Part 1

The office building Tyler Jones had her appointment in loomed before her. Inside the ten-floor office building was one of the largest Hollywood agencies in the world. It towered over the little park area in front like a watchdog protecting it's ground.

The people that sat under its guard were the elite and most recognized in the industry of film and television.

The front walk contained expensive artwork by a well-known artist, and only after staring at it for endless moments and hearing the name 'Lovers Embrace' could people make sense of the entwined blue and green metal.

Tyler stood there and raised her hand to block out the sun that was in her eyes as she tried to get a good look and at the sculpture. "It just looks like a bunch of bent metal, that some one paid way too much for."

The alarm on her wristwatch beeped. It let her know that if she didn't hurry she'd be late, so she rushed to the overly large glass front door and pushed it open.

As Tyler walked up to the receptionist's desk the sound of constantly ringing phones invaded her senses, along with a big, fake smile from a very beautiful redhead.

"Can I help you?" The red head asked with a perky voice and a pop of her gum. The well-polished fingernails tapped on the side of the phone as she waited for Tyler to speak.

"Yes, I have a ten o'clock appointment with Regal and Garland." Tyler answered with her own fake smile.

"Okay, just go to the elevators and go to the tenth floor. A person will be there to show you the rest of the way." The red head instructed and then went about answering the ever-present ringing phone.

"Thanks," Tyler replied before she headed over to the elevators. "I bet she doesn't have more than two brain cells and when they run into each other they scare the shit out of each other."

The elevator doors slid open and Tyler walked in. She gave herself one last look over in the all mirrored box before she reached her destination.

Not that Tyler really cared what she looked like, but this appointment could mean the new beginning or the end to her personal security business.

Her grandfather had started the company twenty-nine years ago after he retired from the Marines. He decided to retire early after his wife Susan, their son Tom and his wife Sara were killed in a car accident. The only shining light of that time for him was that seven-year-old Tyler had escaped unharmed.

Tyler had Thomas Jones wrapped around her little finger from the moment she was born. All she had to do was look at him with her big green eyes and he'd give her the world. Everybody told him that he should be strict with her and not let her get away with everything. He just told them to leave him alone and not tell him how to raise his only grandchild.

Tyler grew up with all the love and compassion her Grandfather could give her. Even though she had whatever she needed and wanted she didn't act spoiled and grew up to be a very compassionate person.

When Tyler was old enough she helped down at the Hideaway, a place teenagers could go and feel safe if their homes weren't the safest place to be.

The kids loved and respected her. She wouldn't make them feel like they were outcast and was able to show them what trust and love could be like. When she had to stop coming down so often after her Grandfather died of a heart attack some of the kids would show up at her office just to make sure that she was doing okay.

Her Grandfather made sure that everything was taken care of in his will. The business and the house would go to Tyler, plus all the money in the savings and checking account. The only problem that Thomas Jones couldn't envision was that his clients didn't think a five foot five inch woman could do the job. So they all left and that meant that she couldn't keep her employees.

With no clients came no money, so the inheritance went fast. That's why Tyler was here today. She was to be interviewed by Regal and Garland. They represented BJ Stanton, a well-known actress. Apparently some fan had decided that he wanted to make BJ Stanton his wife and he was willing to kill to make it happen.

With the ding of the bell to let her know that she arrived at her floor she gave herself one last look over. She had on a pair black hiking boots, nice crisp new blue jeans, and a white silk shirt that she wore for luck. Her Grandfather had given it to her for Christmas last year. Then a charcoal gray blazer completed her outfit. Her hair looked like a comb hadn't touched it in days, but that's how it always looked, and finally a little bit of makeup to make her green eyes stand out.

The doors swished open and Tyler took a deep breath, "okay lets do this." She stepped out and was immediately approached by a tall man. He was at least a foot taller with sandy brown hair. The suit he wore didn't hide the fact that he worked out. The polite sound that came out of his mouth didn't fit the monster of a man in front of her.

"Hello, Ms. Jones. My name is Kirk Shadow." He introduced himself and shook her hand. "Please follow me," as he guided her down a long hallway.

The hallway was like any other hallway, but with one big exception. A picture of someone famous covered every inch of the walls. Movie stars from past and present, and music legends that will be heard on the radio till the end of time.

"Nice photos," Tyler gestured with her finger when they stopped at the end of the hallway.

Kirk looked down the hallway like he missed something. "Yes, they are." He opened the door and waited for her to walk through before he closed it.

"Nice talking to you to," Tyler whispered under her breath when she heard the door close.

The small room looked like a doctor's waiting room. Chairs positioned around the room all facing the center and a door that went to another room she thought must be where they're holding the interviews. Against the wall to her right three men sat. They all looked alike with their black suits, white shirts, black ties and perfect polished shoes.

"Is this where the Men In Black meet?" Tyler joked as she took her seat.

The three just looked at her like she had a second head growing out of her shoulder. "You know that movie that starred Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones? About aliens and...Oh never mind." She spat when they didn't get what she was talking about.

As Tyler sat there she let the insecurity set in. She started to tap her foot on the table in front of her and tapped her hands on her lap. Even though Tyler knew she was the best and could better protect anyone no matter the situation. She still had to prove herself, because everybody thought she was too small and couldn't do the job.

A cough stopped her thoughts and her movements. She turned her head and an older woman with salt and pepper hair stood with a clipboard and pen in her hand. "You must be Tyler Jones," she said as she held the door open. "Please come in and have a seat."

"Thanks," Tyler stood up and walked towards the woman. She was waved in to a room with a long, brown table with brown leather chairs, plus another door at the opposite side of the room, "Where is everybody?" She asked as she headed to the table.

"They'll be here in just a few minutes. There is coffee and pastries right here behind you if you are hungry." The woman said and pointed to a table filled with all sorts of pastries. She went to leave but Tyler stopped her.

"I'm sorry I didn't catch your name," Tyler stepped closer to shake her hand.

The woman smiled and extended her hand, "Barb."

Tyler grinned back and shook her hand, "nice to meet you Barb. Thanks for showing me in."

" No problem. Hopefully I'll be seeing you around." Barb watched as Tyler went to get a cup of coffee. She immediately liked this young woman and hoped that BJ picked her instead of the stuffed shirts out in the waiting room.

Barb walked over to the other door, but before she opened it she heard voices. She turned back towards Tyler, "I think they're coming now." She said just as a slightly overweight man with balding gray hair opened the door.

"Hello, Barb, how are you today?" He asked as he kissed the back of her hand.

Barb smiled and her face turned red from embarrassment, "Hello Ronald, I'm fine and how about yourself?"

Before he could answer a voice teased him from behind them. "Will you get your octopus hands off my mother. We've got work to do."

"Now BJ, Ronald was just being polite," Barb responded and gave her daughter a hug when she walked into the room.

"No he wasn't, he was being a horny old dog. It just sounded polite, but I know him too well and trust me it wasn't anywhere near as polite as you think." BJ winked at her Mom when the hug ended.

The three laughed and kidded each other for a few more minutes.

Tyler just stood back and watched the way they interacted. The love that shone in Barbs and Ronald's eyes when they looked at BJ made her wonder if maybe her parents would do that if they were still alive.

She slowly made her way to the table with her coffee and pastry. She set her sweet roll on the table and grabbed her chair to pull it out. As she went to sit her foot got caught on the leg and she stumbled which caused her to spill her coffee all over herself.

"Shit, that's hot," Tyler yelled in pain. She quickly grabbed the front of her shirt to keep the scolding liquid from burning her skin.

"Oh my," Barb quickly ran to the table and got a towel.

"Here let me help," BJ grabbed the towel from her Mom and started to pat the front of Tyler's body.

The effects of the liquid turned the shirt translucent. Tyler was stunned by the effects of the towel along the hand that would every once in awhile hit a now erect nipple. "Oh shit," Tyler's mind screamed as she looked up into concerned blue eyes. "I think I'm okay," Tyler whispered and tried not to moan as the hand rubbed against her again.

"Are you sure?" BJ asked as she continued to wipe. "I know that coffee is extremely hot. I've spilt it on me more times than I can count."

Tyler grabbed the hands to stop the assault to her senses. "Trust me, I'm just fine," she reassured the tall brunette. "Way more than fine. Is it the coffee or is it hot in here." Tyler asked herself.

"Okay then, let me introduce myself. I'm BJ Stanton and I'll be doing the interview." BJ tossed the towel on the table, "please have a seat and how about we begin?" She smiled and pulled Tyler's chair out further so she could sit. " Check out those eyes. I could spend all day looking at them." Thought BJ as she held the chair for Tyler.

"Thanks, and I'm Tyler Jones," she responded and took her seat. Her senses had gone off the scale from the touch of the tall brunette. So she took a deep breath and hoped it would help cool her down. "Damn, she's even more gorgeous in person," she thought to herself.

BJ walked over to get herself a cup of coffee and also got Tyler a fresh one, "Here you go and I hope you enjoy this one more than you did the last," she teased when she put the cup down.

Tyler spoke before her brain registered what she said, "who says I didn't enjoy it."

BJ's eyebrows went up under her dark bangs and she smirked. "Oh, really?"

Tyler's mind finally caught up with her mouth. The deep red blush started from her neck and slowly made it's way up her face. "Oh God, I can't believe I said that. I'm so sorry," she groaned and covered her face. "Maybe I can crawl away and nobody will notice."

BJ patted her back, "don't worry about it. I kinda enjoyed it myself too." She laughed as the blush deepened.

Barb walked up, "excuse me. BJ can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure," BJ answered, "I'll be right back." She said and followed her Mom out the same door she had come in earlier.

Ronald watched as BJ and her Mom walked out into the hallway and closed the door. He didn't like the way things were going with the small blonde woman that sat across from him. You would have to have been blind not to see the sparks fly off the two women as they interacted.

He and a selected few knew that BJ was gay, but the rest of the world didn't have a clue. If they found out that the sexy star from hit movies like 'Soul Connected' and 'Hearts Afire' was gay it would be the end. Most people wouldn't be able to get over the fact that their leading lady would rather sleep with a woman than her leading man.

He remembered a private conversation he overheard between mother and daughter. BJ had confided in her Mom that she was tired of living a lie. She wanted to find someone and settle down, maybe raise a family.

Ronald knew that time was running out and wanted to stall the inevitable for as long as he could. So he would make sure that the little slip of a woman wouldn't get this job.

"Hello, Ms. Jones, my name is Ronald Garland. Can you tell me why we should hire you to be BJ's protector?" He asked and took a seat with out breaking eye contact.

Tyler looked at Ronald and didn't like the way he stared at her. "I don't like this guy." Something in his eyes sent a shiver down her spine. Not one to run from adversity she blinked once and gazed into Ronald's cold eyes and answered with truth and conviction. "I'm the best, plain and simple."

Ronald snorted, "really? I must say that's quite a statement coming from such a small woman." He knew that statement got a rise out Tyler because he watched as she gripped the chair with white knuckles. "This could be fun."

Tyler stood up from her chair and glared at the man across from her, "are you saying that just because I'm a woman that I couldn't do this job?" She slowly began to pace. "I wonder if I hit him if they'll still give me the job?"

"I'm just saying, that just one of those men's muscles outweigh your entire body. So how can you say that you're the best when one of them could squish you like a bug?" He goaded as he watched her pace back and forth in front of him. He leaned so his elbow rested on the table. "So I guess I am saying that a bigger man could do the job better," Ronald smiled.

Tyler couldn't believe what was happening, she would lose everything because she didn't have a dick between her legs.

Tyler tried to keep control of the anger that had built up from the loss of her Grandfather and soon the business he loved, just because this asshole was stuck in the forties was no reason for her to lose her temper.

The thoughts of her Grandfather reminded her that she really needed this job and she knew that she had to prove to this spineless man that a woman could do this just as easily as any man.

Tyler casually made her way over to Ronald. She grabbed the chair that was next to him and sat. Looking right into his eyes she asked, "what do I have to do to prove that I can handle anything anybody throws at me?"

Ronald was shocked to say the least. He expected the woman to storm out. He had to think of something quick, "well, the only thing I can think of is….what would you do if three men were to attack my client? For some reason I can't see you defending her." He gestured with his hand at her body.

Tyler looked dumbfounded at the man next to her. "What?"

Ronald stood up and walked towards the door that led to the waiting room. "I'm saying that I want to see you defeat the three men out here in a no holds barred fight."

"Okay, I say again. What?" Tyler couldn't believe the way things were going. "I really don't think that's such a good idea."

Ronald stopped right before he opened the door, "really? Afraid that you might get hurt?" The smirk that crossed his face couldn't be hidden. "Then I guess this interview is over."

Tyler stood, "afraid I might get hurt? No…I just don't want to destroy this lovely office you have here." She stated boldly as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

The fire in her eyes should have been a clue that he had pushed Tyler too far. "I really don't think you have the guts or the skills to do it." Ronald decided that watching this arrogant woman get some sense knock into her head would be fun to watch.

"You want a fight? Fine, bring it on." Tyler spat as she took her jacket off. "If this guy wants a show I'll give him one."

She watched as Ronald waved in the three men from the waiting room. He gathered them around him in a tight circle. Not being able to hear what was said she started to stretch and focus on the task that lay ahead. "Well, Grandfather you did teach me not to take crap off of anyone. Just hope you like the show."

BJ entered the room, "what's going on?" She asked as she walked over to the small blonde. She didn't see the angry flash of green turn towards her.

Tyler just looked at her. Not too sure if she should believe the confused looking woman. "You know if I was told that I had to put on a show I would have worn my sweats and a t-shirt."

"What show?" BJ was confused. "Why are those three in here when it's not their turn to be interviewed?" She asked and looked at enraged green eyes. "What had Ronald done now?"

"Why don't you ask you friend over there," Tyler responded as she rolled up her sleeves.

They stared at each other, but for totally different reasons.

Tyler couldn't believe that BJ didn't know what was going on. The soft blue eye that looked at her told the calm, cool part of her brain, that the tall brunette had absolutely no clue what was going on, but the pissed off angry part of her brain which was in total control at the moment wouldn't listen to reason.

BJ was lost as her brain tried to catch up with her heart. She had never reacted this way to anyone before. It was like she lost herself in the intense green pools that seemed to stare right into her soul.

A loud cough broke the moment. BJ suddenly felt empty when the green eyes turned to look at Ronald who had a pissed off look on his face. She wondered what that look was all about, but first she had to find out what was going on.

"Ronald, can you please inform me what is going on?" BJ asked and walked over to the man. She noticed the three men had taken off their coats and ties. Then she glanced back at Tyler and finally took notice that she also had her jacket off and her sleeves rolled up. "How come I have a feeling I'm not going to like this?" She stated with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, come on. This is a perfect way to see who is the best. I personally would rather find out now than later that I hired the best." Ronald replied before he tried to walk away.

BJ grabbed his upper arm; "I would like to have a word with you, in private."

BJ had known for some time how Ronald thought that all women should stay at home and be at the beck and call of their man. He had never treated her with anything but respect, but she knew the only reason for that was because of all the money she brought to his company.

She practically dragged him out of the room. She slammed the door with one hand and with the other she pushed him up against the wall. "Are you insane? Do you know that Tyler could sue us if she got hurt fighting those big apes in there?"

Ronald's face started to turn blue from the pressure of BJ's hand against his windpipe. "BJ..I..can't …breath." He gasped as the offending hand released him and sank to the floor. "I was only thinking of your safety. I don't want anything to happen to you."

BJ laughed, "Ronald my little friend, you and I both know that the only thing you're trying to save is the money you'd lose if something happened to me." She bent down and cupped his face. She wanted to make sure that the message would get into his pea-sized brain. "Now listen to me. You are not in charge of finding my bodyguard. Considering it's my body and my life I want someone who I can trust. Not some stupid muscle headed prick who thinks that a woman should stay at home and cook dinner."

Ronald gulped when he heard the last sentence, "why would you think that I would do anything to put you in danger? I just want the best." He stood up and had to hold on to the wall for support. He tried to think of some way he could calm down BJ.

BJ stood up and pointed her finger at Ronald. "You know damn well how I came to that conclusion. You only think of two things, money and yourself and in exactly that order."

She stepped closer so she was a couple of inches away from his face. She could see the perspiration form on his forehead. "Plus you've had more sexual harassment complaints than the whole state of California combined." BJ responded and stepped back. She suddenly wondered why she had decided to stay with his company. "You know what?"

"What?" Ronald asked afraid of what she was about to tell him. He could tell that she had made a decision and he wasn't going to like it.

Before she could answer him they heard a loud crash. They quickly ran to the door and flung it open.

"Oh, my God," BJ whispered under her breath. She couldn't take her eyes off of the three men who all lay in some very uncomfortable positions around the floor. Apparently the loud crash they heard from the hallway was the after effect of one man being thrown on the table. The force of his weight had broken it into several pieces.

Tyler stood at the end of the now broken table. Her once nice white shirt had blood on the front. The blood came from the broken nose and cut above her right eye. She turned her head and took a deep breath, "all you had to do was take a look at my record, but no." She spat, "I'm so tired of people like you thinking just because I have tits and not a dick I can't do the job."

"Does this answer your question? I didn't stay in the business to show people that I will get myself or the person I'm hired to protect killed. I stayed because people need me to help keep them safe." Tyler finished and walked over to where her jacket lay on the floor. She flung it over her shoulder and headed towards the exit.

She stopped in front of a very embarrassed Ronald Garland. "I don't care what I have to do to keep my Grandfathers business going, but I would rather see an asshole like you die before I work for you." She poked him in the chest to get her point across. "It's men like you that give the rest of the male population a bad name." She snatched his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped some of the blood from her face.

She turned to BJ who was about to say something. Tyler stopped her with a raised hand, "I'm sorry this didn't work out and I hope they catch the creep who's been bugging you." Tyler turned and walked out of the office.

BJ stepped up so she stood right next to Ronald. "Ronald, you're fired," She said and stormed out of the office.

Ronald stood there stunned. He ran his hands through what little hair he had and wondered exactly when his plan went haywire. He looked over at one of the men as he tried to stand up, "you couldn't take one little female?"

The guy just looked and shrugged his shoulders.

"I want you to help your two friends and get out of my sight." Ronald ordered and walked out of the room.

*****

BJ pulled into a parking spot next to black Jeep Wrangler. The building before her was a two-story office building. A fire escape went up along the side of the building to one of the windows. BJ could tell that the upstairs was probably an apartment by all the windows with curtains. She figured that's where the small blonde must live and the office space on the bottom floor was her business.

As she got out of her car the soft sounds of Enya filled the air. As she walked around the corner the music grew louder and seemed to be coming from inside the building. "Good taste in music, "BJ said to herself before she knocked on the old white door.

When nobody answered the fourth knock she turned the doorknob and stuck her head in, "hello, is anyone here?" She yelled over the loud music. When nobody yelled back she entered and started to look around. The first room she entered had boxes filled and stacked in the far corner. An old metal desk sat in the middle of the room and had papers stacked in little piles.

She knew that she shouldn't look, but the large red stamp on one of the pages caught her attention. She picked it up and it was a notice that the electricity was going to be turned off some time today. BJ grabbed another and found it to be from the Phone Company, "well that explains why I couldn't reach you by phone."

It had taken two days for BJ to get information on Tyler Jones. Barb had tried to get the information packet with all of Tyler's number on it from Ronald, but he said that they had lost them somewhere. He offered to find them, if she came back, but she not so politely told him to, "fuck-off."

BJ set the papers back on the pile, and continued to look around. A few pictures that had yet to be been taken down covered one wall. She walked up and noticed that most of them were of Tyler and an older gentleman. The amazing green eyes that BJ remembered from the other day shined back at her from one of the photos of the Grandfather hugging Tyler as a young girl of about ten.

"That was taken at my tenth birthday party," Tyler said from behind her.

BJ jumped and quickly turned around, "I'm sorry. I knocked and even yelled and nobody answered me. So I just thought I'd take a look around until I found you."

Tyler laughed and put the box she had in her arm down on the floor, "well, I do like to listen to my music a little loud. It kinda takes the quietness away."

BJ couldn't help but stare. Tyler's eyes were black and blue and the cut above her eye had a small white bandage over it. "Does that hurt?" She had o stop her hand from reaching up and caressing the bruised face.

"I've had worse," Tyler replied and grabbed another box and headed down the hall, "Grab a box for me will you?" She yelled, "I have to get this done today. The landlord has to show it to someone tomorrow and wants me out of here."

BJ picked up a box and headed to where she thought Tyler was, "I feel really bad about not paying attention to what Ronald was doing the other day. He wasn't supposed to be doing the interviews, he was just supposed to sit and observe." She informed Tyler has she walked into the room.

"Oh well, nothing is going to change the fact that because of him I didn't get the job," Tyler responded as she wrapped a vase in some old newspaper. She put the wrapped vase into the box, "Why are you here?"

BJ walked up and put the box near the one Tyler stood next to, "I'm here to see if you still wanted the job."

"You're kidding?" Tyler asked shocked.

"No, you're the best one for the job. I'd be crazy not to. First you proved that you could handle yourself in a fight. Second your portfolio you gave to the agency was top notch," BJ stated and grabbed some newspapers so she could help.

Tyler stood there and started to laugh, "you're the only person who thinks my portfolio is any good at all."

"No I'm not. My Mom thinks so too and usually she's right." BJ informed Tyler as she continued to pack. "Where do you want these?" BJ pointed to the small figurines on a shelf.

Stunned Tyler could only look in the direction the finger pointed. She cleared her throat, "go ahead and put them in that box you've got there."

The two worked for a couple of minutes in quiet before BJ asked, "so are you going to take the job?"

"Will I have to deal with Mr. Garland?" Tyler asked as she dumped some unimportant papers in a garbage can.

"No, I fired him and his agency right after you walked out the other day." BJ replied before she headed down the hallway for another box.

Tyler stood there stunned again by what BJ told her. She watched BJ walk back in the room and start on another shelf, "why did you fire him?"

BJ turned around so she was looking right at Tyler, "because what he did was inexcusable and down right rotten." She took a deep breath, "I've known that he's a male chauvinist pig for some time and for some unknown reason I chose to ignore it."

Tyler walked over to the tall brunette and stuck her hand out, "I'm glad you finally came to your senses." She felt a warm comforting hand grab onto hers and shake, "I would be honored to work for you."

"That's great, now what do you say we finish with the packing," BJ smiled and let go of Tyler's hand. The loss she felt when the smaller hand dropped from hers was immediate.

"Why don't you tell me about the threats and what has been done so far to protect you," Tyler said as she walked back to the desk and began to dump more paper into the garbage.

*****

Tyler grabbed her bottle of beer and sat back on the plush couch. Papers spread across the table in front of her. They were the letters and printed E-mails BJ has received on and off for the past six months.

First they started out just like any normal fan letters some said "you are the most beautiful actress were. Some said that she was "the most beautiful actress" and "I'm Your Biggest Fan". Then they started to get more personal and possessive stating things like "I saw you today and I really like that blue dress you had on, but I didn't like the way that one guy kept talking to you. You better let him know that you're all ready spoken for. You're mine and nobody else can have you.

The final straw for BJ was when a dozen black roses started to be delivered everyday. Little notes attached to them said; 'soon my love and we will be together.'

So far the police and other enforcement agencies didn't have a clue. They only knew that it was a single male between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-five. Which meant they had thousands of suspects.

A knock at the door broke Tyler from her thoughts. She took a drink as she stood; "I'm coming."

The door opened and a dark head popped in, "It's just me. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay." BJ said as she walked the rest of the way in.

"Oh, hi come on in and have a seat. I was just going over all the letters," Tyler responded as she waved BJ in.

BJ walked in and sat in the chair across from Tyler, "I just wanted to make sure that you were making yourself at home."

"I am, and thanks again for letting me stay here," Tyler said with a smile.

When BJ found out that afternoon that Tyler had rented a small apartment, because she had to sell the house her Grandfather left. She immediately offered Tyler the use of her guesthouse.

"It's my pleasure," BJ grinned and grabbed a letter that sat on the table. "Got any clues from my little love letters?" She asked as she laughed.

Tyler sat there and stared at BJ. She could see that even though BJ tried to hide behind humor that she was scared. The faint lines of worry around the eyes and the tightness of her muscles in her arms as she held the letter. The most revealing was the deep sadness in the blue eyes.

Tyler stood and walked next to BJ. "You have nothing to worry about. I won't let anything happen to you," Tyler reassured BJ.

BJ saw the look in the deep green eyes and knew that what Tyler said was true. She would protect her and keep her safe, "Thank you."

Tyler smiled and patted BJ on the shoulder, "no need to thank me. That's what you hired me for." Tyler walked down the hallway to enter the kitchen; "you want something to drink?"

"Sure what ever you're having is good," BJ yelled at the blonde.

Tyler stepped out of the kitchen with two bottles of beer. She handed BJ hers and went to sit back on the couch. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes just enjoying the quietness of the evening.

Tyler tried to keep from staring at the beautiful brunette who was looking up at the stars from the window, but her eyes had different ideas. The way that BJ stroked the bottle as it rested on her bare thigh. The rise and fall of her chest as she took a deep breath and the little sigh that followed. "Oh man I think I'm in trouble," Tyler thought to herself as she ran one hand through her hair and looked down at her other hand and noticed it shaking, "No, I know I'm in trouble."

"What's the plan for tomorrow?" BJ asked as she continued to look out the window.

When Tyler didn't answer her BJ turned her gaze from the starry night to the small blonde who seem very interested in the bottle in her hand. She could tell that Tyler was lost in thought. It gave her time to look over the lovely body that sat in front of her.

The soft blonde hair that looked like a golden halo that surrounded the angelic face with deep emerald green eyes and soft pink lips. That seemed to be mumbling something she couldn't understand, "what is she saying to herself?" BJ asked herself as she continued to admire her bodyguard.

At that moment Tyler looked up and green meet blue. She could feel the pull of her soul. It wanted to reach out and grab the one offered to her. Tyler pushed herself up and started to walk around the table, but a soft knock at the door broke the intense moment.

BJ blinked to clear her head as she watched Tyler walk towards the door, "oh boy, what the hell was that?" She whispered as she shook her head to clear it. "I've never had anyone make my heart beat this fast with just one look."

Tyler rested her head on the door to slow her breathing down. "what just happened?" She thought as heard the knock again so she took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Hi, Tyler," Barb smiled when the door opened. "I'm looking for BJ have you seen her?"

"Yep, she's in here," Tyler stepped away from the door so Barb could enter.

Barb walked in, "Thanks, I didn't know where she went and was starting to worry."

"I understand, especially with everything going on." Tyler said as she guided Barb down the hallway to the living room. "Would you like something to drink?"

"No thanks, I just wanted to check on BJ," Barb said and continued towards the living room.

"Okay, I'll just give you two a few minutes," Tyler said and walked into the kitchen.

Tyler headed over to the refrigerator and opened it up. She grabbed the ham, Swiss cheese and Miracle Whip, plus another beer. She sat the items down on the table and went over to the silverware drawer and reached in for a knife with one hand and grabbed the bread with the other.

"I could totally get lost in those blue eyes," Tyler thought as she sat at the table to make her sandwich. "I can't let myself think like that. She's my boss and I'm here to protect her, not ravish her."

After the sandwich was eaten and the mess picked up Tyler headed for the living room. She found Barb and BJ talking in whispers and nods. She cleared her throat and walked into the room. "Is everything okay?"

"Oh, yes everything is fine. I just wanted to let BJ know that Willis Hut called to confirm her appearance on his show next week," Barb said with a smile. "He's been trying o get her on his show for years."

"Well, that guy is a slime ball," Tyler grinned. "I remember one show where he was making fun of one of his guests about some affair she had. Which turned out to be false, and the husband jumped up from the audience and broke his noise."

BJ giggled, "I remember that one. The husband was sued and had to pay Willis over One Hundred Thousand dollars."

"What? No way," Tyler sat down stunned. "Man that sucks."

"Well, a week or so later Willis was attacked behind some restaurant," Barb informed the other two women in the room. She let a small grin pass her lips. "It's just a rumor, but some say the husband got his moneys worth that night."

The three sat in silence for all of a second before they started to laugh. The rest of the night they went over what Tyler needed and what she expected from both of them.

Tyler told them that she wanted to meet all of the employees that worked here at the house and the ones that worked personally for BJ. She also wanted all the background checks redone and double-checked.

Tyler informed them that she would bring in a couple of her own people to help in the training she wanted certain people to go through.

Mike Archer was a friend who used to work for her Grandfather on a couple of assignments. He would teach Melvin Armstrong, BJ's personal driver, how to get away from a dangerous situation and how to lose a tail.

Leo Frames would teach the staff self defense. Just in case the stalker decided to hurt BJ through her employees. He would also teach them to pay attention to the surroundings of the house more closely and see if anything was different.

Tyler was happy that she had a little back up. She knew that she could handle a job of this size, but it was always good to have someone at your back. Plus with the feelings that seemed to be rising with every look from BJ, Tyler knew that Mike and Leo would keep her head where it needed to be.

*****

Over the next week Tyler had everything going the way she wanted it. BJ had not once questioned her about what or why she did things. Barb only threw a fit once when her rose bushes were transplanted from the backyard to the side of the large white brick house.

Tyler had calmed her down by promising that they wouldn't be harmed and she would even let the older woman instruct on their transplant. Plus she had to bribe Barb with the promise to go and buy her some new rose bushes when things cooled down with the stalker.

BJ, Tyler noticed just stood back and laughed. The brightness of the smile and the music that was her laugh almost made Tyler faint. She had realized that every time BJ was near her heart would beat faster and her palms would sweat.

Mike and Leo weren't as much help as Tyler thought they would be. Oh, they helped out a great deal with the staff, but they teased her whenever they knew BJ wasn't looking. She threatened to fire them if they didn't knock it off but the two men just laughed and walked away.

Tyler didn't get mad she knew they only did it because they loved her. The two men had helped raise her ever since her Grandfather hired them.

Mike stood over six feet tall with short blonde hair and a well-manicured beard. The size of his arms usually scared the pants off of everybody, but his bright smile put them at ease a second later. His love for life could be seen in the way he worked and played.

In his house he had a wall filled with pictures of him doing extreme outdoor sports. Like bungee jumping off bridges and parachuting out of planes. Mike's favorite sport was white water rafting. He had gone through some of the roughest courses in the world. Mike could have made a very good living through sponsors and doing commercials for the sport, but he fell in love and decided that it was more important to be with his soulmate.

Leo is the total opposite of Mike. He prefers to sit and read a good book and enjoy a glass of wine. His light blue eyes sparkle whenever Mike walks into his line of sight. He stands at five feet nine inches with a muscular body, and though he wasn't built like Mike, he could hold his own. The most outstanding thing about him was his baldhead. Tyler would tease him whenever the chance arrived, which was almost every time they talked.

*****

Barb walked onto the study looking for BJ. She quietly walked up behind her daughter to see what she was looking at. "I should have guessed." The slight figure of the small blonde talking with Mike and Leo came into view; "I really like Tyler. She seems to know what she's doing."

"Yes, she does." BJ answered with a nod of her head.

They both laughed as they watched Tyler bring her sunglasses down off her head and act like a big glare was shining off of Leo's head. "Tyler is going to be in big trouble one of these days. Leo is going to get her back real good."

"I think she's just getting him back for yesterday when he tripped her and made her fall into the pool," Barb laughed as she rubbed BJ's back.

BJ giggled, "that was pretty funny." "I especially like how the shirt stuck to her like glue when she got out and chased him al over the yard."

The two grew silent and continued to watch the three through the window. They watched as Tyler and Leo went back and fourth arguing about something, but like the mature adults they were they stopped by sticking their tongues out at each other.

"You like her don't you?" Barb asked. All ready knowing the answer.

"It shows that much?" BJ replied stunned as she turned to look at her Mom, "How could you tell?"

Barb smiled, "I'm your mother and I know you. Plus the way you try to catch glimpses of her when she's around, and I've caught you watching her out this window for the past two days."

"There's just something in her eyes," BJ turned and walked to the middle of the room.

Barb watched as BJ started to pace, "what do you see?"

BJ paced back and forth for a few seconds before she stopped and took a deep breath in and let it out slowly, "I can see my past and my future. I can feel the intensity of a love that hasn't been touched in a long time. That's begging to come out. It's like my soul is calling out and Tyler is the one who has to answer."

Barb stood there stunned beyond words. She had never heard her daughter talk about love like that. BJ had basically given up on finding her true soulmate and had just resigned herself to finding someone that could love her for her nothing more.

"She's the one isn't she?" Barb asked her daughter in a calm voice.

BJ walked back to the window and stood by her Mom and looked back out at Tyler, "yes."

Barb turned to face her daughter. She could see the spark in BJ's eyes as she watched Tyler walk with Leo and Mike to the side of the house. "You need to tell her how you feel."

BJ shook her head; "I can't do that. Not yet anyway."

"Why in the hell not?" Barb yelled. She was tired of sitting back and watching her daughter hurt for not being the person she was. "Oh, BJ, please for once follow your heart."

"You know why. In the entertainment industry it's frowned on for the leading lady…" BJ started to say but was interrupted by her Mom's hand over her mouth.

"I don't want to hear that crap any more. It's time for you to stop listening to all the assholes out there and listen to what's in your heart. Life only comes around once. You understand? ONCE!" Barb yelled.

"It's time you lived your life for yourself and be happy." Barb finished and drew her daughter in for a hug. "The love you described to me should be grabbed onto with both hands and never let go."

BJ felt tears run down her face. The emotions she felt scared her. It had been so long since she had been able to be the person she was without having to hide behind a perfect mask. Her Mom was right, now was the time to come out and be herself.

BJ stepped back and grabbed her Mom by the shoulders; "you're the best Mom anyone could ask for." She kissed the older woman on the cheek, "love you."

"Love you too," Barb smiled.

*****

"The Security Company finished all the new hook ups. The windows are so sensitive now that the slightest touch will set them off," Leo informed the two people that followed him to the side of the house.

"What about the extra set of motion lights for the front and the back?" Tyler asked as she inspected the work done. "I don't want a mouse to move without the lights flicking on."

"Trust me, not even a bug could get by without setting it off." Leo assured Tyler.

"Great, thanks Leo. I really appreciate all the work you guys have done for me." Tyler said and patted both men on the back.

"Don't sweat it," Mike replied. "We're just glad that we could help."

"That's right, what good are friends if you can't put them to work for little or no pay?" Leo teased and ducked quickly from the hand that was aimed for his head. "Just kidding little buddy."

"Leo, knock it off. Tyler don't listen to that boob." Mike said as he stepped in front of his lover before Tyler could get another punch in.

"Hey," Leo yelled from behind Mike's back. He stood with his hands on his hips and puffed his chest out, "I'm not a boob."

"Yes you are," both Tyler and Mike yelled back.

Tyler stood there and glanced from one man to the other. A frown formed, "I know I can't pay you guys much and I'm sorry for that. All the money that I'll be making has to go to all the past due bills. Plus I have to save as much as I can so when this stalker is finally found I can get a place and start up the business again."

The two men saw the sadness take over Tyler. Leo stepped out from behind Mike and wrapped the small blonde in a hug; "I'm just teasing you. Even if you offered us money we'd refuse. Mike and I think of you as part of our family. It just wouldn't be right to take money from you."

"You two are the only family I have left," Tyler mumbled from Leo's chest. "I thank God for you guys everyday."

"As you should," Leo replied before a small foot kicked him in the shin. "Ouch," he cried out as he hopped on one foot. "I was just trying to lighten the mood."

Mike walked closer to the two and wrapped them in another hug; "any time you need us all you have to do is call. Your Grandfather was a very good friend of ours and he would comeback and kick our asses if anything happened to you."

Tyler stood there and let the emotions absorb into her soul. Some of the emptiness and loneliness inside her disappeared. She squeezed a little tighter before she stepped back and gave the two men a big smile. "Love you two."

"Right back at you," Mike replied as he wiped a lone tear off of Tyler's cheek. "Now lets get back to work. We have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow."

"That's right, BJ has an interview on that one talk show," Leo frowned. "Willis Hut is the biggest asshole ever born."

"Ain't that the truth," Mike agreed. "He's got the worst reputation in the business. I have no clue why he's still on the air?"

"Because he can get a rise out of anybody," Tyler said as they walked to the front of the house. "I just hope he doesn't try anything tomorrow. BJ has enough crap to deal with."

Leo and Mike stopped walking and stared at the blonde as she went off into her own world. "She's doing it again." Leo sighed and grinned up at his partner.

"Yep, do you think she even realizes she does that?" Mike asked as he draped his arm around Leo's shoulders.

"Nope," Leo laughed and wrapped his arm around Mike's waist to bring him closer. "She doesn't have a clue."

Mike kissed the top of Leo's baldhead. "What do you think she'll do when it hits her?"

Leo snuggled closer, "cherish every moment of it I hope."

"Just like we do," Mike responded with another kiss.

Leo turned his and looked up at the greatest thing that ever happened to him, "yep, just like us."

The two stood and stared into each other's eyes. The sound of Tyler's voice broke the moment and the two sprinted over to where the woman stood.

Tyler stood by the high metal fence that separated BJ's house from the world. She watched as a suspicious car sat out front of the house. Inside the car sat a man with a camera ready to get any kind of picture he could get.

"I don't think it's our stalker, but I bet it's a sleaze ball from some tabloid." Tyler whispered when the men stopped next to her.

"What do you want us to do? He's not breaking any laws," Leo quietly asked.

"How about we put a little scare into him?" Tyler suggested with a gleam in her eyes.

"Count us in," Mike answered for the two men.

Tyler huddled the two around her, "Leo go up to the house and make sure BJ stays in. I don't want her to have to worry about this kind of crap."

"Oh come on I want to be part of this," Leo pouted and stomped his feet.

Tyler and Mike rolled their eyes at the man.

"Quit acting like a damn three year old," Tyler scolded. "You can be in on the next one."

"Promise?" Leo asked and stuck out his bottom lip.

"Yes, I promise. Now put that thing back before a bird lands on it." Tyler responded as she pushed the offending lip back with one of her fingers. "I need Mike's big muscles for this one. Your to puny to pull it off."

"Oh please, I'll have you know that under this fabulously expensive shirt is a body every man or woman would die to have." Leo puffed his chest out and put his hands on his hips for added effect.

Mike and Tyler tried hard not to laugh, but the sight of Leo when he stood like that only made it ten times harder.

"Okay, if you say so,…..Mr. Clean." Mike snorted from behind his hand. His entire body shook from the giggles that took over his body.

"All you need is the earring and you've got it made." Tyler teased as her face turned red from over exertion from trying not to fall down and laugh herself to death.

Leo continued to stand there with a scowl on his face. "Okay, fine no sex for you," he countered back as he pointed at Mike.

Mike stood up with a frown, "come on honey. You know I was only kidding."

"I'll just be going now," Leo said before he turned and stomped up to the house.

Tyler slapped Mike on the back, "you know all you have to do is buy him a nice present and he'll forgive you."

Mike turned his head slowly around to look in to mischievous green eyes. "Lets get this show on the road so I can get my ass to the store."

"Good, here's my plan," Tyler wrapped her arm across Mike's shoulder and led him to the backyard so they could get around to the side without the guy in the car noticing them.

*****

Barb and BJ were in the kitchen when Leo came in with a big smile, "what has you so happy?" Barb asked as she drank her tea.

Leo stopped grabbed a cup for himself and sat at the table, "I'm getting a present."

"Really, what's the occasion?" BJ inquired and poured some hot tea into Leo's cup.

Leo grinned, "Mike and Tyler are outside right now scaring the pants off of some tabloid reporter. I wanted to have some fun to but they wanted me to come in and tell you to stay in the house."

"What do you mean they are out there scaring some reporter?" BJ questioned as she stood up. "Why would they say for me to stay in the house. It's not like I'm not used to having slime ball tabloid reporters creeping around my property."

"Calm down, Tyler just wanted you to stay in the house because you have enough to deal with. She's just doing her job protecting you." Leo replied and sipped his tea. He glanced over at Barb who had a little grin form on her face when she watched the smile appear on BJ face.

BJ sat back down on her chair and drank her tea, "okay, now tell us why your getting a present."

Leo went on to explain why he knew that Mike would get him a present. When he was done he got up and started to heat up more water, "so there you have it. I withhold sex and Mike gets me something nice to get in my good graces again."

"You sure do have his number," Barb laughed as she got up to get some cookies out of the pantry. "Chocolate chip or oatmeal?"

"Oatmeal," BJ and Leo responded at the same time.

"Glad we all agree," Barb laughed as she sat the bag on the table.

As Leo was about to pour the hot water into the empty mugs Mike and Tyler came walking in. Mike had a big grin on his face and Tyler had a scowl. The sight of blood on Tyler's chin made BJ jump up to the blonde.

"What happened?" BJ asked as she wiped the blood off with a napkin.

Tyler lost all train of thought when BJ cupped her face. The warm feeling of BJ's hands on her cheek felt like a probe straight to her center. "Damn, if she can get that kind of reaction out of me with a small touch to my face. I can't imagine what it would be like if she touched other places." Tyler thought and closed her eyes to relish in the sensation.

"I can't believe that the sight of her bleeding has me so upset." BJ thought, "It's not like it's something major. It's just a little cut under her chin, but damn she cute standing there letting me tend to her."
The other three in the room watched the interaction between the two women. They each sported the same knowing grin.

"What happened?" Barb asked as she continued to watch BJ and Tyler.

Mike giggled a little, "we just wanted to scare the guy. So we went out there and planned on pretending we were having an earthquake."

Barb and Leo listened to Mike detail the events that happened outside. Apparently as Mike shook the back of the car Tyler would be walking by and start to sway towards the car. She then would reach in and grab the camera, but when Tyler tried to grab for the camera she didn't see a little dog sitting on the lap of the man. The dog jumped up and tried to bit Tyler as soon as her arm reached in. It scared Tyler so bad she banged her chin when she jerked out of the window.

They tried real hard not to laugh when the story had finished, but they failed miserably.

The noise from the others in the room broke BJ and Tyler out of their own thoughts. "You want a bandage?"

Tyler shook her head and gave BJ a little smile, "no, that's okay. Thanks."

"Any time," BJ whispered softly as she caressed Tyler's neck.

The soft touches on her neck made her heartbeat faster and her inside turn to mush. Tyler wanted BJ to lean down and kiss her, but she knew that once that happened things would change and she wouldn't be able to do her job. BJ had already made it really hard to concentrate going any further would definitely double that problem.

Tyler stepped away from BJ's touch; "I really should be going." She said softly and headed out the door.

"Bye," BJ said to Tyler's back.

*****

Tyler decided to take her nightly walk early. For some reason she had been unable to take a nap like she usually did before going out.

Tyler slowly made her way out the side door of the guesthouse. She knew where to walk without setting off the security lights. Carefully she made her way across the back lawn to the pool. The moon reflected off the top of the water giving it a sparkle look.

A crunch noise made Tyler halt her progress at the backside of the house. She lowered herself to the ground so she could get a look around the bush that had been recently been planted. "Looks like a mouse has entered the trap," Tyler whispered to herself.

Tyler watched as the dark form carefully hid behind bushes and trees. She bent her knees and got ready to strike as the body got closer to the sensors that would set off the alarms and all the lights.

Just as one foot hit the right spot Tyler threw herself and tackled the intruder. "Gotcha, you son of a bitch." Tyler yelled as they rolled around on the damp ground.

The two fought for top position. Arms and legs were everywhere; grunts and groans broke the silence of the night.

Dressed in flannel pajamas, BJ ran from her upstairs bedroom with her Mom right on her heels. "What the hell is going on?" Barb asked as she tried to get her pink robe around her shoulders.

"Someone has set off the alarms." BJ answered as she made it to the bottom of the stairs. "I wonder where Tyler is?"

"She's around somewhere, let's look out the front window and see if we can see anything." Barb said as she headed for the big bay window in the front living room.

The two women knelt on the bench that sat in front of the big window. They saw two people rolling around the front yard. "We have to go and help," BJ yelled as she jumped up and ran for the front door.

"BJ, you can't go out there." Barb yelled back at her daughter, but it was too late, the front door was wide open. She looked out the window and saw her daughter run to where the two bodies fought. "Damn that kid," she said and ran to catch up.

BJ didn't exactly know how she was going to stop Tyler and the intruder, but she couldn't just stand there and watch either. "STOP..STOP AT ONCE!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

"BJ?" Asked a deep voice from ground.

"Miles? Is that you?" BJ stepped closer to the two on the ground.

"Yes, it's me," Miles answered just as Tyler had gotten his hands behind his back. "Get this person off of me."

"Why?" BJ sarcastically asked, "after what you did the last time you were here you think I should just let you enter my home?"

Tyler just sat on the man's back and listened to the conversation. She wouldn't let the man up until BJ gave her the sign that it was okay. "I wonder who this is?" Tyler thought to herself as she tried to catch her breath. "Apparently the know each other. Maybe he's an old lover?" The thought made Tyler's stomach twist into a knot.

"Ouch," Miles growled into the grass as Tyler tightened her grasp on the man's wrists. "Please, BJ, I promise nothing will happen like that again."

Barb had walked up to the scene with the phone in her hand. "I called the cops. They should be here in a few minutes."

"Please don't have me put in jail," Miles begged.

"You have got to be kidding me?" Barb sighed in frustration. "What are you doing here?"

"Would you believe I just wanted to drop by and say hello to my sister," Miles replied as he tried to get comfortable with the weight of Tyler on his back.

"Sister?" Tyler asked as she looked up and met upset blue eye. "This is your brother. I didn't know you had a brother."

"Let's just say I only have one when he needs money or a place to crash for a couple of days," BJ growled and began to pace.

"Do you want me to let him up?" Tyler asked as she watched BJ get more upset.

"No," Barb answered and walked back to the house.

"I take it your Mom doesn't like you much," Tyler replied as she watched the woman storm into the house and slam the door.

"She's not his Mom. This is the product of when my Dad slept around on her." BJ answered bitterly.

Tyler sat there and watched as different emotions ran across BJ's face. Suddenly she stopped and hunched down next to Miles's face. "If you so much as breath wrong, I'll have your ass thrown in jail so fast that your head will spin. Got me?" BJ said as she gestured for Tyler to stand and let Miles up.

"Thanks, BJ. I really appreciate it." Miles said as he stood and wiped off grass and dirt from his jacket and headed for the house. "You have any food?"

Tyler couldn't stand it any longer. She had to know what the hell had just happened. "You want to give me just a small hint to what happened just now."

BJ took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "That ever so nice person was my little brother Miles. Him and I have the same father. My Dad and his Mother were having an affair behind my Mom's back. It had gone on for several years until my Mom found out and kicked my Dad out."

Tyler guided BJ back to the house as BJ continued her story. "I was about fourteen when all this happened. Dad never came back after he left. Which really didn't bother me, because he never really paid any attention to me anyway. We just went on with our lives. Then about five years ago Miles knocked at my door. Saying that he was my brother. Of course I didn't believe him at first, but he had a birth certificate and countless pictures of him growing up with dad at his side."

"Must have been a shock?" Tyler asked as she shut the front door and led BJ into the living room to sit on the couch.

"Understatement of the year," BJ laughed as she brought her feet up so she could rest her chin on her knees. "You want to know what shocked me more?" She asked as she turned to look into caring green eyes.

"What," Tyler responded in a soft whisper.

A tear fell down BJ's cheek, "the way I felt when I saw those pictures of a loving caring father out with his kid. I wanted that, no I needed that."

Tyler walked over and sat next to BJ. She watched as more tears fell and landed on the soft material of BJ's pajamas. With loving care Tyler wiped the wetness off and cupped BJ's face in her hands. "He didn't know what he had. To have something this special and to just let it go proves that he wasn't man enough to give you what you needed. I'm just sorry that he hurt you and made you feel like you weren't wanted."

They sat there for a few minutes and stared into each other eyes. Letting two souls connect again.

"If I had you I would never let you go," Tyler said as her fingers continued to caress soft cheeks.

BJ stared at herself in the mirror. She could still feel the soft touch of Tyler on her face. She closed her eyes and remembered the way intense green eyes set a fire in her soul that only a kiss could put out. She thought of how Tyler had leaned in closer, so close that they shared the same air. Just as two sets of lips were about to touch.

"Damn, Miles just had to walk in," BJ whispered to herself, totally frustrated with her brother once again.

"Excuse me did you say something to me?" The hair stylist asked as she brushed BJ's hair.

"Sorry, no," BJ responded a little embarrassed she had spoken out loud.

The stylist finished brushing and smiled up at the mirror, "not a problem. I get that a lot. People forget I'm around and just start talking to themselves."

"I didn't mean to be rude," BJ quickly responded and sat up a little so she could turn to look at the woman.

"OH, I know. It's just so calming when you get your hair brushed. It's like a head massage," The woman said as she picked up the brushes off the table and put them in a bag she stored them in. "It's almost time for you to be introduced."

BJ stood and shook the lady's hand, "thanks, you did a great job."

The woman's smile grew, "any time."

BJ headed out the door to the back hallway where she would wait for Willis Hut to introduce her. A movement to the side made her stop. When she didn't notice anything she continued on.

From the spot she had to wait she could see into the audience. A couple of hundred laughing people filled the studio that taped the afternoon talk show. Three cameras sat in front of the raised audience to film the host do what he does best, "start trouble." BJ thought to herself.

A man in a bright yellow shirt ran up and down the aisles joking and carrying on trying to keep the audience happy during the commercial break.

The band played some soft jazz as the host of the show sat and talked to his first guest. The fake laugh and smile raked across BJ nerves. "I really hate that guy," BJ thought.

The host glanced over to where BJ stood and smiled at her. She noticed how the dark brown eyes undressed her from across the stage. She shivered at what the asshole might be thinking. Then she noticed how his eyes grew even darker and looked at something behind her, but before she could turn around a warm hand pressed on her back.

"Boy, if looks could kill," Tyler said as she stared back, but she added a smile instead of a scowl.

"He thinks he's God's gift to women, but the only women he can get is the kind you have to pay for." BJ laughed as she enjoyed the warmth created by Tyler's hand on her back.

A man with a small black box and wire came up behind the two, "excuse me, Ms. Stanton. I have your mic to put on."

"Here I'll help her put it on," Tyler offered and took the box and handed it to BJ. "Where do you want it to be attached to?"

BJ blushed, "I usually have it tucked in the back of my pants and have the wire come around my waist up under my bra and out the collar."

"Oh boy," Tyler shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal. "Okay, turn around."

BJ grabbed Tyler's hand, "let's find a place were not so many eyes are watching." She tipped her head in Willis Hut's direction. "I don't even want him to think about us in that way."

Tyler saw the lusting eyes follow every move they made, "I totally agree."

The two went to one of the extra rooms that held some props and equipment for the show. They shut the door and stood there for a few seconds not sure how to proceed.

"I guess I should take my shirt off so we can get that thing on," BJ said as she started to undo her pants to get her shirt loose.

"Okay," Tyler squeaked. She stood and watched as a perfectly flat stomach emerged from under the soft red sweater. "I think I'm going to die." Tyler thought as an exquisite, round breast held back by a silk red bra appeared before her eyes.

BJ folded her sweater and put it on a box that sat next to her. She knew what kind of effect she was having on Tyler by the way Tyler's usually bright green eyes intensified with lust as she stared at the half naked BJ.

BJ walked up to Tyler with grin, "Tyler?"

"Hmm," Tyler answered back. She was still enthralled with the sight before her.

BJ placed a finger under Tyler's chin so that she could get her full attention, "Can I ask you a question?"

"You can ask me anything," Tyler responded.

"Would you mind if I kissed you right now?" BJ asked as she lowered her head towards Tyler's.

Tyler stepped back. The question brought her out of her daydream. "I can't do this. I can't be her protector and her love. She'll just get hurt, people I love die and I don't want that to happen to her." Tyler looked into crystal clear eyes as she took a deep breath, "as much as I would love for you to, I don't think that would be a good idea."

"Why?" BJ asked as she stepped closer.

Tyler knew she would regret this moment, "I need to keep my thoughts on my job, and my job is to protect you not sleep with you." She said as she stared at her feet.

BJ quickly stepped back and grabbed her sweater. The words felt like a slap in the face. "I'll go have someone else help me with this." BJ put her sweater on and walked to the door. She opened the door, but stopped before she went all the way through. "I'll make sure that I don't misunderstand what your job is again."

"I'm sorry," Tyler replied softly.

BJ didn't respond she left with the door wide open. Tyler watched her go up to the guy who handed her the small mic and asked him to please help her. "I really screwed up.""

Tyler slowly walked out of the room. She gave a quick glance over to where BJ stood. She took a deep breath and walked in the other direction. Not wanting to have BJ out of her sight she stood behind a curtain where she wasn't noticed, but had a clear view of the tall actresses every move.

The rest of the afternoon went by pretty quickly. Willis Hut lived up to his reputation by asking BJ all sorts of improper questions that had nothing to do with why she was there. All he got in return was a smile, and nothing more. Seeing that he wasn't going to get any kind of reaction he didn't ask her to stay till the end of the show. Which, BJ was very grateful for.

Tyler walked quietly in front of BJ and opened the car door for her. She stared at her feet until BJ was all the way in before she closed the door and headed to the front seat. "I'm such an ass."

"Let's go Melvin, and let's not take our time." Tyler ordered without any emotion.

Melvin didn't ask any questions as to why she was up here with him, he just assumed it was to help look for anything inconspicuous. "No problem. I'll have us home in no time."

"Home..I wish. I lost that a long time ago." Tyler thought as she stared out the window.

*****

They were almost to the house when Tyler had Melvin continue past their normal turn, "Keep going for a few miles."

"What's up?" Melvin asked as he glanced around to see if he could spot anything,

"Second car on the left. It's been following us since we left the studio," Tyler responded as she reached for her cell phone. She punched in a number from memory. "Mike, we have a tail," was all she said and hung up the phone.

"Get in the left lane, and when I say now I want you to make a sharp left turn." She instructed the driver.

Tyler reached for a button and the tinted window that was up behind her slid down a couple of inches. "I need to make sure you have on your seatbelt."

"It's on," BJ replied coldly.

Tyler let out a sigh, "please, make sure that it's tight." She pushed the button and had the window raise back up. "Life is so much fun sometimes."

"Okay Melvin, on the count of three I want you to do your thing. One….two…THREE!!" Tyler held on to the dashboard as Melvin took a sharp turn. He didn't decrease his speed as the car entered a back alley. She shifted in her seat so she could look in the side mirror. She noticed that the car that was following stayed with them, "good job. I want you to continue up for four blocks then turn left."

"Gotcha," Melvin answered with a little grin.

Tyler noticed that the car was far enough away that she could jump out quick and try to get some sort of idea what the suspect looked like. "After you take that left I want you to slow down enough so that I can get out of the car. Then I want you to head on home. Mike has everything set up just in case he decides to follow you all the way. I doubt he will he's to chicken to pull a stunt like that yet."

"Okay, Tyler," Melvin responded back with another small grin.

Tyler just nodded her head and gave him a smile of her own as she got ready to jump from the still moving car.

The black window that separated the front from the back came down and BJ's head appeared.

"Mind telling me what the hell is going on?" BJ ordered looking from Tyler to Melvin.

"We have a tail and as of right now we are trying to get him in a position where we can get some sort of clue as to who he might be, " Tyler said. "Melvin is gong to take you straight home after he drops me off. I would like it very much if you would make sure you stay in the house with the alarms set. Mike and Leo have everything else set up."

"Where is Melvin dropping you off and why?" BJ asked in a concerned voice. If this was the stalker it was the closest he'd ever gotten and she was a little scared.

Tyler turned around and patted BJ's hand. She looked into troubled eyes, "I want to see if I can get any idea what this guy might look like."

Remembering what kind of an ass Tyler made her feel like back at the studio she quickly took her hand away from Tyler's. She saw the hurt in the green eyes, but didn't care. "As long as you do your job," BJ replied coldly and sat back and closed the window.

Tyler looked at her reflection that appeared as the window went up. "I really deserved that."

*****

The next day Tyler and Police Detective Burt Peck who was assigned the case sat in her living room. They were going over the evidence that had been collected at the scene where the car that had been following the limousine yesterday was found abandoned.

"So you didn't see a thing as the car went past you?" Peck asked as he got up and went into the kitchen.

"Nope, he went by too fast. If he had stopped at the traffic light I might have gotten a good look, but he ran the red light," Tyler replied with disgust. "Do you think its possible he knew the owner of the car he was driving?"

The owner of the car had been tied up and shot point blank in the back of the head. Pictures of the victim sat in front of Tyler. Her face had turned white as soon as she saw the first one, but she continued to look. Maybe, just maybe she could spot something that nobody else could see.

"No, I think he just grabbed the poor guy." Detective Peck yelled from the kitchen. "Hey, Tyler?"

"Yes," Tyler replied still engrossed in the pictures.

"You want a beer? How about a sandwich?" Peck asked as he stuck his head out to look at her.

Tyler glanced up and had to laugh a little, "apparently you have made yourself right at home." She pointed to the sandwich and the milk mustache around the older mans mouth.

"What can I say, milk does a body good, and at my age I need all the help I can get," Peck shrugged his shoulders and took another bite of is lunch. "So do ya want anything?"

"No, I'm okay," Tyler sighed as she put the photos back in the vanilla envelope they came in. "I want to thank you for letting me look at the evidence."

Peck walked back in the room and sat in the chair across from Tyler, "no problem, I figure if we help each other we will catch this guy sooner rather than later. I'm just sorry for that guys family. Him and his wife just celebrated their thirty-sixth wedding anniversary. They planned on going to Hawaii for two weeks. They would of left tonight."

"Damn it," Tyler shouted, "I want this guy so bad."

Peck gathered the papers on the table, "you and everybody else does. He'll make a mistake soon."

"Not soon enough," Tyler whispered as she rubbed her eyes. "You have to get going?"

"Yep, I have to get back to the station. Then I have to get my butt home. The kids are coming over for a family supper," Peck said as he grabbed his coat off the back of the chair.

Tyler laughed, "missed the last one did you?"

"Yep, it wasn't my fault though. Betty thinks I should be able to prevent all crime from happening on her family supper night." Peck smirked as he put his coat on.

"You make sure you call me if you get any more evidence, " Tyler said as she shook the gray-headed Detectives hand and walked him to the door. "Tell the family I said hello."

"I will, you should come over some night for dinner. I know Betty would love to see you again," Peck answered as he stepped through the door.

They both looked up when they heard soft music playing next to the pool. They saw BJ and Barb lounging around the pool talking and drinking ice tea. "She's beautiful." Peck said softly.

"Yes she is," Tyler whispered so softly that Peck barely heard it.

He turned his head and watched the sadness invade the vibrant green eyes. Then he looked up and saw the same in the intense blue eyes watching them from under a straw hat. "Wonder what's up?"

"So I'll see ya later?" Peck asked as he hugged Tyler and headed off towards his car.

Tyler stood and watched BJ for a second before she lowered her head and headed back into the house. She shut the door, leaned against it and let out a big sigh. A tear fell down the soft skin of her cheek, she wiped it away with a quick motion of her hand. "Why am I crying? It was my choice to not start anything with her. I don't want her to become one of my statistics of death. The farther away she is to loving me the better. I would rather have her mad and alive then dead and loving me."

With her mind made up Tyler went to the spare bedroom she made into her office and booted up her computer. "Let's see if we've had any hits today."

Tyler brought up BJ's fan club mail. After checking the hundreds of address and subject lines she found the one that she was looking for, "We've got mail," she said as she opened it up and began to read.

*****

"So are you going to tell me what's going on between you and Tyler?" Barb asked her daughter as she put on sun tan lotion.

"What makes you think anything is going on?" BJ countered back as she drank her ice tea and took a quick look at her guesthouse.

Barb looked over at her daughter and saw the direction BJ glanced in. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe because after she got home yesterday you stayed up in your room and didn't bother to come down to see if she had any information on your stalker. Plus the way you looked at her when her and that Detective came out of the house. I could have sworn I got a chill."

"Damn it, Mom, can't you just leave things be for once?" BJ pouted as she sat back against the lawn chair with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

Barb looked at her daughter and laughed a little. "You look like you did when you were a child. Especially when you didn't get something you wanted." Barb also leaned back against her chair, "You know you want to tell me. So why don't you break yourself out of your misery and spill it."

A few quiet minutes went by. Barb thought her daughter might need some more coaxing and was about to say something when BJ started to talk.

"Yesterday at the studio we almost kissed," BJ said in a calm voice. "She decided that it would be the wrong thing to do. Since she was hired to protect me and not sleep with me."

Barb quickly sat back up and turned towards her daughter. "Oh honey, I'm sorry," she said as she patted BJ's leg.

BJ grabbed her Mom's hand and held it, "I know she felt the same kind of pull I feel for her. I saw it in her eyes. I just don't understand why she is holding back."

"I'll tell you," a deep voice responded from behind Barb.

The two women were so preoccupied with their conversation that they didn't hear Leo and Mike walk up behind them.

Then Mike grabbed a couple of chairs and gave one to Leo and he took the other, "she's afraid of something happening to you."

"What do you mean?" BJ asked totally confused.

Leo handed Mike a glass of tea and he took the other that Barb offered, "you see, Tyler thinks that everybody that loves her dies because of that love. I don't know if you know anything about Tyler's past?" Leo asked before he took a drink. "She was the only survivor in a car crash that killed her parents and her Grandmother. She sat in the car and watched each one of them die. She didn't get a scratch on her. Which was a miracle considering what was left of the car."

"No I didn't have a clue. All I knew about was that she lost part of her family in a car accident. She never mentioned that she was in the car when it happened," BJ replied as she thought about a small blonde girl trapped in a car with people she loved and watching them die. "How could someone so young carry on loosing her parent like that?"

"With the help from her Grandfather. That man was her rock. He always made sure that no matter what he was doing, even if he was away or in some important meeting she could always get through to him. He would drop everything if she needed him." Mike informed the two women. "When he died Tyler was the one who found him. She tried to revive him, but it was already to late."

"A couple of nights later we went to check on her, "Leo continued the story as he pointed to Mike and himself. "We found her in her office at the house drunker than a skunk. She was sitting in the dark crying. My heart broke at the sight." Leo wiped a tear that fell onto his cheek.

Mike scooted his chair closer to Leo's and put his arm around his shoulder, "she was a mess. We tried to get her to stop drinking and talk to us, but she would have nothing to do with that. It lasted into the next day until she ran out of alcohol. Then she sat there and said nothing until that night."

"What happened that night?" Barb asked with concern. She couldn't imagine anyone going through what Tyler had gone through.

Mike looked over at Leo to see if he wanted to tell the rest, "you finish it. You were the one that finally got her talking." Leo said as he patted Mike's leg.

Mike gave him a small smile. "Well, I went to see if she was sleeping. When I walked through the door I was nearly hit with a flying lamp. Tyler was like a mad woman, throwing this and that everywhere. Books littered the floor and papers flew around like it was raining. I ran over to her as she was about to put her fist through her computer."

Mike stood up and got the pitcher of tea. He continued his story as he refilled empty glasses. "Never let the size of a person confuse you to what they could do to you. As soon as she felt me grab her she screamed at the top of her lungs whipped her head back and broke my nose." He sat back in his chair.

"Ohh," Barb and BJ gasped at the same time.

He smiled at them, "I didn't let go though and just held on, because I knew that once I did she would have done something terrible to herself."

"Poor Tyler," Barb whisper softly as she grabbed a tissue from the table and wiped her eyes.

"It was bad, but a couple of hours later she started to talk. At first I didn't understand because she just mumbled. Then she started to sober up, that's when it all really came out." Mike stood up and started to pace, " I just listened to what ever she had to say. I knew she had to get it out or it would most definitely kill her. What stopped me in my tracks was when she said that we, Leo and I, should get away from her. She believes that being around her will get us killed."

Leo interrupted, "she called us a statistic of death. That's what she calls everybody who has died or is yet to die that she loves."

"What," BJ asked shocked. "I don't understand. Everybody loses people that they love."

"You're right, they do. Tyler just has it in her head that if she loves someone they will be killed because of her." Leo answered with a sad smile.

Barb held up her hands, "wait a minute. She thinks that her Grandfather died because of her. Didn't he die from a heart attack?"

"Yes he did," Mike replied and sat back down. He looked at two confused faces. "She was supposed to take him to a doctors appointment that morning. She had to call him and have him reschedule because one of the kids at the place she volunteered at needed her help."

"So she thinks that if she had taken him to the doctors, they might have caught it in time?" BJ filled in the rest of the story.

Mike and Leo just nodded their heads in agreement.

*****

Over the next week Tyler had intercepted four e-mails from the stalker. She had decided that she wouldn't tell anyone that they had been sent, because instead of them saying things about BJ they said stuff about Tyler. "The stalker now see me as some sort of threat." Tyler thought as she took her nightly walk.

A flick of light caught her attention. She looked up at the house and saw a shadow walking around BJ's room. "Can't believe what a jerk I've been lately. She's tried to apologize for the way she acted last week and all I do is shrug her off." Tyler walked up to a big pine tree that grew in front of the house and watched the shadow. A tear ran down her face and fell onto the ground.

*****

BJ sat in the living room with a book in her lap. Unable to get past the first paragraph she sat there and thought of Tyler. It wasn't the first time her thoughts had gone there over the past week and she doubted it would be the last. "I understand why she shut me out. To live through something so traumatic at such a young age, nobody should have to go through that. Now the question is how am I going to break through to Tyler? I've tried to apologize, but she just shrugs it off. She's all business now, we don't talk like we used to. I really miss that…I really miss her."

"BJ?" Barb yelled from upstairs.

"What, Mom?" BJ yelled back as she stood up and walked to the front window. She sat down on the bench and grabbed one of the pillows and hugged it to herself.

"Do you know where I left that sweater I showed you earlier today?" Barb asked from the top of the stairs.

"It's was in my room the last time I saw it," BJ answered back as she looked out the window to the dark night.

A movement caused BJ to look closer to the tree that sat in her front yard. She knew from the shape of the figure that it was Tyler. She watched as Tyler leaned up against the tree. The light from the moon gave her enough light to see Tyler face. "Damn, she's beautiful."

BJ continued to watch when she noticed Tyler wipe her hand across her face. "She's crying."

BJ stood up and tossed the pillow back on the bench. "I will not let this crap go on any more. Someone has to break through that tough hide of hers and I'm just the person to do it." She said out loud as she walked to the door.

By the time she was out the door Tyler was already gone. Knowing that if she tried to follow she'd set off all he security alarms, "Damn it! I feel like a prisoner in my own home." She then decided that going through the house would be the better idea. So she stormed in the house and quickly walked past her Mom who had just come down back from upstairs.

"Where you going in such a hurry?" Barb asked curiously.

"I'm going to go knock some sense into a certain bodyguard we know." BJ yelled as she went through the kitchen and out the back door.

Barb smiled, "you go girl." She walked back up the stairs and got ready for bed.

*****

Tyler made her way from the front yard to the back. A figure sat on one of the pool chairs drinking some wine. "Don't you have anything else to do?" She asked the silent man.

"Nope, this is what I do best." Miles answered with a slur before he downed half of his glass.

Tyler walked up to the man and ripped the bottle out of his hand, "you need to get off your ass and get a job. Not live off your sister. If you were my brother I'd have kicked your ass a long time ago."
Miles stumbled out of the chair and tried to stand up straight. The vein in the middle of his forehead bulged out as his face turned red with anger. "Listen here you fucking bitch. I'll do what I want when I want to, and not a moment before. So why don't you go fuck yourself." He said as he swung a fist at Tyler.

Tyler knew what he was going to do and easily side stepped the swing and watched him land on his knees. She set the wine bottle on the table closest to her. "Is that all you can do?" She taunted him and kicked him in the ass before he could get up. "Why don't you tell me what you're really doing here."

Miles growled, "what the hell are you talking about. I'm here visiting my sister."

"Bullshit! Want to try again or do you want me to let you in on what I figured out," Tyler asked as she walked in front of the kneeling man.

Miles looked up at Tyler. He saw the smirk and swallowed. "Is she just pulling my chain? Does she really know?"

"Come on Miles, I know you're not that stupid," Tyler responded. She waited a few seconds and when Miles decided to be quiet she spoke, "See, Miles, I have been receiving some disturbing e-mails. It really doesn't bother me that this crazy son of a bitch has now decided to take his frustrations out on me instead of BJ. But what really gets me is that he knows just about every movement I've made the last week. Even when I haven't left this house."

"So what does that have to do with me?" Miles asked as he crawled over to the chair not giving Tyler the chance to kick him down again.

Tyler grabbed a chair and sat down and leaned her elbows on her knees so she was face to face with Miles. "Before you got here he didn't know what he knows now. He mentioned that he could get me on one of my nightly rounds. Care to tell me how he knew that?"

Miles tried to grab for the wine, but Tyler was quicker. He pointed a shaking finger at Tyler, "listen you, I don't have a clue what you're talking about or even why you think I have anything to do with what's going on. He could just be guessing that you prowl around in the dark."

"Oh, really? He seemed to know exactly when I go out," Tyler lied, but wanted to see if he would stumble and give her some clue.

Miles just stared into Tyler's intense green eyes. "She playing with me. Hoping that I'd slip up. Well, I'm not that stupid. If this guys plans work I'll be on easy street for a long time." He stood up and managed not to topple over, "you have to go find yourself another escape goat I think. I'm not falling for it." He turned and walked to the house not seeing BJ standing in the shadows.

Tyler stood up and grabbed the bottle of wine. She dumped the rest of the contents into the grass. "Well, that went better then I thought it would. I know he knows something, it's just not a coincidence that the stalkers emails imply that he knows more of what goes on around here." Lost in thought Tyler didn't hear or see BJ until she stood right in front of her making her jump.

"You scared me," Tyler said as she set the empty bottle in the trash can.

"Sorry. What were you and Miles talking about?" BJ asked. She wanted to see if Tyler would tell her even though she overheard most of the conversation.

"Should I tell her that I suspect Miles is working with the stalker?" Tyler looked at questioning blue eyes, "she has a right to know."

"Well?" BJ asked as she sat on the chair Tyler had sat in earlier.

Tyler knew that this would not go over well. She took a deep breath and decided that the only way to go was to tell BJ everything. "I suspect that Miles is working with the stalker in some way. How I don't know yet, but I will find out."
BJ already figured that out, but to hear Tyler say it out loud to her hit her hard. "How can that be? He's my brother. How did you come up with this idea?"

"Shit, I don't want to tell her about the emails." Tyler knew that she had to tell her everything when she looked at BJ. "I have received several emails from the stalker. He knows things that he shouldn't know. I think Miles is giving him information in exchange for cash."

BJ stood up and began to pace, "it could be anyone."

Tyler walked up to BJ and put her hands on her shoulders. "If it was someone else they would have started a long time ago. This just started after he got here."

"What are you going to do?" BJ asked scared what Tyler's answer might be.

Tyler lead BJ back to her seat. She knelt down so she faced BJ straight on, "I plan on using him. From this point on he will have a tail wherever he goes. Hopefully he will lead us to the stalker and you can get on with your life."

Tears ran down BJ's face as it got redder and redder from the anger. "How could my own brother do something like this. I trusted him and gave him a place to live and even gave him money when he needed it." She jumped up and knocked Tyler on her butt.

"Where do you think you're going?" Tyler asked as she quickly got up and followed BJ.

"I plan on kicking his ass," BJ responded with pure hatred as she made her way to the back door.

Tyler grabbed BJ by the arm and swung her around. "You can't do that. At least not yet."

BJ glared at Tyler. "Why not?"

Tyler swallowed hard. The anger was so intense her skin crawled. "Believe it or not we need him. This is our chance to get the sick fuck that wants me dead and you for his wife." "Whoops!"

"What do you mean he wants you dead?" BJ asked barely above a whisper. Then she remembered what Tyler said about receiving emails. "He threatened you. Didn't he?"

"Damn it, why didn't I keep my mouth shut." Tyler let go of BJ. She turned around and looked up at the stars that twinkled down at her. "Grandfather hope you're enjoying the show."

"I have gotten a handful of emails. They basically say the same thing, but instead of just wanting you he sees me as a threat and wants me dead." Tyler confessed with a slight shrug. "As long as he tries to get rid of me."

Tyler didn't get to finish because her arms where filled with a very upset brunette, "I know it's your job to protect me, but I can't loose you."

"I can't hide myself from her any more." Tyler knew that no matter how hard she tried to deny her feelings for BJ it was a lost cause. "I don't plan on going anywhere. This is where I belong and this is where I'll stay."

BJ stood perfectly still unsure if she heard right. She slightly stepped back and gazed into sparkling green. "Does that mean what I hope it means?"

Tyler nodded her head. "I was stupid to even try to fight it. You've had me since you helped me with my coffee."

BJ smiled and brought her head down. Her lips softly connected with Tyler's. A shock of energy went from one to the other making the hairs on their arms to stand on end. "WOW!" They both thought as the kiss continued.

Unbeknownst to them Miles had watched the whole scene from his bedroom window. "You won't have time to enjoy your new found love sister of mine."

*****

Over the next couple of days Tyler and BJ spent as much time together as they could. They talked for hours and cuddled, but they never went any further than kissing and hugging. Everybody was happy to see that everything worked out.

"Is she a good kisser?" A soft voice asked next to BJ's ear as she stared out the widow.

"Damn it, mother, stop sneaking up behind me." BJ replied as she tried to stop her heart from beating out of her chest. "And I'll never tell."

The smile she gave her Mom was all the answer Barb needed. "Okay, I won't ask again, but don't you think that smile gives you away?" She teased as she sat down on the sofa.

"Does it?" BJ asked herself. A tap on the widow made her turn back to the window. The smile grew on her face.

"Lunch?" Tyler asked as she pointed to herself and BJ.

BJ agreed with a nod of her head and held up one finger to let Tyler know what time.

Tyler gave her the thumbs up and took off to finish some stuff before her date with BJ.

BJ's eyes followed the agile body until it went out of sight. "Who cares if it does. I love her and I want to tell the world."

BJ turned around and walked over to sit next to her mom on the couch. "Do you want to go shopping this afternoon?"

"Sure, we haven't done that in ages." Barb replied.

"How would you like to take a small vacation. Maybe up to the summerhouse. We haven't been up there in a couple of years and now would be as good a time as any." BJ suggested as she brought her knees up to her chest.

Barb looked across the couch into her daughter's soft blue eyes. She saw a happiness that was never there before. "Thank you Tyler."

"Well?" BJ asked again.

"That sounds great. When do you want to go, so I can call up there and have Mr. Coal get everything set up." Barb asked already thinking of what she needed the old caretaker to arrange.

BJ smiled, "I was thinking about this coming weekend. I wanted to go earlier, but I have that guest spot on P.D. The shooting will only last two days, three at the most. We can leave either Friday night or early Saturday. I'll let you choose."

"Great, now tell me something." Barb wiggled her eyebrows at BJ.

"Mother if you really want to know if she kisses good, go kiss her yourself." BJ responded back with a straight face not seeing Tyler walk in.

"I can't believe you would give permission for another woman to kiss me." Tyler sounded hurt, but winked at Barb.

BJ's face turned red at being caught suggesting that to her mother, but after a few seconds she started to laugh. "Well, she keeps asking so I just figured that she should try it out for herself."

Tyler looked from one woman to the other, "okay, sounds good to me." She said as she walked into the room and around the couch.

"What are you doing?" Barb curiously asked as Tyler cupped her face in her hands.

Tyler raised an eyebrow; "I'm going to kiss you." She stated and leaned closer to Barb.

Before Tyler could lean any further BJ grabbed her shoulders and shoved her back. "The only lips yours will be touching will be mine." BJ glared, "Got it?"

Tyler grinned, "wouldn't have it any other way." She then captured BJ and kissed her.

Barb scooted down the couch and quietly left the room. "Damn, wish someone would do that to me. I need to get out more."

*****

Tyler stood by the front of the store as BJ and Barb shopped around. Every once in awhile she'd be caught staring and BJ would just grin at her. She would smile back with a wink.

Even though BJ had talked and talked to Tyler about her fear that nothing would happen to her because Tyler loved her. Tyler still felt it in her gut that something would happen and she would not be able to stop it.

"I have to get my mind back on my job. I know now that I can't stop my feelings for BJ, but I can't let that blind me either. I have to keep my head together and focus. I have so much more to loose if anything does happen to her .I wouldn't be able to pull myself out of the darkness I fell into after Grandfather died. She is my soul and I will stop at nothing to keep her safe." Tyler thought as she walked in between the racks and shelves of clothing.

Barb watched Tyler maneuver herself around the store. She watched as her face turned from worry to one of conviction and determination. "Wonder what's going on in that mind of hers?"

"Hey, Mom how does this look?" BJ asked as she stepped out of the dressing room rubbing her sides to flatten the black fabric.

Barb turned to look at her daughter. "You look gorgeous. Black has always been your color."

"You really think so? Do you think Tyler will like it?" BJ inquired softly. "I was thinking of taking her out on a date and I want it to be romantic."

"I know just the place. I'll call my friend and set everything up." Barb responded with excitement and reached into her purse for her cell phone. "Damn, where is it. I know I put it in here this morning."

"Your cell phone is gone?" BJ asked as she watched her mom dump the contents of her purse on a nearby table.

"Yes, I put it in here this morning and now it's gone." Barb replied with disgust.

"What's wrong?" Tyler asked as she walked up to the two women.

"My cell phone is not in my purse." Barb said as she stuffed her things back into her handbag.

"She put it in there this morning and now it's gone." BJ replied, "Do you think you might of just thought you put it in there and set it somewhere else?"

"No, I was in the kitchen trying to be civil to Miles. I took my phone off of the recharger and put it right in here. I had to go to the bathroom and left it on the counter." Barb replayed in her mind and out loud.

"You left your purse on the counter with Miles in the room?" Tyler questioned.

"Yes, why?" Barb stood up and looked at Tyler. "Do you think that weasel stole my phone?"

"Damn, damn, damn..I want you to get ready to leave," Tyler pointed at BJ as she grabbed her cell phone off her hip.

"He was the only one that had the opportunity. Tyler had the phones in the house bugged along with his cell phone. He must have figured it out and decided to take yours." BJ replied and quickly got into her own clothes.

Tyler walked up to the closed door. "I called Leo he says that Miles left a few minutes after we left. Mike is following him. I want to get you two home where it's safer."

BJ and Barb opened the door; "Do you think he's going to meet the stalker?" BJ asked suddenly scared that he might know where they are at right now.

Tyler shook her head, "no, we didn't have a set plan, but just in case lets hurry."

The three left the store and headed for the car. It took about a half an hour before they entered the gates to BJ's home. Noticing that Mike's car was still missing Tyler headed to where she knew Leo would be.

"Heard anything from Mike?" Tyler asked even before she was in the room.

"He just called. Miles is at some bar by the railroad tracks. He's been in there for about an hour now." Leo informed Tyler. "Do you want him to go in or stay in the car?"

"Have him stay in the car. Give me the address. Call him and tell him I'm on my way." Tyler ordered and turned to leave.

"You be careful." BJ said as she walked up to Tyler and kissed her softly.

"I will," Tyler whispered before she kissed BJ one more time and left.

Continued in Part 2
 

E-mail…. Tinstrttn@yahoo.com