Chapter 7:

Lynn Lake had been waiting for a call all day. It wasn't until nine in the evening when her phone finally rang.

"Hello," she answered.

"Lynn it's Nigel. Sorry I took so long getting back to you but digging out information on this chap raised all kinds of red flags. Kind of unusual, for a film studio executive, don't you think?"

"Well what did you find out?"

"Well first of all Colonel Edward Straker has a very impressive military background. He's a combat pilot; flew in Vietnam. He has a master's degree in astrophysics from MIT, two years lunar research, top of his class with a four point zero grade point average. His IQ is in the high 130's. He also excelled in flight school, turned down the offer to teach to go to MIT. Here is the kicker; before he went into motion pictures, he was aid to Lt. General James L. Henderson." Nigel finished.

"Straker worked for Jim Henderson?" she asked clearly shocked.

"Apparently so; do you remember the car crash that killed Defense Minister Melvin Talbot?"

"I do, if I remember correctly there were only two survivors of that crash."

"That is correct. Those two people are none other than James Henderson and Edward Straker." Nigel said.

Why would two people with an advanced physics background be working for a film studio? Lynn thought to herself. "What year was Harlington-Straker Studios founded?"

"Construction started in 1972, finished in 1974, along with a block of government office buildings next door," said Nigel. "Straker started running the studio in 1974."

"Can you find out his discharge date?"

"I tried; everything I've looked at indicates that he is still on active duty. Something else doesn't seem right. Straker was married in April 1971. His wife left him exactly two years later, right after the birth of their first and only child. The divorce papers stated he was having an affair. This was apparently supported by some very damaging photographic evidence. Under the UCMJ adultery is considered a court martial offense. Straker was still on active duty when he got married, and served at least six months in uniform after that. Some of the allegations in the divorce filling state the affair started only a couple of month after he was married."

This doesn't make any sense at all. "Nigel, if that was true the Air Force would have thrown the book at him. They do not take anything that tarnishes the service lightly."

"You're right Lynn, they don't, but if you look at his service record, Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal; this is the kind of a man that normally doesn't cheat on his wife."

Lynn Lake considered all of this. "Well thank you Nigel, if you can find out that last piece of information, I would greatly appreciate it." Lynn hung up the phone. Clearly there was more here than meets the eye. What had started as a simple background check on a potential son in law had uncovered much more than she expected. Virginia was in her late thirties now and certainly was old enough to take care of herself, but she deserved to know about the alleged affair. She walked over to her easel and continued to work on the painting. She was working completely by a description her husband had given her almost forty years ago.

Virginia and Ed had decided to stay home on Saturday night. It had been a grueling week for both of them. Chopin played quietly in the background. The couple had cuddled up on the couch enjoying each other's company. The tea was okay too.

"So I heard you had a little run in with Geoff Blake."

Virginia was somewhat perturbed. "Ed, did Paul Foster tell you that? Because if he did I'll…"

Ed gently cut her off. "No I didn't hear it from him, but I got the impression that everyone in control heard it. Tara Paulson wanted to give you a standing ovation."

"Blake doesn't take no for an answer, he has been trying to get me to go to dinner with him ever since he got transferred to HQ. I finally decided I'd had enough. So I told him in no uncertain terms that I wasn't interested. I didn't want you to find out about it. I was afraid you would exile him to Siberia."

"Well unless you want to file a formal complaint, I'll consider the matter closed. Personally I don't think he will bother you again, from what I heard you snapped him back pretty hard."

"When we first walked into the studio during the Timelash incident Blake was standing in the hallway with the young actress and staring down her dress. Granted it was quite revealing anyway, but he didn't have to be so obvious about it. I just feel like I'm being undressed in his mind every time he looks at me."

"Do you want me to speak with him?" asked Ed seriously.

"No I just needed to talk about it. I think he got the message this time." Virginia got up to bring the empty cups into the kitchen. "Do you want some more tea?"

"No thank you, I think I'm about ready to turn in."

She walked back out and met him halfway to the bedroom. "I was thinking the same thing. I'm exhausted," she said as they walked into the bedroom. They left the player going; it would turn itself off in a while.

Lynn Lake was busy in the kitchen preparing Sunday dinner for her daughter and her gentleman friend when the phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hello Lynn, its Nigel."

Lynn was relieved, "I was hoping that it was you, Ginny and her guest will be here in less than an hour. Were you able to confirm his military status?"

"I had to go all the way to Sir Colin himself to find out, but it's confirmed, Ed Straker is still on active duty. He is listed as assigned to the UN special projects, classified. Sir Colin requested that I not inquire any further." Nigel stated.

"Well that's very interesting; no matter I will watch him closely and see how he treats Ginny."

"Won't he be on his best behavior?"

"Yes but a real pretender can't easily hide his ways, and you can tell quite a bit by the way he looks at his love interest. Thanks Nigel, I owe you." Lynn hung the phone up and went back to working on dinner. Well Mr. Ed Straker you're quite an enigma.

By the time they had made their way through London traffic Virginia and Ed had been on the road for about an hour.

"Virginia, how far is it from here?"

The house is about forty miles away, another forty five minutes, depending on traffic."

Once they had got out of the city traffic began to flow smoothly. Thirty minutes later they pulled up in front of the house. Lynn Lake lived in a small well kept home on the outskirts of the town. It had a sizable amount of land for the area. Ed got out of the car and met Virginia on the passenger side. She took his arm and strode up the walk way. When they got to the door, Ed rang the bell. When Lynn Lake answered the door Ed was unprepared for what he saw, the resemblance between the two women was uncanny even for a mother and daughter. From a distance they could easily be mistaken for each other.

"Hello Ginny," said Lynn as she hugged her daughter.

"Hi Mom. Thanks for having us. I'd like you to meet Ed Straker."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Lake."

"Mr. Straker, the pleasure is mine, and please, call me Lynn," she said as she ushered them into the house.

"Dinner is almost ready; you two make yourselves at home."

"Can I help you with anything Lynn?"

He offers to help in the kitchen; his stock just went up a few points. "No I'm good; I have it all on the roll cart. I know Ginny is going to have coffee. Would you like some as well or would you prefer something stronger?"

"Coffee is fine, Thank you."

Lynn brought out the coffee on a serving tray and set it down in the parlor. She poured three cups of coffee and sat down in the wing chair across from the sofa. "So tell me Mr. Straker, how did the two of you, meet?"

"Oh, please call me Ed; Virginia and I started working on a science fiction television series last year. In the course of the production we spent a lot of time together." Ed looked at Virginia as he spoke. "We found out we had quite a bit in common."

"Including a love for classical music and piano." Virginia interjected.

As they talked, Lynn watched Ed's mannerisms carefully. She noticed right away that he included Ginny in the conversation, and the way he looked at her was that of a man whose very heart and soul had gently swept away. Well Lynn it seems that Ed Straker is quite smitten with your daughter. "Ed, Ginny says that you are a very talented piano player. Why don't you play us something while we girls bring out dinner?"

"I'd be honored, what would you like to hear?"

"Memory," said Virginia.

"And I would love to hear some Bach," added Lynn.

As Ed played the two women went into the kitchen. "So Mom, do you like him?" asked Ginny as she pulled the chicken out of the oven.

"I do actually, and I didn't know if I would. He doesn't fit the mold of the movie producer, there is much more than meets the eye."

"No he is not you run of the mill studio executive…" As the music played in the background Ginny continued. "He plays with such meaning, he almost brought me to tears the first time I heard him. He still does." Ed was playing Memory now; Ginny looked over at him, "See want I mean," she said tearing now.

"My dear, you're quite taken by him aren't you?" asked Lynn. Virginia just nodded her head. "Answer me a question?" asked Lynn. "If he asked you today, to marry him, would you say yes?"

Virginia hadn't thought about it. Ed and I hadn't even discussed it; but she knew the answer. "Yes, I would, in a heartbeat."

"Well I had better find something to wear for the wedding."

"Why do you say that, Mom?"

Lynn looked at her daughter. "Haven't you noticed the way he looks at you?"

"That's what Gay said to me yesterday. She had a picture of the two of us on her desk. When Ed went down to see her regarding some casting snafu he kept looking at the picture. She didn't say anything because she didn't want to embarrass him. She had to stifle the giggles."

"I'll bet you dinner at the Register that you will have a diamond on your finger before the end of June."

This is a win, win scenario, thought Ginny. "You're on."

It was a typical Sunday afternoon at HQ. Paul Foster had the day watch, much to his chagrin. He had gone out with Jane Saturday night. Needless to say he was lacking for sleep. By mid afternoon he was dragging. Thank God for coffee, he thought. He walked out of the office into control.

"Lt. Anderson, get Moonbase up for me will you?"

"Right away sir."

While Anderson was working Paul checked the schedule. Colonel Blake was due in at 16:00.

"I have Lt. Colonel Barry for you, sir," said Lt. Anderson.

Foster flipped up the mic. "Hello Nina, I wanted to give you a heads up. Straker is probably going to want you Earth side later this week. He has a meeting scheduled Thursday morning to go over the Utronic upgrade plan."

"Sounds like fun, Colonel. I'll catch a lunar flight on Wednesday afternoon. Anything else?"

Foster shook his head. "No that's it Colonel, see you on Thursday."

Barry nodded. "Roger, Moonbase out."

"Lynn that was a great meal," said Ed.

They had all finished dinner and had gone into the parlor to have coffee. "Well thank you, Ed. By the way, don't let Ginny here tell you she can't cook, I made sure that she is quite at home in the kitchen." Lynn said giving them a wink.

"Oh stop it, Mother," said Virginia only half serious.

"Actually Virginia and I either take turns or work together making meals. I happen to be a passable cook myself. When you have been a bachelor as long as I have you either learn to cook or starve." Ed said with a grin.

That brought the trio to laughter. "Lynn, I understand that you are an artist?" asked Ed.

Lynn Lake nodded, "I don't know if I would go that far, trust me Van Gogh has nothing to worry about. Would you like to see my latest attempt at fame?"

"Of course."

Lynn got up and walked over to the easel.

"I painted this from a description my late husband gave me years ago." Lynn said as she uncovered the canvas. Virginia and Ed got up to look closer at the painting.

"That looks like Loch Ness, but what is this in the…" Virginia stopped in mid sentence realizing what she was looking at. She looked at Ed; her eyes wide in astonishment. The object in the center of the painting was an alien spacecraft.

"When did your husband see this object, Lynn?" asked Ed quietly.

"Well, let me see, it was before I was carrying Ginny, say early 1944. Robert described this craft to me in vivid detail. Officially he was flying reconnaissance over Scotland, patrolling for German incursions. The real reason was both American and British intelligence had evidence of an advanced race visiting this world. Very few people, even in the intelligence community knew of this. I'm sorry Ginny, but my job as a nurse was a front. From 1942 until 1975, I was working for MI6. Doing sketches, from witness descriptions and agent accounts, were my specialty."

Ed stared at the painting for a moment. Virginia held on to his arm for support. Finding out earlier this week that a UFO had destroyed her father's aircraft, and now realizing that her mother might have known about it was too much for her. Ed helped her back to the couch. "Are you okay?"

She nodded and turned to her mother. "Why didn't you tell me, Mom?" asked Virginia as she tried to make sense of this.

Lynn smiled in bemusement. "For the same reason you and Ed can't talk about what the two of you really do."

Ed looked at Lynn. How much do you know? "And what do you think we do?"

"Well I know there is a lot more to it than just making motion pictures. I could believe one of you was hired as a science fiction consultant, if the science fiction you put out was at least feasible. That last one you did about the moon being blown out of orbit takes the cake. I'm not a physicist and even I know that an explosion that size would have cracked the moon in half. And let's face it years would have gone by before it even left the solar system. Both of you are much too intelligent to have put your names on that. So my guess is the studio is a cover for something else."

Virginia was genuinely frightened now; she knew that SHADO security would make anyone disappear if they felt it would compromise their operations, no matter who they were. Mom, you don't know the danger you are putting yourself in.

"An interesting hypotheses, Lynn, but don't you think this is a bit farfetched?" Ed asked determined to bluff this one out.

"Maybe; unless you consider all the facts, I have to confess that I used my contacts at MI6 to run a check on you, Ed. You are the first person Ginny as brought home to meet me since she divorced her first husband. I figured that the two of you must be quite serious about each other. I wouldn't have said anything unless I turned up something nasty, and even then I would have only told Ginny. She is after all of age." Lynn said. She could tell that Virginia was somewhat upset with her. "Now Ginny, please don't be angry with me, had I done this the first time I might have saved us both a lot of pain," said her mother.

Virginia acknowledged that much to herself. She was very young and naïve when she met Brad. A few of her friends tried to warn her off, but she didn't listen. Her mother would have simply gave her the facts and let her make her own decision.

"Ok, Mom I think I understand, but what in all of this makes you think we're involved in anything other than film production?"

Lynn smiled at her daughter. "My contacts at MI6 have access to information not available through normal channels. So the question was raised; why would a highly decorated career officer, a full bird colonel in the USAF, with a degree in Astrophysics, two years lunar research, suddenly leave that to go to work for a second rate film studio? Why would that same studio hire someone with a doctorate in applied physics? And most important why does Ed's military record list him still on active duty?"

There is going to be no bluffing her, thought Ed.

Lynn must have known what he was thinking. She looked back at Ed when she spoke next "I know you're worried about security. To put your mind at ease, I still hold an eyes only security clearance. You see, I have been living with a lie that disgraced my late husband for almost forty years. When Jim Henderson told me what had happened I knew it was a cover-up. Robert would have never made that kind of error. I believe his aircraft, along with the rest of his group, was shot down by this type of craft." Lynn said as she pointed toward the painting.

Ed knew that Lynn Lake was no fool, she had come to the same conclusion that he had. The amnesia drug would not work, as she would only piece this together at some point in the future. Ed's mind raced for a way out. She already had the equivalent basic SHADO clearance. He looked at Virginia, and saw the disquiet in her eyes.

He turned back to Lynn and asked, "If someone were to describe an incident to you would you be able to reproduce a picture like this?"

Lynn nodded, "You mean like a police sketch artist? Sure I could do that. As I said, it was my specialty. Sir Colin still calls me at times when they need an older agent to handle an investigation."

Ed Straker made a decision. "Let's take a ride."

Lynn went upstairs to get her purse and jacket.

"Ed what are we going to do?" asked Virginia.

Ed knew that for Virginia to lose her composure she had to be genuinely concerned for her mother's safety and he knew that they were very close.

Ed put his arms around her; she was trembling. "Do you trust me?"

She looked into his eyes and answered, "Yes, with my life."

"Then trust me now."

Virginia nodded; although Ed could still see apprehension in her eyes, she had stopped trembling. The trio left the house, and they were soon on the highway heading towards London.

Colonel Blake was working on the stack of reports that Paul had left for him. The two men often covered for each other so they both could enjoy their Saturday night social activities. Foster looked like hell today, thought Blake. Miss Carson must be quite a woman. The intercom on the desk buzzed.

"Yes," answered Blake.

"I just received a call from Commander Straker. He is on his way in with a VIP. He said to tell you he'll be arriving in about ten minutes."

Great, that's all I need on a Sunday night. "Thank you, Lt. Wade." Blake picked up the reports and left the office.

Ed Straker pulled his vehicle into the valet spot at the studio.

"Well this is nice," Lynn observed.

The trio walked to his office which surprisingly to Lynn on the first floor in the corner of the building. "Aren't the executive suites usually on the top floor?" asked Lynn.

Ed smiled as he led the two ladies into the outer office. It seemed way too small for a film studio executive. They walked into the inner office which was also very small and spartan. Ed closed the door and opened a cigar box on the desk.

I hope he's not going to light up, thought Lynn.

Instead of choosing a cigar Ed spoke into the box. "Straker."

"Voice print positive, Commander Straker." Ed pushed another button and the entire office started to descend. Lynn sat down this was surreal.

"So this is why it's on the first floor. It's an elevator," said Lynn.

Ginny remembered the first time she had come to SHADO. They had just flown over in an SST, both her and Phil Wade were needed to stay and help interface the utronic equipment. That was almost five years ago. Her reaction was similar to her mother's. The lift stopped and the doors opened. An attractive young lady dressed in a form fitting uniform stood at the doorway with a visitor ID badge in her hand. As the girl clipped the ID to her collar, Lynn read the SHADO Logo Supreme Headquarters Alien Defense Organization. Ed Straker led them through the maze of corridors into the control room.

Ed spoke to Blake. "I assume everything is quiet today Colonel?"

"Very quiet sir, not even a sighting all weekend." Blake answered.

Blake looked at Ginny and her mother seeing the resemblance between the two. The look wasn't lost on Virginia as she said, "Colonel Blake may I introduce Mrs. Lynn Lake, my mother."

Blake nodded as he took her hand, "Colonel Geoffrey Blake, my pleasure madam."

"How do you do, Colonel?"

"Why don't we step into the office, I'm sure Colonel Blake is very busy."

Straker directed the ladies to his office. Lynn looked around Straker's real office thinking; now this is more like it. She sat down in front of the desk while Virginia took her favorite corner seat next to the desk.

"Can I get your something to drink?" asked Ed pointing to the servitor.

"Nothing for me, thanks," said Lynn.

"Virginia?"

Virginia nodded, "A small glass of brandy, please?"

Ed was amused, Virginia avoided the stuff almost as much as he did; her nerves must be shot. He walked over to the servitor and dispensed the drink.

"Thank you," she said as Ed handed her the glass.

"Forgive me for asking Lynn but you don't seem surprised. Don't tell me you knew about all this?" asked Ed.

"Let's say I've suspected it to exist. Now I don't know the details but there was talk running through the ministry of a multi-national defense organization being formed in the late 1960's. It was rumored that Lt. General James L. Henderson was to spearhead the operation. When he became president of the IAC and retired from active duty in 1971, the rumors were dispelled. Not to mention the escalating tensions between the Soviet Union and the west. It fell through the cracks and wasn't brought up again until I asked Sir Nigel to make a few inquiries about you, Commander." Lynn finished. "By the way, I love the color mural behind you," she added.

"Ah yes, I find that it calms my nerves; besides I suffer from claustrophobia. The mural makes the room seem much larger than it is." Ed paused a moment then continued, "So you must be wondering why I brought you down here?"

"Well, I was fairly certain it wasn't to make me disappear, I'm certain your security boys could have done that right after you left, and make it look like an accident."

"At SHADO we have to choose our personal very carefully. With the expense of training, mistakes are much too costly. So that is why you can't just walk up to a counter somewhere and ask for an application. How did you once put it Virginia?" turning to her.

Ginny was relieved, she knew where this was going, and relaxed for the first time since this chain of events had started. "By invitation only," she answered smiling broadly.

"Ah yes, by invitation only. Lynn your investigative skills do you credit; in addition you have a very unique talent, as well as still having your contacts at MI6. Would you like to join SHADO?"

"You don't have an age restriction?"

"No, the people here at SHADO are here because they are the best at what they do, the very best. You won't find any equal opportunity agendas being filled here; race, gender, religion, creed, beliefs; none of those matter. Of course you would end up working for your daughter. Colonel Lake is my acting second, and I have recommended to the commission that she be promoted permanently once Colonel Freeman retires."

"Colonel; I did hear that right, your father would have been proud Ginny." Lynn said and continued, "Yes, Commander, I would like to join, it's been boring sitting in that house for ten years."

Straker smiled and pressed the intercom button. "Colonel Blake, would you come in here please."

In a few moments the office doors opened and Colonel Blake walked in. "Colonel I would like you to take our newest recruit, Lt Lynn Lake, down to processing and get her setup with an ID and uniforms. I want her equipped for undercover work."

"Very good sir. Lieutenant Lake, if you'll follow me please?"

"Oh Lieutenant, when you finish getting setup come back to the office."

"Yes, sir," said Lynn.

The office door closed as they walked out. Virginia got out of her seat and gave Ed a quick kiss. "I thought for sure that you were going to have to hand her over to security," she said as she sat back down. "Tell me the truth Ed; are you bringing her in just to avoid the alternative?"

"Colonel Lake," he said deliberately feigning formality. "I'm surprised you would even ask something like that. No your mother will fit nicely into a spot I've been trying to fill for a while now. We need someone, to take witness accounts of UFO incidents, and who has traceability to another organization outside of SHADO. We already have agents in the CIA and KGB. I'll have to call Sir Colin tomorrow to work out the details. By the way, I forgot to tell you something the other night."

Virginia looked at him quizzically.

"While I had no idea how much your mother knew about UFO's, or what kind of clearance she had, I did know she was with MI6. I meant to tell you when I found out the truth about your father."

Virginia looked at him with an unreadable look. "Well I should be upset, but I'm not. I'd much rather hear it from you even if a little late than from someone else. Thank you."

"I can't believe the resemblance between the two of you," Colonel Blake said to Lynn as they walked into the processing center. "You could pass for sisters."

She's just as beautiful as her daughter, pity she's ten years older than I, he thought.

Lynn laughed. "You're too kind Colonel Blake."

"Well, Ginny doesn't think so."

Lynn looked at him for a moment. "Do tell Colonel."

"Please, call me Geoff. I've tried for the past couple of months to get her to have dinner with me. She refuses to even consider it."

Lynn was amused. "Well Colonel, no offense but it's inappropriate to refer to a senior officer by first name, besides we just met. As far as my daughter goes, it may have nothing to do with you; have you considered the possibility that her heart is already taken?"

"To the best of my knowledge she is not involved with anyone, I see her and Commander Straker together a lot but I assumed that it was business related; unless the rumors are true…" Blake's voice trailed off.

"Colonel Blake, let me give you some good motherly advice, pursuing my daughter might not be in the best interest of your career."

Two hours later Virginia was driving her mother back home. Ed had stayed at HQ to push Lynn's paperwork through.

"So tell me, Ginny, what do you think of Colonel Blake?"

Virginia shook her head, "I try not to, why?"

"He told me that he asked you out to dinner several times and you turned him down flat. I assume it was because you were seeing Ed."

"Not really, the first time Blake asked was while he was still assigned to our advanced weapons research section. I just broke it off with Paul Foster as the two of us just didn't have the right chemistry. That was over a year ago. For the next couple of months I didn't want anything to do with men. The only man I would have dated didn't seem to be interested. Anyway Blake just wouldn't take the hint."

"I'm assuming the other man was Ed Straker?"

Virginia smiled, "Yes, when I came back from my assignment as Moonbase commander, Ed promoted me to acting executive officer. I started working closely with him. At first it was a little tense, part due to the fact that he can seem cold to people that don't know him well. The other reason is I was attracted to him. Over the past year we have become very close. When he asked me to go to LSO with him last month I couldn't believe it. I went out and bought a new dress just for the occasion."

"Commander Straker is a very attractive man, but I can tell just by watching him that he only has eyes for you. He looks at you the same way your father looked at me."

"Before the show, we had dinner at the Register and I shared things with Ed that most people would never tell on a first date; the funny thing is he did the same. By the time we finished dinner I knew as much about Ed as it took me to learn about my ex in a month. It was more than just chemistry; I just knew I could trust him. He told me later that he felt the same way. The best part about it Mom is that Ed is a perfect gentleman. He stayed at my place that night because we were going flying the next day but he slept on the rollaway. To be honest I knew I was in love with him and I would have taken him into my bedroom if I didn't think that would have made him uncomfortable and I almost told him as much. We didn't get to that point until a week and a half ago,"

Virginia paused for a moment knowing what the look her mother gave her meant. "I know Mom, you don't approve of intimate relations before marriage," she said continuing. "A young woman who had witnessed a UFO incident ten years ago was in a coma caused by her being hit by a car. She was fifteen at the time and it turns out that Ed was driving the car that hit her. So when security called about it; he decided to look into the case himself. During the investigation they had formed almost a father daughter relationship. To make a long story short; the aliens had somehow taken years from her life and given them to someone else. She died of old age at twenty five years old," Ginny paused.

Lynn could see tears flowing down Ginny's face. "Darling if this is upsetting you…"

Ginny interrupted, "No it's okay; I want to tell you about it. Anyway when Ed got back to the hospital, I tried to warn him, but he ran up to her room and that's when he found out she had died. I waited downstairs in the lobby for him."

He was only up there about five minutes and when he came back down and looked at me I could see the pain in his eyes. We had lost five people in two months, Catherine made six. Ed looked down and walked out on the path alone. I followed him out and watched him for a second and then went after him deciding then to tell him how I felt about him. He was withdrawn and I begged him not to shut me out. By this time I was crying. Ed put his arm around me when I finally told him I loved him. He asked me if we would still be friends no matter how this turned out and I don't know when I have ever felt so special." Virginia grabbed a tissue.

"I think that means Ed loves you for who you are."

After that he kissed me and I'm talking about the kind of kiss that you feel all the way down to your toes. That night I stayed at his house and we haven't slept apart since."

"You've been in love with him for a while, and I mean before you started seeing him," said Lynn.

"I guess I have."

Lynn put her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "As far as not approving your actions, you're a grown woman and you do not need my approval. But before you left home to go to Stanford you knew the truth of the Word. I just wish you would pick it up again."

"Maybe someday, so, anyway, what did you say to Blake?"

"I told him it probably would not be in the best interest of his career to continue pursuing you," said Lynn.

"Does he know?"

"I'm sure he suspects, he's not stupid you know, he mentioned something about a rumor going around HQ. So if he has any brains at all, judging from SHADO's requirements, I'm sure he does; he'll put two and two together. But I don't think he'll give you any more trouble."

Virginia pulled into her mother's driveway.

"Do you and Ed want some leftovers?" asked Lynn as they got out of the car. It had got dark during the ride back to her mother's house.

"No thanks Mom, Ed and I are flying out to the States first thing in the morning. We won't be back until Wednesday night." Ginny said. They walked into the house; as soon as Ginny was sure she was settled she left for the studio.

"Straker," he said into the phone when the direct line rang on his desk.

"Ed it's me, I'm about five minutes away." Virginia said to him.

"Good, when you pull in wait in the car I'm on my way up." Straker hung the phone up and stood up from the desk. He grabbed his briefcase and walked out of the office.

Virginia pulled into the valet parking spot at the studio. She opened both the gull wing doors and moved to the passenger side. She was tired and she knew Ed preferred to drive. A few minutes later Ed walked out of the building; he climbed in and closed the doors.

"Ed?"

He looked over at her as she leaned to kiss him.

"What was that for?"

"Because I love you," she answered.

"Oh…" he said bemused.

"Now let's go home."

"Yes ma'am," Ed said kidding with her. He started the car and soon they were on their way to his house.