It had not been easy for him to say those words to Sofie, but he had managed to do so.  With them said, he had made this home her own now...at least for the time being.  For Vincent, the moment was over, and it was time to move on.  To dwell on the decision would do neither of them any good at all.  Thus, he focused on his duty, and noting her condition of exhaustion - like a true gentleman; Vincent went over and helped her to sit on the bed.<br/><br/>"You should sleep.  It has been a rough time for you of late, and tonight was no better.  Sleep, and fear nothing.  Tonight, you are safe, and Sheba will stay nearby," Vincent told her gently before turning to leave.  Standing there facing the door; he bowed his head and told her deeply true in that particular moment.  "You have become my life.  This is my job...to protect those in need.  There is nothing to interfere in."<br/><br/>This was completely true.  It was his job to protect her, and no matter what was going on...she was now his life until Rafe was dealt with.  What was there to interfere in at this point?  An empty house that reminded him of Ana?  The lack of children with her?  There really was nothing to get in the way of.  This was his life...to protect those in need, and that meant her at the moment.  For however long it took...he would take care of her...for Ana, for his duty, and for simply taking care of someone in trouble.  He said nothing more, but left her to her thoughts, and hopefully to get some sleep.  As promised, Sheba stayed with her...curling up on her blanket in the corner, and alert even as she lay down.<br/><br/>Vincent took a deep breath after closing the door behind him.  The house was set, and she would be safe.  He would have to think about the conferences she must attend.  Such things were usually chaos, and not the best of places for her to be secure.  Yet, the Captain had told him he had no other assignment other than to protect Sofie and catch Rafe.  All his other cases had been reassigned to different detectives throughout the unit, but this was to be expected.  Any detective might have to do that in a moments notice when it came to severe focus on a single case.  This was no exception.  His mind was filled, however, as he went to his room...not of Ana, but of Sofie.  He felt it strange that he had been so kind to her, but anger on his part would not help either of them.  He took off his jacket, and added the holster straps and gun to the pile now building on his bed just down the hall from Sofie's room.  Despite the house being secure; Vincent was a veteran, and he still slept with a weapon under his pillows.  Not the same one he used for work, but a copy of the same.  It was just as deadly, and always loaded.  He checked it as he sat on the edge of the bed, and then replaced it carefully.  Once he put things away, and got ready for bed again - Vincent laid down turning out the lights.<br/><br/>Sleep, however, did not come immediately.  His mind was still on Sofie, and it was then something dawned on him.  It made him feel the extra loneliness he usually kept at bay, but it had been a few years since he had even had a woman in his bed.  Why such a thought would hit him now was beyond his ability to comprehend, but the truth of it was no less.  Since the death of Ana; Vincent had not had a single woman in his bed.  Not to sooth his loneliness, or to mess around...nothing...none.  That such a thought should come while he was thinking of Sofie made him glare into the darkness.  Of all the times to suddenly feel lonely...this had to be the worst.  He shook the sensation off, and frowned deeply as he closed his eyes.  The last thing he needed was a reminder that his bed was cold, and that the woman he loved would never warm it again.<br/><br/>As was the habit of such things...the last thing thought about was also what invaded Vince's dreams.  The very thing he had hoped to shove away now had him having a dream he did not want, and had never ever wanted.  For he dreamed that Sofie came into his room, and snuggled right up to him under the covers wearing only a sleek sheer pink nightgown.  In his sleep, he could not shake the dream.  It was relentless...as if an attack on his very mind and soul even as he felt her in the dream nuzzle his neck hungrily.  Desperately, he tried to stop it, but the dream continued uninterrupted, and went on to show him turning over and pulling the straps of her nightgown away...nuzzling her breasts as they became bare.  Some part of him said he was betraying the memory of his beloved wife, but the subconscious was apparently not listening.  The sensual moment grew more and more lustful with feverish caresses from them both as if starved, and all Vincent could do was watch the event unfold...like a move scene he couldn't turn off.