Tristan pulled up to Tanner and Aja's house and got up the stairs as quickly as he could. He rang the doorbell and she answered almost immediately.

"Yer late."

"I know. I would have brought you flowers, but then I would have been later." He gave her his most charming smile.

"It's ok." She smiled as she kissed him. When she pulled away. "Gave me more time to worry over bringing the right clothes." She stepped aside and let him come in. He noticed four small suitcases.

"You know it's a weekend, right?"

"Yes. Silly." She walked over to the first one. "Cold weather. Warm weather. Mixed." She paused as she reached the fourth one, and gave him a grin. "Never leaving the hotel." She chuckled as he blushed. "That's adorable." She held his gaze a bit longer, then returned her attention back to the suitcases. "So which one am I taking, since ya won't tell me where we're going?"

"Can I see what?s in the never leaving the hotel one?" Tristan smiled.

"A joke" And a risqu" one at that! My god. Are ya alright?" She was grinning, apparently the other night when she mentioned he didn't seem to make many jokes, he had been listening. He blushed again, and shuffled his feet slightly. "It was good." He smiled at that, then looked at the suitcases again. He took a couple steps towards her, as he stood next to her, he pretended to be thinking about the present problem. Finally he said.

"Bring the third one." He gave her a gentle kiss. "But you must promise to show me what?s in the fourth at a later time." She smiled at him. Tristan picked it up for her and set next to the door. "Are you ready to leave?"

"Yeah." She walked behind him to the door. He waited for her to lock it and held her hand as they descended the stairs. He opened her door for her, waited for her to be settled, and shut it. Putting her case in the back seat, he got in and smiled.

"I really hope you like this place."

"You still won't tell me?"

"No. I want it to be a surprise." He smiled at her like a child at Christmas. "Promise you won't ask?"

"Alright. I promise I will not ask where we're going." He kissed her hand, and started the car. They drove off into the night, holding hands as he made their way out of town. She noticed he even had music going that she had played for him at dinner one night. She smiled at that. She herself, had picked up books she heard him talk about. They were becoming part of each other's worlds. Different as they were, they were able to find that rare common ground, and still allow the other to be who they were.

When he pulled off the highway, she wondered if he was lost. But she held to her promise and didn't ask. About 8 miles up the road, they pulled into a driveway, that circled around to the most beautiful house she had ever seen. The sign out front read "Starlit Bed And Breakfast." She turned and looked at Tristan who was smiling.

"Tristan....This is gorgeous."

"Wait till you see it in the day light." He parked the car, got out and opened her door. She stood looking at the massive structure in awe. It had clear twinkle lights framing the building. The entrance was an A frame section, the rest looked like a classic Victorian era. She was taking in the garden in the front when Tristan spoke again. "Let's go inside." She nodded and followed him up the walk. A doorman opened the door and took the bags from Tristan.

"Checking in, Sir?"

"Yes."

"Right this way, Sir." The doorman led the way to the desk, and tipped his hat at Tristan before returning to his post.

"How can I help you?" The woman behind the desk asked. Aja was still looking around at the place. It was exquisitely maintained, and decorated.

"Tristan Larson. I have a reservation."

"Certainly. Welcome Mr. Larson. Your room is ready for you. Ben will take you up to it. It's the Emerson suite, as requested." Tristan thanked the woman, and gently took Aja's arm.

"Aja?"

"Oh, yes. Sorry."

"It's alright. I'm glad you like it."

"Like it' I love this." Aja smiled, the look on her face was like a kid at Christmas. She once told him that even though she was no carpenter, she liked architecture. So, he remembered staying at this place once, with his family. He had liked it then. And had been back several times.

Ben, the doorman opened their door for them, as he brought their luggage in, he told Tristan where everything was. Aja was already exploring the suite with the look of rapture on her face. Ben accepted the tip from Tristan and left. Tristan stood watching her for a moment. He took off his jacket and laid it on the chair. She was staring out the window.

"Oh. There's a lake."

"Yes. The water is so clear, you can see all the way to the bottom. Watch the fish swim by."

"Tristan, this place is amazing." She turned to look at him. "It's too much though."

"I wanted this weekend with you to be special." he put his arms around her, pulling her to him. "I wanted to get away from the city, my work, your work...and just spend time alone with you." She thought about that, and smiled slyly.

"Oh?"

"No demands. I promise...Unless...you wanted..." he got flustered. A condition she found to be cute. "I just wanted to be alone with you."

"Pity. I was hoping for something a little tawdry." She grinned and winked at his look of shock.

"Then you should have brought the never leaving the hotel suitcase." His uncharacteristic comment made her laugh.

"Who says I didn't plan for tawdry with the other bags?" Aja loved the look on his face. "So sweet." He blushed again at her comment.

They got into comfortable clothes, and went and sat on the balcony.

"This is beautiful, Tristan. I won't know how to thank you for bringing me here."

"The look on your face is thanks enough." She leaned over and kissed him.

"So, tell me more about Tristan the boy."

"You really want to hear this?"

"I wouldn't have asked, if I didn't."

They talked for hours, trading stories from their childhoods. When it got a little chilly outside, they came in. Tristan went to light a fire in the fireplace, while Aja excused herself to the bathroom. He didn't even notice her taking the suitcase with her.

"How's that fire coming?" She asked from behind him, as she clicked on the radio, soft music filled the room.

"It's going pretty good, should be warm in here in...." he turned and stared at her standing there in a royal blue negligee, her long hair down around her shoulders. She smiled and he stood while finishing his sentence. "A minute."

"Just warm?" Aja raised an eyebrow, and gave him a sly grin, walking closer as she said. "I was hoping for hot."

"It's definitely gotten a lot warmer in here in the last few seconds." Tristan swallowed hard, trying to control his breathing. She looked so beautiful. He couldn't look away.

"Why don't you get into something more comfortable." she grinned. "Or out of it. Whatever works."

"Aja..you look...beautiful."

"Thank you. I was hoping you'd like it."

"I think....." he took a step forward. She met him halfway.

"You think what?"

"I can't even form a coherent thought right now." She smiled softly and touched his face. Gently she touched his face, then let her fingers trail down his chest to the edges of the sweater, then started to pull his sweater up over his head,

"Well, good thing for you that feeling doesn't require thought." She tossed the sweater to the side with a smile. "Dance with me, Tris." She took his hand, and put her arm around him. He held her so gently.

The swayed to the music from the radio, kissing and touching. Eventually the dance was forgotten, all other things were forgotten but each other. They slowly made love by the fireplace, taking time to explore one another. When they finally made it to the bed exhausted, the sun was coming up.

"Sunrise. When did that happen?" Tristan asked caressing her shoulder.

"I don't know. I really haven't been keeping track of time." She kissed his chest, smiling.

"I haven't either."

"Good to know." Tristan stared at the dawn overtaking the land for a long moment before looking at her again.

"Aja, you're the first woman I've been with in quite a while....I had kind of given up on love."

"Are ya sorry about that?" She laid still waiting for his answer.

"No...no. God no. I just..." He sat up on his elbows to look at her. "I just thought you should know that I...am not taking this relationship lightly."

"Good. Neither am I." She leaned up and kissed him. They deepened the kiss, and got lost in each other all over again.

After napping, Tristan was the first to wake. He watched her as she slept, feeling happier than he had in a long while. He gently got out of bed and wandered into the bathroom.

Aja woke to the sound of the shower running. She smiled as she got up, and joined him. Later on, they were dressed and getting ready to head down to what was now, lunch.

"Wow. I don't even feel tired." Tristan said surprised, Aja kissed his neck and smiled.

"We could always skip lunch, try to make it for dinner."

"You're a wanton woman."

"Yer fault. I was a perfect angel before I met you." She laughed, Tristan couldn't help it. He was so happy, he laughed too.





They enjoyed a sinfully delicious lunch, went for walk down by the lake. She was wading in the water looking at the rocks beneath her feet. Tristan joined her, trying to look at what she was seeing.

"Strange to think these rocks were here, hundreds..possibly millions of years." Aja said, her voice taking a tone of child like wonder, which he found to be charming.

"Yes. It is a little odd to think about."

"It's cool to think about it. And somewhere out there," she waved a hand towards the horizon. "two people are doing the very same thing we're doing." She smiled brightly and looked at him.

"They could only hope to be this lucky." Tristan threw his arms around her and held her tight. A fish swam up and took an experimental nibble on his ankle. "Ow." Tristan jerked enough to throw them both off balance and into the lake. She laughed happily. Tristan just sat in the water and stared at her.

"How can you think this is funny?"

"It's very funny, Tristan." She was still smiling when she started to move to deeper water and swim a little. "Come on, we're already wet. Have some fun!" He stared after her, then decided she was right.

They got out after a while, drying out on the rocks in the sun. Talking and laughing like they hadn't a care in the world. When it started to get dark, they ran up to the room and changed for dinner. Dinner was an intimate affair. Talking about dreams they had, and lost. Sharing pieces of their current lives with each other. Both of them steered away from work topics pretty easily, this was their time and the yards could wait.

They made love that night, falling asleep in each other's arms. The next morning came, this time, Aja was watching Tristan as he slept. He opened his eyes. Blinking a few times to clear his vision.

"Good morning." he smiled, she returned it gently.

"Morning, Tris."

"How long you been awake?"

"A while."

"And you've been watching me sleep?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"You look so peaceful. The lines around yer eyes disappear, the worries that cloud your mind while yer awake are gone. Ya look so sweet."

"I have a lot on my mind most of the time." He said smiling at her softly.

"Oh, I know." She smiled and slid from bed. "I'm going ta take a shower." she leaned down and kissed his neck, nipping gently on his ear and whispered. "Ya wanna join me?" Aja didn't wait to see what his answer was, she skip hopped into the bathroom with a small giggle.

They didn't want to leave, but it was time. They drove back to the city. Holding hands the way they did on the way up. When he got to her house, he took her suitcase up for her.

"I don't want this weekend to end." He touched her face gently.

"Doesn't have to end right now. Ya could always come in, we could...find something to do." She smiled that bright smile he loved so much.

"Or you could come back to my house, Aja."

"I have to be up early." She hedged.

"I own an alarm clock."

"I'll need stuff."

"I can wait for you to gather it."

"I don't want to intruded on yer privacy."

"I'm asking you to." Tristan leaned on the doorframe, "Do you not want to be there?"

"No. I want to be there...I just don't want ya ta get sick of me."

"Couldn't happen." He replied smoothly, watching her open her door, and go inside.

"It could." She said over her shoulder, he shook his head with a smile.

"It won't." He answered keeping the pace of the banter up. She shut the door behind him, putting one hand on either side of him, she pushed her body against his, seductively.

"How do you know?" She asked with the sweetest expression of worry on her face, he tried not to think about picking her up and carrying her into the bedroom.

"I just do. I'm the man."

"Women know everything." She corrected with a sly grin. "Ya wanna plug into the network and find out?" He blushed at what she implied. "I think that is the sweetest thing."

"Embarrassing me?"

"That's an side affect of working at a bar. But the blushing thing is the cutest I've ever seen."

"I'll show you cute." He gave into the thought, and swept her up. Aja gave a surprised shriek, then laughed as he carried her down the hall to her bedroom.

Hours later, it was dark again.

"We have an amazing ability to make the time speed by." Tristan said glancing at the clock.

"Yeah." She stretched. "We do seem to be pretty good at that." Aja rolled, and then straddled him. He looked up at her naked form, with a slow smile. "What's with that sly grin" Ya can't possibly be ready to do all that again."

"Sure I could." he smiled. "But at that moment, I was just thinking how beautiful you were."

"Oh." Her turn to blush. He noticed she always did that whenever he said that. She had to know that she was pretty. Didn't she"

"You know I think you're gorgeous." his hands grabbed her hips gently. "And sexy."

"Yer turning into a sex addict, Mr. Larson."

"You're my cure." He smiled and flipped her underneath him. They laughed and played for another few hours. Till they both fell asleep.

The next morning, the alarm went off. She went into the kitchen, started the coffee and began to make breakfast. He took a shower. When he came out, he took over and she went to take a shower. They made a pretty good team in the morning. Silently doing the things they needed to do, while making sure the other got what they needed. When he was ready to go, he kissed her gently.

"I had the best time this weekend."

"Me too. I don't know how to thank ya." Aja smiled at him.

"I can think of a few things." Tristan grinned. She laughed and shooed him out the door.

"Yer gonna be really late if we even start that. Go. See ya tonight?"

"Wild horses couldn't keep me away." He waved and went down the walkway towards the yards. She waited a bit, with a smile about the way this thing with Tristan was going and then set out the door herself.

Tristan was humming while he walked to his office. Rico was sitting in his chair, and Murray was in the one across from him.

"Good morning, Tristan. Have a good weekend?" Tristan just smiled broadly and dropped his case next to the desk.

"Not even you are going to spoil my mood today, Rico." He started the coffee maker in his office, still humming to himself.

"Ooooh." Rico said teasing his friend. "I'll take that as a yes." Rico grinned and left Tristan's office. Murray stayed behind.

"You seem to be in a wonderful mood, Tristan."

"I am, Murray. I am." Tristan smiled at his friend. "We had the best time this weekend."

"May I ask your destination?"

"I took her to this little bed and breakfast I know of. Right on the lake."

"Sounds very nice."

"It was." Tristan smiled thinking about how they spent most of their time there.

"I am pleased that you seem so happy."

"Thank you, Murray." Murray nodded and left Tristan alone.

Weeks later, everyone could see the change happening with Tristan. He was happier than anyone remembered seeing him. His excitement over new discoveries was tempered but still there. He no longer worked all night alone in his office, he would often work till Aja's shift was almost done, but then you couldn't hold him back. He was out the door like a flash. He even looked healthier, according to Parker, the newly appointed medic.