Her smile turned a touch embarrassed and she ducked her head just a little bit before her cheeks reddened too much and gave her away. His words rang true and while nothing untoward had ever happened between them - indeed, he was a great friend to her at the very least - she did feel quite close to him... and his words held a note of intrigue, something she couldn't ignore, not even in light of the last decade.

James' presence at her side was a calming influence. She took another deep breath as they sat there, turning just slightly so she could face him better. Her arm didn't move under his hand and her hand didn't move from its place atop his.

"They may have become a part of life, but at least our lives are never dull," she replied sweetly. This conversation had already elicited her first real smiles in quite some time. It was nice. "And if not in the field, then where else?"

Oh this had the potential to end quite badly indeed, but she couldn't help herself.