The Guardian

She laughed. "Only a little bit." She moved to turn on the oven before she moved to the freezer to take out a frozen pizza. Unwrapping it, she smiled over at him. "Make yourself comfortable. Pizza will be done in a bit, and I should probably get out of this dress and these heels."

Popping the pizza into the oven she set the timer, and looked over at him. "Unless you'd like to help?" Her grin was mischievous and the light in her eyes danced as she moved down the small hallway to the bedroom and bent to untie the laces of her sandals.

He placed the beer down and smiled at her, she really had a way with words. He followed her and found her once more bent over,

"Allow me."

He knelt next to her, undoing the straps of her sandals and slowly slid them from her legs, he stood up and took her into his arms,

"I think you should keep the dress on though, I really like it."

His hands slowly ran over the exposed skin of her back, he leaned down and once more captured her lips, kissing her with a gentle passion, it promised much more than just a romp between the sheets, much more a promise of a good ending to the evening and it didn't have anything to do with sex. He withdrew after a short while,

"Can I make you reconsider perhaps?"

She sighed softly against his lips, feeling the fabric rustle against her skin deliciously. She smiled with a soft hum as she looked up at him. "Very well. Because you like it so much." It was refreshing that he wasn't so eager to get her naked, even if there was a stab of insecurity as to the why. Even so his demeanor didn't speak of disgust, quite the contrary, in fact.

Her feet padded against the carpet as she took his hand to lead him back toward the kitchen to check on the pizza. "Is meat lover pizza okay? I forgot to ask."

He chuckled,

"Like the saying goes: meat is meat and a man must eat."

He allowed her to finish her check up on the pizza, slipping an arm into her own, he collected her beer on their way back to her living room where his own beer awaited. As he sat down on the sofa, he drew her down on to his lap. He gave her a grin and then opened her beer for her as well. He picked up his beer and clinked it against her own,

"Hope you don't mind your seat."

He took a swallow of his beer, his free hand slowly stroking through her hair,

"I must admit, I love it when you let your hair down."

He chuckled and traced soft paterns over her back.

She laughed as she nestled into his lap and took a drink. "I'm glad." She was quiet a moment then laughed. "What kind of things does a girl talk about with her stalker slash protector? I mean... you've been there through all of it, have you seen everything?" She blushed as she thought about that question. She'd had her wild nights, and her lovers, and her very bad decision one-night stands, but she was embarrassed that he'd seen her at her worst.

He watched her blush and knew exactly what she was thinking about,

"Oh I don't know, this is a first for me as well. The curious guy inside me would want to know why you hunted me with such fiery passion, but that is work, I don't want to talk about work."

He traced his finger over her thigh as the long slit in her dressed exposed it,

"We could talk about basically anything..."

He paused and looked up at her,

"And yes...I had seen everything. The only thing that I truly don't know about you is your private thoughts and dreams..."

He grinned,

"And no not the dreams which featured me, the other ones, the ones you have for your future."

She couldn't help but laugh. "I hunted you because you were outside the law and it's my job. Plus, I don't like being bested by a guy with a playing card and a penchant for dramatic exits." She winked. "As for my private thoughts and dreams... well some of those are going to change now that I've actually met you, seen you, committed your face to memory, and all that good stuff." What the good stuff was remained to be seen. She had a feeling he wasn't going to disappoint.

She took a long drink of her beer and then reached out to stroke his cheek gently. "And for my future... I don't know, maybe make Captain some day or run my own unit. After that, I guess it's a matter of settling down with a family and a dog, or maybe travel. I see so much ugliness as part of my life, I'd like something good and wholesome. I just pray it doesn't bore me to tears."

She grinned. "Actually, I like being a CASA volunteer and helping young women choose something other than crime, prostitution, or drugs. I may not have kids, but I like contributing." She shrugged. "There are so few positive female role models out there, you know? I don't think I'm the motherly type, but I can be a sister or a friend. And I guess... I don't know eventually find a relationship with a guy who isn't intimidated by my job."

She gave him a direct look. He wasn't intimidated by what she did, and she wouldn't mind coming home to that handsome face every day. "All in all, I try not to think about it too much. What about you? Don't you have any other aspirations other than watching me?"

He smiled at her,

"Not really."

He thought about it for a while, his fingers stil tracing the soft skin of her leg, he took a long drink from his beer,

"I was raised to accept my duty, to look out for you, protect you from harm. Only when you joined the force my capacity changed, I had to become proactive instead of reactive, my mind was focused solely on keeping you alive and solving some of the cases with my outside of the law view."

He met her eyes once more,

"Though I will not lie and say that I have never imagined a life beyond what I do. I have settled down to the idea of finding a mallable lady, one who could understand what I did, have a family to raise in the same way I had been risen and in turn have them look over your children."

He chuckled,

"Of course I'm the first to do what I'm doing now, so perhaps a change could occur in my views of the future."

She tilted her head to look at him. "You mean.... your family does this? Look out for mine? I mean... I know my grandmother had someone, and my parents... but then they died. My grandmother always said the archangel Michael was looking out for her. It's why I pretty much always wear the pendant."

She maneuvered herself to straddle his lap, her thighs on either side, her hem barely skimming her buttocks. "So.. you mean to tell me that no one from your family has ever approached anyone from mine? Was it not allowed or something?"

She was curious now. She knew he was about to answer, but her timer went off and she quickly kissed his lips before scooting off his lap. "Hold that thought. Pizza's done."

She moved to the kitchen, quickly grabbed a large plate and a spatula, maneuvered the pizza onto the plate and deftly sliced up the pie with the pizza cutter. Grabbing some small plates, napkins, and two more beers, she placed them all on the serving tray she had inherited from her grandmother, and made her way to the living room to put the pizza on the coffee table.

"Okay, you were saying?" she asked as she grabbed a slice of pizza and gingerly took a bite.

He smiled,

"Michael was my grandfather, yes named after the archangel. My family have been looking after yours for centuries. During wars we went along with your own, bullets, blades, shrapnel...you think of it and a member of my family was there to take the brunt of the impact or to give his or her life."

He had maneuvered a piece of the pizza onto a plate and took a bite,

"Never had anybody approached a member of your family. You lived your lives, most of the time unaware of us. The closest bond ever formed was in the army, apart from that we had stayed in the shadows."

He grinned,

"You are a much better detective than you give yourself credit for, I come from a long line of basically super spies and you still managed to find me even with all my training. Tonight...well it wasn't against any rule to approach you, but it would have made it easier on both of us if you realized I am not against you..."

He smiled at the double meaning,

"Well...you know what I mean."

She couldn't help but laugh and nodded. "Yes, I get what you mean." Eating slowly and thoughtfully, she digested his words. They sat in silence as they ate and she thought about what he said. Centuries! His family had been looking after hers for centuries! And San Miguel...Her grandmother's name for her protector! Had she ever met him? Had they ever....? She looked at herself practically draped over her own protector. Did he have a name? Granted Santiago was a name, but he surely not his name. Abruptly she blurted out, "So, do you have a name then? What should I call you? Calling you Santiago seems fake."

He smiled,

"You want a name? Well you can call me Donovan."

He gave her a grin and finished off the slice of pizza, downing it with a mouthful of beer,

"Although with the surname you had to make up for me, Donovan Schreiner sounds a lot like an international arms dealer."

He chuckled,

"Perhaps I should turn to that now that you have seen me and know basically who I am."

She couldn't help but laugh and nodded. "You could but I kind of like knowing. At least I know that I am not paranoid. She laughed and leaned in to kiss his lips gently. "Besides I cant cover for you if you are an international arms dealer. That is way above my pay grade."

She studied him. "Donovan... I like it. I can live with that."

He smiled and leaned closer,

"As long as you don't call me Donovan when discussing your case on Santiago, he doesn't exist...yet."

He gave her a wink and leaned back, content to finish his second slice of pizza and taking a healthy swig on his beer,

"Talking of pay grade, the captain seems to want to get into your panties quite badly."

Cali snorted. "Scott Vernon has been trying to get into my pants since I grew boobs. " She rolled her eyes, as she took another drink. "He seems to have gone from protective older cousin type, to potential suitor, or something. As soon as I finished Academy he hired me into his team. When he got promoted to Captain, no doubt some doing of his more affluent relatives, since he is only like 5 years older than me, he kept an eye on me. I like him just fine as a buddy, ut it is unprofessional and risky, not to mention a little gross, to consider him romantically."

He smiled,

"Quite more men than him took a shine to you once you started to, as you put it, grew boobs. I can remember quite a few boys trying to get to more than first base of the leggy Cali."

He grinned,

"Did you know that many guys labeled you a cock-tease? It was funny to listen to them elaborate stories to make themselves look SO much more mature."

He took a sip of his beer,

"Scott got to be captain by much more than just his family. But that is not important, his past will catch up to him in due time, right now I will have another slice of this pizza. You really have good taste in food."

Cali snorted. She supposed she should be angry or indignant, but it was too long ago to matter.

When he mentioned Scott's promotion, she raised an eyebrow. "I suppose I could ask what you mean, but I'm pretty sure you won't tell me. So... I will just trust that you know something I don't, and that I should keep my ears open."

When he mentioned the pizza she laughed. "I'm not into all that frou frou high class stuff. I like pizza and beer and chicken wings and football." She grinned. "I'm glad you like the pizza, though. I get it from a pizza shop not too far from here. I order their frozen pizzas and when I feel like indulging I make one. It lasts me like two days."

"And tonight it will not last as long."

He gave her a smile, after washing down the next two bites with beer, he leaned back,

"Actually if you asked me, I would tell you, but consider if you really would want to know a dark, deep secret now. There's other times which you can ask for it as well...like when your PC crashes and you need tech support to get it fixed..."

He gave her a sly smile, imitating his professional voice,

"You really have to take good care of your instalation disk, you never know when you could need it."

He chuckled and tucked into the pizza, finishing the slice and taking a sip of his beer.

Her eyes widened as she heard his "professional" tone and she swatted at his shoulder. "I knew it! I knew it had to be you! Well... the you I've been looking for, not the you like I knew who you were!" She glanced over at him "So that story about the wife and all that was just a bunch of shit, I take it? Or are you cheating on her with me tonight?" She gave him a mischievous grin, knowing fully well he didn't have a wife.

He waggled his eyebrows at her,

"Well if single men isn't your thing we can always act like there is a wife."

He chuckled,

"I had to think on the fly, luckily the name is registered in the next town as I had said, but it was really a shock to get you as caller right in the middle of my "working" evening. Not a bad surprise at all."

He turned to face her,

"I think I had enough pizza for one night, think I lack the eating skills of normal men. Must be the constant ducking and your impossible routines and following on leads."

He smiled and rested an arm on the back cushion, his hand idly playing with her hair.

She laughed. "Well, I lead an exciting life, and you choose to follow me!" She let out a soft purr as he played with her hair. She melted herself against him, and she stroked his cheek gently. "So now that you are fed and watered, how are you feeling?" She smiled at him.

He chuckled,

"Ready to bloom."

His fingers trailed through her hair as his other hand slowly started to slide up the silky skin of her leg.

"And are you suitably watered and fed? Or should I take a hand in the matter and feed you?"

He grinned down at her, finding himself all intoxicated by her all over.

She laughed as she finished her beer. "I'm alright. Though if you want to feed me I won't say no to it." She grinned. "But only if you feed me without me having to use my hands." She winked and stroked down his cheek gently. "I think I'm pretty ready to bloom myself."

"Oh don't worry, no hands required."

He leaned in and captured her lips once more, drawing her back onto his lap to stradle him, his hands both sliding over the silky skin of her thighs, sliding over her dress to carress her buttocks and hips through the material. He found her tongue a willing participant in the new development and they started their own little tango once more. And this time there was no stopping vehicle to interupt them...

She moaned softly against his lips and moved her hips on his lap as they kissed. Her hands cradled his head gently as she allowed her tongue to dance with his. For all their bantering and conversation, their dancing and THIS had been the highlight of her evening. Not a job well done, not capturing for questioning, not even heating up a pizza. No.

He was the highlight of her evening and she was going to take full advantage of the opportunity. She felt like they fit together like pieces of a puzzle, something that had been distantly missing from her life was suddenly whole, and, she could feel under her hips, rising to greet her.