Kate smiled to the Senator and his wife as they stood talking. "Ah I see you've met Miss Kate Philips." Victor said walking up. "She's my son's. What exactly are you again?"

Kate nearly dropped her glass. She and Martin were planning on telling his father later about the engagement but the question still startled her, did he actually know and was setting them up? With Victor it was hard to tell, her mind kicked into over drive, just as she was about to answer, "She's my fiancée dad." Martin said walking up behind her. She looked over at him surprised, he had asked she not say anything yet. He knew his father so she had conceded to let him make the decisions about when the right time was to tell and she didn't really think that that moment was the right time.

Victor turned a cold stare on them. "Yes of course I forgot it is still all new to us both Elizabeth and I. John let me show you." He pulled the Senator away.

Kate turned on Martin. "I thought we were going to wait." She said softly.

Martin downed his drink. "We were but the party keeps getting bigger." He nodded towards another group of people being ushered into the room. "I figured it was now or never. More people and dad isn't likely to make a scene." He poured himself another drink.

"A little warning would have been nice." She said softly watching as more people filed in. "Martin your father isn't very happy about us."

"What gave you that idea?"

"He hasn't stopped staring at me or glaring."

********

The last of the guest left late at night. Martin grabbed Kate's hand after saying good night to his mother. "Don't even think about it." Victor said softly when the last person had walked out. He walked into the living room.

"Dad not now. It's late and we've all had a long day. I haven't slept in over twelve hours."

"Martin." Kate squeezed his hand.

Martin stood there and waited. "Just when were you going to let me know about your engagement."

"It was supposed to be tonight at a private dinner remember? Or have you forgotten that it's alright to have dinner with just your family without anyone from government?"

"Martin." Kate tugged on his arm, Martin shook her off.

"Watch how you speak to me." Victor said turning his back to them for a minute before turning around again. "I do not approve of this one bit Martin."

"I didn't think you would. You never approved of anything unless you came up with it. Then by all means we must follow what you say."

"I don't approve because you are always making mistakes and leaving me to clean up your mess."

"The only mistake I've made is letting you think you run my life." Martin said shaking off Kate's hand. "I made it perfectly clear when I joined the FBI that you had no control of my life again dad. I make my own choices and mistakes and clean them up on my own without you being there. If you clean them up it's because you want to not because I asked."

"You ungrateful."

"Ungrateful? What do I have to be ungrateful for? A father who never was around? Who made me do things I hated?"

"You didn't hate everything. Football."

"I hated that to and was forced not by just you but the coach as well to play."

"Martin you go through with this."

"And you will do nothing dad. You can't I've checked even in your position."

"Martin."

"No kate. You do try and this will be the last time you see me cross through that door."

"You don't mean that."

"Martin."

"I do dad. Try me and see. I'm tired of you trying to run my life."

"Martin! Victor! Stop!" Kate yelled at the top of her lungs suddenly feeling very short of breath. "Listen to yourselves. You're fighting over things in the past and things you don't have control of any more. Stop."

"No Kate." Martin yelled. "This has been coming for years." He turned back to his father. "You've tried everything in your power to make me bend to your will. But it won't work this time dad. I walked out when I joined the FBI against your will. This is my life my decisions not yours. I'm not a kid anymore. It's my life."

"Which you'll ruin like everything else you've ever done on your own."

"Everything else! Dad the only thing I've ever done is go to the academy without your blessing. And sure looks like I've messed that up. No dad everything you've ever forced me into I barely got through because I tried to please you. And there is no pleasing you so I've given that up to make myself happy."

"STOP!" Kate barked out. "Do you two hear yourselves?" She looked between the two. "Martin's right Victor. It's his decisions you can't stop them nor can you change them. No I have the floor. Martin and I are getting married period end of discussion. Nothing will change that." Kate began to feel her self struggling to pull in a deep enough breath to make a sentence. "Martin he is your father and is trying to help."

"Help."

"Shut it Fitzgerald." She snapped. "Even if I don't agree with him in anything he has said tonight he tried." She gripped the back of the chair as she felt the world slowly begin to tilt. "But Victor you have to let go and let Martin do what he wants. You don't like to be told what to do neither does he." She took a deep breath. "It's the past let go. I didn't say forget. Or forgive but go on. It can't be changed. Do what makes you happy and is right for you." She felt her knees give out and Martin yell her name before the whole world went black.