The giant garage underneath the Cathedral was as quiet as the building's namesake.  The clean, polished surfaces were muted in the dim light of the adjustable work lamp set up by the roped-off work zone near the hypercycles.  The scents of oil, grease and metal, mingled like a reunion crowd among the shadows of the concrete-floored space.

The only invader to the quiet peace of the garage was the steady, rhythmic crank of a socket wrench.  It interrupted the silence with a regular precision as Stone refastened the body frame to his Frankenstein monster.  The hypercycle/Harley-Davidson hybrid was nearly done.  The engine ran, at least. 

Despite his focus Stone picked up on the clack-clack of high heels making their way from the doorway to his little space.  He measured the gait, considered who'd still be here at this hour, and took an educated guess.

"What's up, Miss DiSantiago?" he asked without looking away from his project or stopping the wrench.

"I need to talk to you," was Ophilia's simple reply.  Simple, but something in her tone caught Stone up short.  He turned around then and got caught short again.

Phi had on one of the tighter one-piece dresses in her wardrobe - Stone had them nearly memorized by now.  People tended to think he wasn't observant or didn't note details about people, but for some people he took the time.  It was black and low cut without being scandalous, which was difficult given her figure.  The skirt part reached to mid thigh.  It reminded him of the one she had on the first time he took her riding, but she hadn't worn that one again, at least not around him.

Her heels gave her a good four inches more in height and she still only came up to his neck.  He'd replaced the socket wrench in his hand with a rag to clean himself up a bit.  As he wiped at his hands, he walked right up to her and looked down into her face with his sunglass-covered eyes.

"What'cha need?" he asked.

A small smile, part wry and part relieved, crept into her face.  Her hands reached out slowly to take the rag from his hands and she twirled two ends around her fingers.  Her eyes, big and brown, looked up into his with decisions made.

Stone slowly reached down and took Phi by her waist.  He effortlessly lifted her up and placed her on the workbench, her legs moved apart to allow him to stand between them.  Phi's arms wrapped around the biker's neck, her wrists crossing behind his head, one hand still holding the rag.

Stone let his hands slide up her sides and his thumbs play along the sides of what he could feel was a lacy bra.  Then he did what he'd been wanting to do since he got here.  When their lips met it was easy, like breathing.  It started slowly and then suddenly exploded into a passionate, open-mouthed affair, tongues lacing sensuously.

Without warning, Phi broke the kiss and leaned back to look deeply into Stone's shades.  Her hands slowly rose up to take hold of them.  As she slid them from his face, her full moist lips whispered a promise. 

"You can't hide from me with these."  She placed them on the workbench and then let the fingers of one hand slide through the hair on the back of his head while her other hand took his and placed it on her chest.  "And you'll never have to..."

Phi's head fell sideways, misted by a haze of desire, as they kissed again.

--FHWOOOMMPPP--

"Yeah...wha?..."  Stone's head swiveled around as he struggled to get his bearings.  That was his boot, and that over there was his nightstand...

Ah, yes.  He'd fallen out of bed. 

Stone sighed.  Crap.  This is why I stopped sleeping.  He tossed the pillow he'd been clutching onto his bed and started getting dressed.

Ten minutes later it was one in the morning and he was clicking the bank of garage lights on one by one.  The work space came to life under the bright halogens.  With it being so early yet the Cathedral was still asleep.  He got started by making some coffee.

* * * * *

The evening had been too much for Ophilia DiSantiago, betrayal and defeat all in one night.  It was the first time since her vacation after the New Year's Party, that she had felt so physically and emotionally drained.  Her mind had pleasantly fallen into denial about the fact that she almost died tonight, it was enough to deal with the fact that Mason had super powers and that she absolutely sucked at being a heroine.

The sight of the low lights as she approached the hanger made her cringe, she desperately hoped that nobody was there.  The idea of being caught in her costume, especially by Soldier Boy or Nemesis, made her stomach churn.  She wasn't in the right mental state to be reprimanded. Bracing herself for the worst but hoping for an empty garage, she pulled her hypercycle back into place, grateful for the quiet hum of the motor as it slid to a stop.

With the quiet care of a teenager sneaking in after midnight, she dismounted and began walking towards the door.  The clickety clack of her heels betraying her presence as they echoed through the large room.

Click clack click clack -- Stone was awash in uncomfortable deja vous.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked, breaking the silence in the cavernous space as Ophilia passed by his workbench, oblivious to his presence in her current state.

A startled gasp escaped Phi as she jumped in surprise.  Her body was so keyed with tension that every little thing seemed more dramatic than it should have.  The fact that she was dressed in her tight fitting, diamond adorned costume, a tell tale sign of breaking her own rules - by breaking Nemesis' rules, didn't help matters. 

Stone was down on one knee fiddling with his project.  It looked like he'd made some progress.  She'd heard he was stuck on something to do with the power to the rear wheels but apparently he'd worked through it.

Once the realization hit her that it was Stone, she exhaled and chanced a reply.  "Something like that."  Upon closer examination he could see how pale she looked and how stiff and on guard her posture was.  
 
He stood up and turned around.  Stone had a rag in his hand and stood like he had something on his mind as he looked over his boss.

"A little dressed up for the clubs," he noted.  With a half-turn to the workbench he picked up his smokes and offered her the open end of the pack.

"You're the devil."  She said weakly as she pulled off her mask with one hand and took a cigarette with the other.
 
He took one for himself but when his Zippo came out he lit hers first.

"Wanna talk about it?" he asked as he put the flame to her stick.

There was a hesitation about her and she filled it with a long pull from her smoke.  She didn't really want to talk about it, not at all.  ...but she was afraid that if she didn't, Stone would mention her late night arrival to Nemesis or Soldier Boy.  Not to rat her out, or anything, but in passing.

"I don't know." She finally replied and the indecision was heavy in her eyes.  "But I do have to get out of these clothes.  If Nemesis or Soldier Boy see me in them, I'll be in a world of hurt."  She considered Stone for a moment longer.  "I have to go to my room and get out of this first."

Her quarters were just down the hall from Stone's, she rarely used them, but it was no secret that she kept half of her wardrobe there and crashed on late nights.  "You want some coffee or something?"

Or something.  Stone took a long drag of his own, then exhaled slowly through his nose.

Phi nodded her head only half paying attention, far too self absorbed at the moment to notice the constant murmur of empathic vibes.  As he replied, she leaned against his work bench, bending at the waist to unzip her boots.  Clumsily balancing her cigarette between unsteady fingers as she slipped one off and then the other.  Once they were off, she closed her eyes with the relief of it, they were obviously causing her some amount of pain. 

Stone watched as she went through the motions, enjoying the show.  Oh yeah.  Or something.

"Ok."

"Okay." She repeated as she stood up, boots in hand, extinguishing her smoke in an ashtray on Stone's workbench.  With the same deliberate care, minus the clacking of her heels, she stealthily lead the way to her room. She cringed a bit in particular as she slid past Soldier Boy's slightly ajar door.  Her own quarters, were shut but unlocked and she ushered him in quickly with a sigh of relief.

"If you don't mind... I'd really appreciate it if you didn't mention this to anyone."  Phi said as she fell against the closed door, her eyes finally lifting to meet his, and infinitely more aware of her company.

Stone stood there, studying at her in that outfit, boots in her hand and looking very vulnerable.  That's what it was, he suddenly realized.  It wasn't just the fact that she was smoking hot.  She was the boss and supposed to be in charge and yet in so many ways Ophilia was the damsel in distress - something she refused to accept with gusto.  And he liked it.  

And Luke was his friend, and if he did what he wanted to do he'd burn in the worst parts of guy hell for all eternity.  Not just that, but he'd somehow carved out a niche for himself as Phi's consigliere, someone she could go to and talk shit out without having to worry about being judged, romantic involvements, or getting the usual bullshit she might get with the others.  With things the way they were around here that was important.  She obviously hadn't ever had anyone around like that in her life and just as obviously needed one, now more than ever.

Which was why he was here, Stone assumed.  He turned away, reluctantly dragging his eyes from hers, and made a show of looking her quarters over. 

Phi fidgeted a bit under the prolonged scrutiny of his sunglassed gaze.  The ride had done much to subdue the trauma of the evening, but even now she could taste the bile in the back of her mouth and smell the phantom stench of her assailant. 

"Nice place."

"Thanks."  The main living area was fairly sparse and other than the hand picked throw pillows and blankets, it was still furnished the same as it was from day one. 

"Coffee?"  She asked as she shed her open trench coat and made her way to the small kitchenette and fiddled with the pot. 

"Sure," Stone replied.  

The biker walked over to where her boots lay on the floor and crouched down to study them.  While the sounds of running water and scooping coffee came from the kitchenette he picked one of them up and turned it over slowly in his hands.  His index finger rubbed a bit of dirt from where the sole met the vamp.  His thumb moved gently against the back of the heel.  When he heard Phi returning be dropped the boot back down with it's partner and stood up.

With the coffee brewing, Ophilia slipped into her bedroom, leaving Stone alone in the main living area.  It took several minutes, but eventually she returned wearing a stylish and respectable pajama set.  It was easy to imagine that she bought them just for walking the halls of the Cathedral in comfortable decency.  She gave him a smile as she went to fill up their mugs.

Stone didn't smile, but he did wait patiently while the coffee was poured.

"Here you go."  She said simply, as she handed him the mug.  Then she slipped with a heavy sigh into one of the over stuffed chairs.

"Better?"

She smiled over the top of her mug as she allowed the steam to warm her chilled cheeks.  "So much."

Stone picked one of the boots he'd been looking at up off the floor on his way to the couch where he sat across from Phi.  He dropped the boot into her lap before he sat.

"Tell me what you see."

With a casual glance, Phi looked at the boot on her lap.  She considered the question as she took a careful sip from the too hot coffee.  "A black, high heeled boot.  Looks great but not made for running?" She finished with a studious glance in his direction, wondering what he was up to.
 
"You want to do this?"  Stone hadn't ever shown anger in Phi's presence and he certainly didn't seem any more moved than his usual neutral self, but she got the sense that he wasn't amused. 

"You want to do the job?"  He pulled a smoke out of his pocket and said, "Then start learning how.  Now try again."

He put the smoke into his mouth but didn't make a move to light it.

Ophilia narrowed her eyes in irritation, not at all in the mood for a lesson, and generally irritated at Stone for telling her what to do.  "No.  I'm not in the mood."  Her tone was flat and borderline petulant.

Stone just stared at her for a long moment and then shrugged.  "Okay.  Just trying to help."

He sat back into the couch and sipped his coffee.  "Good coffee," he said, and then he casually slipped in, "So what's the park like at night in this city?"

Phi's shoulders had grown stiff without her realizing it, and now that Stone had moved on, they relaxed back into the couch.  She couldn't help but notice how sore she was, it really was an odd sensation to be hurt, she was always one to anticipate and avoid pitfalls and dangers.  Tonight though, she'd suffered scratches on her arms, her neck would likely be black and blue in the morning and her body just plain ached from the tumble she'd taken from the thug that tackled her.

With a slight shrug, she leaned her head back into the couch and closed her eyes.  "It's quiet and serene on the surface.  Beautiful in a way, but there is so much that goes on underneath it.  I never knew how much. It's not all bad, or not all that bad, ...but it was a dirty seedy place."  The DiSantiago family knew all about corruption and dirty seedy places, but Phi's family had actively guarded her, her entire life from such things.  It might have been surprising, but it was a real eye opener for her.

"That guy you met, the one who was holding you down on the ground by your throat..." Stone asked, "Was he dirty, too?"

One of Phi's hands floated up to touch her neck lightly, wincing a bit as she did. "Is it already bruising?" There was frustration in her voice as she asked.  "I guess it will be turtlenecks for me, for the rest of the week."

"It's pretty light," Stone told her with a chin nod at her neck.  "The boots told me about the park and the dude, not your neck."

"I wouldn't want to be your teenage daughter." She replied with a small smile. "That's pretty amazing."

Stone shrugged once.  "Just have to know what to look for.  When you're in the mood," He added with a not-so-subtle hint of sarcasm.  He took another sip of his coffee before asking seriously, "How'd you beat him?"

There was a long silence as Ophilia considered how to answer that.  How much to say, without betraying Mason's secret, the secret she'd only learned about that night. She brought her mug to her lips and blew over the top of it, delaying her response as much as possible without being rude.

"Thing is, I couldn't beat him." Phi's voice was quiet. "He was high on something and it interfered with my ability to use my mental powers against him.  ...but, I did save the girl."  She paused as if she were finished, but when Stone didn't reply, she continued. "Couldn't out run him either, or out power him. He was very strong and very fast, as fast as Nem." 

Another pause ensued and a stretch of awkward silence.  "I was lucky.  ...a guy, a meta that was patrolling the park heard us and came to help."

Stone nodded and sipped his coffee.  "Anyone we know?" he asked.

She shook her head quietly as she turned to set her mug down on the table next to her chair.  "I didn't know who he was.  ...he was a bit of a savage type, easily as scary as the other guy."  The statement was laced with both truth and lies, and she hurried to continue.  "He found a vial on the guy, some sort of drug.  It must have been why my powers didn't work on him.  ...and the meta said he didn't smell right, that it smelled like he was dying on the inside.  The whole night was just, too much of an education in what's real out there."

Stone nodded.  "That's often an expensive lesson."  

"Yeah." Phi agreed softly as she tried to push the memory away.

"For what it's worth..." An uncomfortable sensation passed over Stone and settled into the pit of his stomach.  He'd felt it a couple of times since he'd been here and realized it was becoming a recurring condition.  He actually gave a shit about this person.  All at once it made him angry and sad and nervous.  This wasn't him.  This place, this team, this situation was changing him.  It wasn't the first time since he'd been here that the voice inside his head told him to get his coat, get on his bike, and hit the road; that giving a shit never ended well.

All the same, he finished with his spoken thought.  He did appreciate honesty.

"I'm glad you got one on the house."

She nodded her head and swallowed hard, the pain in her throat was almost as bad as the ache from the bruise on her neck.  She'd managed to get through the entire night without crying and she wasn't going to start now.  ...but something about being safe again was making her emotional.

"I was stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid."  She gave him a wry smile and shook her head.  "I sort of snapped.  There was actually a moment when I considered dying a more pleasing option than hearing an 'I told you so'.  ...I just kind of need to figure things out for myself sometimes.  I'm not a big fan of other people telling me what I can and can't do.  I've lived with if for too long."  

She paused for a moment and shook her head again in disbelief.  "I'm lucky to still be here.  Puts a few things into perspective, I guess."

Stone nodded in pure agreement.  "Do me a favor?"

"Sure." She said quickly, with a curious lift of her brow. 

"Next time you go out looking for trouble," the biker asked, "call me.  I can think of worse things to do than watching your back."

Phi's brow creased and she gave a slow nod of her head as she processed the offer.

He went to take a sip before he realized how what he said might be taken, not to mention what Freud might have to say.  He quickly added, "You know, I don't mind...oh hell.  You know what I mean."  

Ophilia laughed at that, a genuine sound as it released much of her stress from the evening.  Even the ache in her throat, ebbed as it bubbled forth.

Without a thought as to where he was, Stone quickly took the smoke he'd stashed behind his ear and put it into his mouth before fishing around for his lighter.

"Deal. You can watch my back anytime."  Phi finally said when her laughter subsided.  It really wasn't that funny, not that funny at all, considering some of the readings that she'd gotten from him over the past few months.  But the laughter was welcome, and almost healing on this night.
 
Stone nodded.  Ophilia's eyes were twinkling.  He kept his mind focused on guy hell and was quietly subdued, even for him.  Hit the road, his inner voice whispered.  You don't need this.  He looked again at Ophilia, relaxed and smiling in her pajamas.  It never ends well.  He thought about Luke, and Danny, and Heatwave.

It's not for you.  Hit the road.

A quiet moment passed after the mirthful one, Phi watching him and the eyes behind his shades watching something miles away.  The moment passed, and Stone found himself shaking it off.  It had become too familiar an exercise as of late, like sleeping. 

It was no secret that Ophilia was an empath, it was something that she couldn't control and something so constant and familiar to her, that she rarely tuned in to it.  For the most part it was like background noise, there but easy to ignore unless she focused on it.  There were exceptions of course.  Strong emotions were akin to loud sounds and impossible to ignore, and one on one conversations often held an intimacy for her, that people would have found uncomfortable, if they realized how in tune she could become with them.

Now that the laughter had broken through the drama of the night and Phi wasn't so self absorbed, she began to feel an odd vibe coming from Stone.  It wasn't anything alarming, but strange and not something that she could immediately place, contentment and then... she didn't know.  It piqued her curiosity and the not knowing part troubled her.

"I'm gonna head back down," he said quietly, and he placed his cup down on the low table between them.  "Have a smoke.  Thanks for the coffee."

"Stone? Is everything okay?  I mean, is everything okay for you, here?" She paused for a second and then pushed forward.  "Are you and Nem still getting along okay, and are the others treating you well? 

"Yeah, it's all good," he said quickly, almost dismissively, turning from the suite's door to deliver it. 

And that was the trap.  That was what the feeling you got in your gut did to you when you hang with new friends or spend time with a good woman or start giving a shit about somebody else.  It made you think it was all good.  It made you think you could do things, be different maybe.  But it was bullshit.  It was a lie.  It never ended well.  It would wait for you to turn your head and then it would kick you in the pills, every time.  

Hit the road.  He'd need to finish his bike first.

"I want to... thank you... for everything, making me feel welcome."  He said.  His expression was a chiseled mask, whatever feelings he might have been entertaining were crushed and shoved back into a corner of his head. 

"I know you didn't have to.  If I didn't make it easy, I apologize."

Phi's brow was creased a bit, unable to process everything, but fairly sure it was nothing more than his distaste for small talk and affection for candor.  So she replied, with both of those in mind. 

"I won't lie, Stone.  You're a pain in my ass, but it means a lot to me that you're willing to watch my back."  It was delivered with a small but genuine smile.  "Hell, it means a lot to me that you treat me like an equal.  There's not a lot of that to be found around here for me."

Stone looked at her and thought of a lot of things to say; some clever, some meaningful, some smart-assed.  A few of them were truthful, based on feelings that the little voice in his head was busy stuffing into a bag to dump into the river later.  In the end he said nothing, just gave her a nod of acknowledgment and made his exit.

So much for honesty.