****

Dutchy awoke in the middle of the night, shivering.  He got up and went into the kitchen to check the thermostat.  Dutchy grimaced at it when he read the temperature…it was twenty degrees.  He trudged back to the bedroom and-with his teeth chattering-crawled back into bed.

"A little cold?" Specs' sleepy voice asked.

"Its twenty degrees in here!" Dutchy hissed.  Specs shifted over to face him and propped himself up on an elbow.  He covered a yawn.  Specs put his arms around Dutchy and pulled him over.  Dutchy struggled and yanked back.

"You want to get warm, don't you?" Specs asked.  Dutchy nodded sheepishly and let himself be pulled to the center of the bed.  They both laid down and Specs tucked the blankets around both of them before wrapping his arms around Dutchy's shivering form.  Dutchy moved closer and slowly warmed up.  It wasn't long after that that he fell asleep.  An hour later, Specs joined Dutchy in dream world.

****

The next morning, Specs woke up first.  He moved his eyes down and smiled when he saw Dutchy's face buried in Specs' neck, the top of his head holding up the brunette's chin.  Dutchy stirred and awoke.  He pulled back his head and looked up.  Specs smiled down at him.

"Good morning, sleep well?" He asked.

"I was nice and warm. Thanks."

"No problem." Specs answered, sliding out from under the comforters and getting up.  Dutchy sat up and watched him as he gathered together everything he was going to need for getting ready.

"Um…Specs?"

"Yeah?"

"About last night…"

"Which part?"

"The first one…"

"Where you wanted dinner?"

"After that."

"You woke up?"

"Before."

"No idea what you're talking about." Specs shrugged.

"Specs!"

"What?"

"Come over here." Dutchy told him.  Specs shrugged again and set his stuff down.  He walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge.  Dutchy hesitated for a moment, but then touched his lips lightly to Specs'.  Dutchy found himself on his back and being kissed right back.

Riiiing.

Dutchy pulled away and looked out the door towards where the phone was.  Specs took his chin and turned it back to face him.  "Ignore it."

Riiiing.

"But-"

Riiiing.

"You have a machine, don't you?"

Riiiing.

"Well, yes, but-"
 
Riiiing.

"But nothing." Specs murmured, kissing him again.  Dutchy put his arms around Specs' neck and decided that he was probably right.  After all, that's what the machine was for…

"Alec, I know you're there.  Pick up, it's Vinnie." Came the voice, loud and clear from the kitchen.  Dutchy scrambled towards the kitchen, knocking Specs off him and onto the floor.  He snatched the phone off the receiver.

"Vinne?  I'm here.  What?  No, I just ran from my room." Dutchy panted.  Specs walked into the kitchen and glared at him, arms once again folded.  Dutchy made a shooing motion with his hand.  "Another one?  Can't I get a break sometime soon?  Yeah, I know…but-hm?  What's the name?  Never heard of him.  Five minutes?  Yeah, I'm still in my pajamas…do you mind?  Good.  See ya."

Dutchy hung up and then deleted the message from his answering machine.  He looked over at the annoyed Specs and smiled an apology.  "Sorry.  Work.  I had to take the call.  I can't help it…work comes first, before everything.  Look, he's coming over and I'd rather not have you get dragged into the business.  Could you stay in the room for ten minutes?"

"Fine." Specs muttered, turning and going back into the room.  The doorbell rang and Dutchy answered it.  A man in a black overcoat-much like the one Dutchy owned-walked in.  He sat down on the couch and Dutchy sat on the coffee table across from him.

"Who's the new target?" Dutchy asked in a low voice.

"His name's Edwards.  Samuel Edwards." Vinnie told him.  "He's a witness to a crime against one of our boys, plays in a band of sorts.  You'll have to make it a clean kill…drug overdose or something of that genre.  He'll be difficult to find, Sam's gotten wind of people after him.  He has a talent for disguises and goes by a nickname to most."

"What's the nickname?"

"Specs."

Continue to part 8...