"I'm going for a walk," Blair said at last.

"I'll notify Mac," Stark said without a single inflection in her voice, lifting her wrist to speak into her radio mike. To her complete and utter shock, Blair Powell stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"Don't. I just want to walk. I'm not going anywhere."

"You can't go alone," Stark responded emphatically, forgetting to appear impassive. She was still working on that. "Besides, the Commander"

"Isn't here, is she?" Blair retorted sharply.

"Well, it's not like she won't know...Hey!"

Blair turned and walked away, Stark close on her heels.

"PleaseMs. Powell, just let me call the cars."

"If you want to come along-fine. But just you." She started down the back stairs, and would be outside, free, in a few seconds.

Stark had no choice but to follow. She knew the Presidents daughter well enough by now to know that arguing would not work. She also knew that if provoked, Blair was perfectly capable of giving all of them the slip and disappearing. It had happened before, and that was a worse threat to her safety than going out with only one agent as protection.Oh man, Mac is going to kill me. Thank Godthe Commander is in DC.

It was just after 9:00 P.M., and the sky was clear, nearly cloudless except for wisps here and there that glowed silver with reflected light from the full moon. In a city famous for romance, on a night made for lovers, Blair was lonely.

Starting down the steep, twisting wooden stairs that led from the rear of Marcea Cassells' house to Lombard Street at a pace too fast for the terrain, especially in the near dark, she steadfastly ignored the ache. She hadn't been aware of loneliness for a very long time, and on the rare occasions when she had been, she'd known just what to do about it. A few hours lost in the arms of an attractive stranger, anonymous pleasures at no cost to anyone, had served her well until Cameron Roberts had come along less than a year before and changed everything.

"Like I ever asked her to."

"I'm sorry?" Stark asked, trying to stay within touching distance of the Presidents daughter without actually touching her.

"Nothing".

They reached the street and began wending their way down the sharply curving road in the general direction of the Bay. When it became apparent that Stark wasnt going to do anything except dog her steps, Blair relaxed infinitesimally.

"What are you doing here any way? I though you were off for a while".

Stark blushed, overjoyed that her companion couldnt see it. The question caught her off guardshe hadnt realized that Blair Powell, code name Egret, gave any thought to the schedule of her security team. Although Stark was the lead agent in Egrets personal security detail, and spent hours with her every day under every imaginable circumstance, they had not had a personal conversation in months. Not since the night six months before when theyd spent a number of frantic hours together in bed.Well, I was pretty frantic. And come to think of it, we didnt do much talking even then .

"Couldnt stay away?" Blair probed. She still couldnt quite figure out why one human being was willing to risk their life for a person to whom they worked so hard to appear invisible. Although she knew all the agents on her detail by name, she knew very little about most of them personally. They rarely looked directly at her because they were too busy looking everywhere else. If she stripped naked in front of them, they wouldnt blink. She grinned to herselfwell, Stark would. But that was because the agent hadnt mastered the game face yet.And besides, I wouldnt do it to her.

"After everyone left for the airport last night, I felt useless", Stark confessed, stepping slightly to the right of Blair so that she could get between her and the traffic side of the sidewalk.

"You need to get a life, Stark", Blair commented, not unkindly.

"After what happened, I justI dont know. I just wanted to be here".

Blair caught her breath, because she understood. All of themthe whole teamhad been through hell together, and although they were strangers in many ways, they were also bonded by shared victoryand by shared loss. Despite understanding, she was amazed that Stark could admit it. "Dont you ever worry about saying things like that? It will ruin your macho image".

"Macho?" Stark laughed, and very unobtrusively stopped at the corner of Hyde and Beach, blocking Blairs body from the intersection while glancing up and down the street. Thankfully, it was a weeknight and not many tourists were about. As they crossed, heading steadily downhill toward the water, she added, "As long as the Commander trusts me, Im not too worried about my image".

"It matters that much to you what she thinks?"

"Of course", Stark replied, clearly surprised. "I mean shes well, shes what we all want to be".

"Be careful what you wish for". Blairs tone was sharp, but it wasnt anger. It was pain.Cant you see what it costs her?

Stark fell silent and Blair walked on rapidly, eventually turning left onto Jefferson until they reached the beach. She threaded her way with Stark by her side down stone stairs to the sand, and finally sat, knees drawn up, watching the moonlight play across the waves.

"Hows Renee?" Blair finally asked, her voice low and pensive. She drew the fine white sand through her fingers, letting the grains fall in a steady stream by her side.

"Shes okay", Stark replied hesitantly, still unsure how to talk to the woman she spent more time with than anyone else in her life. "She pretty much kicked me out this morning, which is why I decided to fly out here in the afternoon. Catch up to you all".

"Why did she chase you off? Were you hovering?"

"Uhwell, maybe. Some".

Stark shifted in the stiff vinyl-cushioned chair, peering at her watch in the semi-darkness. Ten after five. In the morning. Shed slept all the previous afternoon after the Commander had declared the entire first team off duty. As soon as shed awakened, shed come to the hospital, found Savard too sedated to talk, and had decided to sit for a while in case the FBI agent woke up. That had been at 8:00 p.m.

She stretched and leaned closer to the bed, peering at the injured woman. In the dim light from the hall, Renees usually deep-coffee-toned skin seemed pale, almost lifeless

Quickly, heart racing, Stark reached for the hand that lay on the covers, folding it in her own. It was warm. She closed her eyes, drawing a shaky breath, as she rubbed her cheek against the backs of the long, slender fingers.

"Hey", Renee said quietly, closing her hand weakly around Starks.

Stark jumped. "Hey. Youre awake".

"Kind of. Is there any water?"

"Yeahright here. Wait a minute". Stark hurriedly poured tepid water from a green plastic pitcher into a Styrofoam cup and fumbled the paper off a straw. Carefully, she tilted the cup and placed the straw between the other womans lips. "Here you go".

After a few swallows, Renee dropped her head back against the pillows. "Thanks".

"Should I call a nurse? Do you need something for thepain?"

"Nonot yet. Talk to me a little".

Savards voice was faint but her eyes seemed clear.

"Okay. Sure".

"What happened?"

Starks heart thudded with anxiety again, because shed already told her the story the day before.That was probably normal. Right?

Patiently, she recounted the tale from the beginning, leaving out the parts about the blood. And how fucking scared shed been, kneeling by Renees side with her hands pressed to her shoulder and the blood that just kept coming.

"Paula?"

"Huh?" she said too loudly, jumping again.

"Have you had any sleep?"

"Yeahlots".

"You seem spooked".

"No. Im fine".

"Good". Savard closed her eyes.

After a few minutes of watching her breathe, Stark figured she had fallen asleep. Gently, she disentangled her fingers from Renees laid the slumbering womans hand down on the covers. When she looked up, Renee was watching her.

"Are you leaving?" Savard asked.

"Not if you dont want me to".

"I want you to".

"Oh". Stark looked away, swallowed.

"Paula".

"Huh?"

"Look at me".

Slowly, Stark brought her gaze to Renees. The room had lightened enough to see the brilliant blue of them and she couldnt help but smile.

Savard smiled back. "Im going to get wellsoon as I can".

"I know that", Stark said quickly.

"Noreally. And you cant sit here worrying while I do".

"Im not worr"

"Go back to work if you dont want to take time off. Call me every day".

"Every day, huh?" Stark grinned. "Morning or night?"

"Either".

"Both?"

"If you like".

Starks voice was husky when she replied. "Oh, I like".

"Hovering". Yeahpretty much, Stark finally admitted with a faint laugh. "Yep".

Blair turned her head in time to catch the smile that even the darkness couldnt hide.Ah ha. Our young Stark has a crush.I wonder

The phone on Starks belt trilled, breaking the silence, and they both jumped.

"Dont answer it", Blair said quickly.

Stark shook head, her hand already at her waist. "I have to".

When she heard the familiar deep voice, she was very glad she had.

Chapter Three

"Is she with you?"

Stark leaped to her feet, her body rigid-nearly at attention as she pressed the phone to her ear. "Yes, ma'am. She is."

"Anyone else?"