Sera couldn't believe this was it. A month ago, she had never heard of Dylan Donovan. And now, her emotions were spiraling out of control. She gripped his hand tight as they drove across the familiar streets of DC.

When she was a little girl she'd loved this city. Trips to the museum, the mall on the 4th of July. The energy. Vintage hunting in Georgetown.

And then…she hadn't loved it. After Malcolm it no longer felt like home. It was strange being here now with some of the pain dissipating as she prepared to once again be the smiling daughter of her mother’s campaign.

Dylan drove them past the security station, then into the designated parking area. When he came around to her side of the car to get her, she woodenly followed. With her hand wrapped in his much larger one, he led her to the cherry blossom-lined park.

Dylan squeezed her hand. "I know it can't be easy."

Easy? No. She shrugged. "I don't know. Sure, I'm a little tense, but it's not really fear I'm feeling. I just—" She shook her head. "I can't believe it's over. Everything. You and me, this."

He pulled her into him and held her. "Sera, don't..." His voice trailed off.

She didn't dare look up to face him, otherwise there'd be tears. And she didn't want to be that girl. "It wasn't supposed to feel like this."

Dylan rubbed slow circles over her back, his voice was gruff as he spoke. "I thought I knew everything about you when I walked into the bar that night." He shook his head. "I didn’t. I had no idea what I was getting into."

The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. "This sucks. This is just how this ends. We walk away today? You can do that?"

Stopping, his eyes bore into hers. "Sera, don't. We still have two more days. I don't want to ruin it."

She tried to step out of his reach, but he held her tight. "I'm an idiot. I fell in love with a guy that is all wrong for me. Not what I wanted. Because that's who I am. I'm emotional. Believe me, I had no intention of falling in love with you."

He held her tighter, but his body went rigid. Stiff. "Sera. I'm begging you. Don't."

A little fissure tore at her heart. Robo-Dylan had taken over again. The closeness of last night and this morning dissipated. An emotional distance between them grew. After last night, how could he just separate himself from the emotions of it all? Maybe this was supposed to be temporary and maybe he didn't love her, but he had to feel something...didn't he?

The words kept tumbling out of her mouth at an alarming rate. "I'm sorry. Sorry. I shouldn't have said that. It just came out. Forget I said it. I knew what this was. I know you're leaving." She blinked up at him. I'm just living out the fantasy, so ignore me. I know this isn't—" No, this is worse. Like, much worse. Stop talking. "Can we just go?"

But Dylan held her. His breathing was shallow and short. He didn't let her go. Just continued holding her until there was no other option for her but to hold him back. Only then did he finally relax and kiss the top of her head.

So it seemed that this wasn't a dream. She'd said she loved him. No, you moron. You sobbed it. And of course he didn't say anything. Hell, Sera couldn't even blame him because at the end of it, he was being rational. They'd only known each other for a month. He was leaving and she hadn't even told him about the job in New York. Because she knew at the heart of it, there were so many other reasons why they couldn't be together. Location was just the tip of the iceberg. A month ago she couldn't even have looked at this situation with the right eyes. She'd have called him emotionally stunted. And that wasn't true. Now she knew him. He felt too much. So he locked that away to get things done.

Maybe her mother was right about her; she let her emotions get in the way of everything. But it's about how he makes you feel. You've never felt like this before. And that was the scariest part of all of this.

Because of him she had realized all these things about herself. She was strong. She was in control. Shit didn't just happen to her. She didn't just need to hide. She was tired of hiding. And she was tired of being scared.

After a few minutes, he kissed her temple. The tears welled and she forced herself to blink them back.

As she pushed back out of the comfort of his arms, she couldn't read his expression.

"Sera, please don't pull back. I just want to hold you for a minute. We can talk."

No. She was done talking. Or at least she should be done talking. "I'm fine, you don't need to keep staring at me like that. We'll just go inside and do what we have to do and we'll be done." She shook her head. “I'm just having an emotional moment. I'll be fine."

He frowned deeply. "So I'm not supposed to talk about it?"

Right about now, she'd pay cash money for the version of him that didn't want to talk about shit. The part of him that told him not to open up and address shit head-on. Where was that guy?

Hey, closed up and unavailable, I'm looking for you. "Don't, please don't. I really don't want to talk about it. I mean, I said what I said. You didn't say anything. And I get it. I totally get it. And you're right. So you don't have to apologize or do the thing where you tell me how much you care about me or whatever, I get it. So can we not?"

More silence. "Sera, you don't understand, I don't know how to do this. I—" But he didn't finish. The explosive crack of a gunshot pierced the early morning silence.

* * *

His heart in his throat, Dylan dragged Sera down behind one of the concrete benches and covered her while he did a quick scan and assessment. The booming thud of his pulse in his ears echoed in his skull. Fuck, he couldn't lose her. Stay focused.

"Dylan?" she asked from underneath his big body. "I can't breathe."

"Give me a minute, Sera." It went against every instinct to give her room. Especially not with what she'd said. She loved him. Him. And now because he was too distracted with his feelings for her, he'd missed this. It was a trap. Designed to get them here alone. Hell, even the security station had been unmanned. They still had more than thirty minutes until she was supposed to meet her mother. To their left, there was some cover that led to an adjacent building. But he didn't know if it was locked.

Their best bet was back into the federal building. But there was less cover.

"Is someone shooting at us?"

"Think so." He needed to call for back-up. But more importantly, he needed to get her covered first. "Yeah, Unfortunately. Okay, listen to me. I need you to move quickly. We're going to go to that old blue Lincoln. Then we're going to stop. I'll call for cover. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, Dylan, but—"

"No time for buts, Sera. Do you understand?" She nodded and he pulled her to a crouching position. "Go."

As they crouched and ran his brain helpfully went into autopilot mode. Keep her safe, keep her safe. That was all he had to do. He wasn't going to lose her.

Another shot blasted past the car and Sera cowered, but she didn't fall apart. No screaming, no crying. No numb silence, either. She met his gaze levelly. Shit, she was calmer than he was.

"Okay, what now?"

"We get some help. I'll make this call, then we book it for the garage, you understand?"

She nodded and he worried she was far too calm. "Sera, I have you, okay? Nothing bad is going to happen to you."

"I know. I'm with you."

Fuck, he loved this woman. Then why can't you say the words? Because even with the words, he knew he couldn't stay with her. She was right to stay out of this world. It was dangerous. He wanted her secure. But he'd been the one to drag her back into this world. And now he had to see her out of it.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and called the senator’s detail. His request was quick and to the point. "We're taking fire at the memorial park. South side."

The response was quick. They were on their way. All he had to do was hold on. Get her to cover. Get her safe. "Okay. You're doing great, Sera. I'm so proud of you. We just need to get back inside and to the car, okay? Help is on the way. Okay?"

She nodded, her gaze flickering to his, then fifty yards to the parking garage entrance. It was the first indication that the fear was taking over.

"Sera, look at me." Wide, dark eyes focused on him and his heart squeezed. "You can do this. I'm right here with you."

With a deep breath, her shoulders relaxed and she nodded.

He took her hand and they ran for safety. But no shots followed their mad dash. Just the quiet of the morning. What the hell? Had the shooter moved? He could worry about that later.

"What now?" she asked between gasps for breath.

He drew his gun. "Up the stairs, to the car. We were set up."

"The call last night?"

"Yeah, there was no change in scheduling. We're still supposed to be here at eight-thirty."

"Cochran?"

He nodded.

Sera frowned but still took the stairs two at a time until he tugged her back and went ahead of her. "Out of Cali for one day and you already forgot the rules. I go toward danger first."

She rolled her eyes. "Really? We're going argue about this now?"

He rounded the landing before her. "We're not going to argue. We—"

"I have to say, you two, it is heartening to see that the relationship between you two is real. You bicker just like a married couple."

Fuck. Dylan planted his feet and shifted his body to try to shield Sera. Next to him, she stood shock still. As he spoke, he inched closer to her. He needed to get her back down the damn stairs. "We already know you're not Tommy Cochran. So why don't you tell me who you are? A brother we don't know about?"

Cochran's look-alike smirked and held the gun steady on him. "No, I'm not a member of that band of crazies. I'm the hired help."

"If you think they're crazy, then why work for them?" Another inch toward Sera. Her breathing was short and shallow. He wanted to reassure her. It's okay, baby. I will get us out of this.

"Uh-uh. If I were you, Mr. FBI, I'd stay right the fuck there and drop your fucking gun. They are paying me to kill her, but I'll do you for free."

"Fine, you want to kill me, you'd better get it over with, because you shoot her, and you won't be killing me. And you shoot me, she will kill you herself." Dylan moved another inch. "What I don't understand is you could have killed her at any time. Why wait?”

The look-alike snorted. "First, I know all about Serafina Justice. I've done my homework. And she's not going to shoot me. I know what she felt like after Tommy killed her brother. Imagine what will happen to her when I kill the man she loves."

"Don't you look at her, you look at me."

Sera's sharp intake of breath made him want to reach out and comfort her. Made him regret that he'd been too terrified to say the words last night. Or even this morning. He loved her. She should know that. He should have told her.

The guy focused his attention on Dylan for a split second. "Fine, you want to know before I pop your head clean off? I have the build and the green eyes. Roy Cochran found me in Texas and hired me. They might be backwater, but those Cochran boys had the cash. Paid to make me all extra pretty like his brother, Tommy." He slid his gaze over Sera. "Little girl, if your mom would have just stayed the fuck out of it, no one would have hurt you. Apparently losing one kid wasn’t enough to make her back down. Then she sets you up with a bodyguard. I should shoot your boyfriend for making my job harder. You see, just as soon as Tommy was out, he wanted to kill you himself."

Sera tipped up her chin. "If you're going to kill me, get this shit over with," she growled.

Pride welled in his chest. At the same time, he wanted her to shut the fuck up. "Sera—"

"No. Dylan, I'm sick of this shit. He doesn't scare me. Not anymore. He's just a puppet. After what they did to Malcolm, they can't do any worse to me."

Cochran's look-alike smirked.

Time seemed to stand still, but Dylan's mind raced trying to figure the best solution in that moment of time. He reached for Sera to shove her back down the stairs, but she was already moving. She lowered her body weight and sprang out in front of him.

"Sera, no!" He reached for her, but the cracking sound told him it was too late. No. God. No, fuck, not Sera. With a streak of pure fury, he fired his weapon three times. Hitting his target dead on, center mast.

Sera's body slumped against him. "D-Dylan..."

"Oh God, no. You cannot die. Do you hear me? You are not allowed to die on me, Sera. I fucking need you." He applied pressure with one hand to the chest wound and yanked out his phone with the other.

His call for help wasn't calm or collected. All he could do was growl out their location, nothing left of him but the raw emotion. She couldn't leave him. He loved her.

* * *

Dylan couldn't breathe while he sat in the hospital waiting room. The pain radiated throughout his body. He couldn't fucking breathe. She'd protected him. With her body. And that shit wasn't how it was supposed to go. But more than that. He wanted to rip the heads off the Cochrans and every single asshole they had working for them.

He believed in justice. Believed in the system. But right now he wanted to bypass the system and fucking kill every single one of them. But before he could formulate a good plan, the doctor walked up. "Agent Donovan, Sera's out of surgery now and in recovery."

He willed away the pain and made his mind focus. "How is she?"

"She's strong. A fighter. We'll observe her overnight and see if there are more surgeries needed, but we repaired her lung, removed the bullet, and then repaired the torn tissue around it. The bullet missed her heart, so we were lucky. But she lost a lot of blood."

"When will she wake up?" He just needed to see her for himself. To make sure she was okay. To touch her again.

"She'll wake up when she's good and ready. But you can see her for a short stint now."

"Thank you.”

"Ten minutes. She needs her rest."

"Yeah, okay." Ten minutes, his ass. He was setting up a cot in here until she was okay enough to go home on her own. But no need to alarm the doctor with that.

Once they were alone, he sat down by Sera. Her skin looked sallow and he swallowed hard.

He took her hand when he sat. "Hey, beautiful. Maybe nobody told you, but I was supposed to save you, not the other way around."

No movement. But he kept talking. The words came easier now. "I—you surprised me at the park. I didn't think you'd say that you love me. It-it caught me off guard. " He dropped his head. "I didn't know what else to say. I know how I feel about you and it scares me. But I need you to know that I love you. I have loved you from the second I had to carry you out of that bar. I love you. You have to hang on. I'm begging you.” He couldn't lose her.

* * *

Dylan held Sera's hand tight. She looked so tiny in the bed. And all around her, the machines beeped and made noise. And there was his Sera, looking tiny and helpless.

Gone was the laughter, the challenge, the defiance he'd seen in her when they first met. He rocked back and forth and stroked her fingers. As if he could transfer some of his energy into her. "Baby, why did you do that? Why did you save me? I was supposed to save you."

But the moment he'd crossed that line with her, he knew that she was the one saving him. From the first time they'd made love, she'd been turning him into a real live man. One that wasn't so terrified of his emotions that he locked them away and refused to feel anything.

And with each touch, she'd taken another piece of his heart, stamping it as her own, then handing it back to him until she owned it all. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. She'd surprised him.

He was supposed to babysit her, do his job, go back to New York. But that life was over now. Sera Justice had fundamentally altered the course of his existence and she didn't even have the nerve to wake up so he could yell at her about it.

This was not what he wanted, not part of the plan. She was messy. Fun-loving. She was obstinate. Caring. She was impetuous. Driven. And she loved him. Well, if he needed more proof that she was crazy, then he had it. You love her too.

Jesus fucking Christ, did he love her. And he'd been so surprised by her declaration he'd been stunned into silence and unable to say it. Now she'd never know. "Just wake up, pretty girl, and I'll tell you a million times. Please just wake up. I love you. Just wake up, Sera. Wake up and I'll tell you." If she woke now and asked him for the stars, he'd find a way to give them to her. He'd even give up the job. He could find a desk position in San Diego just to be with her. He'd sacrifice that for her. He would give his life for them to switch places.

"I have loved you from the moment I saw you dancing for me at the Exchange. I couldn't take my eyes off of you. And then you gave me a wet t-shirt contest. And you made me laugh. I hadn't laughed in a long time before I met you. And from the moment I met you, all I wanted to do was laugh." He hung his head. "God please, please. Wake up."

"If you like, you can refer to me as God moving forward." Her voice might have been weak, but she was still cracking jokes.

Relief flooded him and he could only stare at her, terrified that she would go back to her still, lifeless form. "Sera?"

She shook her head, then paled. "Note to self, don't move."

He was so grateful to hear her sassy mouth that he just blurted out, "I fucking love you. Please don't you ever do that to me again."

There were several beats of silence. "Dylan—"

"Sera, you beat me to it, and I couldn't say it today because I was so emotionally locked up. I was terrified when you said it. Like what happens when you get bored. But I don't give a shit. I will bend over backward to make you happy. I love you."

Her lips tipped into soft smile. "It's about time you caught up."

"I will figure out a way for us to be together. I got the email from the higher-ups about the open BAU positions. I'm already slated for New York, but we will make this work. I promise."

She tried to sit up, but he stopped her. "Where are you going? What do you need."

"I'm just getting more comfortable. Not sure if you heard, but I got shot." She winked at him. "What would you say if I were to tell you that Stark is opening an office in New York and I'm going to be one of the pilot team to open it?"

"Sera, don't tease me."

"I'm dead serious."

They could do this. And he wouldn't be risking his happiness or hers with a difficult long distance deal. "I would say it's time for me to start looking for a bigger apartment." He kissed her hand. Not at all the kind of kiss he wanted to give her. But he wanted to be careful with her. He'd do anything to keep her from hurting.

"Don't forget, I come with a best friend."

"I'm already thinking about a walk-in closet for Taj."

"Will I be needing a hat and a date to save?"

Sera turned her head toward the door and winced. Dylan stood and made room for the senator. "Senator Justice, ma'am." He stood aside so she could take the vacant seat.

"So it looks like I sent you to watch over my daughter and you fell in love."

"Mom, seriously?" Sera grimaced.

"I want to hear it from Agent Donovan."

"Ma'am, I—"

She waved him off. "Child, please. What is it, Denzel says? ‘Don't bullshit a bullshitter?’"

He cracked a small smile. "Inside Man, ma'am."

“Well?"

"Well, with all due respect, I believe that's between me and you daughter. Ma'am."

The senator studied him carefully and then nodded. "Him, I approve of. Never that Aaron.”

"Mom."

She took a seat next to her daughter.

"I think I have a lot to apologize for."

* * *

Sera couldn't believe her ears. Had her mother offered an apology? She'd have to check the weather report for flying pigs. "I don't understand, Mom."

"I have not been the mother I should have been. And whatever excuses, valid or not, are not up to snuff. I should have been there for you."

Tears tracked down Sera's cheeks, but she didn't have the strength to wipe her tears. Dylan brought her a tissue, then gently brushed away her tears. "Mom, it was a long time ago, I don't want to do this. I'm too tired."

"I know, but you should know that I am no longer running for president. I could have lost my second child today. No mother should ever have to bury a child. And I knew. Knew that I had not put you first. Ever. Not when Malcolm was still alive, and certainly not after."

The damn tears kept coming. And Dylan wiped them away. "You’ll resent me eventually."

"No, I won't. I'm sorry. And I'm sorry for the times I haven't taken you seriously. Discounted your thoughts or questions." Her mother smoothed back her hair. "It will never be enough, but I have to start somewhere."

For the first time in years, she reached for her mother, and for once there was someone there to hold.