Light streamed through the closed curtains when Ashton opened his eyes the next morning. Nicole wasn't still on the sofa with him, but the smell of bacon was wafting through the air around him, so he knew she was close by. He got up and walked into the kitchen. She was standing at the stove, stirring eggs while a few slices of bacon sizzled in a pan next to her.

He walked over and hopped up onto the counter next to the stove. "Good morning," he said.

She smiled at him. "Good morning, yourself. I figured the smell of bacon would get you up."

"Why were you trying to get me up?"

"Because it's after eight. Don't you need to be at work soon?"

He sighed. Woman had a point. "Yeah. Unfortunately." He drummed his fingers on his thighs for a moment. 'Officer' was a job he suddenly didn't want as much. After last night, he didn't want to go back, but he knew he had to. He watched Nicole cook for a minute. "I'll be right back."

His phone was still in his back pocket, and he took it out as he walked to the bathroom. Ten texts. All from Norman. He opened them as he opened the bathroom door and read them. Trisha was still out and that wasn't good. She was awake and couldn't remember anything that happened to her. She was asking to see Ashton. She'd be home in a couple of days. Norman wanted Ashton to get his uniform so he can be dressed properly for Day 1. A set of instructions took the next four texts. The final text said Norman would be home later that day to pick up some stuff but then he was going back. He'd stop by the station to see how Ashton was doing.

Ashton walked out of the bathroom, already feeling worn out for the day. He walked into the kitchen and sat at the table, leaning forward and putting his head on the top. A thud near his head made him look up. Nicole was looking at him, concerned, as she put her plate down and sat. He straightened up and pulled the plate that had been next to his head closer. "Thank you." He picked up the fork and took a bite. "It's good." He took another bite and realized she hadn't touched hers yet. "What?"

She sighed and propped her chin up on her palm. "I'm just worried about you, that's all. Last night was a bad night, and while Norman's gone, you're taking over." Her face became troubled. "And then, when they see my report-" Her words were choked off by a hand pressing to her mouth and tears on her face.

He hurried around the table and got down on one knee by her. She turned and pressed her face into his shoulder. He let her cry while he stroked her hair. How could he have forgotten her report? She was right – when they saw that report, he was going to be suspended. At least, when Norman saw it. But the one way he thought he wouldn't incriminate himself was to show it to Norman when he came in instead of waiting until he found it.

She pushed him away and wiped her face. "You need to go finish breakfast," she said.

He didn't get up. "Nicole, I wish I could go back and change things, but I can't. If I could have saved Lizzie or found her killer, I would have. I wish you didn't have to be the one to find her." He felt tears gathering as he thought the words he didn't dare say: I wish you didn't suspect me.

She nodded. "I know, Ash. I wish the same thing." She picked up a slice of bacon and bit it, ending the conversation.

He sighed as he stood. "How did you know Norman was gone?"

"I saw him following the ambulance."

He sat and stared at his food. "Oh. Trisha was beaten. She was in that ambulance." His heart sank as he spoke. Everything that happened was catching up to him. He rubbed his face. His hands dropped and he forced a bite. While he chewed he noticed Nicole staring at him. He sat his fork down and stared at it when he recognized the look in her eyes: suspicion. His face felt hot. "I should go," he said quietly.

"Ash, I-" He held up a hand and looked at her. Her eyes filled with tears and he saw pain in her eyes.

"Nikki, I don't know what's going on in your head, but that's okay." His vision was blurry but he bit the inside of his cheek and blinked hard.

She sucked in a breath and seemed about to say something, but he shook his head. He didn't want to hear it. She thought he did it, and he didn't need to hear her lie to him, saying she didn't. He got up and headed to the door. "Thank you for breakfast, but I'm not hungry this morning." He slowly walked to her front door, half of him wishing she would come and stop him and the other half wanting to just get to work where he'll be too busy to think about her.

The second half got its wish: he walked out to the sound of her sniffling that he knew must have been accompanying tears, got in his car, and left her behind.

---

Mason pounded on the bathroom door. "Ashton, I need to go! You're late for work! You've been in there fifteen minutes!" His fist pounded again. "Ashton!"

Ashton splashed some more water on his face, the water dripping onto his white T-shirt. He grabbed a handful of towels and wiped his face dry. He looked in the mirror. His face stared back at him. The redness in his eyes was gone, but there was still a heaviness there. He sighed and opened the door. His gaze didn't meet Mason's as he stepped past him.

The door slammed closed behind him as he walked to his desk. Once he'd put on the shirt part of his uniform, he tucked it in and sat. Gary was sipping a coke and watching him. "Something's wrong," he said.

Ashton sighed. Gary always was a man of few words. "I'm fine, now leave me alone."

The man snorted. "Touchy, too." He put his boots up on his desk, leaning his chair back. "You can tell me what's what."

Mason walked out of the bathroom just then and smacked the back of Gary's head. "Leave him alone, Gary." He sat heavily in his chair, facing Ashton. "He's having a rough time."

Ashton grabbed the case file and began rereading what he'd finished last night. "I'm sure it's because of his girl saying she smelled him on that girl," Gary said, an edge to his voice.

It cut Ashton. He closed the folder and stood. "I'm going to go, ah," he stammered as he walked to the door. "Go . . . fit my car with the lights." He rummaged around in a locker Norman had given him the combination to. Once he'd found the lights, he walked out the doors.

"I'll help you," Mason offered. His footsteps followed Ashton outside. They sat in Ashton's car, silent. After a few minutes, Ashton rested his head on the steering wheel, gripping it tightly. Mason reached over and awkwardly patted his back. "What's wrong?"

He took a deep breath and held it, trying to force a calmness he didn't feel. Mason left his hand on Ashton's shoulder. After a long moment, Ashton sat back. "Sorry."

Mason leaned against the door. "Don't apologize. It's okay to feel down. This girl I'd been seeing dumped me last night, said she was over me being in danger all the time." He shrugged again. "I let it out, and I feel much better about it today."

"Well, at least she doesn't think you killed someone." He sniffed and leaned his head back against the headrest.

Mason's eyebrows rose. "She thinks you killed Lizzie?" He rolled his neck. "Are we really going to go over how you wouldn't kill anyone again? Except this time, instead of the idiot, it's Nicole?"

"I suppose." He faced Mason. "Last night, I went to check on her and slept on her couch." When he saw Mason cock an eyebrow, he quickly added, "Nothing happened. I just let her cry on me." He paused. "While I cried on her," he said reluctantly and quietly. He shook his head hard. "Anyway, this morning while we were eating, she got upset and so I comforted her. I thought things were okay. I told her that Trisha was in the hospital and when I looked up at her, she was giving me this suspicious look." He shook his head and looked at Mason. "That was when I left."

Mason was quiet for a long minute. "Is it possible she thinks you may have something between you and Trisha?"

Ashton looked at him. He felt like an idiot. Why hadn't that occurred to him? "I guess so."

Mason nodded. "Try dealing with that before assuming she thinks you're a killer."

He had to admit, Mason's logic made sense. Maybe that was the problem. He thought back to when she started looking at him that way. It was right after he mentioned Trisha. Wasn't it? He was pretty sure. "I'll try it," Ashton answered finally. "Now, I really do need to fix up my car."

---

Nicole cried for a while after Ashton left. She knew he saw her suspicion, and that hurt, but what hurt worse is that she knew he mustn't have realized why. He didn't even talk to her. He was hurt and she couldn't stand it. Once she'd calmed down a little bit, she went to bed. She must have fallen asleep at some point because she awoke to her phone ringing. She answered. "Hello?"

"Nikki? It's me," came Ashton's voice. "Would you meet me for lunch? In about twenty minutes? At my place? We should talk."

She rubbed her eyes as she sat up. "Of course I'll meet you." She yawned. "I'll be there. Love you."

A pause. "Love you, too." It hurt when she heard the surprise in his tone. "See you in a few."

"See you." She hung up.

---

Lunch was sitting on the table when Nicole walked in Ashton's backdoor. He walked into the room from the hallway. She checked him out before he looked up. His uniform was fitted, which showed off the muscles in his arms. She smiled. He looked up and met her eyes. "Hi."

She walked over to him. "Hi." He was watching her. "Listen, about this morning. I don't think you killed the girl. What got me upset was how upset you looked over Trisha, how sad."

He took her hand. His eyes still looked sad, but considerably happier than they had when he left her house. "I am sad over what happened to her, but everything was catching up to me this morning." He rubbed small circles on her palm. "It all added to it." She chewed her lip for a moment, watching their hands. "Are – were – you jealous? Did you think there was something I wasn't telling you?" She looked up and he was watching her.

"Yes." She swallowed. She couldn't tell him she'd heard him.

He studied her. "I know you heard me." She sucked in a breath, eyes widening. "Mason told me when we were alone in the room right afterwards." Color crept into his cheeks. "I'm sorry you had to hear a few of those questions." He smiled a little at her. "I know I said I would lie to someone I love, but Ella was who I was thinking of. I had to answer yes because of that. I wouldn't lie to you. About anything."

She saw no trace of lies. Still, she had doubted him. "I know." She took a tentative step closer, seeing how he'd receive her. Her head tilted up to him and he kissed her. He pulled away a little and she kissed him back. After a moment she pulled away and turned to the table. "What are we having?"