Her eyes opened slowly, conveying to her brain the information that it was just before dawn.  The rest of her conveyed the information that she was, to her delight, once again waking up next to Lev, spooned against him, his arm around her holding her close and his hand draped possessively over her breast.  She could feel his breathing stirring the hair at her neck in time with the even rise and fall of his chest and knew he was sound asleep.  She smiled the same smile that was on her face all the time lately, wallowing in the feeling of languid content that wrapped around her like a cocoon. It had been two weeks since they'd gone to dinner and she'd spent every night since then in his bed, to Betty Jo's delight and Ian's amusement. 

She shifted carefully onto her back where she could see his face, relaxed and unguarded now in a way it never was when he was awake.  She didn't know if other women thought him handsome, though she thought they probably did.  She had always, since the first time she'd seen him, known there was something about him that drew her eyes, that made her able enjoy the simple pleasure of just looking at him.  There was something in his eyes, in the dark fluid depths, and the shape and set of his mouth that shifted with his moods that she found endlessly fascinating. 

She was still indulging herself watching him sleep a while later when he stirred, his eyes opening in the instant he made the transition from sleep to waking.  His muscles tensed, as they always did when he first awoke. It was something she'd noticed about him, that the moment he was awake he was ready. Ready for something. Some danger, some act, some...

He smiled into her eyes. "Good morning. You should have awakened me. I can't think why I didn't come awake the moment you did."

"Why should you?" she asked.

"It's the sort of thing that's.. never mind. Would you like tea? I'll get some for you when I get coffee."

"Tea in bed.  It sounds so decadent," she said smiling at him.  "It would be lovely."

He kissed her, a lingering kiss, then got out of bed, pulled on his jeans, and slipped a sweatshirt on, stepped into his shoes and headed downstairs. He was halfway down the main stairs when the front doorbell rang. He looked around. Withers would take forever.  He shrugged and went to the door. It was a man, with the olive complexion and brown eyes of the Mediterranean, the hard eyes and alert stance of a fighter.

"I'm looking for Ms Badi'a Batal," the man said.

"Come in. You can wait in the drawing room. I'll let her know she has a visitor. It is a bit early," Lev added.

The man turned to the car behind him and made a motion with his hand, then followed Lev to the drawing room.  "I apologize for the hour," he said.

"May I say who is calling?" Lev asked.

"The embassy," he said.

Lev raised an eyebrow. "I had in mind a name."

He looked at Lev, his eyes flat.  "Levi."

"I'll convey the news to her," Lev replied and turned on his heel shutting the drawing room door securely behind himself. He flagged Ian mentally and took the stairs three at a time arriving at the bedroom to throw open the door. "You've got a visitor. Says he's from the Embassy. He's Mossad."

"And you know this because...?"

"Let's just say I have personal experience. He's in the drawing room. I've alerted Ian he's here."

"But didn't get your coffee," she said, pulling on her jeans and a teeshirt.

"Nor you tea. Do you want someone with you for this meeting?"

She hesitated at that.  Then, "Yes, I think I might, at least to start with."  She smiled.  "Thank you," she said and moved past him out the door. She entered the drawing room without knocking and left the door open behind her, stopping two steps into the room. 

The man was standing in front of the fireplace, where he had a clear view of the door and the windows.  "Ms Batal?"

"Yes."

"I have a message for you from Tel Aviv," he said as he moved towards her, reaching into the inside pocket of his jacket. 

Lev was suddenly standing between her and the courier, his hand under his sweatshirt, his eyes on the man's hand.

The man withdrew his hand from his jacket slowly and carefully, an envelope held between two fingers.  Then he waited.

Lev stepped out of the way and took up a position near Dia.

The courier handed the envelope to Dia without a word.  She looked at him for a moment and then broke the seal on the envelope, extracting a single sheet of paper.  She read it and then looked at the man.  "Thank you," she said. 

He met her eyes for a moment and then looked at Lev.  "Again, my apologies for disturbing you at this hour," he said.

"I'll show you to the door," Lev said and walked over to hold the door from the drawing room open for the courier.

He nodded at Dia and then left, not glancing back when he left the house. 

Lev kept an eye on him until he was out of sight.  Then he turned to find Dia standing in the hallway watching him.

"Shall I get you some coffee?" she asked.

"Thanks no. I'll get some myself, and I need to talk to Ian."

"What is it?"

"It's nothing. Go have breakfast."

"What I want for breakfast is gone," she said and turned to the stairs.

He watched her walk up the stairs, and then turned on his heel to knock on Ian's study door. Ian called out for him to come in. Betty Jo and Ian were sitting together with a breakfast tray on the sideboard, and both of them were looking at the early post.

"Might I have a word?" Lev asked tensely.

Ian's smile disappeared. "Certainly."

"Alone," Lev added.

Betty Jo stood, her mail in her hand and smiled.  "He's all yours," she said as she headed for the door. 

"Wait, please," Ian said.  When she stopped Ian added, to Lev, "There is nothing you can say to me she cannot hear. Or are you saying she can't be trusted."

Lev's face darkened. "No, of course not. It's just that.. "

Betty Jo looked from one man to the other.  "It's fine, Ian."

Lev met her eyes. "No, he's right. My job is to protect you so you've every right to hear this. It is just.. It's about the visitor Dia just saw."

"What about him?" Ian sat back and patted the couch for Betty Jo to sit. 

When Betty Jo was comfortable Lev said, "He said he was from the Embassy. No doubt he was. But he was also Mossad. Since he is I think we can be pretty certain he's going to want to know who and what I am. And that is going to be a problem for you."

When Ian didn't say it she asked.  "Why?"

"I was a Mossad agent when I Awakened. It happened during a failed op. When they didn't find my body they assumed I was a traitor or that I'd lost my nerve. I know this because some years later I ran into someone who knew me then. He tried to kill me. He told me this before I killed him."  He paused. "Granted it has been quite a few years now, and in the normal course of events they would assume I'm an old man or dead. Still..."

"But if they think you're alive they'll try to kill you again?" Betty Jo asked.  "Hence the problem for me?"

"Yes. And as Blackheath and the Zoo are aware that some of us live a very long time, I dare say Mossad knows this too, as they are very good at spying on the Brits and especially on the Americans.  They will not wish to leave me alive in any event. This is a problem for you, Betty Jo. And for anyone else living here."

"I do not wish you to leave," she said.

"It is the right thing for me to do," Lev replied, meeting her eyes. "I am more a danger to you than an outsider at this point."

"Ian?" she said.

Ian looked less than happy. "He's right," he replied with a sigh.

"I'll pack my things and be gone in an hour," Lev said. "Thank you for your friendship and the trust you placed in me."

"Where will you go?" Ian asked with a frown.

"Underground for awhile. I'll be fine."

Betty Jo worried her lower lip for a moment.  "Is that what you want or would you consider an alternative?"

"I don't have much of an alternative," he replied.

"Actually I can think of at least two," she said.  "Well one for sure, and one maybe."

"What are you thinking?" Ian asked her.

"Marc and Dinah."

Ian's eyebrow rose.

"I have no desire to hide out at the Refuge," Lev said flatly.

"I wasn't thinking that," she said.  "Would you be interested in going off-world?"

"Home no longer exists. I hated it anyway."

"There are other places," she said.  "St. Michael's.  The Rim.  Any one of a number of other worlds."

"I know nothing about those places," Lev replied. "Although I grant you it might be an option if Earth becomes too hot for me."

"Well it's just if you were interested, you could work for Dinah and Marc for a while and see them, decide if you're interested.  It would be something to do other than going underground."

"It is kind of you to offer me this assistance, but I don't see what I might bring to them."

She laughed.  "Trust me, your skills will fit right in."

Lev frowned. "I will talk to them if you think it is wise. I do not wish to bring harm on them either."

"You won't, unless Mossad's reach has lengthened significantly since last I checked.  Right now they're at St. Michael's for a few days.  But I heard that they'll be at the Refuge too, seeing their babies before they head back to the Rim.  Dinah and Marc are on an extended tour of their holdings out there, the wild, wild west of the universe.  Last time we saw them we were helping them blow up a resort world because Dinah has a thing about slavery."

Lev grinned. "Not a bad way to spend a vacation. Will Laz be visiting with them?"

"I'd imagine he would," Ian replied.

"Good. Tell Laz to contact me the usual way if they are interested in an extra security guard. Otherwise, I need to leave. Now."

"And Dia?" Ian asked.

"You must swear to tell her nothing. Nothing at all. She is too close to the Embassy. And Mossad may try to force her to tell them something. She is safe if she is completely in the dark. Otherwise... she does not have the training to withstand their methods.  I mean no slight to her. Just that she is a straightforward person."

Betty Jo's eyes clouded with concern.  "Lev..."

"I know. Please. It is better this way."

Betty Jo nodded reluctantly.  "Alright."

"Thank you," Lev said. "For everything." Lev turned on his heel and was gone.

"She's gonna be a mess," Ian predicted.

"No, she won't and that'll be worse," Betty Jo said.  "He's such a guy."  She shook her head.

"Betty, he's right. It isn't about being a guy. If Mossad is after him, and if he thinks they are there's good reason, then she's in the middle."

"That's not what I meant," she said.  "But let's play the scenario out for a moment.  Mossad makes her tell them where he is.  And she says, 'fourth planet from the edge out on the Rim' and Mossad says what?"

"Mossad doesn't trust her ever again?"  Ian suggested. "She loses access to Israeli assets? She can't go home again?"

"Unlikely.  But you see even if it happened, has anyone asked her what's important to her?  What she thinks what's growing between them is worth to her?  Nope.  He's a guy and he's decided for her, all in the name of doing what's best for her.  Of being protective and noble and honorable and caring about her more than himself.  All of which is true, he is being those things.  But if he'd just talk to her, he'd save them both a hell of a lot of angst and agony."  She shook her head with disgust, looking at the door.  "But then, he'd probably refuse to believe she knows what she wants or even has an informed guess about what's best for her."  She looked at Ian.  "He's a guy."

Ian shook his head. "You have a very low opinion of us, darling."

"No, not at all," she said.  "I just think there are times when you try too hard, get a little confused and forget we aren't brainless.  Mostly I like men a lot.  Especially you."

He wrapped an arm around her and kissed her cheek. "I'm relieved to hear that. I'm sorry to say I agree with his view of the situation. I agree it will be difficult for Dia. But then we don't know what sort of relationship they have. He knows more than we."

She grinned, turning to face him.  "Yeah, but you're a guy."

"Too true. So you'll tell her?"

"Tell her what?" she asked.  "That he's left?"

"Yes, and no more. That, what, we don't know where he went. That's the truth."

She nodded.  "I'll tell her."  She snuggled against him.  "Promise me we're past all this," she said.

"Oh, I'm not going underground and leaving you in the lurch," he promised.

"I mean, as you very well know, you being all noble on my behalf and thinking for whatever convoluted reason that I'm better off without you."

"Hmmm... I can think of several scenarios where that might actually be true..."

She looked him in the eye.  "Maybe, but if you just start making unilateral decisions without even talking to me I swear to you, Ian Blakesley, you're a dead man."

"I'll do my best to restrain my manly impulses."

"You're not even taking me seriously, are you?"

"On the contrary. I am entirely serious."

She studied his face for a moment, searching it.  Then she settled back against him.  "It's a good thing I love you.  A lesser woman wouldn't have a prayer."

"I beg your pardon?" he asked, at sea.

"I love you, darling," she said. 

"Even if I am a dense and unreliable fellow?"

"Even if you are," she said.  "Because in spite of that, I find you irresistible."

"I'm relieved to hear it. Give Dia my love when you speak with her."

"I will," she said.  "Then I'll talk to Dinah.  What are your plans for the day?"

"I suppose," he said with a sigh, "I need to find a new bodyg