All standard disclaimers apply and thanks again to Pajus for the SpellCzeching

So here I am, sitting with Radek on my couch having just poured my heart out to him about my ex husband and the divorce and he has just told me he has killed someone. He thinks I won't like him anymore if he tells me but I tell him I'll be the judge of that,

"I was in the army, back in the days when we were Czechoslovakia, I was eighteen and posted to the West German border," he says as he takes a gulp of Slivovice.

"You were a border guard," I say

"Yes" he replies. I can see where this is going

"And?" I ask

"I was on duty one night, it was raining and the alarm went off, I was in one of the towers, the light caught someone trying to climb through the fence" I squeeze his hand, he tries to move it but I hold on. "My commanding officer told me to fire so I did, I fired a warning shot over his head hoping he would surrender but he kept on climbing, I fired again just over his left shoulder but no he wouldn't stop. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath "my CO said kill him, I didn't want to I wanted him to succeed I wanted him to get away because I knew what he was feeling, I wanted to escape too, I'd already turned a blind eye to others who were trying to escape. The CO told me to fire I couldn't get out of it, he was standing over me so...I pulled the trigger and killed them man at the fence". I don't know what to say so I don't say anything I just put my arms around him "I said you would not like me" he says.

"And I said I would be the judge of that" I hug him again "if you'd have disobeyed your CO you would be dead, I have no idea what it was like behind the Iron Curtain but I can hazard a guess that they didn't take too kindly to their soldiers allowing people to escape" I say.

"You don't understand," he mumbles

"I know and I would never insult your intelligence by pretending that I did what I do know is that you were a young soldier serving a puppet government being controlled from Moscow. You had to obey orders or face the consequences, it's what the American's call a no brainer, it doesn't make me lo...um respect you any less than I did an hour ago".

"I am so ashamed of what I did that night," he says

"Which is good" I reply. He looks up at me

"Why do you say that?" he asks, I swallow, thinking I've gone too far

"Um...it show's you have a conscious and that you regret what you did and if you could have done things differently you would have done" I say, he wraps his arms around me again and hugs me tight, a little too tight and kisses my forehead.

"You are right I think, how did you become so wise?" he asks

"I'm a people watcher, in my job you spend a lot of time watching how people behave, how they act in certain situations so I'm a pretty good judge of character, I hope" I reply. He smiles that stomach-knotting, toe-curling smile of his at me

"What does it say about me now?" he says

"It says you're a good man who's seen and done a lot of things he shouldn't have but is still a good man," I say

"Thank you" he replies. I know what I've said means a lot to him, God knows what I'm thinking but I reach up and kiss him and judging by his reaction, he's not horrified.

---

I wake up with a start when I hear a buzzing sound, I realise it's my earpiece. With some difficulty, I plug it in

"What" I say

"Wakey wakey boss woman, you should have been here half an hour ago," says Mick's voice. I'm fully awake now

"What...Oh God I'm sorry Mick I'll be there as soon as possible" I respond, Mick chuckles

"You should go to bed to sleep at night" he says and hangs up. I grope for my glasses and as I'm groping my fingers come across a note, I put my glasses on and open it 'Spi sladce, Miluju tě' it says, it must be from Radek, I wonder what it says. As I get ready for work I realise I don't remember actually getting into bed and come to think of it, I'm still in the clothes I was in last night which means I fell asleep and he put me into bed, ho boy.

AN: Spi sladce, Miluju tě - Sleep well, I love you

What happened between Alex going to sleep and Alex waking up?

Did someone see Radek leave Alex's room?

Will Mick guess what went on?

What happens now?

All this and more in the next instalment.