After a few minutes Brad finally moved to the other table and bent to aim. I stared him down, and like he could sense me his eyes finally looked up. A satisfying grin took my lips as his features paled.

"Oh shit." I heard him whisper as I started to walk towards them. Years of military training kept my feet quiet.

"Take the shot Brad." Nick said impatiently. Brad stood and started to back up as I continued my approach.

"Dude what's your problem?" Nick continued to complain to his brother as I stood behind his slumped frame.

"Clearwater" I growled into Nick's ear. The wimp jumped and started to tremble as he turned and faced me.

"h-h-el-lllo" He stuttered a whisper as I enjoyed seeing his face void of color.

"There are a thousand things I should do to you to make up for harassing my sister, but I have a job to get to. This is your only warning." I really didn't have work, but Molly needed to get home, and I needed to sort things out with what Shane was doing to my mind. So I went to attention and did an about face and stormed to Alison who was grinning from ear to ear.

"Call us if they give you trouble." I said softly to her.

"There won’t be a problem. I already threatened them earlier. Is Jake still coming over tomorrow?"

"yea."

"Oh." she pulled me down for a whisper. "So what do you think of Shane?" I snapped my head back from her and couldn't stop the color appearing on my cheeks from what those eyes and smile did to me.

"Do you want me to get his number for you?" she whispered again. I snapped my eyes back to hers and narrowed my eyes at her. I glanced at Shane who smiled again, making my gut clench, as he sent a small wave. I looked back at Alison and gave her a curt nod before I launched myself down the hall and up the stairs. I made it to the garage in a few steps and breathed a relieved sigh, but it didn't last long since Alison walked through the door behind me with Shane hot on her heels. I felt my body tense from his presence. I watched as Alison said bye to Molly, until she got home later that night. That deep scratchy voice spoke and made me jump a little.

"Why don’t I help you walk them out?" Shane said casually as he walked beside me as I held Molly's one hand and Alison held the other.

Alison walked to my car and buckled Molly in.

"It was great meeting you." Shane stuck out his hand and I shook it. "It's great to know she has a family looking after her. I hope to see you again." With that he turned away. I was left standing in a little shock. I looked down and saw a small piece of paper in my hand. I glanced down and saw a phone number. Being so engrossed in shock I didn't notice Alison walk up beside me.

"What's that?" I could easily hear the teasing in her voice.

"Nothing." I said curtly shoving the paper into my pants pocket.

"Bold, isn't he?" She said as I slipped into my driver's seat. I looked at her and narrowed my eyes at her. Butt out brat.

"Give him a chance Luke. He is really easy to talk to." she said sympathetically. I locked eyes with her and saw genuine kindness there. Not teasing. "He will be able to if anything, help you with what happened. His is helping me talk more about Anthony." I felt my resolve weaken under her weak expression.

"You are so annoying sis." I groaned at her, while I thought.

"But…" I saw her start to smile again. I eyed her nervously.

"Don’t tell the others, but I'll give him a chance." I mumbled as I started the car. Alison kissed me on the cheek as I felt heat on my face from what I just said.

"Love ya Luke." she said as I pulled away.

I grumbled to myself as I made my way to Alison's house. It was also the house that we all grew up in, minus the changes we did to it per Alison's request. The kitchen was updated. The attics were closed in for better storage use. The basement was redone as a bar, dance floor, game area, and then there were two spare bedrooms down there with a half bath to share. We even made her deck a wrap around so that it provided a better entertaining environment. The previous owners took out the bushes, but I knew Alison planned to replace them with rose bushes come spring.

When we reached her place I parked in her guest side of her garage and helped Molly out. The evening flew by as I helped the little squirt with her homework and read some of the books in Alison's Library. The girl loved her romance novels. The front door opening had me at attention.

"Anyone home?" Jake's voice rang out. I relaxed and put the book away.

"Uncle Jake!" Molly screamed from her room as she came pounding down the steps. I casually walked to the library door and watched as Molly leaped the last few steps and landed in Jake's arms. I smiled at her joy.

"You ready to go get you mommy and have dinner with her?" Jake asked with a wicked smile.

"Yes!" she squealed. I winced from the noise level again and just smiled as she got ready.

"I'll drive." I said as I grabbed my coat out of the front closet and headed for the kitchen where I had set my keys.

"You don't have to come." Jake said "You deserve the rest." I shrugged off his comment and just continued.

"I want to." and with that I realized that I did. I wanted to see Shane again and make sure that it was just a trick of the light earlier playing with my mind.

"Alright" Jake shrugged and ushered Molly into my car again.

During the drive I felt myself thinking and analyzing about Shane and what he did to me and my body. I was blushing because of him. The pain in my side and leg had disappeared while he was near. I rubbed them again as I waited for the light to turn green. They had started to throb again earlier. Now, instead of throbbing they were just tingling. I sighed and focused back on driving. I could think about Shane later when I wasn't about to see him again. My heart began to pound at that thought and I rubbed my chest, hoping to help soothe the offensive organ.

When we got to the firehouse, Jake and I walked Molly in with both of us holding her hands. At the same time Jake froze, so did I. The scene in front of us put us in a state of shock. Alison had just kneed some guy in the groin. But what had my jaw hanging slack was the provocative dress she was in, and the curly hair style her hair was done in. That and the make-up that helped her eyes stand out more. I blinked and noticed that Molly had gone to her. I shook my head and tried to shake the image away but it wouldn't go away. I looked at the man on the ground and recognized him as the other Clearwater, but Molly came up to me before I could say anything.

"Uncle Luke, Mommy says that you should play a game of pool with Mr. Shane." she said sweetly as she took my hand and led me to Shane who was grinning from ear to ear until we approached. His grin softened to a smile.

"Well hello there." he said on a chuckle.

"Mommy said that you two should play pool." Molly said smiling at us.

"Ah yes, I remember her telling me that I should challenge your Uncle Luke to a game." Shane looked up at me and smiled. "If I remember correctly she told me to make sure you break."

My lips twitched at Alison knowing my dirty trick. "It would be my pleasure to play a game against you."

"Alright. Then let me introduce Molly to Mary." We strode to the EMT bunk room and saw a petite girl that looked like Tinkerbell's twin, reading on a lower bunk.

"Hey Tink, you think you can occupy Miss Molly here while I play a round of pool with Ali's brother?" Shane said leading Molly into the room.

"No problem, but only if you stop calling me Tink. It's Mary, and you know only Marcus calls me that because I annoy him." she breathed on a sigh as she tossed her book aside. "Hey sweetie would you like to play cards with me?"

"yes. Uncle Luke says I cheat." I choked on my laugh at Mary's stunned face. But Shane leaving the room required me to follow. Soon we were back down in the game room and Shane was racking up the pool balls as I chalked up a que stick.

"So why would Alison purposely have me start. She knows how I play." I said as he put the triangle back. The look he gave me when he turned around had me stunned. He looked downright dangerous with that grin.

"It's because she didn't even get a shot in when her and I played." he chuckled as he chalked up his que stick. I leaned against the table stunned. Alison wasn't as good as I was, but still. There wasn't a guy out there that could beat her minus me and our brothers.

"You're Bluffing." I said sternly. Shane just smiled and gestured for me to start the game. I bent down and aimed. Successfully breaking the triangle, I set up for another shot. The hairs on my neck rose when I felt Shane lean down beside me.

"I'll prove it." he whispered to me. Being distracted, I went for the simple shot and missed. I stayed that way staring at the missed shot before I slowly rose and looked at Shane in utter bewilderment. He just continued to smile at look at me with those unnerving green eyes before he broke eye contact and cleared the board of his solid color balls, before sinking the eight ball in a pocket he called.

"Again." I whispered. Shane looked up from his bent position while retrieving the balls at the end of the table. There was some emotion in those eyes that I could almost define, but like a flash of lightning it was gone, and the twinkle of humor was there again with his smile.

"Sore loser?" he chuckled. I frowned at him.

"No."

In the middle of my third shot of the next game my eyes found Shane on the other side of the ball I was aiming for. He was stretching up and his shirt had raised a little to show a tone waist. It was only a glance but it was enough that I missed the shot. Groaning I leaned up and watched at Shane cleared the table. Fire crackled in the air as I watched Shane masterfully clear the table of his numbers. A knot formed in the pit of my stomach when he was across from me bent over and he glanced up and winked at me before sinking the eight ball.

"Damn." I muttered as I frowned at the table.

"Told you."

Chuckling from the side caught my attention. I looked and saw Jake sitting on the couch looking at his phone. Soon he got up and left. I didn't even notice that he had joined us down here. I put the que stick back on the rack and watched as Shane set the table up for the next game.

"I'll admit, you definitely proved yourself." I stuck out my hand and Shane smiled again as he grabbed it. A lightning bolt went up my arm and in reflex my hand gripped his more.

"It’s no problem. You were a good opponent, and I love a challenge." he tilted his head slightly before he squeezed my hand gently while his eye bore into me again.

Realizing I was still holding onto his hand, I immediately released it and felt the air start to fizzle again as my stomach knotted.

"Thank you for the games." I mumbled as I started to turn. Shane's hand on my arm made me pause.

"Can I expect to play a few more rounds if you stop by for Alison again?" I watched his eyes show a little hope before that damn wall of his went up again.

"Sure." I said softly. Shane's smile was like none of the others he has given freely before.

"Great." he chuckled. "So can I ask you something about Ali?" he said on a softer tone.

"Depends." I looked at him with a frown.

"Has Molly noticed that she is on the verge of falling completely into her depression?" he said with a frown.

I looked at him stunned. "How did you figure she was depressed?"

"She isn't depressed. But I can see the pain in her eyes, just like you have some lingering in yours." I went rigid at his words as I willed my training to kick in to block said emotions. I then just ignored my half of his statement and focused on Alison’s.

"Ever since Anthony passed, Alison has been different. She is somewhat open to Lucas about it. We all know she is on the edge of depression but we don’t know what to do other than to make sure Molly doesn't notice. It's why we all moved up here with her. I have actually been up here the longest. I transferred to Virginia before everything, because I wanted an easier life." I shrugged and looked away from his surprisingly observant eyes.

"You can hide it all you want, but Alison already told me something happened to you and she lost her fun brother." He whispered. I looked at him astonished before a noise broke the crackling silence. Jake came back in with Molly and looked between us. Shane released my arm and took a step back.

"Time to go." he said curtly while looking at Shane with the stare he learned during training. It was meant to intimidate. When I glanced at Shane I saw his face blank of emotion as he stared back at Jake. As we walked towards Jake I saw something like uncertainty flash in his eyes before they hardened again.

"I'll walk you all up." Shane said in an emotionless voice. I glanced at him and saw that his eyes had narrowed slightly on Jake and the warning in them made me pause.

Mentally I shook myself and smiled down at Molly.

"Did you have a good time with Miss Mary?"

"yes. I won our card game. Did you beat Shane at pool?" she asked sweetly.

"Uh.." Pride or no pride with consequences. I glanced at Shane and saw that he wasn't watching us, but still having a silent conversation with Jake. "Unfortunately no, I lost both times" I gave her a lopsided smile and saw that her smile vanished.

"He cheated. You always win at pool. That's why when I get bigger I wanted you to teach me cause not even Uncle Jason has beaten you." I glanced up at Jake and saw that he was staring at me with a slight slacked jaw.

"I bet your mom is waiting for us." I said for a quick change of subject. Happily it worked as we headed upstairs, though my nerves were still rattled as Shane followed behind me to the point where I could feel his body heat. I glanced behind me when we made it to the room before the garage and Shane flashed me a smiled and I turned my head around to hide the color in my cheeks. I was still confused by my body's reactions to him but it all went out of mind when we stepped into the garage. Anger filled the void at seeing Marcus on the ground in just his boxers with Alison in front of him.

"Damn what I miss?" Shane chuckled from beside me.

"I hung him upside down in the rafters." Jake growled. We watched as Marcus sprang up and sprinted out of the room, towards what looked like a locker room.

"Nothing." Alison said as she hid her face behind her hair. I tilted my head questionably at her. I swear I saw color on her cheeks when we walked in. She had been so close to Marcus' face. That and I wasn't blind, I saw that both their cheeks were pink when we walked in.

Saving it for a different day, we headed home and had a decent dinner together while Molly told us of her day. I left soon after dinner was done, claiming that I had work, but really I just wanted to go home.