Chapter One

The young woman traversed the semi-crowded, litter-strewn streets that she had called home for the last year and a half. This was the part of town that most people, at least the semi-decent ones, did not dare to enter. They were all afraid of the area and the people that inhabited it. She, however, reveled in the anonymity the area afforded her. She could immerse herself in these streets; just disappear if she wanted to.

A year and a half ago, when she had been summarily dismissed from the asylummshe had been placed in at the age of eight, she had not had many choices. Being eighteen and considered an adult did not afford her the chance to remain where she was. At the time she had preferred to live on the streets to her other alternative, finding a nice old man to shack up with and bilk out of his money. Life on the streets had been hard, but after living in the asylum for ten years, it had seemed like heaven.

Protecting herself on the streets had not been easy. She did not wish to succumb to the lure of prostitution. While it would afford her the protection she needed as well as put a roof over her head and food in her stomach, she preferred survival on her own. At least on her own, the only person she had to trust was herself. The years in the asylum had taught her not to place her trust in anyone but herself. Placing trust in someone else only afforded an opportunity for destruction and failure.

For the past year and a half, she had survived, not because anyone had helped her, but solely by using her own wits and imagination. Huddling on a stoop in a rainstorm or sleeping in a dumpster during a blizzard was infinitely better than some of the horrors she had lived through in her past. The dumpsters she frequented most were a treasure trove of delicacies ranging from Italian cuisine to French pastries. Most of it tasted better out of a dumpster than the fare at the asylum had when it was fresh.

Tonight however, she was beginning to feel the strain that comes from living on the streets. At least at the asylum, she had had a warm bed and food in her stomach. Now all she really wanted was to find a place to curl up and sleep. The owner of the stoop she had been calling home for the last few weeks had finally run out of patience and sent her on her way. She had not slept for over twenty four hours. She desperately needed to rest.

Every dumpster she had checked this day had not contained anything edible. She was starving. She was wet and cold from the unceasing mixture of snow and rain. She was just about ready to give it all up. She hunkered up in the too well-worn coat that barely covered her, and continued traversing these streets she called home.

Chapter Two

She had walked the streets all night, never finding any safe place to sleep. She had considered finding a shelter, but that reminded her too much of the asylum. A shelter had people; and those people asked too many questions. Just like the asylum doctors. She had spent too many years answering their mind-numbing questions. Always wanting to know ow she felt. How she felt about her family. Her mother. Her sister. How she had felt when her sister died. How she had felt when her family brought her to the asylum. Too many damned questions.

So instead, she had wandered the streets all night, never finding a place to rest. Her territory covered a five block radius. She must have traveled that a hundred times during the night. Whenever she had found a spot that she thought she could rest in for a while, she got this really creepy feeling that someone was watching her. She would then get up and continue her lonely walking. She was afraid that whoever was watching, might hurt her in some way.

This morning she had managed to find a dumpster with some left-over pizza thathad been discarded. So at least she had a little food in her stomach. She had been afraidthat it would make her sick as she had not eaten for almost forty-eight hours. But, she had managed to keep it down.

As she rounded a corner, she had that strange feeling again. She began looking around as she walked slowly up the nearly deserted street. There were the usual people there. The ones she was used to. Those like her, alone and living on the streets. She knew instinctively that they had not created the strange feeling she was having. Her eyes continued searching the street as she walked. As she neared the next corner, she spotted him.

She had no idea who he was. She only knew that his presence frightened her. She stood still, appraising him. He was leaning against a wall, dressed in jeans and a whiteT-shirt underneath a long black trenchcoat. She crossed the street hoping to avoid him. He smiled laconically, pushed himself away from the wall, and sauntered after her. She quickened her pace slightly, hoping to lose him at the next corner. No such luck though, he kept a steady pace, approximately one hundred feet behind her. Damn, but she was getting really tired of being followed by pimps

Chapter Three

She had been walking around for hours, dodging in and out of alleys and streets, attempting to lose this pimp. It was not working. No matter how she tried to lose him, he kept dogging her tail. Usually when things like this happened, she confronted the pimp. Most of them were sniveling little wimps anyway. But this one, he was different. She was honestly afraid of him. He looked like an angel. Everytime she dared a glance at him, he was smiling. To anyone else he looked like a normal guy enjoying a morning stroll. But to her, he emanated an aura of extreme power. And that scared her.

She knew she could not take much more. She was exhausted. She needed to stopand catch her breath, but her fear kept her moving. Just when she was ready to give up, she rounded a corner and ran smack into another man. He grabbed a hold of her to keep her from falling. She began to struggle with him thinking he was trying to hurt her.

"Hey now, calm down. It's me. Mitchell. I'm not gonna hurt ya!"

She seemed visibly relieved when she heard Mitchell's voice.

"Now look here little lady, what's got you all riled up?" Mitchell had a slight southern drawl which she found rather soothing.

"Hey Mitchell! It's this guy back there in the black trench, he's been following me for over two hours now. I haven't been able to lose him. I been walking these five blocks forever. I never lose him, but he doesn't come any closer either. Can you take care of him for me?" Her eyes looked pleadingly into Mitchell's.

"Hey, I'll do better than that little lady. I'll take care of you."

Her eyes widened at his words. What the hell had she gotten into now?

Mitchell gave a booming laugh as he saw the fear in her eyes. "Now, I didn't mean it that way little lady. I just meant that you come with me and we will lose him together." Laughing still, he took her hand and started leading her away. She was not sure that she was doing the right thing, but it had to be better than that creepy guy in the trench coat.

Mitchell led her out of her usual area for about two blocks. Every time she looked back, the guy in the trenchcoat was still there. Not disappearing, but not moving any closer either. About three blocks from her usual haunts, Mitchell stopped in front of an old abandoned church. He started to draw her inside when she pulled back on his hand causing him to stop.

"What is this place?" she asked in a suspicious tone.

Mitchell just smiled calmly. "It is a shelter that I come to sometimes when I need a hot meal or when it is too cold to sleep in the park. Kind of like tonight will be. Come on, you'll be safe here. There are some good people here. People who do not ask probing questions. Come on! It's either this or letting that guy with the trench coat on follow you around for a few more hours. What's it gonna be sweetie?"

She hesitated again. She knew what these shelters were like. No matter that Mitchell said they wouldn't ask questions, she knew they would. She turned and looked behind her. Sure enough, the man in the black coat was leaning nonchalantly against a wall nearby. He just smiled at her when their eyes met.

"All right Mitchell, but only for one night."

Mitchell took her hand again and drew her into the safety of the old church.

Inside, she found several people sitting at tables enjoying a warm meal. The smells were wonderful. Chicken noodle soup wafted through the air, calling to her sense of hunger. Fresh baked bread was also in the air, an aroma she had not smelled in over a year and a half. Mitchell drew her toward the serving table, and they both picked up trays of the succulent food.

They found places at a table and she began to eat, trying vainly to keep from gulping it down. She was starving. The food tasted fantastic. Her stomach rumbled it's pleasure as the warm soup filled the gnawing ache.

Just as they were finishing their meal, she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She unconsciously shivered at the unusual touch. A man dressed in an impeccable suit and tie had also placed a hand lightly on Mitchell's shoulder. Mitchell smiled up at him.

"Mitchell, you have brought a friend this evening?" The voice was sonorous to her ears.

Mitchell wiped his hands on his paper towel and stood to shake the man's hand. "Yes. I have brought a friend. Thank you for the fine meal." He turned to her. "This is Damien. He runs the shelter here. He has helped me through many rough times." Turning back to Damien, Mitchell continued the introductions. "Damien, I would like you to meet my friend, Madeline."

Chapter Four

She was awakened early by the sounds of pots being washed. It was a sound that she had become very accustomed to when she had been in the asylum. Being well-restedfor the first time in months, she got up and wandered over to where the tables were set up within the abandoned church. She returned the smile of the woman working there, nodding her acknowledgment of the woman's smile of apology for waking her. She rinsed out a dishrag and began wiping down the tables as the woman dried the pots in order to begin breakfast. The two women worked quietly and efficiently.

As she kneaded dough for biscuits, her mind drifted back to her days in the asylum. How many mornings had she worked in the kitchens there doing just such work? She must have been all of about twelve when the old woman who ran the kitchen took her under her wing. Those were some of the best times she had spent at the asylum. She had been devastated when the old woman had died and she had been forced back to her lonely room rather than helping in the kitchens.

Later, when everyone was eating their breakfast, she overheard several women talking about how light and fluffy the biscuits were this morning. She felt a sense of accomplishment because of these comments. It felt good. She could not remember the last time she had received a compliment. An honest-to-goodness compliment as opposed to those comments made about her body by the pimps who just wanted her to work for them or the johns who tried to pick her up on their own. It really felt good.

As she helped the woman clear the tables after breakfast, Mitchell spoke to her. He was preparing to go out on a job for Damien for a few hours. He explained that along with running the shelter, Damien usually arranged day jobs for several of the people from the shelter. If you were willing to work, Damien was willing to go out on a limb and find something for you to do. Mitchell also promised her that she would be paid for her work this morning. She smiled at this, thinking to herself that she had chosen to help this morning because she felt good about doing something. Mitchell gave her a quick hug before he left, after she had promised that she would at least wait for his return later in the day.

In reality she was afraid that the stranger in the black trench coat would be waitingfor her if she left the church alone. She couldn't explain it, it was just a feeling that she had. She sensed that she would not lose this stranger anytime soon.

Wiping down the last table, Madeline was startled to feel a light touch on her shoulder. She had been thinking about the strange man and looked up quickly, afraid that it was him. It was Damien. He took a step back to show her that he meant her no harm. She was sure that she must look like a deer caught in headlights. Damien asked her if she would like to take a walk with him. Madeline agreed. For some reason, she felt safe with Damien.

They walked out of the back door of the church and entered a small but lovely garden. Several of the people that had stayed in the church the night before were working diligently, tending to the flowers and vegetables in the garden. Madeline smiled as she watched them work. This place, this garden, made her feel very relaxed. She sensed she would be accepted here no matter what she had done in her past.

She and Damien walked through the garden, stopping occasionally so that she could look carefully at one plant or another. Damien smiled as he saw the delight in her eyes when he would tell her about whichever plant she happened to be looking at. It was as if she were drinking in as much information as he was willing to provide.

Damien began explaining to Madeline how he had come to run this shelter. He had always been rich, but his parents had made sure that he understood the responsibilities that wealth brought with it. He had been brought up not really wanting for anything, but he had always been shown how the rest of the world lived. Once a month since he had been about ten years old, his mother or father had taken him to serve either lunch or dinner in a shelter. They had wanted to make sure that he understood. That understanding had fostered in him a desire to help even more. The result being that he had opened this place that he called Horizons. He hoped that Madeline felt safe here and that she would consider staying.

She said she would think about it. Damien left her to wander among the flowers.

Chapter Five

Madeline decided that she would stay at Horizons for a while. She would sort of give it a chance to see if it could continue to work the magic that she had felt on her first day there. She sincerely doubted that it could, but there was always that glimmer of hope. She felt it was time to give hope a chance.

She began her work for Horizons by helping to prepare and serve the meals. She really enjoyed helping in this small way. It reminded her of the work she had been allowed to do at the asylum. She did notice however that the majority of the people at Horizons helped in some way with the preparation or serving of food. It were as if it was an unspoken rule, if you did not help with the meal in some way, you did not partake of that meal. At first this realization rattled her, but then it developed into a sense of companionship, this idea of everyone working towards one goal.

Both Mitchell and Damien seemed extremely pleased that she had chosen to stay at Horizons. When Mitchell was not out working, he helped her around the kitchens of the abandoned church. Damien always seemed to migrate in that direction whenever he was at Horizons. Madeline enjoyed watching Damien interact with the people who occasionally called Horizons home. She liked the aura of respect that hovered around Damien. He dished it out to the tenants just as he would dish out their meals. In return, the people practically worshipped the ground Damien walked on.

Madeline found herself spending more and more time with Damien. She really liked him. He was willing to spend time with her, never seeming to be in a hurry. He seemed genuinely happy to answer all of her questions about Horizons, without pressing her with questions about her past. She did notice that as she moved closer to Damien, Mitchell began to pull away. She was concerned about that but Mitchell seemed to concede defeat graciously.

It was not long before Damien was spending all of his time at Horizons with Madeline. He arranged for her to get some time working in the gardens, where she was even more comfortable than in the kitchens. He also arranged for some roses and some orchids to be delivered so that she could have the flowers that she enjoyed most. If she weren't careful, she might just fall for this guy. But then again, was that really a bad thing?

She had never had a real relationship. The only men she had associated with were pimps on the streets or men in the asylum. That had not given her the opportunity to foster any relationships. Damien had told her a lot about Horizons. He had told her a lot about his past. She did feel in her gut however, that he had not been entirely truthful with her, There was more to both him and Horizons than he had let on so far. She knew she was falling in love. She hoped to figure out exactly what was going on at Horizons before her senses totally went awry on her.

Chapter Six

Madeline was working in the gardens with a small pair of pruning shears. She had taken to spending more time in the gardens tending to her orchids. She really loved the small plants. She also enjoyed spending time in the fresh air.

Having been at Horizons for over a month, Madeline was well ensconced on the place. She enjoyed working in the gardens and helping to prepare the meals that they all enjoyed at Horizons. She felt like she was becoming part of a family, something she had not enjoyed since she was about seven years old.

If the truth were told, Madeline would admit that the reason she was so happy here was Damien. He had taken her under his wing. He had protected her. He had made her feel special. That was something she could not ever recall feeling. Madeline knew that she was falling in love with him. She did not want to admit that fact to herself, because to her, admitting that she loved someone was a weakness. She had not survived ten years in an insane asylum by showing any weaknesses.

As Madeline was working, she had a feeling that someone was watching her. She had not seen the stranger that had chased her to this refuge since she had arrived, but her fear of this man had not left her mind. She spun quickly around on her knees to find that the garden was now essentially empty. While she had been immersed in her work, the sun had dipped low in the sky and the other garden laborers had ambled into the building to claim their dinner. Madeline smiled as the last person in the garden besides herself, walked over to join her on the warm grass.

Damien had not been at the shelter all day. He had been quite busy, but that had not stopped his mind from drifting to thoughts of Madeline. He had tried to get finished sooner so that he could spend some time with her. His life had gotten much more complicated since she had walked into his shelter. He had told her a lot of things about himself, but not all of it. He was falling for her and he did not want to lose her. He knew that she had many secrets also. He knew that she was not perfect, neither was he. He desperately wished she would open up and tell him some about her past. If he knew more about her, he might be willing to tell her his secrets. Or maybe he would even be willing to change the course his life was sailing on now. Maybe Madeline's past secrets could work to his advantage. Slowly, but surely, he was reeling her in, getting her to trust him more and more. Only time would tell.

Madeline gave a long sigh as Damien joined her on the grass and took her hand in his, squeezing it gently. She began to roll her head from side to side, trying to get the kinks out of her neck that had accumulated from her work. Damien scooted behind her and began massaging the aching muscles for her. Madeline sighed again, dropping her chin to her chest and savoring the feeling of Damien's strong fingers kneading her neck muscles.

After a few moments of silence, Madeline rolled her head again, captured Damien's hand and placed a gentle kiss of thanks in his open palm. She smiled up at him as he resumed his seat beside her. "That was nice of you. Thank you." Damien just smiled at her. "I missed talking with you today. How did your day go?"

Damien smiled again. "My day went fairly well. I was very busy. Many meetings today, but I have a confession to make. I have been thinking about you all day long."

Madeline's eyes lit up. "Really?" At Damien's nod, Madeline's face was suffused with her smile as her pale skin pinked slightly. She felt warm all over. She wasn't sure if it was because she felt complimented that Damien would take the time to think about her, or if it was because of the way Damien was looking at her right now. Madeline felt the breath catch in her throat as her eyes locked with those of Damien. In his eyes, she saw the same dawning of love that she knew was reflected in her own. Madeline's eyes closed involuntarily as Damien moved closer to press his lips to hers for the first time.

Chapter Seven

Madeline was on cloud nine. For the first time in her life she had been kissed. Well and truly kissed. The quick couplings with various boys at the asylum, in order to assure the continued safety of some of the other girls, had rarely included kisses. While the kiss she had shared with Damien the day before had been brief, it had contained something she had never expected to feel. It had been a feeling of caring for and by someone, a real feeling of safety for her emotions.

Today, as usual, she was working in the garden after helping to prepare the morning meal. Her hands worked with the plants and pulled weeds, while her mind wandered freely. She had remembered back to a time when she was about five years old. Her family had gone on a vacation at the seashore. Her father had taken her and her sister Sarah, each on a shoulder, out into the waves. She, her sister and their father had felt as if they were one against the waves that day. To her now adult mind, that memory seemed to be the only happy time she had spent with her father. Now she found herself facing those waves alone. In her mind's eye she was standing on the shore, contemplating whether or not to challenge the waves alone. Standing chest-deep in the water, fighting his own battle, she could see Damien. She knew that if she could work up the nerve to meet Damien in the water, then neither of them would have to fight alone. Together they could fight the waves. Together they could battle whatever the had to face. Together, they could find the serenity that Madeline's mind remembered from so long ago.

By the end of the afternoon, Madeline had made up her mind. She wanted a relationship with Damien. She wanted one desperately. But if she were to start a relationship with this man, she felt she had to come clean. She had to share her past with him. She knew that Damien might not be willing to share everything from his past. She had sensed for a long time that there were secrets about him. In time, she hoped he would feel safe enough to share with her, but for now, she knew that she needed to tell him the truth. If he were still willing to have a relationship with her, knowing all of her past, then she knew she could work through the few misgivings that she had about him. She could not wait for Damien to arrive for the dinner hour so that she could talk to him.

Chapter Eight

Dinner time came and went at Horizons, with no sign of Damien. Madeline could not understand why she felt worried about Damien, but he had not missed a day since she had been at the shelter, even if it were only for a few moments to say hello. After eating and assisting in the general clean-up, Madeline attempted to sleep. She could not however, drift off. She decided to walk out in the gardens. Maybe that would get her relaxed enough to be able to sleep.

She began wandering aimlessly through the rows of vegetables and flowers in the garden. Her hands methodically caressed the leaves and delicate flowers of the plants, pulling weeds and dead leaves away. She let her mind wander away from her work. Where was Damien? Why hadn't he come to the shelter tonight? Why hadn't he at least called? She knew she had no reason to be questioning this way. She had no hold on Damien. He was a grown man. He could take care of himself. Who was she to question? She was nothing but a girl from the streets. He had been friendly towards her, but that did not give her any claim to worry.

Madeline began to lose herself in her work. She clamped down fiercely on the thoughts flowing through her mind. She simply told herself that Damien would come by the shelter whenever he could and that he owed her no explanations. Whenever her mind drifted back to those thoughts, she would simply move down the rows and continue her work on another set of plants. It felt like she had only been outside for a few minutes, but she realized that she had been working for several hours. In fact. it was almost dawn.

Madeline decided that she would work one more row of plants and then go into the abandoned church to begin the morning meal. It was still a little early but she could save Linda some work this morning. As she neared the end of that last row, Madeline began to hear a low whining noise. It was a sound unlike anything she had ever heard before. She thought it must have been an injured animal. Although she had never been really friendly with animals before, she did not like the thought of leaving something injured.

She began searching the area. Several times she searched areas she thought she heard the noise coming from, only to hear the sound coming from another direction. Eventually she worked her way over to an are behind the shed that housed the tools they used in the gardens. She noticed that there was an old gate hanging ajar. As she came around the edge of the gate, she heard the whining sound again. Madeline stood in horror as she realized this was no animal, it was a man. He was lying face-down and had been beaten severely. As Madeline bent to turn the man over, two things registered in her head as she began screaming to awaken the others, the man had a gaping bullet wound in his stomach and the man was most definitely Damien.

Chapter Nine

Madeline's screams awakened everyone in the church. Being as no weapons were allowed in the shelter, the men grabbed anything that they could use. Heads began to cautiously peek around the back door to the shelter as Madeline's screams continued to ring out.

It was not long before half a dozen men were surrounding Madeline with their various assortment of mops and brooms. They easily assessed the situation and began gathering Damien up to bring him into the shelter. One of the men had to forcibly strike Madeline across the face several times in order to calm her down enough to cease her screaming. The man, dragging Madeline behind him, led the other men in their trek back to the shelter.

The men laid Damien carefully on one of the cots. The other members of the shelter stood around the cot in shock. Even though most of them had experienced violence in their lives, no one had expected anything of the sort to happen to their benefactor. They were stunned into inaction.

No one moved until Damien gave a muffled moan. This stirred people into activity.The man who had dragged Madeline in took charge of the situation. He grabbed the nearest blanket and used it to cover the violently shivering Damien. He also found a chair for Madeline and sat her in it, placing Damien's hand within hers. He then ordered several of the men to round up water, bandages and fluids which they could use to keep Damien from dehydrating. Finally, he turned to Mitchell and stated simply, "Find him, quickly!"Mitchell turned and immediately left the shelter.

Chapter Ten

The hour or so it took Mitchell to return seemed an eternity to Madeline. She was frozen in the chair, clinging desperately to Damien's hand. Damien had made no movement of his own accord, only the rather violent shivering of his body in shock. Madeline could tell that Damien was burning up with fever, for she could feel the heat rolling off of him in waves. She was breaking into a sweat herself, as his body heat transferred to her through their joined hands.

Mitchell burst through the double doors of the shelter, moving quickly to the back where Damien lay. Behind him, moving quickly and efficiently, was a man, so filthy and bedraggled that Madeline looked alarmed when he moved closer to Damien. She did not think this man should be touching him with his grubby hands. When she started to protest, Mitchell gently took Damien's hand from hers and drew her to the side to watch.

It did not take long for Madeline to realize that this man, no matter how strange he looked, knew how to give orders and expected them to be followed. The man quickly rolled up his sleeves and ordered that a basin of warm water be brought to him. People were stumbling over themselves to do his bidding.

After washing his hands, the man began a serious exploration of Damien's wounds. He found a father deep knife wound to his stomach, which seemed to be the most major of Damien's injuries. He also found along with several cuts and abrasions, a small-caliber bullet wound in the young man's shoulder. Although it did not seem to be life-threatening, the bullet had not made an exit wound. He knew he needed to get the bullet out before it caused anymore damage. He also needed to get the young man's gut sewn up before infection took his life. It was not good that he was already burning up with fever.

Madeline stood quietly by, wringing her hands, as she watched the older man work on Damien. Contrary to how he looked, it did not take long for Madeline to realize that the man knew how to handle himself and everyone else in an emergency situation. As he cleared everyone away from his "hospital" area, he turned to Madeline. "I know you do not want to leave his side. But, I cannot have you here getting in my way. Time is of the essence here, I must work quickly. If you believe you can help me and hand me the things that I ask for quickly, I will allow you to stay. If you do not believe that you can do this, I must make you leave." His eyebrows inched upward as he waited the moment or two it took Madeline to decide. She was not leaving Damien's side. She would do whatever the man asked of her.

Chapter Eleven

The man worked quickly and quietly. He began pulling the things he would need out of a knapsack that had definitely seen better days. Madeline did not dare to question him, she simply stood by and awaited his orders. She had to give the man credit. He was quite efficient at what he did.

It was not long before he had hung an IV bag with a solution that would hopefully fight infection from a makeshift hospital pole made from an old coat rack that had been used when the building had been a church. He had stripped Damien down and began exploring the gaping knife wound in his stomach. Madeline sat at Damien's head, wiping down his face, neck and chest, attempting to bring down his raging fever. Her eyes were transfixed upon the work being done by the stranger.

So many people were concerned about Damien's fate, they kept visiting the sick area. After about the fifth interruption, the stranger growled at Mitchell to cordon off the area as best he could and stand guard so that no more well-meaning folks managed to compromise his working area. He could not find a sterile area to work in, he would have to do the best he could with what he had.

Madeline blanched as the stranger quickly began stitching up the wound in Damien's abdomen. She was thankful that Damien was passed out cold. She knew if it had been her, she would have been screaming from the pain. She had not realized that included in the bag of solution was a strong pain killer which would help to keep Damien knocked out so that he would not wake and fight what was being done to him. It took the stranger about an hour to stich up the wound in Damien's abdomen both inside and out. Madeline noticed that he must have had some experience with wounds similar to Damien's, as he worked quickly but neatly with his stitches.

The stranger again checked Damien's vitals, finding them elevated but stil within a stable range. He patted Madeline on the head as she continued to sponge down Damien's upper body, then slipped out of the sick area to regather his strength before he continued his delicate work.

Madeline took a deep breath as the stranger slipped out. She did not realize that the sigh was overheard. She just knew that they were not out of the woods yet. Damien had still not stirred. At least someone had been found who knew what could be done to help him. She bowed her head in a prayer of thanks that at least Damien had a chance.

Chapter Thirteen

Madeline's breath caught in her throat as her sleep-filled eyes made contact with the deep blue, pain-filled eyes of Damien. She remained motionless as Damien's hand slowly stroked the hair of her head. Damien's hand moved so that he could massage the creases from her eyebrow with the pad of his thumb. Madeline sighed and turned her head to place a kiss on the palm of Damien's hand. She felt Damien's hand shake against her lips.

Madeline arose from the side of the bed, intent on finding the stranger to let him know his patient was awake. She knew Damien must be in pain and wanted to see if the man had any pain medication to give him. Damien snatched her hand as she turned to walk away. Madeline turned to look at him, a quizzical look on her face. Damien attempted to say something but his mouth was too parched for anything except a squeak to come out. Madeline wet his lips with a sponge and gave him a small sip of water. She returned to her seat next to his bed.

Madeline waited expectantly. She knew that Damien wanted to talk to her. He was more concerned with that than with her finding him someone who could help. There were so many things that Madeline wanted to say to Damien, but she waited until he had cleared his throat and began to speak to her. What she had to say could wait. She had lost all hope of hearing that beautiful voice of his and she waited with baited breath for him to speak.

"Madeline", his voice was raspy with his obvious pain. She began to speak, to tell him not to tire himself. Damien placed a single finger across Madeline's lips, quelling her words. He shook his head. "Let me speak. There will be time enough for rest after I have told you what I need to tell you."

Madeline nodded and again waited.

"I know you are curious as to what happened to me. I cannot go into that with you right now. There are some thoughts I need to process on my own. I hope you will understand that. I want to thank you and your inability to sleep. You saved my life, I know that." He paused to wet his lips again. He nodded as Madeline offered him another small sip of water. He thanked her quietly as she returned to her seat.

" The whole time I was lying in that alleyway, I was praying that you would somehow be out in the garden, walking. My prayers were answered. I heard you walking around and worked up enough energy to moan and groan loud enough for you to hear me. I am glad you did because I had passed out by the time you got to me."

Madeline winced as she saw Damien shudder from the pain. "Rest Damien, I will bring the man who helped you to look at you. You are going to be just fine." She bent over and kissed Damien's brow. Damien raised his hand and let his fingers trail across Madeline's cheek. He drew her mouth down to his, their lips merely an inch apart. Madeline closed her eyes as she lowered her lips to touch Damien's. The kiss they shared was gentle, with no outward signs of passion. However, when their eyes opened after the kiss, there was no doubt of the passion simmering just below the surface. Madeline's voice was a throaty whisper, "I love you Damien". Saying that, she turned and left the cubicle before Damien could form a response.

Chapter Fourteen

The stranger opened his eyes immediately when Madeline touched his shoulder. He could tell from her face that Damien was awake. He noticed that although she was exhausted, her face had a new light shining from her eyes. It was definitely a good sign. He arose from the cot he had been sleeping on and ordered Madeline to take his place and get some rest while he checked on their patient.

The man moved quickly toward the place where Damien lay. He did not want to draw any attention. He knew that everyone in the shelter was concerned about Damien, but he needed to talk with Damien and he needed their conversation to remain private.

He drew the makeshift curtain back into place as he crept in to where Damien lay. It looked as if the younger man were sleeping peacefully. The man took his bag and drew a syringe full of painkillers to inject Damien. He moved to the head of the cot and palpated Damien's vein in order to inject. Suddenly Damien grabbed the older man's arm and held it tightly. "What do you think you are doing? You know I do not like painkillers, Walter!"

Walter grinned and the answered in his gravelly voice. "Damien, if you fight me on this, I will just let you go ahead and die. And then won't Adrian be impressed? She told me to get your sorry ass back to One as soon as possible. She is tired of this "game" you choose to play here at this shelter. You are to debrief with me immediately so that we can send out a team to clean up the mess you left at Green Star. Adrian is not impressed with this screw-up. I wouldn't go against her on this one, kiddo."

Damien heaved a deep sigh. He was just so damn tired of Section and all the demands it placed on him. He was tired of taking orders from Adrian. He wanted to have a life. A life where no one made any decisions for him and no one ordered him to do things he did not want to do. He had really gotten into this undercover assignment at the shelter. He wished things could stay the way they had been.

Adrian had placed him in deep cover over three years ago. She had rightly assumed that some of the best operatives could come from the streets. People who had no families looking for them, people who had no real hope in life. Damien had been placed in this setting in order to recruit new material. It was a rather mundane job but Damien had been through some rough experiences and needed a break, and he was the top trainer in Section. He better than anyone knew what constituted the best material.

Over the last three years, he had become accustomed to being at the shelter. It was a farce he knew, but after a while it seemed like a major part of his life. A life that he knew in the back of his mind could not exist for Section One operatives. But it was nice to dream.

Damien sighed again. "All right Walter, I know you have an uplink hidden somewhere in that dilapidated bag of yours. Why can't you carry something nicer? That bag has to be older than I am, and is held together with more glue and bits of rubber band than it was originally."

Walter grumbled, but knew better than to argue with Damien while he was so surly. He simply reached into his sack and set up a visual com link to Section. It was only moments before Adrian's face appeared on the screen in front of Damien.

Chapter Fifteen

Damien smiled weakly at the look of concern on Adrian's face as he came intofocus on her screen. He figured he must look pretty bad since she had seen him through so much over his years at Section One. She would probably be less concerned if he had made it back to One and was being cared for within the Med Lab there.

Once Adrian had recovered from the shock of seeing Damien in such bad shape, she began berating him for the problems he had caused with his failure of the Green Star mission. Damien knew he had screwed up, but he had been given faulty Intel. He had chosen to move on Green Star on his own, after receiving Intel from a personal source. He had felt that there was no time to wait for a confirmation of his source's Intel. The window of opportunity would close quickly.

Damien had thought to infiltrate Green Star quickly and quietly. He had information that the leader of Green Star was alone within the compound, protected by only three of his personal guards. The leader of Green Star was well-known for the fact that he chose not to arm himself. He preferred to let his guards and the terrorists whofollowed him carry weapons.

Capturing the leader of Green Star would gain Damien at least another level in the hierarchy of Section One. Damien saw it as a stepping-stone to one day running the Section. Unfortunately, Damien chose to attack Green Star before he had shared his Intel with the Section. He went in with no back-up. Instead of the three to one odds he had expected, Damien was faced with twenty to one odds. He had been extremely lucky to escape with his life.

Adrian continued to berate Damien for his actions for several minutes. She was thankful he was still alive but she knew if he did not stop these impromptu missions he was going to lose soon. A knife wound to the gut was one of the most painful experiences but according to Walter, it was not serious enough to stop Damien for long. She ordered him to heal quickly and return to Section as soon as possible. The sooner the better so that he could receive proper medical care. Walter was very good at field triage care but the Section doctors would have been renowned if they had not been considered ghosts. Damien saw the hint of a smile cross Adrian's face before her countenance returned to one of admonishment before she signed off.

Walter quickly returned the laptop to his old bag as Damien slumped back on his pillow. The strain of communicating with Adrian had exhausted him. His eyes closed, his face twisted in a grimace. Walter turned to look at Damien as he was about to walk beyond the curtain. He smiled as he noticed that Damien, the baddest operative of Section One, had already drifted off to sleep like a baby.

Noticing Walter backing away from the "sick" area, Madeline hurried away. She had a lot of thinking to do.

Chapter Sixteen

Madeline wandered through the garden yet again. She was deep in thought. Her mind in a turmoil. She had overheard most of the conversation among Walter, Damien and some woman named Adrian. Madeline assumed this Adrian person was on some sort of remote link because she was certainly not in the shelter. What had Damien gotten himself into? It certainly sounded like this Adrian was Damien's boss in some way.

And what was with this strange language they were using to communicate? So many words that they obviously understood, Madeline could not even fathom herself. Ok, she had to admit that the word Intel was not that difficult to understand. It had to be something like information. But ingress ? egress? extraction point? Section One? ends justifying the means? All of these concepts had no meaning for Madeline.

Madeline wanted some answers, but she was afraid to confront Damien with her questions. She was afraid that she might not like the answers he would give. She also knew that she was in love with Damien and if she pushed him with questions that he did not feel he could answer, for whatever reasons, he would drift away from her, and she would not be able to stop it. She had questioned Mitchell about this stranger, this man named Walter. She had wanted to know how Mitchell had known where to find him and that he would be able to help Damien. Mitchell however became more tight-lipped with every question she would ask. It did not take long for Madeline to realize that she needed to be more careful when questioning someone. She had come off sounding like the Spanish Inquisition.

Madeline began spending less time with Damien. She knew she loved him. The question was how did he feel about her. She didn't know if she was more afraid that he would admit that he did not love her or if he would admit that he did. Madeline was also afraid that Damien would suspect that she had overheard his conversation with Walter and this Adrian person. She just knew that he would be able to read her shame in her eyes, also the distrust and slight fear of him that she now possessed.

Little did Madeline know, but by staying away from Damien, she was causing more harm than good. Her absence from his bedside automatically fed Damien's suspicions. He had sensed that someone was outside of the sick room when he and Walter had been talking. He had hoped that it was Mitchell, he at least had some inkling of what Damien's "real" life was like. If it had been Mitchell, he could have solved the problem by explaining a few things to him. Anyone other than Mitchell overhearing conversations between himself and the Section, warranted only one thing, cancellation.

Chapter Seventeen

Walter too had noticed Madeline's sudden reticence toward visiting Damien. At first he thought this was a move in the right direction as he knew that Madeline was falling for Damien. He also suspected that Damien was falling for Madeline. Walter knew from personal experience that it was not wise for a Section One operative to fall in love with a civilian innocent. But he also knew that love was not exactly something that a person could fight. But Madeline might solve the problem for Damien by keeping her distance.

Damien, however, had pretty much figured out why Madeline had not been visiting. He still suspected that she had overheard his conversation with Walter and Adrian. He knew if she had overheard then she was probably scared to death. He could not blame her for her fear. Finding out about Section One, no matter how little she had overheard, was a scary proposition. He knew the thought of her finding out about Section scared the hell out of him. He knew that if Walter found out that Madeline knew, Adrian would in turn find out. If Adrian knew, Damien knew Madeline's only alternative would be death. He had to find some way to figure out if Madeline had heard something she should not have. And if she had, he desperately wanted to find a way to keep her alive. He had had enough deaths on his conscience without having to kill Madeline too.

Damien had been through a lot in the years he had been in Section. He knew how things worked there. Everything was subject to the will of the Section. There was no such thing as a personal life within the Section. He knew he was in love with Madeline. That was why he would do anything to protect her life. He did not want her canceled and he surely did not want to be the person that had to kill her. He knew that if Adrian knew he had been compromised, she would order him to cancel Madeline. There was no way on earth he could survive if he disobeyed Adrian's order. But he also knew his heart and soul would not survive if he had to cancel Madeline.

It had been a few days since Madeline had been in to visit Damien and the young man was in a funk about it. Walter knew that this was not good for his recovery. Damien had to have some reason to fight against his injuries. Walter knew that Damien was a strong-willed young man, but he was not sure if the lure of staying the top operative in One was going to be strong enough this time.

Finally Walter could not take the silent treatment or the gruffness of Damien anymore. He decided to confront the younger man. If it pissed Damien off enough to fight back, then so much the better. Walter also decided that after he talked with Damien he would confront Madeline too and make her see that Damien needed her. He night as well make a clean sweep and piss everybody off at the same time.

That afternoon, Walter decided to start with Damien. He was checking on him,like he did at least twice every day.

"Hey Damien!" Walter tried to be as cheerful as possible every time he visited Damien. He never knew what type of mood Damien would be in. "How's it hanging,buddy?" Walter gave Damien that great leer he knew usually made the younger man laugh, however, it was not working today.

"I'm fine, Walter. Getting stronger every day." Although the words were true as far as the physical aspect of Damien went, the monotone way the words were said proved that the words were very far from the truth.

"Yeah, yeah. You are doing just fine Damien. Don't give me that crap man! I know you better than most. Now you have got to snap out of it! Adrian is not going to buy the 'he just needs a little more time' routine. Face it, Damien, your body is healingfrom the wounds. That means you are going to have to report back to Section, whether you want to, or not. Don't ever forget that Section is not an option here, Damien. We are bound to it, whether we like it, or not whether we believe in it, or not."

Damien's head dropped. He knew Walter was right. He had no choices in his life. If he did, he surely would not be where he was today. He would not be lying on a cot in a homeless shelter, recovering from a gunshot and a knife wound. He had not found any answers to protecting Madeline. The only thing he had found was that he missed her terribly. He did not like that she was avoiding him. He desperately did not want for her to fear him. But he knew in his heart of hearts that she should fear him. If he had not come into her life, she would be fine, she might have still been on the streets, but that was safer than knowing him.

Damien raised his head and met Walter's eyes with his. He took a deep breath and then the words just began to tumble out. He told Walter everything he knew about Madeline. He admitted that he was falling for her. He admitted that he feared Madeline had overheard their conversation with Adrian. "Walter, I know I am putting you in a bad position. But, I need some advice. Trust is not something that is common within the Section, Walter. But I am trusting you with this information. Please, I am begging you, don't feed this to Adrian just yet? Let me try to figure out a way to keep Madeline from being canceled. I couldn't survive that."

Walter's jaw closed with an audible snap. He began pacing around the room, rubbing his chin with his hand. "All right, Damien. We will give it a little time. I will stall Adrian for as long as I can. As far as Madeline is concerned, let me have a talk with her. Maybe I can figure out if she really heard anything in the first place. Then we will have to decide what to do from there."

Walter turned and left the room. Damien closed his eyes and offered up a fervent prayer that things would work out for the best.

Chapter Eighteen

True to his word, Walter left to find Madeline. She was working with a few others in the gardens. Walter could tell that she was apprehensive when she noticed him walking toward her. He figured anyone would feel uncomfortable, he certainly felt out of place in such a beautiful garden. He also knew that by cornering her in the garden while she was working, would afford him the opportunity to speak with her. He knew she would do nothing to make herself look conspicuous to the others working around her.

Madeline attempted to hide her discomfiture by giving Walter a big smile. Walter had been around enough to know better. He just was not buying it. She brightly asked how Damien was faring this morning. Walter cleared his throat, and spoke in his gravelly voice, "He would be doing a lot better, Sugar, if you would spend a little more time with him."

"Walter, you know I have duties to attend to within the shelter. I like to make sue I am pulling my weight around here. I don't want the others to think I am shirking my responsibilities here."

Walter grabbed her arm. He spun her around to meet his eyes. He refused to let her pull away. " You know Sugar, if you are what it takes to pull Damien from the depths of pain that he is in right now, I really don't think that anyone here would accuse you of not helping out. Honey, he needs you, more than you will ever know!" After having his say, Walter walked away. He knew deep inside that he had enough proof that Madeline was afraid of Damien. He knew that she had some knowledge of their conversation with Section. He did not, however, have anymore words of wisdom to share with Damien. He knew what Section policy dictated as far as outsiders knowing about the Section. It was most certainly cancellation. He did know that Damien would be hard pressed to follow through with that cancellation order. Walter knew that he needed to begin preparing himself for his own order. When Damien failed to carry out Section's demands, it would fall to Walter to cancel them both.

Chapter Nineteen

Madeline had been too ashamed of her apparent lack of decorum to just baldly walk into Damien's area and pick up as if she had never left him alone. So, instead, she took to checking on him late at night, when she was assured that everyone else would be asleep and odds were that Damien himself would have no idea that she had been there. She had not figured that Damien was such a light sleeper, having been trained for it by his many years in Section. But Damien chose not to let on that he knew Madeline was visiting with him. He instead, chose to feign sleep, allowing Madeline the solitude she assumed she had anyway. Madeline continued her nightly visits, never dreaming that Damien waited up for her each night. Nor did she realize that Damien remained awake long after she left each night.

About a week after speaking with Walter, Madeline was quietly making her way through the shelter to make her nightly check on Damien. She stopped outside of the door when she heard a strange noise. The sound was quickly muffled but then she heard Damien talking. She realized that the sound she had heard was a cell phone. She had never had one but she knew many people carried them. She knew that she should leave the area, but curiosity got the better of her. She strained to hear Damien's side of the conversation but she could hardly make out any words.

It was not long before the conversation stopped. Madeline figured that Damien would drift off to sleep, so she waited a few minutes before entering the room. When she did, however, she was quite surprised with what she found. Damien had dressed and was attempting to tie his shoes. His wounds, though healing, were hampering his efforts. Madeline stood still in the doorway, too shocked to move for a moment.

Damien was intent on tying his shoes and had not noticed Madeline entering the room. He was startled when she found her voice. "What the f--- do you think you are doing? Get out of those clothes and get back in that bed!"

Damien sighed. "I can't. I have to go somewhere. Return to your sleeping area and just forget that you saw me."

"Do you really think that I am about to let you walk right out of here? You are still healing, you can't just walk away. You are in no shape to go anywhere."

"Madeline, I don't have time to argue with you. I have to go. There is no choice in this. Now get out of my way before I have to forcibly remove you."

"I am not going anywhere Damien, and neither are you. Not until you tell me what is going on. I want some answers Damien. Who do you work for? What are you? What is this Section One?"

At the last of her words, Damien turned to face Madeline with an ominous look on his face. That look had quelled the tempers of many recruits, but it had the opposite effect on Madeline. She was no longer afraid, she was furious.

Damien's voice lowered another notch as he spoke. " You would be much better off if you forgot that name ever existed. In fact, you would be better off if you forgot I existed. The people I work for do not take kindly to strangers knowing our business. If you persist on using that name I can guarantee you one thing, and one thing only, you will not live long enough to have any understanding of what it means. Now, get out of my way!"

Madeline's eyes grew wide as she interpreted the meaning of Damien's words. She knew that he was intimating that he might not return, and that she might not see him again. A sudden rush of feeling hit her. She was about to lose the only man who could ever win her heart. She could not let him leave without telling him how she felt. Knowing that, her temper cooled immediately.

"All right, Damien, I know you have to go. Don't ask me how I know, I can just sense that you are telling me the truth right now. I will let you go, no matter how wrong I think you are about leaving in this condition. But, I have to tell you how I feel before you leave. I do not want to lose you Damien. I really thought we were getting somewhere between us before you got hurt. I was a stubborn fool and stayed away from you too long. I don't want to be a bigger fool and let you leave here, for who knows where, without realizing just how much I have fallen in love with you." The words rushed out of her mouth, and when she was finished speaking, she launched herself into Damien's arms.

Damien was electrified, both by her words and by her sudden movement. He felt momentary pain as her body pressed against his healing wounds. This feeling was quickly replaced by one of rapture as his arms wrapped around Madeline, holding her to him. His lips found hers, melding together in a burning kiss.

Madeline's lips opened slightly as Damien ran his tongue gently over their surface. Damien's hand entangled in Madeline's cinnamon-colored hair as he deepened the kiss, plundering her mouth with his tongue. Moments later, Damien's mouth moved away from Madeline's, trailing kisses along her neck and back toward her ear. Taking her earlobe in his mouth to suckle gently, he again held her tightly to his body.

Madeline's senses were reeling as her hands found their way around Damien's neck. Her breath caught as Damien whispered in her ear. " I don't want to lose you either, Madeline. I feel the same as you do, but, I am afraid. You know far too much. You do not understand, the people I work for, they are very demanding. I cannot possibly explain everything to you, you would be in too much danger if I did. I have already placed you in too much danger."

Madeline kissed Damien's lips again. "I promise not to push too much with questions, if you in turn, promise to come back to me so that I can keep my promise."

Damien kissed her gently again and whispered, "We cannot make any promises, Madeline. That is the world in which I live. Too many promises get broken. I will do my best to get back here to you, as soon as possible, for I too feel the same pull that you are feeling. Now go, return to your sleeping area and let me get on with my business." Kissing her lingeringly once again, he then gently turned her away from him and sent her off toward the door.

Damien could not bear to watch her walk away, so he turned back to his cot and began gathering the things he had placed there. His well-honed senses told him that someone was outside the door. He turned too late to warn Madeline. As she walked out the door, the butt of a gun smashed into the back of her head.

As Madeline slumped to the floor, Walter grinned at Damien. "I think I have found the solution to our problem, buddy boy!"

Chapter Twenty

Madeline awakened to a bright white light shining down on her from above. She immediately reclosed her eyes, for the light and the fact that the entire room was white, increased the pounding in her head. She attempted to assess her situation, but any movement that she made caused streaks of white-hot fire to race into her brain.

Within moments, Madeline heard the sound of a door opening. The door sounded metal to her. What was this place?, she thought to herself. She decided to keep her eyes closed, maybe whoever was in the room with her would just go away and leave her to her misery.

A cultured, English voice spoke softly above her. "Come, come now my dear. We both know that you are no longer unconscious. Open your eyes for me. That's it. I know, this garish white light must be causing you excruciating pain, my dear, but you shall adjust to it quickly enough. After we have our little chat I will make sure that you are given some medication for the pain you are in."

Madeline opened her eyes. She made eye contact with a woman about fifteen years her senior. She had almost reddish colored hair and bright blue eyes. She was dressed fashionably in a chocolate-colored dress with a matching jacket. Madeline attempted to sit up but a wave of nausea made her lay back down. The older woman reached out a hand to her and helped her to sit up on the cot. She gently pushed Madeline so that she could lean her back against one of the white walls. The wall helped to quell the nausea racing through Madeline. She smiled weakly at the older woman. "Thank you. Who are you? And where am I? What am I doing here?" Coming from anyone else in her situation, those questions would have been asked in an accusing tone, allowing fear to be seen. Madeline however asked them in a calm voice. She had learned a long time ago not to let anyone know when she was afraid of something.

The English woman spoke again. Madeline noted that her voice had a melodic ring to it. "Ahhh... very good my dear, I see you hide your fear well. That must be a strong asset for you. I may have to adjust my plans for you."

Madeline's eyebrows raised slightly. "Your plans for me? No one plans anything for me except me." Adrian noted a slight hardening in Madeline's tone.

"Oh no, my dear. You do not understand. You no longer have control over your life. We do. You lost that right when you began eavesdropping on private conversations."

Madeline nodded her head slightly toward the older woman. "Thank you for answering my questions."

Adrian's eyebrows in turn were raised in question to Madeline's rather enigmatic response.

Madeline smiled slightly. "Yes, you did answer my earlier questions. You must be Adrian. This place must be some part of Section One. And this must be my punishment."

Adrian returned the slight smile. "How very astute of you my dear. I can see that I am going to enjoy matching wits with you. You seem to understand the way of things quite well. I assume you understand your situation and will not fight what is set out for you?"

Madeline replied. " I have learned in the past to adjust to whatever situations I have been placed in. I do know the only alternative to what you have chosen for me is death. At this point I prefer to see what is required of me over the other option. I would make a small request? That the option of death still be offered if I decide to take it?"

Adrian again raised her eyebrows at this amazing younger woman, Anyone else would have been ranting and raving by now. She nodded her head slightly in agreement,then turned to leave the room.

Madeline's words stopped Adrian's exit. "Another small request Adrian?"

Adrian turned back to face Madeline.

"I would like to see Damien."

Adrian smiled at the request. "Of course dear. I will have him sent to you as soon as he returns and debriefs from his latest mission. I am sure the two of you have several things to discuss."

"Thank you." Madeline turned away to return to a prone position on the cot. Adrian continued walking to the door of the room. She stopped at the door and spoke again.

"Since we have come to an agreement, I will have you moved to more suitable quarters. He will meet you there. And something else that might be of interest to you. Damien is not his real name. It is his code name. He might prefer it if you called him by his true name here. His name is Paul, Paul Wolfe." Having said that, Adrian left the room leaving Madeline to ruminate on this new information.

Chapter Twenty-One

The door to Adrian's office opened quietly to admit a rather bedraggled-looking Paul Wolfe. He had arrived moments before from a mission in Zambia which had gone hot mid-mission. Faulty Intel had led to a loss of several operative lives. Paul had escaped the pain of more gunshot wounds, but he had not been spared from a severe beating.

Adrian began her debrief of Paul. As she listened to the Intel he had gathered, she felt rather sorry for him. What the man really needed was a couple of months ofdowntime. The injuries he had sustained over his last two missions, as well as the tactical mistakes he was making, warranted the rest. However, Adrian realized that with Section One's current mission status, she could not give Paul the much-needed downtime.

After Paul completed his debrief, he turned to leave Adrian's office. As he reached the door, Adrian's soft voice beckoned him back. "Paul, come back please. I have a few things I would like to discuss with you." Paul took a deep breath and refocused himself. He had figured this conversation was coming, he just was not sure if he was ready for what Adrian had to tell him. However, he also knew there was no way to escape this conversation. He turned and slowly walked back to meet his fate.

Adrian smiled in order to wipe the look of dread off of Paul's face. She knew he worked very hard at schooling his features. She however, could read Paul Wolfe like a book. She reached out and patted Paul's hand as he sat next to her on the couch. "So, my dear, tell me a little about this enigma of a woman you have brought into Section to be trained as my replacement."

Paul's eyes widened perceptibly at Adrian's statement. He cleared his throat to stall for a moment, but no acceptable answer came to mind.

Adrian chuckled merrily. "It is all right my dear. I realize that it was not a choice you made. But fate had brought Madeline to Section. We must find something for her to do. However, having spoken with her over the past few days, I do not feel that she, or Section would benefit from her going through the regular training."

Adrian allowed this information to sink in before she continued softly. "Paul, you have been relieved of your duty in regards to training Madeline. I have opted to undertake her training personally. There may be a few things I will need your assistance with from time to time, but you are free to carry on with your other duties. Any questions?"

At Paul's negative shake of his head, she dismissed him. Again as he reached the door, Adrian's soft voice halted his motion. This time however, he did not turn to face her. "Paul, Madeline has been assigned quarters next to yours on level seven. She is, understandably, confused, though she fights hard not to show it. Go to her. Help her through her confusion. Use any means you deem necessary to help her."

Adrian paused a moment before adding. "And Paul, promise me one thing?" Paul's back stiffened for a moment. "If you choose the method I assume you will choose, make sure that Madeline understands the way things work around here. You know, relationships among operatives can actually be a good thing, but externalizing of emotions will not be tolerated."

Paul heaved a deep sigh as the door to Adrian's lair finally opened to admit his exit. As it closed behind him, his eyes closed while he thanked whatever all-powerful being that had granted him the survival of his meeting with Adrian. In the same breath, he prayed for the strength to survive the meeting that was yet to come.

Chapter Twenty Two

Paul found himself gathering his wits about him, standing outside of the door to Madeline's new quarters. He had showered and changed but the results of the beating he had endured were not possible to camouflage. Neither was the utter exhaustion he felt. It was written in every nuance of his being. Paul knew that he was not prepared for what he might face once he entered that doorway. But then again, even if he had been healthy and well-rested, he figured that he would never be prepared for what he was going to face.

He slowly entered the code which would give him access to Madeline's quarters. He walked in to find her asleep on her bed. He did not wish to disturb her so he sat in a chair nearby and watched her as she slept. He let his mind drift off, allowing himself the luxury of imagining what life would be like if he were not in Section. Although without Section, Paul probably would never have met Madeline, he could see himself finding her on his own. In his dream they both had the best life had to offer. Neither of them had been forced to face difficulties in their lives. He sighed, knowing it was noting but a pipe dream. Section was their reality. He could not go back and change things for either of them, even if he wanted to.

The fatigue that had been threatening to take over Paul's mind finally won out. He slumped forward from his chair and spread out across the foot of Madeline's bed, allowing sleep to claim him, finally.

Madeline had not slept much the last few days. Her mind had been a whirlwind of thoughts. Although the thought had crossed her mind of escaping this place, she did realize that not only was it a basic impossibility, but amazingly, she did not want to leave. She had already been contemplating how she could make her circumstances work in her favor. She had learned early in life not to lament over things that happened, she had to take advantage while she could. This very afternoon, however, her exhaustion had won out over her overactive mind, and sleep had crept in to claim her.

Madeline slept for almost 6 hours. This was an unusually long amount of time for her to sleep under normal circumstances. She was a night owl and generally functioned on three to four hours of sleep a day. After several weeks of worrying over Damien and then being taken in to Section had taken it's toll. She woke however rather refreshed, ready and eager to face anything that might come her way. She was not however, expecting to find the person who had inhabited her thoughts so much in the past few days, curled up like a baby, asleep at the foot of her bed.

Madeline smiled to herself as she crept toward the foot of her bed. Damien... no she had to remember, his name was Paul... looked so angelic laying there asleep. A frown crossed her face as she got close enough to realize that the patterns she had thought were shadows were in actuality bruises. In the brief time she had known him, Paul had been through more hell than Madeline had even thought possible in a lifetime. How long could his mind and his body continue to take this kind of punishment and abuse before he burnt out completely? How much had he faced here at Section before she had entered the picture? If so many horrible things had happened over the past few weeks, how many thousands of more horrible things had happened to him?

Madeline could not resist brushing a lock of Paul's hair away from his face. Her heart contracted to see his skin flinch because of the motion. She had inadvertently brushed across a mild contusion, at least it was mild for now, she knew from experience that the skin would color quite brightly in time.

Madeline shifted herself gently so as not to jar the bed and waken Paul. She could tell he was exhausted. She lay there for a long time watching him sleep. She noticed the subtle nuances that had changed in Paul since she had met him. Here, away from the prying eyes of others, he had let down his defenses enough to sleep in her presence. She really had no idea the extents to which his job took him, but she was almost certain that his job rarely included trust. She was grateful that Paul felt he could trust her enough to drop his guard.

Madeline's mind wandered to what might have beens. She knew that was a dangerous subject but for some reason she could not help herself. She could picture herself and Paul living a normal life outside of the Section. Before she realized what she was doing, her hand had reached out and her finger was delicately tracing the pattern of Paul's lips.

Within seconds of touching his lips, almost before the heat of those lips had time to sink into the skin of her fingers, Paul had awakened and turned trapping her hands within his and pinning her to the bed with his body. Steel blue, angry eyes met and locked on to chocolate brown, frightened ones. Neither of them blinked. Both stared unceasingly. Madeline had not realized that she was forgetting to breathe, while Paul's breath was coming in ragged gasps.

Paul was the first to blink. His mind was screaming at him to get out of there quickly. He knew this was leading to something that he could not control. Something that would only lead both of them to more trouble than they could ever want or handle. However, maybe it was the fatigue, or maybe it was the circumstances, but Paul's body was not listening to the screaming of his mind. His lips were inexorably drawn toward Madeline's. His lips met hers. It was as if they had never kissed before. Paul's lips parted and his tongue swept lightly across Madeline's closed lips. The movement caused Madeline to finally catch her breath and her lips opened to grant Paul's softly questing tongue to enter her mouth.

Madeline's hands struggled with Paul's momentarily before he realized that he still had them trapped. He let one go and brought the other up to his lips so that he could caress it, apologizing with his mouth for the slight redness that his hard and callused hands had caused to Madeline's skin.

This light caress did amazing things to Madeline's senses. Her mind was having difficulty focusing but the mere thought that Paul cared enough to minister to the slight pain she had received from him, was enough to push her over the edge into meltdown. Her hands reached up and took Paul's face gently between them. Her mouth moved to kiss andlightly caress each of the bruises that she saw on his face. She knew there were more than she could actually see, so she kissed every inch of his face to make up for it.

By the time Madeline finished her ministrations, Paul's arms were trembling. There were tears gathering in his eyes because of the kindness Madeline had shown him. He gulped in air to steady his nerves.

Madeline smiled up at him. She knew well the things that were going through Paul's mind. She knew that this was leading to rather dangerous territory. She also knew that it was something they both wanted, badly. She also realized that Paul was neither physically or mentally prepared to handle this quite yet.

Madeline kissed Paul lightly and spoke for the first time. " Paul, I understand."

Paul's eyebrows raised in question.

"Move over. Lie down on the pillow and sleep. We will discuss where things are going later, when you have rested." She chuckled as she saw the look of confusion in Paul's eyes. "You heard me. You need to rest. Don't worry, I am not going anywhere. We can discuss all of this later."

Paul gratefully shifted so that he was laying with his head on Madeline's soft pillow. Madeline curled up spoon-fashion behind him, wrapping her arms protectively around him as he drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Twenty Three

Paul awakened to a wonderful feeling. A feeling he had not experienced in a long time. The warm feeling of a woman with her arm draped across his middle sleeping peacefully curled up next to him. The feeling was both intense and calming at the same time. He was loathe to move and break the spell he felt wrapped up in.

But move he did. He raised Madeline's arm gently and shifted his body so that he was lying on his back. He repositioned Madeline's arm so that it lay with her palm across his heart. Paul was content to lie like this for as long as Madeline continued to sleep.

Within an hour, Madeline awakened. Before she actually moved, however, her mind began to assess her situation. She had never had the luxury of waking in the arms of a man before. It could have been an uncomfortable feeling but for some reason this did not turn out to be such. She knew he was awake and she sensed that he knew the same about her. She was touched by the fact that Paul was giving her time to grow accustomed to the situation. She could sense his awareness from the strong beating of his heart under her palm.

Madeline gently moved the pads of her fingers across the area of Paul's shirt that covered his heart. She loved the heat and the strongly beating pulse she felt under her fingers. The rumble of Paul's chuckle vibrated through Madeline's fingers before Paul took them and gently caressed them with his lips.

Madeline lifted her head from the pillow and allowed her eyes to lock with Paul's. In those steel blue eyes Madeline could read anything that she really needed to know. She could see the confusion and trepidation in his eyes. She understood that Paul was just as confused as she was. She also saw the promise of fulfillment flit across Paul's eyes. Madeline decided to forget the rules and regulations that permeated through Section and just live for the moment. And in this moment, she saw desire and need pass across Paul'seyes.

Madeline continued to stroke Paul's chest through his shirt. She could feel the heat of his body emanating through her fingertips. She smiled gently at him and when he returned the gesture, Madeline lowered her head and placed her lips against Paul's. Madeline could feel Paul's smile widen as she gently kissed him. Paul's mouth opened as Madeline's tongue began to explore his lips. It was an exhilarating feeling for both of them.

Paul quickly turned them so that he was hovering above Madeline. His mouthlowered to return the kiss she had just given him. As Madeline's lips opened to allow him entrance, Paul began to sweetly plunder her mouth. It did not take long for both of them to become passionately aroused.

Paul leaned away from Madeline and began to unbutton her shirt. He took his time, savoring the anticipation that his slowness caused for both of them. When he had unbuttoned the last button, he very gently opened both halves of the shirt, laying Madeline's torso open to his perusal. Madeline blushed as she saw the look in Paul's eyes as he gazed down on her nakedness.

Madeline attempted to cover herself with her shirt but Paul would have nothing of the sort. His hands gently pulled hers away from the shirt and lay them back on the bed. Paul's gaze locked with Madeline's as he gently stroked a finger down the side of one breast. Madeline gasped as she felt his touch. Paul smiled and traced the shape of her nipple with the tip of his finger.

With the feeling Paul's simple touch evoked, Madeline burst into tears. Paul was stunned. He sat up quickly and stared at Madeline. "What? What's the matter? Did I do something wrong?"

Madeline simply lay there shaking her head and crying. No matter what she did, she could not stop the flow of tears streaming down her face. She could not catch her breath.

Paul reached out and pulled Madeline to a sitting position. He gathered her into his arms and held her tightly, rocking gently back and forth as she cried her heart out. Paul was bewildered. He had no clue what was going on, he simply realized that Madeline needed some comfort. A comfort he could provide whether or not he understood. Madeline's tears were soaking the front of his shirt, but at this moment, Paul did not really care. He just wanted to hold Madeline and take care of her.

Within a few minutes Madeline's sobs quieted and her body stopped trembling as much. Paul continued to rock her and ran a hand gently through her hair. Paul began to whisper to Madeline. He was afraid that if he spoke in a more normal voice, he might frighten her to tears again. "Madeline, honey, what's wrong?" Paul continued stroking her hair and back. "Talk to me? Please? Honey, how can I help, if you refuse to tell me what is wrong? I can't promise to fix anything, but I can promise to try. Madeline?" Paul pulled Madeline away from him so that he could search her eyes. "Talk to me?"

Madeline's body shook once more with her tears, then she pulled herself awayfrom Paul and scooted to the far edge of the bed. Paul wanted to continue to hold her but thought better of it and let her move away. "I...I'm sorry Paul. I don't think I can go through with this. I.... It's not your fault. It's... mine."

"Madeline, I don't understand. Please, talk to me. I can see that you want the same thing that I want. What is so wrong with us trying to attain that goal together? You know, I have goals and ambitions within this place. I could use some help with that. I would do my best to make sure that you benefit from any rise in power that I might have here. You do not understand the way things work here. I could teach you, train you to take advantage at the most opportune times."

Madeline silenced Paul with a finger across his lips. "No more talk like that Paul.There are eyes and ears all over this place, and you know it. It will do you no good to speak of sedition. I understand the ways here far more than you would care to believe.That is not my problem. My 'problem' is a little embarrassing. Promise you won't laugh?" She looked up shyly at Paul.

"I would never laugh at you , my dear", Paul answered gallantly.

Madeline looked shyly at him again. "Well, you see. This type of thing is different for me. Um, I am not sure how to put this, without seeming like an idiot. This is all very new to me."

Paul smiled slightly, careful not to laugh and break the small trust he had formed with Madeline. He reached out and took her hand within his. "Are you trying to tell me in a subtle way that you have never made love before?" As Madeline nodded slightly and ducked her head to hide the blush that crept over her face, Paul reached out and tilted her chin up so that he could see her face. "No need for embarrassment my dear. It is rather refreshing to learn this. Now I know and can take good care of you. No need to rush anything. If you ever feel uncomfortable, I will stop. All you need do is say so. That is a promise I know I can keep."

At Madeline's slightly embarrassed nod, Paul pulled her close to him again and began gently kissing her again. He knew he would have to go slowly, but he could introduce Madeline to many interesting pleasures. It was a very heady thought, introducing a virgin to the arts of love. He hoped he was up to the task.