Brianna laughed. "Me either, although I have to admit I'm going to have a hard time keeping a straight face when I have to talk to any of those people now."

"Me too," Charisma muttered, her face flushed pink. She turned to Esmeralda. "So what would you call interesting?"

"It was actually more on the side of bizarre. I was being chased by a sneezing feather duster who kept kicking at me and insisting - 'NO SPREADSHEETS!!'. I still don't know where it came from or what it was about... at least as far as the spreadsheets go. I never use spreadsheets. The duster on the other hand...." She laughed at their expressions. "I did warn you it was bizarre," she added with a shrug, taking the next batch of dry dishes and putting them away.

Charisma and Brianna exchanged looks. "Not sure I want to be chased round by my work either."

"Oh God no! We'd end up being flattened by some of those tree killer bills."

"Do you actually read them... word for word, I mean?" Ruby asked as she continued to stir the pot. A squeal from Adam brought all four heads up and around facing the kitchen door. Then they heard Adam's laughter follow and smiled....

... only to laugh when the naked boy streaked through the kitchen with Saphira hot on his heels. He didn't even pause, but just kept going into Saphira and Esmeralda's bedroom, shrieking again when she pounced and wrapped him in a bath sheet. Then Saphira tipped him over her shoulder in a fireman's carry and marched them back down to the big bathroom without a word or explanation.

The other four looked around at one another and just shook their heads. "I did warn her he was a handful," Charisma said as she offered Esmeralda a stack of plates.

"She knows - it's why she let him run. But I guarantee you he'll go to bed when you get home this evening and you won't hear from him again until in the morning."

"Wow," Charisma muttered. "We don't usually have those kinds of outings. Even school doesn't usually do him in like that."

Esmeralda smiled. "Saphira is special. Kids love her because she not only plays *with* them, she plays *like* them."

"She should be in charge of a daycare; she'd make a fortune."

"No," Esmeralda disagreed. "She likes the interaction of one on one or one on two. She couldn't stand trying to deal with a roomful. She couldn't give them each the attention she'd want to."

It didn't take them long and they were done with the dishes. Ruby shooed them out, promising fresh cookies and milk later. They went into the living room only to find Saphira and Adam on the floor playing together. The three curled up to watch and attempted to make conversation. They talked about their work and Esmeralda shared some of Saphira's experiences at the diner. But so much was off-limits, it was a little stilted and a little awkward. Still each of them was trying, so it never quite became an elephant in the room.

After a while, they could smell the scent of cookies and Ruby was coming into the room with a platter of warm sugar cookies and tall glasses of milk. They all smiled and sighed in relief. It meant the day was coming to a close. And for whatever else it had been - even though most of it had been good - it had definitely been exhausting for everyone. But it was especially apparent on Esmeralda's face.

Charisma went over and claimed her son, much to his dismay. "MAMA!" his voice loud and unhappy.

"Son," she admonished. "What have I told you about your inside voice?"

He looked down at the floor. "Sowwy. Like it here... wanna stay."

"Well we can't stay today, but maybe we can come back and visit again. But not if you're rude; Esmeralda and Saphira won't want to have us here."

"Come again?" he pleaded, blue eyes wide. Saphira and Esmeralda nodded and he smiled. "Br'anna too?"

"Brianna too," they agreed.

Soon everyone was bundled against the weather and waiting for their cars to arrive. Brianna had insisted that Esmeralda keep the extra groceries she'd brought, insisting she had nowhere to store them. Charisma surprisingly backed her up, having stayed in the same apartments when she'd first moved to Washington. They each carried a small packet of cookies, however, at Ruby's insistence.

It was on that note that the little gathering broke up and Saphira took Esmeralda's hand and led her back to the kitchen when both limousines were out of sight.

"So?" Saphira demanded as soon as they were seated in the kitchen once more. Esmeralda held her eyes for a long moment before shaking her head.

"I don't know, Phira. I really don't know."


Chapter XXXVII

Jade had stayed with Charisma until she and Adam had reached Esmeralda's. Then she decided to go look up Mal and see if she could get the lowdown on what was going on - since she hadn't actually expected to see her or Kent in town. As far as Jade knew, Kent was still supposed to be in the City doing his show, and she was honest enough to admit to more than a hint of curiosity.

Mal glared at her when she popped in beside her, even though Jade had taken great pains not to sneak up on her unannounced. She lifted up her hands in a gesture of unknowing innocence and Mal only held onto her scowl for another moment before giving Jade a sheepish expression and a shrug. "Sorry," she said softly, though there was no way for Kent to hear them when they were in a non-corporeal state. "I seem to be having one of those days."

Jade wrapped an arm around Mal's shoulders and offered her a brief hug. "What's wrong? Why are you here?"

So Mal told Jade her story from the time Kent had found the phone call from Charisma the night before until the moment just before Jade had appeared by her side. They watched as Kent went through the album slowly, picture by picture, studying his expression and body language since they both knew without a doubt that Esmeralda would ask when the time came.

When Kent finally left Charisma's study, both Mal and Jade followed him, wondering what he had planned. When he picked up the phone to call a taxi, they traded skeptical looks.

"That's it?" Jade hissed. "He's just going to go back to work?"

Mal shrugged. "Looks like it. And that means I need to go with him. Will you tell Es...?"

"Absolutely," Jade nodded. "I need to get back. I'm sure she knows I'm not watching Charisma at the moment, and I don't want to get chewed out if Charisma takes off with no one to keep an eye on her."

"Es wouldn't chew you out."

"She probably wouldn't let me have it with both barrels, but I'm pretty sure I'd get an earful. And you know Ruby and Saphira both would give me those looks," Jade added with a theatrical shudder. Mal just chuckled and shook her head.

"I've gotta go," seeing Kent exit the house as surreptitiously as he'd entered earlier that morning.

Jade nodded. "Be safe... and good luck."

"Thanks - you too." Then Mal left with Kent, and Jade headed back to wait for Charisma.

************

Kent kept his own counsel on his way back to Manhattan... less than twenty-four hours after he'd left it. He didn't go to the theatre - he figured he had the time off, he might as well use it for the day at least. And truthfully, he was exhausted. Between the whirlwind round-trip and what he had discovered while in Washington, he needed a little time and space to consider his next course of action.

Instead, he went straight to the rooms he kept in the City for the times he was there. Not that Charisma didn't use them as well because she did - on the rare occasion she made the trip with him. They were simply something that he'd had since he'd reached majority and it never occurred to him to give them up once he and Charisma married. He enjoyed visiting the City too much.

Now he looked around them closely and recognized that these rooms were strictly 'his' rooms. Everything about them screamed bachelor pad, though it had been tastefully decorated by one of the top interior designers in New York. There hadn't been a woman's touch put on this place and as he looked around, Kent realized he hadn't put much of a personal stamp on this place either.

He crossed over to the bar and poured himself a drink, taking a swallow and refilling it before moving to look out the window. He stood there for a while, watching the sun sink lower towards the horizon. When it disappeared from sight, Kent turned back to the room. He set down his now empty glass and headed into his bedroom. He wanted a shower and some dinner. Then he had some decisions to make.

************

Charisma and Adam reentered their home several hours after having left it and Charisma still wasn't quite sure how she felt about their outing. On the one hand, it had been... well, if not fun, at least it hadn't been unbearable. And it had been enlightening... to a point. Obviously Brianna was upset with her about something, but her innate good manners hadn't let her do more than let Charisma know there was an issue that would have to be resolved privately between them.

Charisma looked down at her sleepy son. Adam had been wonderful - not only had he broken the ice, he had positively charmed everyone... including Brianna. And that brought her focus right back to Brianna. But before she could pursue that train of thought, Adam smiled up at her.

"Mama?"

Charisma couldn't stop the smile he brought to her face, and she brushed his hair off his forehead then tugged his bedcovers up a little higher. "Hmm? What, Sweetie? Did you have fun today?"

"Yes!" he confirmed stoutly, though he was too tired to be more enthusiastic about it. "Br'anna good. Es good. Phira fun."