It is with respect for the artists that I quote "Ghost," by the Indigo Girls, "The Letting Go," by Melissa Etheridge and "Fool To Fall" by Pearl River. An excerpt from Sarah McLaughlin's song, "Hold On," is also being used without permission or knowledge of the artist.

Violence Disclaimer: This story contains scenes of violence, implied rape, and graphic crime scene detail. While this is necessary to the plot and tastefully done, if this sort of thing bothers you, you might not want to go any further.

Tenderness Disclaimer: This story also contains scenes of extreme love and tenderness that may force your knees to go weak or your heart to pitter and then patter. In some cases, you might even find yourself exclaiming... "Awwwww… ain't that sweet?"

The author wishes to thank: Jennifer for giving me the courage and the inspiration to start this project and see it through. Pati, Jess and Gin for reading this in the beginning and then allowing me to use them in the story. I hope I portrayed you all as you want to be seen. Thanks too to the dogs for jumping on the bed and drooling on the keyboard during all the crucial parts, trust me, eight really is enough!

Thanks to My Warrior, who has become my wife; your beta reading talents were sorely tried during the writing of this book. I still haven't mastered comma placement, periods or dangling participles and I doubt I ever will *G*, but thanks for loving me and keeping me well fed anyway. You believed in me when I didn't believe in myself, I'll never be able to thank you enough for all the love and encouragement you've given me.

Comments and feedback are welcomed and appreciated at : mac10k@earthlink.net

Part 4

Morning found Megan with a crick in her neck from leaning on the wall all night and Morgan with cotton mouth from too much booze. Megan stirred first and eased Morgan's body from her lap, patting the still damp hair she tried to ease the agent into wakefulness.

"Come on Tigger it's time to get up."

"Yeah, yeah give me a minute, my heads gonna explode."

"How about a cup of coffee and an English muffin?"

"Sounds good, put some of that sliced turkey breast and a little avocado on it and we're in business."

"God you eat like a kid Morgan, think of what you're doing to your body."

"Can you hold off on being a nurse until after breakfast Meg? I'm starving! Hey, put some of that garlic cream cheese spread on it too."

"Ugh, I give up! Don't blame me if your stomach rebels. Go brush your teeth and I'll make the coffee."

Megan waited until she heard the water running in the sink before heading downstairs to start breakfast. Seeing the note from Kathryn lying on the bar she picked it up and read it, quickly tossing it inside Morgan's briefcase and setting it on the floor.

She poured them coffee and made Morgan's sandwich deciding on plain muffins and jelly for herself. She was amazed at the things Morgan ate and still remained alive. Normal people just didn't eat stuff like that and look like her.

Fifteen minutes later Morgan appeared and took the offered coffee and sandwich, swinging her long leg over a barstool and settling in. She had combed her hair and dressed while Megan cooked breakfast and now found herself at a loss for words. She remembered everything that happened the night before and was more than a little embarrassed to have been caught like that. Wallowing around in self-pity wasn't her style and letting someone else see that in her was even worse.

Clearing her throat she took a stab at ending the silence between them and maybe repairing some damage too. "I...uh, well I want to thank you for last night Meg, you didn't have to do that."

"Yeah well it's nice to know you're human sometimes Tigger, for a while there you had me fooled."

"I can tell you that right now I feel all too human, it would be nice to take my head off for a few hours. Thanks for bringing my guitar home too."

"You're welcome babe, but I meant what I said last night. You need to go find her and bring her home. What you two share is too special not to fight for it."

Morgan laid her cup and saucer in the sink and walked up behind Megan, slipping her arms around the slender waist she hugged the smaller woman to her.

"You're pretty special too you know. I'm am so very sorry for the way things turned out between us; if I could do it all over again I would have treated you better. I'm amazed that you even want to be my friend let alone that you forgive me."

"We all have to grow up sometime Tigger, just took you a little longer than most babe. But you know I wouldn't have traded our time together for anything in the world. Did us both a little good in the long run no matter how much it hurt at the time."

Morgan released her grip and moved away, looking in the sincere brown eyes holding hers she saw the truth in Megan's words and was glad to know that she did indeed still have her friend.

"You were always too good for me Meg. Much as I would like to stay and talk to you I need to catch a flight for Rhode Island. Work comes between us once again."

"That's okay babe, we'll talk later. Take care of yourself huh?"

"I will."

Morgan walked Megan to her car and stood watching as she rounded the curve and disappeared from sight. With a sigh she picked up her briefcase and climbed into her truck returning once again to the tiny airport at Islip.

Morgan walked into the interrogation room and nodded at Pati, setting her briefcase on the table she extended her hand.

"Nice to see you again Ms. St. Jean. How have you been?"

"Hi, it's nice to see you again too. It's been tough. I never really noticed how much Jay was a part of my life until now. But… it's getting easier every day. I'm a little nervous about today though. I hope I can help."

"If you relax a little, everything will go fine. Try not to think about it too much. Do what the doctor tells you and we'll go from there."

"Ok I'll try...it's just that I don't remember much of what I saw."

"You'd be surprised what the subconscious picks up, Ms. St.Jean. If there's anything there we'll find it."

Morgan's cell phone chirped and she removed it from her belt. Flipping it open she shot an apologetic look at Pati and answered the call.

"Sumners."

"Morgan it's Bones. I need to know the name of the doctor that did the second autopsy. The number too if you have it."

Morgan opened her briefcase and dumped the growing stack of files on the table. Her eye caught Kathryn's note as it slid out between the folders. No time to think about that now. She retrieved the file Bones was asking about, took it to a corner table and began to dig through it for the necessary information.

Pati sighed, shifting nervously in her chair while Morgan spoke in low tones into the receiver. She glanced idly around the room until her gaze rested on the scattered files, which had partially covered up Kathryn's note. She was about to turn away; to find something else of interest to look at while she waited but as she stared at the note her eyes widened in surprise.

"Umm…Agent Sumners? …Who's Derek?"

Morgan closed the phone and walked back to the table. Putting the folder in her briefcase, she was startled by Pati's question and found herself staring pointedly at the woman.

"What…what did you say?"

"I…I was just wondering who Derek was."

"What makes you ask that?" Morgan's heart was pounding wildly in her chest but to all outward appearances she remained calm.

"Umm, well, when you were on the phone..." She trailed off, uncertain how the imposing figure before her would react to the truth. "I just happened to notice the note on the table. I wasn't trying to pry, really…I just..."

Morgan picked up Kathryn's note. "This piece of paper?"

"Yeah that's the one. I probably shouldn't have read it, but I got bored... I guess my mind wandered. I'm sorry, Agent Sumners."

Morgan's pulse pounded so hard she could feel it in her temples. Was it possible that this woman had found something in the note that she'd missed? Morgan scanned the brief message once again even though she'd memorized it last night. Nothing in the note mentioned Derek's name.

Walking around the table she handed the note to Pati. "How did you get Derek from this?"

"Well," she began, obviously still nervous, "Your files there covered most of it up. The way it faced me only the first letter of each word was visible." Pati looked up into expectant blue eyes. "And…well look, Ms. Sumners." She reached over and set one of the files back on top of the paper, presenting it as she had seen it moments before. Pati was right; if you read only the first letter of each sentence….

"Oh my God." Morgan drew in a sharp breath. Lengthwise from top to bottom, Kathryn had spelled it out. It said, "Derek Is The Killer…Please Help Me."

Morgan snatched the note from Pati's hand and immediately saw what she'd missed before. There it was plain as the nose on her face. Kathryn hadn't wanted to leave after all. Now the note made sense, all the lies were just that...lies. She wanted to hug Pati and run from the room to the first available plane all at the same time. The only thing stopping her was she didn't know what last name Derek was using. How would she find him? She needed a good description if she was going to pin anything on him and make it stick. Her sense of professionalism warred with every other available emotion as the realization of the truth hit her full force.

"Oh God…he's got her... " She fought to regain her composure and to keep her knees from buckling. "Keep your head, Morgan. Focus. Focus. "

Settling back in her chair she eyed the woman across the table from her. A bakery clerk had laid the key to this whole case in her lap. Amazing. Morgan wondered if she could entice the woman to work for the bureau as a code cracker.

Realizing that she'd never answered the woman's question; Morgan gazed into the brown eyes staring steadily back at her.

"Derek could very well be Jay's killer. We don't know yet. I need more information." Like your last name, you bastard.

"Derek may have killed Jay? Wait a minute... now I'm confused. You have a suspect? You seemed upset by what the note said...why? I never heard Jay mention anyone named Derek. I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't understand any of this."

"It's a little more complicated than that Pati, may I call you Pati?" Morgan continued as Pati nodded her head in the affirmative. "You saw something in the note that I missed completely... It upset me because a friend of mine wrote it; someone I love very much. I thought it was a Dear John letter. I couldn't see past the message or the lies for the hidden truth. I thank you for that. You'll never know how much that means to me." She smiled at the woman in spite of the frustration now welling up inside her.

"I'm so sorry that your friend may be in trouble. If Rob or I could have remembered something sooner, this Derek may have been caught by now. I've been over it a thousand times since it happened, but it just gets fuzzier. I wish I had paid closer attention."

Morgan pulled her electronic phone book from her briefcase and smiled. "Don't worry about it Pati, we'll get the answers we need soon enough." She raised her hand to stifle any other comments Pati would have made and dialed her cell phone. Her words came out clear but slightly rushed.

"Gin? I need you on the first plane to Houston. Kathryn left me a note and she named our guy, but she also says that he has her. I want you to check out her apartment and then go to her office. Try to find out anything you can on the guy she was dating. His first name is Derek; last name unknown. He's a pilot for Continental Airlines so try to track him there as well. Take John and Douglas with you. One of you cover the apartment, one her job, and the other the airport. Call me with anything you find. I'll be on my way there as soon as we wrap things up on this end."

Morgan waited as Gin relayed the message to the other agents and then handed the phone off to Bones.

"Morgan, Bones here, I contacted the doc in Houston and clarified a few things. This second victim was sexually assaulted but the semen was found on her right calf. Our guy never penetrated her. The good news is he's type AB negative and a secretor. If we ever catch him, this will go a long way to proving he killed this girl also. The family told the police his name was David Holt, but the police have no record of this guy. Our computers didn't turn up anything on that name either, but we'll keep looking."

"Good work Bones, keep me informed."

Morgan shut the cell phone as the hypnotherapist walked into the room. Standing, she extended her hand to the tiny gray haired woman.

"Morgan Sumners, Special Agent to the FBI."

"Antonia Grey, but call me Tony."

She smiled at the taller agent before turning her attention to Pati. "Hello dear," she said, somehow exuding a softness that the woman found oddly comforting. "Just try and relax. You'll be just fine, I promise."

Pati nodded and tried to concentrate on the soothing voice.

"Pati you are wide awake and on the beach with your friends. You can see everything going on around you. You feel the heat of the sun on your face and the coolness of the water around you. What are you doing right now?"

Doctor Grey asked the question in a monotone that had Morgan's own eyes drooping.

"I'm looking around and enjoying the noises from the other blankets. Kids are laughing and running, it's nice here. But I'm bored. I want to do something."

"What is your boyfriend doing?"

"Rob is sitting under the umbrella and reading a book. I can't see the title."

Tony consulted the folder of notes lying on the table before continuing, "What about Janell… is she sleeping yet?"

"No, Janelle is to the left of me. She's laying down on the edge of the blanket talking about getting a perfect tan."

"What about Nathan? Can you see Nathan?"

"Yes, he and Laurie are playing volleyball with some people a little further down the beach."

"Can you see him clearly?"

"Yes."

"What color are his shorts?"

"His shorts are white and they have a red line running down the side of them."

"How far away is he?"

"He's just down the beach not far...I don't know exactly."

"Can you see the carousel?"

"Yeah it's off to the side of me, the opposite direction of where Nathan is."

"Listen to the music Pati, watch it turn around and around. Count how many people are riding."

"There are kids everywhere...either waiting to go on or begging to go again. The parents are standing by too. I can see most of the horses have kids on them. But I don't know how many people are riding. It's turning too fast to count. But it's not totally full."

"That's okay Pati, look at the parking lot... do you see Jay?"

"No, I don't see him. It's busy, and it's hard to see through the crowd."

"Look for him Pati, he's there. Do you see him?"

"Yes, I see him! He's coming from the food stands."

"What is he doing? Watch him close, does he talk to anyone? Stop for anything?"

"He's walking towards the beach. He's not talking to anyone...wait he's stopped and now he's talking to a guy."

"Tell me about the man Pati...how tall is he?"

"He's a little taller than Jay, but shorter than Agent Sumners, I'd guess about 5 '11. But that's just a guess I'm not sure of it."

"What about his clothes Pati? Describe his clothes."

"His clothes, his clothes are all wrong for the beach. He's wearing blue pants and a long sleeved white shirt."

"Now Pati, imagine that you are standing right beside him...what color is his hair?"

"Umm. He doesn't have any hair. He's bald."

Morgan straightened in her chair, leaning toward the hypnotized woman as Dr. Grey continued.

"What about the eyebrows Pati? What color are they?"

"He doesn't have eyebrows. Just all smooth skin."

"Does he have a moustache? Beard? Goatee?"

"No, he doesn't have any facial hair at all. There's nothing there."

"Can you still see Jay? What is he doing right now?"

"Yes I can see him. The guy is gesturing at something and Jay is nodding his head. I can't hear what they're saying."

"That's okay Pati, we don't need to hear. Just follow them with your eyes, what are they doing?"

"The guy is leading Jay away from the crowd. They're walking down the small hill to a car."

"Can you see the car Pati?" Doctor Grey's monotone droned on, keeping Pati submerged in her subconscious.

"Yes but not clearly."

"Focus on the car Pati, block out everything else. Imagine your vision clearing, you can see the car like it was right in front of you."

"Ok I can see the car better now."

"What color is the car Pati?"

"It's a black car, all black; even the windows are dark."

"What are they doing now Pati?"

"The guy is stopping at the back of the car, and Jay is following him. He's pointing at something...I can't see it, and Jay is shrugging his shoulders."

"I want you to keep watching Pati, watch Jay, see what he's doing."

"Jay's stopping by the guy, and now he's looking into the trunk, he's getting the spare tire out. The guy must have a flat, but I can't see it from here, maybe on the other side of the car. They're still talking and now Jay's laughing."

"You're doing good Pati. I want you to sink deeper into the dream state, deeper and deeper. Now what are they doing?"

"Jay's moving to the other side of the car and bending down or something. I can't see him anymore. And the guy is just looking around, not really focusing on anything, just keeps looking."

"Keep watching Pati, tell me what you see."

"Ok...well the car is tilted up a little, and the guy is watching Jay now. Now I see Jay, he's putting a tire into the trunk and going back to the other side. The guy is just standing there, arms folded, watching him."

"Keep watching Pati, watch the man in the white shirt, what is he doing?"

"Ok, he's watching Jay. The car is level now and Jay is putting things back into the trunk. The guy walks up beside him...and oh God."

"It okay Pati, calm down...go deeper Pati. Deeper and deeper now, you see what's happening but it's a movie, none of it's real...deeper and deeper. Feel yourself separate from the scene...now watch the man in the shirt, tell me what he's doing."

"Oh God...I can see him. Jay is leaning in the trunk and the guy is right there with him, now Jay is backing up and his hands are in front of him. The guy...he's got the tire iron and he's hitting Jay. He got him in the head, and Jay fell down...he's not moving."

"Keep watching Pati, remember it's just a movie. Watch the bald man."

"Ok the guy is standing over Jay now. He's still not moving, now he's dragging Jay away from the car and into the woods. He's not very far into them but it's hard to see with all the trees. He's taking Jay's clothes off him...leaving him naked."

"You've done very good Pati, now I want you to relax your body, I'm going to snap my fingers and you'll awaken. You'll remember all that happened but you won't feel guilt. You know you couldn't have saved him."

Doctor Grey snapped her fingers and Pati blinked her eyes sleepily a few times before focusing on Morgan's face.

"I saw it, I saw the whole thing."

Morgan walked around the table and laid her hand on Pati's shoulder. "Yes, but you couldn't have stopped him Pati."

He was so sick of hearing her go on and on about that Amazonian bitch. What did she see in her? She just needed to know what she'd be missing by not marrying him. Perhaps a little lesson in pleasing a man would set her straight. Everyone knows that when it comes to pleasing a woman men were the only ones who could do it.

Waiting for the Viagra to do it's magic, he listened to her going on and on about how much in love she was with the dyke next door. The thought of his Kathryn lying under that woman made his stomach churn. He had never made a move on her, letting her set the pace of their relationship. Now he found out she'd been giving it up for the giant queer and had the nerve to introduce her to him like nothing was going on. She was making a fool out of him and would have continued doing so had he not heard that phone call.

She paced circles around him, spouting off about how she had never loved him and never would. He could kill her like he had all those other people and with her dying breath she would still profess her love for Morgan.

He watched her walk back and forth, frustration building within him with every step she took. As she whirled around to face him, he slapped her hard across the face, splitting her bottom lip and sending her staggering backward. Kathryn fell against the wall, putting her hand out to stop her momentum. Derek sat in the overstuffed leather chair, feet propped up, and hands behind his head, a strangely calm expression now etched across his features. A low chuckle erupted from his throat and increased in intensity until he was laughing outright. Kathryn glared at him, holding one hand to her bleeding mouth, and took one step forward.

"You bastard."

Derek stretched his arms over his head, lacing his fingers together and cracking his knuckles loudly.

"You amuse me, Little One." He laughed again. "So much fun to play with."

With fire in her eyes, the smaller woman made her way over to where he was sitting and leaned down until they were nose to nose, blood from her lip dripping onto his clean shirt.

"Make that sick bastard," She said as she spit in his face.

A severe kick in the chest cut off any further thoughts she might have felt like vocalizing and propelled her halfway across the room where she fell like a stone to the hard wooden floor. She clutched her chest and tried to draw in a lungful of air to no avail. Gasping and wheezing, she writhed on the floor as Derek walked slowly around her, pausing periodically to kick her in the head. Blood now oozed from several orifices and dripped in erratic patterns onto the cherrywood.

"So tell me, my sweet,"` Derek said, "When that dyke bitch fucked you, did you like it?"

"Bite me," Kathryn spat out between gasps, two of her teeth falling out of her mouth with the words.

Derek reached down and grabbed the platinum locks, jerking Kathryn's head back and pulling her unceremoniously to her feet. She faltered, seeing spots before her eyes, and shook her head in an effort to stay conscious. He brought his knee up hard into her midsection and releasing his hold on her head, shoved her backward until she collided with the chair and fell backwards over it, landing in a crumpled heap on the other side.

"I asked you a question," Derek said, his words slow and deliberate as he knelt down next to the trembling form.

The spots behind Kathryn's eyes danced and transformed into a myriad of colors and patterns as she tried to raise her head and look in his direction. One swollen eye opened partially and she thought for a fleeting second that there were two of him and the mere idea seemed to be mildly amusing, although she couldn't decide why it was so. Derek unbuttoned the fly on his jeans and advanced towards her, the placid look in his eyes making her decidedly uneasy. Nausea overtook her, the spots danced wildly, coherent thought became an abstract principle and before the blackness closed in around her, a single word fell from her lips.

"Yes."

Morgan glanced briefly at the patrol cars parked outside the Epplewhite's house as she made her way down the road to home and wondered if the place had been vandalized once again. The Epplewhites were winter people and hardly used the beach house during the summer, choosing instead to divide their time between Vermont and Michigan during those months.

Pulling into her driveway, she smiled to herself, seeing Megan's car parked in it's usual spot. Proof again that they had weathered the storm of a bad relationship to find the rainbow of friendship waiting for them on the other side. Gathering her stuff from the truck she walked into the kitchen and found her ex lover putting groceries away. A momentary pang of guilt made itself known in her stomach as thoughts of what could have been with this woman surfaced briefly. Megan had taken good care of her during their time together and evidently still worried about her eating habits.

"Whatcha doing Meg?"

"Jesus Morgan, give me a heart attack why don't you! Figured since I had to scrounge for breakfast this morning I could grab a few things for you on my way home from work." She was still wearing the pale blue scrubs the hospital required of the nursing staff instead of the old starched white uniforms. Putting the last of the vegetables in the crisper she brushed her hands lightly over her pants before shutting the door and turning to Morgan. She couldn't believe the change from this morning; Morgan had looked hung over and tired but now she looked like she'd been kicked in the stomach. Dark circles underlined her eyes and to say she looked haggard would have been an understatement.

Megan enfolded Morgan in her arms and held on as the agent fell apart. Heaving sobs wracked her frame and tears fell unchecked from her eyes. They stayed in that position until Morgan's tears dried and she felt a little more in control before Megan led her to the sink and gently washed her face.

"Want to tell me what's going on Tigger?"

"Kathryn didn't leave me Meg, she's in trouble and I don't know how to find her."

Gin's search had turned up nothing that would be of any use to Morgan. Kathryn's father had met Derek a few times and he remembered the boy being somewhat nice. He wanted Kathryn to marry him but really knew nothing much about the man. Kathryn had spoken of him quite a bit and from what she'd said he thought they would make a fine couple. He now assumed that there was nothing special about the relationship after talking to Kathryn a few days earlier.

Douglas turned up several pilots for Continental named Derek but none were their guy. Either he didn't work for the airline or he wasn't a pilot. Morgan leaned toward the latter and had Douglas pulling all personnel files on Continental employees named Derek hired in the last five years and based out of Houston.

Kathryn's apartment had been tossed and nothing connecting Derek to her was found. Neighbors remembered seeing the man with Kathryn on several occasions but she hadn't introduced him to any of them. The only one who seemed to know anything about Kathryn's relationship with Derek was her friend Tracey and she didn't know his last name either. John had questioned her extensively and came away with little more knowledge than he started with. They had socialized a few times and Tracey found Derek charming and personable but knew it was a dead end relationship for Kathryn. She knew that at one time Kathryn loved Derek very much but had seemed cooler about the relationship lately. She told him that Derek tended to monopolize the conversations, talking about work and how important his job as a pilot was. She said he treated Kathryn as a fixture and a waitress but nothing more. They didn't seem to be enamored with each other like she thought they would be. She knew Kathryn was going to end the relationship the next time he was in town and assumed it had happened already. She'd talked to Kathryn before she left for New York but said Derek wasn't mentioned by either of them.

"Have you searched Janice's house?"

The idea hadn't occurred to Morgan before Megan brought it up and instead of answering her she turned on her heel and raced out of the house. Vaulting the railing on Kathryn's porch, she kicked the front door in and ran up the stairs to the bedroom followed by Megan. Most of Kathryn's stuff was gone but Morgan pulled out her laptop and the journal on the bedside table. Opening the cover she identified her lover's neat script and scanned a few pages until she was satisfied that it was indeed Kathryn's personal journal and not one of Janice's'.

A quick search of the house turned up nothing of value. Shouldering the laptop she took the journal and returned home. She set up the computer in her office and kicked back in her chair for a quick run through of the journal while she waited for the decoding software to break Kathryn's power-on password. She read through it twice before the audible beep told her the laptop had been cracked and was booting up. The journal revealed a lot of surprises for Morgan but nothing of any use on Derek. Kathryn had talked about him but more as a friend than anything else. She had voiced her dissatisfaction with Derek's long absences and his neglect of her when he was around.

Kathryn had been much more descriptive in her thoughts of Morgan and the sexual encounter that they'd shared while she was sleeping. Obviously Kathryn enjoyed it but she was still mortified to know she'd taken advantage of the woman she loved even while sleeping.

A search of the hard drive turned up a personal address book but only a pager number for Derek. Morgan dialed it and waited for a return call. Kathryn's address book in her email revealed an address for Derek as well but no last name. She read through the emails from him that Kathryn had saved in a folder listed as Junk. Nothing but mindless ramblings from the man about his job and the cities he was in at the time. Morgan printed those out on her Laser Jet to compare those dates with crime scenes. She made a note of Kathryn's email address and shut the computer down and placed it back in the case along with the journal.

Walking back downstairs she smelled the aroma of dinner in the process of being cooked; the rumbling in her stomach gave testament to her lack of food for the day. She pulled a stool from under the bar and silently watched Megan as she prepared their dinner. She was glad Megan was there, she didn't understand it, but she was glad. If she had to spend another night alone she'd go crazy with worry. She knew that no matter how much she raved about Derek and the whole situation Megan would stay beside her and listen. She had developed a new admiration for Megan over the last twenty-four hours.

"Did you find anything useful?"

"Nope, other than a pager number and a useless email address he remains nameless. I sent a request to his ISP for his personal information but I have to wait until they verify my credentials before they'll release anything."

Megan scooped the stir-fry onto two plates, added silverware, and motioned with her head for Morgan to follow her to the deck. Handing Morgan a plate they sat at the table and watched as darkness crept across the horizon and stole the light from the bay. Morgan dug into her food with gusto, relishing the spices of the stir-fry as it melted on her tongue. Megan was an excellent cook and she didn't mind showing her skills, cooking was almost cathartic for her. Morgan could always tell when Megan had a brutal day at the hospital by how elaborate the dish was at dinner that night. A four-course meal always meant she'd lost a patient she cared about and something easy and light meant it had been a good day. Morgan was almost envious of Megan's way of relieving stress. She had never been able to lose herself in anything so completely that she could forget the problems of her life. Until she'd met Kathryn that is; the blonde had a way of chasing any coherent thought from her mind with nothing more than a smile.

Morgan lost herself in memories of Kathryn and would have stayed there all night had a cold nose against her hand not snapped her from the pleasant thoughts. Reaching down she enfolded J.D. with her arm and was rewarded by a lick across her face. "Where's Mildred J.?

A breathless Mildred mounted the steps from the beach and paused to catch her breath.

"Morgan, you have to come to the Epplewhites, dear. It's Kathryn." She turned a sympathetic look in Megan's direction before continuing, "You should come too Megan, she's going to need you."

Mildred's words faded into the background of her subconscious; all she heard was Kathryn and Epplewhites and her long legs had her halfway down the beach before her mind registered that she wasn't wearing her gun. She decided that it didn't matter; if Derek had hurt her she would kill him with her bare hands.

Mildred explained the situation to Megan and helped her ransack Morgan's lab for the supplies Megan hoped would be needed. Shoving everything into a bag, she tossed it into the car and followed Mildred's directions to the Epplewhite's house. Mildred's description of Kathryn's condition was not an indication of how bad it actually was and the sight stole her breath.

She had to pull Morgan back to get a good look at the naked woman lying on the floor and drew in a deep breath. If the woman wasn't dead she sure looked it. Derek had beaten her so severely that Megan couldn't tell where all the blood was coming from. The police officers standing around the room said she had finally died about 2 minutes earlier, almost to the minute Morgan walked into the room and knelt beside her.

Lifting her wrist, she felt for a pulse and finding none attempted the procedure on Kathryn's neck with the same results. Morgan's keening wail reached her ears and thrust Megan into action. Reaching over she slapped Morgan across the face to get her attention and asked if she could begin the chest compressions before tilting Kathryn's head back and starting artificial respiration.

Now propelled into action, Morgan began barking orders to the policemen standing around the spectacle. She had one of the men calling Bones and another calling the coast guard for a life-flight helicopter. Morgan was glad that Bones lived so close to her as she heard his truck pull into the drive. He had brought the forensic wagon and had the officers unloading his equipment from the truck.

He began examining Kathryn while staying clear of the women doing CPR. The major source of blood was coming from a scalp laceration deep enough for him to feel the cranial bones beneath his fingertips. He didn't have time to stitch her up and still save her life. Placing a gauze compress against the gash he moved Megan's hand over the bandage and pushed against it. She maintained the pressure as she turned Kathryn's neck to use the weight of her head to staunch the flow of blood being pumped out with each compression Morgan performed on her chest. Megan accepted the ambu bag from the officer and placed it over Kathryn's mouth and nose, continuing to breathe for her.

Bones concluded his cursory examination and charged the defib machine, pushing Morgan away with his elbows he placed the electrodes against Kathryn's chest and shocked her heart, pausing for a pulse check he increased the voltage to maximum and shocked her four more times before a feeble heartbeat was felt. Everyone in the room held their breath as the seconds ticked away and Kathryn's heartbeat grew stronger. Megan continued to pump the ambu bag, steadily forcing air into Kathryn's lungs.

A collective sigh was heard when Bones moved away and wrapped his arms around Morgan, reassuring her that Kathryn wasn't out of the woods but she was alive. He moved to Megan and pulled a suture kit and a razor from his bag. Carefully shaving away the long platinum locks he sutured the gash that ran from Kathryn's left ear to the back of her head.

The Coast Guard EMT arrived and took over for the exhausted FBI agents, starting an I.V. drip and plasma infusion they loaded Kathryn Morgan and Megan in the chopper for the 10-minute flight to Long Islands Regional Hospital.

Morgan followed the gurney from the landing pad into the surgical suite. The nurses tried to push her into the hall but gave up when force met an unmovable object. She explained to the head surgeon that she was a doctor and she wasn't leaving Kathryn's side for anyone.

Giving in to his request, she changed into scrubs and booties adding the hair cover to the ensemble before walking back to the operating room. Kathryn had been hooked to a ventilator in her absence and a nurse had just finished shaving the remaining hair from her head. Multiple scalp lacerations were visible once the blood was gently sponged away. Accepting a suture tray the PA began stitching the gashes closed.

Morgan took an involuntary step forward as the thoracic surgeon slid a scalpel below Kathryn's ribcage and began carefully slicing through the muscle layers on her abdomen. Massive internal hemorrhaging was evident as the last of the muscles gave way under the blade and streams of blood ran like rivers from the incision site.

A plastic surgeon had been in to reset Kathryn's broken nose followed by the oral surgeon to install the implants that would replace her missing and fractured teeth. Kathryn's left arm and right leg were encased in plaster from the elbow and knee down respectively.

Six hours later Kathryn was in ICU minus a spleen, kidney, and several feet of intestines. She was comatose but breathing on her own. The doctor assured Morgan that while Kathryn was in critical condition it was possible that she could make a full recovery.

Morgan stayed by Kathryn's side, daring anyone to try to remove her from the restricted ward. Megan whispered a few words to the floor nurses and Morgan was left alone to stand a silent vigil at Kathryn's bedside. Cupping Kathryn's bruised face gently in her large hands Morgan leaned over the still figure looking so tiny in the large bed with all the tubes attached to her, and placed a soft kiss against the pale unresponsive lips.

Megan tapped gently on the door to Kathryn's room in the busy ICU and motioned for Morgan to join her in the hallway.

"Kathryn's father is on his way here. You might want to make yourself scarce for awhile."

"I'm not leaving, if he doesn't like it he can be the one to go."

"Alright, I'll check in later to see how it's going."

"Thanks for everything Megan."

"Anytime Tigger."

Morgan was sitting by Kathryn's side holding her hand when Henry Peterson strode into the room. For a moment he was thrown back into the past and the last time he had seen Janice with Mel.

"Mel?" Henry asked, uncertainty clouding his normally powerful voice.

"No, you must be Mr. Peterson, I'm Morgan Sumners, Kathryn's friend." Morgan stood and faced the man who was obviously Kathryn's father though no resemblance was evident to identify him as such.

"Are you related to Mel Pappas?" he asked, the uncertainty now replaced with distrust.

"No sir. We were mistaken for mother and daughter more than once, but we had no familial ties as far as either of us knew."

"Are you like her?" He leaned back; arms folded across his chest, and eyed her with obvious scrutiny.

"Meaning?" Morgan bristled a little at Henry's blatant accusatory overtones and unconsciously leaned in closer to her lover, pulling her hand into her lap.

"Are you one of those people?"

"One of what people? Female?"

"No, I'm sure you know what I'm referring to Ms. Sumners."

"A lesbian? Is that what you're asking me?"

"Yes." Henry looked disgusted as the word was uttered aloud, but he held her gaze firmly.

"I don't believe it's any of your business Mr. Peterson."

"That's my daughter, and therefore that makes it my business." He stared at Kathryn through the maze of tubes and wires keeping her alive.

"How so? One has nothing to do with the other."

"I don't want her having that kind of influence in her life."

"I'm well aware of your feelings on the subject, Mr. Peterson, however bigoted and short sighted they may be. Your daughter is a grown woman and capable of making informed decisions on her own." She softly stroked the fingers twined with her own, drawing comfort from their warmth.

"That may be true Ms. Sumners, however, she can be naïve about certain things."

"How old is your daughter Mr. Peterson?"

"She's 28, why?"

"Don't you think she's old enough to make her own friends without being influenced by another person's lifestyle choices?"

"Yes, I believe she's capable of making those decisions for herself, that doesn't lessen my concern that she will choose to indulge in something she will later regret." He glanced pointedly at the obvious display of tenderness as Morgan brought their clasped hands up and gently brushed them across her lips.

"If I were you Mr. Peterson, I'd be grateful that my daughter were still alive no matter who she chose to be involved with." The respirator hummed quietly in the background.

"I think my concerns are more than warranted, Ms. Sumners. She's in her current condition because of a poor choice of a partner."

"She's in her current condition because she thought it would make you happy to stay with Derek, not because she wanted to be with him."

"He seemed like a stable young man. How was I to know he'd turn out to be a psychopath? Unable to look at either Morgan or his daughter, Henry began to pace slowly back and forth from the door to the large window.

"My point exactly, Mr. Peterson, if you'd let Kathryn make her own decisions and choices in life she might be a better judge of character than you give her credit for."

"My daughter is an excellent judge of character, Ms. Sumners. She's worked hard her entire life and she's gotten as far as she has strictly on her own merits. However, she's also been absorbed enough in her career to be a bit, shall we say, unexposed to some things. I just don't want her to end up getting her heart broken because she has no idea what she's getting herself into."

He stopped near the bed and looked down on the agent.

"Work ethics and merits aside, your daughter has been absorbed in her work because she sought your approval. She remained unexposed, shall we say, because you kept her where you wanted her. Tied to a desk and daddy's little girl. She has made her choice and if you can't accept that then you should walk out this door right now and consider your daughter dead. She has the right to choose how she wants to live and like it or not she chooses to make her life with me." Morgan's voice was even and tempered but she could feel her frustration rising.

"I have no intentions of walking out on my child. You make it sound as though we have no tangible relationship and if that's the case then you offend me, Ms. Sumners. I love my daughter and I only want what's best for her. I know she's upset that I didn't allow Janice to be a part of her life, and perhaps I should have thought that one out a little more. Janice was a wonderful person and I know Kathryn would have loved her, but I could never condone her lifestyle. If she'd married a man, everything would have been different. When Kathryn regains her strength, I'm taking her home."

"I hope for your sake Mr. Peterson that when and if Kathryn recovers you'll allow her to pursue the things in life that make her happy, regardless of what those things are. I love your daughter with all my heart but if she decided to walk away from me to make you happy as much as that would hurt me, I would let her go. Do you love her enough to accept her decisions no matter what they may be? Could you love her enough to let her choose to share her life with me if that is what it took to make her truly happy?"

For the first time all day, the hint of a rueful smile appeared at the corners of the aging lips. "Kathryn's mother was the best thing that ever happened to me. When I met her I was struggling to make ends meet and her father didn't want her to go out with me because he didn't think I was good enough for her." The older man chuckled. "I asked him for her hand in marriage four times before he finally agreed. I think he was convinced that if I put up with everything he put me through that I was either hopelessly devoted to her or the most stubborn person he'd ever met."

For a moment the old man seemed to be lost in his own memories. "The truth is, I would have done anything in the world for her. She was one of a kind." He sighed. "Losing my wife was the hardest thing I've ever endured, Ms. Sumners. I don't want to lose my daughter too. If she's truly happy with you, if that's what she really wants…." He trailed off. "It's not something I'll be able to get used to very easily, I hope you can understand that."

"I do understand Mr. Peterson, more than you know. It seems to me that we both want what's best for your daughter and we both want her to be happy no matter what it takes. I want you to know that if I am what makes her happy then I will spend the rest of my life making sure that she remains that way. She is the most important person in my life as I'm sure she is in yours. I only want to love her and share my life with her. I know where you stand on this issue Mr. Peterson, but I hope you can come to accept that your daughter will know the happiness you shared with your wife as long as she is in my life. You and I may never be close, but I hope in time that we can become friends. I know how important it is to Kathryn to have you approve of her and to have you in her life and I will never do anything to keep her from you." She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on the pale forehead, brushing a lock of hair out of Kathryn's eyes.

"Well, I…I confess I didn't expect…well, I guess I didn't know what to expect. Perhaps if I had given Janice a chance…but that's all water under the bridge, isn't it? I don't want to make the same mistake with my daughter. Thank you, Ms. Sumners, for everything you've done here. I understand you were the agent heading up this case." He stared at Morgan for a long moment. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to stare...but the resemblance is uncanny. You look so much like Mel."

"That must be a bit disconcerting for you I'm sure, but I'm not Mel and Kathryn is not Janice. Whatever ill feelings you three shared I hope you can put those behind you for Kathryn's sake."

"I'm sure I can try, Ms. Sumners. I never took the time to get to know Mel as a person, something I've just now come to realize. As for Janice, I spent some time with her when June and I were dating, but when I found out about her sexual preference, I forgot about the person and spent my life embracing only my own prejudice. For Kathryn's sake, I'll do my best to get past that, but as I said earlier, it's going to take some time. Old habits die hard."

"Perhaps we should start over then," Morgan said extending her hand toward Henry, "I'm Morgan and it's a pleasure to meet you." Morgan stood up, reluctantly breaking the physical connection between herself and the woman she loved.

Henry smiled and shook her hand warmly. "Hello, Morgan. I'm Henry. It's nice to meet you as well." His face clouded over a bit as he turned his attention to his daughter's still form. "I understand that Kathryn's condition is fairly serious."

"She had some pretty serious injuries; they removed her spleen and a kidney as well as some of her intestines. The doctors don't know if she'll come out of the coma but I know she will. She's a fighter and she wants to live. I have to believe that she'll pull through this. I don't know what I'd do without her Henry."

"She's my only child, Morgan, and she means everything to me. She has to make it." He ran his fingers through his graying hair and looked up at the agent. "If there's one thing Kathryn has on her side, it's tenacity. I have no doubt that she'll give it everything she's got." He smiled. "Looks like she's got a lot of good reasons to fight her way back."

Morgan walked Henry to Kathryn's bedside and left him alone with his daughter. Finding Megan standing outside the door she linked arms with the nurse and escorted her to the cafeteria for a much-needed cup of coffee.

Morgan barely felt the hand on her shoulder and her mind didn't register the owner until Megan's voice broke into her thoughts.

"Have you had any sleep today Tigger?" Megan's shift was starting and she decided to check in on Kathryn before starting her rounds. The battered blond hadn't woken from her coma or shown any signs of doing so in the last two months. The casts had been removed and all signs indicated that she should be awake. Physical therapists came in several times a day to work her unresponsive limbs.

At this point Megan was more concerned about Morgan than Kathryn. She knew Kathryn would wake up when she was ready but she was worried that Morgan hadn't been sleeping or eating right since Kathryn came out of surgery. Sitting in the chair beside the bed she seemed a shell of her former self. Dark circles ringed her eyes and she had lost a considerable amount of weight, her clothes hanging off her now bony frame.

"Haven't felt like it Meg. I don't want to miss her waking up if she ever does."

"You can't keep this up babe, when she wakes up she's going to need all of you and you can't give her that if you don't take care of yourself."

"I know, but if something happens to her I want to be here for it."

"You will be Tigger, you'll be there for the rest of her life, but only if you take care of you."

Morgan glanced at Kathryn, so small and so pale lying in the hospital bed with tubes and wires covering her body. Clasping her hands between her knees she dropped her head and stared at her shoes. The words coming to mind would be the hardest she ever gave voice to.

"She is lying here because of me, she almost died because of me, and yet she is the best thing to ever happen to me. She reaches inside me and makes me want to be a better person. She makes me believe in myself and in goodness. She is everything good, she is like the light, she shines and brings joy to people. She loves me, but she doesn't know me Megan, she doesn't know what I'm capable of. She has no clue that I'll kill Derek on sight. She doesn't know the darkness that lives within me. How can ask her to spend her life with me? The darkness would put out her light."

Kathryn struggled against the IV's attached to her arm and reached out to touch the side of Morgan's face. Waiting for Morgan to look at her before answering the words that pulled her from the coma.

"Light only shines in the darkness my love."

Morgan gathered Kathryn into her arms, unmindful of the various tubes and equipment attached to her as Megan pressed the call button to summon the nurses.

"I love you Little One, I was so scared you wouldn't come back." Tears fell from her eyes and ran like burning rivers down her cheeks and onto Kathryn.

"I'd never leave you Angel, but you have to let me go, you're hurting me."

Morgan released her grip but kept her in a light embrace; she didn't want to let Kathryn out of her arms for a second. She had no choice a few minutes later as the room filled with doctors and nurses and she was jostled to the side of the bed.

Kathryn's prognosis was good but she would be spending several more weeks in the hospital, her condition lowered from critical to serious. Within a week she was moved from ICU to a private room complete with her own personal bodyguard. Morgan moved in, sleeping on the cot furnished by the hospital, but within reaching distance of Kathryn's hand at all times.

Morgan leaned against the bed, brushing the spiky blond hair growing from Kathryn's scalp; she missed the long platinum locks that once hung there.

"It'll grow back you know."

"I know, but I still miss running my fingers through it sometimes."

"It's easier to keep now though. I'm thinking of keeping it short, not this short, but short."

"Whatever you want to do with it is fine with me, don't think you have to grow it long just because I like it that way."

"Are you going to tell me what's going on or should I guess?"

"Don't know what you mean Little One."

"You and the doctors keep conferring and I'm not getting any information. I want to know what's going on."

"Have you ever thought about having children?"

"It's crossed my mind a few times, not seriously, but I have thought about it. I think I'd be a good mother. Why? Am I sterile now? Did Derek do something to keep me from having them?" The worried look on Kathryn's face made Morgan's heart sink.

"No, you can have all the children you want."

"So what's going on Angel?" Kathryn was perplexed at the look of sadness on Morgan's face.

Blue eyes slowly trained on her and Kathryn's heart jumped at the words her lover barely whispered.

"You're pregnant."

"Too much to hope that it's yours and not his huh?" The words fell from her lips as a wry smile replaced the shock evident just moments before.

"Yeah." Morgan looked into her lover's eyes, searching for the mixed emotions she knew she would find there.

"Well, nothing I can do about the father." For all she had been through, Kathryn had always had a sense of practicality about her and uppermost in her mind at the moment was the simple joy of being alive. " What do we want to do about the child?" Her voice was almost a whisper now.

"It's not my decision Kathryn, it's yours."

Kathryn looked up slowly; meeting the inquisitive gaze of her partner. "We're still a couple aren't we? That makes it ours." They had spent a considerable amount of time discussing their life together, coming to the conclusion that Kathryn knew what she was getting into and still wanted it. She loved Morgan and she would accept her for who and what she was.

"Yeah, but I can't decide this for you Little One, it's your body and it's your emotions." She smiled as the smaller hand in her own began tracing idle patterns against her fingers.

"I want to keep it, but will you stay as well?" She looked almost fearful; she didn't want to lose Morgan over this or anything else for that matter. She was sure of the agent's feelings but this was a new twist and she had to know what was going through Morgan's mind.

"The child has nothing to do with the sins of its father. If you want to keep it and you want my help raising it then I'm here for you." Morgan paused. "For both of you."

"I love you Morgan."

"I love you too Kathryn." She squeezed the hand in hers affectionately.

The next few weeks passed in a blur as Kathryn began her recovery. She grew stronger everyday and after three weeks the doctors released her to Morgan's care.

Morgan had tried to anticipate Kathryn's every need once home, buying a hospital type bed and moving it into the den, along with a T.V., VCR, and hiring a cook to keep up with her appetite. In the hospital, Kathryn had begged until Morgan finally relented and brought her food on an almost hourly basis.

Megan agreed to be Kathryn's full time nurse; after spending so much time together Megan and Kathryn had forged a friendship of sorts. Morgan needed both women in her life and they had discovered a fondness for each other as well. Megan genuinely liked Kathryn and found that she liked Morgan better when she was with the small blond as well.

The ride home was uneventful and once Megan had Kathryn settled into her new home she left for the evening. Kathryn had agreed to let Megan stay in her house for the duration of her recovery, wanting her nearby in case she was needed in a hurry.

The days passed quickly for the two lovers and soon Kathryn was complaining about being cooped up in the bed all the time. Slowly she ventured from the spacious den, enjoying the little freedom accorded her. She still wasn't up to climbing the stairs but she could move around the first floor freely and they spent their nights lying together on the couch watching movies or just enjoying each other's presence.

"You know what I'd really like to do Angel?" Kathryn asked on one such night.

"What's that Little One?"

"I want you to take me out on your boat."

"I don't think you're ready for that yet, why don't we give it a little more time love?"

"I think I can handle it. I want to get out of the house for awhile and I'm feeling much better. I even went upstairs today and showered by myself. I think I can handle a few hours on the boat, Morgan. Please."

"Let's see what Megan says in the morning and if she thinks you're up to it we'll take her out."

Pleased with Morgan's acquiescence, Kathryn snuggled back in the strong arms and sighed contentedly.

Morgan pulled Kathryn closer to her and the two women fell asleep on the couch entwined in each other's arms. The peacefulness of the night gave way to a different kind of darkness as Morgan slipped into an all too familiar dream.

Morgan walked through the fog surrounding her. Holding her arm straight out in front she couldn't see her hand. She could feel her heart pounding as she stumbled blindly for the forest she knew lay ahead. She didn't know why she felt afraid, but shivers of fear ran up her spine as goosebumps broke out on her arms. The fog swirled around her face, obscuring her vision and she fell. Hands stretched blindly in front of her, she fell to her knees onto a pile of something slippery. Bringing her hands up in front of her face, she waved the fog away trying to see what she was kneeling upon. As her vision cleared, she saw her hands were soaked in blood. Rivulets of the coppery tinged liquid slid down her forearms and dripped onto her naked thighs.

The fog dissipated around her and, looking at the ground, she saw herself. She was naked as she was now, her abdomen ripped open, intestines and organs scattered around her. She screamed and pushed away from the sightless eyes staring at her. Slipping in the gore, she lost her balance and fell backward, hands flung behind her trying to stop the fall and fell onto another vision of herself. Looking around all she saw were corpses bearing her face.

A maniacal giggle erupted from the woods in front of her and she squinted against the fog blocking her vision. She could barely make out a figure draped in a black cloak briefly illuminated by the full moon. She couldn't see the face, no matter how hard she tried to bring it into focus. She tried to stand, only to be pinned in place by some unseen force. She struggled until her arms gave way from the exertion and perspiration ran down her face in rivers. A hand reached out from the robe and dropped a bloody knife onto Morgan's lap.

"Is this what you were looking for? The knife you killed them with?"

"But I didn't kill them… it wasn't me. You did this! You killed them all!"

"I was but an instrument you played. I wielded the weapon, you orchestrated the murders. All for you Morgan, it was always for you."

"I never wanted this. I never wanted anyone to die for me." Morgan pleaded with the figure.

"They are my gift to you. I left you what you wanted. So many clues for you to follow every time, and still you don't know me. You don't want me. What more do you need Morgan? What else can I give that will make you mine?"

"Nothing, there's nothing more that you can give. If having me stops this from happening again, I'll be yours."

"NO! She will never be yours; she will never be with you. Come with me Morgan, I'll take you home. I can make this disappear forever; I can make you whole again. Trust me Morgan, trust your love for me. Take my hand and we'll walk away from here."

Morgan stretched her hand toward the smaller one beckoning her as the black clad figure slipped behind Kathryn and plunged the knife into her heart.

"She will never be yours Morgan, if I can't have you no one will."

"Noooo!" Morgan screamed as the welcoming blackness enfolded her consciousness and she drifted away.

Kathryn awoke to Morgan's screams and knowing the cause didn't try to awaken her. Brushing her hand across Morgan's brow she whispered soothing words in her ear until she felt the body beneath her relax.

The dream was always the same and came nightly now. Kathryn knew that waking Morgan and making her talk about it made the dream worse. She had tried that in the beginning and the dream came back again in the same night. If she left her sleeping and whispered repeatedly that she was there and that she loved her then and only then would Morgan drift into a dreamless state and sleep through the night.

Morgan met with her team the next morning in the lab. Over the last two months four more bodies had turned up on her property and she was still clueless as to why or how this was happening. The bodies all bore the L.U.S. carved on their abdomen the same as the first woman found there. All the victims closely resembled Morgan though not all had her height.

They knew it wasn't Derek, he had hopped a transcontinental flight and was seeking asylum in Rio. So far all efforts to extradite him had been met with opposition from the Rio government. Morgan had dutifully supplied them with copies of her reports and felt sure that his activities would continue no matter where he was. She decided to play the waiting game with the foreign government, knowing that when he started killing their people he would be sent home to stand trial. She'd entertained thoughts of having one of her contacts in the CIA take him out but Kathryn had talked her out of it. She wanted justice as much as Morgan but thought all the families needed the closure seeing him stand trial would bring.

"Bones, what do you have?"

"Nothing Morg, the trace is all the same. Blond wig fibers, untraceable no prints and nothing on video."

"Gin, what about you?"

"Less than Bones, no tire tracks, no tool identification, basically I have nothing to go on."

"Okay folks," Morgan said, "Here's an arial photo of my property." She tacked the photo to the wall in the lab and started marking dumpsites with pushpins. "Two bodies in the lab, one on my front porch, one in the garage and one at the edge of the woods. I've had cameras installed around the perimeter of the house, lab and at the edge of the woods. Any other suggestions?"

Bones spoke up; "I'd put one up by the road, and maybe a few around the bay. The perp could be bringing them in by water."

"Good idea, anyone else?"

"Any idea what we're dealing with here, Sumners? Do you have a psychological evaluation on this perp yet?"

"I don't know what we're dealing with Gin, not enough of a pattern to go on yet. He's targeted me for some reason; we know that by the victim's appearance. He removes their hearts and carves those initials on their abdomens. The sexual molestation extends to fisting but not penile rape and that's all we've got right now. I can do a psychological but we all know those don't help much when it comes to finding the perp."

"If there's nothing else, we'll meet next week and see where we stand. I'm taking Kathryn out on my boat tonight, don't know when we'll be back but if you need to reach me Bones can get in touch with us. Bones hang back a minute if you don't mind, the rest of you are free to go."

Morgan waited as the other four agents gathered their paperwork and drifted out of the lab.

"Okay Bones what aren't you saying?"

"I'm going to reserve judgement for awhile Morg but if I get something definite I'll let you know, besides I believe we're thinking along the same lines already."

"I'm not liking the sound of that Bones."

"I know, but trust me on this one, okay?"

"You aren't leaving me much choice my friend." "I'm sorry about that, but when I have enough I'll let you know, I promise."

"Don't keep it from me too long Bones, I don't want to have to pull rank on you. If it will help the case I need to know as soon as possible."

"You'll know as soon as I do."

"Okay, now about those extra cameras. Can you get them installed, today if possible?"

"Sure Morg, I'll get on it for you."

"Hold on…hold on to yourself

For this is gonna hurt like hell

Hold on, hold on to yourself

You know that only time will tell

My love, you know that you're my best friend

You know I'd do anything for you

My love, let nothing come between us

My love for you is strong and true.

So now, you're sleeping peaceful

I lie awake and pray that you'll be strong tomorrow

We will see another day."

-Sarah McLaughlin

The boat drifted lazily in the bay, the subtle sounds of the night harmonizing naturally with the waves gently lapping against her sides. The moonlight cast an interesting pattern on the railing of the deck; bouncing off the highly polished teakwood and reflecting it back out over the still water.

Kathryn stood on the deck, grasping the rail lightly as she peered out over into the depths. Running a hand through her slightly windblown locks, her face broke into a grin as she felt strong arms slip neatly around her and pull her in close.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" She remarked, enjoying the feel of the night and of the taller woman in whose embrace she now relaxed.

"Yeah, you are," Morgan answered, nuzzling the golden locks and enjoying the unique scent of the smaller woman in front of her.

"I'd say you're a little biased, my love."

Morgan didn't answer, but simply pulled her quarry closer.

Kathryn sighed contentedly. "Do you come out here very often?"

Morgan shifted slightly and scooped the blonde up into her arms, carefully carrying them both to a nearby deck chair. She settled her cargo in her lap before answering.

"I used to. It's a rare treat now. My work keeps me in so many different environments I sometimes forget what it's like to do something like this."

Kathryn turned in the embrace and let her head drop onto Morgan's shoulder. She hooked a finger through her partner's belt loop and toyed with the fabric absently.

"You're still wearing your gun."

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Little One, but after everything we've just been through…" Morgan brushed a long finger under Kathryn's chin and tilted it up until she was gazing into an endless sea of green.

"You understand, right?"

The small blond nodded.

"Actually it doesn't bother me anymore."

"I'm glad. I feel naked without it."

The smaller one chuckled. "Do tell."

Morgan raised her eyebrow until it joined up with her hairline. "Seducing an agent… hmm... you could get in big trouble for that you know." The blue eyes sparkled in the moonlight like sapphires.

"Oh?"

"Sure. Article 3, paragraph 10."

Kathryn leaned up and captured the inviting lips of her target and didn't break away until they were both breathless.

"You'll have to show it to me sometime." She grinned.

"Maybe we'll get to it at some point," the darker agent murmured, "However, I'm thinking about a few other things I'd much rather show you first."

"Oh really?"

"Oh yeah."

Kathryn looked into Morgan's eyes and saw a sincerity that mirrored her own. Her heart skipped a beat.

"You make me forget where I am, Agent Sumners."

Morgan smiled, then reached down between them and brought the smaller hand up and placed it against her own chest. Kathryn could feel the heart beating wildly beneath her outstretched palm.

"In case you ever forget again," she purred, "I believe you're right there."

"Going soft on me are you?"

"Yeah pathetic isn't it?" she smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too," Kathryn replied, certain she was drowning in the pools of crystal blue and wishing this moment could last forever. She needed this; the images of Derek's attack intruded on her at the most inopportune moments and she wanted to hide from them for awhile. The more time she spent in Morgan's arms the better. She felt safe and protected there, love cascading over them both like a blanket.

The tall agent smiled, and without another word, rose from the chair and held out a hand. The younger woman took it without hesitation and allowed herself to be pulled to a standing position. She leaned against Morgan and briefly squeezed the hand that held her own. Morgan looked down at her, concern etched in her features.

"You okay, Little One?"

"Yeah, just tired is all. This is just what I needed but I suppose I shouldn't expect to be back on track so soon, huh?" She grinned.

Morgan leaned over and gathered the young woman in her arms, scooping her up in one fluid motion as she started for the stairs.

"I swear, Agent Sumners," Kathryn purred, "Since I've met you I've spent more time in your arms than logging any significant time walking anyplace on my own." The green orbs twinkled.

It was a short trip down to the cabin below, and the tall agent nudged the door open gently with her foot. The cabin was large but cozy and Morgan had it decorated in soft earth tones that seemed to match perfectly and blend in with the subtle nautical theme of the boat. The porthole was just above the waterline and soft moonlight streamed in and splayed itself across the bed on which Morgan gently deposited her precious cargo.

"Hey," Kathryn remarked, "Wow, Morg.. This is really nice."

"I wanted it to be comfortable."

"Oh yeah... It's fantastic."

Kathryn gazed out over the water as she reclined on the bed. "I can't get over how good this makes me feel."

She shifted her position slightly to get the pressure off her still-healing ribs and rolled onto her back. Morgan deposited her gun and holster on a small table near the bed, kicked off her shoes, and joined her companion in her admiration of the peaceful atmosphere. She pointed out the rounded window to the flickering lights of the shoreline just visible from their current position. They twinkled and sparkled like diamonds in the darkness. Kathryn grinned.

"It's beautiful, but I'm sure glad we're on this end of it."

"How are you doing, Little One?" She slid up slowly behind the blond, wrapping her arms around the smaller form, and careful of her numerous injuries, pulled her back against her chest. Kathryn sighed and let her head drop onto Morgan's shoulder. The agent leaned down and kissed the top of the golden head.

"It gets better every day." She turned her head so she could look into her lover's eyes. "It's gonna be a long road back. I…sometimes I close my eyes and I can still see him, hovering over me like-" Her eyes welled up as tears threatened to steal her composure.

"No," Morgan said, stroking the soft hair and burying her face in it. "Shh…. Let it go, honey. You're safe here. He can't hurt you anymore. I've got you." She kissed her over and over, trying to convey a thousand emotions that she had no words for.

Kathryn swallowed hard. "Hang in there with me, my love."

"You know it," Morgan answered with a smile. "I'm not going anywhere. You take all the time you need. We'll get through this, I promise." She ran her long fingers idly through the short silky locks.

"You want to sleep on the boat tonight?"

"Yeah, love, I'd really like that." She smiled. "Do we need to go back for anything?"

"Nope." Morgan answered with a twinkle in the clear eyes. "I made sure the galley was stocked to the gills." She let her face break into a wide grin at the ensuing slap of her thigh. The smaller woman giggled anyway. "That's my girl."

"God, I love that sound." Morgan said as she leaned down to kiss her again.

Kathryn closed her eyes and let out a contented sigh. She reached down and slipped her fingers through Morgan's and lay there enjoying the first peaceful night she'd had since Derek packed her things and took her from the beachhouse that day. After a few moments, the soft sounds of sleep reached Morgan's ears and she reached over the side of the bed and pulled a quilt off the chair. Adjusting her position, she placed the blanket around both of them and joined her woman in slumber.

Some time later, Morgan awoke to a gentle but insistent rocking of the boat. Years of fine-tuning her senses allowed her to be instantly awake, eyes darting around the room, sending an instantaneous assessment of the situation to her brain. The wind had picked up, but that was all. Kathryn stirred briefly and sighed sleepily before tightening her grip on the agent's waist. Morgan squeezed back gently in acknowledgement and smiled as the blond buried her head deeper into her shoulder. Morgan adjusted her position slightly and had just closed her eyes again when she felt a small finger run up the length of her arm, stroking the fine hairs softly. The darker one grinned.

"Hey Little One."

"Hi."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. How are you feeling?"

"Mmmm," Kathryn muttered into the strong shoulder. "Would you believe hungry?"

Morgan laughed out loud. "Ladies and gentlemen, I do believe my woman is well on the road to recovery."

Kathryn giggled. "Let's see what you've got in the kitchen, tall dark and gorgeous."

Morgan slowly disentangled herself from the embrace and got to her feet.

"Stay here, babe, I'll fix something for you and bring it back, okay?"

"Hmmm." Kathryn appeared to consider this. Morgan raised her eyebrow.

"Sure, go ahead. Thanks honey."

"No problem. Be right back." The taller form made her way across the tiny room and disappeared through the doorway. She turned on the light in the galley to reveal a well-stocked, fully functional kitchen and, chuckling, made a selection from the cupboard. A few minutes later the cabin door opened again to reveal the FBI's finest, clad in shorts and a T-shirt and carrying a tray laden with chips, cookies, orange juice and a steaming bowl of Spaghetti-O's. She couldn't keep the impish grin off her face as she set the tray down on the bedside table and turned to face her companion.

"Hey, honey, wait until you see what…" Morgan's words died in her throat as her gaze fell on her companion, lying on her side in the moonlight, completely naked. "Oh my."

Kathryn smiled, almost shyly, and held out her hand in a silent invitation. Without another word, Morgan joined her on the bed and gathering her into her arms, kissed her deeply and passionately, letting the younger one set the pace and finding herself only mildly surprised by the intensity of her partner's response.

Kathryn pushed her tongue further into Morgan's mouth, eliciting a moan from the agent and answering with one of her own as their muscles dueled for space there. Kathryn sucked lightly on her lover's tongue as Morgan nipped at the smaller lips taking control of her senses. She was on her hands and knees, suspended above Kathryn in an effort to keep weight off her healing body, but Kathryn was having none of that. She growled and pulled the taller woman down on top of her, relishing the feel of Morgan's body on hers.

"I need you," Kathryn whispered, taking an earlobe into her mouth and sucking before running her tongue down the length of the agent's neck until she found the pulse point and captured the soft flesh between teeth and tongue. She felt Morgan shudder and pull her head closer, enjoying the intense sensations which seemed to run from wherever Kathryn's body touched hers, straight to that spot between her legs now begging for attention.

Morgan suddenly found herself flat on her back, reclining against soft pillows as the small one had flipped her over and was running her hands over Morgan's torso, the palms of her hands gently but firmly caressing her sides as her thumbs rolled over hardening nipples. Morgan's T-shirt had been pushed up to her neck and she helped small hands pull it over her head as Kathryn placed a quick kiss on the inviting lips before lowering her head to feast on the breast before her.

Morgan groaned from someplace deep within her as her fingers wound around and gently raked through the blond locks. Kathryn continued to lavish attention on the right breast with her fingertips as her mouth moved over to the other side of the agent's chest to take care of it's twin.

Morgan's hands, unable to remain idle or in one place, slid down as far as they would reach and stroked her partner's back, sliding around and underneath until they found the softness of the smaller breasts and cupped them rhythmically in perfect time to Kathryn's ministrations on her own body. Kathryn sighed and involuntarily rose up to give Morgan better access, feeling her body being pulled up slightly as Morgan started at her quarry's neck and sucked and licked her way down to her breasts, pausing there to show off her oral skills before running a hot tongue down the length of the body above her. She left small wet circles on Kathryn's abs before delving into her navel and wiggling her tongue around. Kathryn's moans were constant now; soft whimpers of pleasure that were like music to Morgan's ears.

"You are so beautiful," Morgan whispered. "So very beautiful."

She put her arms completely around the tiny body and gently rolled them over, settling herself immediately between the small thighs and placing a sweet kiss on each of them before running her tongue from Kathryn's knee to the apex between her legs, her soft exhalation of breath cascading over the smaller woman's center. She felt her lover's hands in her hair and smiled, running a soft tongue slowly between the velvet folds.

"So soft," Morgan said quietly, tasting the sweet nectar that now flowed out of the smaller woman freely. Kathryn answered with a incoherent groan, her fingers winding tighter in the raven locks as Morgan found her most intimate place and wrapped her lips around it. She licked firmly but slowly, alternating between that and sucking it into her mouth, either action producing a stream of soft pleas from the younger one.

"I love you so much," Morgan said, raising her head briefly to gaze at her companion before resuming her task. Kathryn threw her head back and groaned as she reached the pinnacle and a groan of pleasure from Morgan sent her over. The taller one slowed her pace as the waves washed over Kathryn and the trembling hips slowed. Morgan placed a soft kiss on Kathryn's stomach and another on her upper chest as she made her way up to the soft lips and lingered there. She murmured gentle words of love into a perfect ear before falling back onto the bed and pulling Kathryn on top of her. She kissed the top of the golden head.

"I love you."

"Gods Morgan." Kathryn said, raising her head to look into the bluest eyes she had ever seen. She raised her hand to the taller one's face and traced the contours with a small finger. Morgan turned her head and kissed the palm, sucking the fingers into her mouth and winking mischievously at her lover as she watched a broad grin break out on the beautiful face. Kathryn pulled the digits out of the agent's grasp and replaced them with her lips, sharing a sweet kiss before it deepened and rekindled the fire between Morgan's legs.

Kathryn slid down the length of Morgan's lean form, planting kisses everywhere at once until she reached the taller woman's toes and, giggling, slid off the end of the short bed, pulling Morgan with her until they were both left standing on the hardwood floor.

Morgan smiled and enveloped the smaller one in a fierce hug. She stole a kiss before Kathryn pushed her gently up against the wall and reclaimed her lips in a manner that left both of them breathless, rekindling the intense passion that always seemed to pass between them.

Tongues fought for position, hands roamed everywhere at once and deep groans erupted from their throats as they attempted to mold their bodies into a single being. Morgan's larger hands stroked Kathryn's back and reached around to the front to cup aching breasts. Kathryn closed her eyes for a moment against the fire she felt coursing through her veins and stilled her lover's explorations with both of her own hands.

"No, let me," Kathryn gasped, as she blazed a fiery trail of lips, teeth and tongue from earlobe to collarbone. Morgan sighed and pulled the young woman closer as Kathryn slid her hand down the length of the perfect frame and into the abundant wetness she now found between Morgan's legs.

The agent let out a primal growl as Kathryn's fingers found their target and plunged in deep, coated instantly with the hot silky liquid. She withdrew them only slightly and pushed them in again, Morgan's hips finding a tempo that Kathryn matched easily. Morgan's fingers squeezed a rhythmical pattern on Kathryn's back, clenching and unclenching with every thrust as her lover bit down gently and groaned into a soft shoulder.

"God Morgan, you feel so good."

Morgan groaned a reply and leaned forward, riding the small fingers as they moved in and out. Whatever thoughts she may have been entertaining were gone, propelled into the darkness and lost forever as her entire world centered upon the loving touch in front of her. All thoughts of control went the way of the wind as Morgan surrendered heart, mind, body and soul in the next instant. Kathryn felt the release and slowed her fingers until she felt Morgan's hand cover her own, trapping the fingers inside as the aftershocks rolled over her in waves. Her breathing slowed and she pulled the smaller one to her chest, extracting her hand only after her heartbeat had returned to normal and she had professed her love for perhaps the hundredth time that night.

"You are incredible," Morgan purred, hooking a finger under the delicate chin and tilting it up until their eyes met. Kathryn reached up and pulled the dark head towards her own and kissed her love.

"And I've waited for you my entire life," Kathryn said, a single tear escaping and making its way down her cheek. They held each other's gaze for a long time before Morgan lay back on the bed, pulling Kathryn down on top of her and stroking the soft locks. The contentment emanating from both women was almost palpable as they fell into a sweet slumber.

The lovers spent an idyllic two weeks sailing the eastern seaboard and getting to know one another before duty called Morgan home and the pseudo-honeymoon came to an end. Kathryn's recovery progressed rapidly under Morgan's watchful eye and during their time alone together the nightmares that haunted Morgan's sleep abated.

Morgan moored the boat in her slip at the Marina and helped Kathryn load their belongings into the Land Cruiser. Their conversation was minimal and as both reflected on their time together away from the cares of daily life. Neither wanted their time to end and both resented the intrusion of the real world.

The call from Bones had jarred the agent back to reality; another casualty had turned up despite the extra cameras and additional surveillance on her house. Her housekeeper Tessa found the latest victim in Morgan's bed.

Bones had finished the preliminary trace evidence, but turned up nothing new. Blond wig fibers were found alongside carpet fibers from a now identified 92 Volvo. Method of entry into the house was as yet undetermined. The wires to the video cameras were not cut and no signs of forced entry were found.

Morgan pulled the truck into the garage and gave Kathryn a quick kiss before sending her home. She would join her later after the crime scene was done and all the evidence gathered. Morgan hated the idea of a dead woman in her bed and they'd decided they would stay at Kathryn's until she could buy a new one. She ran her fingers through her raven hair and let an exasperated sigh slip unheeded from her lips before walking into the house and taking over the crime scene. From the sound of things this was going to be a long night.

Bones and Gin were sitting at the bar in the kitchen drinking coffee when Morgan walked in from the garage. Grabbing a mug from the cabinet she poured a cup for herself and joined them.

"Hey guys. What have we got so far?" She wrapped her hands around the mug and looked questioningly at her comrades.

"The victim's been dead about 6 hours. We've done the fingerprints, hair and tissue samples. We've vacuumed for trace and lit the sheet around the body up with a black light. Luminol revealed handprints on the walls and there are some obvious smears on top of the sheets. Gin ran the fingerprints through VICAP but didn't get a match."

"Did anyone question Tessa?"

"Gin questioned the housekeeper and sent her home."

Morgan turned to Gin and cocked an eyebrow. "Well?"

Gin opened her notepad and flipped to the appropriate pages and read her notes to Morgan. "She said she got here at her usual time. She had straightened the downstairs and was starting the laundry when she found the woman. She said she thought the woman was you and she checked for a pulse. She claimed she didn't find one and the victim wasn't breathing. She looked up the number for Bones in your address book and called him. She waited on the porch until he arrived then she showed him the body and I questioned her in the livingroom. End of story."

Morgan nodded her head in appreciation of a job well done before asking, "What about the pictures, has anyone taken those? Has the body been moved since she was found?"

"She hasn't been moved yet; we were waiting for you to get here before we disturbed the scene too much. We didn't take pictures or uncover the body; we didn't want to move her until you had a chance to look it over."

"How did you get fingerprints, hair and tissue samples without moving the body?"

"She has her right hand hanging off the bed and the perp didn't cover her head with the sheet. You'll see when you look at her." Bones answered.

"Okay guys, let's get started." Morgan rinsed out her cup and followed Bones to her bedroom.

Morgan walked around the bed and observed the woman from all angles before pulling the sheet away. The body was nude and face down, her hand hanging off the bed just as Bones described. Her manicured fingernails were grazing the hardwood floors and when Morgan turned her over she found the victim sliced open as the others had been.

Gin waited for Morgan to finish the cursory examination before moving in to take pictures of the body. She had already shot two rolls of the room before Morgan got there and now waited as the sheet was pulled away before snapping the last of the frames.

Morgan carefully wrapped the sheet around the body and then pulled the bottom sheet loose and did the same with that. She helped Bones lift the woman and Gin slid the black body bag under her. They carried her downstairs and put her in the wagon; Bones would take her to the morgue and do the autopsy there. Morgan and Gin pulled the crime scene kits from the vehicle and walked back inside.

Opening her kit, Morgan pulled the roll of butcher's paper from it and tore off long sheets of the brown paper, covering the windows and patio doors, throwing the room into blackness. Turning on the lumilight she studied every inch of the bed and floor as Gin sprayed the areas with luminol. The blacklight picked up fibers and hair and reflected them back like shards of glass. Morgan took tweezers and a plastic bag from her case before picking the hairs from the bed and floor.

As they finished up, Morgan walked Gin to the door.

"You did well today Gin; I'm proud of the way you're handling yourself. You've become a real asset to the team these last few months. We'll do that dinner I promised you real soon."

"Thanks Sumners, that means a lot coming from you. Compliments are few and far between."

"I know, I'm sorry about that. I've never been one to do a lot of talking, you know?"

"Yeah, but it's still nice to hear you're doing a good job, even if it's just once in awhile."

"I'll work on it. See you tomorrow Gin, have a good night."

"You too Sumners, say hi to Kathryn for me."

Morgan sat in her office mulling over what Gin said while she waited for her desktop to boot and the descrambling program to decipher her email. She had never given much thought to whether she complimented her team or not. She always assumed they knew she thought highly of them. She'd have to let them all know they were the best and she was proud of each of them.

Morgan waded through the various emails, deleting the ones that didn't apply to her and reading the ones that did. A letter from Bax described several emails he had received from their killer. Mostly they were reiterations of the first one he had sent. He was still using the cat and mouse address and Bax hadn't had any luck getting a judge to order Yahoo to give them the personal information for that account.

She transcribed her notes from this case and sent it through the scrambling program to Bax. She was baffled; there was no explanation for why they hadn't caught this guy yet. He was leaving trace everywhere and he was messy. Morgan had discovered a trail of blood from the garage into the house with the luminol and blacklight. The killer had parked his Volvo in her garage and brought the body in through the kitchen. From the looks of the trail he had dragged the woman by the feet into the house and up the stairs. He had mopped up behind himself as usual but you couldn't hide blood from the luminol no matter how old it was or how much cleaning was done.

Morgan shut her computer down and was locking her desk when the phone rang.

"Sumners."

"Morgan, Bones here. The autopsy's finished. The victim was killed the same as all the others. The heart is gone and the initials are carved in the abdomen. She was poisoned and butchered alive but not at your house. She had the carpet fibers embedded in her abdomen so when we find this guy he'll have blood in his car. Blond wig fibers were found in the wound also. She was fisted like the others. Nothing else I can tell you that you haven't heard from the beginning. How did things go on your end?"

"Same old same old. Nothing we haven't seen before. He dragged her in from the garage, looks like a feet first job by the tracks. Bax says he's still getting emails from the perp but no luck on getting a precedent set. What are we overlooking on this guy, Bones? We should have had him by now."

"I don't know Morgan, I've been doing some thinking on it but I don't have anything concrete yet. When I come up with something I'll let you know."

"Still not going to let me in huh? Two heads are better than one you know."

"Yeah I know, but like I said I still don't have anything solid yet. Give me some more time and I'll fill you in on what I'm working on."

"I don't like this Bones, not even a little. You've always been on the up and up with me and this isn't like you. I'll give you as much leeway as I can but don't push me too far."

"I won't, trust me on this one Morg. I'll get back to you soon."

"Okay, talk to you soon. Don't forget to send your report to me and email one to Baxter as well."

"Sure thing."

Morgan keyed the door to the office and went to her room. Throwing some clothes in a bag she looked around one last time. She let her gaze settle on the blood soaked mattress for a few minutes. 'What a waste of human life'. Closing the door she walked downstairs and out of the house.

Opening the patio door she called for Kathryn, then saw the note propped against a glass of wine. She felt a grin take over her face as she unwrapped the box her lover had left for her. Draining the wine, she prepared for a night to remember.

Morgan shifted uncomfortably in the straight-backed chair and struggled against the ropes binding her hands behind her. She heard feet shuffling in the inky blackness and strained her eyes to make out the source. Deciding by the sound that it was human she called out. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"My, my, do you actually speak to your mother with that mouth, Agent Sumners?" A female voice came out of the darkness.

"I ask the questions, you answer them. That's how this works." Morgan answered agitatedly, trying to obtain the upper hand. She was already frustrated that she had allowed herself to be caught unaware and captured. Not knowing who it was or what was going on made it that much worse.

"Oh that's rich, coming from you. I'd say you aren't in much of a position to ask me anything right now." The voice seemed vaguely familiar, though Morgan couldn't say for sure where she'd heard it before.

"You don't seem to be understanding what I'm saying. I ask a question, you answer it. Is that too hard a concept for you to grasp? I want to know what you think you're doing."

"Do you know who I am Ms. Sumners?" Morgan was sure she had heard the voice…somewhere. As her mind struggled with the recognition she answered in the only honest way she could.

"I don't have a clue."

"Oh you wouldn't, would you? You're too busy moving around from one place to another, waving your gun around like some feminine hybrid of James Bond. Of course, when you are home you're too busy fucking that cute little blond bimbo of yours... Does she like it fast or slow, Agent Sumners? Huh? Do you like it when she screams your name?" The voice shot up a few octaves at the end of the inquiry, momentarily betraying the emotion it's owner was trying not to show.

Morgan made a mental note of this but continued in her usually levelheaded manner. "I don't think it's any of your fucking business."

"Oh but I could very easily make it my business, Morgan. Do you mind if I call you Morgan?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact I do mind." Her abductor was still blanketed in shadow and Morgan was already growing tired of the game.

"That's too bad. Morgan is such a beautiful name. My mother used to tell me that I had the most beautiful name in the world, but I'm not too sure about that anymore. I kind of like the way yours rolls off my tongue." Morgan could hear the woman licking her lips in an exaggerated manner and she strained to see through the dimness.

"I don't particularly care for the way it sounds coming out of your mouth."

"You have such a piss poor attitude for someone who's tied up in her own basement without a weapon. Or, didn't you notice that either?" The feminine voice took on a hint of agitated desperation.

"I don't miss much."

"You must be a comedian on your off days." Her kidnapper scoffed audibly.

"On the contrary; I just don't have time to play childish games with you. Why don't you just get to the point?" Morgan couldn't wait to see just what that point was. Over the years, the agent had cultivated a keen sense of awareness; she was not easily distracted from her work and although she was annoyed with the turn of events she tried to keep her temper in check. This woman was clearly driven by emotion and Morgan knew how to work around it, but if she was the killer she had done an excellent job of avoiding detection so far and the agent had to admit that had taken some amount of intelligence.

Morgan silently cursed herself again for letting her guard down while the perp was still at large. The last thing she remembered was going to Janice's house and seeing the note from Kathryn propped against a glass of wine on the kitchen table. Another loving gesture from her partner, who had instructed her to open the box, change clothes and meet her in the bedroom. The fancy Victoria's Secret box contained a sheer, silky, deep green negligée, which Morgan had slipped into, enjoying the feel of it against her skin as she sipped the wine. A wave of dizziness overwhelmed her and she thought about walking out on the deck for some air, but the thought never materialized into reality and when she woke again she was tied to the chair in the basement.

"For weeks, you've been combing the countryside, hell-bent on locking up some psychotic killing machine and yet...for all of your knowledge and fancy schmancy technology, you still managed to come home empty handed. Why do you think that is?"

Morgan was beginning to enjoy the unsettling effect that her curt answers were having on this woman. Her mind was working overtime trying to place the voice and figure out exactly where Kathryn was during all of this. She had read the note quickly, smiling in anticipation over the thought of a romantic evening with the love of her life. Morgan was certain that the message was written in her lover's own hand; her keen senses would have picked up even the slightest variation in the script. What was bothering her most was that she didn't know if Kathryn had been forced to write it or if it had somehow been intercepted and used against her later. If this bitch had done anything to Kathryn, Morgan would spend the rest of her days making sure she paid dearly for it. "Shit happens."

"Oh and so eloquently put, too."

"Wasn't it though? The point? Do you think you can get around to that before I grow old?"

"Who says you're gonna have that chance, Agent?"

"I do." Morgan wasn't one to waste words.

"That's what I like about you, Morgan...always the optimistic one. Did you know your eyes turn kind of a grayish blue when you're angry? Kind of like the towels you use in the spare bathroom. You do know how to accessorize."

"You're beginning to bore me. Want to tell me your name or can I just call you bitch?" The tall agent sighed and leaned casually backwards.

"Still don't have a clue, do you? Pity that, I bet my name would've sounded wonderful at the height of passion." She spat the last word out with exaggerated emphasis, an almost hissing noise emerging from her lips.

"So I'm to understand that you're a sexually frustrated woman who kidnaps other women against their will, ties them up in a basement and plays word games with them?" Morgan was looking for some type of emotional reaction from this psycho but the woman merely smiled.

"Let's just say that I'm the one person who has all of the information you need to put this case to bed."

"Do you now?"

"Oh yes. You see, I would've expected much more from you, Agent Sumners. Your perp was right under your nose all this time and yet you couldn't see the forest for the trees. Oh that's such an old cliche, isn't it?"

"Tends to be over used." If the bitch was trying to get a reaction out of Morgan, she wasn't going to allow her the satisfaction.

"Not unlike your bed." The woman's voice was taking on an increasing crescendo of frustration, and she had begun to pace back and forth in her dark corner of the basement, still shielded from Morgan's immediate view.

"What would you know about that?"

"Washing your sheets several times a week is such a chore." The woman stepped from the darkness and leaned in closer, the garlic on her breath causing Morgan to flinch away in disgust.

"Well, Tessa, if it was such a chore then why didn't you quit? I'm sure there are plenty of women on the island who would be more than willing to wash my sheets." Well, now she knew who it was, the why was another matter altogether. Tessa had been questioned briefly but Morgan chastised herself for not giving it more than a fleeting thought. The woman had a key to her house and knew the alarm codes, and with Morgan's lengthy absences, would have had plenty of time to educate herself on the layout, design and any other specifics of Morgan's house that she needed.

"Ah you do have the power of recall after all."

"I never lost it. The wig threw me for a bit. Nothing more than that." She stared at the cheap blond hairpiece for a moment.

"Are you always this cocky?" Tessa's face was inches from Morgan's and the agent had to will herself not to spit in it.

"Are you always this stupid? Do you know the penalty for kidnapping a federal agent?"

"Somehow I doubt that bumbling group of backwoods wannabe agents you've assembled would be competent enough to find their own mouths at dinner let alone your rotting corpse, Ms. Sumners." She took a step back and folded her arms across her chest in a self-satisfied manner.

"I somehow doubt that a two bit housekeeper will be able to kill an agent let alone get away with it."

"That's quite a mouthful coming from a bitch without a weapon. Besides, I seem to have gotten away with quite a bit already." She leaned casually against the cold cement of the basement wall and raised an eyebrow in Morgan's direction.

"Since you seem to be so talkative, why don't you fill me in?"

"Oh you'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"Probably not nearly as much as you'd like to tell me. All psychopaths like to brag about their crimes."

"Well, I do have to admit that I'm quite proud of my work. It was so much easier to do, too, once you relaxed enough to think you had wrapped everything up so nice and tidy after psycho-boy gutted your girlfriend there." Tessa gave a self-satisfied smirk. "What's her name again? Kathryn? She's a cutie, Morgan, I'd keep an eye on her if I were you."

"I've had enough of these ropes, mind if I take them off? No? Good." Morgan dropped the ropes that were binding her hands onto the floor and rubbed her wrists before crossing her legs and settling into a more comfortable position in the chair. She picked at a piece of imaginary lint and smoothed the satin fabric on her thigh; she knew without looking up that she had Tessa's attention focused on her legs. Lowering her voice to a husky whisper she tried to lull Tessa into a false sense of intimacy. "Why did you do it Tessa? What did I ever do to you to make you want to kill all those women?"

"It's what you didn't do, to be more accurate. And I've got your gun in my hand, so if you ever want to see your precious Kathryn again, you'd better keep your ass in the chair."

"I'm not planning to go anywhere, but it would be much more effective if you held it with both hands. You'll never get an accurate shot one handed and if you miss the first time I'm afraid you won't live to regret it." Morgan purred before glancing up at her tormentor, waiting for the next move.

"They were so beautiful, Morgan, just like you. But they weren't you." Tessa caressed the side of Morgan's face briefly with the barrel of the gun before stepping back again. "Oh they struggled a little bit, but once the drugs started taking effect they did anything I asked them to. They were like putty in my hands, really."

"Go on."

"It was so easy to control them, too easy really. But I had their undivided attention at all times, suddenly I was no longer a faceless, nameless being…they all knew my name and they used it over and over when they begged for their lives... then the drugs kicked in, but even when they could no longer speak I could see it in their eyes...the pleading. You noticed that too, when you saw the bodies, didn't you? You noticed everything...every detail, all of my handiwork. You scrutinized it and studied it and marveled at how I could have done it... and suddenly I had your undivided attention." She looked pleased with herself.

"Why Tessa? Why did you do it?"

"It was for you, it was always for you Morgan."

"I hear that in my dreams...but how...? How could you know that?"

"I'm flattered that you hear me in your dreams, it's just such a pity that you never noticed me when you were awake." Tessa circled behind the seated agent and ran her fingers through the silky black tresses briefly before moving to stand in front of Morgan once again.

"I never saw you Tessa; you were never around when I was home." Tessa appeared not to hear.

"I loved you from the first moment I saw you, you were so beautiful and so strong. I did everything I could think of to get your attention but you never said a word, you never even thanked me, you just sent a check in the mail. You didn't even say hello to me, Morgan, for Gods sake you could have at least given me that courtesy."

"How was I to know that you were doing anything any differently for me than you did for all your employers? For all I knew you were just doing your job." The woman did this for love? Morgan fought down the bile rising in her throat as she thought of the innocent lives that had been taken because of it.

"That's just it, you didn't notice a thing. I bet you never even thought about the fact that you had fresh flowers in every room or that I bathed your dog every week. Yesterday morning I even came two hours earlier than normal so you'd have homemade bread for your breakfast." She laughed ruefully. "The ironic thing is that your little girlfriend there…she noticed. She's the only one who ever took the time to say hello and goodbye and thank you. It's a shame really, that I have to use her to get your attention…she's been through so much already, the poor dear."

"It's painfully obvious that you're trying to use Kathryn to bait me, so if you have something to say about her why don't you just say it? If it's just another of your games then drop it, I don't want to play."

Tessa reached into a pocket and pulled out a simple gold chain, Morgan instantly recognized it as the one Kathryn almost always wore around her right ankle.

"As I said, my dear agent, if you ever want to see your beloved again, you'll cooperate."

"And what is it you expect me to cooperate with, Tessa?"

"I've come to realize that no matter what I do, no matter how admirably I work to get your attention, you simply choose not to return my affections. But I will have you, one way, or the other. I can't seem to get you out of my mind, my dear, and so…" Tessa waved the gun in Morgan's direction.

"I want just one night with you, one glorious time. For an evening I want to be the woman in your bed, the one that makes you dizzy with passion, the one you surrender to." She smiled, revealing a row of uneven but gleaming white teeth. "If the little bitch wants to watch me pleasure her woman, I'm sure that could be arranged."

"And if I don't agree?"

"Oh you'll agree," Tessa replied, cocking the pistol. "Because if I can't have you for one night, nobody else will have you either. Ever."

"Have it your way, but what will it accomplish? You have one night with me and then the rest of your life in jail, what kind of a bargain is that?" Morgan shifted in the chair.

"Oh I won't be going to jail, Agent Sumners. I'll be going from your bedroom to the airport. I already have a one-way flight arranged. You don't need to know where. I'll be gone, the killings will stop; that's what everybody wants, isn't it? I could have left already and nobody would have even noticed. There's some humor in that, don't you think? You knock yourself out trying to find your killer and she's got a key to your house." Tessa laughed maniacally.

"I don't find anything humorous in killing innocent women just because they resemble me. I don't find anything humorous in kidnapping. I don't find anything humorous in using Kathryn as emotional blackmail so you can have a fantasy fulfilled. If you want a night with me then so be it, but you'll never get on that plane and if you've done one thing to harm Kathryn I sincerely hope you enjoy your last day on earth."

Tessa waggled the gun for effect. "This lovely piece of steel says I'll be getting on the plane, Morgan, and if it's not enough to convince you, there's a little blond insurance policy that I'll be more than happy to cash in on."

"That's assuming that I believe you have Kathryn. An ankle bracelet means nothing to me; you could have bought one like hers, or you could have stolen hers from the bathroom while she was showering. I think I'll just wait for more proof if you don't mind."

Tessa scowled and then sighed. "Ah, well, isn't that just like a Fed, always needing a little concrete evidence. So what will it take to convince you?" She reached into the same pocket, this time extracting Kathryn's driver's license and a battered photograph of a mother and child. "This, perhaps?"

"Still not anything you couldn't have stolen from her. The only thing those prove is that you've been through her purse. If you have her somewhere then let me talk to her, otherwise let's play your little charade and get it over with." The disgust in Morgan's gaze was unmistakable.

"Perhaps I'm tired of idle chit-chat anyway." Tessa assumed a bored expression, then narrowed her eyes dangerously, and motioned for Morgan to stand up. "Get up, put your hands on your head and walk up the stairs slowly. Remember I have the gun. If I see your hands leave your head I'll pull the trigger without a second thought."

Morgan linked her fingers loosely behind her head and walked up the stairs. She paused at the top and turned to face her abductor. "Where to now, Tessa?"

"The bedroom, of course. And don't try any of your fancy moves, either. My insurance policy is resting comfortably in the chair by the bed. A front row seat, if you will." She laughed.

Morgan strode up the stairs towards her bedroom, her mind churning with thoughts of capturing Tessa, and how she would accomplish that without harming herself or Kathryn in the process. "Have you informed Kathryn of your little plan? Does she know that you intend to force me to fuck you against my will? Did she thank you for that too?"

Tessa ignored the jab as they entered the room and she closed the door behind them, watching Morgan's face as she noticed Kathryn tied securely to the chair with a rope. The little blond looked at her lover with a mixture of relief and frustration as she struggled against her bonds. A pair of lace panties was stuffed in her mouth and she was muttering a stream of curses into them. Morgan managed a quick grin at the tenacity of her woman and winked in her direction. Kathryn's purse was lying in the middle of the floor, it's contents strewn in all directions. Morgan noticed with some amusement that there were three candy bars and a package of peanut butter crackers in with the other things. Tessa motioned for Morgan to sit on the bed.

Morgan sat on the edge of the mattress, facing Kathryn, and leaned toward the struggling blond, removing the panties from her mouth.

"Are you okay Little One?" Morgan asked, caressing the side of her lovers' face.

"I'm fine Angel, she didn't hurt me." Kathryn leaned briefly into the caress before Tessa moved between them and motioned at Morgan.

"Scoot back against the headboard Agent Sumners." As Morgan complied, Tessa bound her hands to the bedposts. "Sorry about the ropes, but I don't have much of a choice in the matter."

"Whatever. Why don't you just cut the commentary and get on with it? What do you want me to do now?"

Tessa settled herself between Morgan's legs and rested the cold steel of the gun against the side of her head. She kept her eyes locked on Morgan's blue ones as she slowly ran her hands over the satiny fabric that clung to the agent's breasts. Kathryn's eyes grew wide and she glared at the housekeeper. "Hey!"

Tessa glanced at Kathryn for a minute before turning back to Morgan. "Shut up you little twit; watch and learn."

Morgan stared at the ceiling, her gaze fixed on one spot, and eyes never wavering as Tessa laid the gun on the bed and leaned down, licking a trail from her knee to the apex of her thighs. Tessa slid her hands along the sides of Morgan's full breasts and roughly flicked her thumbs across the nipples, pleased as they hardened in response.

Morgan's eyes closed as a grimace of disgust crossed her face. Kathryn's brow furrowed in concern at what Morgan must be going through. She knew deep in her heart that if it weren't for her Morgan would have killed Tessa already or been killed by her. She knew she could make this easier on her lover and determined to do just that.

"Morgan?" Morgan heard her lover but couldn't bring herself to open her eyes.

"Morgan, look at me Angel." Kathryn whispered.

Morgan turned toward Kathryn and fell into the emerald pools beckoning to her, willing her body not to respond to the sensations Tessa was causing.

"I know why you're doing this Angel, it's okay. Look at me; think of me. We will get through this, I promise."

Morgan stared at Kathryn, their eyes connecting as Morgan let her mind drift away to the last time she'd touched her lover. She felt Kathryn's hands on her body and Kathryn's lips on hers. In her mind Tessa became Kathryn and she endured the touches a little easier than before.

Morgan was staring intently at Kathryn and Tessa was concentrating so thoroughly on touching her fantasy that neither heard the door slowly opening.

"Don't move." A steady, deep male voice spoke slowly as the door swung the rest of the way open and Bones trained his weapon on the housekeeper. Tessa was startled by the sudden invasion but her own gun was still pressed firmly against the side of Morgan's head and Kathryn's eyes widened in fear as she heard the calculated click of the Glock 9mm being cocked.

Morgan glanced briefly at Kathryn, trying to convey with her eyes what she didn't dare say out loud. She doubted the mental stability of the housekeeper at the moment and she understood all too well that reason often went the way of the wind when emotions were involved. Her eyes darted from Tessa to Bones as they waged their own war for dominance in the still hours of the pre-dawn. How he had managed to end up in her bedroom in the middle of the night with his gun drawn was a mystery; Morgan had noticed the lights of the alarm when she was coming up from the basement. Tessa had obviously activated it so they would not be disturbed and she knew Bones wasn't privy to the code.

Tessa's countenance had changed from uncertain to something resembling a calculated calm and her blue eyes narrowed dangerously as the pupils darkened and her expression turned cold. She could see the man's shadow on the wall but she didn't turn around to look at him. She spoke in even tones but never took her eyes off of Morgan.

"I'll keep it simple, so you federal boys don't have to think too much," Tessa said slowly. "Close the door, throw your gun out the window and take your clothes off. If you're harboring any other weapons I suggest that they join your gun on the lawn. When you're finished, sit down next to the little bitch in the chair and don't make another sound." She stared hard into Morgan's eyes. "Don't think, even for a second, that I won't blow her head off if you don't follow directions."

Kathryn looked from Tessa to Bones but said nothing. She knew that he wouldn't risk Morgan's life but he hadn't put his gun down either and his mind was working overtime. He trained his gaze on Tessa's trigger finger and spoke softly.

"How do I know you're not going to kill her anyway?" It was a lame stall and he knew it, but he had nothing else to offer at the moment.

"You don't." Tessa said simply. "But I doubt you're willing to take the risk." She pushed the barrel of the gun into Morgan's temple, and smiled as the agent flinched at the cold steel cutting into her scalp. "Now lose the gun."

Bones tossed the gun out the window next to the bed and paused briefly before slowly removing his shoes and socks. He stripped off his shirt and trousers, revealing a snub nosed 38 tucked into his belt. His mind worked feverishly to formulate a way he could take out the housekeeper with the hidden gun but he had no doubts that she would take Morgan down with her. He reluctantly released it into the night, hearing a faint rustling as it landed in the bushes far below the upstairs window.

Bones made his way over to Kathryn and put his hand on her shoulder.

"All of it." Tessa said from her position on the bed.

Kathryn blushed as Bones' boxers joined the pile of clothes on the floor.

Morgan's brain was running at warp speed; she knew the psychological implications of what Tessa had just done to Bones; in her years of study she understood the mental vulnerability of being naked and it was just another thing Tessa had in her favor. The housekeeper glanced briefly out into the night; she knew that if she jumped out the window it was at least a 15-foot drop to the lawn but that the bushes would somewhat break her fall. She had not counted on any intrusions; she had set all of the internal and perimeter alarms and the only other person that knew the code was tied up in the chair.

Tessa slid her body off of Morgan, never taking the gun from her temple, and stood next to the bed near the window. She motioned for Bones to come over and tie the agent's legs together at the knees while she contemplated her next move. With Morgan and Kathryn subdued, and a naked, unarmed man the only other threat to her freedom, she felt her confidence rising. Bones looked apologetically at the taller woman as he bound her with the rope under Tessa's watchful eye. She pulled at the thick bonds to make sure he hadn't done anything to give Morgan an advantage and, satisfied, indicated that he should lie face down on the floor.

"Now then," Tessa began, her speech cut short as the lights went out in the room, and the entire property was shadowed in darkness.

"What the hell?" Morgan and Tessa spoke simultaneously and the housekeeper moved closer to the agent. "If this is one of your tricks, Agent Sumners, you won't live long enough to see it through."

"It's probably just a power outage," Morgan offered. "You know as well as I do that we've had a problem with that all week long. Last weekend's storm…."

"Shut up!" Tessa hissed in Morgan's ear. "I can see the lights of your alarm system from here." She turned and pointed out the window at the flashing yellow and green box attached to the metal building a few yards down the beach. "So don't try to tell me-."

Tessa gasped as she was catapulted forward onto the bed. She clutched the gun in her hand as if it was molded to her fingers as she wrestled with the lithe intruder who had come in through the window. Morgan watched in stunned silence as they rolled around the end of the bed and onto the floor, where Bones had joined the fray and was attempting to dislodge the weapon from the housekeeper's hand.

Kathryn knew the gun was loaded and cocked and she followed the action as best she could in the dark.

"Morgan..." She yelled above the din.

"Hang in there baby," The agent answered.

"Who the hell is that?"

"I have no idea."

The sound of the gun discharging into the ceiling was followed by a strangled cry as a naked Bones and the new intruder landed on top of the housekeeper simultaneously. Her head hit the wall with an audible thump and she went limp. The lights in the house flickered once, came on briefly, and then went off again. Morgan noted with some relief that the gray light of early dawn was beginning to appear outside and she suddenly felt like a pawn in a real-life game of Clue.

"Bones," Morgan said, struggling against her bonds. "Bones, could you get your naked ass over here and cut me loose?" Morgan watched as he retrieved his boxers from the floor and put them on.

"Scooby Doo?" Kathryn giggled, and Morgan had to smile.

"Keep it up, you two, and I'll leave you there until the paperwork is done."

"They are kind of cute, though," came a female voice as a familiar figure stepped out of the shadows.

"MEGAN!" Morgan and Kathryn exclaimed in unison.

Megan grinned and began to cut the ropes binding her ex-lover to the bed. "My, my, Tigger, what's going on here?" She teased. "I mean, if you're both tied up…" She looked at Kathryn who was blushing a beautiful shade of pink and then trained her gaze on the half-dressed man. "And you, Bones, I would've figured you for Superman, maybe Batman, but Scooby Doo?" She grinned and helped Morgan with the last of Kathryn's ropes. The blond pushed Morgan's hair away from her scalp to reveal an ugly, swelling bruise.

"You okay Angel?"

"I'm fine Little One," Morgan answered, giving Kathryn a quick kiss on the top of her head. She looked incredulously at Megan.

"Megan, what the hell just happened here? " She moved over to hug her friend. "I owe you, Meg, big time. But how…what?"

"Let me see that." Megan said pushing the hair away from Morgan's face and examining the laceration. "Figures. You wrestle a gun wielding maniac in the dark and all you get is a scratch." Megan tousled Morgan's hair and moved away as Kathryn slid her arms around her lovers' waist.

A fully clothed Bones joined them. He had already dispatched a team to come and pick up the housekeeper. "So Morgan, I guess I can let you in on my theory now… the butler did it."

"Very funny, big guy. You should have been a comedian."

"Naw I'll leave that to you. You'll knock'em dead I'm sure."

Collective groans were heard throughout the room but one in particular caught Morgan's attention. Tessa had begun to stir. Morgan reached inside her bedside table and pulled a set of handcuffs from the drawer. Kathryn's raised eyebrow was answered by a smirk that dared her to ask.

Morgan cuffed the almost lucid housekeeper and rolled her over on her back. "Contessa Trumbull, you're under arrest for murder, kidnapping, assault on a federal agent and anything else I can come up with. You have the right to remain silent and I would suggest you take that right. Anything you say I'm going to use against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you can find one lower on the food chain than you are. If you can't afford an attorney my heart bleeds for you. Do you understand these rights as they've been read to you, or do I need to write them in really big crayon?"

"Listen here you bitch," Tessa hissed.

Morgan sat on the edge of the bed and crossed one foot over the other, leaning back on her elbows. "I can hardly wait to hear this. Should I get a notepad just in case something intelligent comes out?"

The irate housekeeper struggled against her bonds and lunged in Morgan's direction as the agent put her foot on the woman's chest and pushed her back onto the floor. "I did it for you, can't you understand that?" The woman's tone was almost pleading now and took on a hint of desperation.

"If you wanted my attention you could have found other ways of getting it."

Tessa laughed ruefully. "Yeah, right, like you would have noticed anyone like me." She looked up into the blue eyes. "But I did get your attention now, didn't I, Agent Sumners?"

"Yeah Tessa, you got it." Morgan shook her head and went to the closet, where she pulled a pair of jeans and a shirt from the rod. She dressed hurriedly as the footsteps on the stairs got closer. Megan ushered the police officers, closely followed by Walt, into the room and waited as Tessa was led from the house.

Morgan seated the tired group in her office and put a pot of coffee on to brew. Walt was there to take everyone's statement, and once the drinks had been dispensed Morgan took her seat behind the large desk, pulling Kathryn into her lap and settling in for the long procedure.

"Who wants to go first?" Walt asked, opening his laptop.

"I think Bones should." Morgan answered, "After all, he had this figured out before any of us and I want to know how he did it."

Bones grinned and ran his fingers through his thinning hair. "Okay, let's start at the beginning. I thought it had to be a woman because of the fisting. A man would have caused excessive tearing and since there wasn't any it had to either be a man with very tiny hands or a woman. Then there were the alarms. The only wires cut were the ones to the lab. That led me to believe it was Tessa. She would have the code to the house and therefore not need to cut any of those wires. She wouldn't have any reason to be in the lab, though. She knew Morgan's schedule and knew when it would be safe in the house. She wouldn't raise suspicion because she came weekly. I thought for awhile that it might be Megan. No offense," He said, glancing at Megan, "Because she would have the alarm codes as well. I had a team watching her, but she was always accounted for when the murders took place. That left the housekeeper."

"Tonight I came back after the autopsy and saw Tessa carrying Morgan across the beach from Kathryn's house to hers. I called Megan at the hospital and waited for her to get here and disable the alarms. We hid in the livingroom and assessed the situation before we decided what our next course of action would be. Tessa led Morgan from the basement at gunpoint and we weren't sure if she would shoot her or not. Megan listened at the door to Morgan's bedroom while I called the police and came back to update me on the situation. We thought it would be best if I rushed the door. She waited a few minutes in the hall and when things went awry she had the police cut the lights while she jumped through the window. There was a brief struggle and Tessa was knocked unconscious. Morgan handcuffed her and read her her rights then the boys in blue took her away."

Walt nodded his head as he typed in the last of Bones' statement and looked at Morgan. "Who's next?"

Morgan repeated verbatim the conversation she had with Tessa in the basement and later in the bedroom. Kathryn's statement followed and Megan wrapped it up. Walt asked them to come in the following day and sign their respective statements and he and Bones left for the night.

Morgan locked up the house and followed Megan and Kathryn next door for some much needed sleep.

Megan settled in the room she had occupied during Kathryn's recovery. Kathryn and Morgan went to the master bedroom and sat talking until the sun broke through the window before they curled around one another and fell into a dreamless sleep.

For Kathryn and Morgan the next five months flew by in a blur. Winter had come and gone, and a delighted Kathryn watched the first snow of the season fall. She had never seen snow before and Morgan enjoyed watching her lover act like the child she was sure she had never been. Christmas had been a day of many firsts when Henry showed up on their doorstep, arms laden with gifts for both of them. He had come to love Morgan as a daughter.

Kathryn and Morgan were walking hand in hand on the beach as they had every night for the past month. Kathryn was close to her due date and growing bigger by the day. The full moon reflecting off the Atlantic lit their path and the March night air still held a hint of wintertime. Kathryn snuggled into Morgan's shoulder as the agent wrapped her arm tighter around her lover.

"So when do you want to get married, Little One?" Morgan asked, placing a kiss against the blond head.

"How about June?" Kathryn gazed questioningly up into the pools of blue staring down at her.

"Why wait until then?"

"It's our one year anniversary and maybe the baby will be settled in enough for us to take a honeymoon."

"You want to take her along?"

"Him."

"Nope, it will be a girl. She'll have her mother's golden hair and emerald eyes."

"I'm holding out for a boy, Angel. I know in my heart we'll have a son."

"Either way we'll find out soon enough."

Morgan paused and drew Kathryn into her arms, feeling the swelling belly pressed against her stomach and thighs and gently cupped the face turned up at her, placing the softest of kisses against lips even softer. "Do you know how very much I love you Little One?"

Kathryn leaned against Morgan's chest, hearing the steady beat of a heart in perfect sync with her own. "More than there are stars in the heavens, and for all of time, but only half as much as I love you."

"You know we could debate this until the stars fall from the sky and the closest we would ever come to a resolution is a stalemate, Little One."

"Could we put off the debate a little longer, my Angel?" Kathryn asked, wrapping an arm around her swollen belly.

"Why? I thought you enjoyed our little debates." Morgan said, laying her cheek against the blond head.

"Because my love, it's time."