Now it was three days later, with her story written, Amy sat in her apartment thinking hard about the events in New Mexico. She took a sip of her coffee and screwed up her face. It had gone cold.

When eventually it had been safe for her to meet back up with the team, Face had seemed his usual normal self towards her. In fact it was as if nothing had happened between them. She wondered if she should have made the comment about him being a crummy husband. Had he taken it to heart? She'd only wanted to seem normal with him, around the rest of the team. Now it was starting to frustrate her, she hadn't seen or heard from him in the last three days and she needed to give her boss Eldridge an answer about the promotion. In annoyance, she pushed the piece of paper away from her.

Was he avoiding her? Had it all been a mistake?

Her thoughts raced over what was practically eighteen months now that she'd been on the team. Was she prepared to give them up? Did she have a choice?

Amy had fallen in love with four guys that just meant the world to her. Murdock was her crazy older brother, behind BA's scowls was a soft heart and good friend and Hannibal, well he was the Colonel, he was the one that had got her on this jazz! He kept her in touch and reminded her often that she didn't have the same training and expertise as his men, but all the same she was a valued member of the team. Then her thoughts came back to Face. When she first clapped eyes on him in the flesh, he was more handsome than his photo in his file did him justice; especially when he flashed his smile. But she knew he was out of bounds. Hannibal would never have allowed it and if she had any chance of staying on the team it would have to remain that way. But would he be okay with it now?

Obviously there was the initial flirtatious advance from Face when Amy was the "client". But as soon as she was on the team, the relationship with Face was as one of the guys. Besides she wasn't even that sure she was actually his type, when she thought about the usual different bombshells that he had on his arm frequently. Over time, she'd got to know him. She knew that Face wasn't the kind of guy to give commitment and the word "relationship" made Face run a mile, it just wasn't in his vocabulary! Amy could only assume that with the kind of women Face chose to date, either the pillow talk must have run dry by a couple of weeks, or they'd mentioned that dreaded word "relationship" and hence non of his women were on his arm for very long. Had she just become one of those women?

Whilst on the team, she was sure she had got to know Face probably better than any other woman he'd been with. Amy saw the girlfriends come and go, the conman at work, this loveable rogue that could pretty much scam anything from anyone, she'd see the moaning and complaining, but she also saw the caring side to the man who'd once loved and even considered marriage long ago. Face was able to open up to Amy better than with any of the guys, and he knew it. Not that Face opened up much, but when he did, he'd choose Amy as his confidant. He did find her easier to talk to, knowing she wouldn't instantly make fun of him when he wanted talk. Amy was pretty confident that she could see his scams, most of the time, from a million miles away, except when it meant using her brand new little car as a getaway vehicle…she smiled, she'd never quite forgive him for that!

In New Mexico was he just trying to lure her into bed like all the others? Had she just been another notch on his bedpost, just another fuck? Well it had worked. Face had been persistent and Amy just couldn't resist that smile any longer.

Staring into the cold cup of coffee, mulling over the prospect of Jakarta. Decker had got close this time. And what was going on with Face?

Amy decided that she couldn't stay to watch Face's women come and go. Especially, if she'd just turned into one of his conquests. Could she sit there and watch him hit on the next woman, like he would when they got their next job? She wasn't sure if she could handle it now with what had gone on between them, their relationship had changed. She could before, in fact it used to amuse her, but now the tables had turned. She wasn't even sure if there would be tension between them, which the rest of the team would notice. Hannibal would definitely notice. But if Face felt the same about her, then things could maybe be different and they could work something out. Hannibal might even be okay with it.

'I'll give him the choice; let him decide whether I stay or go', she thought. 'If he has any feelings for me, he'll ask me to stay. Won't he?'

….

Amy took a deep breath to calm herself. It was quite late, but she just had to get this over and done with. She had been standing there for at least ten minutes building up the nerve to knock.

Eventually she knocked on the door of Face's new luxury apartment, another scam of his. It was amazing he hadn't run dry all of the luxury apartments in LA yet, Amy thought.

"How do you do it?" Amy said as Face finally opened the door, taking in the huge luxury apartment that was showing from behind it. "Actually don't answer that, I actually know!" she said as Face was about to try and explain but instead flashed his smile. Face welcomed her in. He was wearing a dark blue bathrobe, as if he'd just got out of the shower or bed, Amy couldn't decide, although his hair looked a little damp.

"Look if you're busy," expecting a half-naked woman to roam out of the bedroom "I can come back later, I just…" she tailed off. This was going to be hard. "I just need to talk to you," she said more assertively. She nervously sat down on the huge chocolate brown leather couch and sank into its softness. Damn, she really didn't want to be here, but then she did. Face was looking extremely handsome which wasn't making this any easier. Memories of New Mexico flashed in her mind.

"No, no, I'm not busy. Would you like a drink? I've opened a bottle, care to join me?" Face raised the bottle of red wine in Amy's direction.

"Yeah, sure" Amy replied. She thought that would help ease her nerves. Her heart had started to beat fast and loud, it felt like Face could probably hear it. Face on the other hand, was seeming rather calm and his usual self towards her. Amy wasn't sure if this was a good or bad thing.

Face handed her a glass and looked as if he hesitated to sit next to her but then sat on a couch opposite her.

"I've been offered a job, International Correspondence," Amy came right out with it. She felt this wasn't the time to beat about the bush at least about this, although she couldn't tell him how she truly felt. He'd freak, wouldn't he?

"Great, Amy. That's really great." Face said enthusiastically. He raised his glass and gently tapped it against Amy's for it to make a ching sound, as if in celebration.

"Just don't know whether to take it." She paused. She looked him right in the eyes. "It means leaving the team. It's in Jakarta."

"Oh" Face's smile dropped. "Does Hannibal know?"

"No, not yet, I've come to you first." She crossed her legs uncomfortably. She was wearing her usual white dress, with white boots that complimented her long tanned legs.

"Because…" Amy paused, "I'm asking you for advice. I want to know what you think. Should I take it? Do you think I should move on?" Then she took a big gulp of her wine, waiting for Face to respond. Basically, 'do you want me to go Face', is what she was asking and thinking. She tried keeping her eyes fixed upon his.

Face hesitate as if in deep in thought and then replied. "Amy, I can't make that decision for you."

This was not the answer Amy was looking for.

"I'm not asking you that" although she was. "Just, just…" for a reporter she was definitely having difficulty with her words. She took another sip of her wine. "Just with everything that happened, in New Mexico, Face, would it be best that I left?" Did that sound right? She thought. Will he admit his feelings for her or will he want her to leave so he doesn't have to admit to the rest of team what they've done? And cannot undo.

"Look, kid… Amy, if this is what you want then you've got to take it. I'm not going to stop you. I don't want to hold you back in your work, in your career." Face drank his wine, emptying the glass, stood up and walked over to the table where the open bottle of wine stood and poured himself another glass.

Amy didn't know whether to confess her feelings or would this just make Face run a mile. The Face she knew would run a mile! Or was he already running? If he really loved her, wouldn't he say? Wouldn't he make the first move? He certainly did in New Mexico she thought. She just wanted him to say what he felt and then she could tell him her feelings.

Amy broke the silence between them.

"You know those few nights in New Mexico were fun, Face."

"Yeah they were," he smiled over to her.

"I'll never forget them."

"Neither will I." he groaned in his "oh boy" kind of way.

"I certainly learnt why you get the girls! You are good, I've got to hand it to you" Amy finished her glass of wine and put the glass down on the glass coffee table in front of her. "But you know I'm an all or nothing type of girl. And I can't stay around you and watch you come and go with other women like you do. Not now, not after those few nights."

Face remained silent.

Amy stood up and walked over to him, and looked deep into his blue eyes. Again, they showed no answers. He put the glass and bottle that he was holding down onto the table. As she leant in towards him, he raised his right hand and placed it affectionately around her cheek, to hold her as they kissed. As their tongues touched and caressed she wrapped her arms around his neck and gently brushed her fingers through his hair. Face pulled her closer and tighter towards him. She could feel herself melting back into his arms.

Then after what felt like eternity to Amy, she pulled herself away before they got carried away again. Neither of them saying a word, she slowly walked to the front door, Face following her.

"It won't be forever, you'll stay in touch, right?" Face asked. "You'll call us whenever you're in LA?"

She opened the door and turned to face him, but she couldn't quite look him in the eye. "Of course." Amy lied.

She looked again into his eyes, finding it difficult to pull herself away for the last time. She kissed him again, this time just gently on the lips.

"Just look after yourself, huh?"

He smiled at her words.

Tears were starting to well up in her eyes, but he mustn't see. So she walked through the door not looking back, and as the door closed behind her, she blinked allowing the tears to flow from her eyes. She knew what she must do; she'd say her goodbyes to Murdock, BA and Hannibal as soon as possible and leave.

…

On the other side of the apartment door, Face stood his hand on the door handle. He wasn't totally sure he could let her go. Should he open the door and call her back? Should he admit his feelings? Did he love her? He wasn't sure what this ache in his chest actually meant, he hadn't felt it before, but he certainly couldn't stop thinking about her. The last three days all he'd thought about was her. But he was unsure about how she truly felt about him and wasn't prepared to bare his soul to another woman. He'd been burnt once and never again, he had vowed that to himself over fifteen years ago.

Finally, Face let go of the door handle.

END