"You okay?"

The closer they got to the Center, the quieter Michala became. Kelly reached for her hand. Her fingers were cold. Kelly didn't want to ask, it was obvious Michala wasn't as poised about this as she wanted to appear, but the other gambits didn't sound any better in her head. And Kelly didn't want to step around the tension as if it didn't exist. That plan had not worked out too well for Michala's friends over the last year.

Michala glanced over from her intensive study of the passing scenery. "Do you understand why I didn't do anything? Why I just ignored it as if it wasn't happening?"

Did she? Kelly thought on some level maybe, just maybe, she could. It wasn't so much Tyler's death and it's devastation on her life. It was the fact that she blamed herself for his death. She was the one who fought for him. She was the one who crossed lines for him. And she was the one who failed him. She told Susan the night of the break-in that she never did anything because she thought she deserved it. Her stalker did what she herself could not. He punished her, tortured her, and took parts of her life away. She deserved whatever he wanted to do to her.

But the level of her understanding was very low and she didn't understand it to a degree that counted. She would never see this from Michala's point of view. She would never be able to tell her that it was all right that she did nothing. Kelly would never be able to go there with her. And the truth of the matter was that she never wanted to understand. Michala had gone to a very dark place. Kelly didn't want to visit it.

"Not really."

Michala nodded as if she understood. Her fingers tightened briefly. "Sometimes neither do I. I look back at the last year and the decisions I made. So many were so wrong. I wonder why I didn't see it at the time. Then days like today happen, and I remember why they seemed right. I know precisely why I just sat back and let everything happen."

This was that dark place. Kelly stood at the edge of it and knew with certain dread that she was going to go as far inside as Michala was willing to take her. If Kelly could only give her one thing, she wanted Michala to know she could always talk to her. That more than anything brought Michala to where was she was now. Just one friend to share with last year would have saved her. "What about today reminds you?"

The day was actually beautiful. Warm with clear, cloudless blue skies, cooled by a breeze that was a touch chilly in the shadows. A perfect day for only good thoughts and good things.

"The fear. I have given everything that meant anything to me not to have to deal with this. I was willing to die not to have to deal with this. I guess it's only fair that now that's all I do is deal with this."

"Fear of what?" Kelly asked even as every instinct she had screamed at her to stop this now. She didn't want to follow Michala down. She didn't want to know. She didn't want to understand

Michala withdrew her hand. Kelly glanced over to see her staring out of the window. She hoped against hope that Michala would ignore her. She had asked the question because she had to not because she wanted to know the answer.

Her voice was whisper soft in the still quiet of the car. "I hope you never know. I hope you never find out."

Kelly would wonder later if she would have questioned Michala had they not arrived at the Center at that moment. If she would have pushed her for more of an answer. She didn't want to know. And she did. Michala had nothing to fear, without exception she had nothing to fear. Every demon that haunted her would have to breach far more than Michala's fragile defenses to reach her now. Whatever this was that she feared, she was not alone in facing it.

The parking area behind the Center was amazingly full for being closed. Michala smiled and shook her head as her eyes drifted over the car lot parading as her back yard. The dozen or so women were standing in groups around the back door. "Unbelievable."

She got out of the car laughing. "Who called you guys?"

The women laughed and pointed fingers at each other. Kelly stood back and watched as Michala was swallowed in a group hug. While the group caught up with Michala, Kelly let gaze wander. Her first instinct was to get Michala inside. They were too exposed here. He could be out there watching even now. He had to know she would come back. If he was smart, he would wait and then follow her. He needed contact with her. He needed to find her.

"He won't get to her," Susan said, appearing at her side. Kelly glanced over to find Susan's eyes searching the same area she had early. "He had his chances."

Chances. Kelly shivered in the slight breeze. Yes, he'd had his chances. He'd had all the time in the world to hurt her. Why didn't he? What kept him from crossing that last line? When he was here, inside her home, and he knew she was there, why didn't he go upstairs? Was he in love with her? Or did he hate her? Kelly frowned, remembering something. "Susan, where are the answering machine tapes? I want to listen to the rest of them."

Susan stared at her for a moment without expression. "Kendall probably has them. You should ask her."

Kelly was irritated with herself for forgetting them. Now she had to finagle a way to listen to the tapes now in official custody. God help her if she had to get permission from Bates. He would make sure she never heard them even if Michala herself demanded it. Even though Kelly knew if that was the only way, she would never ask Michala.

"She's the one in the red blazer," Susan said before moving away to follow the group inside.

The woman in the red blazer wasn't hard to miss. She was the one with her hand on Michala's elbow leading her inside the Center. Kelly cast one last lingering glace around the perimeter before following the crowd. She wasn't sure who everybody was, but Michala had brightened and laughed when she saw the assemblage. Kelly hoped there would come a time when they would be as important to her as they were Michala.

Kelly walked into the Center and stared. The long hallway that ran through the length of the Center and was waist high in debris the last time she saw it was now clear. She could see all the way down to the brand new double doors now closed at the front of the Center. Obviously someone, and not Michala from the stunned expression on her face, hadn't been sitting on their hands over the last few days. Kelly watched Michala lead a small group down the hall to the front of the house. She slipped into the kitchen in search of the coffee she could she smell.

An older woman with chin length auburn hair was setting out boxes of donuts. She smiled as Kelly came into the room. "Good morning."

Kelly's eyes skimmed over the kitchen. The room was spotless and orderly. Either he never made it this far or the cleaning fairy had taken care of this room also. She returned the friendly smile. "Good morning. That coffee smells great. Do you mind?"

A quick grin dashed across the woman's face. The skin around her warm brown eyes crinkled. "Help yourself. There's milk in the refrigerator. Creamer and sugar on the counter next to the coffee."

Kelly nodded and walked to the back counter. She poured two Styrofoam cups and added milk to hers and sugar to both. She nodded to the woman as she passed. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Kelly was two steps from the hallway when the woman asked, "Are you Kelly?"

Surprise nailed her feet to the floor and she turned slowly. "I am, yes. And you are?"

A bright grin came to her face as she came to Kelly. Her dark eyes were curious. "Do you have your gun?"

Kelly blinked at the unexpected, softly asked question. She paused before answering. She didn't know this woman, though she had a suspicion circling in her head. "Yes."

The very familiar eyes went to her shoulder, to the place where her gun was strapped to her side. "Do you wear it all the time?"

"Only when I'm on duty." Kelly took a sip of her coffee, thinking, wondering if the limb she was about to step out on would hold her. She shrugged mentally. The only way to find out was to step out there. "I've never taken a life Mrs. Cary, but I can. For her, I will."

Their eyes met and whatever Paige Anderson Cary saw caused the older woman to visibly relax. She reached out and touched Kelly on the wrist. "I'm glad you're here. I was hoping you would be so that we could meet. Michala rarely lets me meet her girlfriend. I can't understand why."

A warm hand slid under her blazer and rested against the small of Kelly's back. "Is your memory fading, Mother? I can name off a list of reasons if you need reminders."

Michala's voice was warm and teasing. Kelly handed her the cup in her left hand. "For you."

"Mm, thank you." Michala took a healthy drink from the cup. She leaned forward to kiss her mother on the cheek. "And thank you. I don't know how you did this. I was dreading coming in here. I hope you didn't have to call in too many favors."

Paige reached out to tuck an errant blonde strand behind her daughter's ear. "I didn't have to call anyone, honey. I've had to turn down offers of help. I'm beginning to think the people in Atlanta who don't feel they owe you something are few in number."

Kelly watched a shadow darken Michala's face for an instant. She shrugged and stared down in her coffee. "It was just a job."

Paige lifted sad eyes to Kelly and Kelly knew they shared the same thought. It was never just a job. If it had been just a job, Michala would never have been destroyed by it. Tyler really would have been just another kid. Kelly would never say DVIT was her life, but she would say that it did become Michala's definition of herself.

Someone called for Michala from the front of her house. She sent them a smile and quickly left.

Kelly was startled when Paige looped an arm through hers and led her into the hallway. Voices punctuated with laughter came from various parts of the house. Kelly assumed assignments were handed out and the women were getting busy. "Where are you from, Kelly? You don't sound southern."

"Originally Syracuse. I moved to Seattle after college. My best friend came here. I think I complained about the rain one time too many because Dani really started pushing for me to come here. I'm glad she did."

Really, very glad. She'd have to reward Dani for her constant nagging. She owed her one. Kelly had lovers in Seattle and a few she had even loved. None were Michala. None took her breath away, or made her heart race, or erased all thoughts in her head with just a kiss. She had loved and been loved, but until Michala, Kelly knew she had never been in love.

Paige patted her arm. "Randa said you're with DVIT. Can you stay awhile?"

Michala's laughter came from her right. Kelly glanced into the reception area to see Michala standing in the file area. She was dressed in olive green slacks and the sleeves of her navy shirt were rolled to her forearms. She grinned thinking this was probably dressing down for Michala. She had yet to see the woman in a pair of jeans. She said absently to Paige, her thoughts on what Michala would look like in a pair of tight faded 501's. "I'll be here as long as she is, Mrs. Cary."

"Call me Paige."

Kelly tore her eyes away from Michala to smile at her mother. Her smile became puzzled at the bright grin directed at her. "Um, thank you."

Paige squeezed her arm briefly. "No, thank you."

Before Kelly could ask why she was thanking her, Paige disappeared into the conference on her right. Michala laughed again and Kelly's attention was pulled from the mother to the daughter. Paige's cryptic comment was forgotten. Kelly wandered into the reception room, wondering if she offered to help, what job she would be given. She stopped in the middle of the room and cocked her head to one side. Yeah, tight faded 501's and nothing else.


Finding a quiet room away from her friends was proving an impossible task. They had broken from work for lunch and now as Michala wandered through the Center with her sandwich and chips, with Kelly trailing behind her, she wanted a quiet corner to be alone with Kelly. Since their brief talk in the car, they hadn't really spoken. Every time Michala got close to her, someone came up to them or called for her. She smiled, thinking Kelly was never hard to find. Kelly was wherever she was, a solid warmth giving her a feeling of peace she hadn't had in too long.

"What are you looking for?" Kelly asked when she stopped in the hallway between the reception area and the conference room. She looked right and then left, saw her friends settling down to eat their lunch. God knew she loved them. But right then, she wished the lot of them anywhere but here.

She sighed and looked back at Kelly. Kelly's smile was puzzled and her eyes were steady as she returned Michala's stare. Michala dropped her eyes and let her gaze slide up Kelly's blue jeans, over her black blazer and linger on the white T-shirt before moving back to her face. She got the desired reaction. Blue eyes darkened with desire flicked up to the locked door of the apartment. They smiled and fled up the stairs.

"They're going to look for you," Kelly whispered when Michala threw the lock on the doors. "Your mother and sister have keys."

Michala frowned, wondering if either would use the key if they thought Michala was making love with Kelly in her bedroom. She sighed as the image of her mother knocking discreetly on her door came to mind all too clearly. She could see Miranda fleeing the Center if she thought they were having sex. Paige accepted her sexuality and that meant everything that came with it. Michala having sex with Kelly in the middle of the day in her own apartment was not something that would raise her mother's eyebrows. It was also not something that would keep Paige on the first floor of the Center.

"Let them come. I just want to have lunch with you."

It was almost the truth. When Michala began her search it really was for a quiet place where they could eat with the illusion of privacy. They had been getting amused glances all day. But once she looked Kelly over, other possibilities came to mind. Like how it felt to have Kelly pressed against her body.

Kelly grinned and stole a potato chip from her plate. "You shouldn't look at me like that if all you want is lunch."

Michala laughed and walked to the table. "Well, it was all I wanted in the beginning."

Lunch was subs, chips, and sodas from a local sandwich shop. Michala was knee deep in files when her mother announced lunch was ready. Michala was astonished to realize the morning was gone. They had most of the files boxed and someone, who Michala wasn't sure, was already trucking stuff over to the temp offices. Another hour or two and they should be finished.

"I hope my mother didn't make you uncomfortable. I didn't know she knew about you yet." She would corner Miranda later. Remind her that Michala wasn't the only daughter with a girlfriend. Actually, if they were being strictly honest, Miranda was the only daughter with a girlfriend. Michala wasn't sure where she was with Kelly. She was sure she didn't want her family to chase her off before she found out.

Kelly shook her head. "She didn't. I like your mother. She loves you very much."

"Don't like her too much, Kelly. My mother has one agenda when it comes to me. She wants me to be happily married with children. Every woman I date becomes my potential soul mate. I've learned to keep my mother far away from my relationships. She tries to make them a lot more serious than they are."

"How serious is this one?"

The question, and the somber tone in which it was asked, caught Michala off guard. She'd been speaking lightly, laughingly about her mother's quirky outlook on her life. She didn't mean to make this into "the talk". Kelly was staring at her, waiting for an answer. Her face was closed and Michala couldn't get a read on her feelings. Michala wanted her to want them to be serious. She wanted them to be serious. She didn't want to step out on that ledge by herself.

Hedging she said, "It could be very serious."

It could be the most serious relationship of her life. Kelly could be the first one to come before anything else. She could matter. She could count. She could be the one. Michala watched Kelly carefully, hoping for some clue in her reaction to how this was going.

"Could be? Like Melissa?"

Annoyance shot through Michala at the mention of her fickle former lover. She raked fingers through her hair. "God no. Melissa did little more than share my bed. She didn't share my life. She didn't want to. I love you more now than I ever did her. If I ever did her. Melissa was nothing, Kelly. I was never hers. I-"

Michala trailed off as the soft adoring expression on Kelly's face caught her attention. She was about to launch into reasons why Kelly shouldn't feel she had to compete with Melissa. She stared at her as Kelly stood up and came to pull her to her feet. The kiss was slow and deep and took her breath away.

When Kelly broke the kiss, she laid her forehead against Kelly. "What was that for?"

She felt a light kiss pressed to the top of her head. "I love you. I think I fell for you the first time I saw you, here. It's funny that I should know one twin for months and fall for the other in minutes."

Michala glanced up with a grin. "We're identical twins, Kelly. It's okay if you thought Miranda was hot."

Kelly's gaze traveled slowly over her face before she shook her head. "You know that you're not identical. You could cut your hair, dress identically and Susan and I could tell you apart. Don't misunderstand, Randa is a beautiful woman. In that All-American tomboy way. I was never interested in her. I never even wondered if she's gay."

Michala understood the sentiment. No one who knew them ever mistook them for the other. They were different not only in dress and appearance but in movement and expression. Kelly was right. They could look like a mirror image of the other, but those who really knew them could tell them apart. It was why Susan could be her friend for years and fall for Miranda. It was why Kelly could know Miranda and be interested in her.

"How long before they start looking for you?"

"You mean us," Michala corrected and then laughed as someone knocked firmly on the locked door. She slipped away from Kelly and went to slide the door open. She bit her lip to keep from smiling at her sister's frowning face. "Yes?"

Miranda's eyes darted past her, to where Kelly was standing and over the table with the remains of their lunch. She visibly relaxed and allowed a brief smile when she looked back at her sister. "Mom wants you where she can see you. I caught her half way up the stairs."

Michala leaned against the doorjamb, grinning. "Oh, Miranda, that's so sweet. That you'd throw yourself in front of her that way. I wish we had been doing something for you to stumble in on."

"That lie might come off better if Kelly wasn't wearing your lipstick. You can finish whatever it is you're not doing tonight."

With that, Miranda turned and moved swiftly down the stairs. Michala shook her head. She laughed as she imagined the psyching her sister must have had to do before she knocked on the door. There was a hundred unpleasant things Miranda would rather be subjected to than seeing her twin kiss another woman. Michala didn't understand it. It's not like they were mirror images of the other.

She turned when she heard the unmistakable sound of bags crunching. She watched Kelly quickly clear away the remains of their lunch. Yes, this could be the most serious relationship she ever had.


As much as she wanted to, Kelly turned down an invitation to spend another night with Michala. The details of her own life needed attention. She had clothes to wash, bills to pay, a friend of her own, be on call for DVIT. The clothes and bills sent her away from Michala. She could do without her friend's curiosity. The last thing she wanted to do was come out of her blissful rose-colored world. She didn't want to examine anything too closely right then.

So of course Dani was home. There was a chance she could have been spending the night with her new girlfriend. Kelly parked next to her BMW and wondered what the odds were that Sandy was spending the night. That would be nice. An occupied Dani was just as good as an absent one. Kelly would take either. The way her luck was running, she didn't hold her breath.

The bottom floor of the townhouse was lit by the second floor hallway light. Kelly stood in the foyer and smiled. She was surprised how much this felt like coming home. As much as she loved sleeping with Michala in her arms, she really did miss her own home. Even if it was just a home she was borrowing for a while.

"Dani?" She called and headed for the stairs when she received an answer.

Dani was standing in the doorway of her office, still dressed in the slacks and shirt she wore to her office. "I didn't think I would see you tonight."

Kelly grinned at the happy expression on her friend's face. "Are you busy? I'm starving. How about we go to Trader's for dinner?"

Dani glanced into her office and obviously debated over something before she tossed the pen she held onto her desk. "It's a date. I could use a good meal."

"Been eating at the hospital?"

While Dani related her heavy workload, Kelly changed clothes. They moved onto talk of girlfriends on the drive. By the time they had eaten their way through the seafood platter and shared a pitcher of beer, they were caught up on each other. Kelly was happy that Sandy was still in Dani's life. She had seen too many women make the short trip from lover to friend. This was the first woman Dani seemed to be connecting with since Kelly's arrival. She was glad for her friend.

By the time they were back at the townhouse, Kelly was pleasantly exhausted. She was ready for a nice hot shower and a warm, soft bed. They parted for the night at the top of the stairs. Once she was dressed for bed, she picked up her mail from the bureau where Dani stacked it for her every day. She took the thick bundle to bed with her. She hadn't done her laundry, but thought she could get by with sorting out her bills and getting them ready to mail tomorrow. She wanted to feel like she had accomplished something was this night away from Michala.

It was the color of the letter that caught her eye. The bright yellow color was out of place among the business class white. But it wasn't the color per se that draw her attention; it was the memory of that same color clenched in Randa's fist that fateful Friday morning. Carefully she isolated the envelope from the others. Although she wouldn't make any large bets on it, Kelly thought the thin sketchy handwriting matched the one on Michala's letter. She barely caught herself from reaching for the envelope. Damn, she really wanted to open the letter.

She reached for the bedside phone instead. It took four calls before she finally had the home phone number for Kendall Reynolds. The fact that Michala's stalker was able to get her address concerned her. It's not supposed to be easy to get the address or phone number of law enforcement officials. How had he found out who she was and gotten hers so quickly?

"Hello?"

Kelly glanced at her clock belatedly and was glad it was only a little after ten. She wasn't calling too late. "Detective Reynolds, this is Kelly Pryce. We met at the Cary Center today."

Their introduction had been very brief. Kelly was never given the chance to ask about the tapes. She didn't want to make the request with Michala nearby and she didn't want Michala out of her sight. She had planned to call Kendall tomorrow.

Kendall's voice lost the brisk official tone. "Hi Kelly. You're with DVIT, right?"

Kelly stared down at the yellow envelope. "Yes. I don't know if you picked up on it, but I'm also dating Michala."

"No, I didn't pick up on it," Kendall said with an obvious smile. "I might have tried my own luck if I wasn't straight."

At any other time, Kelly would have been amused by the admission. "On the letters she got, have you found any prints?"

"Several and all on the outside. Hers, different staff members of the Center and the mailman. Nothing inside the envelope. No DNA on the flap or the stamp."

"I'm not sure Kendall, but I think I got one of his letters. I only saw the one, but the color's the same and the handwriting looks familiar."

Now Kendall was brisk and official again. "Have you opened it?'

"No, but not because I don't want to in the worst way. I don't want to screw up catching this guy."

Kelly heard rustling in the background and doors opening and closing. "Where do you live Kelly? I'll come over and take possession and open it."

Kelly gave her the address. She didn't think about telling her she could do that tomorrow. Kelly wanted to know what the letter said. She wasn't sure she would sleep if she had to wait and she knew she'd never be able to resist if she had to sit up all night. After the call, Kelly threw on her robe and went down the hall to Dani's bedroom. Her door was half open and the room dark. Kelly listened to her friend's even breathing and decided there was no reason for Dani to be awake for this.

She had coffee made and the letter downstairs waiting on the table when Kendall knocked on the door. Kelly checked to make sure it was the tall brunette cop before she opened the door. Kendall was wearing blue jeans and what looked like a dark blue man's pajama top. She had evidence bags and latex gloves in her hands.

"You okay?"

Kelly nodded. "Anxious. It might not be from him. You could have came over here for nothing."

In her heart Kelly knew it was from him. She wasn't sure how he found her so fast. She didn't hope that she would attract his attention away from Michala. "Do you want some coffee?"

Kendall snapped on the gloves as she walked to the kitchen. "Sure. With milk and sugar if you've got it."

While Kelly made her cup, she watched Kendall lean over the table. "Good call, Kelly. It looks like you've been invited to play."

Over the next few minutes, Kendall carefully opened the letter. She dropped the envelope into it's own bag as soon as she had the letter out. Next she opened the letter before sliding it down into the second evidence bag. She read the few lines Kelly could see before she stepped back so that Kelly could read it.



Enjoy her while you can. She won't be yours for long.



Kelly was disappointed. She had hoped for something a little more dark or taunting or at least threatening. "I'm glad I didn't have to sit up all night for this."

Kendall laughed and sat down at the table. "He's been a cool customer so far. He's only lost it once on one of the tapes. When he found out she's gay."

"How did he find out?"

Who the hell was this man? How was he in her life? They had to find out what edge he was hanging on and flick him off.

"He followed her to a bar. It was the first he knew of it. He smashed her windshield. I think it was New Year's Eve."

Kelly quickly did the math in her head. By Michala's calculations, his first contact with her was in September. So for four months he's writing her and calling her without a clue to her sexual orientation. How many of those months was she with Melissa? They break up and she goes to a gay bar. Then for the next four months he's writing her and calling her but also vandalizing her car and the Center. What happened for him to escalate now? Did her presence over the weekend push some button for him? Was she the reason Michala's home was destroyed?

"Are you going to tell her about this?"

Kelly thought of Michala's reaction if she didn't tell her and she found out later. She laughed and nodded. "Yes. This concerns her."

Kendall nodded in agreement. She took a sip of her coffee and stared down at the letter. "Kelly, if it's not too personal, how long how have you two been dating?"

Kelly watched Kendall frown as she read the few lines. She knew Kendall wasn't asking for social reasons. "We met the Friday before he broke into the Center. Randa got one of the letters and wanted me to look at it. While we were talking Michala came into the room. We didn't tell her about the letter, but she told us about her windshield being broken the night before at the bar. Randa and I left and talked about it. We weren't sure then if anything was going on."

Here she paused the story and wondered how much to tell. The fact that they met later at the bar and spent the night together didn't paint either of them in a good light. For her own self, Kelly knew she would have left with Michala on any night. She thought for Michala it was just a continuation of the risky behavior that was becoming a habit of hers. She wasn't ashamed of how they met and got together. Neither did she want it to be a story told around the water cooler at work.

She looked over at Kendall. "I was with her later that night when he called. She hung up on him. He called back and I answered the phone. He was screaming, saying she better not ever hang up on him again. He said he would kill her. She refused to talk to me about it. Got annoyed when I pushed. I let it go and decided I would tell Randa. I started thinking then that the problem was more serious than we thought."

Kelly smiled in remembrance. If Randa and Susan had not come over that morning and if Michala had not outed Randa to her, how would she have finally told Randa the truth? She never did work that out in her head. She wondered now if it had come down to outing herself to Randa or not telling her about the phone calls, which she would have chosen. She had to believe in her own mind that she would have protected Michala.

She sighed and shook the thoughts away. That was a road she never had to travel.

"I spent the weekend with Michala. I don't think he called Saturday night. I never heard the machine come on. He did call late Sunday afternoon. He said he knew I was there and he wanted me to leave. We argued over the call. She refused to talk about it all. I left and went straight to Randa. I was pretty sure then that she was being stalked. We were talking about what to do next when Michala called to say he had broken into the Center."

Kendall frowned and sat forward. "You're new to town aren't you?"

The question came from left field. "Yes. I moved here right after the new year."

"You've been here almost four months. You've known her less than a month. How did he zero in on you so fast? He shouldn't have been able to find you."

"I thought about that when it took me about twenty minutes to get your home phone number."

"You know, we don't have a single suspect," Kendall rubbed her forehead tiredly. "This guy could be anybody."

Kelly was shocked by that statement. She knew that wasn't true at all. "No, he's not anybody Kendall. He's connected to the Center. Didn't anyone tell you that?"

Kendall's expression matched the one Kelly knew was on her face just a minute earlier. Anger flashed across her face. "How do you know he's connected to the Center?"

"On the tapes, he calls her Cayla. Michala hates that name. The Center is the only place he would hear people call her that and have her answer to the name. Randa is the only other person in her life that calls her Cayla."

Disgust wiped the anger from Kendall's face. "Damn it, I knew there was something odd about those tapes. I even remember thinking how weird it was that he called her that. I just thought he was giving her a nickname."

Kelly's smile was brief. "I only picked up on it because I noticed Michala is the only one who calls Randa Miranda. I asked Susan about it. She said it was a twin annoyance thing, but that Michala allowed it at the Center because it was easier for the kids."

Kendall stood up and reached for the evidence bags. "I hate to say this, but I'm glad you got this. You've given me my first lead."

Kelly followed her to the front door. "Then maybe you'd be willing to do me a favor. I want to hear the tapes."

Kendall turned with her hand on the doorknob. "You said on the tapes he called her Cayla. How do you know that if you haven't heard them?"

She was quick. Kelly was glad. She wanted a sharp detective on this case. "Michala was listening to the tapes to see if she recognized the voice. We were getting close to the day Tyler died. I could tell she wasn't handling it very well. We left and I didn't get to hear the rest. I'd like to."

"Why?"

A very good question. It was late. A long day was ending hours later than should have. Otherwise Kelly knew she would have censored herself better. "I love her. I need to know what he's been saying to her."

Kendall stared at her for several moments, pale blue eyes sweeping over face before she nodded slowly. "Okay. Maybe you'll pick up on something else that I didn't. Call me."

Kelly watched through the window as Kendall got into her car and drove away. She had a lot to do tomorrow. She should go upstairs and go to sleep. If she could turn her mind off she would. Thinking she wandered through the downstairs double checking the locks on the doors and windows. Her only concern with him targeting her was that this wasn't her home. It was Dani's. Kelly knew all to well that no security system was completely fail-safe. Especially if someone was determined to get in.

She would deal with this tomorrow. There wasn't anything she could do tonight. She'd let everyone get a goodnight's sleep before she dropped this newest bomb. She wasn't sure of Dani's reaction. She was afraid to even wonder about Michala's.

Tomorrow. She would deal with the fall-out tomorrow.



"It's my turn."

"I don't think so. I know we had Belgian Waffles last time. Don't try to convince me I chose that."

Michala watched her friends bicker like five years over the rim of her first cup of coffee. She shook her head and pushed away from the counter. Today was Saturday, the day they got together for brunch and gossip. Today wasn't the typical Saturday. For one thing, they weren't at Michala's. Since she was the one who cooked, she chose to do so in the comfort of her own kitchen. Second, and more important, Shannon was also sitting at the bar. As a rule girlfriends weren't allowed.

"Shannon, what would you like?"

Her question ended the argument between Susan and Jess and had both of them staring at her in shock. Michala ignored them. Shannon's head lifted cautiously from the newspaper she was reading. Michala smiled at the deer caught in headlights look. Shannon hadn't wanted to join them. She had protested the break in tradition. Michala had insisted, saying they could go back to tradition when things were back to normal.

"Um, whatever you make is fine with me," Shannon said and dropped her gaze back to the paper.

Michala leaned on the counter in front of her and summoned her brightest, most persuasive smile. "Come on Shannon, you can have whatever you want."

"She wants a western omelet. With toast." Jess' voice was smug. Her girlfriend, her choice by proxy. Michala was willing to give Shannon that, if that's what she wanted.

"Really, I don't want to play. Let them decide and I'll have whatever's made."

Michala inched closer and was about to do her best to cajole Shannon into "playing" with them when the phone rang. Because she was so close, she saw the sheer utter relief that came to Shannon's eyes at the interruption. She slid hastily from the barstool. "I'll get that. You guys decide."

Michala frowned as she watched her hurry to the phone. Was Shannon really that uncomfortable? Was it just the break in tradition? Or was it her? Was Shannon that great an actress that Michala didn't realize just how uncomfortable she was with Michala in her home? Jess had said Shannon wanted her there as much as the rest of them did. What else was Jess going to say? She wasn't going to tell Michala that Shannon would rather run naked through the stands of Turner Field than have Michala in her home. You just didn't say that to a friend.

"Let's do pancakes. We both love those," Jess offered to Susan.

"Before I agree to that, what do you have to put in them? I don't want plain."

"That was the gate. Kelly's here," Shannon said coming back to the bar. "You can let her decide."

"Too late." Jess said. She was standing in the kitchen, searching the fridge. "Strawberries. How does that sound?"

Michala reluctantly shelved her thoughts about Shannon for another time. She had too many other things to do now. She would pull out her thoughts later when she could give them the attention they required. She took the green basket of plump strawberries from Jess. She had a big breakfast to make.

With the addition of Kelly to the group, Michala noticed that Shannon loosened up considerably. The four of them sat on the other side of the bar and kept a running commentary while she made strawberry pancakes, bacon, and toast. They ate the meal on the patio. The sun was bright in the clear blue sky. A cool breeze brought the light scent of Kelly's perfume. Michala was watching her and wondering how long her friends would want to continue the morning. Kelly looked sexy in dark green T-shirt tucked into blue jeans. Of course, she thought Kelly looked sexy in anything.

"Is Randa coming over?" Kelly asked, the change in tone a warning bell for Michala. She sounded serious.

Susan laughed. "No. Actually you and Shan shouldn't be here. It's Saturday. Michala needs to explain that to you."

Michala caught Kelly's eyes when she glanced over. She grinned at the perplexed expression. "The three of us get together on Saturday mornings. We do brunch and catch up. No girlfriends."

Kelly darted a look over at Jess and Susan. Michala blinked as she caught the flash of anger in her blue eyes. There was something about that that Kelly didn't like. Was it the brunch with no girlfriends? Michala mentally sighed. Kelly wouldn't be the first girlfriend to dislike the tradition.

"I'll try to remember that," Kelly replied, her smile too amused for her to be really upset about it.

Their gazes met and the warning bell sounded louder. Michala put her cup down and braced herself. Kelly hadn't just dropped by to see her. "All right Kelly. What's wrong?"

Michala was prepared for Kelly to say she wanted them to talk in private. She told herself she was ready for Kelly to tell her that this had gone too far too fast. She had tried not to be hurt when Kelly declined to spend the night with her last night. She tried to believe it wasn't because she had scared Kelly in her apartment that afternoon. It was hard to sell it to herself.

She wasn't prepared for Kelly to reach for her hand, to slide her chair closer. She didn't know what to think when Kelly sat forward and met her eyes in a direct gaze. "I love you. I never thought I would find you and now that I have, I'm not letting you go. Do you understand? No matter what I am not letting you go."

Michala's world stopped. She stared into Kelly's determined eyes and her world came to a screeching stop. The hands holding hers tightened when she would have pulled away. She searched Kelly's eyes and saw the truth. "What did he do to you?"

Her heart thundered painfully in her chest. She wasn't sure if the buzzing in her head was from lack of oxygen or only a prelude to her fainting. This couldn't be happening. Whatever it was, and she knew with every cell in her body that he had done something, it could not be happening. She tried once more to pull away from Kelly. Kelly shook her head.

"He sent me a letter. At Dani's. Kendall already has it."

So many questions. Michala fought to sort out the questions bombarding her mind. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Okay, he sent Kelly a letter. A letter to her home. He knew who she was and where she lived. "What did it say?"

She opened her eyes when Kelly remained silent. "What did he say to you Kelly?"

"He told me to enjoy you while I can, you won't be mine for long. I was disappointed. I thought I would at least rate my own threat." She tried to smile.

Michala's own smile was bitter. "Sounds like a threat to me. If he kills you, he'll be right. I wasn't yours for long."

"That's not how he meant it Michala." The words were sharp and angry. "This wasn't directed at me."

Michala stood up. Kelly followed her. Michala tried to take a step back, but Kelly held her next to her with a vice grip on her hands. "Don't tell me what he meant like you know. You don't. Unless you're channeling him, you're just trying to spin this so I won't freak out. He knows who you are. He knows where you live. I'm not going to just sit here and nod while you try to convince me he's not coming after you."

"He's not coming for me. He doesn't want me. He wants you."

"Let go of my hands Kelly. Now."

"You aren't pushing me out of your life over this Michala. Don't even try it. I'm not losing you over this. Nod that you agree and I'll let go."

Brown warred with blue. Michala saw the steely resolution in Kelly's eyes and believed she would stand there forever if Michala didn't agree with her. Michala reached for the cool poise that was her trademark. When she felt calm and in control, she nodded her head once. She could say whatever she had to say. She needed space to think. To get that, she could promise anything and feel no remorse when she broke it.

Kelly released one hand. She pulled Michala against her and used her free hand to cup Michala's face. "I'm not that stupid." The kiss was soft and gentle, an oddly comforting contrast to the brute force Kelly had used to keep her next to her.

Once free, Michala walked to the edge of the patio and wrapped her arms around herself. How could she have been so stupid? Any one of the women she brought back home could have been targeted. How could she not have realized that? Behind her she heard Susan speaking. She deliberately blocked out the words. She didn't want to be reasonable. She didn't want to be rational. She knew her friends were going to be both. Let them. This wasn't their life flaming down around them. It was hers.

It was her life and she was tired of having to deal with it. She sighed and dropped her head as the thought came to mind. She knew that feeling all too well. It was the feeling that got her where she was today, exiled to live in someone else's home. Standing in someone else's yard while her life was discussed like the soap opera it was. Decisions made by a committee she was on only grudgingly.

"I need a drink," She announced to no one in particular. She moved quickly to the kitchen and went through the motions of taking down a glass and standing at the sink. When she was certain no one had followed her inside, she headed for the front door. She had to go somewhere else, be anywhere but here. Her keys were on the hallway table along with her sunglasses. She snatched up both and shrugged away the consequences of her actions.

She was a grown woman. She was single and over twenty-one. She could always say "I'm sorry" later.


Well that couldn't have gone much worse. Kelly watched Michala flee the patio and her heart sank because she knew Michala was running away from her. She wished many things right then, but chief among them was a wish to have had a choice in telling her about the letter. Absolutely nothing was gained and way too much had been lost. It was a perfect Saturday and Kelly hated him for making her the one who ruined it.

She walked to the table for her coffee. The cup was halfway to her lips, her eyes on Michala's place setting, when realization hit. "Son of a bitch."

With the others trailing behind her in confusion, Kelly moved quickly through the house. She knew the kitchen would be empty. Just as she knew Michala wasn't upstairs. She went to the front door and slung it open already knowing she would see an empty spot instead of a shiny red Corvette. Susan and Jess pushed past her with violent oaths to stand in the yard. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. If she hadn't been so busy beating herself up, Kelly hoped she would have seen Michala's leaving the patio for the ruse it was. She should know by now that running away from her problems was how Michala coped with them. The lesson was hard to remember because it was such an immature attitude coming from someone like Michala.

"Any ideas where she went?" she asked them. She didn't expect them to know. For best friends, they were astonishingly clueless when it came to Michala.

Susan turned to stare at her. "None. You?"

Several places flitted across her mind. The new offices, her parents, the Center, Georgia, the Eastern seaboard. She shook her head as no place stood out in her mind. Michala could literally go anywhere. She had the money and the time to go on an extended vacation anywhere in the world she wanted. Would she leave without saying anything to anyone? "Call Randa. She can't leave without telling her. They're expecting Michala to be working Monday."

"Then I'll call Lynne. Michala can leave without telling Randa. She can't leave Lynne without telling. Lynne isn't going to demand anything from her."

"Fine." She turned to Jess. "Is there anything you can do officially?"

Jess shook her head and walked over to stand next to her. "But I can do a lot unofficially. So can Paige."

"Come on," Shannon said when they were the only ones left, the only ones with no one to call or anything to do. "Let's go inside."

What Shannon really meant to say was "Let's go inside and wait on the patio." And that's what Kelly did. She sat on the sun washed patio and waited as phone calls zipped around the city. An APB was out on Michala's car. Police cars added more patrols around the Center and the new offices. Someone called Michala's cell phone every ten minutes. Her credit cards and bankcard were being monitored for activity. Theoretically Michala couldn't make a move without them knowing. The actuality of not knowing where she was six hours later was wearing on Kelly's nerves. She wanted to do more than sit and wait.

Kelly had gone through all the emotions. From thoughts of killing Michala to save them all the trouble of him doing it to making a deal with God that if he brought her back soon she would not strangle her. Now she just wanted her back so that this day could end. She knew when it started that it wasn't going to be one of the better days of her life. She had no way to know it would be this bad. She wasn't sure if she had known she would have told Michala about the letter. She would have preferred for Michala to be angry with her for keeping something like this from her.

"Shan's calling for pizza. Any preferences?"

"Say Supreme extra cheese no mushrooms."

The voice tried to be cool and controlled. She sounded weary and defeated. Kelly stood up and turned to face her. Michala, her clothes rumpled, stood a step onto the patio. Her eyes were huge and black in a face drained of color.

"Oh God," Jess said and rushed to envelope Michala in a full body hug. "Oh God."

Michala allowed herself to be held for several long minutes. Finally Michala pulled away and reached to wipe away the silent tears on her friend's face. "Go order pizza. We'll be in a minute."

Kelly wanted to follow Jess' lead and simply hold Michala. Everything in her wanted to pull Michala tight against her, to reassure herself that Michala was as unmarked as she looked. Michala came over to stand in front of her. The uncertainty in her eyes almost broke down Kelly's resolve.

"I'm sorry."

If only she had said anything else. If only she had said nothing at all. Kelly would have pulled her close. Those two words were the last two words Kelly wanted to hear. She stepped away from Michala. "I can't do this. I won't do this. What you did is inexcusable and so is saying you're sorry when you know you'll do it again. I'm not your friends Michala. I don't want a ringside seat to watch you self-destruct. If you get your act together call me. Otherwise I'll keep vigil with the newspaper. I know your murder will make the front page."

She didn't touch Michala as she left her standing on the darkening patio. Her iron will kept her voice calm and even as she told Jess she was leaving. She saw the questions on their faces, saw their eyes dart to the open patio door. Let Michala explain. Let her tell her friends whatever she wanted to tell them. She paused by Randa long enough to tell her she would be at her office tomorrow working and Randa should come by at some point to pick up files.

"We're way behind," she said pointedly. "Sam's been holding down the fort long enough."

The silence she left in her wake was tangible. She forced all thoughts of Michala and the day from her mind as she drove away. She believed every word she told Michala. She also knew she would not be able to keep her end of it if she allowed herself to think about Michala. Work, she would think about work. She had a lot to do before Monday. She wanted to be up to speed by the time they met at ten Monday and she was going to have to put in a lot of hours for that to happen.

By the time she reached the dark townhouse, she was calm. Whatever happened tomorrow could never be as bad as today. And as bad as today had been, she was still standing. She could do this because it was the right thing for her to do. The other option was to be a silent witness as Michala destroyed herself. Kelly didn't love her enough for that.

Kelly spent the rest of the night finishing up the tasks she had neglected. She felt like her life had been on hold and was now moving forward again. Yes, whatever happened tomorrow had to be better than what happened today. She lost Michala today.


"Cayla?"

"I'm fine Miranda. I'll be in soon."

What a day. Michala dropped down onto a chaise lounge and stretched out. It neither started nor ended the way she would have chose, but if had to start the way it did she was grateful for the way it ended. Her only thought when she left here was to get as far away as she could. She drove aimlessly, her thoughts wandering from plan to rejected plan. Leaving Atlanta wasn't an option. She was just getting her life back on track. She refused to let him run her off now. Once she knew she was staying and dealing, the rest of her time was spent on what to do with Kelly. She wanted Kelly as far away from her life as she could get her. It was the how that kept hanging her up. Even when she came back and walked onto the patio, she still wasn't sure how she was going to arrange it.

She smiled her first heart felt smile of the day. Thank you Kelly. Remind me that I owe you one when this is all over. Providing of course when this was all over that Kelly was still speaking to her. She had to acknowledge at least the possibility, however unlikely. Kelly wanted more with her. She was sure of that.

"Cayla?"

Absently she turned to look up at her sister. "Hmm?"

"Are you all right?"

Michala pushed herself to her feet and looped her arm with Miranda's. "Is that pizza here yet? I'm starving."

Miranda resisted her tugging. Michala stopped and faced her. "What?"

Eyes identical to her own searched her face. The mirror image of her face frowned in confusion. "What happened with Kelly? She wasn't out here long enough for you to have a fight."

Michala was astonished her sister chose to tackle that subject, and by herself, too. She thought Jess and Susan would be the ones asking her questions. She forced the amusement she felt at the situation down deep. "She said I'm childish and selfish. She told me to get in touch with her when I grow up."

Miranda's reaction was comical. Her eyes popped open, her mouth opened and from that expression, Michala guessed her brain was frozen. She laughed and reached over to close her mouth with one finger. "She was right. And I will call her, when it's over."

"When it's over? You mean when he's caught?"

"Yes."

The seconds ticked by as Miranda stared at her without expression. Finally she nodded and crossed her arms over her chest. "You planned that didn't you? You wanted her out of her life and you wanted it to be her idea."

"You give me too much credit Miranda. Yes, I wanted her out of my life. But I was more than willing for it to be my fault. This way is better. This way she doesn't come back until I let her." This way was so much better than any she would have planned.

Miranda laughed and slid her arm around her shoulders. "Don't count on that, Cayla. I think you've met your match with that one. Kelly's told me she's in love with you and that you belong to her. I doubt very much this is going to keep her away for long."

Michala shrugged and followed her sister inside. "There's always my righteous anger. I get to say 'How dare you' and 'You have a lot of nerve'. Not to mention a few pointed silences. Whatever it takes." She grinned at Jess. "You'll give me a restraining order if I ask for one won't you?"

Jess looked up from her slice of pizza. "Sure. I won't even ask for who or why."

Michala went to the counter. She was starving and her tummy was getting vocal now that it could smell food. She'd had only one priority over the day and getting food wasn't it. She grabbed a slice, dropped it on a paper plate, and reached over to pour herself a glass of Coke.

"You should. It's for Kelly."

Michala threw her sister an exasperated glare, but gave into the inevitable without a fight. She had to tell them and this worked. They finished off the two medium pizzas, several liters of Coke and rehashed her day from the moment Kelly left until Kelly mentioned her letter. By that time it was several hours later. Michala was never so happy to see one day end.

Later, when the probing was over and she had been hugged by one and all, she was allowed upstairs for a hot shower. She slipped away gratefully. She wanted nothing more than to wash away this day and start over fresh tomorrow. Or rather, start over on Monday. Her sabbatical from life was over. The absence had its purpose and she was stronger for it. She was ready to move on.



One month. Four weeks of silence. Twenty-eight days of no contact. And now, for the first time since she walked out of Jessica's house, she was parking her car near the temporary offices for The Cary Center. Kelly stared at the double glass doors. Randa was useless, or circumspect depending on your point of view. Every one of Kelly's carefully indifferent questions was answered with equal indifference. Michala was fine. The Center was fine. Kelly stopped asking. It might have been worth seeing Randa's knowing grin if she actually learned something.

She knew a little more than that. The work was beginning on The Cary Center. Michala wasn't just repairing the damage, she was remodeling. Kelly got that from the onsite foreman. For some reason he believed her when she said she was a staff member. She knew Michala was haunting the bar several nights a week. She knew she hadn't left with anyone. Kelly wasn't sure what she would have done if Shannon told Dani Michala was leaving with women. Reasonable didn't seem within the realm of possibilities.

With a deep breath, she left the sanctuary of her car. She wasn't here to see Michala. There wasn't any reason for butterflies to be dive-bombing in her stomach. She was here for a DVIT meeting with Randa and Sam. All things considered, she was a little skeptical they hadn't had to meet here before now. She paused a few steps from the entrance and adjusted her blazer. She belonged. She had a legitimate reason to be here.

The temp offices reflected their status. Unlike the Center, there was little care given to the ambience. The furniture was the functional generic kind typical of overworked and under funded government offices. She knew Michala hadn't chosen the pea green paint or brown carpeting. The only added touch was the magazines scattered over the spindly tables. Apparently any space was a doctor's office as long as it had magazines.

"Hey Lieutenant. We haven't seen you in a while."

Kelly smiled at the cheerful greeting. She went to the makeshift reception area. "Yes, it's my first time here."

Jayne, receptionist and Georgia State student, grimaced at her heavy wooden desk and file cabinet. She was seated next to the hallway that led to the smaller rooms serving as offices. "I'll be glad when we move back. Randa's last appointment is still in. If you want some coffee, go to the end of the hall. Michala setup a break area in last room. It's on the right."

Kelly walked slowly down the hallway. Her gaze slid over the first two closed doors. No names adorned the plain paneled doors. She paused to listen to the voices. Which office was hers? Kelly blinked as she realized what she was doing and disgusted with herself, she marched down to the last room on the right. She was pathetic. And after four weeks, she was angry Michala had made no effort to talk to her.

The break room was generously stocked with brewed coffee, gallon jugs of tea, and a variety of snacks. Kelly made herself a cup of coffee and was pondering over a selection of pastries. The cheese Danish was calling to her. She heard a door open and turned to face the doorway.

Randa strolled into the room and paused when she saw her. Her smile was brief. "Oh good, you're here. Sam called. She's running a little late."

"Is this going to take long? I skipped breakfast." Kelly was planning on an early lunch until Sam called. Randa couldn't get away and they needed to bring the Monday meeting to her. Now Kelly was hoping for a snack before supper.

Randa waved her hand over the room. "Get something. We've got a ton of food here."

While that was true and Michala probably didn't buy all of it, Kelly was uncomfortable with the thought. She didn't even believe Michala would begrudge her if she did partake. "No thanks. I don't want empty calories."

Randa leaned over the box of pastries and turned to glance at her once before reaching into the box. She withdrew the cheese Danish Kelly was contemplating. She put it on a small plate and handed it over. "Take it. I don't want to pig out alone."

Kelly could only smile as Randa selected a chocolate croissant and cheerfully bit off an end. "Come on. The sooner we start, the sooner we finish."

They finished two hours later. The first hour was spent going through hers and Randa's files. The first half of the second hour was spent getting more coffee, another Danish and seeing Michala walking away from her down the hall. Kelly left Randa's office hoping Michala had left for the day. She could barely keep her mind on their conversation as it was. She wanted to leave the building and go for an early supper without having to face that particular demon today. She didn't think she had it in her to be indifferent face to face.

The three of them were walking down the hall. Sam and Randa were behind her discussing a case. Kelly saw daylight in the form of bright sunlight coming through the double doors. All she had to do was walk through them. She was looking ahead thinking only of escaping when one side of the doors opened. Randa called out to the smartly dressed strawberry blonde before she could take two steps into the office.

"Hey Bre. I don't think Cayla's ready yet. You can wait in my office if you want. I'm finished for the day."

The woman brushed past her leaving a trail of Chanel. Kelly turned to watch her move down the hall. She paused at one of the doors and knocked twice before moving onto Randa's office. Kelly looked over at Randa when the woman vanished into her office. The dark eyes refused to meet hers. So that's how it was. Kelly turned and headed for the door.

"I'm going to find a burger somewhere. You both have a good day." She called as she lengthened the distance between her and them. They were standing in front of the offices when she drove by and lifted a hand to wave at her. Kelly forced herself to return the gesture. She wasn't giving Randa any reason to think Bre bothered her. After all, she was the one who left Michala.

The line between reason and irrationality was painfully thin and way too easy to cross. There she was driving down the road, her thoughts forcibly locked on the search for food and in the next second she was making an illegal U-turn into oncoming traffic, her thoughts on that strawberry blonde. How dare Michala. How dare she have another lover without at least talking to her? As a Psychiatrist she should know Kelly wasn't serious about not wanting to see her. Right? Right!

This time she barely had her car parked before she was leaping out and covering the distance to the front doors in ground eating strides. She flung the door open and barely paused at the desk.

"Which office is hers?" It irked her to have to ask. She should know which office was Michala's. She had earned the right to know which office was hers.

"Um, well, Michala's is third on the left," Jayne said uncertainly. "Her last patient just left."

"Thanks," she muttered as she was moving down the hallway. She opened the door to the third office on the left and stepped into the room without warning. One part of her was afraid of what she would walk in on and the other was seething and ready to accuse if she did.

Michala was sitting at her desk making notes in a file. Her head snapped up when her door opened and the surprise on her face quickly turned to anger. She tossed her gold Cross pen to the desk. "I could be in here with a patient."

"No you couldn't. Jayne said your last patient just left."

Kelly shut the door a little harder than she should have and approached the desk. After two steps Bre blocked her path. Kelly pulled up short and stared at the woman in open hostility. She hadn't realized she was in the office. "Get out of my way."

The woman crossed her arms over her chest and met her furious stare calmly. "You have two choices lady. You either leave on your own or I'll toss your ass out. I don't have a preference."

She was taller than Kelly by several significant inches and out weighted her just as impressively. Her shoulders were broad and well-defined under her black silk shirt. The expression in her narrowed black eyes was hard and challenging. Kelly was reasonably certain she would lose in a fight. "Then I guess you toss me out."

"It's all right Bre. Why don't you go get yourself a drink?"

Bre didn't budge a muscle. "I'm not thirsty, if it's all the same to you."

"She's not going to hurt me."

Very grudgingly Bre relaxed and tossed Michala a quick look over her shoulder. "Whatever you say." She stepped even with Kelly. "I hear any yelling I'll be on you like a two ton truck."

The door shut behind the woman with a sharp click. A bemused smile graced Michala's face. Kelly crossed the remaining space. "Well that didn't take long."

Michala shrugged and reached for her pen. "It never does. Why are you here?"

Kelly sat down without invitation. "Monday meeting. Sam and I came to Randa."

"No, not here in general, here in my office. I know you have no business with me."

The next few seconds were hard for Kelly. It wasn't so much the words that cut. It was the cold distance in Michala's eyes that met hers in a steady gaze. She realized in that instant just how much she really didn't know the blonde woman. Apparently learning what made her moan was more important than learning how she reacted to ultimatums. It was a tactical error she wasn't sure how to correct.

"How are you?" Of all the questions she could ask, that seemed the safest. The others bordered dangerously on the jealousy line. Michala wasn't going to let her get away with that.

The answering smile was sly and amused. "Great. And you?"

Why did she come in here? Michala didn't come after her when she walked off the patio that night. Michala had neither called nor tried to see her in the time since. She had no reason to think Michala wanted to see her so she really had no reason to be surprised that Michala wasn't happy she was in her office wasting her expensive time. "I'm sorry. You're right. I shouldn't be here. I won't make this mistake again."

Kelly left as quickly as her shredded dignity allowed. The walk from Michala's office to her car was made without conscious thought. She was driving away before she truly realized where she was. She took a deep breath when she saw that her hands were shaking. That had to be the most unpleasant conversation she'd ever had in her life. Here was the most important person in her life acting as if they were mere acquaintances. She pulled her car off into a shopping center parking lot and rested her forehead against the steering wheel.

How was she going to stay in Atlanta after this?


Michala didn't look up as her office door opened less than a minute after Kelly left. She knew it wasn't Kelly. Not after she saw the hope in Kelly's eyes curl up and die. Michala squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn't think about that. She couldn't not hurt Kelly if it meant giving her any reason to come near Michala again. She was angry Kelly had gotten as close as she had. After the sacrifices she made, she didn't want it to be for nothing.

"Everything all right?"

"I only have a few more files. I won't need you tonight Bre. I think I'll stay home." And it wasn't like the last few times she had gone out had made an impression on him. She was still getting letters, though she had not actually seen them. Someone was calling for her during office hours and always hung up when asked for a name. Kendall told her the calls were being made from phone booths. Michala wondered to herself if they were being wise in keeping her so out of reach. Because unless something happened to push him over the edge, he could keep the status quo forever.

"She's pretty. I think she would have taken me on."

Michala cast a glance up as she signed her name. Bre was leaning near the door. Her grin was cocky. Michala chuckled and closed the file. "I think you're right. You might have been surprised. Kelly's a Lieutenant."

"Really?" Bre drawled, intrigued. "Maybe next time-"

Michala's head shot up at the challenging tone. "There won't be a next time. She's my girlfriend. I don't want her hurt."

Except the wounds I inflict myself, Michala added silently. Wounds she hoped she would be given the chance to kiss and make better. This had to end soon. They had to catch him or he had to slip up because Michala knew time was running short. She couldn't put Kelly off forever, if only because she didn't want to. She wanted Kelly back in her life.

Bre stood up at her tone and nodded before sitting in the chair in front of her desk. "I'm sorry. I thought she was out of the picture."

"No, I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting to see her. I don't like playing this charade. And she's very much in the picture."

Her friends weren't making it any easier. They thought Kelly deserved a vote and failing that, that she at least deserved to know the truth. Michala didn't much care what they thought. She knew Jess and Susan would take her same stand if this was Shannon or Miranda. It was easy for them to criticize. They weren't standing in her place; their girlfriends weren't targeted by a maniac.

"Are you sure about tonight? I was looking forward to playing pool with your friends."

Michala sat back in her chair and regarded the executive bodyguard. An interesting thing was happening to Bre on her latest assignment. She had gone from being obviously uncomfortable with Michala's orientation and the places it was taking her to making little statements like that one. "I don't have to be there for you to go. It's not like you have to be a card carrying member to get in the door."

Now let's see what she does with that. Bre flushed, predictably, before smiling. "You're right, I don't. Do you think Valerie will be there?"

"You never know who'll be there." Although Michala was certain if Valerie hadn't planned on being there before, she would after Michala called her. Valerie was single and didn't pass up on interested, available women.

"Is she, um, seeing anyone? I wouldn't want anyone to get upset if I played with her."

By sheer will, not to mention hundreds of hours of listening to people make the most outrageous confessions, Michala managed not to laugh. Play with her? Did Bre even realize how that sounded? She bent her head over her files to hide the gleam she knew she was in her eyes. "You know I don't think she is."

She spent the next fifteen minutes finishing up her files and answering other questions about Valerie. Michala tried not to be too amused by Bre's enthusiasm. She could barely recall her own awakening, but conceded she probably had not been too different. Of course she was fourteen at the time and Bre was a twenty-year vet of the Secret Service.

They were the last to leave. Bre waited patiently by the doors while Michala locked up. In addition to the alarm system, they had twenty four hour video. Kendall was checking out people who stood out. So far only a few men had caught her eye. Michala had to assume he wasn't one of them. When everything was set, she let Bre lead her to her car. When she first contracted with Bre's company she found their operating procedures to be somewhat draconian. The list of rules was as long as her arm. The penalty for flagrant violation was abandonment. She was told pointedly they only bothered with people who wanted protection. If she was going to make independent decisions, she could make those without paying them. Rule one was no driving herself anywhere.

"Bre if I wanted to go away for a weekend, how would that be handled?" It was a risk. He could follow her out of town just as easily as he did in Atlanta. She might even be a better target in some small cabin in the woods. She closed her eyes and laid her head against the car seat. Maybe if she registered under someone else's name and left in some car he couldn't connect with her in any way.

"Are you serious?" She couldn't see Bre's expression behind her sunglasses.

Michala nodded decisively. "Yeah, I am."


The last person Kelly wanted to see sitting on her doorstep was Randa. Well that wasn't exactly true. The last person she wanted to see was Michala and as they were twins it was pretty much the same thing. She thought about going to the bar. She thought about finding someone to spend the night with, but gave that thought up the second it crossed her mind. Unlike some people she didn't make a habit of bed hopping. Her mood was already surly and seeing Randa waiting for her didn't improve it.

"Bre's her bodyguard."

Kelly's plan was to step over Randa and shut the door in her face. She had her supper, barbecue chicken with the works, and she was looking forward to washing it down with a six-pack of Coronas. She stared down at Randa, her mind suddenly empty of every thought save the echo of her words. She sat down next to her. "What?"

"Bre's her bodyguard. She takes her to work. She picks her up. The only time Bre's not with her is at work or home."

Bodyguard. That did explain the attitude quite satisfactorily. Now that she could think of Bre in a better light, she was relieved when she recalled how willingly she stepped in front of her. How certain she was that Bre could take her. "Why are you telling me this?"

Randa peered into her bag and took one of her beers. She twisted off the cap. "I didn't want you to do something stupid. She wants you away from her Kelly. Her plan is to make this up to you after it's over. Right now she doesn't want you anywhere near her."

Kelly opened her own bottle. "I've already done something stupid. She made it very clear she didn't want me around."

"What?" Randa asked in confusion.

Kelly was glad her mad dash to and from their offices had at least one less spectator. Not that it mattered since she was about to tell Randa all. "I went back to her office. Stormed in. Faced off with Bre. Got asked by Michala why I was in her office since she knew she didn't have any business with me. Left badly."

She drained half her bottle. She didn't come off any better in the highlights than she did during the whole scene. However, then at least, she didn't realize she was making a fool of herself. God, how she must have looked to Michala. She wondered how much less Michala thought of her now. Sighing, she finished off her beer. "Do you want to come in? I bought a lot."

Randa nodded and followed her inside. "Sure, thanks. Is it any consolation that she misses you?"

Kelly found that hard to believe. The woman she saw in that office wasn't missing her. She was furious with Kelly for being there. Everything she said was calculated to force Kelly to do exactly what she did. She did take comfort in the fact that Michala didn't let Bre throw her into the street. That had to mean something.

"Very little. I can take care of myself. I don't need her standing in front of me." She was a trained and experienced police officer. The last thing she needed was someone protecting her.

Randa was silent while she gathered eating utensils. She handed her a plate and fork. They served themselves and took their supper to the patio. She spoke softly when they were settled. "You said you know her. You said you love her. Tell me, how much of her do you think will be left if something happened to you?"

"Nothing is going to happen to me." The words were harsher than she intended. She hated that Randa had a point.

"Are you really willing to risk her sanity on something you can't promise? I'm not. I don't care how much this chafes you. I don't give a damn about your ego. Let her do this however is best for her. You aren't the one who has to live with the consequences."

Aren't I? Kelly barely stopped herself from asking the question. Randa was right, she couldn't make that promise and that made anything else she could say moot. Michala needed that reassurance and keeping Kelly out of her circle was the only way she could have it. As hard as it was on her, Kelly had to give her that. Michala was living with enough guilt.

"I'll make you a deal. I'll stay away if you tell me what's going on. I don't want to be blindsided again."

Without thinking it over, Randa tapped her bottle against Kelly's. "Deal."


Michala was enjoying her own drink on the patio. Hers was white wine, a crisp Chardonnay. It would go well with the chicken she had roasting in the oven. She closed her eyes as a fragrant breeze drifted over her. She groaned as the image behind her eyes wasn't a relaxing vision to go along with her pleasant surroundings. Kelly's face and those wounded blue eyes. How was it that her life kept taking wrong turns? Even a simple day at work couldn't go as planned. She could still feel the vibration of shock as Kelly stormed into her office. Her only hope, and she had precious little of that commodity left, was that somehow some way nothing would come of it.

The idea of getting away was appealing. They could go to a cabin or to the shore. Two nights with no distractions, with nothing to do but indulge in each other. She closed her eyes again and sipped from her glass. Could she arrange it? Through phone tag and friends, with whatever subterfuge her cop friends could pull, could they risk it? She sighed and realized it wasn't a question of could, it was should. Should they risk it? No plan would be perfect. There was no way she could guarantee he wouldn't catch on. And if she couldn't have a guarantee she wasn't going to put Kelly at that kind of risk.

"That was sad. What are you thinking about?"

The warm voice brought to her feet. Shannon was smiling at her. Michala wasn't getting used to this new Shannon easily. After years of polite smiles and stilted conversation from Shannon, she was caught off guard by her warmth and compassion. Shannon raised an eyebrow in silent question. She sat down in the chair next to Michala's and gestured for her to sit.

Michala met the patient hazel eyes and smiled. "I'm glad I got this chance to get to know you, Shannon. Jess is a very lucky woman."

Shannon blinked as if surprised by the sincerity. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

The sat in silent for several long minutes. Michala finished her glass of wine. Shannon held a glass over for her when she picked up the bottle. Michala filled both glasses. This was nice way to end a bad day at work. She could do this more often.

"So what were you thinking that was so sad when I came out?"

Or maybe not. As much as she liked Shannon, and she was beginning to like her a lot, she wasn't at the point where she felt comfortable sharing. Sadly, she didn't feel that she had much of a choice at the moment. Shannon had welcomed her into her home and helped her to feel safe and secure. She wasn't going to throw that in her face because they weren't bosom buddies.

"I hurt Kelly today. Maybe if I had known she was in the office or if I thought she would come into mine, I might have handled it better. I was just so furious that she took such a risk. On the way home I asked Bre what would happen if I wanted to get away for a weekend. She said it could be done. When you walked out I had just given up on the idea. I can't take that risk with her."

"How did you hurt her?"

Michala laid her head back and stared up at the darkening sky. "She thought Bre was my new lover. I let her."

Her life really didn't need this added complication. Why couldn't Kelly just stay away until this was over? It was easier not to think about her if she didn't have reminders. She could pretend the attraction wasn't as strong and that her desire wasn't as deep. Now all she was remembering was how Kelly felt in her arms. How soft her lips were when they kissed. The sounds she made when they touched. How after today memories could be all that she had left to remember Kelly.

"That had to hurt."

Michala tipped her glass and finished off her drink. "Very much by the look in her eyes."

They needed another bottle of wine. She was reasonably sure she saw another Chardonnay hidden on a bottom shelf in the fridge. If not, she would see what they had in the wet bar. There was always that bottle of red.

Shannon caught her arm when she sat forward to stand. "I meant for you. I know you don't want to cause Kelly pain. I happen to agree with what you're doing. Doing what you did to today must've been hard for you."

Michala wasn't sure which statement surprised her more. She didn't think anyone agreed with her plan. Jess and Susan had been vocal enough in their disapproval. They thought Kelly was a big girl who could take care of herself. Her family thought she owed Kelly the courtesy of telling her the truth. She was astonished Shannon of all people saw her point of view on this. She grinned at the other woman. "How would you like to replace Jess as my best friend? I think I like you better."

"I wouldn't take her up on that offer, Shan. She's a pain in the ass at best."

Shannon's delighted smile erupted into laughter at Jess' droll reply. They both turned to look at Jess standing behind them. She held a glass in her left hand and the other bottle of white in her right. As if they had rehearsed it, they both held out their empty glasses.

"Call her," Shannon said and stood up. She leaned into Jess to kiss her. "I understand why you're doing what you're doing. If I were Kelly, I would forgive you when this was over. I don't know that I could forgive you for today. You don't have to tell her anything other than the truth about Bre."

Jess watched her girlfriend walk inside the house before she sat in Shannon's chair. "Something happened today with Kelly?"

Michala didn't bother trying to sort out her feelings or wonder if what she was about to do was right or wrong. She wanted to talk to Kelly. Their confrontation gave her a reason to call. She needed to call her. For her own sanity, she needed to know she had a chance with Kelly when this was over. Shannon's words hit a nerve. She didn't need doubts over Kelly plaguing her thoughts.

"Ask Shannon. I have a call to make."

Michala took her wine to Jess' office. She knew Shannon would keep her lover occupied until she was finished. Sitting down at the desk and picking up the receiver was the easy part. Even dialing the number came without hesitation. It was only when the phone began to ring that she panicked. Suddenly she wasn't so sure this was the right thing to do. What if Kelly misunderstood the purpose of the call? What if she didn't care who Bre was anymore? What if she preferred to never hear Michala's voice again in this lifetime?

"Hello?"

Michala closed her eyes as her phenomenal string of incredibly bad luck remained unbroken. Of course Danielle couldn't answer her own phone. Of course Kelly wasn't out drowning her memory in some dark bar. No, she was sitting in Danielle's townhouse with nothing better to do than answer a phone that wasn't even hers. "Do you know someone who can remove the curse on me?"

"What?" Kelly asked in her official I-carry-a-badge-and-gun voice. "Who is this?"

"Bre is my bodyguard. I don't go anywhere without her."

"So you're not a complete idiot. I had my doubts."

The words held just enough smugness for Michala to get over feeling bad about letting Kelly believe she was with Bre. Michala stood up in anticipation of ending the call. She'd done what Shannon said she should do. "You're not the first. You won't be the last. Goodnight Kelly."

This time she did hang up the receiver. She felt oddly better for having made the call.


Continued in Chapter 11.