When Ellen saw that Duncan was coming into the kitchen, her spine immediately stiffened. She looked down at her hands, unsure if she'd be able to look at him without blushing. What was he going to say? What was she going to say? Who was going to talk first?

Duncan walked straight into the kitchen and stopped right in front of her. For a moment, she couldn't look at him, but when she finally raised her eyes, she noticed that they were both confused and at a loss of what to say.

Ellen decided that she should speak first, but she had no idea what to say so her words came out in a jumble. "Uh…about last night…" she began.

Duncan's pupils dilated as he quietly muttered, "Right…" and then looked down.

"I mean…uh…everything's been so…confusing and…heightened," she couldn't help but let her voice rise in pitch at the word 'heightened'.

Duncan gave a small nod of his head in understanding.

Her words were coming easier now, almost in a courageous rush, "I know what I'm supposed to feel…I'm supposed to hate you, but…uh..." The next two words were harder to say, so she had to clear her throat, but the words still came out in almost a whisper, "I don't…" she finished, looking him right in the eye. She couldn't believe she had the courage to say what she just said.

Duncan closed his eyes for a moment as he sighed inwardly and then quietly said, "Well I'm glad to hear that." He wasn't exactly sure when he had started to care so much about what she thought of him.

His simple statement made Ellen take a sharp intake of breath. She felt like she was magnetized and that Duncan was drawing her to him. Ellen took a tentative step towards him and began to lean in, waiting for his response.

"Ellen, we can't," Duncan said with strained breath, "We need to focus right now on what really matters: saving our families."

The mention of her family brought Ellen back to the present.

"Yeah."

"We're doing the right thing," Duncan affirmed by resting one of his hands on top of one of hers on the kitchen counter.

Ellen nodded her head like she was listening; however, she couldn't help but replay Duncan's previous words in her head: "Right now," he had said. Would something between them be possible in the future? Ellen couldn't believe that she was hoping so…

Lost in her own thoughts, Ellen hadn't realized that Duncan's hand was still on hers. Her eyes shot from his hand up to his eyes which were still locked on her. Now it was Duncan's turn to lean in and Ellen didn't move away.

"Ellen, we shouldn't…" Duncan's voice was a whisper, "not again…"

But the battle of will was already lost as Ellen closed the gap between them. This kiss was different from the first. The first one had been passionate from excitement. This kiss was soft and slow. It revealed the need and desire between both of them. It showed how Ellen needed Duncan just as much as he needed her.

The kiss couldn't last long though as neither knew who was around or if anyone was watching. When the kiss broke, it wasn't awkward or confusing like the first kiss, this time Ellen and Duncan both had small smirks on their faces, which represented the secret relationship brewing between them that neither would divulge to anyone.