"I can tell." Paddy tapped his nose. "When I was tracking you, your scent was difficult to find."

Caitlin smiled. "Yet, even knowing that, I don't plan to change how I scent my things."

"That's good, because I like the way it is."

"I'm glad." She walked over towards her closet. "Now, I hate to push you out like this, but I would really like to take a bath and get out of these clothes."

"Right. I'll probably have to-"

Paddy was interrupted by several BANGs at the door, followed by Patrick's muffled voice. "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON IN THERE?"

Caitlin walked over to the door to her bedroom and pulled it open. "Go away, Patrick!"

Patrick, for some unfathomable reason, was coiffed and full dressed in a suit even at this early hour. "Paddy was in your room all bloody night?!"

"As a matter of fact he was sitting in the corner making sure I was safe. Absolutely nothing happened so you need to just back off."

"Okay, that is enough." Paddy stormed over to to Patrick and grabbed him by his lapels, slamming him hard against the wall. "You and I both know that it would be so easy for me to kick your ass, Connelly. Your little dog is gnawing at his leash. So why don't you back the hell off."

Patrick stared at Paddy without speaking.

Caitlin rushed over and moved between the two boys. "Stop it, both of you!"

Patrick haphazardly straightened his jacket and left without speaking another word.

Paddy rolled his eyes and strode over wot the couch to retrieve his jacket.

Caitlin sighed. "Sometimes I feel as if I could kill him."

"Oh, I'm fully capable of killing him," Paddy replied matter-of-factly as he put his jacket back on. "The logistics of the thing, however, are mind-boggling."

"As long as we are here, we'll have to listen to Patrick's disapproval. I honestly don't know why he acts this way."

"He's protective, obviously. He does care about you, but, having a shillelagh shoved up his ass, is only able to express it through suffocating overprotection."

"I don't need his protection."

"Because Patrick's Patrick, he's incapable of comprehending that."

Caitlin looked over at Paddy and smirked. "Is it wrong to say that it is incredibly tempting to wait until he's around and kiss you?"

"For my physical well-being, yes. I probably shouldn't tell you this, but Patrick's mean with a garrote. Once I saw him nearly sever a man's head with that little rope." Paddy shuddered.

Caitlin pretended to look around. "He's not around now though," she commented.

Paddy took a few nonchalant steps over to Caitlin. "Indeed he isn't. We could get into all kinds of mischief."

She smiled up at him. "Yes we could."

"So what..." He took a step closer with each word. "...to...do."

She took the final step separating them and leaned in to kiss him.

Paddy noted the difference that not sobbing on Caitlin's part made. Much better.

Caitlin reached up and wrapped her arms around Paddy's neck and deepened the kiss.

Wow. American girls are sooooooo much better at this than the ones back home....FOCUS! Paddy put his hands on Caitlin's waist. He could do this all day, he reflected.

Caitlin slowly pulled away and smiled at Paddy. "As much as I would love to just do this all day, I really do need to take a bath."

A disappointed Paddy reluctantly let go. "Perhaps in the future a better meeting place might be my apartment. We would be less likely to be...interrupted."

"I like the sound of that."

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