Spinelli knew what he was doing, even if the looks Jason was sending him now he was disarmed and defenceless told him he was the only one who thought so. He was buying time, realizing Jason would have people coming for them.

Claudia wanted a hundred million dollars of untraceable bills in her off-shore account. She was a walking cliché of the criminal mastermind type but it didn't matter either way to Spinelli because he didn't plan on completing her request. After nearly an hour of frantic typing Spinelli got the signal he'd been looking for and just in time because Claudia was clearly growing impatient.

She dragged him up out of the chair he was sitting in but no longer tied to and pushed a gun against his head. "What's taking so long!"

Spinelli gasped as she pressed the muzzle into a particularly painful bruise located on his right temple and tried to concentrate through the discomfort. "I'm done! I'm done. All that is left to do is just press enter." He told her as he tried to calm Claudia down. He flashed a look of complicity at Jason as she turned to press the button indicated. It was the only warning he dared to give his ally.

"Good, I don't want you to be late to your own funeral." She smiled nastily. Claudia lifted her gun intending to fire as soon as she knew the transaction was through.

Even though he was expecting it, Spinelli discovered that he was no more ready for the shrill noise when it erupted then all the unsuspecting people in the room. He'd activated the fire alarm and turned the volume up so loud it was capable of damaging ear drums. Spinelli had also simultaneously turned on the sprinklers. The combined noise and drenching downpour occurred as soon as Claudia clicked the enter button and she dropped her gun in her haste to cover her ears.

Jason had her knocked down and restrained in only a few seconds. Almost at the same moment, several of the doors leading into the warehouse burst open and the place was suddenly swarming with police. In addition to the sprinklers and the fire alarm, Spinelli had sent out a silent alarm which hadn't sent any feed back to those in the warehouse so as to avoid alerting them about the incoming police presence. With one simple press of the enter key, everything quietened down as quickly as it had started. Watching from the sidelines, Spinelli saw Jason thank Sam for coming to the rescue. Turning to go, the boy disappeared before Jason noticed him huddled in the shadows. He whispered goodbye as he slipped out into the night.

---

When Spinelli got home he was prepared to tell Johnny they needed to go. He'd used part of the hour given to him to plan his getaway. He knew Jason had figured out who he was. He's been stupid to believe his identity could be hidden from the older man forever. Then, especially after his little show of his skills which he was so usually proud of, he knew Jason was certainly smart enough to make the connection between Damian Spinelli college student and the mysterious Jackal, extraordinary hacker. .

His heart tightened as he thought of leaving those gorgeous blue eyes behind but pure terror at Jason's possible reaction to his true identity had him rushing inside intent on packing and leaving town. Jason hated the Jackal. If Jason looked at him with half the disgust he held for his alter ego, Spinelli knew something inside him would break. He rushed to his room and started packing.

"Where do you think you're going?" The unexpected voice came from behind him.

Spinelli gasped and turned round to see Lulu leaning against the doorframe. She watched as he tried to straighten himself up. Wiping away the tears he hadn't realised were running down his face, he looked up at his only friend. She stood silently and waited but Spinelli had no answer with which to supply her.

"I honestly don't know." His voice was hoarse with exhaustion and tears as he finally spoke.

"Then why are you going?" She asked instead and blocked his way when he tried to get past her. He couldn't simply barge past her and she knew it. "I called Jason Morgan, just a second ago, told him you were here."

Spinelli choked. "Why would you do that? Please let me go. I need to be gone before he gets here." He started panicking when Lulu just shook her head, unwilling to set him free.

"What are you so afraid of Spinelli? Please, tell me, because you have to know Jason would never hurt you. I've seen how much he's come to care about you." She begged him to confide in her.

"That was before, now... he probably hates me." Spinelli told her. He could tell by the look on her face she didn't believe him. He didn't have long to wait before Jason arrived.

"Thank you, Lulu." Spinelli heard the voice he'd learned to love come from just inside the front door of the apartment. There was a very slight breathlessness to it and Spinelli wondered if he'd run to get here. "Can Spinelli talk to you in the morning?"

"Of course..." Lulu said smiling at him reassuringly.

Then she was gone and Spinelli watched Jason step into the room. He hadn't realized it was possible to feel two conflicting emotions of such magnitude all at once. Love was the strongest emotion as it sat first and foremost within his heart. He loved everything about the man standing in front of him. Yet, he also reluctantly felt fear as well. He'd seen through his surveillance, the swift ruthlessness Jason had applied against the brutal people who had taken his friend Lulu and others hostage. He didn't want Jason as his enemy, to look at him with his stone cold expression of disgust that he reserved for criminals.

Spinelli knew how absolutely Jason hated the Jackal. He'd said so on multiple occasions and now that same loathing would be directed at him, targeting him as the bad guy. Jason watched Spinelli curiously, he was puzzled by the expression on his face. He tried to move forward, to get closer to the hacker but was confused when Spinelli took several steps backward, clearly moving away from Jason.

"Spinelli," he said, his voice soft, even gentle. Still, unsure of the cop's intent, Spinelli pressed himself back into a wall. There was no where else for him to go and all Jason had to do was reach out to touch him. "Why'd you run?"

"Because knowing the way you feel about the Jackal and knowing you recently learned that he is who I am... I didn't want you to hate me..." Spinelli whispered opting for the simplest explanation. He stared at his shoes, terrified. He didn't have a clue what was going to happen next.

"I don't hate you, I couldn't." Jason said simply. "Before, I believed the Jackal had murdered innocent people and that's why I got so mad when he was mentioned. But after we argued I went over the case again and as far as I know you've only ever moved money around. And while that's still wrong," he chastised, "At least you took the money from criminals and gave it to worthwhile charities. Anyway, you made a deal with us, with me, didn't you? Those crimes are off your record."

"So you're not angry at the Jackal?" Spinelli asked, careful to not sound too hopeful.

"I'm furious." Jason snapped back at him, startling the hacker. "You almost got yourself killed tonight. Then when I try to find you and make sure you were all right, you disappeared. I was terrified some unchecked lackey had made off with you and this time I wouldn't be able to find you. Then Lulu called and told me you'd rushed home and were packing!"

"I'm sorry you felt fear on my behalf..." Spinelli started. Jason pulled Spinelli into his arms, growling with pent up emotion as he crushed him against his chest. Spinelli confused by the contact he instinctively knew Jason would usually be at pains to avoid couldn't move for a second. Then his arms rose to cautiously hug him back. He could feel the older man's heart racing. He'd been truly upset and Spinelli had caused him this undeserved worry. "I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry..."

"Don't..." Jason ordered him, pulling back slightly from the embrace. He dug his fingers into the back of Spinelli's hair and the younger man had to bit his lip to keep from groaning at the sensations the contact aroused within him. "Just promise me, you won't do anything that could get you taken away from me ever again. Promise me you won't get taken to jail, or murdered by psychopaths. Promise me you won't try to leave me..." Jason's voice wobbled slightly as he nuzzled Spinelli's face with his own. It was as if he was trying to prove that Spinelli was still really there.

He was lost; the heat and the care Jason was showing him threatened to swallow him up. Suddenly there was a dazzling line of heat tying Jason's lips to his.

"I promise," He gasped ready to give Jason everything in exchange for the ability to have this moment go on forever. He was rewarded for his words when firm lips brushed against his, hot and demanding as though they were trying to ignite a fire inside him. They succeeded, Spinelli melted into Jason. His arms moved of their own intent from Jason's waist to his shoulders. He leaned heavily against the wall, Jason's free hand pinning him so he couldn't slip even as Jason replaced the hand with the holding pressure of his entire body.

When they paused to breathe, Spinelli grinned. His smiling lips dragged against Jason's mouth as he planted a small kiss against them. "So..." He started, but couldn't stop smiling.

"So...?" Jason asked smiling back.

"Does this mean you do want to go out sometime?" Spinelli asked shyly. He was surprised when Jason barked out a laugh and tightening his arms about him, lifted him up and spun him around. Finally, Jason set him down on his feet and gave him a brief kiss.

"This means that I'm in love with you, idiot." Jason's tone was fondly exasperated.

Spinelli, still laughing from Jason's antics couldn't believe his ears. "What?" He asked incredulously, wanting to hear the words again.

"I love you." Jason said the words more quietly but his passion and sincerity were obvious.

"Er... wow...I love you too." Spinelli blushed as he blurted out his own feelings.

"I'm still mad though." Jason said trying to sound it but the effect was ruined by his evident delight. He grasped Spinelli's hands and examined the wrists. For the first time, Spinelli realised they were badly burned and cut by the rope's biting into them. "Come on," Jason's voice was tender and concerned,
"Let's get you to the hospital where they can check you out."

"It's not necessary, Stone Cold," Spinelli protested but he couldn't sway Jason who was already leading him toward the door. With a happy sigh he followed his newly declared lover, it felt wonderful to have someone who cared about him and would be there for him. Spinelli would have to remember to thank Lulu in the morning or maybe later...

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Thanks for reading , hope you liked the story. Thanks to Suerum who beta'd my last 3 chapters for me.