Chapter Five

The next morning both Debra and Ruanna showed up at Dexter's apartment with bagels.

"Just a second," Dexter called when Ruanna knocked on the door. They watched him as he looked out the window before he opened the door. "Hey."

"Bagels, brother- let us in," Deb said as she held up the bag and Rue arched an eyebrow as he unlocked the chain and opened the door.

"Could it be more depressing in here?" Their foster sister said as she looked around Dexter's apartment.

Dex smirked at Rue. She smiled, then tilted her head thoughtfully when she smelled blood. It was a mixture, more than one… She glanced at the air conditioner. There. She turned back to see Dex's eyes boring into hers.

"Got anything to drink?" Deb asked as she continued to open up his curtains. "It's hot as hell out there."

Dex continued to watch rue as he answered Deb, "O.J.?"

"With ice," Deb replied.

Rue felt her heart beating rapidly in her chest as he continued to stare at her warily. "Water, for me."

Dexter gave her one last look before getting the women their drinks.

Deb stood next to Rue and looked from her younger sister and older brother, "So how are you doing?"

He set their drinks in front of them, "I'm fine." Rue willed her stomach to settle when he glanced at her again, "Yeah, things are fine." I'm not going to say anything, she thought as he opened the bag of bagels. "Breakfast, which I already had, was fine, but you know me, I'm always hungry," he chuckled as he took a bite. "Mmm."

Deb rolled her eyes, "I swear both you and Rue have bottomless pits for stomachs."

Rue thought about the deer this morning, "I ate too."

Deb smirked, "Meat, no doubt."

"It's an important part of my diet," she reasoned.

"What diet would that be?" Dexter asked.

He's fishing, Rue arched an eyebrow. "A diet I created."

Dex turned to Deb "So, what's up, hotshot?"

"All right, get this," Deb said as she placed on her hands on the counter and looked to her siblings. "Lieutenant's looking for that refrigerated truck in every swamp, glade, and chop shop from here to the keys. But the way I see it, that whackjob truck driver threw a severed head at your car. It's not as if he's shy."

Dex nodded, "You think he's hiding the truck in plain sight, wanting it to be found?"

Deb groaned, "I could answer that if LaGuerta didn't have me back with my hookers, looking for a witness."

Dex took a bite from his bagel, "Finding that truck is your golden ticket into homicide."

"I agree," Rue replied, taking a drink of her water.

Deb sighed, "Tell me about it."

"Just because LaGuerta has you looking for hookers on her time doesn't mean you can't look for the truck-" Dexter suggested to which Deb finished.

"On my time."

Rue gestured to the ties lying on the counter, "What's with these?"

Dex grinned, "I've got court."

Deb chuckled as she picked up the ties, "Why is it we never talk brother-sister stuff?"

"Our dad was a cop," Dexter replied as Debra held up a tie to his face. "You're a cop."

"Dex and I both work for the cops," Ruanna added.

Dex grinned, "For us, this is brother-sister stuff."

Deb switched to the green patterned tie, "Brings out your eyes."

~DM/RM~

Late afternoon found Ruanna in her bone examination room, bent over the table, peering at bones.

She hard and smelled Dexter as he walked into the room, "Deb and I didn't see you at lunch."

"I've been busy all morning," Rue gently picked up the hyoid and turned it over.

"Is this the body from Friday night?" Dexter's voice was to her left.

"No," Rue answered as she placed the bone back to its spot. "The forensics department is making casts of those pieces now. This body is a previous victim."

"I changed your blood type in the database," he murmured.

"Thank you."

"I also took the liberty of further analyzing your DNA."

He now knew, her entire body stiffened as she stood straight, "I didn't ask you to do that."

"I found something rather interesting," he said as he moved closer.

Angry, Rue turned to him, "How dare you? It's private."

"I always have to solve a puzzle that is presented to me," Dexter told her. "You are a puzzle."

Her eyes narrowed, "You've never saw me as one before."

"That's because I wasn't looking at you closely enough," he walked closer. "Tell me, how does someone have DNA that is both human and Puma concolor?"

She turned back to her bones, trying to dismiss him, "I have no clue what you are talking about."

She felt his body heat as he stood so close to her body he almost touched her, "I think you do."

She felt her anger fade… into something else, "The Florida panther is an endangered subspecies of cougar. Hardly human."

"But you're not human, are you?" He murmured and she could feel the intensity of his eyes on her.

"I'm human enough," her heart beating frantically, heat flushing her skin.

"You're a shapeshifter, aren't you?" He asked. "It's the only explanation."

She fought the butterflies flipping in her stomach, "Dex, just leave it."

He leaned over, his body grazing hers a he whispered in her ear, "You and I both know that I figured it out."

"Fine," she whispered back. "You're right."

"Shapeshifting… you could easily kill and get away with it," his vice low.

"Yes, I hunt…" she replied. "But not people."

"There's still that thrill," he glided a finger across her neck. "When you catch sight of your prey…"

Was it wrong that he was turning her on?

She looked up, her face inches from his, "What's your point?"

"I understand…" His voice was husky. "And your secret is safe with me."

She fought for control, "Why did you have blood in your apartment? I smelled it."

He regarded her carefully, "Don't worry about it.

"Dex…" She murmured and he looked to her blue eyes. "Just be careful."

He arched an eyebrow, "You too."