She's fallen asleep now. She must have been tired! I wish I had more but... I suppose I will have to wait until she's awake before I get answers.

I picked up one of the books from the pile near me and opened it on the title page. My eyes grew heavy as I reached chapter 12. A sound drew my attention over to Tia who was shifting and clutching Tobin. She must be

having a nightmare. Do I intervene or...

She opened her eyes and looked around the room. "You were dreaming Tia."

She looked over at me and then scanned the room again before settling back down with Tobin. She was asleep again in minutes. I went back to my book and was asleep before the end of the second page.

***

My eyes came open at the warm feeling next to me. I moved the book from my chest and looked down. Tobin was lying on me staring up at me. "Tobin? What are you doing there?"

"Waking you up." Tia said.

I looked over to the makeshift kitchen. Tia was standing there staring at a pot. "What's for breakfast?"

"Beans and sausage with buttered bread. Did you sleep well?"

Tobin was still laying on me and I tried to sit up. "Don't move... you will scare it." Tobin sounded... playful.

"Please don't tell me it's a spider."

Tia laughed. "No Maverick, not a spider, a centipede."

"Great! Can't you capture it in a jar and keep it as a pet?"

Tobin frowned. "It's an insect, not a dog"

I smiled at him. "I used to have a pet stick insect. I think a centipede would make a much better pet than a stick insect."

Tia brought over a jar and handed it to him. "Do it slowly." She said watching the thing intently.

Tobin moved slowly, putting the jar down on the floor next to me. I shifted now Tobin wasn't on my chest. Tobin had the centipede in the jar and had his hand over the bottom of it holding it down. He watched the centipede run around the edge of the jar looking for a way out. "Maverick will help you turn the jar over. You will need to read that book I gave you before it gets hungry."

Tia went back to cooking and I found an old bit of card and helped Tobin turn the jar over slowly so it ran to the bottom. "We need to make some holes in the lid so it can breathe. Then we need your book to make his house better for it."

Tobin smiled watching the centipede. I looked at the lid of the jar and pulled out my pen knife. I used the corkscrew to poke small holes in the metal lid and screwed it into the jar. Tobin brought the book over and opened it to the centipede page. He sat on my lap and started reading it to me.

After a few minutes, Tia brought us both a plate and a cup. "I could get used to this." I said waving my cup at Tia.

Tia smiled walking back to the kitchen for her breakfast. Tobin moved to lying on the floor and was eating while staring at his new pet. Tia came back with her plate and sat on her blankets. "Are you feeling better?" I asked.

Tia nodded, eating her breakfast. I started eating my breakfast. Tia watched me, frowning now and then.

"You look like you're thinking hard about something."

Tia nodded. "I'm trying to figure you out."

I smiled. "I'm not that complicated. In fact, I'm rather simple. What in particular are you trying to work out?"

"Why you are here, why do you persist in getting to know me even when you know it's dangerous, why does nothing seem to scare you off?"

I smiled taking a sip of the tea she had brought me. "I thought I'd cleared those questions. I'm here because you needed someone, I persist because you interest me, and finally, I don't scare easily. I'm a policeman, if I scared easily I wouldn't be good at my job. What about you?"

She shook her head. "What about me?"

"Why do you keep reaching for me?"

I smiled as she blushed. She's blushing? Embarrassment over her poem? Well, that is interesting. "You are gaining my trust and I find myself in need of more people I can trust."

I smiled picking up my book. That's what most of my day was—reading and helping Tobin build a new home for his pet out of what we could find in the basement. Tia spent most of her day reading and writing.

It was quiet for the most part. I kept an eye on Tia throughout the day and learnt when she would need what medication. She seemed to be on three different medications, in the morning she took all three, lunch she took one. As the light seeped out of the day Tia made dinner that was much like breakfast.

After dinner, Tia tucked Tobin into the blankets and walked to the makeshift kitchen. She took three more pills with a glass of water then she started washing up.

The silence was making me itch. "How can you stand being so quiet all the time?"

She turned to me, wiping the plate in her hand with a tea towel. "When no one wants to get to know you silence is a comfort. Although I admit it is too quiet without Burt." She put the plate on the pile and picked up the next.

"And now?"

"Now?"

I stood coming over to her so I could talk quietly and not wake Tobin. "Yes now. With me and Tobin in your life."

She looked up at me. "There is a lot more noise and conversation. I... see what I was missing."

"Is that why you want Tobin to stay with you?" She put the plate aside the picked up the last one.

"What I said did make it sound that way, but no. He's here because he's safe with me. Not to mention the fear he has that wouldn't be understood by most people. He needs someone to watch over him with a weapon in hand, someone to hold him and sing the song that will soothe him, someone to tell him what's real and what's not. He needs someone... that has... been.. where he has..."

I turned her around and saw the tears she'd been fighting. I took the plate from her and put it aside. "I know you don't do this getting upset thing. I think under the circumstances it would be alright."

She wiped her face and shook her head. She kept crying and without talking I gathered her up into a hug.

She stiffened in my arms but didn't fight me. After a few moments she pushed gently against my chest and I let her move away from me. She dried her eyes on a sleeve and turned away from me. "I'm sorry I didn't think...."

"No, you didn't." She turned the kettle on and stood facing the wall.

"Please don't cut me off now."

She leaned on the counter and sighed. "It's OK" Her voice was shaking and quiet.

"Is it?"

She nodded and the kettle clicked off. She moved the cup I'd been using towards her and put a teabag in it. "Maverick... it is OK I'm not afraid of you."

"But you are afraid of being hurt again."

She nodded pulling her cup to her and putting a teabag in it. "Yes.. what do you want me to say?"

She reached for the kettle and I took that hand. She turned wide-eyed flinching like she expected me to lash out at her. The reaction was all instinct, I could see that. It still hurt me to see her so afraid of me. "I don't want you to say anything thing you don't want to. I would like to know more about what's going on, but I'm not going to force you."

She stared at me, I smiled at her and let go of her hand. Tia turned and finished the tea. As she stirred the cup I could see her working out something.

She handed me a cup and gestured for me to follow her. I did back up the stairs to the bedroom on the top floor. I got a better look around it now the stress had died back a bit. It was exactly how I imagined it. A double bed, a wardrobe, a small folding bed, a dresser with mirror and of course bookshelves. The space looked as soulless as the rest of the house.

"We can talk here." Tia said making me look over at her sitting on the end of the bed.

"What about?"

She looked out of the window, the shutter blocked most of the view but you could see through the small gaps in the slats. "The message and the questions you have in your mind."

"You're going to share?"

She nodded and took a deep breath. I could see her worry and fear over-sharing with me. "The message you got was less cryptic than you think. I have two code names, myself as a writer and the other me. In a way I'm two people, I can't be clearer than that."

"So your sir Arthur and Guinevere?"

She nodded. "So the writer is Sir Arthur coming to the rescue and defeating the enemies, and Guinevere is the maiden that needs protection. If I remember the legend of Arthur correctly... Sir Lancelot takes Guinevere away from King Arthur."

She chuckled quietly and then looked at me. "That's what the message was. I went there strong then when you came to get me, I left my strength behind. The dragon was my stubborn resolve that I could handle this myself. It was a message for me to accept your help."

"So that's why you were laughing at me. Who was it that gave me the message?"

All the amusement left her in an instant. "My charity. They both help protect me and use my knowledge to help others."

"The black Volvo that was around town was the church of sky. Were they here for you or Tobin?" She looked out the window again. She chewed her lip as she thought about her answer. "You don't have to answer any of my questions."

She shook her head. "I'm deciding how much to say."

"Then just give me the answer to the question I asked. I won't push you to give me what you're not sure about."

She turned back to me and after a moment she nodded. "He was after both of us. I told him to leave me be and I hope he left. You see... he was.. my husband."

"That was your husband! Did he hurt you?"

She shook her head slowly. "No... he always starts out kind and gentle. He wanted to know where... "

She stopped abruptly and looked away. "He wanted to know where the children are."

She turned back and nodded, looking grateful. "I warned him off and I don't know if he left."

"Do you still... care for him?"

She made a disgusted face. "No!"

"Sorry, I had to ask." I moved closer to where she sat.

"I don't find it offensive Maverick. We were married, and married couples sometimes still care deeply about each other, even after splitting up."

"It was the look on your face."

She smiled shaking her head. "I can't help it, the man disgusts me."

"That is understandable. Why do you think those bodies were sky?"

She took a sip of her tea. "They were watching Tobin. I warned them off but they offered me protection so I know they were close."

She put her cup down and looked me in the eye. "Maverick I wish to give you something. Not a puzzle, something very clear. However, it will leave me very vulnerable."

I frowned as she stood and went to the wardrobe. She opened it and took out a small box. She offered it to me as she sat down again.

The small plain wooden box wasn't heavy as I took it from her. I lifted the lid and inside was an old photograph of a lady holding a baby. I looked at the back and it read Tia Raya Brock. I laid it to one side and underneath was a birth certificate. "Tia it's very dangerous for you to keep these."

"My whole life is full of danger. This wasn't near me until recently."

I looked up at her. "Why show me this?"

She smiled and took my hands. "I'm not an ice queen Maverick, even if I act like one. I have feelings."

"I know that Tia.. but why now, Why me?"

She patted my hand. "You're still here. If anything happens to me I'd want my real name on my grave. As depressing as it sounds, I need one person to know me. The real me."

She started to let my hand drop but I took hers. "I won't let anything happen to you."

"It's alright Maverick. I'm not walking off into the night to die. At times like these, this thought goes through my head, I can't help it." I sighed and let go of her. "Is it so unusual for someone to think of these things?"

"No... but it makes me uncomfortable, the timing of it."

She stood picking up her cup. "Come on let's go back to Tobin."

I nodded taking the photograph and birth certificate and putting them in my pocket. She watched me with interest. "Tia..."

She sat back down and took my hand. "Do you need more reassurance that I'm not looking to die?"

"No... I just want to tell you, your identity will be safe with me."

She nodded and we stood, I didn't let go of her hand. She looked up at me. "Maverick I gave it to you because I'm trying to trust you. Either you will keep me safe or you will destroy me." Her voice was soft, not flat. It was slightly warm.

She let my hand go and walked to the stairs. "I'm not going to hurt you, Tia. I'll keep saying it until you believe me."

Picking up my cup I followed her back to the basement. I closed the door and turned to walk downstairs. Tia stood at the bottom of the stairs gun in hand staring at the small screen that had the feed from the cameras.

I hurried to her side and saw the whole place was surrounded by men. I turned my radio up. "Code blue." Blared through the speaker.

I immediately turned it back down. I moved to the place where Tia hid her guns. I took out the one I'd used before and checked it, empty. Had it always been unloaded?

Tia tapped my shoulder and gave me a small bag. I opened it and looked at it. It had ammunition in it. I loaded the gun and looked at her. She had woken Tobin and was making gestures at him again. He put the ear defenders on and hid in the small cupboard under the stairs.

One of them stepped up to the shutter on the front of the house. They attached something to it and everyone stepped back. I pointed at the screen and Tia looked at it. "Don't worry." Her voice was flat and she lifted her gun. "They can't get in with a small explosive."

The bomb went off and the house shook, coursing the dust from the ceiling to fall. The shutter was dented but otherwise fine.

Next, they walked up with angle grinders. "Those on the other hand will get through now they've weakened it."

I hit the button on my radio that would tell everyone I was in trouble. The radio let out a little beep as I hit it to signal I'd done it. "Help is coming." I said.

Sparks flew as they started to cut the shutters. The sound in the house echoed down to us. Tia grabbed a bag of guns and ran up the stairs. I caught up with her in the bedroom. She had pulled another bag off the top of the wardrobe. "Tia what..."

She quickly used some of the rope from the bag to set up a tripwire across the top step. She hooked it to a loaded gun pointed at the top of the stairs. Anyone tripping that rope would lose a foot.

I understood what she was doing and turned pointing my gun down the stairs. When she was done she tapped me on the shoulder like Tobin had done to her. I walked downstairs and she set up more traps on the back door and front, while I stood guard over her. Then we headed back down to the basement. "Now I know why you have so many guns."

I turned my radio up slightly and she turned to me. "I have this many guns because I like shooting them. They are coming in handy right now."

The radio crackled into life. "Mac! Come in Mac!" Janna screamed over the radio.

"Why does she sound so panicked?" I pointed at the button on top of the radio that flashed red. "We push this button when we are in grave danger. If we don't answer on the radio..."

"They call everyone. We could do with the help. I can guarantee there are more than we see here." She watched the screen of them grinding the shutters as she spoke.

"Tia.. you're very flat."

"Flat is the least of our worries."

I turned her from the screen. "Not when there's an army at the door and flat can mean fits."

She stared at me black-faced. "It's part of your pattern. You get stressed then you go flat then you start having those absences."

"I know that Maverick. What do you want me to do about it now?"

I took the gun from her hands and sat her down. I started rubbing her shoulders. "Those shutters are holding for now by the time they get in backup will be here. So tell me what's stressing you out?"

She gestured to the screen. "If your backup doesn't get here quickly enough they are getting in here. We will have to KILL them." The only emotion in that sentence was in the word kill.

It sounded like the idea of killing someone was the worst thing she could think of. "So don't kill them. Load the guns I'll shoot them."

"I set those traps Maverick..."

I lifted her chin and looked her into her eyes. "Those traps won't kill the observant. The guns are in plain view and positioned to maim not kill."

She took a shuddering breath and I realised the radio had been completely silent since Janna called me. "So you load I'll shoot. Now let's set up a kill zone." Tia nodded and stood.

She stood frozen for a moment before moving. Do I tell her or will that cause more problems?

"I need help." She was standing in the kitchen moving the things from the worktop as she spoke.

We worked together to build a barricade at the bottom of the basement staircase. I was using a nail gun I'd found in a box to nail the metal sheets from the kitchen to the wood of the staircase.

"Maverick!" I turned at Tia's panicked tone seeing the men walking away with their angle grinders.

Others walked up with crowbars they started working on opening the hole they had cut.