Police Business

Chapter 1:

"What are you saying, Sam?" Luis demanded. "You want me to have dinner with Julian Crane? Have you lost your mind?" Sam shook his head. "Of course I don't think this will be easy," said Sam Bennett, Chief of the Harmony police force. "But you're the only one that can do this, Luis." Luis shook his head. "What?" Then he had an idea. "Oh, you mean my charm and persuasiveness…" "It's your relationship with Sheridan Crane," Sam cut in. "It's the only way we can see you having a legitimate reason to dine with Julian." "My relationship with Sheridan?!" Luis exclaimed. "I have absolutely no relationship with Sher--Ms. Crane! I arrested her and her sentence was 100 hours of community service-- I can't help it if it's at the Youth Center, Sam! I--I do not have any kind of relationship with her. Believe me!" Sam shook his head. "Look, Luis, I didn't mean to imply anything. All I meant was that you have the best reason to be there. You're the one." Luis stared at him. "Oh," he said. "Well.. okay." Suddenly Sam's pager beeped. He glanced down and then looked back at Luis. "I have to get this," he said. "But I'll call you later with the details. Okay?" Luis nodded. "Yeah, sure," he responded. "Later." Sam shook his head as he walked off, and smiled to himself. No relationship with Sheridan Crane. Right.

"I can't believe you're bringing that up!" Sheridan cried, taking a break from sweeping the gym floor. "Can you not get over anything, Luis? Huh? Are you so stubborn and thick headed that you are incapable of forgetting a stupid, silly prank that was not even intended for you?" "Well if you hadn't been dressed up like a mugger, Sheridan, I wouldn't have been out there in the first place!" Luis snapped. "Oh, please!" she exclaimed, exasperated. "If you weren't so damn serious and moody all the time, you may actually have been having fun that night, instead of sitting around waiting for the next chance to ruin somebody's evening!" "Oh, and you think that throwing a pie in my face improved my evening, Sheridan?" he demanded. Sheridan glared at him. "You need a sense of humor," she fumed. Luis made a face at her. "And you need to keep sweeping," he said, storming off. Sheridan rolled her eyes. "What an ego," she muttered. "I heard that!" Luis shouted back.

"Okay…" Luis mumbled, writing as fast as he could. "Tonight… eight o'clock… Luigi's…" he scribbled furiously to keep up with the instructions Sam was giving him. "Dinner with.. Julian… Get Sheridan to go---Whoa! Wait a minute, Sam! What do you mean, 'Get Sheridan to go'? I--" There was a pause as Luis listened in shock. "As my date? Are you crazy? Look, the last thing I want to do is be seen on a date with Sheridan Crane!" Sheridan, who just happened to be passing by his office, overheard. "What?" she snapped, poking her head in. "Well there's no way I'd want to be seen out with you, either, Luis, so stop flattering yourself!" She stalked off. Man. Even when she wasn't there to hear it he was insulting her!! "Oh shut up," Luis responded, annoyed. "And stop eavesdropping all the time." Sam laughed out loud as he heard Sheridan's comment. "What's so funny?" Luis demanded. "You two--" Sam laughed. "You're going to have a great date tonight." "I am not going on a date with her!" he shouted. "I'd never accept a date with you!" Sheridan hollered from somewhere down the hall. "Shut up!!!"

"I can't believe I am going out with you!" "It's not a date-- it's work," Luis stated. "Ha. For who?" Sheridan laughed sarcastically. "Oh, and what's that supposed to mean?" "I should be paid for having to endure your unbelievable ego, is what I mean." "Ever the Crane, Sheridan," Luis said, "Always looking for a way to make money." Sheridan spun around to face Sam, who was watching them leave the precinct. "This isn't going to work, Sam," she fumed. "I will not be able to stand him for an entire evening." "Well it's no treat spending time with you, either, Sheridan." They paused long enough to glare at each other. "This is the only way to get to him," Sam said firmly. "Think of it as your duty as citizens." Sheridan and Luis groaned simultaneously. "If the population of Harmony knew I'd have to spend a night with Luis here, they'd give me a medal," Sheridan said angrily. "If the population of North America knew I had to spend an evening with not one, but two Crane's, they'd dedicate a day in my honor." "Oh yeah? Well if--" "All right! All right!" Sam cried. "That's enough! How old are you two?" They glared angrily at each other. "Can I leave halfway through the dinner?" Sheridan asked suddenly. Luis perked up. "Yeah, can she?" Sam rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Of course you can't!" he cried. "What kind of date would Luis be if he let you get home by yourself?" "It's not a date," they muttered in unison.

"Hello, Sheridan," Julian said smoothly as he helped his sister with her jacket. He noticed Luis. "Officer Lopez-Fitzgerald, what brings you here?" "He's uh, he's with… me," Sheridan mumbled. Julian grinned. "Oh, I get it," he drawled. "This is a joke, isn't it, Sheridan? You always were a clever one." He laughed. "Well, good night, Officer." He sat down at the table and sipped his wine. Sheridan sat as stiffly as Luis stood. She stared at him over Julian's shoulder. "What?" Julian asked, turning around. "Why Officer, are you still here? What are you waiting for?" Luis glared at Sheridan. "I don't know," Sheridan said icily. "What are you waiting for, Luis? Have a seat." Julian's eyes raised in surprise. "What?" he exclaimed. "Well, Ivy's going to be here any minute, isn't she?" Sheridan responded coolly. "I didn't want to be the third wheel, so I brought Luis… my… date…" She fought hard not to laugh at the incredulous expression on Julian's face. He studied her in shock for a minute before turning to Luis. "Well, have a seat," he said grandly, gesturing to the seat next to Sheridan. "No hard feelings. I just assumed my sister needed an armed escort to keep from getting into trouble with the law… again." Sheridan glared at him across the table, and shifted uncomfortably as Luis slipped in stiffly beside her. Luis tried to smile. They sat there silently until Ivy arrived. "Why Sheridan!" she exclaimed with a smile. "I see you brought Luis. That's great. I've been wondering when you two would get together." Julian choked on his wine. "What?" Sheridan felt her jaw drop. She glanced at Luis. He looked stunned. "Oh, uh, it's um, probably not…" "… going to…" "… work out… you know…" " This is just a, um…" "…trial…" "… date…" They sat red faced, shifting uncomfortably in their seats. Ivy remained oblivious. "Well I think you make a gorgeous couple," she said sweetly. "I hope you're both happy." Then under her breath to Julian: "At least someone here will be." Half an hour later, Luis glanced over at Sheridan. She was giving Julian the evil-eye. He tried not to smile. First she had been practically forced to go on a date with him, and now not only did she have to put up with him, she had to endure Julian as well. She had spoken not ten words since he had sat down. He sipped his drink and looked around the restaurant. He had been here only once in his life, when he had first made it onto the police force. Otherwise, he really couldn't afford it. But now, if he broke this case against Julian, he'd get that promotion he needed, and it's extra money. Though, he had to admit, money wasn't the only thing missing from his life; it had been a long time since his last relationship. Or even fling… But back to the task at hand…If only Julian would mention something! It had been long suspected that Julian Crane was bribing Harmony's top officials in order to keep the town under the Crane power. When Sam had learned that Julian had invited Sheridan to dinner tonight, he decided it would be the best opportunity to get inside the Crane mansion… only Julian had decided to dine out. Now, with the way things were going with Sheridan, he'd never get inside. She hadn't exactly been the best date, what with her not talking at all. She'd practically jumped out of her seat when he brushed her arm reaching for the salt. He glanced over at her again. She was staring off blankly at some point in space. Julian looked suspicious. And why wouldn't he? They certainly weren't acting like they were dating. Not that they were, or anything, or ever even would, but… He tried to get Sheridan's attention. "Sheridan," he whispered, nudging her arm. She didn't blink. Julian was talking to Ivy, who looked bored. "Sheridan," he tried again. She glanced at him and glared. He raised his eyebrows expectantly. "What?" she whispered back, annoyed. "This--You're…" "What, Luis? I'm what?" He didn't answer and she turned away. He angrily speared his food and chewed it quickly. He needed to talk to Sheridan in private. Get her to start talking so maybe they would get invited back to the mansion where he could start looking around for something to incriminate Julian. "Is something wrong?" Julian asked, interrupting Luis' thoughts. Luis looked at him innocently. "No," he said, swallowing his food. "Nothing's wrong. This food is great." He went on eating, shooting a look at Sheridan out of the corner of his eye. She glanced at him tiredly. He flicked his eyes towards the bathroom, trying to get her to leave the table with him. She rolled her eyes, not understanding. Stop it, she mouthed. Luis groaned inwardly. This was not working. He watched Julian carefully, then dropped his hand beneath the table. Slowly he inched his hand toward Sheridan, unnoticed. Suddenly he grabbed her thigh. She gasped loudly, her jaw dropping. "Go to the washroom," Luis hissed under her surprised exclamation. She turned to him in shock. "Sheridan! Are you okay?" Ivy exclaimed. "I--uh, yes, yes, I’m fine. I’m sorry. I just uh, bit… my… tongue. Sorry." She picked up her napkin and wiped her hands carefully. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go to the washroom." She stood slowly, keeping her eye on Luis. "Oh, good idea," he said, standing as well. "I'll go with you." "Ivy? How about you?" Julian cracked. "Since everyone else is going." Ivy glared at her husband. "I'm fine, Julian. Thank you." "Well, excuse us," Sheridan said, and moved stiffly towards the hall that led to the washrooms. Luis followed her. When they were out of sight of the rest of the diners, she stopped and whirled to face him. "What was that?" she demanded. "You weren't listening!" Luis snapped back. "Not listening?" she repeated. "What are you talking about! You never said a word the whole time!" "Only because you weren't speaking! Look, you know I need to get inside the mansion, and we're not going to be invited back afterwards if you don't start talking! Julian is getting suspicious." "Oh, so you feel up my thigh?" Sheridan snapped. Luis felt his face turn red. "I--I did not feel you up, Sheridan," he explained tightly. "I was just trying to get your attention." "Oh--my attention?" she exclaimed. "Huh? You wanted my attention?" Her hand shot out and grabbed his thigh. "How do you like it, huh? Did it get your attention?" Luis jumped back in shock. "Sheridan!" he hissed. "You--you can't--" Sheridan's face turned red as she realized what she had done. "I--oh my God." Neither of them spoke, as Luis struggled to get himself under control. "Look," Sheridan said, embarrassed, "I know I'm not being the best date, but, if you'll recall, I was practically forced to come out here tonight. And now, not only do I have to put up with Julian's insufferable ego, I have to withstand yours as well. So I'm not really in the mood to 'chat,' Luis. Okay?" "Sheridan--" Luis paused as someone passed by. He stepped closer to Sheridan, so as not to be overheard. They were within inches of one another. "We have to at least try to be believable, okay? Julian is a suspicious man as it is, and our silence is only making it worse." Sheridan put her hands on her hips and sighed loudly. "Well, what do you expect, Luis? We don't get along. We don't have anything to say without arguing. If we did talk, we'd only fight, and he certainly wouldn't believe we were dating then." Now it was Luis' turn to sigh. "I know," he said heavily. "I--" He thought a moment. "I don't know what would make it believable." "Well, let's try and think of something we haven't fought about," Sheridan offered. They were silent as they tried hard to recall the last time they'd had a discussion that hadn't ended in an argument. "I don't think there is one…" Luis' voice trailed off as he tried to think. "Me either," Sheridan murmured, suddenly aware of how close she was to Luis. "I guess this is a start…" "We can't start a discussion about this." "No, I know…" Luis looked at her. She was looking off down the hall, trying to think. Maybe… if they just… and then… She turned to look at him, and saw him staring at her. "What?" she asked. "Did you think of something?" Luis shook his head silently. "Well what then?" "I--oh…this." He grabbed her head and brought his lips down to hers. Sheridan hesitated a moment before responding, entwining her fingers in his hair. His hands moved to her hips as he kissed her. The sound of feet coming down the hall made them pull apart. Luis stared at her, breathing hard, as the person passed. Sheridan stared back at him, wide-eyed. Neither spoke. Both knew it wouldn't end here, in the hall, but for now they had to get back to the dinner. Luis turned and started back to the table. Sheridan followed, and both were feeling a little more comfortable.

When Ivy invited them back to the Crane mansion for drinks, they accepted. Conversation had flowed somewhat more freely after they had returned to the table, though neither could really bring themselves to look at one another. Now inside the mansion, Ivy gestured for them to have a seat on the sofa while she took the arm chair. "Julian," she called, "Bring the scotch, will you?" Julian emerged with drinks for them all. Luis accepted rather anxiously. It was getting late. He had to find a way into Julian's study where Sheridan said he kept all his bank statements and checks. He had to get in there. He sipped his drink and looked around the spacious living room. He glanced at Sheridan who looked away guiltily. He swallowed. "How long have you two been dating?" Ivy asked, and Julian turned from his position at the bar to listen. "Oh, we're not uh, really, dating…" Sheridan started. "This was just um, my way of… repaying… Luis, for uh.." she trailed off lamely and turned to Luis for help. Luis cleared his throat loudly. "Oh, of uh, repaying me for um, my uh, being such a good boss. Isn't that what you said, Sheridan?" Sheridan forced a laugh. "Was that it, Luis?" she asked, eyeing him evilly. Luis nodded helpfully. "Yep," he said, "I remember it clearly." He grinned at her, and she finished off her drink. "I think I need another one, Julian," she said, standing and going to the bar where Julian poured her a second drink. He watched her walk. Something about her this evening… he was having trouble concentrating on the case. "Anything else for you, Luis?" Ivy asked. Luis shook his head. "No, thanks, I'm fine." He hesitated. It was getting late. "I-- But Ivy cut him off. "It's getting late," she said with a yawn. "I think I'll be going up to bed now." She stood and shook Luis' hand. "Good night, Luis. Nice meeting you." She hugged Sheridan quickly. "Good night." She disappeared upstairs. "You know," Julian said, watching her leave. "I think I'll join her." He shook Luis' hand and moved to the bottom of the stairs. "Good night, you two. Why don't you go out to your cabin, Sheridan. So you won't wake Ivy up with your noise." He winked suggestively. Both knew he was being sarcastic; he would never allow his sister to have anything to do with Luis. It was unconceivable for him. "Good evening, Officer." He followed Ivy's path up the stairs. For a moment, neither of them spoke. "I need to get into the study," Luis said in a low voice, avoiding Sheridan's eyes. "It's this way," she said softly, turning and walking down a long, lushly carpeted hallway. Luis followed until they reached a closed wooden door near the end. Sheridan grabbed a key from her pocket and twisted it in the lock. The door swung open and she moved inside. He couldn't see her, but he heard her feet on the carpet crossing the room. A small light flipped on and cast a dim light around the room. Sheridan stood next to the desk. "Here," she said, pulling open the top drawer and taking out a file. "This is where he keeps all the bank records that I know of." Luis crossed the room to stand next to her. He could feel the heat from her body as he flipped open the file folder and fanned out the statements and checks that were inside. He noticed she was breathing somewhat quicker than usual. Was it possible she was feeling the same thing he was? Together they checked dates and numbers, but everything matched up. It took longer than usual, with both of them having trouble concentrating on anything but being so close to each other. "I don't see anything," Luis muttered. "Me either," Sheridan whispered, checking the drawer to be sure they hadn't missed anything. "There's nothing else." "Do you think he would keep them anywhere else?" "This is the only place he does his work. I don't know of any other offices in the house." "Dammit!" Luis wanted to get Julian Crane, the man he blamed for the disappearance of his father. He just wanted to hurt him. Sheridan caught his angry expression in the light. "I'm sorry," she started, "this is the only place I can think of…" "It's not you, Sheridan," Luis told her. "It's just that Julian…" His voiced trailed off. "I know," she said, touching his arm. "You and me both." She looked into his eyes. "I just want to get him, you know? Do something… Even if we can't get him for this… just something… Like, how every time he sees me, he knows that he's responsible for my father's disappearance… I just want something that I can look so smug about whenever I have to see his face." "What do you think that would be?" Sheridan asked quietly, moving closer to him. They both knew what she was implying. She didn't know why she suddenly wanted him so much. "You've had too much to drink, Sheridan," Luis said, though he didn't move away from her. He had to admit, he wanted her. And what would be better than doing Julian Crane's little sister in his private office? "You know I haven't," she said harshly. "I--It would be…" Sheridan cut him off, pressing her lips hard against his. Luis tried to resist, but soon found his arms wrapped tightly around her. He kissed her ferociously, taking his anger and frustration for Julian Crane out on her. When she started to tug his shirt out of his pants, he let her. "Sheridan, are you sure?" he asked against her seeking lips. "Aren't you?" she whispered, undoing his belt. "I--yes," Luis muttered into her hair. He started unbuttoning her shirt and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He lifted her up onto Julian's private desk, and they did, what for Julian anyway, was unconceivable.

The next day when Luis reported for work, he found Sam waiting for him. "How'd it go last night?" Sam asked, gesturing for Luis to follow him into his office. Luis felt himself blush as he recalled the evening. Moving from the office desk to the office floor then out to Sheridan's cabin where they'd, well…. "Uh, it was fine," Luis answered, averting his eyes, as Sam closed the door behind them. "Did you find anything? Did he give anything away?" Luis shook his head. "Nah, there was nothing there," he said, shrugging. "I guess he doesn't keep it in his… office." "Well are you sure?" Sam pressed. "Did you check in his desk?" Luis blushed even harder. "Uh, yeah, I checked the desk." Sam furrowed his brow. "Are you okay, Luis? Are you telling me everything? Did something happen last night?"

Luis put up his hands and backed up a step, laughing to cover his nervousness. "No, Sam, calm down. There was nothing there. I'm telling you the truth." "Then what?" Sam insisted. "I get the feeling that something more went on that you're not telling me." "Look, Sam, nothing relevant to the case, okay? Julian doesn't keep anything illegal in his office." Sam looked interested. "Nothing 'relevant to the case,' Luis? Then what, may I ask, happened otherwise?" He eyed Luis carefully, a glint in his eye. "With, perhaps, the beautiful Ms. Sheridan Crane?" Luis grinned and moved to leave the office. He placed a finger over his lips and opened the door. "I can't tell you what happened, man," he said, still flushed. "I'm not sure I understand it myself." He left a stunned Sam in his office, and went to his desk where he tried to do some paperwork, but he couldn't take his mind off of last night's events. He tried not to, but he couldn't stop smiling. She kept surprising him, that was for sure. For someone he considered upper class and self-absorbed, she certainly wasn't afraid to get down and… Well, anyway, it had been too long. He was grinning as he went to work.

It was seven o'clock when Luis arrived at the Youth Center. There was a basketball game that night, and he had promised he'd watch. If he recalled correctly, Sheridan planned to attend as well. He forced himself to stop searching the group of people arriving for her familiar blonde head. He sat down on the bleachers and was lost in thought when Hank dropped down beside him. "Hey buddy," he greeted Luis. "How are things? I haven't seen you in a while." "Oh hey, Hank," Luis said, shaking his friend's hand. "Yeah, I’m okay. I've been… busy. How about you?" Hank shrugged. "All right, I guess. I--Oh, look, there's Sheridan," he pointed out. "Sheridan!" he called. She turned to see who was calling and started in his direction. Luis saw her hesitation when she realized he was sitting next to Hank, but then continued coming. "Hey Hank," she said with a smile. Then somewhat more nervously to Luis, "Hey." "Hey," Luis said softly, meeting her gaze for a moment before averting his eyes. Sheridan sat down on the other side of Hank. "I haven't seen you in a while," Hank remarked. "Oh, I've been uh, busy," she stammered. "You know." Hank turned to the game which was just starting. "It seems everybody's been busy lately," he said.

Near the end of the game, Luis was fighting hard to keep his mind on the action, but his eyes kept shifting towards Sheridan. He remembered vividly how she'd looked last night… both with her clothes and without. He smiled. He wouldn't mind doing it again sometime… soon. Hank nudged him and said something about one of the players. Luis nodded his agreement, even though he hadn't heard a word his friend had said. He went back to thinking about Sheridan.

Sheridan, meanwhile, on the other side of Hank, was thinking about Luis. She couldn't believe how she'd acted the night before! So totally out of character for a calm, poised Crane woman to behave. But… It had been so unbelievably worth it. And, she had to admit, it's wasn't like she hadn't thought of being with Luis before… she'd just never thought it would actually happen. She smiled to herself and hoped it wasn't the last time.

"Do either of you want something to drink?" Hank asked, standing. "It's on me." "A Coke," Luis said, aware of Sheridan's eyes on him. "Just water for me, thanks," Sheridan told him. "Okay, back in a few minutes. I think there's a line." Hank disappeared through the crowd, leaving Sheridan and Luis to keep each other company. Neither spoke for a long time. "So how's the case against Julian coming?" Sheridan asked finally. "We're still working on it," Luis responded quickly. "Still gathering evidence." Sheridan felt herself blush. "Oh." She darted a quick glance Luis' way and found him staring at her. He looked away guiltily, before daring to turn back a minute later. She was looking at him. They both laughed nervously. "Sheridan, I-- "Luis, I-- But they were cut off by the leaping, screaming crowd as the Harmony basketball team won the game. They stared at each other hopelessly, and rose to their feet to join the crowd, "I was going to say--" they both began in unison. They stopped speaking and laughed again, looking away before returning to each other. "Do you think it was a mistake?" Sheridan got out, finally. Luis hesitated, studying her carefully. "I'm not sure," he answered slowly. "Do you?" She didn't respond for a minute. "I mean, it's not like we have to, you know… get married or anything…" "It doesn’t have to be serious," Luis agreed. "We could just…you know…" He trailed off. Sheridan laughed. "I'd agree to that," she said. "Yeah?" Luis asked softly, stepping closer to her. "Yeah," she responded, moving into his waiting arms. "Well, all right then." Luis grinned as he kissed her. They kissed among the cheering fans, oblivious to the chaos surrounding them. "So you don't get Julian Crane," Sheridan murmured against his lips, "But would you be willing to settle for his sister?" "Well I'd have to think about it," Luis responded, wrapping his arms around her.

And that was it for the talking.

To Be Continued...

Chapter 2:

Sam tapped his pen on the side of his desk. "There has to be something," he muttered. "If Julian doesn't have some sort of record of these transactions, perhaps one of the people he's bribing will." Luis flipped a page in the inch thick file on Julian Crane and his suspected misdealings. "Remember we don't know for sure anyone that he's bribed," he reminded his boss. "And it would take a long time to research each of their financial histories to find matching withdrawals and deposits between the two accounts. Not to mention lots of warrants." Sam groaned and put his head in his hand. "I know," he sighed. "We just need to get in there and look around." "Get in where??" Luis asked. "That's our problem. We have no way of knowing who he may or may not have bribed. And we have no evidence to prove he's bribed anyone, let alone knowing who, guaranteeing a rejection of any sort of search warrant." Sam sipped slowly from his coffee mug. "Find a list of any local officials Julian Crane has met with two or more times in the past 6 months," he said. "We'll start there." "Julian Crane sits on the boards for more than half of Harmony's politically run companies and foundations. The list will name nearly every politician within 100 miles!" "You're right," Sam replied, pausing. "Make it 4 meetings. And at least one of them has to have been on personal time. No reasonable excuses for business dealings." "Okay," Luis responded, standing. "But that's gonna take some time." "Get someone to help you. Find Simpson. He's good with that stuff." "Will do," Luis replied at the door. "Oh, Luis," Sam stopped him. "Yeah?" "How are things—otherwise?" Luis cocked an eyebrow. "Things are fine—in every way—except for this case," he said. Sam studied him. "That's good to hear." Luis fought back a smile. "Yeah, it is."

"Hey." "Hi." "You busy?" "Not particularly." "You mean not yet." Luis stepped inside Sheridan's cottage and shut the door behind him. He reached behind and locked it as he slipped off his jacket, never taking his eyes from Sheridan. "Were you expecting someone?" he asked, grinning. "No, not really," she replied, grinning back. "Just, you know, sitting around." "You always wear lingerie to watch tv?" "Well, whatever's comfortable…" Sheridan waited until Luis was before her before reaching for his belt. "But surely this isn't as comfortable, as say…" "What?" She unbuckled his belt and pushed his pants down his legs. "Oh, I don't know…." "Sheridan," he laughed, as he felt her hands on him. "So…" she started, letting her voice trail off. "You wanna watch tv?" Luis laughed. "Nah." "Listen to some music?" "Nope." Sheridan pretended to think. "Play pool?" "You have a pool table?" Now it was her turn to laugh. "No!" Luis laughed with her as he wrapped his arms around her. "I guess we could just do what we always do…" Sheridan stood on her toes to kiss him. "I guess so. I mean, if you want…." Luis kissed her back. "Well I suppose, if there's nothing else…"

"—and Sam wants me to run through all the politicians he's had at least four meetings with in the past six months-," Luis chomped on a piece of bacon and swallowed thoughtfully, "--with one of those being for something other than business." He took a swig of orange juice and glanced at the clock. It was seven thirty the next morning, and he had to be at work by eight. "Julian meets with dozens of politicians a week!" Sheridan exclaimed. "That's going to be a huge list. What are you going to do then?" Luis shrugged and speared a piece of his omelet. "I don't know. Wait for Sam to come up with the next step, I guess." Sheridan chewed on a piece of bacon and stared across the table at Luis. "You don't seem quite as determined as you did a month ago," she commented. He looked up at her. "I guess I have other things to keep me occupied," he responded before looking away, embarrassed. Sheridan averted her eyes too, suddenly shy, and neither saw the either smile.

As they'd agreed a month earlier, when they'd first begun their secret affair, the relationship was strictly confidential. Neither spoke of it, and they acted casual when they saw each other around. It was a quiet, passionate relationship that required no commitment from either party. There were no rules, no dates, no guarantee of fidelity. It was, as they'd said that day at the basketball game, based on sex. There really were no serious discussions, no talk of feelings, nothing. And for the first part, it had been great. It still was, only now both Sheridan and Luis were starting to have feelings that disagreed with the unspoken rules they'd established at the beginning of the affair, and yet neither could mention them for fear of scaring the other away.

The next week Luis knocked on the door to Sam's office. "Come in," he heard his boss call. He opened the door and went inside. "Hi, Luis," Sam greeted him, then noticed the folder in Luis' hand. "Is that the list of politicians Julian has had meetings with?" "Yep," Luis responded, dropping the file on Sam's desk. "As we predicted, it's a long one." Sam whistled as he read over the list of names. "There's got to be at least 200 here," he said. "We need to narrow this down some. Okay, check these names and see which of these guys has made any unexpected decisions in the past year or so. You know, turned down a bill, suddenly showed up at a lower class function, anything that may stand out." "Okay," Luis said, standing. "I'll get back to you." "See ya." Luis sat down at his desk and opened the file. He scanned the precinct for any sign of Dave Simpson, the guy he was working with. He was good at checking stuff like this. Maybe they could divide the work. But he didn't see Dave anywhere, and when he called his cell phone, there was no answer. "Damn," Luis muttered. "He must have the day off." He switched on his computer and got started.

"Okay," Luis said a few days later in Sam's office. "I've narrowed it down to 50 or so politicians. Each of them has made some decision that could have been influenced by Julian. Motives for these decisions are hard to pinpoint, but we can look at that later." "Great job," Sam commented, scanning the shorter list of names. "Now to start calling these guys."

"Hi, would Mr. Lawson be in now?" Luis paused. "This is Officer Lopez-Fitzgerald with the Harmony Police Department." He waited. "I'm calling reference Julian Crane." Another pause. "He's not in, huh? Okay. Could you have him call the precinct, please? We just need to ask him a few questions… No, he's not being charged with anything. Right. Thanks." He hung up and groaned. That was his twentieth phone call, and his fifteenth 'not in right now' response. He glanced at Simpson who was hanging up the phone. He scratched a name off the list. "McDonald has a good reason for his decision," Dave said. "I've got 7 of twenty-two with logical explanations. How're you doing?" "Five of twenty have decent excuses. The rest are 'out of the office at the moment.'" Dave grinned. "I've heard lots of that too. Just a few more, buddy. Then we'll have to find something else to narrow it down with." By the time they finished, they had 13 politicians who had been happy to speak with them, all with good reasons for the decisions in question. That meant they still had 37 left to weed out. They were aiming for a list of about a dozen politicians whom they could meet with and whose bank records they could subsequently subpoena. "Why don't we wait a couple days, see who calls back, and then go from there?" Dave suggested. Luis rubbed his neck which was tired from holding the phone. "Sounds good," he agreed, standing. "I'm off now anyway. See ya." "See ya."

Sheridan paced nervously in her cottage. Luis got off at six, and he'd probably stop by. She ran her hands through her hair, frustrated. She liked being with Luis a lot, liked sleeping with him. But now it wasn't enough. She hadn't really counted on falling for him like she had. It was a lot easier when it was just bodies involved, not feelings. She felt her eyes well up with tears as she thought of all the times in the past she'd been hurt by letting her feelings show. She didn't want to mess up what little they had by saying something stupid.

Luis drove around aimlessly for a while after getting off work. He knew his thoughts should be of the case, but his mind was preoccupied with Sheridan Crane. He wanted to go over there right away, to see her smile, touch her hair, to wake up the next morning and eat breakfast with her. And he knew that was what would happen if he did, too. But it wasn't enough anymore just to sleep with her. Though they'd always shied away from any subject that required much thought, he knew there was more to Sheridan Crane than people knew. Than he knew. He turned into the parking lot of a local bar. He needed to think.

Sheridan looked at the clock for the tenth time that hour. Now it was nine o'clock, and Luis wasn't here. I guess he's not coming , she thought. I mean, it's not like he's obligated to, but still… He always comes. Then another thought she didn't want to have popped into her head: What if he's with someone else?? That's none of your business! she chastised herself. But still, the more she thought about it, the angrier she got.

Luis finished his fourth beer and looked at the bartender. "Can I get another one here?" he called. The bartender looked over at him and snapped the top off another bottle. "You gonna have enough to pay for this?" he asked. Luis glared at him and pulled out his wallet, sliding out several bills. "Yeah, I've got money," he muttered. Not as much as a Crane… He shook his head and took a long swig of his beer. He wanted to stop thinking about her. He tried hard to concentrate on the football game that was being shown, but his thoughts inevitably drifted back to Sheridan. He wondered what she was doing. Maybe with Ethan. Maybe sleeping or reading or watching tv. Or maybe she was waiting for him. He smiled as he thought of her waiting for him, but the smile quickly disappeared when he remembered that there was no reason for her to wait up for him. They were only sleeping together after all. It's not as though they had anything serious. A commitment.

Sheridan looked at her watch for the last time and put on her coat. What am I doing waiting for him, anyway? she asked herself. I'll just go for a walk, maybe get something to eat. If I see him, I see him. If I don't… I don't. She walked out of the cottage and strode quickly towards town.

Luis turned his head from the game and finished off the last of his beer. "Another one?" the bartender asked, reaching for a bottle. "Nah, that's enough for me," Luis responded, standing and slipping into his jacket. "I gotta go." "You're not gonna drive, are you?" the bartender asked. "You've— "No," Luis interrupted. "I'm not going to drive. Good night." He walked quickly to the door and stepped outside. He had taken no more than ten steps when someone grabbed his arm. He whirled around quickly, and almost lost his balance. Perhaps he had had a little too much to drink. He was ready to fight when he realized that the person was an attractive girl he'd seen in the bar. "Oh, hey," he said slowly. She smiled at him. "Hey. Sorry if I startled you," she said, smiling again. "Yeah, that's okay," Luis replied. "I uh, heard you tell the bartender you were walking back," she said carefully, "and I was wondering if you'd mind walking back with me." "Oh, uh—" "I just mean for company," she said hastily. "I know that Harmony's a safe place and all, but I'd just rather not go alone. My boyfriend drove me here, but then we got in a fight and he left so I'm stuck without a ride." "Oh, well, yeah, sure. Sure I'll walk with ya." Luis grinned. "I'm not sure I'll be great company, but hey." She smiled. "Great. Thanks a lot. I really hate the dark."

Sheridan stopped at the Book Café and looked inside. It was pretty empty and there was no sign of Luis. She went back outside and tried to think of places to eat. She decided on Chinese food and walked the next two blocks to the restaurant. Once inside she quickly ordered. "To go," she added. She didn't really want to be seen dining alone. And, as much as she hated to admit it, she wanted to be home in case Luis should drop by. She sighed and picked up a newspaper to wait.

"I really appreciate this," Sarah said. "Thanks again." "Oh, no problem," Luis responded. "I'm a cop. It's kind of my duty." She laughed. They'd been walking for about ten minutes had talked the entire time. Luis realized that Sarah really was quite nice. She worked at the Harmony Bank, and lived with her boyfriend of two years. "It's been a while since I drank," Luis told her. "I can't believe five beers have got me so drunk." "You're not that drunk," Sarah laughed, watching Luis stumble. "Well maybe you are….." "I got it, I got it," he said, laughing too. "Here, maybe I should help you," she offered, wrapping her arm around his waist to steady him. "Yeah, there, that'll keep me from falling," Luis joked. They laughed again.

Sheridan walked out of the restaurant with her food just in time to see Luis and another girl across the street together. They were laughing and talking, and, as she looked closer, their arms were around one another. "Luis has a girlfriend!" she gasped out loud. "I'm just his girlfriend on the side! That jerk!" She watched as the two walked comfortably down the street together. "I can't believe this!" she muttered. "I thought Luis had more principle than that." She shook her head and sat down on the curb to gather herself. To her disdain, she felt her throat constrict and her eyes well up with tears. Why couldn't she find an honest man to love only her and not her money or someone else?

"We've got it narrowed down to eleven, Sam," Luis announced triumphantly, appearing in Sam's office with Dave in tow. "That's great," Sam said, hanging up the phone. "I just spoke with Commissioner Fisher, and you can take him off the list, too." Dave scratched the name off the list. "Now we're down to ten," he said. "I'll put in a call to subpoena the bank records now," Sam told them. "Just leave the list with me." Luis dropped the file onto Sam's desk and waited as he placed the call. "What now?" Dave asked when Sam hung up. "Now we wait," Sam replied. "Come back in about an hour. I should have the warrants then."

Luis picked up the phone and dialed the first five numbers of Sheridan's cell phone for the twentieth time, but no matter how much he wanted to finish dialing, he couldn't bring himself to. He hadn't seen her in over a week, and she had made no effort to call him. He hung up the phone and sighed. He wanted to call her, to see her. But he couldn't. Suddenly he saw her coming towards him. His eyes widened and he started to smile, but that quickly faded when she breezed past him without saying a word. "Hi, Chief Bennett," he heard her say. "Is Ethan here today?" "I haven't seen him," Sam responded. "But he should be in in about an hour if you want to wait." There was a pause. "No, that's okay," Sheridan said finally. "I'll just call him after. Thanks." Luis watched her back as she headed out the precinct. He was about to turn away when he saw her meet someone at the door and greet them with a hug. What?? he wondered, shocked and angry. She has a boyfriend?? What am I? Just her little fling with the blue collar boy? I should have known she was a Crane from the inside out.

"Hank!" Sheridan exclaimed, hugging him quickly. "What a surprise! I haven't seen you in a while!" "Hey Sheridan!" he said, hugging her back. "What are you doing here?" "I uh, just stopped by to see Ethan," she answered. "But he wasn't in." That was true, wasn't it? She had wanted to talk to Ethan. About what, she didn't know, but still. That was why she went in there. It was! It wasn't just to see Luis again, to see if he was with that girl. And it hurt that he hadn't said a word to her, tried to stop her, to ask why she hadn't called him. Of course, she could ask him the same question, but she already knew the answer. She swallowed thickly. "—something to eat?" she heard Hank ask. "Uh, something to eat? Oh, yeah, sure." After a pause, "I'd love to, Hank." She smiled at him and they went down the street together and into the Book Café. For the first week after she and Luis had kissed at the Harmony basketball game, she kept expecting Hank to ask her what had been going on, but he never had. It seemed that everyone had been so wrapped up in the win that they hadn't even taken the time to notice a couple kissing in the crowd. No one had any idea. Least of all Hank. Well now he has nothing to know about, Sheridan thought angrily. Because I am finished with Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald. I was only kidding myself anyway. I got too serious about what we had.

I am going over there to end this thing, Luis told himself. I am finished with Sheridan Crane. He pulled his police cruiser over to the side of the road and made his way across the wooded Crane property. He never went to her cottage in any way that might get him noticed. Not even by a grounds keeper. At least I won't have to go through this anymore, he told himself. No more sneaking through the woods and ruining my shoes.

"Luis—hi," Sheridan exclaimed, surprised. "I wasn't expecting you." "Well I'll only be a minute," he responded, going inside. Sheridan stepped back to make room for him. "Look—" he started, turning to face her. She was right behind him, and when he turned his face was only inches from hers. "Look—" he tried again. He stared hard into her pale blue eyes, which in turn looked back at him. "I—I don't think this is a good idea. We can't be doing this anymore." She didn't respond for a minute. "I agree," she said finally, tearing her gaze away from his and walking past him. She didn't see his surprised expression. "Well, okay then." "Okay. Fine." She turned back to look at him coldly. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity before Luis turned and walked out the door. Sheridan sat down heavily on the couch and glared at the fireplace. She wanted to cry for her loss, and she wanted to scream for wanting to cry over something that never meant anything in the first place. The door to the cottage suddenly flew open. She whirled around. "Luis!" "How long, Sheridan? How long were you going to do this??" "What??" "I—Was this just something to share with your little friends in France or Spain or wherever you're going when your time is up? Huh? Was it??" She stared at him, stunned and angry. "What the hell are you talking about, Luis??" "You know exactly what I'm talking about, Sheridan," he sneered. "This! Our little—thing—together. How long were you going to let it go on for?" Sheridan was confused, but she was angry as hell about being accused of something she knew nothing about. "I have no goddamn idea what you're referring to, Luis. But perhaps you could tell me." "What?" "Well how long were you going to let it go on for? Until your little girlfriend found out about it? Until the case against Julian cleared up and you didn't need me for information anymore? When??" "Huh? What are you talking about, Sheridan?? Girlfriend? Beth is not my girlfriend!" Sheridan's eyes widened and she felt her jaw drop. "Beth too??" she cried. "Get out of here!! Get out!!" "Is he here? Is that why you're in such a rush to get rid of me?" "I am in such a rush to get rid of you because just looking at you makes me want to kill you, Officer! You are exactly like all of the other men I have made the mistake of getting involved with!" "You're right, Sheridan," he snapped. "This is a mistake. You are a mistake. A huge mistake." "Get out," she said icily, trying hard to keep her voice from breaking. "Get out of here." "My pleasure." Sheridan watched as he stormed out of the cottage and locked the door behind him. She dropped to her knees and put her head in her hands. Why did she always make such bad decisions? What was wrong with her that no one could ever love her, only use her? When the tears started coming, she couldn't make them stop.

Luis stormed through the woods, half walking half running. His shoes sunk into the damp ground and he swore loudly. When he reached his police car he ripped open the door and dropped inside, starting the car in one fluid motion. He pulled out onto the road and drove for two minutes before he pulled over again. He couldn't see clearly, he couldn't concentrate on driving. He stared straight ahead for a long time, his jaw set. Suddenly his radio squawked and he took a deep breath before picking it up. "Yeah." He listened to the dispatcher. It was nothing important. He rolled down his window to get some air and he leaned his forehead against he steering wheel, counting to ten to dispel his anger and frustration. But he was going to need more than numbers to get over Sheridan Crane. He checked to see there was no one around before rolling up his window and letting himself cry.

Sam watched intently as Luis furiously hung up the phone. "Still not in?" he guessed. "Apparently this guy hasn't 'been in' for the past two weeks!" Luis fumed. "What kind of company president never has to visit his office!?" Sam stared at Luis with his eyebrows raised. "Something going on you want to talk about?" he asked cautiously. Luis held his gaze for a minute. "No. There's nothing to talk about," he answered.

"I'll tell you though, Hank," Sheridan commented, "I'll certainly be happy when my days here are finished." She was sitting in Luis' office at the Youth Center, taking a break from her work to have a drink. Before Hank could respond, the phone rang. "Harmony Youth Center," he greeted the caller. "No, no Luis isn't in right now." He started writing something down. "Sure. Well, I'm not sure I'll see him by then… Sure, I'll let him know. See ya." He hung up. "Sorry Sheridan," he apologized, tacking the note to Luis' bulletin board. "What were you saying? Oh right, about your time. You should be almost done, shouldn't you?" Sheridan sighed loudly as she nodded. "I have eleven hours and thirty-five minutes to go before I am out of here for good." Hank looked disappointed but didn't complain. "Do you know where you're gonna go?" he asked. Sheridan stared hard at the wall of trophies above Luis' desk. "Somewhere far is all I know," she answered. "Have you ever—" But he was cut off by the familiar sound of kids pouring into the Youth Center after school let out. "I'll be back in a minute," he said, going out to greet them. Sheridan sighed heavily and stared into her coffee as she waited for Hank to return. She could hear him talking and laughing with the kids in the gym and decided to go home early for the day. She didn't really feel like talking anyway. As she put on her coat her eyes caught on the note Hank had left for Luis. Was it from his girlfriend? she wondered. She looked outside quickly before leaning in closer to read what it said. IMPORTANT, was scrawled in Hank's messy handwriting. SIX O'CLOCK, CORNER OF FOURTH AND BLOOR. INFO: JULIAN CRANE. Sheridan's eyes widened as she finished reading and she looked at her watch. It was three minutes to six. She thought fast. If she left right now, she could probably make it. There was no way Luis would get this message before six o'clock. And the person might not try again. Sheridan took a deep breath, grabbed her purse and ran out the door.

At five minutes after six there was still no one around. Fourth and Bloor were in the darker warehouse district of Harmony, and it made Sheridan shiver just thinking about being out there alone. Where was this person?? I'll give him five minutes more, she decided. Then I'm out of here. But she needn't have worried, because less than ten seconds later an anxious woman appeared out of the shadows. "A-Are you here about Julian Crane?" she asked, obviously not recognizing Sheridan. Sheridan whirled around to face her. "Oh! Uh, yes, yes I am…what do you know?" "You're not a cop," the woman accused. "Who are you? I called for that Lopez-Fitzgerald cop." "I-I know," Sheridan stuttered, trying to come up with a viable reason for her being there. She didn't want the woman to become suspicious and disappear without telling her anything. "I, uh, I work with Officer Lopez-Fitzgerald. I'm his…secret partner." She groaned inwardly. "Whatever you have to tell him you can tell me." The woman stared at her carefully, apparently sizing her up. "All right," she agreed finally. "But you can never tell anyone that you got this from me."

Sheridan watched as the woman disappeared into the darkness again. She looked at the scrap of paper in her hand before cramming it into her pocket. She didn't want to lose it; it had the name of a prominent local figure Julian was definitely bribing, and briefly sketched instructions on what to do to get the evidence the police would need to incriminate him. Apparently she was supposed to make an appointment to meet with this politician about something called the 'Rufus Development Project.' It was the name of a cover agency account the man was using to store his bribe money from Julian in. If she wanted to meet with him about the 'Project' he would automatically assume she was in on the scam and would hopefully give her some sort of evidence against Julian. What are you talking about? she snapped. You have to give this information to the police. You're not really Luis' "secret partner." And what kind of lame excuse was that?? She almost laughed as she turned and headed back to her car which she had parked almost a block away. Suddenly a hand grabbed her arm.

Twenty minutes earlier

Luis pulled off his jacket as he went into his office at the Youth Center. He set his coffee on the table and picked up his newspaper from his desk. As he sat down he noticed a few new messages on his message board. The first was from his mother and he called her back quickly. Hanging up he scanned the last few, his eyes widening as he came across the last one. Information on Julian Crane! He grabbed his coat and ran out the door. Six minutes later he parked his car in an empty lot and got out quickly. It was six thirty, he hoped the person hadn't left yet. He checked the paper again for the location and jogged the rest of the way there. He stopped short when he saw Sheridan Crane heading away from the corner. What?? he wondered, both shocked and angry and a little excited at seeing her. What is Sheridan doing here? Why would she call me to meet her in Harmony's warehouse district? He followed her silently for a few minutes before her car came into view. She's leaving! he realized. Not without telling me what she's doing here! He ran quickly but quietly until he was right behind her. Then he grabbed her.

"Agghhhhh!" Sheridan screamed. "HELP ME!!!" Luis spun her around to face him, roughly covering her mouth with his hand in order to quiet her screams. "Sheridan!" he hissed. "Sheridan, stop it! It's me!" Her eyes widened as she recognized him, and she pushed his hand away from her mouth and tried to yank herself out of his tight grip. He didn't let go. "What are you doing out here?" he demanded. "Why did you leave me this message to meet you here??" "What?" she asked, breathing heavily, still stunned from Luis' sudden appearance. "I-I didn't." Luis fumbled angrily in his pocket for the message Hank had written. "Then what's this?" he snapped. Sheridan glared at him and swiped the paper from his hand, reading it quickly. She pulled her arm out of his grip. "Hank wrote this," she explained, cold and irritated by Luis' accusing tone. "I didn't think you would make it back in time, so I came." "What??" Luis exclaimed. "You came out here in the dark to meet some stranger?! Sheridan you could have been hurt!!" She glared at him pointedly as she rubbed her arm where his hand had gripped it. "Well it seems the only person I had to worry about being hurt by was you." They exchanged a long look. "Did the person show?" Luis asked finally. Sheridan took the instructions from her pocket and handed them to Luis. "Here." His fingers brushed hers as he took the scrap of paper from her hand. Sheridan shivered. He scanned it quickly. "Is this all?" "Yes." He didn't say anything else and Sheridan turned to leave. "You shouldn't have come out here, Sheridan," he said harshly. "It won't happen again," she said over her shoulder. He watched until she was back in her car before turning to leave.

"You think this is for real?" Sam asked as he read the instructions from the scrap of paper the next morning. "It's all we've got," Luis reminded him. Sam nodded and handed the paper back. "Well all right then," he said. "Get on it." Luis went back to his desk and dialed the office number he was given. "Dennis Jefferson's office," the receptionist answered. Luis didn't know it, but it was the woman from last night who had given Sheridan the information. "How may I help you?" "Uh, hi," Luis started, scanning the paper. "I'd like to make an appointment with Mr. Jefferson about the… Rufus Development Project." There was a long pause. "Is this about last night?" "What? Uh, yes." "Who is this?" "This is Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald with the Harmony Police Department," he responded. "Who is this? Are you the informant from last night?" "If this is really you, tell me the password." "What?? What password??" "Your partner never told you the password?" "My PARTNER?" The dial tone buzzed in his ear.

"Hello?" "Sheridan?" "Luis?" He took a deep breath and tried to control his voice. He was angry she was making him waste time on the case, but he was also nervous to call her. Him! Nervous! "Was there a password last night you forgot to mention?" he asked tightly. A pause. "Oh." "Sheridan?" "John Wayne." "What??" "That's the password. I forgot. Sorry." Her voice was flat. "The password is John Wayne??" he repeated incredulously. "Well I didn't come up with it, Luis." "I never said you--" In the background he could hear a knock on the door. "Are you expecting someone?" he demanded. "That's really none of your business," she replied bitterly. "Bye." He slammed down the phone and swore loudly. Several people looked over. He ignored their glances and picked up the phone again. "Dennis Jefferson's office, how may I help you?" "John Wayne," he snapped. "I beg your pardon?" "That's the password." "The password to what?" the same woman asked suspiciously. "Look!" he said, irritated. "I don't have time for your stupid games. Make the appointment." There was a long moment of silence. "I'm not helping you," she said finally. "What??" "I don't know what you're talking about. You can make an appointment if you like, but without the blonde from last night, you'll get nothing, got it?" Her voice was tight and anxious. "What the hell are you talking about?" he demanded. "If you want to be rude when I'm trying to help your case, Officer, then I won't help you. I'll only talk to your blonde partner from now on." He could hear her typing. "My--" "You have an appointment for Wednesday afternoon, at three o'clock. Have a nice day." Again he heard the dial tone. *

"When's the appointment?" Sam asked without looking up when Luis walked in to his office. "Wednesday at three o'clock," Luis said hesitantly. Sam paused before lifting his head to look at Luis. "What is it?" he said, studying the younger officer. "Well, there's just…There's a uh, condition…"

"Luis!" "Sheridan." Sheridan stood in the open doorway to her cottage in her pajamas. It was nine o'clock at night, and she hadn't been expecting anyone. What's Luis doing here? she wondered. Did he forget we…broke up? "Can I come in?" he asked gruffly. She hesitated. "What do you want?" she asked carefully. "It's about this case," he replied, equally cautious. "It's kinda late, Luis," she said hesitantly. "Yeah, I know….Sorry." He knew it was late. It had taken him an hour to get up the courage to come over here to see her. He wanted so much to ask why she hadn't mentioned a boyfriend when they'd first gotten involved. Why she thought he would ever see anyone else if he could be with her. Why being with him wasn't enough for her when he'd just begun believing she really wasn't like her greedy family…But he couldn't let himself ask any of those questions. He was here on official police business. He had to get her to agree to come along with him Wednesday for the meeting with Dennis Jefferson, President of Jefferson and Co. Construction, responsible for the development of most of Harmony's most elite and prestigious buildings. He also had to get her to agree to wear a disguise, since Jefferson would undoubtedly recognize her famous face. Personally, he doubted anyone could mistake Sheridan for anything less than beautiful, but he was somewhat biased, being in love with her and all. Love??!! I-- "Luis? Are you okay?" Sheridan's voice broke into his thoughts. "Luis?" "Uh, yeah," he replied, shaking his head. "I'm fine. Just….gathering my thoughts. Are you gonna let me in??" She stared at him. "Yeah, okay. Come in." She stood back and watched him enter. What was he thinking about? she wondered. It's not like Luis to daydream like that…Unless he's thinking of his little girlfriend. She glared at his back. Well what do you care anyway, Sheridan? her conscience asked accusingly. It's not like you have any vested interest in him anyway. Right? She swallowed guiltily. She had a lot more than just plain interest in him. She had more feelings for Luis than she would ever dare admit. "You listening?" "Huh?" She was jarred out of her thoughts. "Yes. No. Sorry." She closed the door and sat down to listen to Luis' explanation.

Luis arrived outside the main office building for Jefferson and Co. Construction at ten minutes to three. He had instructed Sheridan to meet him here at this time. He smiled to himself as he remembered trying to convince her to come along. To wear that hideous get-up. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her. It was evident she couldn't spot him in the busy crowd, and he took that moment to study her. The dull brown wig hung down her back looking matted, even though she'd managed to get out most of the knots. The frumpy gray sweater and pleated ankle-length skirt didn't help her figure any, and the thick horn-rimmed glasses he'd borrowed from Theresa (from her days of stalking Ethan) made it difficult to see her ice blue eyes. He doubted her own family could recognize her. And yet he'd had no trouble spotting her.

Riding up in the elevator Luis couldn't keep the smirk off his face. "What?" Sheridan snapped. He grinned and looked around the mirrored elevator. "Nothing." "I know I look ridiculous. You can just say it." "I'm sorry--just you--" He cut off, laughing. "You know, you should have had to wear something too. At the very least you should have to look half as stupid as I feel." "It's not that bad Sheridan," he tried. "I mean, you just--" The elevator stopped and two men in dark suits got on. Luis nodded to them and turned his eyes to the floor counter above the door. He could see Sheridan glaring at him in the reflective walls. He smiled at her.

"Hi, we're here to meet with Mr. Jefferson." They waited as the secretary checked the appointment book. She picked up the phone and punched a button. "A Mr. and Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald here to see you, Mr. Jefferson," she said into the receiver. Both Sheridan and Luis looked at one another, their eyes open in shock. "Oh, we're actually--" "I think that maybe--" But she cut them off with a stern look. "Just have a seat. Mr. Jefferson will be ready to see you in a moment." Luis hesitated before turning to go to the seating area. Sheridan smiled quickly at the receptionist before following him. "Did you tell her we were married when you made the appointment?" she hissed as she dropped into the seat beside him. "No!" he snapped back. "Why would I do that?" They glared at each other for a long time, but nothing in their eyes conveyed hatred or even contempt. "She's the woman I met that night," Sheridan said finally, turning away. "When? The informant?" "Yeah." Luis looked at Sheridan whose eyes were concentrating on the stack of magazines on the table beside her. He didn't know it, but she was fighting back tears. Sheridan took a deep breath and fought to regain control of her emotions. She thought she would be okay coming here today with Luis. She had honestly thought she could handle being this close to him. But how could she? She'd never loved anyone as much as she [however reluctantly] did him. And despite all the pain and betrayal she had known in the past, none had hurt quite as much as his. She grabbed a tissue out of her bag and dabbed at her eyes. Luis stared at her, concerned. "Sheridan?" he asked softly, "are you all right?" Sheridan opened her mouth to reply, but her voice caught in her throat. She sniffled. "Sheridan?" His hand gripped her upper arm. "Look at me. Are you okay?" She inhaled deeply and turned to face him. "It's just a cold, Luis," she said, wiping her nose with the damp tissue. "I'm fine." Their eyes met and Sheridan became all too aware of the warmth of his hand on her arm through her thin sweater. Her mind went back to all the times his hands had touched her, so strong yet so gentle. Luis' heart was pounding. He knew he should take his hand off her arm, pull his eyes away from hers, but he couldn't bring himself to do either. He only wanted to be with her. The world around them shrunk away as they both remembered the times they'd spent together--whispering, laughing, caring. Almost imperceptibly they moved towards one another, melting so naturally together-- "Mr. and Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald? Mr. Jefferson is ready to see you now." The secretary's voice broke into their intense concentration and they jerked apart. Sheridan was on her feet quickly, self-consciously straightening her clothes and touching her hair. Luis stood up hastily as well, his body bumping into Sheridan's for one long, agonizing moment. They both stiffened, and after a suspicious look from the secretary, followed her down a short hallway to Jefferson's office. "Right in here," she said, twisting the knob and watching them pass in before her. The door clicked shut behind them.

Dennis Jefferson rose as they entered, coming out from behind his shiny mahogany desk to shake their hands. "Nice to meet you," he said, smiling broadly, gripping their hands firmly. "How are you?" Sheridan forced a smile from behind her thick glasses as she took his hand. "Fine, thanks," she said, hearing Luis do the same after her. "Please, have a seat," Jefferson said, gesturing at the plush chairs before his desk. Once they were all seated he stared at them expectantly, his polished smile never fading. "Now what can I do for you?" he asked. "I have it marked here that you wanted to see me about…" he checked his appointment calendar, "…the Rufus Development Project?" Luis nodded. "How's that coming?" "It uh, it was going along great," he replied, trying hard to remember what it was they had agreed to say earlier. "Was?" Jefferson repeated, puzzled. "Why the past tense? Has something… happened?" Luis took a deep breath. "There were some complications," he said. "The project hasn't been running so smoothly." Jefferson's brows raised. "Really? What kind of...complications? This is the first I've heard of it." "I've learned that some of the people, er, financiers, have been--working--with some other--investors." Jefferson looked interested, and somewhat annoyed. "Is that so?" he said smoothly, checking in his date book. "I'll have to bring that up with the--committee, at out next meeting." No one said anything for a while. Sheridan shifted uncomfortably in her chair. She was uncomfortable in this office, trying to incriminate her own brother, she was uncomfortable in this office in this chair next to Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald. She grabbed a tissue from her bag and dabbed her forehead. "Are you warm?" Jefferson asked, moving to the window. "Yes, I suppose it is a little stuffy in here. I'll open the window for you." Sheridan smiled at him politely. "Thank you." "Now, uh, which other, er, investors, you said, have our financiers been working with, exactly?" the politician asked, sitting back down in his chair. "I'm not exactly sure as of now," Luis responded, looking pointedly at Sheridan. "I think that perhaps the financiers believe you may be working with some other--investors." Sheridan's eyebrows raised as she understood his implication. He was using this meeting to accuse her of…working…with other men! Well no way--not when she had seen him with his arm around another girl with her own eyes!!! "Actually," she said, cutting off Luis who had just opened his mouth to speak, "I side with you, Mr. Jefferson. I've actually seen the other investors in, uh, cahoots, with another financier." Jefferson's brows reached higher. Luis turned to glare at her. "That is absurd," he said tightly. "The other investors would never do that to you." Sheridan's stunned expression made him realize what he'd said. "To you , Mr. Jefferson, I mean, of course." "I believe they actually intend to end the partnership," Sheridan said icily. "Apparently they don't trust you enough to know that you would never che--work--with anyone else either." "What did you mean they'd seen me--Mr. Jefferson--with other…investors?" Luis demanded, ignoring the confused Jefferson and turning his focus to Sheridan. "Exactly what it sounded like," she replied coldly. "They saw you." "Well that's impossible, because there's never been anyone else since you. How could you believe that?" "Oh, me??" she cried. "You're the one who accused me of hiding someone in my cottage!" "Well I saw you meet someone!" "I have other friends, Luis!" "Other friends you sleep with??" "What?? Don't accuse me of sleeping around!!! You, better than anyone, should know that I had no reason to!" They glared at each other, breathing hard. "I don't--" Jefferson started-- "Shut up!" they snapped, not taking their eyes from each other. "What are you saying?" Luis asked carefully. "I am saying exactly what I said the night you accused me, Luis," Sheridan replied, eyes flashing. "I don't know where you got it from, but there has never been anyone else. I've never even wanted anyone else since I returned to Harmony." He looked at her for a long time. "Well what were you talking about?" he asked, "When you accused me of seeing someone else?" "I saw you!" Sheridan cried, not bothering to stop the tears that had welled up in her eyes. "It was the first night you didn't come over--I-I went out to eat and I saw you--with her!!" "Her?" Luis repeated. "Sheridan I don't know who you're talking about!" "You had your arms around each other, Luis!" she remembered, the hurt and confusion from that night returning to her voice. "It was-- "Well maybe you made a mistake, Sheridan! Maybe you thought it was me but it was really someone else!" Luis tried, "I'm telling you I have never even looked at another woman in the same way since the first day I met you!" "It was you. I'd recognize you anywhere, Luis," Sheridan said softly, the tears falling down her cheeks. "How couldn't I?" "I'm sorry," Jefferson interrupted tentatively, "I don't know what you're talking about--" he moved to the door--"but I think you two had better leave. I'll look into this other matter at the luncheon on Sunday. Thanks for coming by."

They weren't alone in the elevator on the way back down, only staring silently at one another in the booths reflective walls. Sheridan's heart was pounding. When the elevator finally reached the ground floor she stepped out of the tiny lift and moved quickly out the front doors to the building, gulping in the fresh air gratefully. Her tears dried and she pulled off the thick glasses as she tried to hide her distress from passerby. Luis came out the door moments later and paused as he looked around the busy sidewalk for her familiar face. Finally he spotted her, standing with her back to him, her shoulders rising and falling rapidly. He started toward her, hesitating about five feet away. What if she recoiled when he touched her? What if she didn't want to talk to him--to even see him ever again?? How could he deal with that? Sheridan sniffed loudly, straightening her shoulders and lifting her head. He said he hadn't been with anyone else since her--was it possible she'd made a mistake? But I'd know him anywhere! she wanted to cry out. How could I possibly not recognize someone I love so much when they're only across a street?? But he'd said it hadn't been him and he'd never lied before…A faint smile formed on her lips. Maybe there was hope for them after all… Luis took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Sher--" he started. At the same moment Sheridan turned around to leave and stepped into him. "Luis!" she exclaimed, surprised and nervous and happy all at once. He looked down into her tear streaked face, the same face he'd once vowed to himself he would never let cry over a guy again and felt his heart swell in his chest. "Sheridan, I'm--" he began before he couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face. "I'm--" Slowly a smile grew across her face, her relief evident in her eyes. "Luis I--I--" "God, I'm just so--" Nervous laughter tittered between them. Sheridan gestured to the glasses in her hand. "It's nice to be able to see properly again," she remarked, hesitantly touching his hand with her own. He lifted his hand to her face and stroked her cheek, tracing her jaw lightly. "It's nice to be able to see you," he replied. He slid the mousy brown wig off her head and she raised herself up onto her toes to meet him. "I hated these past weeks," she mumbled as their faces drew near. He smiled and slid his hands into her hair, pressing her to him. "We're together now," he said, his voice trailing off as their lips met and oblivion swirled around them.

With the information about the luncheon on Sunday, the police were able to bug the restaurant where it was being held and gathered much crucial information about Julian Crane's business misdealings. Though he never went to jail, the arrests and indictments put an end to his bribery and severely limited the Crane family's control over Harmony.

Sheridan looked at the clock. Eight thirty five. Luis would be arriving any minute. She hugged herself anxiously. She really was excited about seeing him, but she knew that this night would either be the beginning or the end of their 'relationship.' She had to tell him that they either had to have a serious relationship, a commitment, or it had to end here. She was through putting herself on the line for heartbreak with relationships that were only going to hurt her in the end. She saw his figure emerge from the edges of the property and she flipped on the outside light and opened the door for him. "Hey," he said, grinning, and looking so cute in his police uniform. She couldn't help herself and she grinned back. "Hi." He kissed her as he passed her, sliding out of his jacket as she shut the door. She smiled to herself, thinking how much she liked--loved--him, and then pursed her lips as she reminded herself of what she was supposed to be doing here tonight. Sheridan's tense shoulders didn't escape Luis. He watched her as she closed the door and moved ahead of him to sit on the sofa in the living room. "Something wrong Sheridan?" he asked, coming around to sit beside her. She looked at him anxiously, her blue eyes wide. "I--," she began, taking a deep breath to steady her shaking hands. "Are you all right?" he asked, enfolding her hands in his own. "Sheridan?" "I--," she sighed heavily, struggling to keep the desperation out of her voice. "I can't sleep with you anymore. I mean, I can, I'm able to--I just can't do this any longer, Luis. I'm afraid that I'm falling too hard for something that may not be there and I can't bear the thought of feeling the way I have in the past. I don't want to care this much more about something--someone--than the other person involved. I like you so much Luis that I don't want to go another day knowing I won't be seeing you that night--but I can't be with you anymore if I don't know that you want to be with me--and only me. I just--" He cut her off, wrapping his arm around her neck and pinning her against the back of the sofa. His mouth found hers and he kissed her roughly. "I--Luis--," Sheridan mumbled. "I don't think you understand---" "I would love to be with you Sheridan," he said in her ear, breathing hard. "Only you. I don't want anyone else." She looked into his eyes, tears of relief brimming in her own. "Really?" she whispered, kissing him again. "How could I?" he asked, grinning saucily. "Now not only do I have Julian Crane, but I get to be in love with his sister." Sheridan kissed him fervently, allowing the feelings she'd held back for so long to come flooding forth. "Maybe now on when we're together it'll just be about us--and not Julian," she replied, her hands slipping around his neck. "It's never been about police business, Sheridan," he mumbled into her neck. "It's always been you."

THE END