Quick intro: this is a tie in to Last Of The Runaways. I was driving and suddenly this whole story comes up in my mind and I couldn't stop it, I had to write it. This is what happened between Jane and Ferus, how they ended up to hate each other, and yet loving each other more than anything else. I admit it, I partially based the characters off Castle and Beckett from Castle, even if Jane gets her name from Jayne Cobb, AKA The Hero Of Canton, from Firefly. This story is probably the closest thing I'll ever write about Castle. It's not a Castle fanfiction, I was just inspired by some stuff of the series to write some tiny details of this story. And yes, I based off Stana Katic the whole look of Jane. I'm not ashamed of that. She's gorgeous, what can I do?

It's gonna be a bit dramatic, because you know I have a sweet tooth for torturing characters. Things may also get a little bit spicy after this chapter, so the rating may change. Keep an eye on that. Have fun!

Chapter 1 - The Midnight Traffic In Her Eyes

Boredom was a nasty bitch to beat. Evil, sometimes.

When coupled with a last minute assignment from his boss while all he was looking for the week end was some nice R&R in his apartment, catching up with holoshows he had missed during the week and that nice limmie game planned on the sports channel, for which he had already prepared with tons of beer and junk food, well, boredom could be a killer.

Or transform him in a killer, even though, considering his job, he truly had a license to kill, which made him already a killer.

Not that he had ever killed anyone because of the job, that should be clear. He had killed more people when he was a student for the Jedi Order. Just one or two since he had joined the ranks of the Inquisitors, six years before.

But then his boss had come through the door of his office, asking him if he owned a formal suit and knew how to behave at a high society fundraising party. He had looked up from the reports he was reading (technically, yes, he bore the title of Inquisitor, but he was pretty much bound to the desk, considering his great ability at tracking and finding people from the electronic traces they left behind) and sincerely replied that yes, be owned a formal suit and knew how to behave with high society people. He didn't know the real motive behind those questions was tearing him away from his plans and sending him to this damn party for a covert operation with the local police.

Well, only after he had thrown him a datapad filled with more than one thousand pages of reports on the case: a reportedly Force Sensitive man, not trained in the ways of the Force but well aware of his abilities, that "forced" his way on women and turned them into prostitutes for rich clients.

He had heard about that in the news, but no official statement had come to the Inquisitors office and no investigation had begun, since the Coronet Police was already working on it, but apparently they had decided to go undercover at this party to try and catch him. They just needed someone who could mingle and protect their agent from the influence of the Force user, possibly being able to identify him.

After a quick round in the office, his boss, a very capable man that run the "Trace&Destroy" (as it was called) section like a General would run an army, had gone straight to him, knowing he was one of his best agents and that his previews training with the Jedi, though incomplete, would have helped them framing a nasty criminal.

Because using the Force was a crime, except if you were authorized, like the Inquisitors. Force Sensitive citizens of the Empire that used that gift, even unconsciously, were rounded up and incarcerated for two years, during which they were taught how to suppress it and released. Those who consciously used the Force to commit crimes were usually killed on sight.

So, there he was, Ferus Olin, one of the few that ever left the Jedi Order, now an agent of the Empire, sitting on a stool at the bar of the immense dance hall in uptown Coronet City, with people showing off their new designer dress or their jewels, sipping on his second drink, eyes pointed at the main door, waiting for this unknown police agent from Vice department to show up.

And being bored to death by the random bits of discussions that filled his ears when people stationed beside him while waiting for their drinks, as the barmen worked their ass off to fulfill their requests. All he could think about in that moment, as he glanced at his watch for the umpteenth time, was that limmie game he was missing on the holosports channel, the amount of beer he could have drunk by that hour at his own place instead of some fancy whiskey at that damn bar with unknown people all around him, and how comfortable he would have been dressed in a plain t-shirt and sweats instead of that suit he hadn't used in ages and that was a bit too tight on the shoulders. He had been working out a lot lately and he didn't wear the same size anymore. Also, the tie was killing him. Since he had abandoned the Jedi Order, he had also abandoned the strict dress code that came with that, allowing himself to get used to more... comfortable clothes. Even if sometimes he missed the simplicity of the Jedi robe.

"Want a refill?" the barman's question pulled him out of his stream of consciousness.

Ferus shook his head. "No thank you. I'm waiting for someone and if I go straight on this path I'll be drunk by the time she's here."

"Have a date?"

"Nope. Job meeting. I could go for something non-alcoholic, what can you offer?"

The young barman smiled. "We have an infinite selection of soft drink and non alcoholic cocktails, what do you prefer? Sweet and fruity or you're more of a sour type?"

"You got me there pal. I go for bitter, but avoid anything with fruit. I prefer fresh fruit to chemical-filled juices you use here."

He nodded. "Good to go sir. A Virgin Coruscant Lava Flow coming." he said pulling a tumbler and the shaker from the counter. He started mixing the concoction in front of him, added ground ice to the bright orange mix, closed the lid and gave it a nice shake, then poured it all in the glass, added a couple of leaves of mint, a fresh slice of orange on the brim and a straw. "There you go. No alcohol, I swear, but I took the liberty to use fresh orange juice, hope you won't be disappointed."

Ferus grabbed the cool glass and raised it. "Thanks pal." he took a sip and as soon as the cold liquid hit his tongue, he knew that guy knew how to make drinks. "That's good. Have a good night."

"You too sir." and the young man behind the bar returned to his job, serving another rich guy a shot of highly priced booze.

Downing another sip of his cocktail, still amazed about how good the bitter of the soda and the fresh orange juice tasted good together, he turned around and faced again the door, still waiting, but slightly less bored.

Yeah, he had been there for almost an hour, doing nothing more than drink and stare at a freakin' door, surrounded by people who clearly looked at him as a person who didn't belong and shit like that. But that guy had been nice to him, enough to make him a good cocktail.

The life of an Imperial Inquisitor is a lonely life. You spent so many hours doing your job you had little to nothing spare time to do what you liked. That's why he was so eager to use the week end to vent out and just do what he wanted, away from orders and reports and tracking people up and down the galaxy, chained to a desk, and trying to grasp good info to send to the Rebel Alliance. And help Jax staying out of troubles.

He turned around for a moment, looking for the barman. "Hey pal, know nothing of the limmie game?"

He raised his head from the dishwasher he was filling. "What? The Coronet City VS Shadaah United?"

"Yeah, that one!"

The boy took a small datapad from his pocket and pushed a couple of buttons. "Still no goals, but Narook was expelled."

"Oh, shit... that guy's gonna spend most of the season benched. Thanks!"

It was then, when he turned towards the door again, brooding on the big match he was missing and how that particular player was a waste of money and resources, that it hit him.

Better, she hit him.

Like a punch to the face.

He nearly let his glass fall on the floor when he saw her entering the hall, right there in front of his eyes. Sex on two legs. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He shut his eyes and opened them again, thinking it was simply a dream, a vision created by his over-bored mind to distract him.

No such luck.

The woman in red was still there, looking around, as if searching for someone.

Ferus drank again from his cold glass, trying not to look so attracted to her. But that woman was... tall, with killer heels that highlighted her long, toned legs, wearing a dress that could kill anyone in the room with a penis (or else), a posture that shouted "I'm a fashion model" all around and a pair of green eyes that could have killed. Not to mention the perfect, long, wavy hair that framed her face, with the perfect shade of chestnut many women could only obtain dyeing their hair. But that woman... he could feel it, she was all natural.

Ferus ran his hand through his hair and sighed, still trying to keep his eyes on her face and not let them fall down to her... well, perfect breasts, because that dress left little nothing to imagination.

The man she's searching for must be a lucky bastard... he thought, going back to look at the door, waiting for the agent. He didn't know much, only that he was waiting for a woman from Vice, an agent called Jane Kobb. Not a detective yet, but definitely on the good path to become one. The files only showed her name, and he was slapping his face mentally for not looking for a picture in the police database.

Still with the image of the mysterious woman in red burning in his mind, he nursed a little more from his drink, wiping the condensation forming on the glass, and kept his eyes fixed on the door.

It was only a couple of minutes later that a red shadow formed in the corner of his eyes, that he dared to look away from the continuous coming and going of people in and out the place.

"You must be Inquisitor Olin." a sultry female voice came from the shadow.

When he turned to face the inquirer, he almost had an heart attack.

The woman in red was there, in front of him, talking to him, smiling at him. And she knew his name.

Suddenly, he felt like an horny teenager again, even if he was thirty one years old. Worst case of girl panic he had ever experienced. After a moment, spent thinking about how it felt like being in a cheesy romcom movie where people just meet and it's like boom, thunderstruck, crazy in love forever and ever, he managed to grab a hold on himself. "Jane Kobb, I presume." his voice sounded calmer than he was. Deep inside, the man that hadn't got laid in ages was screaming impatiently to get to know the woman enough to ask her out. And hope he would get lucky sooner or later. That same night would have been perfect.

She smiled. "In person. Thank god they gave me a picture of you, or I would have never found you in here." she said, sitting on the stool beside his. Yeah, that dress should have been illegal, Ferus felt his sanity slipping away from him as seconds went by. And it was her fault.

"Good, because I completely forgot to check who you where and how you looked like, so I would have never found you for real."

"Oh, you wouldn't have recognized me from my badge photo. Hair hidden beneath the helmet and no make up? No way. By the way, is there anything good on the drink list that's worth trying?"

"Thirsty? That guy made this thing and it's pretty amazing. No alcohol involved."

She made a face. "Ah, too bad. I love alcohol. But I'm on duty tonight, until we catch this bastard, so, no alcohol for me too. What's that?"

"That guy there called it Virgin Coruscant Lava Flow, I don't know what's in there, except for fresh orange juice and bitter soda, ground ice and some mint. There must be something else, but it's really good. Want to try?"

"Nah, I already know how the Lava Flow tastes like. I wanted to try something new. I'm stuck at work on a Saturday night, I want to get the best out of this."

"Same for me. Hey pal!" he shouted at the barman that had served him earlier. "Care to make something for this pretty lady?"

The boy rushed in front of them and, smiling, leaned on the polished surface. "Got any particular idea in mind?"

Jane let the drink list on the bar and looked at the boy. Ferus noticed he had a hard time not to react at her beauty too. Misery loves company. "Surprise me. As long as it's not alcoholic and it's not a Lava Flow. Feel free to use your imagination."

A sly smile curved his lips for a moment. "You ok with spicy things, ma'am?"

"Told you, surprise me."

The boy nodded and grasped another tumbler from the counter and gathered all the ingredients in front of him, starting a show as he juggled bottles, fresh fruits and what looked like a small jar of... yellow stuff. Probably the spicy stuff he was talking about earlier.

The whole thing was quite entertaining, because they could see how the cocktail was prepared in a rather spectacular way, with things that went flying in the tall glass and... well, the skilled guy making it was literally showing off all his technique. By the time he was done, he presented glass filled to the brim with a thick, crimson liquid with two bright yellow bubbles inside, swimming in the middle of the glass surrounded by a strange blue swirl all around it. The whole thing was the same shade as her dress. "There you go, Tatooine Twin Suns on the rocks with hot sauce. A tiny thing: don't burst the bubbles. They're the last thing you should drink."

"I'll keep that in mind." and she proceeded to taste her drink. By the look of pure bliss on her face, it was good.

"Hey, thanks man..." said Ferus handing him a bill. "You deserve all your tips for tonight."

"You're too kind sir. By the way..." he leaned a little closer to him. "I thought you said it was a job meeting!" he said in a hushed tone.

"It is."

"But... have you seen her? She's a... wow!"

"Yeah man, I've got eyes too. But I swear, it's for a job."

He made a face. "Too bad." he paused for a moment. "Can I..."

Ferus stopped him with a sideways look. "Way out of your league."

The barman raised his hands. "That's why I asked." and with that, he left and went back to his job.

"What were you two talking about?" asked Jane, toying with the straw of her drink. Ferus couldn't help but finding that simple, innocent gesture strangely arousing.

"Nothing... just a limmie match I'm missing." he downed the last sip of his own drink and left the glass on the counter. "Nothing to worry about."

She shook her head. "Come on, I'm young but not stupid. I've seen how you looked at me when I came in. I know the effect I can have on men. He wanted your permission to ask me out?"

Ferus shrugged his shoulders. "Something like that, Officer Kobb."

She waived him off. "Call me Jane." she stated, point blank.

He nodded, again. "Good, Jane. Now, we're here for a reason, and it's not enjoying the perks of open bar and free drinks. You have any questions before we dive in this mission?"

"Only one. Do you have any weapon with you?"

"No. But I'm a trained Inquisitor, also I was part of the Jedi Order for a while, before resigning. I can handle my shit. My turn now: where's your badge?"

Half hiding behind the glass, she smiled, and blood boiled in his veins. She was teasing him, and reveling in the effects of her teasing on him. "Don't ask." that was the last piece of evidence he needed to be certain she was teasing him. They had met barely ten minutes before and they were already flirting.

That night was going to be a living hell.

"Right. I won't ask. But I want to ask you how you do want to proceed. This is a police action, I'm here only for support."

Jane nodded. "Sure. I was thinking maybe we could mingle and look around. I was told my Captain asked for your help because you Inquisitors are trained to recognize people who use the Force and since I'm the only woman in the task force that investigated on this case, I was sent here, dressed like this, so I could mix with the crowd, waiting for you, Inquisitor."

"Call me Ferus. And yes, I'm trained at recognizing, tracking and spotting any unauthorized Force user in the room. And I'm also one of the few people authorized to use the Force."

"Must be the coolest thing ever." He didn't know if it was a conscious move, but she crossed her legs as she turned towards him and he found it hard to swallow the lump forming in his throat. The neck tie was suddenly too tight and the light linen jacket all too warm. That woman was a killer on stiletto heels. He had to school himself so he wouldn't drool in front of her like a rabid dog.

"Yeah, it's cool, but the coolest thing ever is the lightsaber part. I've got a special permit that allows me to carry it. That's cool."

"Yeah, I remember watching the holonews with my parents and see all you Jedi during the war doing those amazing things..."

"I didn't fight the war. I pulled out before that." he confessed, already looking around, analyzing the crowd that was now filling the seemingly immense dance hall. Since his arrival, more and more people had come and were now chatting or dancing on the dancefloor not too far from their place. It wasn't exactly easy to pinpoint one single person in there, but they still had time. The real party still had to begin. It was now time for drinks to flow, to undo purses and sign cheques for an unidentified charity. Rich people's favorite activity.

"I didn't know you could pull out of the Jedi Order."

Ferus shrugged his shoulders, again. "Technically you can't. You're an outcast if you go away. But it didn't work for me anymore. When I was a kid it was all amazing, then I started seeing beyond the golden veil they spread over things. They were as corrupted as the Republic they pretended to protect. I'm glad I made the right decision when I had the time."

A thick, though not uncomfortable silence fell between the two of them, as they both looked around, searching for the perp they were there to arrest. They both leaned back on the counter and their shoulders touched, but no one moved away.

Ferus then took a moment to study her: Jane Kobb was an interesting character, both externally and psychologically. She was one of the most beautiful women in the room, and she was conscious of the effect she had on men and possibly some women alike, but she was also an extremely intelligent and acute person, and probably relied more on that than her good looks, to achieve things in life.

Usually women like her became actresses or fashion models, and she did have both the looks and the stride to be one of each, or both at the same time, instead she choose a high profile job, a cop, firstly in strike and recon groups then as a field agent in Vice. She was aiming to the position of Detective, and by the way she was scanning the area around her, she knew how to take things in, analyze them to find the detail that could solve the case, or find their perp, in that case.

He took he straw out of his now empty glass and rolled it through his fingers, before crushing the thin plastic film in his fist. "Wanna dance?"

Jane turned around so fast her neck snapped. "What?"

"Most activity will be around the dancefloor, and if our guy's really here, I bet this month's paycheck he'll be around there looking for pretty young girls to trick into his sick ways and sell her later to a rich client. If we're lucky enough, we'll find him there before he strikes."

The look she threw him was a mix of anger and amusement. She probably didn't expect that kind of thinking from an Inquisitor: they had told her they were all uptight assholes with a stick shoved up their ass, instead she had found a genuinely nice man that treated her nicely. The good looks was a great asset too. And now he was asking her to dance with him? Oh well, let's make the best out of a Saturday night at work...

"Sure, why not." she gracefully untangled her legs and slid down the stool, checking on the dress for rumples or stains.

Ferus, as the gentleman he was, held his hand for hers. "May I have this dance, ma'am?"

Smiling, a little awkwardly at the wide display of old fashioned manners from the Inquisitor, she grabbed his own hand and courtly bowed in response. "Definitely, kind sir."

Smiling, he led her to the dancefloor and, much to her dismay, the music suddenly changed, from an uptempo to a much more slow, and sexier, tune.

The exchanged a look and sighed "I hope your Jedi training included this kind of thing, not only Force tricks, swordsmanship and chivalry." she said, facing him.

Ferus chuckled, circling her waist with his right arm and pulling her tightly against him. "Don't worry Jane. I can handle my shit even on the dancefloor." then he started moving with the music, leading her in the perfect way, with a steady pace that followed the rhythm in the most perfect harmony.

Jane was impressed.

If being stuck at work at Saturday night meant going undercover with a guy like Ferus Olin, well, the more the merrier! She took the liberty to study him, as he had studied her not five minutes earlier: he was definitely a good looking guy. Not the kind of guy you spot in the crowd because he's too handsome to be real, but he definitely had charm. A lot of charm. And savoir fare.

He did know how to handle a conversation, how to behave in front of a woman, even if he was definitely having a hard time not to jump all over her. She knew that, and was trying not to make it harder on him, even if she had already realized that maybe that kind of dress, that left so much skin uncovered and let the mind wonder with see-through and stuff wasn't exactly the best choice. But in the beginning she thought she was going to be the bait, so the Inquisitor could find the guy, but Ferus wasn't apparently going to put her in danger by letting her go around.

Instead they were dancing, a very sensual dance, and they were complete strangers. Having known each other for no more than thirty minutes, it felt weird to her, being so relaxed around him. Usually, she was more careful about things like this, about feelings and stuff. And dancing that way was part of that stuff she was careful about.

"Where did you learn how to dance like this?" she asked, breaking the silence, but still looking straight in his eyes. She could lose herself in them, in their clear blue. Hey Jane, get those things out of your mind. You have a job to do. She thought after a moment.

"When I was a Padawan learner in the Jedi Order, my Master wanted me to know how to behave in high society. Sometimes our job was to protect people from being harmed, sometimes those people were rich and required protection from assassinations attempts and stuff, and she wanted me to be prepared for anything. Even an occasion like this. So, between a round of sword sparring and a meditation hour, she taught me how to dance, the etiquette, when to talk and when to shut up. They were useful lessons, that I stored for better occasions, even though, at the time, I was bored to death by them."

"Good thing you decided to store those lessons for better occasions, because I'm a terrible leader." she murmured, looking over his shoulder to see if there was any suspect activity.

"Well, at least you follow fine. By the way, I hope you're talking about dancing."

She huffed a laugh that lit up her whole face. She smiled with her whole heart, he gladly noticed. "Yeah, I'm talking about dancing. As for the rest, yeah, apparently, I am a good leader. Or my boss would have never let me here."

"You said you're the only female cop on the case."

"True, but there are plenty of female agents, more expert in undercover operations, that could be instructed and sent in places like this to catch a pimp, even a Force sensitive one. Seems though they lack something, so they sent me."

Ferus whirled her around then caught her in a perfect figure that bowed her backwards enough to let her have an upside down view of the people behind her back, then he pulled her back up and tightened his hold on her, closing the embrace.

Jane would have never admitted that she was having fun, dancing with this stranger.

But when the song changed rhythm, still steady but definitely faster, the way he danced changed with it. He became bolder, making more wide figures that had her spinning around the dancefloor, and at a certain point, she realized they were the only one left dancing. It was her chance to feel in a romcom movie full of cliches. But by the way Ferus was leading the dance, she could tell he had something in mind, as if following someone. And she just went with it, followed her leader and let him handle her.

She had never allowed a man to control her like that, even if it was only for a dance.

"Excuse my bold move Jane, but the song is almost over and we need to close this thing." he said at a certain point, whispering those words with a hushed and thick tone that barely masked his excitement.

Jane had barely the time to register those words when the hand that held her at her waist slid down her left thigh and behind her knee, and with a swift motion he pulled her leg around his waist and his own left knee bent until it touched the wooden floor, halting them suddenly right as the music stopped with a climatic ending.

They were right in the center fo the floor, oblivious to the rest of the people watching them, enchanted by their improvised performance.

"Found your badge." he murmured in her ear before letting her go, even if he indulged a little longer with his hand on the back of her thigh, caressing the soft skin beneath the silk of her dress.

They stood up and bowed to the cheering crowd, enchanted by their performance, then proceeded to walk away from the dancefloor, leaving room for all the others as the small orchestra started the next song.

"Now, what do we do?" asked Jane, still a little upset by the whole thing.

"Now, my dear Jane, we catch our pimp."

Again, she turned towards him with a snap. "What?"

Ferus smiled and with a tiny movement of his head he showed her where to look. "You see that guy with the blue dress and the clashing purple tie? The one with the untouched drink in his hand?"

Jane spotted him. "Yeah, I see him."

"Good. He's our guy. I felt something in the Force right before I asked you to dance with me and I needed a full view of the place. And here he is, trying to coerce that girl there, with the bright pink dress. What's the plan now?"

She held his hand tighter and smiled. "Follow me." and she dragged him towards the man, but in a cheerful, almost careless way, as if she was just one of the patrons dragging her partner to the great balcony right behind the man. When she crashed, willingly, into him and profusely asked for his forgiveness for her clumsiness and when he finally pushed her away, she winked at Ferus, causing him not to understand what was going on.

Which he promptly asked a moment later, when she really dragged him on the balcony and leaned on the banister, laughing like mad.

"What the hell did you do?"

Jane turned around and faced him. "I placed a tracer on him. Within five minutes, a couple of colleagues will pick him up and lead him to the precinct for interrogation."

Ferus sighed. "Good... we can go home then?"

She shrugged her shoulders and again turned towards the immense city, stretching lazily outside the balcony, so full of life, yet so dead. For a moment, all Ferus could see was the heavy midnight traffic reflected in her bright eyes as she simply watched the skycars go by, not a hundred yards away from them, and for that same moment, he thought she was shining, like a star. He doubted he'd ever seen a more perfect woman ever in his life. The horrible sound was muffled by a carefully placed device that dampened all incoming sounds and permitted to leave the balcony open, so fresh air could enter the hall and patrons could enjoy a quiet moment, one that he definitely needed to calm his spirits after... well, after that.

"I don't have to be in until Monday. My boss told me to identify the perp, place the tracer and enjoy the rest of the night. With the Inquisitorious confirming he was using the Force, we don't even need to formally accuse him."

"Yeah, our authority surpasses yours. Are you OK with this?"

"With what? Imprison a man for using a gift he was given? No. Imprison a man for using a gift he was given to trick girls into prostitution? Yes, definitely."

He took his time to reply. He didn't know if her tongue just slipped, as she had just publicly admitted she did not agree with the law that forbid the use of the Force, except for Imperial officers, right in front of one of those men who were entitled to make people respect that law, or if she was just comfortable enough to speak her mind. Or if she had seen through his mask and blown his cover.

Maybe talking about his days in the Jedi Order hadn't been such a good idea.

"You know..." he spoke softly, leaning closer to her. "I can have you arrested for that."

Bad move, idiot. He thought, soon after he had spoken those words.

Jane rolled her eyes and shook her head. "For what? For that thing about the Force? Oh come on, you can't be serious!" she was laughing. He knew at least six men, with a cubicle on his same floor, that would have really arrested her for that, with no second thought. That girl was tough, but the Empire could seriously overcome her.

She needed to pay attention.

"I said that I could arrest you, not that I would. And by the way, if you're off duty, so am I. And we just helped your department arresting a very vicious criminal. So... you want another drink?"

The look of pure mirth that lit her beautiful face nearly made him choke. "Now, that's talking, Inquisitor."

"Then let's get wasted, Officer. The Empire's paying the bill!"

A couple of hours and six more delightfully teasing and flirty dances later, Ferus was definitely tipsy, borderline drunk, and exhausted. He was considering going home and crash in his bed with still his tight elegant clothes on and sleep until next afternoon, catch up with the infamous lost match and go to sleep again until the alarm beeped on Monday morning, to start his weekly routine.

His boring, weekly routine.

But Jane had other ideas.

He had taken the opportunity to rest for a while on a couch left unoccupied by the other people the moment she had excused herself to pay a visit to the restroom, hoping to catch a breath before telling her it was time to go home. Damn, I feel like an old, decrepit man. He thought at some point, half laying on that couch.

When Jane came back, a few minutes later, she stood in front of him, looking down, hands on her hips and legs slightly apart. It was a miracle he didn't tear his pants at the crotch.

"So, what are you doing?"

"I..." he swallowed and cleared his throat. "I think it's bed time for me."

She huffed a laugh. "What the hell? It's barely two in the morning! I came here straight from work and I'm still fine, and you're tired? Oh come on! Live a little, Inquisitor Olin!"

He feigned a sleepy, glazed look and stared at her, admiring each curve of her body. All the alcohol helped him being incredibly believable at the I'm-tired-let-me-sleep-thing, but deep down, he wasn't tired at all. Tired of being there, surrounded by too many people, yeah. Tired as worn out, definitely not. He just wanted to go home. Possibly, with her, but he had to play his cards as best as he could.

"How about one last round then we call it a night?" he proposed, still half sprawled on the couch, and still admiring the view, much to her amusement.

At that, she nodded. "Why not? I'm already in need of a cab right now, another one won't hurt."

Ferus stood up, a bright loopy smile on his face, and placed a hand in the small of her back, then he gently led her to the bar. "We'll see about that."

And her flirty attitude was back, as was the smoldering look on her face. Damn that woman was smoking hot, well aware of that, and with all the alcohol flowing in them, everything was simply magnified. "What do you have in mind?"

"Right now? You, me, shot glasses and a round of Twister Twist." A drinking game that involved personal questions, very personal questions, and if you don't want to answer you had drink a shot of a very strong liquor, the Arborite Twister. Hence the name of the game.

"You're on, Inquisitor." she whispered in his ear. "And I can take you."

"We'll see about that."

Their night had just begun.