TO PROTECT AND SERVE

PART 2

T. STRATTON

Read disclaimers found at the beginning of the story.

Many thanks to VDUB!

********************************************

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."

"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.

********************************************

Forty-five minutes later Tyler sat in Mike’s car watching the bar. "Should we go in?" Mike asked from behind dark sunglasses.

Tyler was silent for a few minutes thinking what the best plan would be. "I want you to stay here. I think I can get in and not be noticed."

"Okay, but take one of these little radios with you. The minute you think you’ve got trouble beep me by pushing the button on the side a couple of times." Mike ordered as he handed Tyler the piece of equipment. "The first sign of trouble." He repeated before she was out the door and across the street.

Tyler’s senses were invaded by the smell of old cigarettes and stale alcohol. Her eyes took a few seconds to adjust to the dark interior of the bar. Behind the counter sat a big man with more muscles than God intended anyone to have. She just smiled and continued walking up to one of the stools that went from one end of the counter to the other.

"Give me a beer." Tyler shouted over the loud music.

The bartender didn’t even get out of his chair as he reached into the cooler and brought out a bottle and opened it. "$4.50"

Tyler reached in and handed him a fifty. "Keep them coming."

She took a drink and watched the action from the mirror that spanned the entire wall behind the bar.

Not seeing Miles didn’t surprise her at all. Even though it was the middle of the day the bar was pretty busy. She could see people playing darts and shooting pool off to the right and closer to the back some were dancing. Most just seemed to be in their own world, lost in the never-ending cycle of alcohol, drugs and sex.

"Damn, how do people get like this? I bet most of these people had loving caring families at one point in their lives. To be that lost to where all you care about is the next drink or drug." Someone shoving her brought Tyler out of thoughts.

"Watch it buddy," Tyler yelled as she turned around.

"You know I ‘m going to kick your ass." Spat a guy that looked like he’d never seen a shower.

"Why would you do something like that? I don’t even know you." Tyler responded as she slowly slid off the stool she sat on.

"Doesn’t matter. I just feel like it." He said before he swung a dirty fist at Tyler’s stomach.

She dodged the punch by backing up into a person that wasn’t there before. "Are you causing my friend here trouble?" He questioned Tyler as he shoved her back at the dirty man.

"All I’m going to say is you better back off." Tyler shouted before she ducked another punch. "Fine have it your way."

Tyler grabbed the beer bottle and hit the dirty man that started the fight and knocked him out cold. The other man would be a little tougher. He wasn’t as drunk and seemed to have half of his wits about him.

"You know for hitting my buddy there I’m going to have to really hurt you." The man smiled a toothless smile and lunged at Tyler.

He caught her around the waist and brought her to the floor. He threw punch after punch at Tyler’s mid section.

Tyler brought her feet up and managed to kick the man off of her. She quickly got up, but not before she realized that he had bruised if not broken some of her ribs. "You are so dead now."

Tyler walked over and punched him in the stomach. The pain that erupted cased her to yell. "Oh my God, that hurt. What the hell is he made of? Bricks?"

The man just laughed and pulled up his shirt. A cutting board he had stolen from behind the bar was tucked in his pants and gave him more than enough protection from Tyler’s attack. "You like? I got this idea from an old movie I used to watch."

"It’s pretty bad that you have to use that to protect yourself from such a small woman like me," Tyler taunted.

"Oh I don’t usually need this, but a friend of mine said that you weren’t like any other female. Something about a black belt in jiu-jitsu and a bunch of other foreign shit like that." He laughed, "I really don’t see what’s so special. You’re just like all the other women I have fun with."

Tyler was totally disgusted. "You’re telling me that you have to beat women to get them to go out with you?"

"They all like it when I get done." He laughed harder.

Tyler ran at the man and wrapped her arms around his waist. The momentum of her body and his propelled them through the window and out onto the sidewalk.

Mike had just taken a drink of his coffee when he heard the crash. "All I asked was for her to beep me if she had trouble, but nooooo." He jumped out of the car.

"You no good Son of a bitch." Tyler screamed at the man. "When I get done with you you’ll wish I’d have killed you."

As soon as they hit the ground Tyler started hitting him in the face. Then she stood up and kicked him in the groin. Everyone who saw cringed.

Mike grabbed ahold of Tyler and lifted her away from the moaning man. "Calm down, it’s over with."

He could feel the fight leave Tyler’s body. He put her down and held on. He had never seen Tyler fight like that. Usually if her opponent were down she would walk away. "What happened?"

"Let’s just say that he deserved this and a whole bunch more." Tyler said and tried to get at the man again.

"Cool it, cool it..it’s over." Mike quickly grabbed Tyler’s arm and walked over to the bartender who was having a fit about the window and how it was going to come out of his pocket. Mike grabbed his wallet and handed the man two hundred dollars. "This should cover it." He said and walked towards his car.

He guided Tyler to the passenger side and made her sit. He walked to the other side and slid in, "are you cooled down enough to tell me what the hell happened in there?"

Tyler’s heart was still pumping like crazy. The emotion that erupted when that guy degraded the women he had abused, like they asked him to do that to them. "I wish I had a gun. I’d blow his pecker off right now."

"Tyler? What happened in there? Why didn’t you beep me?" Mike questioned as he shook her by the shoulder.

"Sorry, I didn’t have time to. They came out of nowhere." Tyler answered as she continued to replay what was said to her by the bigger guy.

"Okay, but why did you throw that guy along with yourself out the window?" Mike inquired as he reached behind his seat for his gym bag. "Here, clean yourself up." Handing her a clean towel.

"He deserved more then that. He is the kind of man that uses women for his own pleasure. Not caring for them at all." Tyler glared over at Mike. "He is the lowest form of species out there. How can someone do that to another human?" She asked as she tried to get her temper under control.

Now Mike understood why Tyler was so mad. There were a few things that could set her temper off and the abuse of women was at the top of the list.

"How about we head back to the house? I’m sure everybody is wondering what’s going on," Mike suggested. "Do you want to take your car or get it later?"

"Leave it, I’m not in the mood to be driving." Tyler sighed and laid her head back.

"Let’s go then," Mike started the car and headed off down the road.

The two in the car didn’t see the figures appear from the inside of the bar. One was scared and he wanted to run, but the other just smiled as an idea popped into his head.

*******************************************

Tyler and Mike arrived at the house a little while later. Tyler headed straight for the guesthouse. Mike just stood by the car and watched her go. "Oh Tyler, you need to learn that you can talk to people and not keep it in."

Mike shut the car door and headed into the house. He found BJ, Barb and Leo sitting around the kitchen table drinking tea. The sight of the phone in the middle of the table made him feel guilty for not calling. "Sorry I didn’t call."

"What happened?" They all jumped up and asked at the same time.

He held his hands up and waved them back to their seats. "When Tyler got there she decided that she’d go in. I stayed in the car, but I gave her a small radio to beep me if she had trouble. Well," Mike stalled and scratched the back of his head.

"What happened." BJ asked impatiently.

"Her and some guy crashed through the window. When they landed on the sidewalk, she started to beat the shit out of the guy." Mike looked at BJ. "On the way home Tyler remembered the guy said something about being told she was a good fighter and that she had black belts in a different assortment of fighting styles. In particular jiu-jitsu."

"So what?" Barb replied. "I don’t get how that’s relevant."

"The only people that really know that are us and anyone who has seen her file at Regal and Garland. She just received that belt a week before she sent her resume.

"So you’re saying that someone working at Regal and Garland might be the stalker?" Barb questioned as she poured more tea into her cup and watched Mike confirm with a nod.

"Damn, that means I might know who this person is. I might have seen him everyday for years." BJ was scared. The fact that someone who she trusted and worked with could do this to her and her family had her really concerned.

"Did Tyler see anything while she was in there?" Leo asked curious as to where the small blonde was right now. "Where is Tyler anyway?"

Mike looked down to his feet. He took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. "No she didn’t see anything and as soon as we got here she went to the guesthouse."

"Why would she not come here and fill us in?" BJ asked very concerned. "She’s not hurt is she?"

BJ stood up and started for the back door. Mike grabbed her arm to stop her, "give her a few minutes. She sorta lost it with that guy today."

"What do you mean lost it?" BJ asked overwhelmed by the need to make sure Tyler was okay and the need to understand what happened.

"To get an idea why Tyler pounded the crap out of the guy today. You must know that she will put up with a lot of stuff. You can call her any name in the book or punch her around, but the thing that gets her to snap is when anyone treats a human being like he or she is nothing better then a piece of meat." Mike guided BJ back to her seat. He grabbed a cup for himself and sat next to her.

"The guy today, basically told her that he was going to have fun with her just like he does with all the other women he gets. And in typical Tyler style she jumped him and pounded him to a pulp. If he will ever be able to ‘get it up’ again it will be a miracle." Mike cringed as he remembered watching Tyler kick the guy. "I’ve never heard anyone scream that way in my entire life. I hope I never do again."

BJ stood back up, "thanks." She said and walked out the door and to find Tyler.

*******************************************

BJ quietly entered the guesthouse. All she could hear was the ticking of the clock on the wall in the living room. "Tyler?" She called out softly.

Not hearing any reply she continued further into the house and down the hallway where the bedrooms were. Knowing which one Tyler slept in she headed straight for that door.

She tapped lightly on the door and entered. The only light that could be seen in the dark room came from the bottom of the door that led to the bathroom. BJ quietly knocked, "Tyler, can I come in?"

A soft voice gave her permission to enter.

The foggy atmosphere the shower gave the bathroom did nothing to hide the figure who sat on the floor next to the toilet. BJ stepped all the way in and closed the door. "Are you okay?"

"I’ve had better days." Tyler responded without emotion.

BJ turned the shower off and sat down next to Tyler. She grabbed her hand and even though it was fairly warm in the room Tyler’s hand was like ice. "You want to tell me about it?" She asked as she lightly caressed over the bruised knuckles.

BJ wasn’t sure if Tyler was going to answer her, but then Tyler gripped her hand and began to speak.

"The first week I started volunteering at the shelter for runaways a young girl and her mother walked in. The Hideaway usually only took in teenagers, but we could tell that if we didn’t allow this woman in she would not survive long." Tyler said as she scooted closer to BJ and rested her head on her shoulder.

"I was working the day George Walters came walking in. Unbeknownst to any of us he was the woman’s husband and the young girls dad." Tyler wiped a tear from her eye, "He said he was looking for his daughter that had run away. He told us that him and her had a stupid fight and just wanted to make sure she was okay." Tyler laughed, "he wasn’t the first one to try that and he won’t be the last so we didn’t believe him. We said that nobody that fit that description or the name was here. Usually that worked and they would leave. It would have worked this time if the mother and daughter had not walked in the room at the same time he turned around to leave."

Tyler stopped talking as she remembered the look of terror in the mother’s eyes and the events that took place in the span of five minutes. She began to shake and grip BJ’s hand tighter in hers.

"Tyler it’s okay. Whatever it is it’s in the past. It can’t hurt you now." BJ reassured the small blonde. "Can you finish telling me what happened?"

Tyler loosened her hold and took a deep breath, "he had a gun in his coat pocket. We tried to stop him, but they never had a chance. It took three of us to get him on the ground. When he landed on the ground the gun went off and hit him in the chest. He died instantly, but the poor mother and daughter suffered for a couple of hours before they succumbed to their wounds."

"Oh, my God, how horrible." BJ sobbed.

"We found out a couple of days later that Julie had married George after he got her pregnant from a date rape. Her parents didn’t believe her and forced her to marry him. She had a little girl and she named her Jenny. From almost the moment they brought her home George abused her. Julie tried to stop him, but she was not enough. When Jenny turned ten he started to molest her. She told her mom and that’s when she finally got the strength to leave. That’s when they came to us." Tyler stood up and started to pace back and forth in front of the sink. "A lot of good it did them."

BJ jumped up off the floor and grabbed Tyler by the shoulders. "It was not your fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault but the asshole. He was a sick bastard and all the blame should go where it belongs. You gave those two lost souls a place they felt safe. I bet they laughed and smiled more there than they did anywhere else."

Tyler smiled as she remembered the little girl who laughed at cartoons she had never seen and the mother who laughed right along with her, because she never seen her daughter so happy. "You’re right they were pretty happy there."

"Good, now lets get you cleaned up." BJ smiled as she helped Tyler get undressed and into the shower.

*******************************************

"You want another sandwich?" A robe clad BJ asked Tyler as she buttered some bread.

"I think three grilled cheese is my limit." Tyler sat back and patted her robe-covered stomach. "Do you want me to start a fire? The news said it was going to get chilly tonight."

"That sounds like a great idea. I’ll join you as soon as I finish up here." BJ answered and continued to make her last sandwich.

Tyler walked into the living room and over to the fireplace. She thought about how she had opened up to BJ. "I've never felt safe enough to do that. She takes me into her arms and it feels like nothing can break that hold. It’s where I belong and it’s time I show her exactly how I feel."

"Whatcha thinking about?" BJ asked as she walked into the room.

The sight of BJ walking in the room made Tyler’s mouth go dry and her heart jump to the moon. "When I see you I can’t breathe. Your beauty is unmatched by anything in this world and I’m so happy that you share it with me. My heart loved you from the first time it saw you, my soul has loved you since the beginning of time." Tyler walked over to where BJ had stopped walking. "I know I have nothing great to offer you. I don’t have a lot of money and right now I don’t have a home, but…" A finger on her lips made her stop speaking.

Tears ran down BJ cheek as she smiled at Tyler. "You have given me the best thing a person could get." She placed her hand on Tyler’s chest over her heart. "This is the greatest gift I will ever receive and I love you too."

The kiss was soft and sensual. One mouth opened slightly and asked for entrance. Which was quickly granted. Hands caressed skin that was suddenly exposed when the robe was taken off.

"Off," BJ moaned as she felt hands caress her naked body. She reached for the knot that held the fabric in place. "We need to find someplace to lay down."

Tyler led her to the floor in front of the fireplace. She sat on the floor and guided BJ to lay on top of her. "I promise that you will always be safe in my arms." She whispered as she looked into soft blue eyes.

"I promise that I will always protect your heart." BJ leaned down and placed soft kisses all along Tyler’s neck and collarbone.

Soon both were lost in the sensations of touch and taste. They spent the night teaching each other the great things each body held for the other.

*******************************************

Continued in part three….

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