Disclaimer: The characters in this story don't belong to me, they are owned by Erle Stanley Gardner's pen. I don't receive any economic good for them. I only write for the pleasure of doing it.

Many thanks to the incredible of tengland2, for to support me in this great adventure helping me to see my mistakes, also finding words that I can not find, when my muse wants to leave me.

Thank you all for your fabulous comments that forced me to go ahead and give the best of me for this adventure of writing for our favorite couple, this part of the story ends here and yes, it is time to close this part of the story. PLEASE stay with me, as I will be continuing the adventures of the Mason and Drake Families. Granted there are a few (yes a few) unanswered questions, Della's health and if Laura Parrish will be causing trouble for Perry. The answer is yes, but come along and find out what happens.

All the errors are only mine.

Chapter Twenty one

Wednesday evening, Kevin and Perry had met at the Fringetree Lounge, Atrium again. The same waitress had brought over ice tea, leaving a pitcher behind. Perry thanked her as she left.

"Nicole will be joining us for dinner. Couldn't get out of meeting you two day in a row and not have her join us." Smiles Kevin.

"That's alright, it will be good to see her. About time for her to retire isn't it?" Asks Perry.

"She has time and rank in but isn't ready to give up the "Old Guard", to just anyone." Replies Kevin with a smile. "It is interesting."

"Define interesting." Perry raises his eyebrows, frown on his lips. " Laura Parrish somehow is involved with everything that happened in LA?" Ask Perry.

"Everything indicates that she most certainly is." He clears his throat. "There are too many coincidences and the fact that you were going home for a long weekend, wasn't a secret there was just no big announcement made. You apparently left early enough to get home at a reasonable hour. Someone left Dulles about two hours before you did and returned an hour after you did, Yes, we already know very well who the person was, none other than Laura Parrish."

"What else did you manage to find out?" Perry asks worried.

"Caroline consulted her sources, found out Laura told people she was going out to LA to visit friends. Apparently, the reason for the trip was the fact she and Max were having issues and needed a break. Caroline has all the information, including the name of the friend, hotel where she stayed at. Also included is the car rental agreement, apparently the description is the one you, Margaret and Tom gave." Replies Kevin. "She also located your missing files and notes. Apparently one of the other facility members found the pile on their desk this morning and turned the pile over to the main office. According to the new law clerk, the files were on her desk this morning and though he had left them on her desk for review." Pausing, "you can talk to the administration, explain the files were in your office last night and have no idea how they ended up in another office."

"I really do not want to create more problems, when I'm about to return to LA. If Laura took those files and notes it was to make Caroline look bad with and she did not achieve her goal." Says Perry.

"A lot of people are aware of Caroline's reputation and wouldn't believe that someone would set her up and be able to get away with it." Says Kevin.

"Can it be proven that Laura was in the building this morning?" Ask Perry.

"She must have come straight from LAX. According to building security, she still works there and was seen entering about 6:45 and departing about 45 minutes later." Kevin shrugs, "I do have one question about Paul and LA. Does he know about what happened here?"

"No. He's just checking the car out, after the discussion with Tom. Think perhaps in the echo of my mind, I may have wondered if it could be Laura." Says Perry, "as far as Paul and Margaret are concerned, the issues in my house is being worried about Della's health." Perry sighs, raising a hand, "I know I'm going to have to tell them and accept that Paul will kick my backside." Smiles Perry.

Kevin continued to fill Perry in on what had been happening to Laura, since she was replaced. "She had been assigned to another faculty member, as a law clerk and according to her new boss she is very competent and responsible in her work. According to the campus grapevine, the Parrish's had been having marital issues, but according to friends, they were going to work on personnel issues and stay together. In addition, lately they have been more united and happy about the campus lately. " Says Kevin.

This information scared Perry, as Laura had said they were having difficulties and there was no sign of getting back together. Maybe things had turned around for them and her visiting a friend in LA was just that. He could only hope that Kevin's information was correct. Yet something just wasn't settling in that echo of his mind.

Perry had given his last lecture, given his classes the final exams. Each class was given three essay questions, each requiring a page per answer. It had taken him longer to read then expected, but it was done.

Thanks to Caroline's help all his personnel items had been packed into his briefcase and students' files moved to the proper college office. Perry had taken Caroline, Kevin and Nicole to dinner, his last night in DC. To thank them, for their help both professionally and personally.

Perry couldn't stop counting the hours, until his return to LA. He wanted to get back to his favorite work environment, Della, working with him to his right side in the office and she, always supporting him in courtroom. Perry couldn't help but smile, he was realizing just how much he missed Paul's coded knock, his need for food and, Gertie, with her magazines, chocolates and her impertinences too.

But most important to his returning to LA, was his family, his need to He to start working harder on obtaining Della's total trust, respect and love again. He wanted to try to keep regular office hours, so they could be home to prepare and have dinner as a family. He knew this wouldn't be easy, but for Della's health, it was a change he was wiling to try hard at.

Della had kept him posted with her lab results, no major changes, she told Perry, Bev's comment was the fact "she didn't get this way over night", which he took the blame for. Her first priority had always been him and eventually the children as well. Perry didn't want to think what life would be without her.

Finally, Perry got on his final flight home, he had called Della asking her to hold dinner and not tell Lizzie. Della had told Lizzie, she wasn't really hungry and they could enjoy pre-dinner snacks. When he got into the cab, he gave the driver three destinations, a florist, a toy store and home. The driver's questioning looks in the mirror, made Perry laugh, explaining that he had been working away from home for the past several weeks, causing the driver to smile as well.

Finally, home, Perry, quietly opened the front door, he smiled, seeing Della and Lizzie sitting on the couch, the news was on tv, but both were reading It made him wonder, how could he have been so stupid, to drink so much, that he nearly lost all of this. Granted he knew he had relationship work to do, but he was where he belonged, home. He closed the door a bit louder than intended, but it got Lizzie's attention.

Lizzie looked over at the door with those beautiful blue eyes equal to her father. "Daddy, daddy, home." Getting up she runs over to him, Jumping into his arms. He puts her down, kissing her forehead, he picks up the teddy bear he had dropped.

"Yes, princess, I am home, for a very long, long time." Perry smile, "this is for the most beautiful girl there is in this world, whom I've missed an awful lot." Perry gives his daughter several kisses on her check, as she takes the bear from him, squeezing it, she smiles up at him. Della got up and walked over to her husband and daughter.

"Hello, Della," he hands her the beautiful bouquet various colors roses. He had wanted to get her red roses symbolizing the great love he felt for her but he felt it wouldn't be right at the moment. "I got these for you." They both smile, Della accepts the bouquet, smelling them, she leaning closer to kiss Perry's check.

"Thank you, their beautiful, I'm glad your back." Says Della, "Lizzie, why don't you take your newest addition upstairs to your room, wash your hands, then come back down and help me get dinner on the table."

Lizzie skips towards the steps, taking several steps up, she turns around to her parents, looking at them with the same questioning look from her father. "You held dinner, because you knew he would be home before we finished." Pausing, "Daddy you know she's supposed to be eating at a regular time."

Then Perry noticed right away, that look he was getting from his princess, belonged to her mother. He thought to himself, how his daughter could look so much like Della, who could only smile, "deal with it Perry." She walked off towards the kitchen.

Perry picked his bag up, walking towards the stairs, "Yes, your mother knew, but we figured it would be alright this time. Don't you want to have dinner with both of us."

"Oh, Daddy," smiles Lizzie, they both disappear upstairs.

While Della was in the kitchen, the phone started ringing, she answered "Mason", there was only silence on the other side of the line.

~~~~END?~~~~

**Don't you just wish this was more. Hang on for a couple of days and this adventure will continue. *****