Started: March 4, 2012

Finished: March 9, 2012

She greeted him like always when he got home from work. "Hey Dexter."

He rushed past her. "Hey Jamie, I'm stepping right back out again. I need you to stay. Late."

She bit her lip and caught up with him. "I don't think I can. I should do-"

He spun around. "I'll pay you double; he cut her off and sweetened the deal."

Her mouth hung open. He nodded his head once looking at her. "Ok," she said.

"Great," he said and smiled a little, readied himself and rushed out the door again.

Dexter is a very meticulous person, very orderly with a compulsion for control. He was also very involved in his work, often leaving again to work late. Generally, he was rather unsociable and as a friendly complement she was warm and easy going with him. He was a very guarded person and kept to himself.

Jamie Batista, Angel's younger sister had become Harrison's babysitter a few months ago. She stayed late for him occasionally and didn't mind. She had got attached to Harrison. The pay was really good and the place was quite comfortable. It was semi lived in, museum quality and she enjoyed keeping it that way. When Harrison was napping she studied and did house work. She liked doing the laundry and putting away the fresh smelling clothes.

She found it sad that Harrison had to grow up and never know his mother Rita because she had been murdered; But Dexter was a great father, when he was around.

…...…...

Jamie had laid Harrison down for a nap. She wandered around the house taking a break from studying. She turned the air conditioner up a notch. She leaned into the cool air, getting dangerously close to seeing the hidden box. She got a little closer. "Hey, what are you doing in there?" She whispered to the lonely and dubious box. She carefully took the cover off and reached in. Holding the box, the temptation was almost too much not to open it. She took it to the counter. I shouldn't, it was in there for a reason, she told herself; I should not, but... She opened the box. The sight of at least 3 dozen slides holding what looked like a drop of blood was astonishing and mysterious. She closed it and put it back carefully. She hastily snapped the cover back on, hearing a sharp crack. Shit, she swore and took the cover back off and examined it. Her eyes grew huge. "Shit, shit, shit." she said. One of the small tabs had broken off.

…...…...

A box of blood slides. How strange, she thought. It looks like he is keeping track of something, but what? Was it…human? It has to be some kind of results from an experiment or samples from…what? She found herself becoming very, very curious. Anyone who has a box of hidden away blood slides might also have something else in the house. Something to link them together, to shed light on them, somewhere, hidden away. All I have to do is look. I can't, she scolded herself. I can't think that way. I have to put that out of my mind. Dexter's been nothing but great to me. I can't go snooping through his things. I won't do it. She put the peculiar box in the back of her mind and stressed about what she was going to say when he found the vent chipped.

…...…...

It was another typical day at the apartment. She went to the grocery store. His phone buzzed. He looked at it and it was Jamie. "Hey Jamie is there something wrong?" He asked because she doesn't normally call him at work.

"No, everything's fine. I was just calling to tell you that you don't have to get take out again. I'm making dinner."

He was quiet for a long time. "Dexter?" She questioned.

"Uh, ok. Sounds good."

"Great." She hung up. She had made dinner twice before but it still surprised him and he found that nice.

…...…...

One night after returning from a kill, after he sent Jamie home, he took the vent off the air conditioner and filed away the blood slide. When he replaced it, he noticed one corner didn't click into place. He examined it and gasped slightly. There was a piece missing. When did this happen? It wasn't like this last time. Did someone…touch? The thought was almost too much for him to bare and he swayed with unease and suspicion. He got his kit and dusted for prints.

Jamie's were easy to get because hers were all over the place. It had to be Jamie. He could think of no one else aside from someone breaking and entering. Sweet, highly respectable Jamie, it couldn't be, but he had to be sure. If they are hers then Jamie and Daddy Dexter are going to sit down and have a serious chat.

And there they were, Jamie's prints all over the vent and the box. He was overwhelmed with the thought. She's seen inside. I trusted her with my apartment, with everything inside it that has any meaning, Harrison. I need to get a new babysitter.

But I can't. I can't fire her after what she's seen, it would be suspicious. She certainly doesn't know exactly what she saw. I can still talk to her. Maybe I should throw her a veiled threat after all, she was in the wrong. No, that would look bad, make me look guilty and make her more curious. She saw the blood slides, that might make her uneasy, uneasy enough to tell her brother, Sergeant Batista.

An unbidden thought snaked inside of his lizard brain. It wound itself around with thoughts of how an unchecked version of him had killed Ellen Wolf. LeGuerta had obtained proof which had put her in his cross hairs. He'd have to kill an innocent to ensure that he didn't get caught. His name was Miguel. He took a deep breath. After all, that was the first rule of the "code" not to get caught.

The second one being, not to kill an innocent. I can't, at least…I don't want to. She's too close to me and she'd be missed. I can't and I really don't want to.

Jamie is Angel's sister and he considered Angel a friend. He is a good man, Dexter thought. If I was human, I would want to be like him. Jamie's been an amazing help to me, with more then just Harrison, aside from her newly acquired penchant for snooping.

He dashed to the bedroom and dusted his storage chest for prints as well. If she's seen my tools, it's over. It's kind of hard to explain the knives, syringes and rolls of duct tape. Fear twisted at his insides. The cops could be coming here; they could be coming at any moment.

He rushed through the procedure with a pounding heart. The results where finally in. Only his. He was still safe. He still pondered questions; I should fire her, teach her a lesson, but that would look suspicious. What should I say to her? Should I even say anything?

…...…...

She was at Dexter's babysitting Harrison when the phone rang. It was Dexter. Feeling particularly playful she answered with, "Yes, Mr. Morgan," as if she was his secretary.

There was a pause. "Hey, I'm calling to remind you to pick up the dry cleaning at 1 this afternoon."

"Ok.

"And, also, I need reservations for 2 at The Pearl."

"Ohh a date?" Jamie smiled.

"No, just my sister. She's been talking about going there for weeks."

"Aww, so sweet. I'll get right on that Mr. Morgan."

He replied with, "Thanks," then hung up and furrowed his brows. Mr. Morgan? He questioned in his mind. That was a first. He wasn't sure what to think about it but he was pretty sure it was positive.

When she got off the phone she looked up The Pearl. It was a South Beach restaurant and champagne lounge. "Very nice," she whispered.