The echo of the shot comes quickly.

Jensen spins on his boot heel just in time to see Byrne shudder and keel over from a bullet wound to the chest. A small caliber pistol that must’ve been hidden in his jacket falls from his right hand.

The scene goes silent and the officers look to one another. No one’s even got their gun raised much less has it aimed at the pathetic man-turned-corpse in the middle of the parking lot. But when Jensen looks past Bryne’s lifeless body, he sees a cloud of fine white smoke billowing in the beam of a security light. The gunpowder clears and Jensen sucks in a breath that’s more smoke than oxygen.

Randall McKellip Jr. is all Texas from the tooled leather of his caramel colored boots to the sterling silver slide in the shape of a longhorn on his bolo tie. Even in the darkness, McKellip’s gun gleams: a rare Silver Eagle, a high-caliber hunk of polished steel with an ivory grip.

Jensen hadn’t even noticed the politician ‘til now – too many people Jensen hadn’t expected to see in the lot – but he sticks out in his spotless gray suit and the handmade ten-gallon hat on his head, standing in front of a sleek black car.

Nonchalantly, McKellip lowers his weapon and walks into the circle of unmoving lawmen.

“That man was about to shoot you, Ranger,” McKellip says in the deepest drawl Jensen’s ever heard. He slides his gun back into the smooth leather holster around his waist and says, “You’re welcome.”

Davis and Toledo run to Byrne’s body, one man checking for a pulse while the other kicks the pistol out of reach. Jensen ignores them and stalks right up to Rand – the politician’s smug grin doesn’t crack, veneered teeth glinting.

“Ranger Ackles, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Jensen keeps his gun up, ignoring the way his arms are shaking.

“You’ve clearly done this town a great service,” McKellip says, his classic brown eyes facing off against Jensen’s unforgiving stare.

“And just how’d you know that?”

McKellip arches his eyebrow. “I’m hearing a lot of suspicion, Ranger. That’s strange considering I just saved your life.”

Jensen’s at a sudden loss. He hears sirens in the distance, the low rumble of multiple incoming vehicles, and footsteps approaching from behind. Cassidy appears at his side and, taking her cue from Jensen, she has her gun drawn.

“Sir”– she nods at McKellip’s gun –“you need to place your weapon on the ground.”

“Oh.” The politician’s demeanor changes immediately. “Of course! You must be Deputy Cassidy.” McKelliip pulls out the Silver Eagle and sets it down on the gravel a few feet in front of him.

She scowls as she picks up the hefty weapon. “And you are?”

“Randall McKellip, representative of the great state of Texas.”

“Texas?” Cassidy looks to Jensen and back. “What brings you all the way up here?”

McKellip’s smile is directed at Jensen. “Business.”

“Tell her what kind of business you’re here for, Rand,” Jensen taunts, unable to cover the imbalance in his voice. He regrets never having the chance to fill Cassidy in on McKellip’s involvement with Byrne.

“That’s a private matter, Ranger,” McKellip says smoothly. “I was driving through town and I saw the commotion. I support all members of the law enforcement community so I decided to follow and see if there was anything I could do to help, and it was a good thing I was here to see that man pull his weapon.”

Jensen pushes himself right into McKellip’s face. “Like you don’t know exactly who you shot!”

“Jensen!” Cassidy shouts.

“What?”

He looks at Cassidy but she’s pointing to the road. Three beige sedans are rolling into the lot leading an ambulance and a dark van. It ain’t difficult to pick out the reflective silver stars painted on each of the sedans.

Jensen groans. Looks like the cavalry is ridin’ in too late.

The lead car stops a few feet away, trapping Jensen, Cassidy, and Rand in the beam of its headlights. When the passenger door opens, Jensen hears a very familiar voice.

“Texas Rangers! We can take it from here.”

JD Morgan looks the way Jensen feels. Dark circles under his eyes and wrinkled clothing, his hair and beard uncombed. But his gaze is as strong and bright as the silver badge pinned to his jacket, and he stalks up to the group with a nearly identical man who climbs out of the driver’s seat.

“Captain Morgan, it’s good to see you!”

“Representative McKellip,” JD begins gruffly, “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Jensen’s never heard his captain lie before. JD must’ve put together the same pieces Jensen had and followed Rand to Colorado.

“Morgan?” The other man from the sedan steps forward. The Ranger’s star stands out on his all black ensemble, another light in the dark. His step carries a heavy swagger and he speaks with a thick accent. “You told me I’d get to shoot someone.”

JD snorts. “I think we might be a little late for that. Looks like we’ll be going back to our desks without any action.”

The other Ranger shakes his head. “I never should have taken this desk job.”

“Jensen, I don’t think you’ve ever met Sergeant Javier Bardem,” JD says. “He runs the Rangers here in Colorado.”

Jensen wants to shout over the introductions. Rand’s standing there like he belongs in their circle, no one but Jensen and JD any wiser to the situation.

“What did we miss?” Bardem asks.

McKellip starts runnin’ his mouth before anyone else can speak up.

“It looks like Ranger Ackles and the Deputy here managed to bring another criminal and his gang to justice. Tell me, Ranger, were these the same men who were selling illegal drugs in this territory?”

Cassidy comes forward. “Actually, they were–”

“They appear to be related,” JD cuts her off and throws a sharp look in Jensen’s direction. “But we might never know exactly what Martin Byrne, a known felon, was doing here in Idle. Does that name sound familiar to you, Representative?”

McKellip shakes his head, lips pulled in an exaggerated pout. “I can’t say that I know the man. Was he the one I shot?”

“You son of–”

“Ackles!” JD hooks Jensen’s elbow and pulls him aside. “I’d like a word with you, please.”

Behind Sergeant Bardem’s sedan, Jensen whirls on his captain.

“What the hell, JD?”

The man sighs. “Jensen, I know. Don’t even start.” He waves at Jensen’s gun. “I think you can probably put that away.”

“What are you doing, saying that Byrne was in league with the drug dealers?” Jensen asks, obliging his captain by holstering the weapon when JD just glares at him. It doesn’t quite fit and Jensen remembers that he’s been holding Byrne’s gun since he came outta the vault. “You and I both know–”

“We both know a lot of things that aren’t gonna matter,” JD says. “From what I can see, Martin Byrne won’t be talking.”

“Because McKellip conveniently arrived in time to take him out.”

“I’m sure he did.” JD shakes his head. “That’s part of the reason I’m here. I heard he was flying up this way and I had to follow after reading what I was able to dig up on his apparent connection to Martin. But we’ve gotta have a lot more than that to take on a Texas representative and all the power behind him. Right now, Rand would make sure we lose our jobs and there goes any chance we’d have to nail him down the road.”

The last flames of Jensen’s energy are smothered.

“You’re sayin’ there’s nothing we can do.”

“I’m telling you to let him go, Jensen. For now, anyway. We’ll get another shot at him, I swear.” JD’s eyes look him up and down. “But I think you’ve had a hell of a day, am I right?”

“Shit, JD,” Jensen groans. “You have no idea.”

“Maybe not,” JD says, nodding at something over Jensen’s shoulder, “but it looks like there’s someone waiting to see you back there.”

Jensen turns and sees Jared still standing by Mac Toledo’s police car. He’s rocking on his feet, arms wrapped around his chest like he’s fightin’ off a chill. The navy blue sweatshirt’s missing, leaving him in only his t-shirt. Cursing himself, Jensen drops his shoulders. He should’ve made sure the Doc was alright before anything else.

“Captain–”

“Ranger,” JD waves off the protest. “Let me handle this. That’s an order.”

He’s left with no choice when JD stalks away, heading for Bardem and McKellip.

Walking across the lot is difficult – so much happening around him that Jensen can’t connect to. The med techs are out of the ambulance, men and women in navy jumpsuits hovering over the officers and gathered around Byrne’s corpse with Mac Toledo giving ‘em orders. One of the techs runs up to Jensen with a kit in hand but is quickly rebuffed.

Rangers in khaki pants and black jackets are spread throughout the scene, dropping yellow flags like confetti to mark shell casings and blood stains. Every few seconds, Jensen sees a flash as someone photographs a piece of evidence.

Jensen steps around the body of Martin Byrne, unable to feel a lick of emotion for the fallen man. Justice ain’t always fair, but Byrne got what was coming to him. For Bryne, even a life sentence at a Union work camp would’ve been too kind.

Davis and Cassidy are talking on the steps of the bank. Cassidy sees Jensen but she only nods, lettin’ him get to the Doc first; he imagines she’s got a few things to say.

Jared’s doing his best to smile when Jensen reaches him.

“You’re alright?” Jensen asks at the same time Jared says, “When you went into the bank–”

They both pause. Jensen can see Jared’s fingers twitching where they’re tucked around his elbows. He doesn’t think, just steps forward and wraps his arms around the Doc’s shoulders, hauling him in close.

Obviously, Jensen left his last wit in the vault, but it’s worth feeling the Doc’s limbs wake up, bare arms unfolding to clutch at Jensen’s back. Jensen closes his eyes against the red and blue flashes that strobe through the night and steals this moment for himself.

“I’m really, really glad you’re okay.” Jared’s voice is muffled in Jensen’s shirt.

Jensen’s smile is lopsided. “Me too.”

He lets the Doc pull away even though being near him causes Jensen’s adrenaline to spike again and sets his blood on fire. Jensen oughta be dog-tired, but he’s struggling to find a connection he can hold onto in all this and Jared’s more than capable of taking his weight. He wants to take their bond and bend it, exploit it, and lose himself in it until he’s positive his heart’s still beating.

From the depth of the look Jared’s giving him, Jensen ain’t the only one thinking along those lines.

Before Jensen can say fuck it to crime scene procedure and whisk the Doc away from all their troubles, Cassidy pops her head into the moment. She’s as disheveled as the rest of ‘em, hair curling over her forehead where it’s escaped from her ponytail. Her shoulder holster’s empty – weapon already taken for processing, most likely – and her badge is pinned loosely to her t-shirt.

“Some night, huh?” She tries to laugh but it never reaches her blue eyes. “Jensen, about the vault–”

“Yeah,” Jensen says. “Something you forgot to tell me?”

“It was sort of your idea, you know.”

“What was?”

“Moving the cash,” she says. “Remember?”

Jensen thinks back to their stake-out conversation that morning. Feels like it happened a fuckin’ eternity ago.

“I started thinking about it,” she explains, “and when Davis showed up to relieve you, I told him about it. He thought it was a pretty good idea.”

Jared laughs suddenly. “No offense, but Davis thinks driving a tractor naked is a good idea. Seriously, I’ve seen him do it.”

Jensen shakes his head. “You moved everything? Where to?”

“That’s the thing,” Cassidy says. “We hadn’t come up with the right spot yet, so Davis and I were each driving around with half of the evidence in our cars. Sort of like moving targets, I guess. As soon as we came up with a good spot, I was going to radio you.”

“How’d you know Byrne and his men had brought us here?” Jensen asks.

“I swung back by the station to see if you were still there going over reports, and I saw your gun on the table…” She takes a deep breath. “That’s when I knew something had happened. I called Davis and then I radioed Toledo. He was already on his way up here with Fuller. The bank was the first place we checked and when we saw the van…”

Jared jumps in. “The men holding me freaked when they saw the police lights and they jumped out of the van.”

“We gave them a chance to surrender,” Cassidy adds, “but they opened fire on us.”

Jensen looks over his shoulder at the bodies laid out on the gravel and the swarm of lawmen buzzing around them.

“No loose ends,” he says.

Cassidy grins. “Not this time.”

“I think you might’ve saved my skin tonight, Cass.”

“Mine, too,” Jared says, pulling Cassidy into a hug. She barely clears Jared’s shoulders, lookin’ like a kid all wrapped up against the Doc’s bulk.

“What happened in the vault?” Cassidy asks once Jared releases her.

“Byrne was so damn shocked when he saw it was empty that he dropped his gun. Gave me the opening I needed.” Jensen smiles sincerely. “It was a good move, Deputy. If Byrne had gotten his hands on the money, I don’t think the Doc and I would be standing here, talkin’ to you.”

“Don’t act so shocked,” Cassidy teases. “I’m always going to do what’s best for this town.”

“You’re gonna make a great Sheriff,” Jared says, taking two steps closer to Jensen like he’s about to grab him and make a break for it.

Jensen would follow him anywhere.

A moment later, Davis calls over and waves Cassidy toward one of the bodies leaving Jensen and Jared alone behind Toledo’s car. Jared erases the remaining space between them and presses his lips to Jensen’s ear. Jensen tries hard to keep his knees from givin’ out.

“Can we get out of here?”

“Soon,” Jensen whispers, looking around to see JD staring right at him. One tilt of his captain’s head and Jensen knows he’s being summoned for something. He squeezes Jared’s arm. “Real soon, Doc. I promise.”



Jensen throws his hands out in the nick of time to keep his face from slamming into the bedroom wall. Jared drapes himself over Jensen’s back, all six-foot-four of him up in Jensen’s space, hittin’ every one of his sweet spots.

“I’ve never had life-affirming sex before,” Jared pants unevenly, wet lips gnawing on Jensen’s earlobe.

“You’re missin’ out.”

One of Jared’s hands settles low on Jensen’s belly, thumb stroking, and the other wraps around the bend of his throat.

“You do this a lot?”

Jensen feels the pressure of Jared’s palm on his vocal chords when he says, “Only when I save a hot doctor from some no-good gun runners.”

Jared purrs contentedly against his ear, nipping the skin fiercely enough to leave marks.

The aches and pains Jensen had suffered during the longest single day of his career don’t register over the need he feels now. He and the Doc had stumbled into the apartment, still hours away from sunrise, taken one look at each other, and fallen together. They’d clashed, tugging at clothes and belts and boots until they were totally naked, knocking into every piece of furniture on the way to Jared’s bedroom.

As soon as the door closed behind them – no sense lettin’ Mo get underfoot – Jared had torn himself away from Jensen’s lips and spun him toward the wall.

Jared ruts against the back of Jensen’s thighs, walkin’ a desperate edge. Following the pressure Jared’s hand is putting on his throat, Jensen tips his head back to the Doc’s shoulder.

“Against the wall, Doc?” Jensen teases. “That’s pretty ambitious.”

Growling, his mouth moving to kiss and lick in long tracks down Jensen’s throat to his shoulder, Jared tempers the power of his thrusts. Up high and down low, Jared’s hands stroke and flex, drawing involuntary shivers outta Jensen.

“Maybe,” Jared says, trying to reach Jensen’s lips and ending up a breath away. “Or maybe I just wanna have you all wound up for later.”

“Think you can keep me awake that long?” Jensen bluffs. Ain’t no rest for him now – heart pounding, body thrumming – until this eager, instinctive lust plays out between them. He’s wanted Jared from the moment the scene at the bank was cleared. He could hardly wait until JD finally gave him permission to leave.

“I’m not sure,” Jared answers, dropping his hand from Jensen’s throat to his inner thigh and tugging. “What d’you think?”

He spreads Jensen’s legs, shifting their balance, and takes some of Jensen’s weight onto his own wide stance. Jared drives his dick forward into the sweaty grooves between Jensen’s thighs, his other hand pushing back on Jensen’s stomach to cant his hips further out. Jensen rolls into the motion, holding Jared’s tongue hostage between their mouths as they strain to kiss. Jared breathes hard through his nose and little puffs of air hit Jensen’s cheek each time his thighs smack forward against Jensen’s ass.

“Doc,” Jensen moans when Jared attempts to bend one of his legs up against the bedroom wall, aimin’ to stretch him obscenely. “I don’t bend that way.”

He’s grateful Jared relents; Jared apologizes to his muscles with firm, massaging strokes while he fucks a little less frantically. It’s a hell of a lot better when his legs aren’t screamin’, just basking in the smells and sensations, the heat and the way Jared’s touch turns from tender to ravaging and back. Everything’s vivid and unexpected, all of it welcome.

Whether he’s taking pity on Jensen’s over-exerted muscles or ravenous for something new, Jared pulls his thick erection from in between Jensen’s thighs, grabs his arm, and turns him around.

Crossing to the bed, Jensen seizes control of Jared’s lips – he’ll never be able to get enough of that damn mouth: the split between Jared’s lips, the fine bite of his teeth, and the supple way his tongue lures Jensen’s further in. Jared is able to frame Jensen’s entire face with his unbelievably large and capable hands, reeling Jensen in.

Jensen sits on the bed, their kiss broken as Jared steps in front of him, splays his knees wide, and sinks to kneel on the carpet. The Doc raises his hands to skim along Jensen’s inner thighs, pushing them apart but watching closely for any strain crossin’ Jensen’s face, and brings them front and center to Jensen’s dick. Jared rubs him slowly with the underside of his fingers, makin’ sure Jensen’s watching as he comes forward with open lips.

“That was gonna be my move,” Jensen says, hooked at the first touch of Jared’s mouth.

Jared’s lips pout around the head of Jensen’s dick. He looks up. “Next time?”

“Oh yeah,” Jensen moans. Too much of a good thing is exactly what he wants right now, needing Jared’s mouth on him. He wants there to be a next time, and a time after that.

“Good,” Jared purrs, “now try not to fall asleep on me.”

Anything less than rapt, nerve-shattering attention is impossible. Jared’s fingers apply pressure between his legs; the Doc’s well-educated on all the sensitive bits of Jensen’s anatomy. His thumb gropes and pushes into the flesh behind Jensen’s balls. Jensen pulls away from the shock before sinkin’ right back into it, a wave of something pretty damn good sweeping over him.

Gettin’ this kind of pleasure is rare. Jensen ain’t unwilling but he keeps things simple when he’s on the road and he’s on the road all the time. No sense makin’ things complicated or more intimate than they oughta be; Jensen gets what he needs from the men he finds appealing here ‘n there, and doesn’t let anything keep him from moving on.

Fortunately, things change ‘cause Jensen wouldn’t miss this for all the oil in Texas.

There’s a dull pink flush to the skin of Jensen’s cock as it fills with blood, harder and slicker each time Jared sinks his mouth down. There’s a little fumbling at first, like maybe the Doc hasn’t done this in a while, but after that it’s all confidence and control. Later, Jensen’ll ponder the question of what Jared’s mouth does best, but in this moment his body wants what it wants, and it wants to be wrapped up in that heat, tickled by the wet flicks of Jared’s tongue up and down his dick. Like he can’t get enough, Jared buries his face in Jensen’s lap and goes to town, forcing Jensen’s cock deep almost to the point of choking.

For his own enjoyment and partly to ensure the Doc doesn’t wear himself out before Jensen’s through with him, Jensen wraps his fingers in Jared’s hair and tugs, hopin’ Jared will ease back up the gas a little bit. Jared pulls off and Jensen bends down to meet his mouth.

“No good?”

“Too good,” Jensen says, tangling the tips of his fingers through the damp hair at the back of Jared’s neck. The man sweats like crazy, like his entire person overheats when he comes skin-to-skin with Jensen.

As amazing as Jared’s blowjob skills are, Jensen doesn’t need to get off this way and he makes sure Jared knows that. Jensen remembers his promise from last time and he intends to follow through tonight. He keeps a loose hold on Jared, letting his cock slip outta that mouth every minute or so and bringing the Doc into a kiss. While they make out, Jared’s hands compensate for the lack of sweet, hot suction by jerking Jensen off slowly and surely, as if he knows Jensen’s body better than Jensen does.

Hell, it might be true.

Hands, mouths, and cocks are dripping and there are wet, garbled sounds comin’ outta Jared’s throat. Jensen falls back and the mattress is soft underneath his body, feather-top shaping to fit the curve of his spine and the breadth of his shoulders. His back muscles tingle as he finally lets go of the reins, body throwing caution to the wind and lettin’ it ride.

Leaning up on his left elbow, Jensen touches himself with his right hand – Jared watching outta the corner of his eye – nails scratching lightly over the thin, pale skin of his inner thighs. His blunt nails dig harder as he gets close: the dull edge of pain keeps him from flying apart too soon.

But the tease can’t go on forever and Jensen’s primed to get the show goin’. Jared pushes himself to his feet and crawls on the bed, nudging Jensen along with him until they’re lying side by side with their legs slotted together.

They kiss through the eye of the storm, ridin’ the waves that rock their bodies together. Jensen doesn’t even flinch when Jared growls and rolls them, pining Jensen to the sheets, keeping his discomfort to the back of his mind while they continue to slip their tongues back and forth between their lips.

Jared slides his forearms behind Jensen’s neck and crosses them, raising Jensen’s mouth so it’s his for the taking. Jensen finds himself gulping down air when he can just to keep his head from going all fuzzy, wedging one of his thighs up between Jared’s legs for a little payback. Soon enough, the Doc’s ripping away from the kiss – his hair’s a wild mess and he’s panting, mouth gaping as he looks down at Jensen.

“What d’you want?”

There’s just a hint of a cleft in the Doc’s chin and Jensen fits his lips around it, sucking on the sweaty skin and bumps of bone. He loses Jared’s question in a moment of distraction, too busy navigating every dip and dimple between Jared’s nose and his chin.

“Jensen,” Jared gasps, tilting his head up and away. “What do you want?”

“Ladies’ choice.” Jensen grins, tempting Jared’s lips closer. He’s rarely felt so loose and unburdened in bed with someone else, used to gettin’ off quick and efficient, and trying to forget the details before the sun comes up.

“Son of a bitch,” Jared whispers, showin’ off that smile. “I should leave you with nothing.”

“You wouldn’t,” Jensen says, making sure Jared can feel the full length of their cocks sliding together. “You want me to say it?”

A darker passion clouds Jared’s eyes. “Yeah.”

“You wanna fuck me, don’t you?” Jensen throws his voice as low as it’ll go and feels Jared’s arms shaking on either side of him.

“Jensen… Jen–”

The rest of Jensen’s name’s obliterated as Jared’s lips slam down on his. They drive right back into the storm and whip through the prep, too geared up to go slowly. Propped up on his elbows, Jensen’s mouth is watering as he watches Jared stretch a thin rubber over his cock and slick it up with a drizzle of lube. The sight’s intimidating but Jensen wants it, turning over onto his hands and knees, practically purring when Jared lines up behind him.

Neither of them have the patience to tease – Jared fucks his wet cock between Jensen’s thighs once before pressing in, slippery fingers working against Jensen’s ass.

They both gasp as Jared finishes his long, slow entry into Jensen’s body. The pressure nearly splits Jensen apart from the inside out, but he keeps breathing, focuses on the way Jared’s hands are holding his hips, trying to soothe.

As soon as the excruciating burn fades, Jensen pushes back.

“Oh…” Jared moans, letting out a long exhale. He takes the roll of Jensen’s hips as permission to thrust; his hands don’t stay in one place, constantly moving across Jensen’s lower back or around his thighs, stroking Jensen’s dick back to hardness.

It ain’t been so long that Jensen’s forgotten what it’s liked to be fucked, but Jared throws himself into the act with a single-mindedness that’s thrilling and consuming. Jensen takes every thrust – long, deep pushes that make his muscles tingle and sharper jabs that force a hiss out of his throat. He wants the pain because the pleasure that comes afterward is like a balm, warm and comfortable; every feeling reminds him that he’s made it through to fight another day and to enjoy the man he's with.

Jared slides out of Jensen’s body with no warning, settling his hand in the curve of Jensen’s lower back to keep him from turning around.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Jared pants. “I just want to try something.”

He drops to the bed and pulls Jensen into his arms, back-to-chest, slotting a thigh between Jensen’s legs and helping him raise one knee.

“This okay?”

“Yeah…just keep going,” Jensen says, throwing his head back against Jared’s shoulder as he’s stretched all over again.

Jensen’s toes curl involuntarily when he’s completely spread open around Jared’s cock, muscles locked and blood pumping hard through his veins. He gropes between his legs and twists his fingers around his dick, bucking into the slight pressure of Jared’s teeth skimming along his throat.

Jared uses his body ruthlessly, intending to ride him hard and put him away soaked to the bone and exhausted. He draws all Jensen’s got and scours for more, hands coaxing Jensen’s muscles to hold on for another minute – cling to the edge before letting go.

But tonight, Jensen’s body can only be pushed so far. He fights for enough coordination to strip his cock using the same fast ‘n shallow rhythm Jared’s fuckin’ him with, stomach seizing up as he comes hard. Jensen’s got nothin’ left after that, every reserve shaken right outta him along with his orgasm. Jared’s hips slam against his ass, chasing the same high, but Jensen can’t keep his leg raised anymore, his muscles dropping like lead weights. Jared grunts when Jensen lets his leg fall, his breathing labored.

Past the ache of coming so hard he thought he was gonna die, body slack and open, Jensen appreciates the thickness inside him, the mouth-watering way Jared fills his body and torments himself with tiny, impatient rolls of his hips. Jensen does ‘em both a favor and rolls forward, cool sheets like a balm on his sweaty chest, and feels Jared moving up and over him. Sprawling boneless against the bed, Jensen soaks up all the last-minute, frantic touches Jared gives him – a hand on the curve of his spine that slides quickly up to his shoulder, fingers curving around Jensen’s outer thigh.

He can’t angle his neck right to see Jared when he comes, but he’s able to feel that massive release of pressure, Jared straining forward for one last thrust before he’s toppling onto Jensen’s back and trembling through the kick of his orgasm. Jared’s mouth is by Jensen’s ear – he hears nothing like words coming out, just a bunch of nonsense – but Jensen goes warm at the touch of lips behind his earlobe.

Neither one of ‘em is inclined to move for a while after that.



The last stars fade into the dawn and Jared’s bedroom begins to lighten. They oughta be asleep but they’re not, and despite how tired Jensen is, part of him is glad to be awake enjoying the quiet.

Jared’s eyes are closed but his breathing’s too shallow for sleep. He’s lying on his side facing Jensen, and there’s a fine sheen of sweat lingering where his neck muscles join in a ‘v’ below his throat. Jensen shifts closer, feet searching out cooler patches underneath the sheets, and watches Jared open his eyes.

Everything they haven’t said hangs between them. If he could, Jensen would make it all up and disappear, ‘cause in the end, he’s got everything he needs and no amount of talkin’ can change that.

Jared’s first to give into the pressure.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “I mean, for telling them where the money was and–”

“I don’t care.” If Jensen says it harshly, it’s only to impress on the Doc how much he means it.

“But I should’ve–”

Jensen’s not gonna let the Doc finish a single thought at this rate. “No, you did what you needed to – what I should’ve done from the beginning. I’ll say thank you if it gets you to shut up about it,” he adds with a lighter tone, bringing his hand up to curve over Jared’s shoulder.

The Doc nods, grinning, but continues. “When that man told me what he was going to do, I just couldn’t keep quiet. This is my home and I wanted to do something to protect it, you know?”

Jensen squeezes the hard muscle under his fingers. “I was wrong when I called you an outsider.”

The Doc sighs, eyes dropping to the sheets. Jensen might fall asleep like this, one hand touching Jared and the wheels in his head finally slowin’ down. His eyelids are sagging when Jared speaks up again.

“Did I ever tell you why I came out here?”

“Don’t need to,” Jensen says, exaggerating a yawn thinkin’ it might clue the Doc in.

No such luck.

“California sucks,” Jared says, hiding behind his eyelids. “Maybe you knew that already, but I hated it. My parents were disappointed when I told them I was going to medical school. It was the best one in California, but they wanted me to become a computer engineer, work with semi-conductors like my dad did, and invent the next big thing. Having a doctor in the family was embarrassing.”

Jensen doesn’t mean to snort, but it sounds absurd. Any Union family would be proud to raise a man with Jared’s skills.

“You know how it is in California, right?” Jared opens his eyes and scoffs. “Why become something archaic like a doctor when you could be building and programming new machines to take the place of doctors and nurses? Still, when I graduated, I took a job at one of the best hospitals. My parents got fed up after that, like they finally realized I wasn’t gonna go back and change careers at that point. I guess that’s when things started falling apart around me. I had the job I wanted, but my mom ended up leaving my dad and moving to Seattle. My dad got remarried to this young engineer from his company and she had a baby not too long after. Figured he wanted a second chance to correct all the mistakes he made with me.”

“Doc–” Jensen tries to cut in. He hadn’t realized the pain that’d come with hearing Jared’s memories – he should’ve known better considering his own history.

“Hang on,” Jared says, forcing a smile onto his face. “So, that’s when I decided to leave. Nothing good was happening for me and I decided to move to a place where I might mean something. I didn’t care about standing out; I just wanted decent people to know my name. I guess I was looking for peace, which sounds so lame. I drove across the mountains and stopped in a few towns ‘til I came here and met Bill Conners, and you know the rest.”

“Guess I ruined that.”

Jared’s grin returns. “I can live with it. There’s more than one kind of peace.” He turns his head enough to pass his lips over Jensen’s fingers before falling back onto his pillow. “We should probably try and sleep, huh?”

“I knew you were a smart guy, Doc.”

Jared’s out first, rolling onto his back and hooking one foot around Jensen’s ankle. The wheels are turnin’ again in Jensen’s mind and he stares at the ceiling for a while.

Starting at daylight, Jensen’s got a lot to make up for. His badge is tarnished – the Rangers were powerless to put away the most dangerous kind of criminal: the one with the means to fund his aspirations – and there are more than a few things in Idle that need fixing, least of all the sheriff’s station. Not to mention, there’s a Californian doctor who came here lookin’ for a quiet life and found Jensen instead. Jensen owes the Doc some serious down-time.

He’s got his work cut out but he rolls onto his side with a smile on his face and slows the tempo of his breathing until it matches Jared’s.



Mo bounds across the parking lot to the man standing alongside the Sabre. JD Morgan leans down and gives the pup a good scratch behind the ears, smiling as Jensen walks to meet him. He’s wearing the same clothes he showed up in last night, face a little drawn but his eyes are bright and focused.

“This must be Mo,” JD says. “He’s a handsome fella.”

Jensen’s captain had radioed while he and Jared were eating breakfast and drinking the strongest coffee Jared’s machine was capable of brewing. JD had been waiting down in Jared’s parking lot, asking to see Jensen before he drove back to Denver with Sergeant Bardem and all of the evidence from Jensen’s case.

Jensen’s glad to see it go.

Clouds drift across the sky like white flakes in a sea of blue. Jensen had walked outside without a jacket, sleeves of his button-down rolled up to his elbow. He feels looser than he has in weeks, facing his captain with a clear path set in his mind.

“Is McKellip gone?” Jensen asks when Morgan straightens up.

JD nods. “Rand took off last night just as soon as Bardem was through getting his statement. He said he was in a hurry to get back to Texas.”

“Figures,” Jensen mutters. He hasn’t had enough coffee to mount another righteous fight over the politician.

“What about you?” Morgan asks. “When can I expect you back in Dallas?”

“Actually, I thought I might stay around here for a while,” Jensen says, taking a deep breath. “Rand and Martin could have accomplices we don’t know about, or Rand might send someone to clean up the rest of the mess.”

“And you don’t want to leave Sheriff Cassidy on her own yet, just in case something happens. Am I right?”

Sheriff Cassidy. Has a good ring to it, Jensen thinks.

Jensen shrugs and says, “Sure.” He already knows JD Morgan can see through his bullshit at fifty paces.

JD pretends to think hard on it. “I can add a few more paid weeks to the Idle job – due diligence and all that – to make sure Byrne’s scheme is all wrapped up.”

“Sounds good.”

The captain grins. “I’ll send you the paperwork then. Should I have it delivered to your room at the motel, or…”

“Might as well send here to the clinic,” Jensen finishes for him.

“Of course.” JD’s smiling so hard, his cheeks have gotta hurt. Jensen wants to scowl but he can’t. “Well, I guess I should head out. Can’t leave Bardem with the evidence too long or else his name will be the only one on the case! Man’s a hog for credit.”

He reaches down to pet Mo one last time. “I’ll call you in a few days, let you know how the case works out.”

Jensen steps forward. “Captain, did I ever tell you–”

“Goodbye, Jensen.” JD turns toward his car to hide his smile.

“Thank you,” Jensen says, knowing his captain won’t hear it.

He watches Morgan get in the car and stands in the lot until the beige sedan pulls away. At his heels, Mo woofs.

“You alright with sticking around here for a while, mutt?” Jensen asks. Mo woofs again and circles Jensen’s ankles, wagging his tail. “I bet you are – the Doc’s got your number down, you spoiled pup.”

Jensen looks up at the apartment window. Jared’s up there, probably brewing more coffee, sitting at the table and reading over all the appointments he’s had to cancel recently. But the Doc’s not working today; Jensen’s already made sure of that.

Mo barks, sharper this time, already halfway back to Jared’s door.

Jensen grins. “Yeah, Mo. Me too.”