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Author's Chapter Notes:
Hello, hello! First off, thank you to all of you who have stuck around so long even when it seemed that this story was never going to be updated. That's why, I'm dedicating this chapter to you guys! I finally found the inspiration to write, and write I did! This chapter is nearly 15 pages long! It's crazy, and I can assure you that the plot only gets crazier from here on in because we're getting to the juicy good stuff! With that said, I hope you enjoy and let Kelly and I know how we're doing!
The pounding pain in her head woke Mac the following morning.  She lay still for several moments, willing the massive headache away and vaguely wondering if she’d gotten drunk the night before.  Although, none of her previous hangovers had ever hurt this badly, she mused dimly.  When she cracked open her eyes, a ray of sunlight burned them and tripled the pain in her head, causing her to moan out loud.

There was a rustling sound and then, “Mac? You awake? Can I get you something?”

Brian? What was Brian doing in her room?

She opened one eye to peer up at his concerned expression, the dark bags under his eyes prominent.  Maybe they’d gotten drunk together, she thought.  Why else would he look as awful as she felt?

“What happened?” she groaned out, pressing a hand to her aching head.  The muscles in her arms protested as well, making her frown.  What on earth had she done to herself?

She felt the bed sag as Brian sat next to her, but she didn’t dare open her eyes again for fear of the pain.  “You mean, you don’t remember?” he asked softly, his fingers stroking her hair carefully.

“What…Oh my gosh.” Her eyes flew open, and she winced again.  “Avenging Angel!”

Brian nodded, his fingers clenching briefly into fists.  “Yeah.  You’re lucky he showed up because it sounded like you would’ve been hurt way worse if he hadn’t.”

“I guess so,” she murmured, pressing her hands to her aching temples.  She needed to think, but having Brian around wasn’t going to make that easy.  “Brian, can you get me something for my head.  It’s killing me,” she moaned.

“Sure, yeah.” It was the least he could do, he thought. He’d been half the reason she had hit her head on the sidewalk.  Leaning over, he briefly pressed his lips to hers before hurrying out to get her ibuprofen.

Mac lifted shaking fingers to her tingling lips and sighed.  This investigation was getting a lot more complicated than she’d bargained for at the start.  All she’d wanted was to do her job, figure out the identity of the Avenging Angel, and apprehend the crazy, Spandex-clad man.  Now, not only was she suffering the side effects of her first meeting with the guy, she was also stuck with growing feelings for her boss—feelings any of her mentors in the Bureau would have scolded her for having.  At this point, she wasn’t even sure she could resist them.  Besides, Brian had been right the night before.  She couldn’t focus on her investigation if she was constantly wary around him, so maybe it would just be better to be with him…whatever that entailed.

Brian paused in the doorway to the bedroom, his hands tightening on the glass of water and bottle of medication he held.  Mac lay on the pillows, her head bandaged, and her hair spread out across the thick hotel pillows.  There were smudges under her eyes, indicating her fatigue, and her face was pale.  He could tell she was in pain what with the way her hands kept massaging her temples, and he wanted nothing more than to rip that pain out of her and strangle it with his bare hands.

His hands shook slightly with the rage coursing through him at the fact that she’d been hurt when he might have prevented it.  Taking a deep breath, he tried to reign in his darker emotions, knowing that he’d be no good for her if he was angry and vengeful.  It was dangerous, the way his feelings for Mac twisted up and brought out Avenging Angel’s deep, dark side.  If he let it get out of control, he was sure it would be his undoing.

With one more deep breath, Brian sat on the edge of the bed again and waited for Mac to open her eyes.  It didn’t take her long, and she reached out carefully to take the glass of water from him.

“You’re a lifesaver, Brian.  It feels like my head’s going to explode any second now,” she groaned, clearly in pain.  She waited as he silently shook out a couple of painkillers and passed them to her.  Keeping her eyes steady on his, she swallowed the pills and drank down the glass of water.  

“Better?” Brian murmured, taking the glass from her and setting it aside.

Mac sighed wearily.  “Soon, I hope.” Then, hesitating for a moment, she brushed her hand over his.  “We should talk.”

His shoulders drooped a bit, but Brian nodded.  “Yeah, we should.” He gave her a small smile.  “I kind of said what I think last night, so I guess I’m wondering what it is that you want.  Do you want to see what this thing between us is or do you just want to keep circling around each other and acting like teenagers?” he added with a tiny smile.

She smiled hesitantly, too.  “You were right.  About what you said last night,” she clarified, when he lifted a brow in question.  “I haven’t been able to focus on Baylee and my job because I’ve been so hung up on trying to avoid you.  It is pretty childish, so I guess you’re right on that, too.  It’s just-” She sighed. “I don’t want things to be weird on the tour, you know? And I don’t want Baylee to see us together that way and get too attached to the idea of us together, especially since it’s improbable that we’ll last.” And I’m lying to you about who I really am and what I’m really doing here.

Brian wasn’t sure why, but he was beginning to panic at the thought of Mac leaving some day.  “So are you saying that you want to be with me…but secretly?”

She chewed her lip nervously.  “Is that bad? Does that upset you?”

He reached out and held her hands in his, lacing their fingers together.  The warmth of her palms felt good against his, and he squeezed her hands comfortingly.  “Mackenzie,” he said softly, using her full name for the first time since they’d met. “All I want is to be with you, instead of avoiding you.  You make me feel something in a place inside me that I thought was dead.  I don’t care if we keep it a secret or tell the whole world.  All I want is for you and me to be together.  That’s it.”

Mac looked down at their joined hands before glancing back up at his face.  “Okay,” she said slowly, a smile beginning to bloom on her lips.  “Then, yeah.  Yes, I want to be with you, too, Brian.”

Grinning gleefully, they both leaned towards each other and let their lips meet in a kiss that was full of promise.

***

Mac knew the media worked fast, but she never expected them to work quite as quickly as they had.  By the time Brian let her out of bed that morning and helped her onto the bus, it was only nine—a mere eight hours since her attack.  She hadn’t expected much more attention to her run in with the Avenging Angel, except maybe from the police.

So she was entirely floored when a slew of reporters were gathered outside the hotel when she, Brian, and Baylee tried to leave.  At first, she thought they were just there for the Boys, but when she heard them calling her name, demanding to know about her midnight encounter with Avenging Angel, she froze in place.  Though Brian tried to move her along towards the buses, she was stunned at the media force, knowing they were there for her.  Sure, she’d dealt with the media in prior cases, but, this time, the crowd was bigger…and she was worried that one of them might connect her to the same Mackenzie Adams who’d brought down the crime boss in LA.

“Don’t answer anything you don’t want to,” Brian murmured into her ear, his arm tightening around her shoulders.  She appreciated the comforting feel of having him beside her, though she already knew she wasn’t going to talk to the reporters.

If Captain Riley found out, she thought as Brian helped her into the bus, she would be dead for sure.  She wasn’t even supposed to be here, and, the instant he saw her, he’d certainly know what she was up to.

She tried to put the whole scenario out of her mind and tried to relax on one of the sofas on the bus.  Baylee had already announced that he would be her “butt-lard” that day and get her whatever she wanted.  She’d had to stifle a giggle at his mispronunciation, but, seeing the humorous glint in Brian’s eyes, she knew she wasn’t the only one.

The four-hour trip from Dallas to Houston flew by.  Brian and Baylee played board games and watched Enchanted for the five millionth time, while Mac secretly scribbled away in her notebook.  She still didn’t have much to go on, despite having met him for however short a time.  The only thing she’d been able to gather was that the man really did have incredible strength and had taken out her attackers in no time at all.

If only she hadn’t fainted…

“Mac, want some tea?” Baylee bounded over to sit cautiously by her side.  “Daddy said he was gonna make some if you wanted it.  Mommy always said tea or soup was the bestest medicine for when you’re sick.  Want some soup, too?”

Mac’s eyes drifted over Baylee’s head to where Brian stood, frozen, just outside the kitchen area.  When their eyes met, he smiled sadly before turning away to rummage through the cupboards.

She looked down at Baylee again and ruffled his hair.  “Soup would be nice, Bay.  Are you going to make it for me?”

“Nuh uh! It’s too hot. I might burn myself,” he told her with wide eyes. “One time, when we were in Tibbet, Daddy burned his hand on the fire under the pot and,” his voice lowered, “he said a bad word.”

“No.” Mac feigned shock and widened her eyes.  She’d dwell on the “Tibbet” tidbit later.  “Then what?”

Baylee brightened.  “We put snow on it ‘cause there was lots and lots of it around.  After that, Daddy said he was sorry about the bad word.  I’m not s’posed to go near the stove.”

“Well, that sounds like a good idea,” Mac assured him. She held out her arms and grinned when Baylee eagerly climbed into her lap and snuggled into her embrace.  

He examined the bandage on her head solemnly.  “Does it hurt lots and lots?”

“A little,” she admitted.

Baylee touched the bandage carefully.  “Can I kiss it to make it better?”

Words stuck in her throat, and all she could do was helplessly nod.  Baylee gave her a light peck on the forehead and smiled.  “There! All better! Right? Right?”

Mac blinked back tears and tried to swallow the hot ball of emotions that had lodged in her throat.  “Yeah,” she managed to say before cuddling him closer.  “Yeah, it does feel better.”

She was getting too attached, Mac thought, but she didn’t know how to stop.  The Littrell men were too hard to resist, and, the more she tried to distance herself, the deeper she fell.  How was she supposed to keep her objectivity? What if Brian somehow, in the most improbable way possible, turned out to be the Avenging Angel?

She caught a glimpse of him pouring a can of Campbell’s soup into a bowl and sighed.  Yeah, right.

“What’d the bad guys look like?”

Mac looked down at Baylee, who was watching her with those big, blue eyes. “Well…like bad guys,” she told him, unable to come up with something better. “Anyway, you shouldn’t worry about them.”

Baylee grinned excitedly.  “Yeah! ‘Cause Avenging Angel took care of ‘em, right?”

“Who told you that?” she demanded.

“Nick did.  He’s jealous ‘cause you met him, and Nick didn’t.  ‘She’s not even his biggest fan.’ That’s what he told AJ.”

“Really?” She had to chuckle at the idea of Nick being jealous of the fact that she’d met his favorite superhero, despite the fact that she’d been hurt.

Baylee nodded eagerly.  “Uh huh.  And then, AJ said that if he was Avenging Angel, he woulda tried to ‘sussate you.  Mouth to mouth or something.  He was winking a lot, and it made Nick laugh, too.” Mac was finding it hard not to chuckle as well, and Baylee glanced up at her.  “How come that’s funny?”

“Oo-kay then,” Brian swooped in before Mac could formulate an answer.  “That’s the last time I leave you with AJ and Nick.”

“Aww, Daddy. You always say that,” Baylee reminded him mischievously.

Brian set down the bowl of soup he carried and ruffled his son’s hair.  “Well, this time, I mean it.  They’re a bad influence on you.”

“Nuh-uh! They’re fun!”

Brian rolled his eyes at Mac, and she grinned a little before pain sliced through her head.  “Ouch,” she muttered, pressing her hand to her forehead.

“What? What’s wrong?” Brian leapt forward, set Baylee aside, and knelt next to her. “Does it hurt? Do you want me to get you more painkillers?”

She squeezed her eyes shut and nodded.  “Please.”

While Baylee kept guard at Mac’s side, Brian went to dig out the bottle of medication.  His hands shook a little when he heard her whimper in pain.  Not for the first time that day, he wished he could do something, anything to help ease her discomfort.  It was amazing how much he’d come to care for her in so little time, he thought as he hurried back to her side.  Just when he’d decided he’d never feel anything romantic towards another woman after Leighanne, Mac had come along to show him that he could.

As she swallowed the pills, Baylee held her hand while Brian rubbed his fingers across her forehead in an attempt to help.

“Well, aren’t I the lucky girl?” Mac said with a small smile.  “I bet there are thousands of girls who’d pay to be me right now, huh?”

“Ew, like all those weird girls who take pictures of us all the time?” Baylee asked, his nose scrunched up in distaste.

Mac chuckled a little, despite the pounding headache, and squeezed his hand.  “Those girls are the reason why you and your daddy are here right now.” She glanced over at Brian, who was watching her with concern shadowing his eyes.  “Right, Brian?”

He sighed.  “Right.  You know, a long time ago, Nick used to love it when they tried to pull his pants off him.” Mac giggled while Baylee made a sound of disgust.  “Yeah, we thought it was weird, too.  But that’s Nick for ya.”

“I’m glad you’re here, Mac, and not those icky girls,” Baylee told her solemnly.  

Mac smiled before leaning her throbbing head back against the sofa cushions.  “I’m glad I’m here, too,” she murmured before closing her eyes.

Brian took this as a cue to let her rest.  “Come on, Baylee.  Let’s let Mac take a nap, so her headache will go away.”

“Okay,” Baylee agreed.  Leaning over, he kissed Mac’s cheek.  “Feel better, ‘kay?”

Mac opened her eyes to smile at him again.  “Thanks, Baylee.  You’re the best.”

“I know,” he replied proudly then bounded back over to flip through the channels on the television.

Brian shook his head, unable to hide his grin.  Mac rolled her eyes at his expression.  “Well, I wonder where he got that confidence from,” she muttered.

“Hey, I’m not like that,” he complained. “That’s Nick and AJ’s territory.  He should probably spend less time with them.”

“Right.” Mac shifted a little to get more comfortable, and her notebook fell out of her lap and onto the floor.  Before she could reach for it, Brian had scooped it up.

“You’re always writing away in this thing. What’s in it?” he asked, starting to open the cover.

She yelped a little and tried to snatch it away.  “That’s private, Brian! You’re not supposed to read a girl’s private stuff.”

“So it’s like a diary?” he wondered, an impish grin spreading across his face.  “Did you write something about me in there?”

He pretended to open it again, and Mac frowned and tried to grab for it again.  “Come on, Brian! Don’t do that.  Give it back!” Her heart was pounding so hard in fear of being discovered that she could barely feel the pain her head.  If he found out…

“Okay, okay.” Brian handed it back to her. “Don’t get all worked up, Mac.  It’s only going to make your head hurt worse.”

She grabbed the notebook out of his hands and clutched it to her like it was her child.  “Thanks.”

“You’re not mad at me, are you?”

She sniffed a little and turned her head away.  “No.”

“You so are!” Brian cupped her face in his hands and turned so she was looking up into his eyes.  He felt like a jerk now for doing something he’d considered harmful teasing.  “I didn’t realize it was a big deal.  I’m sorry.”

“A girl’s private thoughts are always a big deal,” she muttered but could feel herself relenting.  “It’s okay,” she added, seeing that he was sincerely apologetic.

He brushed his thumbs over her cheekbones before glancing over his shoulder at where Baylee was absorbed in Dora the Explorer.  “Okay, good,” he whispered before kissing her softly.

When he started to pull back, Mac tugged him in again and kissed him just a little longer.  Brian braced his arms on either side of her and deepened the kiss, his heart racing with all the feelings bursting through him.  When she stiffened and moaned a little, he jerked his head back.  

“Oh, gosh, I’m sorry,” he whispered as she squeezed her eyes shut, her face paling.  “I should’ve known better.”

“It’s not your fault,” she whispered.  “I kissed you more.” Her lips curved into a tiny smile even as she battled back the pain.  “I think I’m just going to take a nap.  Wake me up in Houston, okay?”

Brian nodded and, brushing his lips over her forehead, he left her to sleep off the pain.

***

By the time soundcheck rolled around late that afternoon in Houston, Mac was feeling less tired and her headaches had mostly receded, so Brian didn’t feel quite so guilty leaving her with Baylee in his dressing room.  When he’d left, the two of them had been working on reading a Dr. Seuss book, and it made him glow with pride as Baylee slowly but surely read aloud.  His son was growing up so quickly, it made his head reel a bit, but Brian couldn’t have been more excited.

He whistled as he walked down the hall towards the door leading out to the venue’s stage.  There wasn’t anyone around, except for two tech workers at the far end of the hall, so Brian did a quick little jump for joy before continuing along.

When laughter erupted behind him, he whirled around to find Nick and Howie bowled over in fits of giggles.  “What was that, Brian?” Nick gasped in between laughing.

Brian’s ears tinged red with embarrassment.  “What was what?” he asked innocently.

“Oh, come on.” Howie’s grin widened.  “You were jumping around like a little kid.  What’s going on?”

“Yeah,” Nick added.  “Suddenly, Mr. Cranky Pants is Mr. Happy Happy Joy Joy?”

Brian’s brows lifted. “I’m not even going to tell you how lame that name is.  Besides, so what if I’m happy.  Aren’t I allowed?”

“Well, yeah. It’s just weird because we haven’t seen you like that very often.  I mean, the last time was when you got those front row tickets for Mac…” Howie trailed off, eyes narrowing.  “Oh, man. Oh, Brian.”

“What? What?” Howie’s expression was starting to freak him out.  “What’s wrong?”

Nick caught on to Howie’s thoughts, and his jaw dropped.  “No way.  Dude, you nailed Mac!” He reached out and punched Brian’s arm lightly.  “Way to go, man!”

His face burning now, Brian tried to deny it.  “I don’t know what you guys are talking about.  Mac is my kid’s nanny; I can’t ‘nail’ her.  Besides, I don’t even like her in that way.” He spoke quickly now, knowing that Mac would be upset if the guys knew that they were together.  “I mean, we’re not even really good friends, we’re just employer and employee.  That’s it.  There is nothing going on between us.”

“Ohhh,” Nick drew out the word slowly.  “But you want something to be there between you two, right?”

“Umm, no?”

Howie grinned again. “Yeah, we thought so.  Well, she’s a beautiful woman, Brian, so I think it would be great if you wanted to date her.”

“Or, you know, more than date her,” Nick added with a wiggle of his brows.

Before Brian could come up with a comeback to that, there was a shout from behind them.  AJ was leaning out the stage door and waving his arms.  “You guys are late! Let’s go!”

As the three men made their way towards AJ, Brian hoped that Nick and Howie would forget about the conversation they’d just had.  Unfortunately, the way they kept winking at him through soundcheck confirmed to him the fact that they probably wouldn’t.

***

When Brian returned to his dressing room after soundcheck, Howie trailing behind him, Mac had gleaned enough information out of Baylee to know that he and Brian had visited a place that sounded exactly like Tibet—except that Baylee called it Tibbet.  Mac was pretty sure it was the same thing.  She wondered what had compelled Brian to visit the remote, mountainous country, especially since they’d taken the trip in the months following Leighanne’s murder.

Now that she and Brian were romantically involved, she found she wanted to know everything about him—well, everything that she hadn’t already learned after living with him for almost two months.  Which, when she thought about it, was a great deal.

So, when Brian walked through the dressing room door, Mac greeted him with a smile and opened her mouth to ask the question. Then, she saw Howie behind him and decided it could wait until she and Brian had more privacy.  

“Hey, Mac.” Howie smiled at her, though there was a mischievous gleam in his eyes that made her frown.  “How’s it going?”

“Good,” she replied cautiously.

“How’s your head? Brian said you’ve been having headaches all day.” Howie’s eyes drifted over the bandage on her head, his expression concerned.

She lightly touched a hand to her head and smiled.  “It’s much better now.  I barely feel any pain, so I’m hoping it won’t be as bad as it was earlier.  How was soundcheck?”

“Pretty good,” Brian replied as he knelt next to Baylee, who had continued to sound out the words in a different book now.  “How’s the reading going, buddy?”

Baylee beamed.  “It’s fabulous! It’s so much fun, and Mac said I’ll be reading chapter books in no time!”

“That’s pretty cool,” Howie agreed, kneeling on Baylee’s other side.  “Do you want to go out and celebrate with Nick and me before the show? We’re gonna go to McDonald’s,” he added.

“Really?” Baylee looked eagerly from Howie to his father.  “Can I go Daddy, please? I’ll be good, and I won’t listen to all the bad words Nick says. I promise!”

Brian chuckled.  “You can go, kiddo.  Howie already asked me about it.  I figured, you’d done such a good job with all your school stuff, you deserved a treat.”

“Awesome!” Baylee yelled excitedly.  Leaping up, he grabbed Howie’s arm and dragged him towards the door.  “Let’s go, let’s go,” he sang as Howie hurried to keep up with the excited five-year-old.

Then, Brian and Mac were alone, staring at each other.  The tension was thick enough to cut with a butter knife as neither was sure who would make the first move.

There was an awkward silence before Mac smiled and took a small step towards him.  “Well, someone was excited to go to out.”

“Yeah, I think we’ve been keeping him cooped up with us a little too much.  I didn’t really realize it until Howie suggested taking him out,” Brian admitted sheepishly, moving slowly towards her.  “Does that make me a bad father?”

“No, of course not. It just makes me a bad nanny,” she said, her heart beginning to race as their eyes locked.  Was it just her, or was it getting warm in the room?

Brian shook his head even as his palms went damp.  “You’re not a bad nanny,” he managed to say over the pounding of his heart.  “You’re a great nanny.” He could smell the fruity shampoo she used, and it made his muscles tighten in anticipation.  “Really, you’re the best he’s had.”

“I’m glad,” she breathed, unable to look away from him.  There was a foot of space left between them, and she knew they were both dying to close that space.

The instant her hand lifted to rest on his chest, Brian’s control broke, and he swept her into his arms, careful not to hurt her.  Their lips locked together as their hands raced over each other.  Mac had a moment to think how amazing it was that she wanted him this badly, before all thoughts slipped right out of her mind.  

Brian backed her against the wall and continued to devour her lips like a crazed man.  She felt so good in his arms, and he couldn’t get enough.  His lips raced over her face before journeying down her neck.  The sounds of pleasure emitting from her spurred him on to press his lips to every inch of her skin that he could.

Mac struggled not to melt into a giant puddle of lust, and, as if from far away, she heard the sounds of approaching voices.  “Brian,” she gasped, trying to push him away but not wanting to as well.

He paid no heed to her and continued to lavish attention to the smooth column of her neck.  

The voices grew closer, and Mac recognized one of them as AJ’s.

“I’m sure she’s in Brian’s dressing room.  She and Baylee work on activities in there when we’re at the venue,” he was saying.

“Brian,” she tried again, louder this time.  “Brian, stop.”

He did, and Mac immediately missed the feel of his mouth against her skin.  He lifted his head and blushed a little.  “Sorry.  I guess I got a little carried away,” he murmured.

Mac stroked his cheek and smiled.  “No, it’s okay. It’s just that-” She broke off when she recognized the second voice with AJ’s.  “Oh, my god.”

“Here we are,” AJ announced on the other side of the closed door.  There was a short knock on the door before the knob turned.  “Hey, Mac! I come bearing a gift!”

Instantly, she sprang away from Brian and tried to straighten her shirt before the door fully opened.  She didn’t have much of an opportunity, though, because, suddenly, she was face to face with the last face she’d expected to see.

“Jake!” Not waiting for a response, she threw herself into his arms and hugged him tight.  “This is such a surprise!”

Brian’s eyes narrowed—something that did not go unnoticed by AJ.

Jake, too, was surprised at Mac’s reaction to his appearance, but he hugged her back before tipping her chin up to look into her face.  His eyes skimmed over the bandage and narrowed.  “I heard you were hurt, so I had to come see you.”

Mac knew him well and could hear the underlying message of “You’re in deep trouble, Mac,” but she just kept smiling. “I’m glad you’re here. You can meet everyone now.” Turning, she slid an arm around his waist and smiled at Brian and AJ.  “This is one of my really good friends from home, Jake.  Jake, Brian Littrell, and I’m assuming you’ve already met AJ.”

AJ nodded.  “Yeah, now I know who to ask for the inside scoop on you,” he said with a wink.

Mac glared at him.  “I don’t think so.  Anyway, Jake,” she continued, “I’m taking care of Brian’s son, Baylee, on the tour.  He’s actually out right now with the other two band members, but you’ll meet him if you stay long enough.” She looked up at him. “How long are you staying?”

“Just tonight,” he replied easily, well aware that the other men in the room were scrutinizing his every move.  “Maybe Brian could let you off the hook for one night.  I think I’m in the same hotel as them anyway.” He grinned at AJ and Brian.  “There was a big group of girls waiting to meet you guys in the lobby.”

“Our loyal fans,” AJ announced proudly. “Well, I’m gonna go. I got some phone calls to make before we get too busy with show prep.  It was nice to meet you, Jake.”

“Likewise,” Jake replied, shaking AJ’s outstretched hand.  He glanced down at Mac after AJ’s departure.  “Are you free right now?”

Mac knew what that look in his eyes meant and sighed.  “I think so.” She shot a look at Brian.  “Do you mind?”

Um, yeah, he did.  Brian didn’t like the way Jake’s arm was looped around her shoulders, or the way the guy seemed to be very touchy-feely with her.  Mac was his woman, not Jake whatever-his-name-was’s.  “No,” he answered grudgingly.

“Great.” Jake smiled at Brian before he tugged Mac out of the room and down the hall.  “We have to talk,” he said quietly, his voice hard as steel.

She gulped a little then straightened her shoulders.  “About what?”

His eyes narrowed.  “About what?” he hissed.  “Mac, are you insane? I know what you did last night!”

“So does the rest of Dallas,” she quipped.

“I’m serious, Mac. I know you.  I bet you probably went out to deliberately get yourself in trouble just so Avenging Angel would show up and rescue you.  Damn it, do you have to be so stupid!” Though his voice was lowered, she could still hear the frustration and anger in it.

Her chin lifted.  “It’s my investigation, Jake.  I make the decisions, and you don’t have any say in the matter.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” he muttered. “I am assigned to this officially, which means that I had to suffer Riley’s wrath this morning when he found out where you were and what you were doing.”

Her cheeks paled. “Riley knows where I am?”

“Yes, Lieutenant Adams, he does.  Did you think that your escapades with Mr. Superhero wouldn’t make it into the national papers?” Jake sighed in frustration.  “Everything the guy does is national news! How long do you think it’ll be before they, and Avenging Angel, link you to the FBI agent Adams?”

Mac shoved open a nearby door angrily and stepped outside.  “Damn it! I didn’t know I’d end up at the hospital! If I hadn’t passed out, I would’ve easily been able to have my conversation with the guy and find out who he is. I never meant to end up in the news.”

“And that’s another thing: when are you going to start being responsible for your own safety?” Jake demanded.  “You could get yourself killed one of these days, Mac!”

“I haven’t yet,” she replied confidently.  

Jake banged his hand to his forehead.  “Mac, just because it hasn’t happened yet, doesn’t mean it won’t or couldn’t! You’re my old partner, my friend, and I don’t want to lose you because of your poor decisions. Can’t you understand that?” he asked, suddenly sounding rather weary.

Mac was surprised at the emotion in his voice and the way his shoulders seemed to droop.  He really did care about her, and he was one of her closest friends.  She realized that he was no longer talking as a fellow agent, but as her friend.  “Oh, Jake.” She threw her arms around him and squeezed him tight.  “I’m sorry. Really, I am.”

Jake rested his chin on her shoulder and sighed.  “You can’t go running around like that again, Mac.”

She didn’t say anything, just held him and felt comforted for he was the only person around at the moment that she could really and fully be herself with.  Even if he was angry with her.

***

Several yards away, Brian stepped out of a back entrance and spotted them wrapped up in each other’s arms.  Envy flared bright green inside him, and his hands clenched into fists.  He wanted to rage with jealousy, but he knew he couldn’t.  Mac didn’t want anyone to know that they were together, and showing jealousy over her embracing a friend would certainly give it away.  He wondered if she’d told Jake about them.

Probably not, he thought.  Then again, maybe she wouldn’t tell Jake because she and Jake were really together.  Maybe that’s why she’d wanted to keep everything a secret…

Torn between wanting to cry and wanting to march over there and wring Jake’s neck, Brian crept towards them and hid behind a bush, hoping to eavesdrop on their conversation.

***

“So, did you come to warn me about Riley?” Mac asked as she released him and stepped back.

Jake nodded.  “Yeah. I’m surprised he didn’t just come out here and throttle you himself. He is seriously angry, and not just because you broke rules.”

“Oh?” She frowned.  “Why else?”

“Jesus, Mac.” Jake kicked at a pebble.  “Don’t you get it? We’re all worried about you now that we know what happened.  Riley’s pissed because you were an idiot to go out there by yourself without any sort of protection.”

Mac shoved her hands in her pockets and shrugged.  “Well, it’s over now.  The damage has been done.”

“But have you learned your lesson?” Jake asked.

“Ugh.  Well, now that you’re here, I guess I have no choice, do I?” Her eyes widened after a moment.  “Oh no.  Does this mean…?”

“Mac!” There was a shout from behind them, and both of them, plus Brian in the bush, turned to see who it was.

Geneen was hurrying towards them with a man in tow.  “Mac! There’s someone here to see you.”

“Wow,” Mac muttered.  “I’m quite the popular girl today.”

Hiding in the bushes, Brian agreed with her.  He wanted nothing more than to swoop in and carry her away somewhere where it would be just the two of them, and no one else.  Instead, he was stuck in a bush, covered in scratches from its branches, and trying to listen in on what was going on.

“Miss Adams, my name is Detective Larson.  I’m with the Houston Police Chief’s office.” The detective extended his hand, and Mac shook it.

“What can I do for you, Detective?” she asked, wondering why the Houston cops were so interested in her.

“Actually, I’m more of a messenger,” he replied with a wry smile.  “Our counterparts in Dallas wanted us to pass the message along to you about the Feds.”

“The Feds?” Mac feigned ignorance as to who they could be.  It was kind of funny, she thought.

He nodded.  “Yes, ma’am.  Apparently, the FBI have been conducting their own investigation into the identity and whereabouts of the man known as Avenging Angel, and they’d like to speak with you about your run-in with the man.”

“Oh! Really? Why would they investigate him?” she wondered innocently.  “He saved me last night.  There’s nothing criminal about saving people, is there?” She heard Jake’s muffled snort behind her and, ignoring it, continued to look quizzically up at the detective.

“Well, you’ll have to ask them about that, Miss Adams.  They’ll be catching up with the tour you’re with in just a day or two,” Larson informed her.  “The Dallas PD just wanted you to be aware that they’re coming.”

Shit, Mac thought but she smiled appreciatively at the detective.  “Well, thank you for letting me know.  I’ll be sure to look out for them.”

“No problem, Miss Adams.  Stay safe now, okay?”

“Absolutely, Detective! Have a nice rest of your day!”

Brian didn’t hear the detective’s reply, nor did he listen to the rest of Mac and Jake’s conversation.  All he could think of was the fact that he was being investigated and searched for by the FBI.  He knew that Avenging Angel wasn’t exactly following the letter of the law, but he’d always figured the cops liked him because he was helping them keep their cities safe.  Now, with the attempted rape incident and his apparent “assault”, he realized that maybe law enforcement officials were changing their minds about him.

Well, he thought with a grim smile, he wasn’t about to give up his quest for justice and his search for Leighanne’s killer.  The FBI could search for him all they wanted, but they’d never find him.  He’d been meticulously careful about keeping his identity a secret.  

Not even the people closest to him had a clue that he spent his nights as the infamous Avenging Angel.