Joanne gave her desk a once over, making sure she had everything she needed in her briefcase before snapping it shut. She had busted some major ass, getting four hours worth of work done in two so she could surprise Maureen by getting home even earlier than she was supposed to.

She had downplayed her concerns before, but she really was worried about her lover. Maureen had been having trouble sleeping for the past week or so. And no matter what Joanne asked her she said everything was fine and acted like nothing was going on. But she knew better. Just like she knew Maureen wouldn't open up to her until she was good and ready.

The past two months hadn't been easy. Yes their relationship was the best it had ever been, but Maureen got easily frustrated by not being able to remember things. She insisted on spending as much time with the Bohos as she could in the hopes that something one of them said would open the floodgates and everything would come back to her.

"Joanne?"

She jumped when she heard the disembodied voice of the firm's receptionist. "Oh come on, Carmen. I'm practically out the door."

"I know and I'm sorry. But there's a woman on line two who refuses to go into voice mail. She says it's urgent."

Joanne rolled her eyes. "Is there really a call on line two or are you helping Maureen with another of her jokes? Because I'm really not in the mood."

Her unconvincing tone made Carmen chuckle. "It's not her, Jo. Not unless she's really learned to disguise her voice."

"All right." She sighed as she rounded the desk and picked up the phone. "Joanne Jefferson."

"Joanne?"

She frowned. "Mrs. Crenshaw?"

Helen Crenshaw lived in the apartment below them and had to be one of the cutest little old ladies Joanne had ever seen. She thought the world and all of Maureen and the girls made it a point to go and see her at least once a week. But what was she doing calling her here? How did she even know where she worked?

"It was awful Joanne. Simply awful!"

Obviously the older woman was upset. The how could wait until she found out the why. "Slow down, Mrs. Crenshaw. What was awful?"

"What that woman did to our Maureen!"

Joanne swallowed hard. "What woman? What's wrong with Maureen?"

"I went down to get my mail. I take the stairs you know, because the doctor says it's good for that new fangled hip they gave me a couple of years back. Anyway, I saw the two of you at the elevator. And I have to tell you, you're the sweetest couple I've ever seen. I don't care what anyone say, as long as you're happy, who cares who you're with?"

Somehow Joanne resisted the urge to scream, "Get to the point!" into the phone.

"Well after you left some other woman started talking to Maureen. She was completely off her rocker, Joanne! She just kept yelling hurtful things at our Maureen!!"

"Wait a minute." Joanne interrupted her. "Some woman attached Maureen in the lobby?"

"She did more than that, sweetie. She drove her away!"

"You mean Maureen actually got in a car with her?!"

"No, no. I mean she just kept yelling and gripping Maureen's arm until Maureen threw her against the wall and ran away."

Joanne ran her free hand threw her hair. This just kept getting worse and worse. "Where did she run to?"

"What?"

"Maureen, where did she run to? You? Our apartment?"

"She ran out the front door, dear. I have no idea where she went!"

No, no, no!! This couldn't be happening. Not again.

"After she ran out I told that nasty woman to get out of our building. And do you know what she did… She told me to mind my own business. Can you believe that?! She verbally attacks our little Maureen and then has the audacity to tell me to mind my own business!!"

Joanne barely heard what she was saying. Where could Maureen have gone? She hated to call the other Bohos to form another search party, but she was going to have to. There was no way she could find Maureen by herself. Not when she had a two hour head start.

"I would have called you sooner, but I went out to see if I could find Maureen close to the building. By the time I got back inside I was so shaken up it took me a while to get back up to my apartment. Then I couldn't find that darned card Maureen gave me in case I ever needed to reach you."

"It's all right Mrs. Crenshaw. You're telling me now."

"I just hope Maureen's all right. She seems so delicate lately."

Joanne closed her eyes, willing herself not to cry. "I know. Don't worry. I'll find her."

"I knew if anyone could it would be you. When you do, give her my love."

"I will." With that she hung up. She didn't want to be rude, but she couldn't afford to spend any more time on the phone with her. Finding Maureen had to be her top priority and she couldn't do that from her office.

She could, however, get the Bohos out and about. She picked up the phone and started to dial Mark and Roger's number, knowing one of them was bound to be home.

"Joanne?"

Her blood ran cold when she heard the voice coming from her doorway. She looked up to see her mother standing there with a smug look on her face.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm still your mother." Mrs. Jefferson gestured with one hand as she came into the room. "Can't I come see my daughter at work?"

"No." She finished dialing the number, determined to ignore her.

"Don't be rude, Joanne. I didn't raise you to be a rude girl."

Joanne clinched her jaw. "I'm busy right now."

"Of course I didn't raise you to want to sleep with other women either, but you do." Her mother talked over her. "Especially women like Maureen Johnson." Her voice dripped with venom when she said the name.

You could almost see the light bulb appear over Joanne's head. "It was you, wasn't it? You attacked Maureen at our building!"

"I hardly attacked her." Her mother scoffed. "And how did you hear about it already?" She suddenly nodded. "Oh yes, the old busybody that tried to kick me out."

"What the hell is your problem?! Why can't you just leave us alone?!"

"Because she's all wrong for you, Joanne! As your mother I can't stand by and watch you make such a horrible mistake!!"

"Maureen is not a mistake!!!" Joanne paused, telling herself to calm down before she beat the other woman senseless. "What did you say to her?"

"Does it really matter? I achieved what I set out to do. I got her to leave."

"Damn it!" Joanne hurled the phone back into its cradle. "Just tell me what the hell you said to her!!"

Mrs. Jefferson frowned. "Who do you think you're talking to young lady? I am your mother!"

"No, you're some crazed woman who has set out to destroy my whole life. Now tell me what you said to Maureen so I can go try to make this better!!"

"Don't you see baby, you can't. Well at the very least you won't want to. Not now that she remembers the way she treated you."

She suddenly felt the need to sit down. "What do you mean she remembers?"

"I took it upon myself to remind her of a few of her more, shall we say, charming personality traits."

"No you didn't."

"Oh yes I did. That whole amnesia thing was a crock anyway, Joanne. You're just too blinded by her and her lying ways to see it. She was pretending not to remember to stay with you. She realized what she was about to lose after that scene at the country club and did whatever it took to get her hooks into you again."

"No."

"Yes, baby." Mrs. Jefferson made her way to her, putting her hand on her cheek as soon as she did. "You know mommy's right."

"She's… You're…"

They both turned to see Maureen in the open doorway.

"I'm sorry, Jo." Carmen suddenly appeared behind her. "I tried to stop her but…"

"You two are together?" Maureen interrupted her, tears shining in her eyes.

Mrs. Jefferson smiled triumphantly. "Yes."

"No!!" Joanne pulled away from her and started across the room. "Maureen…"

"Don't." Maureen pointed at her to make her stop. "She said you would hate me. I didn't believe her, but she was right." Her tears started to fall. "She was right!"

"Maureen!" Joanne's heart stopped as her lover pushed past Carmen and rushed out of view.

"Let her go, dear."

Joanne looked from the hand her mother used to grip her arm up to the older woman's face. "I suggest you let go of me."

The cold steel in her voice shocked Mrs. Jefferson just enough to make her obey.

"I'm only going to say this one more time, mother." Joanne's voice dripped with hatred as she emphasized the word. "Stay the hell out of our lives! If you ever come near Maureen or I again I'll sue you so fast your head will spin! And don't think I'm not serious. I'm filing for a restraining order as soon as I find her!!"

"I'll start the paperwork for you." Carmen glared at the older woman as Joanne went back to grab her briefcase off her desk. "I tried to stop her but she got in a cab."

"I have to go." Joanne threw a glare over her shoulder. "Make sure she leaves without causing any more trouble."

Carmen nodded. "My pleasure." She gripped Joanne's shoulder. "I hope you find her."

"Me too." The tears she had been so successful at holding back suddenly filled her eyes as she walked away. "Me too."