Title: Trust and Betrayal

Summary: Continuation from 'Destinations'.

Authors Notes: This fic is like a soap opera. It just goes on and on. This picks up 3 months after Destinations. For those who wanted more Raphael when I wrote the other books, this is the story for you. Enormous thanks to Jaxink for the beta read and edit.

Chapter 4:

"Whoever has trusted a woman has trusted deceivers."
Hesiod

"Thank you for coming again, Sen," Taka said, gracefully pouring tea into her daughter's teacup. Sen nodded. The first time Sen had come to the hotel, she had imagined a brief meeting and then her mother would leave Earth to return home. Instead Taka remained, and Sen had found herself accepting a second invitation for tea. Sen lifted the fragrant cup to her mouth and sipped delicately. Taka's servant stepped into the hotel room, an oblong box tucked under his arm. Taka nodded, and waved the servant over to the tea table.

"I hope you do not mind, Sen, but I brought a small gift for you from home," Taka explained. The servant set the box on the table between the two females. Taka nodded to the box, picking up her teacup. "Please, open it."

Sen set down her tea and reached for the box. It was heavy, and something shifted inside. Sen noted the ornate carving on the lid, and released the shining catch on the side. She lifted the lid and parted the delicate cloth wrappings to reveal a folded, embroidered robe. The delicate patterns were of the flowers of her home world in blues, purples and greens on a creamy white background. Sen's eyes shot to her mother's.

"It's …" Sen started, hardly able to get the words out.

"A wedding robe," Taka finished, gratified with her daughter's reaction. "I had worried that you would have no use for it, but since you are not wed …" Taka let the words dangle, and watched the emotions flit across her daughter's expressive face; hurt, disappointment, regret. Taka smiled gently. "Such a pretty thing deserves to be worn, don't you think?"

Taka waited through the uncomfortable silence. When Sen had told her the warrior had not wed her willful daughter, Taka was nearly ill with joy. In the many scenarios Taka had prepared for, this possibility had not crossed her mind. Had she not felt such hatred for the warrior (even in her own mind she could not think his name without flying into a rage), she might have thanked him for his apparent reluctance. Sen had run away, imagining herself in love. Reality had not mirrored the pretty dreams her daughter no doubt imagined awaited her on Earth. Instead, Sen had revealed that she lived in a home overcrowded with the warrior's many relatives, and that they were not even betrothed.

"It is beautiful," Sen whispered. Her fingers stroked the embroidery, but her eyes were pensive and sad.

Taka's smile widened, and she hid her expression behind her teacup. It seemed she had not arrived too late after all.

444

"Hey, stranger," Juliet greeted warmly from behind Leo's desk. Raphael smiled at his sister-in-law, and dropped into the guest chair on the other side of the desk.

"Where's Mike?" Raph asked.

"Grocery shopping," Juliet answered. They shared a look, and Juliet laughed. "Want to bet whether we have the ingredients for anything other than pizza?"

Raphael chuckled. Some things about Mikey never changed no matter how old they got. Raph glanced around the office. "Know when he's gettin' back?" Raph questioned. Juliet leaned her elbows on the desk and studied her husband's brother.

"What's up?" Juliet asked. Raph met her eyes. She waited on his answer. Raph sighed.

"Nothin' much," Raph responded neutrally. Juliet wasn't fooled.

"Haven?"

Raph frowned, and fiddled with the hem of his t-shirt.

"You know, I'm a good listener," Juliet coaxed. Raph glanced up at her dark brown eyes, and made a decision. Mike wasn't here, and he didn't feel comfortable taking this stuff to Leo.

"Yeah, not sure where to start," Raphael confessed. "She's … we had a fight." Juliet's eyes widened, but she didn't interrupt. Raph leaned forward, and put his hands on the desk. "She's lyin' about somethin'."

"Doesn't seem like Haven," Juliet commented. "Or at least not the Haven you've mentioned to us." Juliet shrugged. "I don't know her well enough to know if she's a truthful person, Raph." Raphael nodded his agreement. He hadn't brought Haven around much. That was true. "What makes you think she's lying, Raph?" Juliet queried.

Raph shrugged. "She's been edgy the last few times we've been together. Somethin's botherin' her."

"Raphael, could I be really honest with you?" Juliet inquired. At Raph's nod, Juliet took a deep breath. "How serious are you about Haven?" Juliet asked. Raph quirked an eye ridge at the question, but he also looked a little uncomfortable. "I ask, because you've been together for nearly a year, but … you don't seem like you want anything more than a girlfriend," Juliet said cautiously. "Not that there's anything wrong with a casual relationship, but Raph, does Haven realize that's all it is?"

Raphael met Juliet's direct gaze, and thought about her questions. Mike's wife wasn't wrong, but what did that say about Raph? He glanced down at the desk top.

"Hey, I'm not judging here," Juliet soothed, ducking her head and trying to meet Raphael's gaze again. "But maybe what Haven is hiding is that she wants something more."

"She's been askin' me to move in," Raphael offered, raising his eyes again. His hands reached for a pencil on the desk, and he began to twist it with his fingers. He would have taken out his sai, but that might have made Juliet uncomfortable. "She had me shoppin' for shower curtains the other day."

Juliet laughed out loud, and then covered her mouth when Raphael gave her a sour look. "I'm sorry. I just can't picture you doing something so mundane," Juliet said.

Raphael shifted in his chair. "So I'm not relationship material, Jules?" That wiped the smile off Juliet's face, and she shook her head.

"You are a great guy. Look how you are with the kids," Juliet pointed out. "But you have to find the right person for you. Someone special who appreciates you just as you are," Juliet stated firmly.

"You think Haven's not that person," Raphael said quietly. He set down the pencil, and it rolled a little ways to rest against the keyboard.

"I don't know, Raphael," Juliet responded. "Only you know that." Juliet reached across the desk and laid her hand on Raphael's arm. "For what it's worth, you don't seem happy. We'd like to see you happy, Raph." Juliet gave his forearm a squeeze. "And if you pick someone who really makes you miserable, you know I'm going to beat the living crap out of her, right?"

Raphael glanced up at the uncharacteristic threat from his mild mannered sister-in-law. He smirked at the grin on her face.

"If she's the one, Raphael, then go talk to her," Juliet advised. "And since you had a fight, try starting with an apology."

444

"Penny for your thoughts," Sam said.

Don looked across the bed at his wife, and smiled, but his eyes remained tense and worried. "How much in euros," he parried, but his heart clearly wasn't in the banter. Sam pulled back the covers on her side, and debated over whether to push Don or not. It was very late, and he was tired, but something was clearly on his mind.

"You know you can tell me anything," Sam started, and Don met her eyes. "I know how to keep secrets, Don. I was in a federal agency," Sam added, her tone sardonic. Don's smile was more genuine this time. He sat down on the bed, and rested his shell against the headboard.

"It's work," Don confessed, staring across the room at the closet door. Sam sat down facing the headboard, but turned her head to see Don. "And it is Susan."

"So let's start with work," Sam said, tilting her head. Don shook his head sadly.

"You know I can't. Top secret."

Sam frowned. "Don, I …"

"I'll tell you," Don interrupted softly. "When I think I'm running out of choices, I'll tell you all about it. Okay?"

Sam shivered. She had never heard Don like this. He wasn't just under stress. He was genuinely worried. Sam wanted to interrogate Don, but she didn't. She trusted him wholeheartedly. If he said he would tell her when it was necessary, then he would.

"So what about Susan?" Sam tried. She hoped it would be a lighter topic.

Don smiled ruefully. "I think she has a crush on me. And I didn't handle it well."

"Oh," Sam commented coolly. "What makes you think that?" Don glanced at her. He could almost see the cop in her coming to the fore. This would certainly distract Sam from the more serious conversation.

"She tried to rub my shoulder," Don answered, shrugging. He started loosening his tie. He missed the look on Sam's face. Had he seen it, he might have thought differently about Sam's next comment.

"Really? I'm sure it isn't anything serious," Sam soothed. Her tone was remarkably even considering the fire in her eyes. "Maybe I could talk to her?" Don had removed his tie, and tossed it toward the laundry hamper. He was unbuttoning his shirt.

"I don't know, Sam. Maybe I should just get another assistant," Don said, tugging his shirt out of his pants awkwardly while still sitting on the bed. "It would be tough to start over with a new one, but I'll manage."

Sam was tempted by this solution. She really was. But Don was under enough pressure.

"Just a little girl talk over lunch," Sam stated, making her plan. She stood up again, and grasped the hem of her t-shirt. She tugged it up and off, dropping it on the floor. Don dropped his shirt on his side of the bed, and looked over at his wife.

"Sam …" Don started.

"It will be fine. Don't you trust me to just talk to her?" Sam said, slipping her jeans down and off.

"I trust you," Don replied, watching her. Sam smiled and walked around the bed. She sat on her husband's lap, and put her arms around his neck.

"Now, what else can I do for you?" Sam offered, grinning at him.