contact made Sara's heart beat faster.

"Do you like the place?" Billie asked, trying not to focus on the fingers that were beginning to stroke the back of her thigh.

"Mmm." Sara's lips brushed against Billie's cheek and began closing in on her earlobe. "It's very private," she murmured from beneath a curtain of chestnut hair.

"Yes, it is," the detective sighed, tilting her head back as a tongue teased the skin at the base of her throat. "I think it would be perfect for us." She had to stifle a groan of disappointment as Sara ceased her ministrations and pulled back to look at her.

"What?"

"The owner's looking to unload it to recoup a little money from some bad investments," Billie explained. "So, I made him an offer."

"You're actually buying this place?"

"If you feel up to it, we can close tomorrow."

Sara stared at her. "What do you mean we?"

"We, as in, you and me." The silence stretched on for a little longer than Billie would have liked. Sara stepped back, her eyes downcast, and rubbed the tips of her fingers against her forehead. The detective recognized the familiar gesture of anxiety. "Is there something wrong?"

"Can we sit down for a minute?" Sara asked, still avoiding making eye contact.

"Yeah.sure," Billie replied with uncertainty.

This time it was Sara who took Billie by the hand and led her to the small table and chairs, motioning for her to sit down as she did the same. They sat there quietly, each woman alone with her thoughts.

Finally, Sara's blue eyes fixed on Billie and she reached across the table and clasped her right hand, seeing that she had the detective's full attention. "Up until a couple of months ago, I wouldn't have thought twice about this," she admitted as her fingers found the ring that used to reside on her own hand. "I never used to have any qualms about taking anything from anyone."

Immediately, Billie understood. "Look, I know what you're thinking, but that is not the situation here."

"Billie, I have no money and no job. I know it's not forever, but at least living together in that little apartment doesn't make me feel like I'm taking advantage of you."

"Buying the house was my idea."

The blonde nodded in agreement. "I know. And, if you really want it, you should buy it. I just.I just don't feel right being a part of it, that's all." Sara's other hand came to rest on Billie's forearm, squeezing it gently. "I'm sorry if it seems like I'm being ungrateful."

The young lieutenant's gaze drifted out to stare at the city skyline, just barely visible in the distance. Despite her disappointment, she was surprised to feel a small sense of relief. She'd been so concerned that her lover would think the suggestion had been driven by some misplaced sense of guilt that it never even occurred to her that Sara might be dealing with some guilt of her own.

"No, it doesn't," she finally replied. "I guess I jumped the gun on this one. And I certainly can't fault you for having scruples."

"Wow."

Billie turned back to look at her. "What?"

"I've never had scruples before," Sara said with a sly grin.

The detective smirked. "Yeah, well, you'd better watch out. They can be a real bitch."

The sound of Billie's cell phone startled both women.

Sara released the brunette's hand and leaned back in her chair, not bothering to hide her annoyance at the interruption. "Is that thing an actual appendage now?"

"Sorry." Billie pulled the phone off her hip and flipped it open. "Chambers."

The blonde watched her lover, waiting for the subtle indicators that told her who was on the other line. Most often it was Captain Parish, with whom Billie was usually focused and serious, occasionally brash, but almost always respectful. If it was someone else in the department, she had the tone of authority in her voice. But, the third option, the one she was currently observing, told her it was either Van or Deaq.

"I already did," came Billie's response as she caught Sara's eye. "And we were just about to have a bite to eat. So, quit prattling and tell me what you want?"

Sara rolled her eyes. It was Van.

Billie's eyes widened. "Are you kidding me?" A smile began to spread across her face as she listened to the man on the other line, obviously enjoying whatever it was he was telling her.

An irrational twinge of jealousy made Sara shift her gaze. It was stupid to be bothered by Billie's relationship with the two men. But, there was something in the way she spoke to them, even when she was giving them a hard time.it was a level of intimacy and friendship that was unique to the three of them. No one else in Billie's life engendered the kind of fierce loyalty and protectiveness she displayed for them.

Maybe not even Sara herself.

Of course, she knew that worked both ways. During the time Billie was missing, the two officers were just as anguished and desperate to find her as Sara was. And, as it turned out, their suspicions about the one-time thief, and their own protective nature toward Billie had been the reason they had Sara followed. Ironically, that distrust had saved her life.

While she was in the hospital, they did come by for a brief visit, the obvious awkwardness tempered to some degree by Billie's presence. The young lieutenant was the lynchpin in their strange little quadrangle, and for her sake, they had all made an unspoken agreement to find some way to get along.

But, that still didn't mean she had to like them.

"Yeah, well maybe it'll give you a new perspective," Billie replied and then listened for a brief moment before responding, "You know how to set the spike. Just go with your instincts and try to remember that someone else's ass is on the line. If that doesn't work, you can always play a little Supertramp and meditate. Oh, and feel free to call me if you need any pointers." With a slight chuckle, she hung up the phone and placed it on the table.

"Van?"

Billie nodded, the grin still firmly fixed to her face. "He and Deaq just got their temporary assignments, proving once and for all that my boss actually does have a sense of humor."

"Meaning?" Sara asked curiously.

The young detective's eyes twinkled with amusement. "They're handling a couple of undercover vice detectives." She could see the slightly confused look on Sara's face. "It means they're the point of contact. They get information, give them their orders, take care of any problems that come up and basically help them keep their minds right while their under."

"Which is what you do for them," Sara surmised.

"On a good day."

"And on a bad one?"

Billie shrugged. "I just try to keep them alive."

After a brief pause, Sara asked, "You care a lot about them, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do," she admitted. "We've been through a lot together. And as a team, they've really jelled. They drive me crazy most days, but I honestly couldn't have picked `em any better." With narrowed eyes, she poked her finger in Sara's direction. "And don't you ever tell them I said that."

"My lips are sealed."

Looking to move on to a lighter subject, the brunette suddenly stood up and said, "I hope you're hungry, because I brought enough food to feed a small army."

"I'm starving."

Billie smiled. "I'll get us a drink and then get started."

"How long do we have this place all to ourselves?" Sara quizzed as she watched Billie walk over to a cart near the door and pour them a couple of drinks.

"Well, now that we're passing on it, we only have it for the night." She returned to the table and handed Sara a glass of iced tea, pausing to tap the glasses together in a toast. "So, Ms. Matthews, you'd better soak up the scenery, because tomorrow it's back to our walk-in closet." She smiled, warmly, and took a sip of her drink, her eyes remaining fixed on the blonde.

Sara drew on the cool liquid, slowly, before setting her glass down on the table and getting to her feet. Billie raised an eyebrow as the blonde took her glass from her hand and set it down, as well.

"Well, then, why don't you show me around?"

"I think it's a little soon."

"I was cooped up in that hospital for sixteen days," Sara voiced in a throaty whisper, her hands resting lightly on the detective's slender waist. "And I'm doing fine. We just have to take it nice and slow." She edged them a little higher, using her thumbs to trace the soft underside of Billie's breasts, enjoying the feel of the young woman's breath catching beneath her fingertips. "You think you can do that, Billie?"

Billie closed her eyes as Sara's warm, soft lips teased the corner of her mouth. "Mmm.slow, yes," she purred. "But there is nothing nice about the things I want to do to you.'

Sara smiled against the brunette's slightly flushed skin, pausing to brush the tip of her tongue against her lover's lips before pulling away. But, Billie quickly reached up, her fingers grabbing a fistful of blonde hair as she leaned in and kissed her, desperately wanting to be close to her, to feel and touch every inch of her.

As they moved against each other, minds and bodies fueled by love, desire and need, Billie's hand suddenly encountered the bandage on Sara's lower back, and her fingers traced across it, delicately, refusing to move on, as if needing to stay in contact with it, to remind her of what she had nearly lost.

Their lips finally parted and the two young women stood there, silently, still clinging to one another, both feeling the undercurrent of urgency that always seemed to ignite their physical exchanges. Only now, those raging emotions had somehow taken on new life.

"So, how about that tour?" Sara rasped, still catching her breath.

For a long moment, Billie's gaze remained focused on the blonde's kiss-swollen lips, until she finally planted another long, sensuous kiss on Sara's mouth and then pulled away. Reaching down and linking their fingers together, she began to walk backwards, slowly, toward the door, leading her lover along with a predatory smile.

"Follow me," the detective beckoned softly.

Sara's eyes darkened as thoughts of what that smile meant caused her body to shiver with anticipation.

"Anywhere."

Sophia placed Felicia's leg back down on the bed, having finished applying a lotion to her skin. It was designed to keep it supple while having the added bonus of providing her an opportunity to massage the woman's muscles, hoping to awaken her with some physical stimulation. There was no telling how long she would remain in this state, or whether she would ever again regain consciousness. But, in the meantime, the servant would continue to prepare for her employer's eventual recovery.

She could feel the eyes of the young police officer on the other side of the observation window following her every move. The few people she'd encountered during her visits to the hospital treated her less than auspiciously, clearly having no understanding of why she would have anything to do with Felicia Ralston. But Sophia didn't let that bother her. She cared very little of what others thought of her actions.

After taking a moment to pour a bit of lotion into the palm of her hand, Sophia sat down beside Felicia's bed and reached for her arm, careful working her fingers around the tape that kept the assortment of tubes and wires adhered to the blonde's arm. She took her time, her strong hands used to years of labor and relatively unaccustomed to fatigue, and continued to talk to her charge in a matter-of-fact tone, as though she were explaining the details of some household chore that had just been completed.

"I delivered the painting this morning as you requested," she spoke to the silent, unresponsive figure. "There was no way for me to be sure it was still what you wanted, given what happened, but it was the only course of action I could take. Of course, should you wish to get the painting back, I have no doubt that Lieutenant Chambers would be happy to part with it. She was quite upset when I brought it-"

The older woman froze, staring down at the limp hand resting on top of her own. The long, delicate fingers curled around her palm looked relaxed and still. For a split-second she thought perhaps she'd imagined it, but as if in response to her silent skepticism, she felt it again.

Felicia squeezed her hand.

The End

Table of Contents

Start