AFTERMATH : THE JOURNEY BEGINS

          He entered the sleeping chamber, the door to the bath sliding closed behind him, rubbing a towel over his wet hair, his eyes settling immediately on his husband.

          Rodolphus sat, several pillows behind him to keep his back from touching the cold metal, a file open across his knees, reading.  Roark paused, watching him.  Tossing the wet towel into the basket in the corner, he moved to the end of the bed, knowing the exact moment his husband's sherry eyes lifted...

          Locked onto him.

          Stopping at the end of their bed, he could almost feel his heated gaze moving over his naked body,  Setting knees to the mattress, he slowly crawled up over him, taking the file, closing it and setting it on the nightstand, he settled himself, his knees on either side of his hips.

          "So...oo..." he began, his hands bracketing his head as he leaned in, "care to tell me what has had you stewing these last couple of days...and nights?"

          He looked up into silver eyes...held them as his arms lifted, went around him, drew him in and took his lips in a deep, passionate kiss...

                                                                             cccVccc

          "You never did answer me," he said softly much later as he lay snuggled against him, the fingers of his left hand tracing lazy patterns through his chest hair.

          "Hum...mm?"  

          Lifting himself to his elbow, he looked down into sleepy eyes as they opened to look up at him..  "What's been bothering you?"

          A long few microns of silence, then...  "Evan Rosier."

          Roark brow shot up.  "What about him?"

           "I finally remembered when I had heard his name...and where.  Sirius filled in what capacity I heard it in."

          "Let me guess...Riddle?"

          "He's one of the Inner Circle.  His assassin."  Reaching out, he grabbed the file from where it had been placed.  "Lights low," he told their rooms computer, which answered by turning their lights on just enough to read.  "This is their report on him...Or what they've managed to find anyway."

          Roark sat up, took the file, began to read.  Silence fell, but for the rustle of paper as Roark turned the pages, a frown beginning to curve his brow as he neared the end of the detailed report.

          "You saw it?"

          "I saw...something.  Something's...off," he said softly as he settled back against him.  "But what it is exactly, I can't say. He's too young to have known Riddle when he put his Inner Circle together.  We have to find him...Bring him in for questioning..." he paused, his head tilting back.  "Have you asked Dad?"

          "Not yet.  That was one of tomorrow's tasks, aside from getting ready for that damn awards ceremony."