Here's an older FF story I was working on and finally got done. I hope you enjoy it, thanks for reading and the feedback! I'm borrowing a character from another show but wasn't sure I borrowed him enough to make it a cross-FF story. This one takes place after the third season episode involving the religious cult and at the end she decides to go to Hawaii for some much needed R&R. It's also part of the "Glimmer of Twilight" story tract.

C.J. settled down on her towel and looked back out towards the ocean, washing the surfers catch the largest waves and ride them into the shore. She had taken a brief swim in the warm water herself before heading back to the beach to relax in the sun.

She had been staying in Oahu for nearly a week since she left L.A. for some rest and recreation after having spent a month recovering from a bullet wound that she had suffered on a case she and Matt handled involving a religious cult. The wound had healed well enough for her to leave the hospital but her doctor had recommended that she take some time off to recover more fully before returning to the grind of working for a private investigation firm.

Not that she minded being ordered to take a vacation at all. She had picked out Hawaii because Matt had offered her the use of his condo that he normally offered out to business clients doing work for his conglomerate. He had the pilot fly her to the tropical paradise in one of his Lear Jets and she had spent most of the past week hiking in the nearby rain forest, checking out the local haunts and reading a collection of books on the beach. What she wasn't doing was spending any time on anything related to business and Matt hadn't delivered on his threats to send a batch of paperwork for her to address on a plane out to Hawaii. But he had called her every evening to check on whether or not she had stuck to her promise of taking care of herself and having a good time so that she could return to L.A. fully recuperated from her injuries.

She barely felt the gunshot wound anymore, except when she twisted her waist and even then, it was just a brief stab of pain, no doubt the scar tissue inside her body tugging on the healthier tissue. The bullet had done its damage but the surgeon had deftly repaired it and then pumped her full of antibiotics to kill off the infection which resulted from her delay in getting it treated. It had been touch and go for a while but she had pulled through and Matt had been at her side through most of it.

"Hey C.J., I thought I'd find you down here," a woman's voice said.

C.J. looked up to see Alicia with two drinks in her hand. She took one of them and sipped it.

"Is this iced tea," she asked.

Alicia smiled.

"That and a little something else."

"It tastes good," C.J. said, "So are you on for dinner tonight?"

Alicia nodded and sat down on the sand, spreading her towel.

"How's the patient?"

C.J. rolled her eyes.

"I'm doing just fine," she said, "A little bit of a scar but I've been shot before."

Alicia's eyes widened.

"Are you sure you picked the right line of work," she asked, "I mean there's many other ways to make money with a law degree."

C.J. smiled.

"I love working with Houston," she said, "We've helped a lot of people in the past several years. It just gets dangerous sometimes for both of us."

Alicia sipped her drink.

"I read the newspaper about the whole situation with Peg Allison and her money," she said, "A very messy situation."

C.J. couldn't argue with that. Matt and she had been contacted by Peg's family to try to talk her into leaving the cult and returning to them. But the young woman had been so thoroughly brainwashed that they had resorted to extracting a blood sample from her to test for mind altering drugs. They had been walking out to the helicopter with the potentially incriminating evidence when the shots rang out with one of them slamming into her side and knocking her off of her feet.

"Very messy indeed but it ended happily."

"She's back with the family who loves her and you're recovering in one of the most beautiful islands in the world."

"Indeed I am," C.J. said, "and I'm enjoying my stay."

Alicia's smile grew larger.

"It's also one of the most romantic spots in the world."

C.J. smiled.

"I'm aware of that too."

Alicia leaned closer.

"So have you met anyone yet?"

C.J. rolled her eyes.

"I'm not looking," she said, "I'm just here to relax and have a good time."

Alicia folded her arms.

"So, who said anything about it having to be serious?"

C.J. sighed, thinking back to her last serious relationship which had been with a college friend of Matt and hers named Robert Tyler. He had flown into L.A. for a news anchor position at a local station and had knocked her off of her feet. Unfortunately what he hadn't told her is that he was so ambitious to move up the career ladder that he wasn't above committing major crimes including kidnapping and murder. Not exactly the qualities she was looking for in a man she might have considered marrying at one point. When he tried to get someone to kill her best friend for getting too close to the truth, well that had been war as far as she had been concerned. It did take her a little while to forgive Matt for having the misfortune of having to break the news to her.

"I'm sure a woman with a bullet wound is going to be what most guys coming here alone are going to be looking for," C.J. said.

"I don't know," Alicia said, "It does lend you an air of mystery."

C.J. chuckled.

"Someone fired their gun at Houston and me to prevent our departure and I got in the way," she said, "Not much that's mysterious about that."

"How is Houston, has he been checking up on you at all?"

C.J. rolled her eyes.

"He calls every night just to make sure I'm not doing anything foolish when I'm supposed to be recovering…"

Alicia smiled.

"He's just concerned about you," she said, "You know how he gets."

Oh, no doubt about that, C.J. thought but really she might have been down for a little while with this latest work-related injury but she was coming back quickly and she would head back to L.A. fully recovered and ready to go back to work. Whether he liked it or not.

"He should really learn to trust my judgment," C.J. said, "It's not like I'm getting myself involved in car chases and leaping tall buildings unlike some people."

"Well there's not much you can do in Hawaii to get yourself into too much trouble," Alicia said.

C.J. agreed.

"And as for me being ordered to recover, he actually threatened to send the entire agency's paperwork for me to deal with express delivery," she said, shaking her head.

"Did he follow through on it?"

C.J. shook her head.

"No, but it's the thought that counted."

"So what has he been up to while you've been here," Alicia asked, "Out turning the town upside down looking for bad guys?"

C.J. shrugged.

"No doubt," she said, "You know it's perfectly fine for him to go out and do something dangerous, but me, no way."

Alicia sipped her drink.

"He just cares about you," she said, "probably more than he'll ever admit."

C.J. didn't know about that. She just found his over protectiveness difficult to deal with sometimes and was glad to leave it thousands of miles away.

Meanwhile back at the penthouse suite, Matt had just finished the pile of paperwork he had never actually sent to Hawaii and had stripped down to jump into his Jacuzzi to relax after all that arduous work. Roy had helped him for a little while but had begged off to join Murray in the charity golf tournament that both of them had signed up to participate in weeks ago.

Even Chris had abandoned him, opting to take the afternoon off to run off to the beach with a couple of friends for an early dinner at a new restaurant that had just opened outside of Malibu. Rose Ann had canceled on her dinner date with him because her mother had just dropped in from out of town and though Matt wouldn't admit it, he had been relieved. Not that he didn't find her attractive but because his social life had begun to wear him out. For months, he had been spending his nights out either with his uncle and his friends that he had reconnected with when he moved to L.A. or he had been out to one gala or another with a well-dressed woman on his arm. The columnists had been writing up a storm about which woman he had been serious about, so positive in one article that it had been the the saucy blonde only to see him out the next night with a brunette actress from a popular sitcom. But truth be told, he had annoyed the entire lot of them by tucking in the phone number to his condo in Hawaii in his pocket and begging off dinner or late night drinks at the penthouse suite to give his best friend a call.

Just to check up on her and make sure she wasn't pushing herself too hard while still recovering from her bullet wound, Matt would assure more than one putout woman. They would shake their heads and quietly fume while he made that all important call. Occasionally one would get up and walk right out. None of them understood that he didn't call C.J. because he was romantically involved with her, but because as a friend who was concerned about her welfare. The woman with the short curly red hair and freckles just looked at him, and said, yeah right and left him sitting alone in his Jacuzzi with his cowboy hat.

Work had been slow since C.J. left for Hawaii but Matt and Roy had handled a case where they had to outwit and capture an art thief who had been ripping off some of the collectors in Bel Air. But that case had been pretty uneventful except for a dunking that Matt had taken in the fountain which had been the centerpiece of one of the estates.

He settled in the Jacuzzi, his muscles relaxing from the hours spent at his desk and from his early morning run on the beach. But he couldn't stop thinking about C.J. and whether she was having a good time in Hawaii. Whether she was taking care of herself or engaging in activities which would interrupt her healing process…like parasailing, cliff rappelling and such. Alone or with…someone else…not that he didn't want her to have a great time but she still needed time to recover.

He reached for his Scotch, and sipped it thoughtfully. Then he reached for his cell phone.

C.J. wasn't there when the phone rang at the condo. She had met Alicia for some drinks at the local night club which played retro music and had even gone a couple rounds on the dance floor with some young men. Only one dance per each one because she hadn't come to Hawaii looking for a relationship after all, just to have some fun and forget about L.A. for a while. Her injury held up remarkably well while dancing but her energy flagged a little and she grabbed the table where Alicia had marked with their jackets while they were out there getting busy. Her strength had returned quickly after her surgery but she still wasn't back at one hundred percent.

She sank in her chair and ordered a margarita, and sipped it carefully. It really hit the spot after her exercise but she watched her drinking carefully. Knowing how to take care of herself had been drilled in her since she had been a little girl and she knew it was imperative to always be aware of her environment and everyone in it.

And one thing she noticed quickly was the attractive man with the baseball cap sitting at the bar itself talking to the man who ran it. Rick, his name was because she had been introduced to him as a friend of Alicia who as it turned out had been an ex-girlfriend of his going way back. Even though they were no longer an item, they remained good friends and that gave Alicia and any of her friends a lifelong membership to his club. Rick had made a good natured pass at C.J. when she had met him but she had a feeling he did it to be polite. But this other guy had just sat there quietly, sipping his beer and paying more attention to the baseball game playing on a television mounted on the wall.

She focused back on the dance floor and then Alicia breezed by the table, out of breath.

"That was one hot dance number," she said, collapsing in her chair.

C.J. smiled at her.

"Not a bad looking guy either," she said.

Alicia shrugged and ordered a Scotch.

"I'm certainly not taking him home with me," she said, "What about you?"

C.J. looked back out at the dance floor.

"I'm leaving them all here," she said, "Since Robert, I've been on hiatus from serious relationships."

Alicia plucked a pretzel from the bowl of them.

"How about a fling instead," she suggested, "Nothing wrong with that right?"

"I'm just here on vacation," C.J. said, "not for any complications."

"You left that back in L.A. right?"

C.J. just looked at her, not believing her friend would even go there.

"There's nothing I left back in L.A.," she said, "except my job and my friends but only for a little while."

"What about Matt?"

C.J. just shook her head.

"He's back in L.A. probably sitting in his Jacuzzi in his suite with a beautiful woman," she said, "without a care in the world."

"I bet he misses you."

"He misses having me around," C.J. said, "There's a difference which is why he said he'd ship out the paperwork."

"But he didn't follow through on that did he?"

"No, but he sees me as this Girl Friday," C.J. said, "He always did."

"And…because I'm feeling that there is one…"

C.J. picked up her drink.

"I told him that I loved him…well just before the last time I got shot and…"

Alicia sipped her Scotch.

"And he didn't say anything back," she finished.

C.J. played with her own glass.

"Well he couldn't, I think that's when we were getting shot at inside the building," she said, "Just after Andrea got killed and it got destroyed."

Alicia shook her head.

"The life you two lead is too action packed for me," she said, "And it does sound dangerous."

Some of it was, C.J. would agree but there were a lot of rewards too. They helped so many people and made a difference in the lives of others, plus they had collected an assortment of adventures given the diversity of their caseload. Still sometimes, she wondered if she needed to slow down a bit and think of other things in life, like building family, something she had never been able to take for granted. But she knew that Matt would never look at her as nothing more than a friend and she had accepted that and moved onward.

She remembered the moment she had come to that resolution as she ordered another margarita.

Matt had left the Jacuzzi and had showered and changed into more comfortable clothing than the business suit he had worn all day. Roy had come back from playing golf with Murray and judging from the hefty trophy that he toted, Matt guessed the tournament had gone well for them. No doubt, a lengthy email by Murray with a blow by blow account of the event would soon appear in his mailbox.

Roy went to pour himself a drink. Matt looked up and noticed that his uncle skipped the fruit juice and went straight for the Scotch.

"You're doing a little celebrating," he asked.

Roy nodded and went to sit on the sofa.

"I spent the day with Murray as he coached me on every single hole on the green," he said, "I'm feeling a little bit tired now."

"Well you won the tournament."

His uncle gingerly sipped his drink.

"That we did," he said, "Murray may talk a lot but he plays a great game."

Matt flipped through some papers he had been reviewing and then tossed them aside.

"Have you called C.J.," his uncle said.

Beating him to the punch once again. Matt had called her twice but both times, got the answering machine at the condo and on her cell phone. She certainly must be out having some fun unless…

"I haven't heard from her today Uncle Roy," he said, "Do you suppose…"

Roy calmly put his drink on the table.

"Matlock, she's a grown woman who can handle herself," he said, "Remember, this vacation was your idea."

"Yeah it was," Matt said, "After what she'd been through nearly dying from that bullet wound…"

"She didn't die, she recovered and I'm sure she's having a lot of fun in one of the most exotic places in the world," Roy said, "One of the most romantic too."

Matt's drink didn't quite meet his lips. Roy's own mouth curved into a smile.

"You do believe she deserves to be happy don't you?"

Matt leaned back, putting his drink down.

"Well yeah of course," he said, "And this trip to Hawaii was the right move, it's just that it doesn't hurt to be cautious around strangers."

"You mean strange men."

Matt looked over at his uncle.

"I mean around anyone she doesn't know."

Roy shrugged.

"C.J.'s always been careful and exercised good judgment about people," he reasoned, "Robert could have fooled anyone, being a sociopath."

Matt rubbed his jaw.

"He fooled me and he wasn't a stranger."

Roy sighed.

"Matlock, you're going to have to trust C.J. that she can make her own decisions…"

"I do trust her," Matt said, "I just hope she's having a good time."

Roy cleared his throat and proceeded slowly.

"It sounds to me that you don't want her to have too good of a time," he said, "meaning without you."

Matt just looked at his uncle shocked into silence.

C.J. watched as Alicia decided to call it a night after chatting up one of the musicians during the breaks. She gave C.J. a little wave before leaving the club and C.J. just shook her head and took another sip of her drink before deciding to head back to the condo.

She walked out to the corridor which led outside when she heard some voices ahead and they didn't sound very friendly. But curiosity won out and she kept walking until she saw the two men just outside the door. One of them looked an awful lot like the man with the baseball cap who had been sitting by the bar earlier. He was standing against the wall while a burly looking man carrying what looked like a baseball bat stood by menacingly.

"I told you to deliver the package" the burly man said, lifting the bat up.

C.J. wondered if he was about to crack it over the other man's head but the target didn't appear too worried about that.

"I got distracted," the man with the cap said, "Besides you know I don't like company. I work alone."

"I ought to just crack your head open like a grapefruit right here," the man said.

"But you won't because then you won't get your package," the man with the cap pointed out.

The other man just glowered and lifted the bat as if he were going to swing it.

"It's too late," he said, "You've used up all of your excuses."

C.J. thought quickly. After all, she couldn't just walk away from what could very well be an assault or worse. So she did what she often did in similar situations she got involved.

"Excuse me," she said sashaying up to the two men.

They both turned to look at her and the man in the baseball cap smiled.

"Is that you honey," he asked.

C.J. folded her arms.

"Who do you think," she said, "I've been looking all over for you and where do I find you, in this seedy nightclub."

"Hey, it's not seedy; this is the top night spot on the island."

"Whatever…you need to get your butt on home because…the kids are waiting…"

The man with the bat just looked at the two of them incredulously.

"This is your…woman?"

The man with the hat smiled.

"My one and only…kitten…"

The man rested his bat on the floor and C.J. breathed a little easier.

"What's her name," he asked.

C.J. looked over at her impromptu boyfriend.

"It's…Trixie…," he said.

She raised a brow at him and he just smiled and she nodded.

"Yes that's me," she said, "That's what they called me in high school…and the name stuck."

The man with the bat just shook his head.

"Okay you can leave…on the account of I don't want to bash what you've got for brains in front of your old lady but…"

The man with the cap nodded.

"You'll be back…no problem I'll be ready for you then."

The man waved the bat at him.

"You'd better be…or I'll send what's left of you back to your widow."

With one last look at the couple, the man with the bat skulked off.

C.J. watched him go and then looked at the man beside her.

"Trixie?"

The man with the cap shrugged.

"It's all I could come up with," he said, "Besides you kind of look like one."

She threw him a pithy glance.

"Gee thanks," she said, "Well what's your name then…in case he comes back?"

The man smiled.

"I'm Tom," he said, "Rick, the owner of this place is my friend."

She nodded and prepared to leave.

"Nice to meet you…Tom," she said, "but now that you're okay, I should be going…"

He touched her arm.

"No wait…that was really great what you just did," he said, "Maybe I could buy you a drink?
"I've had enough tonight," she said, "but thanks for the offer."

"How about a bite to eat," he said, "Something besides pretzels?"

She considered that.

"I don't even know you…"

Her cell phone vibrated and she reached for it.

"Excuse me…"

She saw a very familiar phone number on the ID and sighed.

"Houston…what's up?"

He answered from thousands of miles away in his house on Malibu.

"I'm just calling to see if you're okay."

She sighed.

"It's got to be past midnight where you are Houston," she said, "I'm doing just fine, in fact I'm talking to a nice gentleman here right now…talk to you later…Goodbye."

She clicked the phone off and put it back in her purse.

"Now where were we," she said, "Oh yeah, you were about to buy me something to eat."

"It's just several buildings down," Tom said, "You can leave your car here."

She nodded and they left the building after Tom said goodnight to Rick who just looked at him shaking his head.

"Houston…is that your boyfriend?"

She shook her head, chuckling.

"No…no, he's my best friend," she said, "but we're not involved that way. We work together."

Tom nodded.

"So no mixing business with pleasure," he asked.

"It never works…besides he's never felt that way about me," she said, "He's into socialites these days."

They both entered into an older building, which looked like it sorely needed a paintjob outside but inside…C.J.'s eyes widened.

"This is remarkable…you could never tell…"

Tom nodded again.

"I know…but you know what they say about judging a book…"

"Right…"

He let her slip into a booth before he sat on the other side and they both picked up menus.

"You'll like the omelets," he said, "And the juices are all freshly squeezed."

"Perfect for a hangover right?"

He smiled then and he had a nice one, C.J. thought as she took in his features. Beneath the baseball cap rested a mop of thick dark black hair and he looked a bit older than herself, though maybe the mustache and some sun worn lines around his eyes aged him. He looked incredibly fit as if he played sports but his attire…well he looked kind of like a beach bum.

"Remember the book…"

As if he read her mind, she thought.

"Right…so you're a businessman in a skyscraper right?"

The waitress came to pour them some fresh coffee and he looked at C.J. shaking his head.

"You look like you're running away from someone…the man on the phone?"

She narrowed her brows.

"No…I'm not…not really anyway," she said, "More like his protective streak."

The man nodded as if he understood and C.J. wondered if he did really.

"So what are you doing here," C.J. asked, resting her chin on her hand, "Is there a Trixie somewhere?"

He shook his head and sipped his coffee.

"Not lately," he said, "Women don't tend to like it when I have to leave them to handle a client…"

Her brows shot up.

"Are you like a loan shark?"

He looked wounded.

"I mean that appeared to be a pretty unsavory character I rescued you from back there."

His brow furrowed and he looked at her, taking in her features. Wondering what a beautiful young woman like herself had been doing at Rick's club with Alicia.

"What about you," he asked, "Do you go around rescuing men you don't know?"

She shrugged.

"A stray dog here and there," she said, "but in my line of work, sometimes it's required."

Now that intrigued him.

"Line of work…you look like a fashion model…"

She didn't know whether to be flattered or insulted by that comment so she said nothing, as the waitress came by and took their order.

"Hardly," she said, finally, "I have a law degree but I spend more time working for a private investigation firm."

His eyes shot up and he had to keep his mouth from gaping. The woman was filled with surprises.

"You're kidding…"

She smiled.

"No I'm not," she said, "My friend…Houston the guy on the phone and I started it several years ago as a part-time gig and it's become a full-time career for both of us."

"Isn't it a…bit dangerous?"

She just looked at him.

"Sometimes…but that's the case with every line of work."

He leaned back and tilted his head.

"Somehow I don't think the job risks are the same as those of an accountant," he said, "You get chased, assaulted, shot at…"

She flinched a little at the last one and he didn't miss that.

"Sounds like you know a lot about investigation…"

He nodded.

"You could say that," he said, "I'm not a loan shark or a shady character…at least not most of the time. I work in investigations too when I'm not handling security for one of the locals."

Her eyes widened.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised," she said, "You look the part."

"You don't…"

She folded her arms.

"I'm dressed up tonight," she said, "but the reason I'm in Hawaii in the first place is to recover from a recent case."

"You look just fine to me," Tom said, "Was it mental stress?"

She fought to keep from rolling her eyes.

"No it wasn't," she said, "I can handle that just fine."

His expression didn't change.

"Then you've mastered that better than me."

That surprised her and the tone in his voice so her expression softened.

"Actually, sometimes the cases get to me…especially those involving close friends or children..."

Tom nodded.

"That's understandable."

She sighed, reaching for the orange juice the waitress had just dropped off, relieved to be getting away from alcohol.

"No this time it was a physical injury."

His eyebrows rose as he took in the woman in front of him who looked just fine.

"What happened," he said, "Because you look just perfect."

She smiled at that.

"Thank you for saying that," she said, nursing her juice, "but I'm recovering from a bullet wound."

He grimaced at that.

"Those aren't much fun," he said, "but they're part of the job."

She smiled wryly.

"I definitely know that," she said, "It's my third one."

Now that shocked him.

"You're kidding."

She shook her head.

"No, this one hurt the worst of all of them," she said, "The first knocked me out quickly, the second mostly frustrated me and the third…"

But he appeared one bullet behind her narrative.

"Frustrated you?"

She sighed and ran her hand through her hair.

"I didn't even know I was shot at first," she said, "Adrenalin and all that. We…Houston and I were trying to get evidence to clear him of murder and…the bullets started flying, one killed a cop named Andrea who helped us…and we had to flee the building."

"When did you figure out you got hit?"

"In the car…I tried to hide it because Houston and I left the building without the evidence and it was being destroyed...but"

"He knew and insisted on going straight to the hospital."

She nodded.

"I was so mad at him for that for a while…I shouldn't have been but I really wanted to help him."

"You care about him?"

She shot him a glance.

"Of course, we've been friends forever."

"So how long since you got the latest one," he asked.

"Just under two months," she said, "There were complications since it took a couple days to get to the hospital. We were being held captive by members of a religious cult and it took that long to escape."

"Were you awake during most of it?"

She looked at her glass.

"Only at the beginning," she said, "I tried to stay awake but the pain…well it probably was better that I didn't feel it but he was with me the whole time…"

And he had been, as far as she remembered though some of the details were sketchy. She had felt his arms holding her trying to shield her from the bumpiness of a long drive and when she had regained consciousness inside a dark room after she had been shot. Then when she had awakened at the hospital after feeling like she had been on a long journey, he had been sitting there looking a bit weary himself holding her hand and that smile had been worth coming back for…

"So what about your own battle wounds," she asked him.

"Oh there's been a bullet here and there," he said, "But I've grown a tough hide and I'm never down for long and the surgical techniques have improved so much in the past 10 years."

She suppressed a smile.

"I can see that and I'll take your word for it."

Their food arrived and it smelled delicious. And C.J. discovered that it tasted even more so. It reminded her of the omelets that she and Matt used to make when they were growing up in Texas.

"This is great," she told Tom, "Best I've had since…well a while."

He just smiled at her and they dug into their food.

Tom had walked her back to her car like a date would even though they had both paid for their own breakfasts and then he had gotten into a Ferrari and had driven off to parts unknown. She had driven back to the condo and had just hit the sack, falling asleep with a smile on her face. Because he had asked for her phone number and she had given it to him.

Matt scooped the omelet off of his skillet and placed it on his plate. Roy stood and watched him bemused before they headed with their breakfast out onto Matt's deck at his beach house. The view had been lovely that morning, with the bright sunshine and the glistening ocean in front of them and a gentle sea breeze wafting towards them.

"Matlock, did you sleep well?"

Matt just looked at his uncle. No he hadn't, he thought and after a night of tossing and turning, he had gotten up and decided to take the day off from work. He would head out and do some sailing on the ocean on his boat as a matter of fact. But his uncle had driven by to drop off some of the paperwork he hadn't finished yet because after all, someone had to do it and C.J. had taken off on to Hawaii. This after all, had been his idea.

"I slept just fine."

Roy smiled and took a bite of his food.

"Great day to go sailing."

"I know, I had that on schedule today but I just thought I'd check up on…"

"Matlock, she's on vacation and no doubt having a wonderful time," Roy said, "There's nothing to worry about."

"I know she's having a good time," Matt said, "In fact she was out on a date last night…late last night."

Roy suppressed his smile behind his coffee mug.

"That's great that she's met someone," he said, "especially after what happened with Robert."

Matt sipped his juice.

"I think so too," he said, "but she is recovering from an injury that almost killed her."

Roy studied his nephew carefully.

"Maybe you're the one who needed to go to Hawaii."

"What do you mean by that?"

Roy paused and put his mug down.

"Just that you seem to be taking this injury harder than she did."

Matt thought about that, wondering what his uncle was getting at.

"I was worried about her when it happened," he said, "We were held captive by the cult leader and nowhere near medical help."

"You were scared," Roy said, "Nothing wrong with admitting that."

Matt grew silent remembering back to that awful period beginning when he had regained consciousness after being knocked out and had seen her lying in a pool of blood on the floor, curled in a fetal position. He had tried to stop the bleeding with what he had as she slipped into shock.

"They came for us after a while and she needed a doctor," he said, "All they had was a medical school dropout."

And that young man had done the best he could to help her but he hadn't been the skilled surgeon she needed to save her life. He had told Matt that several times when he had begged him to help her.

"At one moment I thought I had lost her," he said, "I couldn't find a pulse and she wasn't breathing. If she had died…"

Roy put his hand on his nephew's shoulder.

"She didn't, you got her out just in time and got her to a hospital," Roy said, "and she made it with flying colors."

It had been touch and go as Matt recalled, because she had contracted an infection that became as dangerous as the bullet. They had dosed her up with antibiotics intravenously and with the cult leader in jail and Peg Allison back with her family, Matt had sat by waiting two days for C.J. to wake up again. It hadn't taken her too long after that to recover and return home. She had wanted to return to work but her doctor ordered her to take another month off so she had decided to take a long-awaited vacation.

And she had been gone for a week.

"I think that it's great that she's having a good time after all she's been through," Matt said, sipping his juice.

C.J. and Alicia sat on the beach enjoying the view. The sun had risen up from the horizon and the ocean shimmered and sparkled, aquamarine as swimmers splashed in the waves and further out, boats set sail. She had told Alicia she could only spend a few hours sunbathing today because Tom had called her asking if she would go to a party with him later on as his girlfriend. It turned out that the man who had nearly swung a bat at his head the previous night had a boss and the boss wanted Tom to come to his party. And to bring that charming woman who had been with him at Rick's Club so Tom had dug up her phone number and had given her a call. His voice had been somewhat sheepish but she had agreed to attend with him.

"I was going to call you anyway," he said.

She pretended to believe him because she sensed him to be a player like another man she knew quite well but that like her best friend, hidden beneath Tom's exterior lived a good heart. The dress was casual, the food catered and musical entertainment would be provided where it was held at the marina.

"So what do you think of Tom," Alicia asked.

C.J. had told her everything about what had happened the previous night and her friend had clucked her tongue saying something about her not leaving her profession back in L.A.

"He's very…different," she said, "He dresses like a beach bum but he drives a Ferrari and hangs out with some questionable people at a tony club."

Alicia applied more sun tan lotion.

"He's a very nice guy really," she said, "He's head of security at the estate of one of the wealthiest men on the islands."

That piqued C.J.'s interest.

"An organized crime family?"

Alicia chuckled.

"No, no, a writer of books who's somewhat of a recluse," she said, "No one's hardly ever seen him."

"He mentioned being an investigator."

Alicia nodded.

"Yes, mostly to help his friends or others in need of help," she said, "He's very generous with his skills. He helped me find my family's missing painting."

C.J. sighed, ruefully. The more she heard about Tom, the more he reminded her of…no he was much different than the man she had left behind in L.A.

"So did you sleep with him?"

"Say what?"

Alicia's grin widened.

"You know, do the horizontal mambo," she said, "You do know what that is, don't you?"

C.J.'s skin flushed.

"Of course I do, and it's none of your business but no I…we didn't."

Alicia frowned.

"And he's inviting you to this party," she said.

C.J. nodded.

"But it's a favor really," she said, "It's being held by the boss of the guy from last night."

"The one swinging the big bat?"

C.J. heard the tone in her friend's voice and couldn't really blame her.

"Look it's just going to be a party," she said, "I'm sure everyone will be on their best behavior."

Alicia shook her head.

"What if they aren't and you get caught in the middle of something?"

"I can take care of myself Alicia…"

Her friend didn't look convinced.

"What would Matt have to say about this if he knew?"

C.J. narrowed her eyes. Now that was dirty pool.

"There's no reason that he would need to know," she said, "and besides, he knows that I live my own life."

"He thought you were going to Hawaii to sit back and relax on the beach," Alicia noted, "and here you are getting wrapped up in someone else's business that could be dangerous."

C.J. pointed her finger at her friend.

"Don't you dare call him."

At that point, her cell phone rang and she pulled it out, noting that the man in question had called her.

"Houston, it's you."

His voice sounded like it was in the next room.

"Nice to hear your voice," he said, "Listen is everything going okay over there in paradise?"

She paused, looking at Alicia.

"Everything's fine," she said, "I've been busy relaxing and spending time on the beach."

"That sounds great," Matt said, "I just called because I was looking through the Douglas merger papers and I couldn't find that signed proxy form."

"That's because you filed it under the Timmons merger."

A pause met her.

"I did?"

"Yes, you said that since Timmons and Douglas would be joined at the hip soon enough anyway, it would save time."

"Okay I remember now," he said, "Thanks and I'll let you return to your vacation."

"Houston… how are you doing?"

"Fine, everything's running as smooth as silk here," he said, "Roy and I miss you though."

"I'll be back next week," she said, "Listen I got to go, I'm going to a party later on."

He told her to have fun and she clicked off her phone. Alicia shook her head.

"You didn't tell him who would be at the party."

C.J. just shot her a look as she put her phone back in her purse.

She showered and got dressed to meet Tom at Rick's Club so that they could then drive to the marina. He looked handsome dressed up in what looked like yacht club attire. When they arrived, they milled in with the rest of the couples. C.J. eyed the burly man who had been holding the bat in hand the night before but he just glowered at her before returning to his conversation with two other men. Tom rested his hand on her lower back as he guided her towards the bar where C.J. saw Rick fixing drinks for other guests.

"What will you have," he asked.

C.J. ordered a glass of wine and Tom a beer and they walked off to check out the rest of the party. He introduced her as Patricia, Trixie for short and she just smiled and made polite conversation. They worked themselves towards the end of a small dock near where some boats were moored.

"So why are you really here," she asked, sipping her wine.

"The lady's a sharp one," he noted, "I'm watching what boss man is doing and what shipment is getting ready to leave out on one of these boats."

She looked at the yachts lined up.

"You mean drugs or something else?"

He looked over at them moored to the dock.

"I'm thinking something else," he said, "like weapons."

C.J. looked at the party.

"Which is your boss," she asked.

He gestured towards a man with dark hair streaked with silver.

"I'll take you over to meet him," Tom said, "He's expecting me to bring you."

Her brow rose.

"What did you tell him?"

"Nothing," Tom said, "but your exploits last night caught his attention."

She smiled as they walked on over to the man and Tom introduced her to him.

"Nice to meet you," he said, kissing her hand after taking it, "at least his taste is improving."

C.J. didn't know what to say to that and her eyes wandered to where another dark haired man had been standing. Some years younger than Tom's boss with dark eyes and a body hardened somewhere else than a gym. Her eyes caught his and she sensed something very familiar.

"What is it," Tom asked after his boss had left them.

She ignored him a moment trying to remember something about the man who looked at her and then she shook her head.

"It's nothing…"

He wrapped his arm around her waist and they walked away.

"That man looked like he knew you."

She sighed.

"I don't think I know him," she said, "He just reminded me of someone…"

"Who?"

But she changed the subject.

She had followed Tom to the dance floor and found him to be a good stepper. He placed his hands around her waist and she put hers on his shoulders. The music began with a lively beat but slowed down as more guests paired up and hit the dance floor. She saw the young man who had stared at her earlier with a young woman with lively eyes and long dark hair dancing not far from her.

C.J. closed her eyes as she rested her head against him.

"You're a good dancer," she said.

"So are you and a great partner."

She looked up at him.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," she said, "I promised my friends I would take it easy here and not think about work."

"Is this really work," Tom asked, "We're at a party having fun."

"No, we're at a party pretending to have fun," she said, "There's a diff…"

Her words remained unfinished because at that moment, he kissed her, gently probing and she responded.

When he released her, she looked at him.

"Was that part of the role you're playing or something else," she asked.

"Both."

She sighed.

"I don't think I can do both," she said, "I just came out of a bad relationship where the man I thought I loved was someone else entirely."

"He wasn't serious about the relationship?"

"No, he was a killer."

She pulled away from him and walked off the dance floor. He had been about to follow but had glanced at Rick who nodded his head. Tom looked around the room and saw the men with shotguns approaching and realized something seriously was about to go down. He reached for C.J. and pulled on her arm. She almost pulled away but then she looked up and saw them too.

"Who the hell are they," she asked.

"I don't know…customers I think."

They walked over to Rick who had been watching the whole thing unfold.

"Some young guy showed up at the party," Rick said, "From some South American syndicate, really bad news. Those men work for him."

"Which guy," Tom said looking out at the party.

But C.J. knew.

"The guy I saw earlier," she said, "He was just on the dance floor with a woman."

But she couldn't see him now or the woman. Just the men with guns and Tom's boss standing there with his own entourage as they approached.

"Something bad's about to happen," Rick said.

Tom looked at C.J. and said she didn't need to be told it was time to leave. He took her hand and they left Rick.

"What's going on," she asked as they walked quickly.

"Hostile takeover's my guess," he said, "My boss is about to get bought out by the competition."

C.J. took one look at the armed men and then looked away as they walked away faster. But before they could retreat into the darkened portion of the marina, shots rang out behind them.

"We'd better move faster," Tom said.

And then footsteps rang behind them, so they began running. Adrenalin fed her enough energy so she could keep up though her wounded side stabbed in protest. The steps grew louder and then voices.

"They went that way," was what they heard from behind them.

Tom ducked them into where two yachts were moored together.

"What are we going to do," she asked breathlessly.

He gestured towards a larger yacht.

"My real employer owns this boat," he said, "We're going to stay there for a little while."

She looked at him, still hearing the voices behind them.

"Will it work?"

He sighed.

"We don't have much choice," he said, "We'll divert their attention a little first."

He asked her to remove her shoes and her purse and he took his jacket off and then made it appear as if they had taken another route away from the boat. After that, he stepped up on the yacht and reached for her hands to help her up. They hid beneath some tarps while the men ran by, carrying guns.

"Did you see where they went," one man asked.

"No, but the woman was with him…"

One man ran towards where Tom had left the trail of items.

"This way," he yelled and the rest followed.

C.J. and Tom watched and then he led her to the door into the yacht's cabin.

"We'd better stay here for a while," he said, "Until we know they stopped looking."

He led her down the steps and she looked around at the cozy and stylishly decorated room. Tom walked to the small frig and pulled out two cans of beer, handing her one.

The beer tasted good and she closed her eyes as she sat down on the corner of berth.

"Do you think they'll be back," she asked.

He drank from his own beer.

"Probably but the shots no doubt attracted the cops so they'll have to disperse soon."

"So we just sit here and wait a while."

He nodded.

"There's plenty to do," he said, "I think there's a deck of cards and a chessboard around here somewhere."

C.J. eyed her surroundings.

"Somehow I doubt either see much action here."

He smiled at that.

"About that kiss earlier…"

She looked at him.

"I know, it was part of your cover," she said, "and I'm totally fine with that."

"No not that…"

And that's when he reached for her and she let him. After he placed his hands on her hips, he brushed his mouth against hers and she welcomed him. Only minutes ago they had been running from men trying to kill them and now, the tempo had changed.

"You are really beautiful…"

She felt his hands move from her hips upwards against her body and she closed her eyes.

"You're not so bad yourself."

He leaned closer to press her down on the bed and that's when she hesitated, putting her hands against his chest.

"What's the matter," he asked, stroking the hair from her face.

She tried to rein herself in because part of her really wanted him, but then again…

"I'm sorry," was all she said.

They put some space between them as they still sat there, with her not looking at him but he could tell even with the dark hair framing her face that turmoil ruled her.

"What is it," he asked.

She finally looked at him.

"I don't know…you're such a great looking guy and you're very sexy…"

"Yes, keep going."

She smiled through the difficulty.

"I really like you and maybe if things were different…"

"What things," he asked.

"If my life wasn't thousands of miles away and if I hadn't just been through all that with Robert."

He nodded slowly.

"You're a vivacious, very sexy woman," he said, "but your heart isn't here."

She looked over at him.

"My life is in L.A.," she said, "and I feel like I don't want to leave a part of me here when I leave."

He understood what she said. Most of his own affairs with women had been casual but for her, she took things much more seriously. Even after Robert, she hadn't given that part of herself up and he admired her for that. His libido would of course recover in its own due time.

"We'll have to stay here for a while," he said, "and then we should be free to go."

Our separate ways, is what she knew he meant.

Matt gazed at the stars while on the deck of his beach house. He had spent the day sailing and not thinking of work at all. The sun had struck the water, causing it to glisten. The dolphins had been playing just off the stern and he had even tried some fishing though he didn't catch anything. Somehow one of the women he had dated, Dawn, had managed to reach him all the way out in open sea on his phone and had tried to talk him back to shore to go to an art gallery premiere. He had agreed to go and he had enjoyed himself although Dawn had seemed more enamored with his sports car and his wallet than with him.

After they had called it a night, he had headed back home and had tried to reach C.J. just to tell her goodnight and that he missed her. But she hadn't answered her phone so he figured she must be out having fun, perhaps with that fellow she had met there. Relaxing and taking care of herself no doubt as her doctor had ordered.

But he did look forward to her return to L.A. because he did really miss her. He missed her at work alongside him and missed her when they weren't working. She had just been a constant in his life for so long. And when she had nearly died…Roy had been right, he had experienced difficulty coming to grips with what he nearly had lost. He kept asking himself, had he taken her for granted all this time? And if so, he had to say she had been a very good sport about it. But if that were the case, it would all change when she came back to L.A. from her vacation. He would turn over a new leaf and really let her know how much he valued her as a business partner and as a friend and…he picked up his Scotch to sip it.

When dawn hit the island, Tom and C.J. left the yacht cautiously. They walked back to where the party had been held but saw that the place had been sealed off with yellow police tape. A detective that clearly recognized Tom walked up to him, lifting the tape up so he could slip right under it to meet them.

"What are you doing hanging around here," the detective asked.

Tom put on his best noncommittal look.

"I'm just out enjoying the morning air before it gets too hot."

The detective nodded, and C.J. wondered if he bought it.

"Who's the lady," the detective asked.

"Just a friend," Tom said and he introduced them.

The three of them walked together.

"What happened," Tom asked.

"Major shootout," the detective said, "Two dead and a missing woman. Sounds like another drug deal gone bad."

Tom and C.J. looked at each other.

"Are you sure it was drugs," Tom asked.

The detective shrugged.

"What else could it be," he said, "Unless you know something that we don't."

Tom shook his head.

"It just seems like an awful lot of firepower," he said, "for a drug stash."

The detective shook his head.

"These are crazy times we live in my friend."

Tom couldn't argue with that.

C.J. sat with Alicia later on the warm sand, her muscles relaxing in the sun. Her friend hadn't asked too many questions about the party she had attended with Tom except if she were okay. C.J. reassured her friend that she felt fine. After leaving Tom, C.J. had gone home and showered before hitting the sack. Her body needing to recover from all that happened and sleep provided that. She wondered if the police would ever find out that she had been at the party with Tom and contact her for questioning but they never did. Not even when news came that the body of a young woman with long dark hair had been discovered floating in the adjacent to the marina. She thought she knew who the woman had been and wondered if her family knew about her.

Now she and Alicia sat together on her final day in Hawaii watching the sun rise on the beach. Most of the days that had followed the party had proven to be uneventful and C.J. hadn't seen Tom since. Rick said that he had taken a case involving a friend who owned a small inn on Maui. She almost thought about reengaging on her hands off decision involving him so it was just as well he wasn't in town.

"So do you feel recovered," Alicia asked.

C.J. smiled.

"I think so," she said, "In fact, I feel like I'm ready to go back to work."

"Does Matt know about what happened?"

C.J. shot Alicia another one of her looks.

"No and I'll tell him when I'm ready and he's sitting down with a full glass of Scotch."

Alicia chuckled.

"You two really do make a great pair," she said, "Someday you'll both figure that out."

C.J. raised a brow.

"Trust me, the thought of us as a couple never enters into his head."

"Oh I wouldn't be too sure of that," Alicia said, coyly lifting the olive out of her drink.

Behind them, sitting at a table underneath an umbrella, a man picked up his drink and watched.

Matt sat in his office, watching the clock. In less than 24 hours, C.J. would be back in L.A. after her tropical vacation and he couldn't wait to see her. Dawn had called him up to attend a movie premiere with her but he begged off. Nothing would stand in the way with his reunion with his best friend. He even had planned to hold a small gala at her favorite restaurant when she did return and invited a small list of close friends…as a surprise. He had called the pilot of his Lear Jet at Honolulu airport earlier and the man had told him that the weather would be great for flying all the way back to L.A. Matt had arranged for a few surprises to be waiting for her when she boarded the plane.

Chris entered the office and tried to get his attention.

"Here's the last of the mergers to sign," she said, sounding relieved.

He looked up at his harried secretary.

"Thanks for this and for your great work," he said, "I'll tell you what, why don't you take the rest of the day off until the party?"

She looked surprised and could only nod and thank him. After she left, he leaned back in his chair and happily picked up the phone.

She stood by the Lear Jet waiting to board it when she heard his footsteps behind her. Turning around she smiled to see Tom approach her with a bag which he handed to her.

"Just some snacks for the flight back," he said.

She looked inside to see some of Rick's pretzels and some macadamia nuts.

"Thanks," she said, smiling.

They looked at each other a long moment and then he stepped towards her and wrapped his arms around her. Their lips met and with a great degree of fondness, she kissed him goodbye.

"Just remember," he said, brushing a lock of hair back, "We'll always have Honolulu."

She nodded and with one last look, headed up the stairs into the jet that would take her home.

Somewhere on a yacht, a young man sat at a stylish oak desk and listened on the phone as one of his associates had called him with some information he had asked for, while a young man dressed in black with an athlete's build stood next nearby awaiting instructions.

"I'll get back to you later with the specifics… but it's still too soon yet…"

He hung up the phone and looked at the man across from him.

"Did you do as I asked," he said.

The man met his gaze directly.

"They've already found her."

"She wouldn't go with the program…"

"Did she have a choice," the younger man asked.

The man's expression didn't change.

"It was an accident."

The other man raised a brow.

"Some accident."

C.J. sat in her office a day later smiling to herself. She had redecorated it a bit, adding pictures and souvenirs from her trip to Hawaii. Refreshed and recharged, she had already reviewed and signed a stack of paperwork and after she finished, she and Chris had decided to go check out a new nightclub. As for Matt, he had thrown her a lovely party at her favorite eatery the previous night and had appeared to really miss her. She let him fuss over her a bit and then announced she had returned to work and would be ready to handle their cases. Just in time too, because they had just gotten one from a friend of a friend who had a missing niece who had disappeared one night while walking home from work.

Just one more missing women in a world filled with them. And more than anyone person or agency could help but C.J. wanted to do her part. She had never forgotten the sparkling eyes on the face of the woman at that party in Hawaii, dancing with a man who C.J. knew had been the last face she had seen.

Still, life in L.A. had gotten busy again soon enough and Hawaii faded into her mind like a daydream. Not Tom of course, the memories of his kisses and his hands stroking her would be longer lasting. Their exploits had made the papers there but thankfully her role had been reduced to being labeled as the mysterious brunette seen with Tom at the party. She smiled to herself when she read that.

"Hey C.J…"

She looked up to see Matt poke her head in her office.

"What's up cowboy?"

He looked her over and smiled.

"I was just reading about that drug bust in Honolulu at some party," he said, "You were there then weren't you?"

"Well…yes."

"Gee it's great that you managed to steer clear of all that while you were recovering from that bullet wound," he said, sounding relieved.

"I suppose so Houston."

"And I read how some PI named Tom Magnum managed to get the goods on them," he said, "You know it's really good for our profession when we do our jobs so well."

"If you say so Houston," she said, with a sparkle in her eye.

He looked at her oddly.

"C.J. is there anything you need to tell me…"

She broke out into a wide smile.

"No, nothing at all," she said, "I was just thinking that I'm hungry for some lunch and it'd be great if my favorite boss could join me."

His smile widened too until he remembered something.

"C.J. I'm your only boss."

She rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on Houston," she said, "We've been away from each other for two weeks and I'd really like a chance to catch up so come on, let's get going…"

And so he did.