Esmeralda nodded, but didn't say anything else. She felt much like the tub, she thought idly as she watched the water whirlpool down the drain. Then Saphira was taking her hand and she put the metaphor from her mind as she followed her mate to their bed.

They curled up together in the center of the mattress, sighing in relief when the warmth of the heating blanket surrounded them. "This is nice," Esmeralda confessed.

"Um hmm," Saphira agreed, embracing Esmeralda firmly before she shifted them until she could look down into Esmeralda's eyes. Esmeralda cocked a questioning brow. Despite her concern and her rigid belief that something was seriously wrong, being held in the comfort of Saphira's arms made everything seem more manageable. She reached up a hand to trace the smooth planes and contours of Saphira's face and smiled gently when she closed her eyes to relish Esmeralda's touch.

"I love you," Esmeralda murmured, stunned by the look of sheer need and desire reflected in the blue orbs that were filled with love just for her.

"Oh Es - I love you too? so much. And I want you to understand something right now, and believe it if you never believe anything else, all right?" waiting for Esmeralda to nod. "Good. I want you to know that I do understand your frustration and aggravation with this whole healing process you're having to endure. And I'm so sorry about that," catching the fingers that would have covered her lips. "No, Es - the blame for that more than anything else lies strictly at my feet and I willingly accept that responsibility. I will spend the rest of our eternal days together trying to make that up to you. But beyond that," she added, holding up a finger and glowering to keep Esmeralda from interrupting, "I do believe... with all my heart... that you will recover from this, Es. It may take longer than we want it to or hope it will, but you will recover. And you know why?" watching the blonde head shake slowly. "Because He needs you, Es. He needs you almost as much as I do."

"You really think so, Phira?"

"Oh no, Love - I *know* so."

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" Esmeralda asked with a tender expression on her face. She raised her hands to cup Saphira's cheeks and gently stroke her cheekbones and brows.

Saphira arched an eyebrow. "As I recall, you hit me in the head with a mud ball," trying to look at least a little bit put out by Esmeralda's selective memory. But the twinkle in her eyes gave her away.

Esmeralda moved one hand to pop her lightly on the hip. "Brat!" she complained as she threaded her hands into Saphira's dark hair and pulled them closer.

"But you love me anyway," Saphira proclaimed as she leaned forward.

Esmeralda didn't bother to answer. She let her lips speak for her directly. Saphira got the message loud and clear.

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

"Okasa, pardon my bluntness, but have you lost your mind?! Do you know what you're asking of me?" Brianna jumped up from her spot on the couch and paced in front of the table that held the dreaded box. She glared at it briefly, then resumed her pacing, hands clenched together.

Okasa had taken a seat beside Brianna while she spoke. Now she leaned back into the far corner of the divan and watched Brianna pace, knowing she needed the release before there would be any calm, rational discussion between them - if it was still possible.

She and Patrick had discussed the possibilities on the trip down and though Okasa recognized this as one of the choices he'd laid out for her as the most likely response, it wasn't the one she wanted... or even hoped for.

"Brianna...." she started, then stopped immediately when Brianna help up an imperious finger.

"No, no," she scolded with a desperate smile. "You had your turn to talk, and I listened... just like I promised you I would. You don't get to talk anymore now."

"But Brianna...."

"Okasa - I'm not kidding. I'm still trying to decide whether to be furiously angry with you or unbearably hurt. The *only* thing you have going in your favor at the moment is that you came and talked to me about this instead of just giving the letters directly to Charisma."

"I did consider it," Okasa confessed, seeing a glimmer of hurt flash through the green eyes facing her. "But you're a part of this family too, Little Bri. And I would never forgive myself if I did something to make you feel otherwise. I would never betray your trust on this, Brianna. It's too important to everyone... not just you and Charisma." She paused briefly. "Is it wrong that I want my whole family back together again?"

Brianna sighed and let her shoulders slump in defeat. "It may not be wrong, Mama O, but you need to understand it's impossible."

"It doesn't have to be."

Brianna nodded sadly. "In this case, it does. I cannot... WILL not... be the one to break the stalemate between us, Okasa. I bent over backwards for twenty years to ensure her success and she can't bring herself to offer me more than professional courtesy." She snorted. "Sometimes she can't even offer me that. No, Mama - I will not offer these letters to her... and neither will you. If there's something she wants to know, she can ask - I'm right here. But I'm not going to keep enabling her. I can't."

Okasa nodded and rose. "I understand, Brianna. I really do. I just wish it hadn't turned out like this."

Brianna offered her a wistful smile. "I wish a lot of things hadn't turned out the way they have, Mama, but you can only play the cards you're dealt - even when all you've got is a lot of nothing."

Okasa nodded, but didn't reply otherwise. Instead she moved towards the door. Brianna picked up the box to follow, but Okasa shook her head. "No, Little Bri. That's not for my keeping any longer. It's yours now. You do what you want with it."

"But...."

"You mind now, young lady. I need to get back to Patrick. If we can arrange it before we go back home, will you have lunch with us? Just me and Paddy?"

"Of course, Mama. You let me know when and where."

Okasa smiled. "I know better. I'll call and see when you're available and fit our schedule to it." She turned back to Brianna, removed the box from her grip and placed it on the table before she opened her arms for a hug. Brianna didn't even hesitate, but stepped into the embrace and held on tightly for a long moment. "Don't be mad at me, Brianna, or angry with me either. What I did here was borne out of love and affection for you both."

"I know, Mama O. I love you too. Are you certain you're okay to go back to Paddy this late alone?"

Okasa smiled. "He's coming to get me if he's not waiting outside already. You know the man has the patience of Job."

"Oh, Mama - he could have come upstairs. It's too cold to be sitting in the car tonight."

"And knowing me Paddy, he came into the lobby as soon as he got here and is sitting downstairs with Sergeant Orwin watching whatever sporting event is on at the moment. I promise you, Brianna - Patrick Tagherty can take care of himself."

"Truer words were never spoken," Brianna muttered, gaining her another smile and hug from Okasa.

"However, I see no reason to make him wait longer than necessary, or to keep you up any longer." Okasa cupped Brianna's face carefully in her hands. "You look exhausted, my dear. Don't let this job kill you, Little Bri. It'll take over your life if you let it."

"Two years, Okasa. That's all I said I would do."

Okasa nodded, but said nothing until they reached the door. Then they briefly embraced before Brianna opened the door. "Be careful, Mama O."

"Get some rest, Little Bri. Goodnight."

Brianna watched until the elevator door closed behind Okasa, then she shut her apartment door. She glared balefully at the Rubbermaid box, then deliberately turned her back to it and went back into her bedroom. Everything would wait until tomorrow. Now it was time to sleep.

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

And in Manhattan, Kent sat in the dark looking out at the night sky. He missed the stars here, but the skyline made up for it in so many ways, and he could feel the energy of the City pulsing around and through him as a living entity. He wondered if he could give it all up - if he'd want to. Then he determined that before he made any major decisions, he would watch and wait and observe.

With his mind made up on that score, he rose and closed the curtains in the living room - after all, he still had neighbors even this high up. Tonight he would go to bed and sleep. Tomorrow, he would go back to the theatre and go back to work. The tomorrows after that would have to care for themselves as they came along.

For now, he would remain in the shadows... and watch.


Chapter XXXIX

It was several days later before Charisma and Brianna chanced to run into one another again. Although they hadn't consciously been avoiding one another, it was their first meeting since their Sunday afternoon at Esmeralda's and both were at something of a loss to find words to say to each other. After a long moment of awkward staring, Charisma shook her head and chuckled sadly as her eyes dropped to the floor.

Despite herself, Brianna felt a pang of concern ripple through her and she briefly placed a gentle hand on Charisma's arm, leaving it there until blue eyes lifted to meet green. Then she sucked in a breath at the pain that was reflected back to her and she pulled her hand away as a matter of course. Charisma caught it and held on - not tight enough to cause injury, but firmly. Brianna looked at their joined hands and then back at Charisma's eyes.

"Charisma?"

Charisma held her gaze, then took a deep breath and nodded. "Will you join me for lunch?"