Mac walked into the house wondering what kind of reception he'd get. Roz seemed temperamental and wary of men, and he didn't want to spook her in any way. He made sure to shut the door loudly enough that she would surely hear.

Roz peered around the doorway at him. "Hey. There's food if you're hungry."

Then she ducked away. Mac took his shoes off and set them by the door, then hung his hat on one of the coat hooks. He smoothed his hair but he knew it had to be wild. It had been a while since he'd bothered to get a haircut. He'd planned to do it before he went to testify in court.

Mac walked into the kitchen and she shoved a plate at him as she walked past. "Help yourself to anything on the stove. Parker has already eaten. I'm going to make the bedrooms up."

Mac watched her go, wondering what he'd done to piss her off. And if it was worth trying to change her mind.

He helped himself to the chicken and vegetables she'd made. There were rolls on the table and he buttered one up, then groaned in pleasure as he began to chew. He'd never had better tasting bread. Setting the plate on the table, he wondered if it would be rude to eat just the bread for dinner. There was a jar of blackberry preserves on the table as well. That would be dessert.

When he was done eating he pushed away from the table and crossed to the sink. Roz hadn't done the dishes yet and there was no washer, per se, so he would wash them. Maybe if he did that she would give him the recipe for the rolls and the jelly.

Mac glanced up when she reentered the room and he offered her a smile. "The food was very good. Thank you. But the rolls were sublime. Did you make those?"

He turned back to the sink, fearing that if he kept looking at her she wouldn't answer.

"I did. It's an old family recipe."

"Is it shareable? Or one of those things that you'll only pass on to a blood relative? Because I would be willing to swap some blood with you for it."

She glanced at him sharply and he made sure to keep his expression eager and a little playful.

"Do you cook?"

"I try," he admitted. "Bread is one of the few things I've managed to become adept at." He reached into his left-hand pocket to show her the paperback he was carrying right then. "Gives me time to read in between the steps."

Roz barked out a laugh and crossed her arms. "What's your best recipe?"

Mac knew a challenge when he heard one, and he was ready for it. "Well, my Parker House rolls make your taste buds sing, but I prefer making baguettes. They're good with everything and they took me a long time to perfect."

She frowned at him in consideration. "I'll think about it," she said eventually. "And thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed them. They are my son's favorite."

"Mm. I can understand why. They melted in my mouth. And the jelly." He shook his head. "Ambrosia."

Her eyes widened at that and her expression softened a little. "Thank you. It's been a while since anyone has appreciated my cooking. Those berries grow wild on the mountain."

Knowing when he'd won a round, Mac turned back to the sink to finish the dishes. He was extremely surprised when she took up a dishtowel and started drying, but he tried not to let her see. Instead, he kept washing like he’d been doing and handing the dishes off to her. Within just a few minutes they were done. Mac wished he had more to wash.

"I'll leave the food out for a few more minutes in case they come back," she murmured, "then I'll put it away."

Mac crossed to the table and drank the last of his wine, then returned to the sink to rinse the glass. "I love your reading spot," he told her softly.

She didn't say anything for a long time, so he wiped down the sink and the counter on his side, looking out at the darkening night or the kitchen, anywhere but at her. If he looked at her he knew instinctively that she would spook.

"Thank you," she said finally. "It is my refuge."

"I can understand why."

Roz left the kitchen but returned a few minutes later. "I can show you where you'll sleep."

The tiredness he'd been staving off hit him then and he followed her without a word. It looked like there were a few bedrooms back here.

"The bathroom is here, and this room will be yours. Sorry you have to share."

She motioned to the door but didn't step close enough to him to open it. Mac opened the door himself and stepped through. It wasn't a big room but each of the twin beds had homemade quilts across them. It looked comfortable enough. "Thank you."

"I, uh, know you don't have clothes to change into and I'm sorry I don't have anything, but I did have spare toothbrushes. There are three new ones on the sink."

Mac was touched. That was more consideration than he'd gotten for a long time.

"Thank you, Roz. I really appreciate you opening up your home to us."

Without a word she headed down the hallway to the bedroom door on the end. He assumed that was her room. When she let herself inside her gaze connected to his for a split second before she closed the door and he heard a deadbolt slide home.

A deadbolt? On a bedroom door?

Shaking his head, he went down the hallway to brush his teeth. He was too tired to think.

* * *

Parker gritted his teeth as he stepped upon another stone. It was maybe the size of a nickel, but to a guy with the old injuries that he had it was enough to knock him off balance, which meant pain. If he'd been smart he would have put on his boots before he came after Andy, but he doubted he would have been able to reach over to tie them.

"Come on."

Parker looked down at Andy. She'd stomped off without him earlier, but she'd come back. She motioned for him to drape his arm over her shoulders.

"No, I'm fine."

"Bullshit. You're in pain and slowing down. If you go any slower, you'll be going backwards."

Grinning at her acerbic comment he draped his left arm over her narrow shoulders. Then, as they headed up the path he found himself very thankful for her help. There were a couple of times he almost tripped. He hated not being as mobile as he used to be. It had been shocking to realize how fucked up his body was. The man who had tortured him had been a master. He would never regain what he once had.

It was also darker than sin out here. They knew they were heading in the right direction, though, because they could see the glow from the cabin.

"So, are you attached?"

He could have shot himself all over again for asking that stupid question. He knew she didn't have anyone. She never would have let him hold her if she did.

"Sorry, none of my business."

She sighed as they headed up the slope. "No. No one. Not even a cat."

Parker snorted in spite of himself. "Seems like I said something about a cat as I left, huh?"

"You did."

"I'm sorry about that, Andy. All I can say is, I was hurt and I lashed out. I'd never been in a relationship like ours and I definitely hadn't been dumped that hard before. It was a learning experience."

"I'm sorry I was so blunt," she said quietly. "I should have taken more care with my words."

"You killed me that night. Whether you realized it or not, I was never the same."

She sniffed and he wondered if she was crying. "I'm sorry. I had to protect my heart."

Yes, she was definitely crying. A long time ago, he would have loved to make her cry, to give her back some of the hurt she'd given him, but not anymore. He pulled her to a stop and cupped her face in the dim light. "It was a long time ago, Andy. I eventually understood why you did what you did, but the scar is still there. Honestly, I never expected to see you again. When my old commander called and told me you were in danger, I had this fear in my heart and I knew I had to come."

Leaning forward he pressed a kiss to her forehead, then wrapped her into his arms. For a moment she stayed firm, then she sagged into him. "I'm glad you did, Parker. Once you're rested up we'll talk about that night. I've carried a lot of guilt about it and it'll be good to clear the air. Come on, you big lug."

They completed the slow trip back to the cabin in silence. The steps took a lot out of him, but he made it. Roz looked up at them as they walked through the door. "I was about to go looking for you."

He grinned and hugged Andy to him. "I was safe."

"You better get to bed. You need to sleep to heal. I put you in the middle bedroom with the two twin beds. Mac is already in there."

Parker gave Roz a mock salute, then reluctantly pulled away from Andromeda. With another kiss to the top of her head he headed toward the hallway. "Thank you, Roz, for everything you've done."

"Yeah, yeah," she said. "Here are a couple of pain pills for when you wake up in the night."

She crossed the room and dropped two pills into his open hand. "There's a bottle of water on your bedside table."

Grinning, he blew her a kiss, though she stood only a couple of feet before him.

Parker felt fine. He'd been shot before, and the pain was excruciating but manageable. The thought of laying down was almost orgasmic.

And when he lowered himself to the narrow mattress a few minutes later, it was as good as he expected. He was asleep within seconds.

* * *

Roz caught her eye. "Why don't you get a drink and join me for a minute?"

Without a word Andromeda went into the kitchen, found a wine glass and poured herself a glass of red. Then she returned to the living room and sat down on the couch with Roz, knee bent up on the cushion. "What's up?"

"Nothing in particular. I just wanted to check on you, and your frame of mind."

Andromeda sighed. "I'm okay. I'm not gonna lie, that woman attacking me as I got off the elevator was shocking. I can't remember ever being in any kind of altercation like that. And she had a knife. I think she would have killed me and not thought a thing about it."

Roz nodded. "I have a feeling you're right. I'm glad you kicked her ass."

They sat for a few minutes, just drinking wine and talking about small things. "I need to run somewhere tomorrow and get some clothes and things."

"I'll go with you. Actually, we'll take my car just in case. Did you see the bullet holes in the back of yours?"

Andromeda looked at her sharply. "Really?"

"Yup."

That aggravated her and made her sad. She'd spent a lot of money on that car and she wasn’t sure her insurance covered perforation. "It was kind of crazy in that park. I didn't even notice."

"Apparently."

Roz paused and Andromeda could tell she was building up to something. "Parker seems like a decent guy."

Andromeda laughed. "Yes. Seems to be. It shocked the hell outta me when I saw him out there fighting those guys. Total blast from the past."

"I'm sure. Any lingering feelings?"

She sighed, knowing what Roz was getting at. "I don't know. We have some things to talk about, definitely. But I'll wait until he's better and we're out of this mess."

Roz nodded her dark head and burrowed her fingers into her hair, propping her elbow on the back of the couch. "I just don't want you to get hurt again. He looks at you like he wants to eat you up."

Andromeda flushed and shifted, looking away. Maybe he did. "He wouldn't be here if he hadn't been sent. He didn't look for me for any other reason than to make sure I was safe. Apparently, someone wants me to keep doing what I'm doing."

Frowning, Roz reached out to rest a hand on her shoulder. "I just want you safe. You are so very important to me."

Andromeda's eyes watered and she leaned forward to hug her best friend. "I know I am, and you're just as important to me."

Roz laughed as she pulled back, wiping her eyes. "I know, but I'm not being chased by international terrorists and being saved by Navy SEALs."

Andromeda shook her head in exasperation. "I'm going to bed. I'm a walking zombie right now. I love you, Roz."

"I love you too, dear. Sleep soundly."

Andromeda could have wept as she crawled into the bed. This was where she normally stayed and she loved this mattress. She could feel bruised areas on her hips where she'd fallen, and her tailbone was definitely tender.

She thought about Roz's words. Her friend had a right to be concerned about Parker being back in her life. It had taken her a long time to recover after the last time, and she'd never had a relationship to equal it. They'd only been together two weeks, but it had been the most impactful two weeks of her life.

And it had fallen apart because of her.

She wasn't looking forward to talking to Parker about it.

* * *

When she woke up the next morning feeling rested and restless, Roz suggested they go ahead and run down the mountain to get supplies. It was early, just after dawn.

"Parker's going to be pissed."

"He may not even notice. I checked on him early this morning and he was running a bit of a fever. I gave him more pain pills and he went back to sleep almost immediately."

Mac stood in the living room, perusing Roz's shelf of books on the far wall.

"Mac, can I get you some things?"

He looked relieved and nodded his head. "I would really appreciate it. I doubt I'll be allowed back into my apartment in the near future."

Andromeda agreed but she gave him a smile. "I'll take care of everything. If you can write down your sizes it would make it easier on me."

The big man gave her a single nod and moved to Roz's window desk, looking for pen and paper. He jotted a few things down then handed it to her. Andromeda tucked it into her pocket. "If you can watch for Parker and let him know where we went, I would appreciate it."

Mac nodded. "Of course."

Roz had already started her truck and they took off as soon as Andromeda was strapped in. It was easier going down the mountain than up, but both ways were exceptionally bumpy. By the time they reached the bottom Andromeda felt like a milkshake.

Though it was a little farther away, Roz drove them to a bigger town so that they would be a little less noticeable. They went to a Kohl's and found most of the clothes they needed, even the big and tall they needed for Mac. Then they headed to a grocery store to stock up. Andromeda even found Mac a couple of paperback books to read. By the time Roz filled up at a gas station, several hours had gone by. After making one last stop, they headed back to Roz's mountain.

Parker was standing on the front porch when they pulled up and Andromeda didn't like the expression on his face. He looked livid.

"Why didn't you tell me where you were going?"

Andromeda frowned as she circled the vehicle to the back. "Well, you were ass out asleep, which you desperately needed. No one has followed us here and we needed supplies."

One hard hand wrapped around her arm. "I'm supposed to be protecting you."

She hadn't even realized he'd come down the steps.

"No, you're supposed to be protecting him." She tipped her chin at Mac, who had come down the steps to help them unload. "He's the linchpin in this case, not me."

Parker scowled but she could see he agreed with her.

"Here." She handed him the stack of pizzas. "Can you carry those in?"

Parker tried to stay grumpy, but it was hard. She knew he loved pizza. Especially this kind.

"Did you get a Founder's Favorite?" he growled.

"Yes."

She waited to grin until he turned back to the steps. Roz caught her eye and shook her head. "You two already sound like you're married."

That sobered Andromeda hard. They weren't like that. They never had been. She just knew things about him and ... well, she didn't know. She'd always been attracted to Parker, and the experience that life had etched onto his face looked good. It had matured him. But she knew at the heart of the matter when this was all done, they would go their separate ways again, and she would be left wanting all over again. It had taken her years to get over him.

As she looked at his broad, strong back disappearing into the cabin, she knew she needed to guard her heart. Again.