"Oow! Mia! What the hell?" Jay cried his arms up in a protective gesture as he jumped up from his side on the bed.

"I'm so sorry honey! I didn't mean to hit you." She cried back, leaning over to rub the area between his neck and shoulder. "I must have been dreaming again and acted out in my sleep. Did I hurt you?"

"What the hell were you dreaming about?" He asked while feeling his neck for a sprain. "You hit me with both hands clasped. Were you trying to break my neck?" He bristled.

"It was unintentional. I said I was sorry," She defended. "Are you in pain?"

"Nah, I'm okay. It's just that ... well, it's not every day I'm in bed with the woman I love and she tries to ... physically hurt me." He teased realizing how disgruntled he had sounded. She just caught him by surprise and it bothered him that she hit him in that spot.

"Oh, so you've been in bed with a lot of women, I take it?" Her eyes opened wide making them look bigger and giving them a deeper smokier brown color than usual.

"I didn't say that. I've never been in bed with a woman I loved before you." He declared pointing his forefinger in defense.

"I love you too Detective," she said, confirming she got his message loud and clear. "Don't you forget that ever? And I would never do anything to hurt you." She held his face in her hands and placed soft kisses over it, moving her lips onto his shoulder and neck, causing him to become so relaxed his head fell back onto the pillow.

"Sweetheart, what was the dream about?" He asked lazily. He felt her warmth and a smile of reassurance captured his face so completely it showed in his beautiful sea blue eyes. He played with her hair between his fingers. The feel of her skin on his, combined with the softness of the silky ebony waves, caused the beast inside him to stir. He could hear his body begin to hum and awaken with a subtle vibration that heightened his senses as the scent of lilac filled the air. The scent was her ID. It permeated the sheets, floated in the particles that danced in the rays of the sun and the slight breeze that entered the open window. Her sweet bouquet caused the beast to become aroused again although Jay lay sated. He bathed in it knowing he was in full control. They were one in the same with each other, he and his beast. Mia was their mate. With that solidification he would always be in charge. He would always protect her, as would his beast. She couldn't know and right now all he wanted to do was enjoy her.

Looking into his eyes as she caressed his chest, Mia worked at keeping the momentum going. She didn't want to discuss the dream with him. It was another weird dream about that damn beast and after the incident in the shower along with her disastrous stakeout attempt; she knew he would interrogate her relentlessly without meaning to. Jay worried about her even more after that fiasco and at times to the point of becoming overly protective. She didn't want her ability or her dreams to overshadow their relationship, even though the latter was beginning to worry her more. She believed there was a haunting connection between her and the beast. He was becoming familiar and she could feel it growing stronger with each dream. Often she'd asked herself if she was going mad or experiencing a breakdown. She knew she had to find out what it all meant.

"Mia, what's the matter?"

"Nothing," She lied. "Just enjoying the moment. Your fingers feel so good playing with my hair, but I need to wash up." She said lifting herself from his arms only to be pulled back down.

"Not yet. You looked like you were somewhere else. Where were you?" He asked, and then added. "Maybe with someone else?" The words came out in a soft mumble as he brushed the strand under his noise like a feather, taking in the sweet smell of her shampoo.

Not exactly, she thought placing a kiss on the tip of his nose. She sighed then lay back on her pillow hoping the move appeared casual. He began to tickle her, knowing it relieved her tension causing her to laugh frantically while attempting to stop him when tears appeared. She felt her heartbeat quicken and knew what was coming. Jay heard it too as her joyful laughter stopped and the stillness set in. She fell into a clairvoyant trance.

Her eyes stared straight ahead as she watched the stocky man pulling a battered slight woman by the hair. The woman held on to his arm while she tried to reason with him. A toddler and a baby cried in the background as he yelled at her to shut them up. The woman begged him to stop with trembling lips, but he was too enraged to listen. She could hear the sirens in the background as he pulled out a gun. The woman screamed. Mia closed her eyes and fell back unconscious.

George looked up from his post on the floor at the threshold of the bedroom door and jumped on the bed. He planted himself beside her head and raised a paw to touch her. Jay's Android signaled and he reached for it with one hand while trying to roust Mia with the other. "Thorten," he answered patting his hand lightly on her cheek trying to wake her.

"Jay, I'm on West Houston. There's a hostage situation." Mosher's voice crackled.

He shook the device out of habit, even though he knew it wouldn't fix the connection. "We're homicide detectives not hostage negotiators Ed."

"Yeah, but it's not that. There's something here you need to see." The extreme urgency in his partner's voice was unusual.

"Okay, I'll be there in 10." He assured, just as Mia regained consciousness and grabbed his shoulder and spoke.

"Jay, I saw a guy holding a gun. He was pulling a woman by her hair," she said hurriedly. "The guy's going to kill them. There's a toddler and newborn in the apartment. I saw a shadow by the door. There may be someone else there. Is that Mosher? Tell him."

"Jay, you still there?" Mosher snapped.

"Yeah, Mia says there are children in the apartment and maybe another person. Let them know." He ordered as he slipped into the bathroom with his clothes in hand. Mosher continued talking when he quickly came out and grabbed his shoes.

"They know about the kids. They're already up there. The guy's a deadbeat doper and she's got a restraining order on him. They're trying to talk him down while a squad's working inside and you've already wasted 3 minutes."

Jay wiped his mouth. "I'm out." He said with a quick disconnect. Putting on his jacket, he hurried to the door. Mia trailed behind with George following at her heels. Jay turned and looked down at her with regret. Interrupted again he thought. He kissed her lips quickly. "I know. I'm as careful as I can be." He assured. Before she could say a word he was out the door heading down the stairway.

She stood staring at the closed door in an oversized t-shirt. "Love you." She whispered as a quick rush of temper hit her. "But it's our Saturday? Damn it! You're supposed to be off-duty!" She said aloud fisting her hands. Her common sense kicked in with the realization that in his line of work he would never be off-duty.

During the past months their relationship had grown stronger. She knew it was much more then he dared to reveal. She felt it. They bonded. He planted the seeds of his strength, his passion, his love inside of her. She heard his body hum when they lay together. Their love felt like a ceremony, their sex like a supernova. He'd branded his mark on her for the world to see. Although he was gentle and protective, a wildfire burned deep inside of him that took...