author's note: Been a while... for writing anything... now that I have a little more free time, I'll try to update all my stories more being the key word there. I had some fun with this chapter as you might notice from the banter in it, so I hope you enjoy...

Chapter 9

“We’ll take Garrett’s car for the first part.” Leon immediately moved to the car.

“Wait!” Sophia dashed over, laying her hand on the door handle. She then nodded at him. “We have to hurry. The cops are already thinking about paying Garrett a visit.”

“I assumed as much.” Leon swung into the car and reached across to open Sophia’s door.

“What, not coming around to open it for me?” When he just gave her a bland look, she grinned. “Just a question.” She slid into the car and barely had time to buckle up before Leon was peeling out. “Jesus Christ!” A little terrified at the speed they were moving, she gripped the inside handle of the door.

“You said we’re in a hurry.” He glanced over and grinned, wiggling his eyebrows. A dimple flashed with the grin. The completely juvenile action caught her off guard. Something inside her warmed at the action. That wouldn’t do. She had to remember how much of a jerk he was. Sophia was sure that it wouldn’t be long before he did another jerky thing though so she would be safe.

He had turned his eyes back to the road, so she took this opportunity to study him. He was certainly an attractive guy, despite his demeanor. His blonde locks hadn’t been combed as they were still in sleepy tufts. His eyes, steel gray and alert, were on the road. Stubble shadowed his face, but it just added to his rugged look. His arms were flexed slightly in order to hold the wheel, so she could see a bit of the muscle he had on his arms. Leon really was a fine specimen, if you didn’t count his personality. Perhaps she was merely having a response to his looks. Usually she was attracted to the tall, dark and handsome men, but perhaps she was making an exception.

Response or not, she had made his life more difficult by his simply being involved with her. Not only had his apartment been tossed (something she still hadn’t told him), but now a friend of his was dead and he was being hunted down by his own colleagues. It was all her fault that he had gotten dragged into it. She should probably apologize.

Leon was silent too as he navigated through traffic. The nighttime news still had him by the throat. Mark was gone. A good cop, a good friend, and he was gone. Garrett had been calm and rational, but Leon knew he had been hiding his own grief. Mark had been a police officer, one of his constituents, moreover, one of his friends. Mark had been part of their group, a drinking buddy, a poker buddy… and now he was dead. Leon couldn’t even recall how many times he had watched as Garrett had closed himself off to deal with more loss. He glanced over at the silent Sophia. She was staring out the window. The sun still hadn’t risen, so there wasn’t much to see. He wondered what was going through her mind. His eyes traveled back to the road briefly before he heard her speak.

“I’m sorry about your friend.”

His eyes met hers. Hers were dark, sad, and the emotion in them was sincere. She meant what she said. Over the course of the long sleepless night, Leon had reluctantly realized that she wasn’t to blame. He had just wanted someone to be at fault, so he wouldn’t have to feel guilty for sending Mark over there. So when he responded, it was short and simple. “I know.”

A huge weight felt like it was lifted off her back when he spoke. He immediately turned his eyes back to the road though, so he didn’t see her relief. She looked back out the window, then spoke again, changing the topic. “So, does Garrett know we took his car?”

“Of course.” He smiled again. “He was the one who suggested it. He’s just going to pretend he didn’t know for the cops.”

Her lips curved, “Garrett is certainly a nice guy.”

“Mmm,” was Leon’s response as the car turned the corner.

“Quite the gentleman,” she smiled even more as she said this.

“He’s always had to be.” Since he could feel her eyes on him, he continued, “His mother was Harriet Namone.”

The name was familiar. “Wasn’t she a senator?”

“Yes, she was,” Leon’s voice was flat and serious.

“So that’s why he’s so diplomatic.” She smiled, but then her smile slowly faded as she remembered where she had heard that name before. Senator Namone had been assassinated when she was little. It had been talked about a lot.

“She was a wonderful woman. It devastated Garrett to lose her.” Leon turned another corner, heading west now. He would park at the train station. They could take one out of town. It helped him to think about things like this rather than the past. He could still see Garrett’s face from all those years ago.

“You were friends back then.” Sophia’s voice was quiet, soothing.

“Yes. I still remember that day. She dropped Garrett off at my house. She was going to talk at a high school in the projects. Someone had a gun.” He paused, stopping at a light. “They never found her killer.” Spotting the train station, he pulled into a spot in the back, turned off the car. “His father called my parents. He was too distraught to handle breaking the news to his own son. Garrett’s dad never really got over it. They were never close and after that day Garrett spent more time at my house than his own. We were his family since his was gone. Personally, I think the reason Garrett went into politics was to continue his mother’s work. He really loved her.”

He fell silent. The engine was no longer on, so the only sound that could be heard was the rumble of trains and the occasional car. “Garrett went into politics, I became a cop. I guess both of our lives were changed by his mother’s death.” He turned to look at her. “How about we talk about more cheerful things from now on.” A little disturbed by his own feelings, he said, “Or shall I tell you about when my pet bunny Fluffy was hit by a car?”

She frowned at him. “Don’t look at me. You’re the one who decided to talk about it, I didn’t push the issue.”

“Never mind.” He pulled out the keys and swung out of the car, stalking toward the train station.

“Hold on!” Sophia struggled with the door. Then she had to chase him down. Blocking his way, she looked him in the eye. “You’re angry because you told me something that you now regret telling me. Don’t blame me for simply being here. I didn’t force you to speak.”

“Fine.” He moved around her and continued to eat up the pavement as he headed into the station.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, she chased him down again and had to almost trot to keep up. “Mind if I ask where we’re going?”

“Yes, I do mind. Shouldn’t you already be able to see anyway.” He strode up to the ticket booth and glanced up at the board. “Two tickets to Washington D.C. please.” There was a train leaving in ten minutes going there. It seemed like the best plan, despite Sophia’s sputters.

“Your total will be $60 sir.” The young man behind the ticket counter was looking from Sophia’s mutinous face to Leon’s grinning one, a little confused.

Leon fished his wallet out of his back pocket, poking through it. Then he turned to Sophia. “Got any cash?”

Sophia clenched her teeth and took out her cash. “That’s about all I have though.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll get more at the ATM just before we leave.” He gave the clerk a congenial smile when he handed him the tickets. “Thanks.” Then he turned, seizing Sophia’s hand.

Sophia jerked and then ripped her hand from his. Just touching him had strange sensations coursing through her. Leon just looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “If you didn’t want me to touch you, honey, all you had to do was ask.” With a crooked grin, he set off down the concourse, Sophia trailing behind muttering to herself.

Score one for me, Leon thought as he located their train and then settled in the waiting area.

“I thought you were going to use the ATM,” Sophia said sarcastically as she plopped down a few chairs away.

“Right before we leave. If I use it now, they’ll be all over us before we can get on. Believe me, I know police work, honey.”

“Stop calling me honey. My name is Sophia,” she muttered. She supposed that he was right. What she really wanted to know was why they were going to D.C. Was there any reasoning behind it? She wasn’t about to ask him though. He was going to have to volunteer the knowledge. It was pretty sad, less than an hour ago she had been giving her condolences to this man. Now she didn’t even want to speak to him.

“Whatever you say,” Leon muttered. After this last utterance, silence filled the air, broken only by the distant rumbling of trains. The sun still hadn’t risen, so there weren’t many people up and about.

Leon rose a few minutes later. “The train’s pulling in,” he said, indicating the arrivals screen. He handed her a ticket. “Why don’t you get on? I’ll be there after using the ATM.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re not going to jump ship now are you?”

“I wish I could.” With that he turned and stalked off to the nearby cash machines. Sophia headed in the other direction to get on the train.

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His account cleaned out, Leon stepped on board the train with all of his savings in his pocket. It had occurred to him as he was cleaning out his cash, why was he doing all the paying? It was too late then though, as Sophia had already headed off to board the train. He had had a moment to wonder if the Living Gods would strike here. A split second later, he had laughed. He still hadn’t seen them, so who was to say that they even were after her?

Glancing at his ticket, he moved through the tiny halls of the train. The first rays of the sun were leaking in through the windows. It seemed that dawn had arrived. Locating their box, he pushed open the door, wondering if Sophia had found the seats.

He saw that he didn’t have to wonder. There she was, sitting near the window. She seemed to be looking outside. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him, then moved to the window to look out. “Looks like it’s going to be a nice day.” He looked down to where she was and realized, she wasn’t looking out the window. She was asleep.

The first rays of the morning fell softly over her face and her skin almost seemed to glow. No one would imagine that when awake she could be so contrary and stubborn, not when she looked like an angel when she was asleep. Leon smiled slightly and settled down across from her. The train started to move, but still she slept and Leon just watched her, wondering.