Chapter Twelve: Shhh…

Madison McVeigh was many things.

She is highly intelligent, capable, talented and many more things. If she ever lacks in any department, she makes up for it with her quick wit and her impressive ways of getting the hang of things provided she's given the proper guidance. She is clever and sassy with enough sense of when to keep her mouth shut—well, most of the time—and when to practice some self-control.

Well, okay, sometimes it may seem she has zero self-control but for the charming thirteen-year-old, she does what she can. And in such moments, everyone else can either hope for the best or high tail it out of whatever situation might be at hand for some classic plausible deniability. She is, after all, still just a kid and however many times she might insist she's no longer is one, if she ever got in a jam, you can bet your boots she won't think twice about claiming what she so insistently denies being.

This is where the quick wit and cleverness play their integral parts.

Anyone who knows the girl well enough can readily claim that once she sets her sight on something, there is little to no chance of stopping her. She is resourceful, creative and daring and won't be easily deterred. Headstrong and confident, she is not someone you can simply say no to and expect not to be grilled as to why.

In so many ways, she is still a child, but she's also a girl on the cusp of beginning the stages of becoming a young woman. There are many things she still does not understand but there are also many things she knows and understands, ever wiser than her years.

And if there was anything Madison understood, it was that sometimes, there was one indisputable fact that just could not be ignored. It isn't anything life-altering, more like a simple fact of life that can be quite summed up in a few words.

Simply put: in certain cases, some adults can be stubborn to the point of stupidity.

And sometimes, yes, when push came to shove in such instances, it takes a thirteen-year-old of her size and magnitude to set things right.

It's a heavy responsibility, one she does not take lightly because there are times when a girl's just gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

Dressed and ready for school, Madison bounded down the steps that Friday morning. It was a cold December in Chicago and she was armed and ready for her last day of school before Christmas break began. She wasn't as behind in her classes, thankfully, but she was definitely behind on her social life. Social networks can only take her so far—there was nothing like experiencing life in the flesh.

So she was more than glad she was at least going to be able to make it in for the last day and as well as see her friends before her sleepover's kickoff that night. To say she was excited was an understatement.

Receiving a text from her friend Mandy telling her they were nearing her house, Madison pressed her phone to her ear, hoping to make one last phone call before she had to go.

Madison smiled brightly as the other end picked up, "Aunt Ethy?"

She glanced around the living, wondering where her father could as she spoke, "No, everything's fine. Mandy's about to pick me up…I was just wondering about something…can you talk? It's kind of, er, well…hear me out before you say no, okay…? No, I'm not robbing a bank…seriously, I swear, this isn't anything I'd go to jail for…"

Madison began to explain, keeping an eye out for her father and finished just in time to hear the honking outside their house.

"Will you think about it?" she asked, biting the inside of her cheek, "I know it sounds crazy but…well, it's not the worst idea, isn't it? He's going to be mad maybe but if I talk to him…I think it might work. Just don't tell Uncle Tony, please?"

She saw her father enter the room and sure enough, the raised eyebrow told her he at least heard the last part of her exchange with her aunt. She swallowed the instant fear that she might have gotten caught and instead, tried to act nonchalant. She waved him off, poking her tongue out at him as he waved a warning finger in her direction and stayed right where he was.

"Mandy's here…yeah, we're going now but I'll call later? Okay, thank you!" she smiled, "I love you. Bye!"

She slid her phone back into her pocket, racing to the door with a hurried, "Mandy'shereI'llseeyoulaterdad!"

"Hey, hold up! Hold it right there!" Kurt chased after her.

Madison was hoping to beat him to the door, but sure enough, his grip on her backpack stopped her in her tracks, "Dad! Mandy's mom is waiting. You're making me look rude."

"Like you've never done that before," her father point out, "Don't tell Uncle Tony what?"

The young girl sighed, "You'll tell."

He crossed his arms across his chest, "Tell what?"

"It's nothing…"

"Madison."

"It's between me and Aunt Ethy."

"Madison Rose."

"This feels like an inquisition."

"If it was, it'd be a lot more painful,"

"Daaaaad…"

"You're going to be late."

"Fine," she frowned, "I'm getting Aunt Ethy to teach me how to make paella."

Kurt's eyebrows shot up, "What?"

"It's a dish," Madison shrugged, "It's something weird…Spanish, I think but I thought I'd try it out. I told her not to tell Uncle Tony because he'll make fun of me."

He frowned, "You know he wouldn't."

"Yes, he will," she frowned back then smiled a little, "My plan is simple. I try it out and if I make good on it, I'll feed it to him and show him. He'll think Aunt Ethy did it and then he'll fall flat on his face."

Her father stared at her for a moment before shaking his head, "This thing with your uncle is getting a little out of hand."

"Out of hand would be making him sausages made of dog food and feeding it to him."

Kurt sighed deeply, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand and hung his head, "Mads…tell me you wouldn't even think about actually doing that."

"Well, not anymore now that I've told you…"

"Madison."

She gave him a wicked grin just as her phone began to ring, "That's Mandy."

Kurt nodded, "Fine. Just…don't, alright? You two are worse than children."

"He started it," she pouted playfully then threw her arms around his middle, "I gotta go, okay? Going to school and gonna be…I dunno, learning to be a responsible citizen or something."

Ruffling her head playfully with a teasing snort, he laughed as he squeezed her lightly, "Yeah, right. You're going to try blowing up a toilet again."

"That was a one-time thing and that was for research purposes!" she wrinkled her nose at her father's teasing. "Anyway, I'll see you later, okay?"

"Later," he nodded and pushed her towards the door, "Go on. Be careful, alright? And no blowing things up."

"Take away my fun, why don't you?" Madison threw him one last mock glare before heading out the door, "Bye, dad! Love you."

He smiled, "I'll pick you up later. Love you too, Mads."

The young girl shut the door behind her, leaning against it for a moment before waving at her friend who was seated in the backseat of her family's van. She slipped her gloved hand into the pocket of her thick red coat, her fingers brushing at the envelope she had swiped earlier that morning.

Madison was many things, but a liar was not one of them.

She'd been taught long ago that lying was bad and it was not often she would resort to doing such a thing. She wasn't comfortable when she did it and truly avoided it when she could. But then again, as she had also learned long ago: some adults were stubborn to the point of stupidity. And as much as she loved her father, he wasn't an exception of any sort when it came to that little fact of life.

So she lied to him, right to face, but not with any malicious thought in mind. She was a smart, caring girl and she adored her father. It was just sometimes, some people needed a little push. And god knew her dad could be so stubborn—something she was sure she got from him so she had some idea of how far he would go to not do things simply because he was the pain in the ass kind of stubborn. He needed a push, just like she did once in a while and she was going to give it to him.

And in this case, the little push needed a more creative touch—if lying had to be part of that, so be it. She would pay for it later, if she had to, as long as her newly concocted plan got off without a hitch.

She had already clued in her aunt, she didn't expect anyone else would really be in the need to know—depending on whether or not she decided to alter something in the last minute.

But more importantly, as long as her father bought her little white lie, Madison couldn't imagine anything going wrong.

After all, in this situation, she was more than sure that this time the end could truly justify the means. All she needed was a little help, a little bit of luck and maybe a few more phone calls to a few more people.

Madison slipped into the seat next to her friend, chattering away with her, all the while keeping one hand in her pocket and a substantial amount of her concentration on what else needed to be done for the plan she had set in motion.

If she could pull this off, by the end of the night, she was sure everything would simply be perfect.

And then it wouldn't matter much that she gave her father a little white lie for breakfast—that and the fact that he may just ground her to the next century in the end.

But it would be so worth it.

Or at least she hoped it would be.

`-o0o-

"You have two messages from the governor's wife."

Diane looked up, a perfectly groomed eyebrow arched, "Tell her I already confirmed and yes, I'm coming. If I don't…tell her she can send the National Guard to storm my house or something."

"She's adamant that you don't skip out on tonight," Annie smiled, scanning the day's calendar, "She said you've used up all your Get Out of Jail free cards and she won't be as forgiving anymore."

The older woman smiled, "Make sure I have a passport with a fake identity and a getaway car ready for just in case then."

"I'm sure Mr. Coyne can arrange that."

"Good," she nodded, "Anything for today?"

"Calls? Nope," Annie shook her head, "I'm hearing something about the CWA."

Diane looked up, "The CWA? The Child Welfare Act?"

Annie nodded, "Andy Meyers called. She's rather upset about it and she's hoping to schedule a meet with you before you go back into session."

"It's already in the committee," the senator frowned, "We've got the votes. What's Andy's problem with it?"

"She said it's something about the wording, it might affect the effectiveness of the bill," her senior aide supplied, "And she also said there's some chatter about O'Connor possibly blocking it."

Diane shook her head, "O'Connor doesn't have enough clout for that."

"He's still mad about the agriculture thing," the younger woman pointed out.

"And he still thinks I was behind that."

"Short of calling you the ringleader flat out, yes," Annie nodded, "Andy is lobbying up support as we speak. She's pretty insistent on the CWA getting passed."

Diane nodded, "And she'll get there. How worried are we about O'Connor?"

"Well, I wouldn't dismiss him so easily."

Both women looked up to see Eli Gold entering the room.

"Eli," Diane smiled, "I didn't expect you today. In fact, didn't I tell you to stay away?"

"I just got kicked out of my own house by my ex-wife and my daughter," he scowled, "I thought the point of a divorce was she doesn't get to play lord and master over my house, but well, turns out, that's a load of crap. Where else should I have gone?"

Diane chuckled, "How is Vanessa?"

"She said hello and she will see you tonight," Eli answered, "I've been roped into the Winter thing with her too. How about that? I'm beginning to think that divorce was just playacting."

"Didn't you have real live lawyers and everything?" Diane said with false wonder.

Eli frowned, "I'm remembering how much I paid for that…yeah, pretty sure that was real."

Diane chuckled, "Then there you go. So…you and the former Mrs. Gold tonight, eh? Is it me or do I smell reconciliation?"

Eli gave her a look, "It's you. Did I mention she's dating some businessman from the West Coast?"

The senator shook her head, "No. So why are you—"

"Stand in," Eli shrugged, "And since I was already half-thinking I was going, what the hell? The Governor will be there and some players in town. It's worth a look."

Diane smirked, "Not thinking about jumping ship and leaving me for fresh new game, are you, Eli? Some young buck? A new rising star I don't know about?"

Annie smiled, shaking her head and excused herself to make a phone call, leaving the two to talk.

Eli snorted, "Yeah, right…because Chicago is just crawling with those oh so amazing new bright eyed and dreamy Cambridge bred idealistic aspiring young guns hoping to make a difference in this cold dark world."

She let out a laugh, "Since when did you get to be so cynical about Chicago?"

"Excuse me, how many governors ended up in jail already?"

"I didn't and you still have Peter Florrick who, by the way, has always been interested in having you on his side," she smirked, "Not to mention his wife who, as I've noticed, you seem to be communicating with lately."

His eyes practically bugged out of his head, "How did you know about that? Did she tell you?"

She smiled serenely, "When will you ever accept that I simply know all?"

Eli grumbled, "She called me and I bet it was Annie who tattled."

"It wasn't Annie," Diane shook her head slightly, "But you do know it's true, right? The Florrick campaign would love to have you. He's gearing up for bigger things, you know and he looks good for it. Very attractive candidate and exactly your type."

Eli gave her a look, "Trying to get rid of me?"

She leaned back, "I wouldn't dream of it, but if you were thinking about exploring new horizons—"

He blinked at her, "I'm enjoying my current horizons, thank you. Now, O'Connor?"

She waved a dismissive hand, "He's just being ornery."

"O'Connor's still got some friends…"

"Not after the fit he threw during the vote on that thing with agriculture," she pointed out, "The CWA is a lock and now that Meyers is jumping into the fray, it's going to be unbreakable."

"I didn't think you and Meyers were buddies."

"EMILY's List has been kind to me," she smiled, "And she isn't so bad."

The political strategist rolled his eyes, "She's a bulldog."

"Talk about the pot calling the kettle black."

"I'm a loyal bulldog," he pointed out, "I have my own party, my own goals and my own principles."

"So does Andy Meyers," Diane pointed out, "She fights for women and children, for good causes, Eli."

"But without a care who she screws over in the process," he pointed out, "The thing about the wording? If it just so happens she thinks it's going to complicate things, you know she could just as easily screw this up for you. It wouldn't be the first time she pulled off something like that."

"You're not talking about the—"

"Women and the military," Eli grumbled, "She screwed Burke on that one. It was a lock then she came in wielding her little sword and a goddamned battle cry now it's stuck in the committees again with no hope of getting out until next year. She'll do the same to you if she thinks its right."

Diane tilted her head to the side, "She wasn't wrong there, Eli."

"Yeah, well, she still screwed over the party," he pointed out, "She went to the right and screwed us over three ways to Sunday. The CWA is for you and she might just screw you over there."

Her brow furrowed, pausing for a moment, "You just said screwed how many times…?"

"I'm emphasizing a point," he insisted, "The CWA is yours to—"

"It's not mine," Diane pointed out, "I support it wholeheartedly and I also know Andy Meyers. If she thinks the wording will leave it in any way less effective than it should, then should it mean it is worth looking at?"

"Not for the Democrats who need the win," Eli pointed out, "And a win right now—with this where you have been put front and center? Yours or not, a win will give you an even higher boost."

"It's not always about the party. Or the polling numbers."

Eli held back a sarcastic retort and instead went for evenly stating, "For the scoreboard? Yeah, it is. Especially with your name coming up as a possible nominee—"

"That hasn't even gone public yet," she frowned then shook her head, "If the bill needs to be strengthened, I'm not wasting time pushing for it without making sure it's actually worth putting out there."

"You've seen it, how could it be any less effective than you intended?"

Diane shrugged, "That's why I need to speak to Andy Meyers. Maybe we missed something."

"Like someone inserting an amendment along the edges?"

She nodded, "Or someone like O'Connor possibly lobbing a poison pill our way."

"Do you think you missed something?"

"It's been bouncing around in the committee," she shrugged, "It can't hurt to have someone else's eyes on it. Evidently, it's Meyers' now."

"So you'll be meeting with her?"

"It's for the kids," Diane smiled a little, "It can't hurt."

"Famous last words," Eli sat down across from her, "You ought to be sainted, you know that?"

She laughed, "Yeah. Build a statue in my honor and bow to it seven times a day."

"Ma'am?" they looked up, catching Annie just as she entered the room.

"Yes?"

"Mrs. Florrick just sent a text: she would like to know if you're bringing a date tonight?"

Diane smirked, "It seems Mr. Gold has been commandeered by the former Mrs. Gold. Tell her I'll not be needing my plus one after all. Unless you have any takers?"

Annie smiled, "Not at the moment, I think. Unless you'd like to take Mr. Gardner?"

Eli rolled his eyes slightly—still a little miffed about Diane's disappearing act the week before—while the politician simply chuckled, "Mr. Gardner would rather gouge out his eyes, believe me."

"So, you're going stag?"

"Yes," Diane smiled, "Who knows? I might just set off a trend."

"It wouldn't be the first time," Annie quipped as she left the room once more, "Especially since you went stag in the last few events too."

"Why it sends the press into atwitter, I'll never know."

"Bringing Mr. Gardner would make them go atwitter even more, you know," Annie said cheekily.

Eli glowered at her, "Don't give her any ideas!"

Diane turned to Eli who was still looking unhappy, "Oh, come on, you can't still be mad at Will."

"He's—"

"I made him lie," she cut him off, "Let it go."

Eli shook his head, "I still don't get why you like him so much."

"He's a good friend."

"Will Gardner," he scowled, "I don't see it."

Diane smirked, "Jealous?"

"Excuse me!"

She laughed at the look of pure indignation on the man's face, "Oh, so scandalized!"

"Jealous! Of that—"

"Eli," she hummed, "He's a very dear friend."

He pursed his lips, "Dear friend, yeah, yeah…"

She nodded, "Honestly, he's a good guy, a good man. You ought to give him a chance."

"God, you're not going to make me start playing nice, are you?" he looked sick at the thought.

"Of course not," Diane smirked, "But you could be a little more…cordial to Will."

He stared at her for a moment before nodding, "Fine."

"And I did make him lie to you, that's the truth."

"I'm over that one."

Diane gave him a knowing look, "Eli, are you pouting?"

"I don't pout!"

Annie smothered a laugh behind her hand though she tried to hide it when the older man's head snapped in her direction, "I don't!"

The two women shared a look before simultaneously erupting in laughter.

Eli could do nothing but glare, "I hate you both."

-o0o-

"Hello?"

Ethel De Luca waited for a response before shutting the door behind her. Feeling slightly foolish at the thought of sneaking into someone else's home, she found herself tiptoeing in even though she'd used her own key and was, in fact, basically family. Still, she knew what she was doing wasn't exactly something most people would consider wise. But it was for a good cause and to Ethel, in some cases, the end does justify the means. And she was all for the cause the young McVeigh had presented to her.

She's a romantic at heart, you see. It's hard not to be when you're married to the diamond in the rough you call the love of your life. And he was, in every sense of the word. She might razz him about everything, but that was the charm of their marriage. She loved her lug of a husband and they made each other happy.

If that leads to her wanting some silly little thing like getting two people together like they're stuck in some kind of chick flick, so be it. She is a romantic. She'd admit it. She might not do the trashy novels, but she's had her share of Meg Ryan and Sandra Bullock films. She's a woman, and damn it, she was allowed to want happy endings for people around her—the same ending she and Tony had been blessed with.

Taking out her phone, Ethel found herself smiling as she got the girl's voicemail, "Hey sweetie, I'm in. Now, if your father or Uncle Tony ever gets wind of this…I am so making you clean out my attic."

Feeling quite proud of herself, she traipsed up the second floor of the McVeigh home and walked straight into the master bedroom. She hadn't had the chance to check with her husband if he knew where Kurt was but she was quite secure about her bases now. Besides, if it ever came to it, should she ever get caught, Ethel was pretty quick on her feet.

Slipping into the closet, Ethel had to laugh at the state of things.

Her husband and Kurt were the polar opposites of each other.

Kurt's closet was impeccable. Clothes were folded, suits were hung, jeans and plaids were in their own corners as were his footwear. There were drawers and they were not left hanging by some careless and possibly late to work male who didn't think twice about leaving anything hanging in his haste. No, that was not Kurt—that was more her husband.

She was tempted to take a picture, if only to shove it in her husband's face that no, men were not incapable of being neat. His best friend was testament to that. Oh, how she'd love to but then, how would she explain being in his closet? They were close friends but probably not that close where she knowingly walked into another man's room without consent or notice.

Ethel smirked as she went for the suits that were hanging on one end, deciding she would have to manufacture some way to return there without being inappropriate. She liked one upping her husband and proving him wrong. Outdoing each other was one of their favorite past times.

Humming to herself, she reached back into the alcove, making a triumphant sound when she finally found what she'd been looking for.

The garment bag was near the back, just as Madison said it would be. Ethel had little doubt it would be clean and pressed, ready to wear at any time but she would make sure anyway. She had promised Madison, after all, and she was more than glad to hold up her end in this little escapade.

Bending down to grab a pair of shoes, she swiped them easily, prancing out of the room in a way that only Ethel De Luca could. She slipped through the door, leaving things as she had found them before with only a couple of things missing from the closet. He'd never know until it was too late and that was exactly how they wanted it.

Satisfied, Ethel bounded down the steps, garment bag slung over one shoulder and a pair of men's black cap toe shoes in hand. She slipped through the door and out into the Chicago winter, cheeks flushed with the excitement in her participation in this little scheme. Ah, she loved that girl to pieces.

Easing her car out of the McVeigh's driveway, Ethel turned on the music in her car, blaring out Barbra Streisand who then resumed singing about being the greatest star. She sang right along with her.

And with that she was gone and it was as if nothing happened.

She decided stealth should have been her middle name.

-o0o-

The ringing of the phone jarred Annie from the quiet snack she was having.

Perched gracefully on the stool in the island of Diane Lockhart's kitchen, Annie nearly spilled her coffee as she reached for the offending device. She really should be used to it by now but sometimes, in such quiet moments, she could still be caught off-guard.

Slipping on her bluetooth headset, she composed herself before answering though that hadn't done her much good since the caller on the other line had her choking with surprise.

Annie looked around furtively as she spoke, as if afraid she might get caught though she could not help the light chuckle that escaped her in the midst of the conversation. She pulled out a pad, writing down quickly in shorthand—she really ought to thank her grandmother for forcing her to learn that—not only for expediency but also for the fact that she was the only one in the house who could read it.

"I'll call back around six, alright?" she smiled into the phone, tapping her pen lightly on the pad. "Call me if there's any problem beforehand though, alright…? Yes, that's not going to be a problem…no, seriously, you have no idea...no, definitely my pleasure. Thank you so much."

Annie hung up, a smile lighting up her youthful face as she pocketed her phone. She hastily finished off her coffee and the piece of toast she had been nibbling on before leaving the kitchen.

If Justin Coyne, who was just reentering the house the exact moment the young woman all but floated out into the kitchen and up the stairs, found her behavior at all odd, he simply ignored it. Surreptitiously as only a man of his profession could, he watched her ascend, humming to herself—something he was noticing more and more she did often when she was in a particularly good mood—and merely shook his head very lightly. He had a garment bag ready in hand with his penguin suit pressed and ready for the night's event.

There was definitely a reason why Annie Clawson was humming like that and he'd been on this particular detail long enough to know that it could mean a variant of things. And while he may not know it, he had a feeling that this was going to be something significant. There was always something about Annie and while she was quite sweet and truly capable of her work and more, he knew firsthand that humming like that could often lead to something that would inevitably involve him and it was not guaranteed it would be pleasant.

He suppressed a sigh, hoping at least that whatever might be brewing in that girl's cauldron won't end up imploding and lead him to lose his job—or more. The girl, sweet as she was, could be trouble. But as long as he was in the dark, he was in the dark. If it was going to involve his hide, he'd find out sooner or later anyway. For now, he'd like to live in the ignorance that no, nothing was going to change and tonight was just going to be another party full of politicians and rubber chicken.

Sometimes, ignorance was bliss.

-o0o-

The way Madison McVeigh has been glued to her phone for most of the day, it wouldn't be surprising if somehow, it got taken away. She wasn't a rude girl and was, in fact, being quite responsible when she was using it on school grounds but you never know with teachers and school policies these days.

Not all of her friends knew of her little plan, mostly it was Mandy who knew the most much to the chagrin of her friends considering they'd only met that year. Still, Madison had found a good friend she could trust and a partner in crime she could jive with. If she noticed her friends were reacting a little less enthusiastically to her tight bond with the girl, she didn't bother with it.

They'd get over it, she decided. Mandy was great. She was fun, clever, a smartbottom just like her and totally capable of keeping her mouth shut. So far, their careful planning together had been kept just between the two of them. And Madison needed that. She loved her old friends, but they lacked the self-control and sneakiness she needed for the day.

She was still looking forward to her slumber party—if there was any problem they would address it there. For now, she was planning something that meant a hell of a lot more than the tater tots they were serving for lunch alongside the gravy drenched burger patties and vegetables.

Her first day back was going great so far. Aside from being behind one deskwork with one of her AP classes, which was excused, she was doing quite well being up to date with her work. That left her more time to do her thing and getting in on what she'd missed.

It turned out, Lisa Franks was released on vacation early. Madison sincerely hoped she would return come January back to the same Lisa everyone knew. She wasn't bad, really and as much as the whole thing that happened over the last few days amused her, she really hoped the best for her classmate.

Fingers keenly tapping on the screen of her phone, she ignored the chatter around her. She was sending off a text to a few people and hoping to god everything would really work out.

"Seriously, did something happen?" one of her friends asked Mandy who was busy reading Neil Gaiman.

Normally, their table would be one of the loudest ones in the cafeteria but with Madison's preoccupation, Mandy's insistence on reading, the rest of their group was left to wonder what exactly it was they were missing in this particular Friday morning.

"She's trying to get herself grounded the next quarter of the century," Mandy smirked into her book, her head of cornsilk hair bopping slightly.

Neesa frowned, "What?"

"She's losing it," Mandy said absently, "She'll tell you later. She's trying to phone tree or something."

"Phone tree? God, talk about ancient…" Becca frowned, "Phone tree who?"

A kid from the crowd emerged, one of the school gossips—Patty Porter—and Becca shot the girl a fierce glare and a little bit of a snarl to send her back. They'd been fielding attention from other kids around the school ever since Madison appeared. It seemed there were very few people who missed the paper that featured her father and naturally, it was garnering some unwanted attention.

Out of all of them, Madison wasn't exactly the social butterfly—Neesa and the two blondes, Becca and Caitlin were usually the ones front and center—and they knew very well if there was anything she did not like to talk about, it was her family history. It was nobody's business but her own and her friends were more than ready to keep any nosy rats away if it ever came to it.

"You'll see," Madison said then stopped, looking up at the blonde then gave her a smile. She was not unaware of what Becca had been doing all morning and she truly appreciated it.

"Well, we will—you won't. Still leaving for that trip?" Mandy piped up.

Becca's face turned sour, "Yeah. They're making me go."

Mandy gave her a crooked grin, "Sucks for you. You're gonna miss the fireworks if this thing blows up in her face…which it might potentially happen if smartass over there misfires."

"I won't, it's gonna work!" Madison insisted.

"Yeah, yeah," Mandy smirked, "Tell me that when you're clawing your way back to civilization after your dad grounds you. You know he's gonna take away any and all privileges involving technology."

Grace's head shot up and nearly knocked her glasses off her pretty face in the process, "Are you serious?" Her tone more than suggested she was truly unable to imagine a life without technology.

Caitlin laughed, "You've gotta be kidding, right?"

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" Becca's frustration was showing.

"I'll tell you guys later," Madison waved them off then looked at Becca, "I'm sorry you're not coming Bex but I swear, I'll tell you later."

"Does this have anything to do with your dad being on the paper or something?" the blonde was straightforward as ever. They all knew about Madison and her life—for the girls, there was nothing in that paper that was written that they didn't know about. Well, except for the politician that was being linked to her father, that is.

Mandy looked at Madison who bit the inside of her cheek, "You guys cannot tell!"

"We won't," Caitlin said earnestly, "What's going on? Did you do something? Are they going to write you up as some crack whore or something?"

She shot Mandy a look who simply shrugged, "My mom doesn't do gossip columns, kitten."

"Don't call me that!" Caitlin was still majorly embarrassed about her father calling her that in front of her friends months ago. Mandy and Becca still managed to irk her with it now and then though the new girl was definitely more into doing it than the others. Mandy thrived on being a smartbottom about as much as Madison only she preferred to razz her friends more than her parents.

"Ooh, Caitlin said whore," Neesa snickered, "We're such bad influences on little Virgin Mary here."

"Shut up! Seriously!"

"Calm down, kitten," Becca snorted, "Mads has something to tell us."

"It's nothing," Madison sighed, "Just talking to some friends of my dad's."

"Is it…" Grace looked around then whispered, "Her?"

She said it as if it was a bad word and as if it started with a capital letter. The other girls didn't dabble as much in politics but they knew enough being in a position like that meant something really big. The fact alone that Mr. McVeigh, their best friend's dad, got caught up in it enough to warrant keeping Madison from school because of some press attention only made the matter seem like a bigger deal than they'd originally thought.

"You could say that," Mandy smiled, ignoring the kick she got from under the table. She'd been taking kickboxing lessons since she was in grade school and she was pretty sure she'd gotten her butt kicked enough all over the mat that not even Madison could surpass with such meager attempts. Sure she had been taking tae kwon do since she was little but Mandy trusted her enough not to inflict any serious pain. She wasn't that psychotic, that much she knew.

"What does that mean?" Caitlin asked, a frown appearing on her pretty face.

Mandy looked at Madison who was giving her dark looks and shaking her head slightly and in turn, she beamed. Well, if she wanted to find out just what kind of a psycho her friend was—

"Mads is trying to get her dad laid."

Utensils clattered onto their plates and the exclamations of disgust and indignation—from Madison—could be heard all over the crowded cafeteria.

"MANDY!"

-o0o-

"Remind me again why you aren't doing this with your mother?"

Marissa Gold gave her an impish grin, "You're more fun to play dress up with."

Diane gave the teen a look before turning to face her reflection on the mirror, "No, really. Why?"

"Nothing," Marissa shrugged, "I don't get to see you anymore and mom's pretty much attached to me these days…I think it's the whole college thing."

"Or maybe the whole kibbutz thing?"

Marissa grinned, "Dad told you."

"Well…kind of," she smirked, "He was—"

"Ranting?"

"Well—"

"I'd say hissy fit but you'd—"

"Marissa Gold!"

"—do that thing you do when I do that thing I do."

Diane turned to face her, eyeing her, "Are you serious about going? Because, honestly, if it's just to send your father into a tailspin—"

"I am serious," Marissa said, "Honestly. I am. Dad has been harping on me about my faith for so long…it's a kibbutz, for crying out loud. It's not exactly a prime target for—"

"Going into the country alone, Marissa, is—"

"Gee, dad, when did you get here?," she frowned.

"Don't sass me, little girl," she gave her a mock glare.

The teen shrugged, "You sound like him. It's not the best look on you."

"Marissa…"

"Nothing will happen and somehow, I have to convince him of that and—"

"He's just being your father," Diane said, taking a seat next to her on the bed, draping her arm over the girl's shoulder, squeezing lightly. "Now, why are you really trying to give your father an aneurysm?"

Marissa sighed, "I came here to have fun. Why am I not having fun?"

Diane knew the girl well enough to understand she was no longer willing to discuss the matter with her and she wasn't surprised. Maybe she was sick of talking about it or she still didn't have her defense lined up. It could be anything but she did understand.

She smiled a little, nudging her lightly with her shoulder without a word before nodding. She pushed the wild mane of curls back slightly from her pretty face and Marissa gave her a smile, their communication silent but clear. They'd find time for later to actually talk about it.

Marissa smiled, "Anyway, so I never got to tell you about this girl I met at the Tree Hunt. You know, the one you bailed out on?"

"Right," Diane smirked, "I'm sorry for bailing. Someone just picked the wrong time to die."

"I know, right? Don't you hate it when that happens?" Marissa returned cheekily, "Anyway, so the girl. She was pretty funny…younger than me but she was pretty mature. I had a lot of fun talking to her."

"So you made a new friend? That's nice!"

"God, you sound like I'm in preschool and just learned to play nice…"

"Marissa…"

"I'm kidding," she smirked, "She was pretty cool. She was going there to get a tree with her dad. Seemed like a good kid. Bit of a smartass and you know I love that."

Diane smiled, "Sounds like our kind of girl."

Marissa beamed, "She does, doesn't she?"

"Will you be seeing her again?"

"Maybe," she smiled mischievously, sorely tempted to tell her just who she had met that day, "You never know, right?"

"True…alright, so," Diane gathered her hair in a pile over her head, moving her head from one side to the other, "Hair up or down?"

"Either works but it's going to depend on how you're going to do your makeup," she replied, "Will Marion be making a house call today?"

"Yes, she's going to be here later, but what do you think?"

"Hair up…very classy very chic," Marissa shrugged, "But down with enough poof? You'd look pretty too."

"That's very helpful."

"I'm trying to decide!"

"Well, decide then!"

They both grinned at each other at the absurdity of the conversation.

"Down," Marissa's head bobbed, "I'm glad you're haven't been getting it cut like usual. I like you with more than the shortest bob. This is a good look. Plus, you can do stuff with it."

"Well, enjoy it," Diane quipped, "I'm getting it cut come the New Year."

"What? No, come on…"

"Yes," she nodded, turning to face her once more, "The only reason it's gotten the chance to grow is I've been too busy to actually sit down long enough to get someone to cut it."

"That's just wrong," Marissa frowned, "Come on, let it grow a little. You're blonde. Shouldn't you be enjoying that a little bit?"

"What does hair color have to do with it?"

"I don't know. But I think you'd have more fun if you actually allowed it."

She raised an eyebrow, "Is it me or did you just say I'm not fun."

"No, I said you'd have more fun if you allowed it. You're already fun," she paused, "In your own badass way. I just think a new look…or at least, a different one would be awesome. For now."

She stared.

Marissa gave her another impish grin, "You have no idea what the hell I'm talking about, do you?"

"I think…fine, not really, no."

She laughed, "Forget it. Just don't go all G.I. Jane, alright? You're blonde, might as well shove it in their faces. It's perfect with your shoes everyone can't shut up about."

"Among other things," the politician muttered, her mind flashing with the silly little headlines from blogs as well as bits from the corners of columns that was supposed to be for serious journalism. People liked to make a fuss about the wrong things, more so with her style. She was tempted to just come to work in those severe black suits not unlike Justin Coyne and his men wore everyday but she feared that would just feed the silly fascination people could not seem to let go of. So she liked high heels and stylish suits, big whoop.

Just because she was walking through the hallowed chambers of the senate, doesn't mean she had to leave her femininity behind. She was a woman, first and foremost and she could only be pushed so far when it came to having to change who she was because people didn't think it looked right. It wasn't as if she was wearing something out of the Red Light District. She just knew how to dress like a woman, that's all.

God forbid she tell them she actually enjoyed dressing like a woman. Oh, lord, stop the presses!

Diane shook her head at her before moving towards her closet, "You want to help me pick out shoes?"

"Like you have to ask! Into the inner sanctum—yes!"

She laughed as she watched her hop off the bed and make a beeline into her closet.

It was never a dull moment around Marissa Gold.

-o0o-

"You're here!"

Ethel winked as she stepped through the door, bring with her the items she had taken with her earlier in the day, "Where's your father?"

"In his lab," Madison jerked her thumb towards the back of the house, "Come in! My friends are going to be here soon so we gotta do this now. Is Uncle Tony coming?"

"Maybe later," Ethel laid the garment bag onto the couch and the shoes on the coffee table, "I checked these and they're all ready to go. We really shouldn't have underestimated your father's…anal retentive tendencies, my dear. He's not your Uncle Tony, definitely."

"Never hurts to be sure," Madison dropped a familiar envelope on top of the unopened garment bag.

Ethel wrapped her arms around her stomach, "You've got everything set up on your end?"

The girl beamed proudly, "Yes, ma'am. I've got my contacts lined up and an excellent team. I've got my own little JTF working on this!"

"We'll make a general out of you yet, kiddo!" Ethel kissed the top of her head, "He has no idea, huh?"

"Not a clue," Madison grinned, "But he was getting weird looks from my friends and that kinda freaked him out but that was all Mandy's fault."

"What—"

"It's not something I wanna repeat," she mumbled, "We'll tell you later when it's all done."

"Sounds juicy," Ethel moved towards the back of the house, "Now, where is that poor unsuspecting soul you call your father? The sooner we get him used to the idea, the faster we get the ball rolling!"

"I'm on it! You watch out for Uncle—"

They heard a car pull in and sure enough, right outside was Detective Tony De Luca exiting his government issue Crown Victoria. Ethel winked at Madison and moved to meet her husband while the girl headed off to get her father.

Ethel sat down, eyeing the envelope on the garment bag though she didn't fail to notice her husband walking into the house, muttering in Italian. She raised her eyebrows, fluent in the language herself and made a mental note to chastise her grumbling half for the way he was carrying on, thinking no one would be around to hear him. When will he ever learn she heard, saw, knew everything?

"This is not about needing to be driven anywhere, Antonio," she said smoothly as soon as he cleared the living room and she could not help but smirk at the way the big bad lawman jumped at the sound of her voice, a curse escaping him in the process.

"Aye, are you trying to give me a heart attack, Ethel?" his Italian rang true and clean, clearly still caught up in his own little world. He did that sometimes, if you scared him out of his mind proper enough to send his brain in all sorts of directions. She swore one time she startled him so much he spoke German though god knows he knew nothing of it.

"Language, husband dear," she waved a finger at him, "This is different. Come, sit. We've been summoned by Madison. We have something to do tonight."

"Tonight?" Tony raised his eyebrows, "Did I forget something?"

She shook her head, "No, we're just being good friends."

"Madison?"

"Yes," she smiled, "You'll see."

He eyed the items on the couch, "Shit…tell me you aren't—"

"My lips are sealed."

Tony's ears turned a little pink, "Ethel!"

"What?"

And before either knew it, they continued on with their strain in Italian, bickering and snarking at each other the way only two people with a marriage like theirs could. His wife remained seated even while he began walking about, spouting one thing after another and gesturing wildly with his hands.

"Hey! It sounds like an Italian soap opera here," Madison declared as she reentered the room with her father in tow.

Kurt nodded, "What's going on here?"

The dueling couple turned towards the two who wore odd expressions on their faces. Ethel managed to compose herself first, slipping into a smile and an attractive slight blush on her cheeks.

She opened her mouth to explain but Madison raised a hand, "In English, please? I'm dying in French class and I'm pretty sure I can't add another bit of Europe into my brain as it is."

The graceful Southern Belle nodded, "My husband and I were just…practicing. It has been a while since we've flexed this particular muscle."

Kurt nodded, "Okay…so, what're you guys doing here? Are you guys joining the slumber party?"

Ethel looked at Madison, "You haven't told him yet?"

"Haven't told me what?" Kurt asked, turning to his daughter who gave him a big smile in return. "Mads?"

"I wanted to do it with you guys around so he won't yell as much."

"Why would I yell?"

"Because you do that sometimes."

"Only when you make me…ah, Mads, what'd you do?"

"Nothing!"

"Ha!" her uncle exclaimed only to have his wife smack him on the arm.

Kurt glanced at the two, obviously Ethel knew what was going on but he had a feeling his buddy wasn't nearly quite as informed as he. And it was a relief, kind of. He placed his hands over his hips, giving his daughter a look, "Madison…tell me you didn't do the dog food thing."

"What dog food?" Tony piped up just as Madison cried, "No!"

The parent nodded, "Okay, that's something. Now, what's going on? Are you suspended? Did you try and blow up a toilet again? Tell me you didn't."

"You really think highly of me, don't you, Daddy Dearest?" his daughter gave him one of her signature smartass grins.

"Madison," Kurt and Ethel said at the same time.

She blinked then shook her head, "But no yelling, okay?"

"I won't if there isn't a reason for it."

Madison looked at Ethel who winked playfully at her, "It's as good as you're gonna get, honey."

She nodded, taking a deep breath before moving towards the couch, picking up the envelope and turning to face her father once more. He didn't miss it and she saw the way his eyebrows jumped at the sight of what she was holding in her hands. Then he noticed the garment bag on the couch and the familiar pair of shoes on the floor next to it.

Kurt had some idea of what was coming already and began shaking his head, "Oh, no, no, no…"

"What?" Tony was still as lost as ever and he didn't like it one bit, looking at his wife then his best friend then at the little troublemaker that was Madison McVeigh.

Ethel simply beamed excitedly.

Madison gave her father a sheepish grin, "So, you see, there's this party tonight…"