Brianna blinked. Whatever she'd expected to come from Charisma's mouth, those words weren't even in the top one hundred possibilities. "Excuse me?"

"Will you join me for lunch?" Charisma repeated, then shook her head at Brianna's continued dumbfounded expression. "You know what... nevermind." Charisma squeezed the hand she held once, then dropped it and turned away, shaking her head again. This time Brianna did the holding - catching Charisma by the bicep before she could walk away.

"Charisma? Charisma, talk to me. I think I deserve that much."

"Have lunch with me." This time the words actually made sense to Brianna's brain and she nodded her agreement almost without conscious thought.

"All right," she decided. "But you have to talk to me."

Now it was Charisma's turn to blink. She hadn't expected Brianna to capitulate at all - and to have her agreement so easily and so quickly.... She shook her head again and then nodded. "Okay. I need to let my office know. Would you like to walk with me or should we meet in the dining room?"

"We can walk together. I should let my girls know as well," motioning Charisma down the hall. They walked together silently, oblivious to the hustle and bustle of the comings and goings around them. Brianna stopped at her office, surprised when Charisma followed her in.

"Ladies," Brianna announced without preamble, "Senator Tagherty and I are going to lunch. If you need me, just page me, but it better be an emergency." She turned to Indi. "What time is my next appointment?"

"Three o'clock, Senator - committee meeting."

"Very well. We should be back long before then." She looked at Charisma. "Shall we?"

Without a word, Charisma nodded and they left the way they'd come. The staff silently watched them go, but when the door was shut and a full minute had passed, they looked around at one another in amazement.

"Did we just...?"

"Was that...?"

"Did they actually...?"

Indi held up her hands and the mutterings stopped immediately. She met each pair of eyes and offered the tiniest smile of her own. "Yes, we did; yes, that was and yes, they did. I think I should probably call Es and give her a heads up. The rest of you," waving her arms dramatically, "get back to work."

Chuckles followed her pronouncement, but everyone settled back down. Indi picked up the phone and dialed Charisma's office, figuring Opal would need to be in on the call if Esmeralda was going to get the full story. And she was pretty sure Esmeralda was going to want to whole story.

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

Esmeralda pinched the bridge of her nose and looked at Saphira who simply returned the stare with a shrug. They both turned back to the speakerphone where Opal and Indi were patiently waiting for ... something. Esmeralda sighed.

"Thanks guys. Continue to keep an eye out and let me know if things become vastly different after this lunch meeting. I don't expect them to, but you never know... especially with these two."

"Will do, Es."

"Okay, Es."

"Good job to both of you. Thanks for the heads up. My job should be interesting tonight." With that, they signed off and Saphira took the handset back to the cradle and resumed her seat by Esmeralda.

"Does this mean things are finally going the way they're supposed to?"

"Well, it means things are finally moving of their own accord - that is to say, Brianna and Charisma are behind the movement."

"So we may be done with this assignment soon."

"Could be," Esmeralda agreed. "Although it's not like we have anywhere else to go, Phira. This is our home now."

"Maybe not... I mean, maybe if I apologize...." she started, watching startled green eyes widen at her words. Saphira had sworn she wouldn't apologize for doing what she thought was right, no matter the cost. And the cost had been everything they'd held dear. And though Esmeralda certainly missed what they'd had in Paradise, she had never begrudged giving it all up to stay with Saphira. And now Saphira was willing to do the one thing she'd refused the Father?

"Saphira? Sweetheart? Why? Why would you do that? Have you changed your mind?"

"No - not at all. I still believe it was the right thing to do... despite everything. But Es... if I apologize, we can go home and He will make you better. You won't have to suffer anymore. You shouldn't have to continue to suffer because of me."

"I thought you believed I was going to get better."

"I did... I *do*. But...."

"No, Phira," Esmeralda insisted, shaking her head emphatically. "I will get better - you said so yourself. And if it takes a little longer, that's fine. I don't want you to dishonor the sacrifices we've made. They have to count for something. Besides," holding up a hand when Saphira would have broken in, "He would know if you were only saying it from your lips and not your heart."

"I can be sorry for having done it without believing I was wrong for doing so," Saphira protested weakly, knowing He would never accept that as a viable apology. But it was killing her to watch Esmeralda suffer everyday for something Saphira was being punished for. Then Esmeralda was changing the subject and Saphira put the thoughts out of her mind for the time being.

"At any rate, work should be interesting tonight. Wonder if either of them will share about their luncheon together. Neither of them has been very talkative this week so far."

"Why's that?" Saphira asked, this being the first time Esmeralda had brought it up.

"There's probably a lot of thinking going on. If I was a betting person, I'd say they're both trying to figure out what to do now - especially since their original plans have gone up in smoke."

"Shouldn't it be obvious?"

Esmeralda smiled wryly and shook her head. "Twenty years of habit is hard to break. And it's scary to step out of a groove that deep."

"I guess," Saphira replied hesitantly. "I just don't get this situation at all, but then I usually don't deal with this stuff either. Have you heard from Mal?"

"Not yet. I sent Jade out this morning to see what she can find out, so I expect we'll have a report from that side before the end of the day. Now c'mon... it's time to get ready for work."

Saphira groaned, but rolled from her seat and stood up, stretching. Esmeralda winced when she heard all the bones popping into place, then smiled when Saphira sighed deeply.

"Better?" she asked.

"Much," Saphira confirmed. "I should be able to walk without stooping now."

"I'm sure Matilda will appreciate that."

Saphira snorted. "I'm sure the customers will. Less food tends to end up in their laps." She held out her hands and pulled Esmeralda to her feet. "C'mon. You want me to have Ruby tell Jade to meet us at the diner tonight?"

Esmeralda shook her head. "No. We can't talk in front of Matilda and Joe. But ask her to make sure she's awake and downstairs when we get home."

Saphira nodded and led the way into their bedroom to finish their preparations for work.

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

Charisma and Brianna took seats at a table for two tucked away in a quiet corner near a window. They remained silent for a few minutes, waiting for the server to come take their order. Only when that was done and the young man was gone did Brianna lean forward and turn her full attention to Charisma.

"All right Charisma - talk to me. What's going on with you?"

Charisma looked away from the window and met Brianna's intense gaze. She took a deep breath. "I miss you," she confessed softly.

Brianna leaned back in her chair, stunned by Charisma's words. Apparently, this was Charisma Tagherty's day to rock Brianna Walker's world, and Brianna wasn't sure she really cared for it. She'd been off-kilter since Sunday - with Charisma and Adam showing up unexpectedly at Esmeralda's; Okasa showing up at her apartment; and now this unlooked for lunch invitation.

Part of her was surprised. Part of her was confused. But the biggest part of her was torn between hurt and anger and it was this part that responded.

"You miss me," she replied flatly, crossing her arms over her chest. "Why?" watching the frown lines form between Charisma's eyes. "Why, Charisma? Why do you miss me? And why now??" her voice never rising above a fierce whisper. "You haven't missed me for twenty years."

Tears filled Charisma's blue eyes, but fire sparked behind them and she refused to allow the tears to fall. "That's not true! I missed you every damn day, Brianna. You walked out of my life without a word and I could never figure out why."

Brianna bit her lip to keep from saying anything. She wasn't going to start a scene in the Senate Dining Room and she'd sworn to Okasa that she wasn't going to be the one to cross the chasm. If Charisma wanted answers, she was going to have to ask the hard questions.

"Well?!" Charisma demanded, crossing her arms over her chest in mimicry of Brianna's position.

Brianna sighed and raked a hand through her hair. "Charisma - you didn't want to know then and you certainly don't want to know now."

"That's it? That's all you have to say??"

"What would you like me to say, Charisma? What brought all this on anyway? A week ago, you didn't want to have anything to do with me at all - even professional courtesy was a stretch for you. And now suddenly you want to be my best friend again? What gives?"

Charisma suddenly slumped in her chair, visibly deflated. "I had forgotten how good we were together, Bri. And as awkward as things were between us Sunday, it made me remember... so much. So much more than the anger I've been holding onto for years. Besides, my son loves you."