He made no mention of John, not wanting to tear open any wounds, healed or otherwise. It had been three years since John's death, since the accident that had taken Rhys' memory, since Riley's disappearance, and though he tried to push the thought away from his brain, he wondered if she'd moved on. He followed her into the kitchen, taking his surroundings in once again with a carefully-trained eye, shrugging at her remark about his appearance. He could have arrived in a sweater and blue jeans, but he didn't know her well enough to appear quite that casual. "I have no complaints," he remarked. It was no secret that the FBI paid him well for his work, but he didn't flaunt that fact and maintained a modest lifestyle. "How's Joey' He's grown since I saw him last."

More small talk, more getting acquainted. Most of what he knew about Gina he knew through Rhys or through research. He remained standing, taking a casual look around, his head turning back to watch her fix whatever it was she was making.

Her face lit up with a soft glow when the conversation turned to her son, who was obviously the center of her world. "He's doing good," she smiled proudly. "Really good. Settled into school, lots of friends, in the Little League ....I don't know how I did it, but I've got a normal kid." And she intended to keep it that way, if it was at all possible. Turning to the cupboards, she opened them up to pull cups down. "What would you like" I've got tea, coffee, chocolate ..." She glanced over her shoulder at him with a half-smile. "Nothing's going to collapse if you sit on it, you know."

"Good, keep him that way," Adam said, practically reading her thoughts or at the very least, thinking along the same lines. No demons, no angels, no monsters. It was better that way, though both he and Gina knew what was really out there. He took a casual lean against the counter, remaining standing as long as she was. "I've done enough sitting to last me a lifetime. Just got back from Europe a few days ago." There was the hint of a frown when he said that, as if it was relevant somehow. "Coffee's good." He shared Rhys' coffee addiction, like most other hunters.

She nodded, exhuming a tin coffee pot from the pile of freshly washed utensils on the draining board. There was no electric coffee pot in this kitchen, unusually, which meant Adam was going to get hand-brewed coffee. Might take a little longer, but Gina would argue that it was worth the wait. Her brow rose in his direction as she spooned coffee into the top of the pot, pouring water into the bottom and fixing it together before setting it on the hob to brew. "Europe" Do I want to know if that was business or pleasure?"

"Business," he replied. It was always business. There wasn't a lot of time in his life for pleasure, but he'd made that choice a long time ago. "So..." he started, unsure what to say and feeling horribly awkward. "How do you like being a lawyer" I bet it beats the hell out of waitressing," he remarked, making another attempt at small talk, as he unbuttoned the front of his jacket. It was either a little warm in there or he was more nervous than he thought.

She turned to face him, meeting his eyes with a remarkably frank gaze. "Adam, you do know you're welcome here, right?" she asked him quietly. "I mean, I know we don't know each other very well, but Rhys says you're a brother to him. If you're family to him, you're family to me, that's all there is to it." Her lips pressed together in a wry smile as she looked him over. "So take the stick outta your *ss, take the jacket off, and relax, would you? Be back in a coupla minutes." Leaving the coffee pot bubbling away behind her, she slipped from the kitchen, calling to her son. Evidently, it was bedtime.

He arched a brow at her, a little surprised by her welcome when she had to know what had brought him here. He'd never have come on his own without a very good reason, and they both knew that, even if he'd wanted to. "Right," he replied, leaving the jacket on as she wandered from the room, presumably to put her son to bed.

He wondered what that was like, to have a mom who tucked you in at night. David had stopped tucking him in when he was four, swapping a teddy bear for a handgun and teaching him how to protect himself from the things that went bump in the night. He wandered about the kitchen, idly peeking at this and that. The artwork that was tacked to the fridge, the X's that crossed off the days on the calendar marking dentist appointments and Little League practice, ordinary stuff. He gazed out the window at the small yard in the back, also ordinary. Apparently, she liked gardening a little, or someone did.

Bedtime was a calm affair in this house, it seemed, though Joey did seem have a small giggling fit at the top of the stairs, no doubt brought on by his mother's expertly distracting him from asking questions about their visitor. The footsteps above stilled with the creak of a bedframe, the house going close to silent for a long few minutes, before gentle footsteps over the landing above announced Gina's imminent return, in time to fetch the coffee pot off the stove and pour the bitter beverage into the cups set out. She smiled at Adam, deliberately avoiding going into any detail, even in her own mind, as to why he was there in the first place. "How'd you want it?"

"Black," he told her, his gaze remaining focused on the scenery outside the window, though it was getting dark and there wasn't much to see. So this is how it ends, he thought. Everyone was gone. David, Dylan, Jessie, John, and now even Rhys. What was the point of living if all you did was work and bury those you loved" So, are you seeing anyone, he idly thought to himself, unable to let that question pass his lips. The time wasn't right; besides, she wanted to keep her life and Joey's as normal as possible, and his life was about as far from normal as you could get.

"He's a good kid. I can tell. You're doing an amazing job with him, Gina," he said as he turned away from the window to watch her pour him a cup of coffee that she'd made the old fashioned way. Who did that anymore"

The pall of grief that he was barely holding together was palpable to her, fading her smile to quiet solemnity. She didn't want to hear what it was he had come to tell her, and at the same time, she needed to, but she thought she already knew how badly it was going to hurt. Handing him the steaming cup, she faced him, one hip braced against the counter. "Thank you," she managed in a soft voice. Her reluctance was obvious, but she hadn't gotten as far as this in her life without being stubborn enough to ignore her own reluctance. "Adam, where's Rhys?" she asked in a quiet voice. "You've never visited us on your own before."

He frowned, almost wincing at the question that hung awkwardly between them. What did they call it' The elephant in the room' With the angels, he thought. No, he was an angel. Is an angel. Whatever. How was he supposed to tell her what she probably already knew but was afraid to admit' He'd never had a problem with it before, but it was different this time. It hit too close to home.

"You know, the first time I met him, he was sick, close to dying. He'd been bitten by a werewolf. That sounds crazy, doesn't it' A werewolf. I think he was twelve or thirteen at the time. Just a kid really. We both were. Too young. Kids shouldn't have to know about sh*t like that, you know?"

"What do you want me to do, Gina" Do you want me to break down right here and become a sobbing mess" What the hell good is that going to do anyone" You want to know what I'm feeling" I'll tell you. I'm feeling angry. That's what I'm feeling. I knew it was going to end this way. That stupid son of a bitch sacrificing his life for all of us. Who ever asked him to do that' I sure as hell didn't!" He drew a sharp breath, shocked at his own outburst, his face flushed with embarrassment and shame. "Sorry, I....I'm sorry."

"Don't you dare apologise," she told him sternly, seemingly unphased by his sudden outburst. "You're allowed to feel angry, to resent him for leaving us like this. But bottling it all up and pushing it away, how is that not doing exactly what he did" How is that not sacrificing yourself for everyone else, huh?"

She glared up at him for a long moment, almost breathless from her own swirl of emotion, gazing into his eyes in slowly dawning amazement as she began to make sense of the conflicting emotions half-hidden in his gaze. The embarrassment and shame could be ignored, his pain was understandable. It was the unexpected depth of longing as he looked at her that took her by surprise and warmed her deep. She wanted him to feel something" This she could help with. Rising onto her toes, she pressed her lips to his hard, demanding a response whether it was a rejection or acceptance of this shade of comfort she offered.

Stunned by her outburst, he gaped at her, completely taken off guard by her reaction to his anger, wondering why she even cared what he thought or felt. She had never seemed to give him much regard before, or so he thought, and in that moment all his loneliness came to the forefront, realizing, like she had, that they were the sole survivors - Natalya and Gina and Adam. They were the ones who were left to deal with the grief of Rhys' death. He'd sacrificed his life to save the world and no one knew or cared but them. His throat closed as he tried to hold back his feelings, but then she shocked him again by kissing him, muffling the sob of emotion that had been slowly building inside him as the anger subsided. Confused and lonely and hurting, he accepted her kiss, returning it with the intensity of one who had been alone for too long.

It was a shock to discover, in the midst of grief and anger, that the longing was not just one-sided, and it was not just a natural consequence of being alone. Gina found herself responding to the kiss returned with more fervor, her fingers slipping from his cheek to comb into the thick softness of his hair as she sought to deepen the kiss. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she was taking advantage of his vulnerability, allowing him to take advantage of hers, but in the shock of realising that, despite it all, she liked him, wanted him, she pushed that concern aside. They could deal with the fall out later.

It wasn't just the grief and the anger that made him return her affections, the feelings he held in check for her for years bubbling to the surface now that she'd opened the Pandora's Box. He'd purposely stayed away, kept his distance, even after John had died, not wanting to sully her memory of him by stepping in and trying to replace him, but it had been three years and life went on. Still, part of him felt guilty for taking advantage of her in her grief, even as he returned her kisses and pulled her up against him, all too aware of the boy that was sleeping in a room above their heads.

There was a sense of frantic urgency that came with this sudden opening of floodgates she had purposely not even touched in the years since John's death. She hadn't wanted to dishonor the memory of the man she had loved and lost by admitting, even to herself, that there was someone who might be able to kindle the same feelings in her heart. But those gates were open now, and though they were mingled with the grief of losing Rhys, those newly released feelings weren't going to let her simply walk away as she had done so many times before. Always aware of her son, acutely aware that too much noise would rouse him until he was deeply asleep, she nonetheless felt her hands trail between them, smoothing beneath the jacket of Adam's suit, urging the fine material from his shoulders as her lips plundered his hungrily.

"Gina," he pleaded between her kisses, making no real attempt to stop her from kissing him or from removing his jacket. "Gina, we shouldn't..." he told her half-heartedly, tugging the jacket from his arms and leaning aside to lay it over a chair, pulling her along with him as he continued to press kiss after kiss against her lips, his body betraying his meager attempt at resistance.

"I know," she breathed back to him, the words tumbling into his mouth between those heated kisses as her hands found his tie, pulling it loose with impatient clumsiness. "I know, we ....God, Adam ..." She swallowed her own moan, muffling it in a deeper kiss as a stumble brought them against the table in a low groan of wooden legs against the wooden floor, not loud enough to wake Joey, thankfully. There were only moments left to them to pull back from this precipice, if either of them wished to; the fire once lit burned too brightly to be ignored, even damped by shared pain.

He knew once a certain line was crossed, there would be no turning back, and they were quickly reaching that line. While part of him wanted this, had wanted it for so long, another part of him felt guilty, and yet, she was the one who'd initiated things. She was the one who'd kissed him. Was it shared loneliness and grief that had lit the fire inside them both or was it something else? He cupped her face in his hands, kissing her again and again, hasty, clumsy kisses that were full of impatience and longing.

The tie whipped from about his neck, tossed with a strangely neat level of care to lie over his jacket where it was draped. She could feel herself losing the battle for coherent thought, only too eager to drift into the prospect of deep sensation that didn't require her to think or to feel anything but the immediacy of desire. And yes, a part of this frenzy of need was a wish to escape the shock and pain, but it was only a part. The greater part was visible in her eyes as they opened to gaze into his, her fingers pausing in the rush to unbutton his shirt as she breathed hot and heavy against his lips. "Sure?" was all she could muster by way of words, needing to know she wasn't just taking something from him that he would regret giving when morning came. The dark storm of her eyes added what she didn't dare say ....Please don't say no.

He gazed into her eyes, seeing something there he hadn't noticed before, whether it had been there or not. What would Rhys have thought of this turn of events" Adam realized he'd probably have laughed and asked them what they'd been waiting for. He pushed her hair back from her face as she yanked the tie loose from his neck, darting a glance at the ceiling and listening with keen ears for movement. "What about Joey?" he asked, wondering if she wanted to retreat to the bedroom or take a chance right here and now.

Breathless in the gentle pause, Gina glanced toward the ceiling herself, knowing better than Adam what to listen for in the quiet of the house. It was distracting, though, to be so close to a man she'd been pretending not to want for months now, her attention shifting from the sound of her son's sleeping breaths in and out to the scent of Adam's skin. Her head turned, nuzzling the tip of her nose into the column of his throat as she breathed him in, touching her lips to the beating pulse of his heartbeat beneath his skin.

"We can go up later," she whispered, slender fingers resuming the tug and slide of his buttons, opening his shirt without removing the holster from his shoulders first.

She trembled just a little as the last barrier between them slid down her legs under his guidance, her arms drawn close into herself even as she cradled his jaw, still a little shy but more than ready to eradicate that shyness in his arms. Flicking her foot out to cast the lacy scrap of clothing away across the floor, she drew him close against her, lips moving softly beneath his. "Please, Adam," she whispered longingly, all thought of Joey or Rhys gone for now in the burning grasp of desire. "I want you, now."

Maybe it was all the years of longing and admiring her from afar that had finally built up inside him until he could deny it no longer, or maybe it was grief that had finally torn down the walls he'd so carefully built to protect his heart. Whatever it was, there was no turning back now and no denying their desire. He took her in his arms, pressing her back against a bare wall, lips searing hers with a passionate kiss. One arm slipped away momentarily to reach for her leg and wrap it around his hip, wasting not a moment longer before sheathing himself inside her exquisite warmth.

Her cry of suddenly fulfilled pleasure was husky, low in her throat, throbbing with delight as she arched from the coolness of plaster at her back. One hand rose to press flat against the wall above her head as the other slid around to curl at the back of his neck, her eyes fixed on his as she felt him inside her, better than any dream or fantasy. This wasn't just physical, she knew; it was the culmination of months, years, of wanting and watching from afar. They might not know one another that well yet, but there was no way on Earth, in Heaven, or in Hell she was going to let him walk away this time. Pressed back against the wall, her thigh held tight to his hip, she bucked with him, far from passive in passionate release.

He didn't have to pretend or fantasize any longer; it really was her, not just a dream or a figment of his imagination, all the years of waiting and wondering and longing coming together in this one moment. He didn't know what the future held, but somehow he knew this wasn't a one night stand, that something had changed between them, and he was just as determined to make it last. His hips moved against her, moving with her and in her, slow at first but quickening as his passionate need for her burned ever brighter, lips demanding more from her kisses, a deepening desire to possess her.

There really was only so much she could do in such a position, but she found herself eager to be possessed, to be the weaker of them in this coupling, finding the joy of freedom in giving up all control for those brief, exquisite moments as they came together for the first time. Her hand fell from the wall above her, arms looping tight about his neck as they moved together, lips trading ever more passionate kisses as she sought to give him what he demanded time and time again until finally she found herself falling from the cresting wave in a gentle, powerful explosion of bliss, his name soft on her lips as she clung to him.

He felt her muscles contract against him as she whispered his name against his lips, her body stiffening and then relaxing, and he knew her pleasure had crested. Only then, did he allow himself to let go, feeling the same sweet release, the warmth of it flowing from him into her as his own climax crested and broke, and he clung to her as it washed over him in waves. He whispered her name, as soft as a prayer, in wonder of all that was her, allowing himself at last to open his heart, trusting her not to break it.

With her breath heavy in her chest, Gina leant back against the wall, gathering Adam close into her arms, caressing her fingers through his hair and down over the firm width of his shoulders as her lips tumbled from temple to cheek, to jaw, to lips, before finally coming to rest, her forehead against his temple, simply absorbing the feel of him against and within her, knowing this ....whatever it was ....between them had to be explored. They couldn't leave it untouched again. And though the pain lanced at her heart as she thought of the brother she'd never had, she offered a silent thank you to Rhys, wherever he was, for bringing Adam into her life.

"You're amazing," he whispered, not for the first time, heaving a deep breath to calm his pounding heart. Why it had taken the death of someone so dear to bring them together, he'd never know. Maybe Rhys was watching from somewhere above and smiling down on them, giving them this last parting gift before ascending with the angels. Whatever happened from this moment forward, they wouldn't have to face it alone. He sighed as her forehead came to rest against his, and he released his hold on her leg, his arms sliding around her waist to hold her close. "What now?" he asked, knowing they couldn't stay there much longer, not wanting to risk discovery by a curious eight year old boy.

Blinking away the tears that had risen as she thought of their lost friend, she drew her head back to look up at him, revelling anew in a feeling she had almost forgotten - being wrapped in the arms of someone who would never have any intention of hurting her, or her son. Hmm ....Joey. That would be an interesting conversation, sometime when Adam wasn't there. But that, again, was a problem for the next day. Her fingers stroked down Adam's cheek as she nuzzled a soft kiss to his lips. "Do you want to stay for breakfast?"

His thoughts turned again to the boy upstairs, putting Joey's feelings above his own. "I'd love to stay, but I'm not so sure that's a good idea," he admitted, torn between his desire to stay and his concern for her son. He lifted a hand to brush the tears from her face, feeling that same aching loss like a hole in his chest, but it didn't seem quite as painful now that he was no longer alone. "What are you gonna tell Joey?"

"Baby, you're not spending the night alone," she told him firmly, cradling his face in her hands. "I won't let you. Joey'll be fine ....it might take a little time for him to get used to you, but he knows you through Rhys. He'll probably appreciate having someone around who can tell him all about what that maniac was like as a kid." Her fingers stroked down his cheek affectionately. "I don't know exactly what I'm gonna tell him. But I will."

Something twisted in his chest at her gentle insistence, the way she called him baby, the obvious concern for him and for Joey alike. The mention of Rhys reopened the wound, too raw, too fresh, like a knife stabbing at his heart and he felt tears prickling at his eyes that, only a short time ago, he hadn't wanted her to see or even acknowledge himself. He nodded his head slowly, too heart-weary to argue. He left the decision up to her; Joey was her son and she knew what was best. "We should get dressed," he admitted reluctantly.

She nodded, just as reluctant as he was to separate, but probably a little more aware of the possibility of the eight-year-old upstairs coming down after a nightmare or just to be difficult. Her palm curled to Adam's jaw, drawing him into a soft kiss to reassure him before she gently began to ease away. "Did you eat yet tonight?"

The question as much as the kiss took him off guard, like everything about this night seemed to be doing. He had to think a moment about the answer. Had he? For a moment, he couldn't remember. "I ate a little," he admitted, though in truth he hadn't been eating or sleeping much since Gavarnie. He wondered just how he was going to explain that.

The smile this earned was a wry quirk of her lips as she reached for her t-shirt, not really seeing the point of putting her bra back on. It wasn't as though she had anything truly to hide anymore. "That is a terrifyingly male answer, Adam," she chuckled softly, drawing the soft fabric over her head. "I'll make you something."

She nodded slowly, as aware as he was of the little details involved in wrapping up a life. "I've got a couple of contacts who deal with postumous estates," she offered softly, not really wanting to hand the matter over to anyone else but knowing she, at least, didn't have the experience or expertise to do what needed to be done well enough. "But we should go through his personal belongings first." She bit her lip thoughtfully. "I don't know if he'd want us to let anyone else have Dylan's place, and ..." A quiet huff of a laugh escaped her lips. "What about his car?"

Adam paused in his reply to finish off the sandwich and take a deep swallow of re-heated coffee to wash it all down. His hunger abated for now, the food in his stomach did very little to fill the hole in his heart. He frowned at the thought of Rhys' car. He'd had the Chevelle forever, his prize possession. Adam knew Rhys had loved that car more than he'd loved most people. "He loved that car," Adam remarked, putting his thoughts into words. "I can't sell it. It wouldn't be right."

"So you take it." Her fingers drew into his hair once again, gentle amid the soft, thick warmth, and drew his forehead to hers, leaning close in renewal of the unexpected intimacy between them. And it was intimacy. It might not have been physical just now, any kind of satiation of the senses, but there was more to closeness and intimacy than just touch. Cried out, nonetheless Gina could feel the weight on her chest, the ragged hole in her heart where now no one resided to stop up the overflow of pain that had begun with John's death ....but she didn't hide it away.

In the silence, she opened herself to Adam, letting him see her pain as much as he allowed her to see his, sharing the loss between them and somehow lessening the blow with that act. "We'll help you with his apartment," she murmured softly, including Joey in the promise, knowing he wouldn't want to be left out. "There're things none of us want to let go of."

Forced to look her in the eyes, Adam couldn't hide the pain he was feeling, the emptiness and the grief. Despite his grief, he was thankful he wasn't alone, that there was someone else who understood his pain because she was feeling it herself. Rhys had been the link that had brought them together, and now that he was dead, it seemed that link was even stronger than ever. Adam frowned back at her, feeling the heaviness of grief, the weight of responsibility, the pained expression in his eyes hinting at the deep sense of loss.

"I'm not sure I can do this," he told her, reluctant to admit it even to himself. He'd always been the eldest, the strong one, but he didn't feel very strong right now. He felt weak, defeated, exhausted, wrung out, and he had yet to shed a single tear.

"I know." She was gentle but firm as she drew him close, drawing his head to her shoulder, touching her lips to his temple as she wrapped him up in her arms. Perhaps it was strange, but she found strength in adversity; she'd taught herself to do it from a young age, and though sometimes she might slip, she always came back to the strength that would get herself and those she loved through the bad times. "You're not alone, Adam," she murmured to him. "We're gonna be with you, all through this. As long as you need us."

He let her draw him close, taking comfort from her embrace, from what they had shared, from what they might share in the future. It was more than he could have ever hoped for, but the price they had paid for it had been high, too high. Still, life went on, and if they couldn't find some small meaning in Rhys' death, then that death had been pointless. He squeezed his eyes closed against the tears that threatened and yet wouldn't quite come, wrapping his arms around her as she pulled him close. He felt so close to the breaking point, distrusting his own voice not to betray him, and yet, there were things that needed to be said, that needed to be shared. "I miss him," he told her after a moment, his voice breaking with barely-repressed grief.

Despite the discomfort of the position, there was no way Gina was going to pull away from this big man who needed so badly to just let go of even a little of the anguish he was keeping locked up so tightly. She'd thought she had no more tears to cry, and yet the rippling sound of that break in Adam's voice spiked her sense of grief anew, sending salt-water trickling down her cheeks and into his hair. "Shhh," she whispered to him, pushing aside her own grief to encourage his. "Baby, you're allowed to be weak sometimes. I won't let you break, I promise."

How long had it been since he'd allowed himself such softening, such weakness" Not even when David had died. He hadn't shed a tear. There had been no time. He'd had to be strong, to do what needed to be done, to pick up the pieces and move on. Too many deaths. How many times had they nearly died, only to fight their way back. He hadn't had time to mourn David's death, too busy looking for answers to what had happened. He'd found Rhys lying in a coma in a hospital bed, a John Doe, and when by some miracle, he'd woken, he'd had no memory of who he was, no knowledge of his life. They'd tried to pin David's death on Rhys, and Riley's disappearance, but Adam knew better. Adam knew without a doubt that demons had been to blame. And now" Rhys was gone, and there was nothing he could do.

Something broke inside him as he thought of these things, of all the years they'd known each other, of everything they'd been through, both together and apart. Even when they hadn't been together, he'd only been a phone call away. Natalya at least had been there to say goodbye. By the time Adam had arrived, Rhys' body had already gone cold. What he wouldn't give just to hear his voice one last time, to tell him how much he was loved. The tears came finally, breaking softly and slowly, as gentle as spring rain. Perhaps the storm would come later, but for now, it was enough.

((So much for the "little scene to establish what the NPCs are doing". :grin: Not that I'm complaining. Lots of fun! Thanks to ....uh ....Adam's player"))