Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke Cameron

i know now what shadows can see;
Anyone who knows Luke Cameron is not surprised that his last few days have been a series of meltdowns.

"How the fuck was there an unsecured firearm?!" he explodes when news of the shooting in the courthouse parking lot reaches the U.S. Attorney's Office. He has so many reasons to be livid. Once again he's finding out something important from the local news. It's a situation that should never have happened; that's the whole reason they enlisted Bryan Ritter. And for as much as he can't get along with Holden Ford, Luke's grateful the other man was there to keep Janet from having her brains splattered across the side of a car.

"We did everything we could," Bryan says, going to point out that his attention was on another person that as far as he knew also intended to kill Janet, but he doesn't get that far.

"Bullshit," Luke snaps, turning on him literally and metaphorically. "Or an off-duty FBI agent wouldn't have had to save her."

"Luke, you need to calm down," Kevin interjects firmly. There's a warning look that goes with it, that he's overstepping his boundaries again. "Getting pissed off at him isn't going to change anything."

Luke knows he's right. The important thing is that Janet is safe, and with Dexter Vincent dead and his would-be assassin in custody, Peregrine is effectively wrapped up. "There still needs to be responsibility for an unsecured firearm," he repeats, a little calmer now while he shoves his hands into his pockets just to do something with them.

"There will be, but that's the responsibility of the Metropolitan Police," Kevin retorts, looking past him at Bryan. "You need to file your incident report and then get down there to help them with their investigation." Then he looks back at Luke: "You want to go check on Janet?"

"No." Luke shakes his head. "She's going to be shaken up for a bit. She doesn't need me adding to that." He knows that's skirting very close to what Janet has never forgiven him for last time, but he knows his frustration wouldn't be good for her to be around now. If she's going through half of what he went through when someone pointed a gun at his head, she needs space and quiet to calm down.

He doesn't see her until a few days later, when her temporary restraining order is set to expire, so they're due in front of a judge to decide whether it will be made permanent. It's still weird for a serving Assistant U.S. Attorney to be representing someone as their private attorney, but luckily no one's asked him about it. Probably because everyone knows his reputation.

"How're you holding up?" he asks Janet while he holds the door into the courtroom for her. "I'm getting there," she says. "My leg's still bothering me, and I've had some more trouble sleeping, but... I'm glad to be alive."

"I know." He puts his hand on her back to assist her as they make the short walk to the prosecution table. "You still want to extend this?" he asks. "It's your decision what to do with the restraining order." Of course he wants to keep it in place, but Luke's no longer going to tell Janet what choice she should make.

She nods. "It's what's safest for me," she tells him. "What's necessary."

Luke watches her face for a moment to gauge her reaction. If there'd be any kind of sadness at her legally cutting her father out of her life. They've spent a decade being estranged but she's never officially severed ties. But there's no arguing with the evidence. The judge doesn't argue when Luke explains that Janet was nearly killed twice, five months apart, by the same person who threatened her father. It's also no surprise that Jack Ford doesn't show up for the hearing.

"Can I take you to lunch?" Luke asks as he packs up his bag once the restraining order is signed in for the next five years. "Or is there anything I can do for you?"

Janet smiles slightly. She knows what he's trying to do; he's trying to make up for not being there immediately after the shooting. But she's not upset with him this time—in her state she hadn't wanted anyone other than Holden near her anyway—and with her best friend at Quantico she's just going home to an empty apartment which is far from ideal. "Sure," she says. "If it's not getting in your way."

"You'd never get in my way." Luke chuckles. "Stop talking like that." He slings his bag onto his shoulder so he can use one arm to help her back out. "If anything, I've been an insufferable bitch all week because of you."

Janet laughs for the first time in awhile. "That I absolutely believe," she replies. If anything is true about Luke Cameron, it's his temper. His intense personality is what brought the two of them together in the first place, one flame feeding another. She may have relaxed now and found another side of herself, but she knows he's still out there fighting the fight.

He takes her to a little cafe not that far from the courthouse. He's not even sure exactly what it is, but it's casual with outdoor dining and that's what she needs right now. Just someplace they can sit and talk while Luke reaches across the table to take Janet's hand. "How are you feeling?" he says.

"Do you know the number of times you've asked me that question?" she replies with a small smile.

"I'm getting better at it." He chuckles. "But you're okay? Your father's not going to be able to see you until you're 40 at least. That's if he decides to stay in D.C." Because now that Jack is legally barred from contacting Janet, Luke wonders if there's anything left for him. He can't say he'd be bothered if the other man moved to another state.

Janet doesn't think about that possibility. She nods slowly. "Maybe this is what I need," she says. "Space away from everything that's hurt me. From my dad, from my work, from... a lot of things right now. To pick myself up and really heal this time."

Luke bites his lip before he says, "I hope that doesn't include me."

Her eyes lift to meet his. They know he's hurt her, more than a few times over their almost six-year relationship. They were never going to last but it didn't have to be as bad as it was. Looking at him now she only wishes they'd been smarter then. "I don't think so," she finally says. "I just... I might need a few days. Until I can figure out what I want and where I'm going."

He nods and squeezes her hand. "I can live with that," he says, almost more to himself. Before he looks back at her and adds, "I hope you get what you're looking for this time."

"So do I."