When Leslie let herself into Leo's apartment that morning, she wasn't surprised to see the half-eaten dinner plates on the dining table. She loved Leo, but God, that boy was a slob! Wordlessly she started straightening the place.

"Good morning, Leslie!" Leslie squealed as Leo grabbed her from behind and twirled her around.

"Leo, put me down this instance! I'm not above boxing your ears, you naughty child!" Leo grinned and put her down. Then, whistling, he helped himself to an apple from a fruit bowl.

"Someone has had a productive day. Or should I say, night?" Leslie waggled her eyebrows as she poured a few drops of cleaning liquid on her washcloth and proceeded to scrub down the linoleum kitchen counter.

Leo grinned like a cat that had swallowed the canary.  "I haven't met with anyone like Andy, she's - well, she's, so refreshing. She tells me to my face to bugger off and leave her alone, and man, I can't seem to."

Leslie put an arm on her hips and observed him. The poor boy had it bad, it was obvious. Whether Andy's heart was similarly touched, it remained to be seen. But then, not all people carried their hearts on their sleeves.

"You had words with her yesterday, I presume?" Leo broached the subject tentatively. "She's not bad, you know, once you get to know her a bit."

Leslie waved him off and went about her chores. "Squealed to you, did she? Is she your girlfriend now?"

Leo looked smug. "Yes! But she doesn't know it yet!"

Leslie chuckled. She could see the attraction, their personalities counter-balanced each other very well. Leo was a bit impulsive and an extrovert, Andy, from what she had observed, was a bit reserved and an introvert. They may clash heads sometimes, but she would be good for Leo as he needed some grounding in his life.

"She's not taken it personally, you know? And you're still the number one lady in my life."

"Oh, go on, you! She's a tough cookie, I grant you that. And, when I think about it, I actually do like her."

"You do?" Leo's face lit up with a boyish smile.

"Well, yes, she's like medicine. Not always pleasant, but necessary, and you will be glad to have it with you in the end."

"Medicine?" Leo let out a bark of laughter. "I can bet you she tastes much better than medicine. Like vanilla and peaches actually. You can just go on-"

Leslie covered her ears with her hands."Ack, I don't wanna hear about it."

At that moment, they both turned as they heard Andy's footsteps. She came into the kitchen looking disheveled and wearing yesterday's clothes. She looked at Leslie, then at Leo and blushed an alarming shade of red, almost as red as her hair. Leslie gave her a slightly knowing smile and busied herself with her tasks. She heard Leo bounding to Andy and he whispered something to her. She whispered back. 

Leslie suppressed a smile. 

*****

After a brief interlude with Leo, which turned into a couple of hours and some mind-blowing sex in the shower, Andy dragged him to the airport. The jet that his friend had provided was, thankfully, still at their disposal and Andy found herself strapped into the plane just before noon. She was dying to see Mary.

Leo looked out the window, looking like a morose puppy. Andy smiled and leaned across the seat and nudged him playfully with her toe. He gave her a wry grin. "I was imagining this day to go differently."

"I can imagine, but I'm sorry, I have to see Mary for myself."

Leo sighed, then leaned back in his seat and went to sleep. After the exertions of last night, Andy found herself getting drowsy as well and she relaxed into her seat with a smile on her face. Leo had been kind, patient and wonderful with her yesterday. She loved his touch, his smile and his loving nature. Really, he would make a fine husband for some girl someday. She sat up straight. That thought left a bad taste in her mouth. They hadn't really discussed the terms of their affair yet, but surely they would be exclusive? Maybe she should have made it clear with Leo before embarking on this madness with him. 

She sighed. It was hopeless. She didn't have much willpower when it came to Leo. He excited her and at the same time, she felt safe with him. She couldn't explain the feeling. Leo was, and always will be, special to her. Oh, and he was also so challenging and exciting. And loving. It was so hard to separate what they did yesterday from making love with someone. In fact, instead of saying, "Do me!", she was pretty sure that she had asked him to make love to her. What did that make her? Was she, on a subconscious level, expecting more out of this fling with Leo?

A bit troubled, Andy leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes.

Andy hadn't realized that she had dozed off until Leo shook her awake. "Wake up Red, we've landed, and your sex noises are embarrassing me."

Andy sat up straighter and rubbed her eyes. "There's no way I was making any noises, I'd just dozed off."

"Oh, maybe I was dreaming about yesterday then, you did make plenty of them then, especially when I kissed you here." Leo grazed his lips on Andy's nape and she shivered. "Not now," she said, but her voice was husky.

Leo straightened and looked at her thoughtfully. Then, he extended his hand to her and they exited the plane, hand in hand.

Andy had never been to Phoenix before. She waited as Leo hailed a cab and they traveled to the hospital Mary was admitted at. Leo was mostly quiet during the ride to the hospital and Andy was worried about the state that she would find Mary in. 

"How do you do it, Andy?"

"Huh? Do what?" Andy snapped out of her reverie. She was thinking about Mary and whether she would be well enough to go home with them.

"Care for someone to whom you don't have any obligation towards, I guess. It seems exhausting."

Andy took Leo's warm hand in hers and turned it over to examine the thick hair on the back of his hand. It was a man's hand, strong and capable.

"If I don't do it, no one will."

"Well, there are homes for women like Mary. Like the home that you found her in. Surely, she would do better there? Why didn't you turn her away at once? Why did you open your home to her and, if I'm not mistaken, care for her all these days?"

Andy sighed. "I've seen women like Mary all my life, Leo. My mom was addicted to crack when my dad left her. Some women, don't think they are worth any better. They don't think that they have a choice in life. If I can make any difference in the life of a single woman, it would be a life well-spent. And I only will be doing it till she's better, has confidence in herself and can set out to make a life of her own. I could leave her at the home again, but I'm pretty sure she would go back to her husband again. That's what she was doing right now, she got spooked so was running back to her husband. Do you know what atrocities these women suffer at the hands of their husbands? Beatings, rapes, sometimes forced abortions. A person must be a masochist to actually go back to the person who treats them like this. They think they don't deserve any better, in most of the cases, they also think that their partner isn't bad and they forgive them in a jiffy with the first hint of remorse. I have seen cases of abuse all around me when I was younger, and now, I finally have the voice to fight back and save these women."

Leo kissed the back of Andy's palm. "Feminism, I'm all for it, sweetheart. But, what about the women who don't wish to be saved? Will you insist on saving them as well?"

"Oh absolutely. I will save everyone I can. Even if it's from themselves. They don't really have a choice in the matter." Andy's light response evoked a chuckle from Leo. Man, he was quite handsome. Andy leaned in to give him a light peck on his lips which evolved into a full-blown make-out session in the back of the car. When they pulled apart, Leo gave her a rueful smile, "I'm kind of jealous of the attention that Mary is getting from you. I want you all to myself, Andy. It's not fair that you drag me all over the country when all I want is to spend one weekend with you. Hopefully in bed."

Andy blushed. "That's not very sporting of me. But then, you knew before you met me that I was never a nice girl." She boldly placed a hand on the front of Leo's jeans and he jumped up and slid away from her.

"Andy!" He bit back a curse and Andy giggled.

***

Mary was in the general ward on the third floor of the Banner Boswell Medical Center. A tall, wiry man with a shock of receding brown hair and a non-descript face came ahead to introduce himself as Stephen Kibble, the private detective. Leo and Kibble carried on a conversation as Andy rushed inside Mary's room.

She was sitting serenely on the bed with her hands crossed, with a placid expression on her face. "Mary!" Andy rushed in and hugged her.

Mary smiled politely. "Hi Andy, how are you?"

"I'm- well, I'm fine. More than half-mad with worry for you. Are you alright?" Andy grabbed Mary by her shoulders with overwhelming relief. She was a bit disappointed at her luke-warm reception but quite elated to see Mary otherwise unhurt.

"What happened to you? We were so worried!"

Mary tilted her head and smiled at Andy. "I'm happy to see you." The words were devoid of emotion.

Andy sat at the foot of Mary's bed for an hour. She prodded gently but insistently, but Mary kept staring at her with a vacuous, almost serene expression. Exasperated, Andy came out to see Leo consulting with the doctor.

"Well, there isn't much to report on her except she's a bit in shock. The doctor has recommended that she be kept under observation for a few more days, to run more tests on her condition. Also, the doctor's recommended some drugs for her." He gently nudged Andy aside. "She's both delusional and disoriented. I think she needs some serious counseling and possibly a hospital stay."

Andy sighed. "I just think she needs to come home with me, she'll open up in her own time."

"Sweetheart, this is a police case now. I don't think they would allow us to just waltz away with her unless they are done with the due procedure. The police have called in her husband for questioning twice-"

"All the more reason that she should come home with me. She came to me for a reason, Leo, she trusts me to keep her safe from her husband. There's no way I'm leaving her here now. If they want to start her on medication, fine, but she needs to come home."

Leo's brow furrowed but he said, "Let me speak to the doctor."

Andy squealed and hugged Leo. "Thank you!" She kissed him full on the lips. Two nurses in scrubs scowled at her overt display of affection and she laughed.

"Mr. Knight?" A detective wearing a police uniform interrupted them and cleared his throat. "I'm Detective Randall Hayden. Can I have a minute of your time?"

"Of course detective, it's a pleasure to meet you." Leo shook hands with him warmly. Andy also quickly introduced herself.

"You had filed a missing person's complaint with the Police Department in Prescott, is that correct?"

Andy and Leo nodded vehemently. "Well, as Mrs. Bremer has been found, we're going to consider the case as closed. We'd need you to come to the station and sign some forms."

"Oh, but what about the intruder? Who did the blood belong to?" Andy wanted to know.

"It's animal blood, Miss-?"

"Diaz." Leo supplied. 

"Does it belong to the dog owned by Mrs. Bremer?" Andy was worried, Washington must have been more seriously hurt than they had realized.

"Frankly Miss Diaz, we don't go around investigating pet injuries."

"Then what exactly do you investigate, because so far the police department has done a lousy job. Mary was found by the detective that Leo hired, and so far you haven't been able to pin the crime on anyone. There's a reason that Mary split, I don't see the police have gotten to the root cause of the issue yet." Andy was getting angry at the incompetence of the police detective.

"Mr. Knight, I'm pretty sure you know what I'm suggesting." The detective ignored Andy and spoke directly to Leo. "Also, Mr. Bremer is also here and he wants to meet his wife. We would be taking his statement and releasing Mrs. Bremer to her husband's custody."

"No fucking way!" Andy shot back. Leo gave her a stern look. 

"Detective, maybe we should discuss this in private?" Andy huffed as Leo smoothly moved away with the detective. Andy was pissed, but she was sure that Leo would make sure that Mary didn't have to go back to her husband.

She turned and ran into a man standing right behind her. "Excuse me-", Andy began.

She looked up at the big, beefy man with a handle-bar mustache and a menacing look in his eyes. 

"So, you're the bitch who's been keeping my wife away from me?"