Chapter 25

~*~*~*~

"This is delicious," Agent Kralian commented. "I've never had Chicken Cordon Bleu before."

Sam glanced over at the junior agent who sounded more polite and nervous than complimentary. She knew that he mostly likely felt as uncomfortable as she did sitting down to dinner with the Deputy Director of the FBI's family including a wife who was well known in Washington power circles and their Senator son.

"Thank you. It's Francine's special recipe," Elizabeth Fitzgerald replied as she lifted up her wine glass, taking a drink. Glancing over at Martin's mother, Sam shared a small smile of agreement. She was both what Sam expected and unexpected at the same time. She was a slender woman but she didn't seem frail, simply lean and strong, a force to be reckoned with in her beige Chanel suit. Her light brown hair was cut into a well-coiffed bob that accentuated her heart shaped face, making her seem mature, not old. She resembled her younger sister, Bonnie, in the eyes and nose but while Bonnie radiated warmth and friendliness, Elizabeth carried herself with a reserved, quiet dignity. Setting her glass down, Elizabeth added, "I'll be sure to let her know you liked it."

Sam's gaze shifted back over to Martin who was concentrating on his plate. As if sensing her eyes on him, he glanced up and grinned at her as he took another bite of his meal. She gave him a small smile with a slight tilt of her head. She was a little annoyed with him since he was the one who had insisted that she and Kralian eat dinner with the family. She would have gladly eaten in the kitchen with Francine but Martin was quite firm and before she could really protest, table settings were already in place for her and Agent Kralian, Jack and Viv conveniently absent. Viv was back at the hotel getting some sleep since she had agreed to take the graveyard shift while Jack was with Anne back at her office, reviewing Martin's agenda for the next few days - again. Sam decided to overlook the fact that Jack was going out of his way to be alone with Anne because she knew that she did the same thing around Martin.

Sam's eye fell to her own plate and the half-eaten chicken. It really was delicious but she didn't have much of an appetite. The evening was pleasant enough but it was a far cry from the dinner with the Toland's. Dinner with Martin's extended family was loud, filled with playful teasing and laughter whereas a meal with Martin's parents was more formal, more intellectual based and the closest to laughter were a few light chuckles.

Even Danny seemed more subdued than she had ever seen him. He appeared casual and calm but was much more reserved than she had ever seen him previously. He didn't crack any jokes or share any of that playful banter with Martin. He spoke very little and what he did say was short and professional. Sam couldn't help but guess that his method of staying self-contained was his way of staying strong.

"Martin, I ran into Congressman Whitehurst," Elizabeth said, drawing over Sam's attention. She had a gentle affectionate gaze fixed on her only son as she daintily sliced into her chicken and elaborated, "He asked if you have begun preparing for your re-election campaign next year."

Caught mid-chew, Martin looked over and nodded with feigned interest.

"Probably wants to hitch his wagon to your campaign," Victor commented as he dabbed the corners of his mouth with his napkin before dropping it back onto his lap. He gave Martin a hard look and continued, "He recognizes a rising star when he sees one." Using his fork, he pointed to Martin and with punctuated emphasis, said, "If you want my advice, lead him on a bit but be careful to not let him connect himself to you too much. He's fading out but you are finally making a name for yourself so you want to leave your options open and not get bogged down by someone else's baggage."

Swallowing, Martin casually replied, "Truth is, I haven't exactly thought that far ahead."

"You need to start planning these things far in advance, Martin. Senator Sanders has two campaign managers on retainer year round." Leaning back in his seat, Victor kept his gaze fixed on his son and added, "That's why he has been in office for nine terms and has close ties to the last two presidents."

Working his jaw, Martin met his dad's eyes and said, "I appreciate your concern, dad, but Danny and I have it handled." He picked up his wine glass and lifted it to his lips. "No need for you to worry."

Victor raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you have it handled?"

Sam watched as Martin sighed and gently bit his bottom lip, clearing trying to contain his annoyance when Danny sat up straight and interjected, "Yes, sir. In fact I have some ideas and strategies already in the works."

"Really?" Victor asked, clearing his throat. Sam looked over and noticed that Martin seemed as surprised by Danny's speaking up as she was. Picking up his glass of scotch, Victor continued, "So Daniel, what sort of ideas did you have planned?"

Hearing the sarcasm in Victor's tone made Sam feel uncomfortable and for a moment, she thought that Danny would bristle at Fitzgerald's tone and say "never mind", but to Danny's credit, he forged head.

Wiping his mouth with his napkin and setting it down on his lap, Danny replied, "Well, to begin with…"

As Danny began explaining his campaign strategies to Victor, Sam set her fork down and reached for her glass of water when she felt something brush against her foot. It didn't take much guesswork to know who the culprit was. She looked up as Martin tapped her shoe gently with his, the gesture feeling more reassuring than flirtatious. She shared a sympathetic smile with him thinking that he certainly did his best to prepare her…

~*~

Sam's eyes scanned the impressive halls of the Capitol Building as she, Danny, Jack and Anne followed Martin on the way to his office. They turned left and above the hallway entrance, she spotted a sign that read 'Senator Fitzgerald.'

"Good afternoon, Senator," a petite African American woman greeted. Her braided hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she was wearing a dark gray blazer with matching skirt. Her eyes darted between Danny and Martin before landing on Danny. She smiled at Danny and leaned in to give him a hug. "How are you doing?" She stepped back and asked, "We were all so shocked to see it on the news. We were so worried."

Giving her a wide smile, Danny assured her, "You know me, Vanessa. Nothing can keep me down."

"And we are glad of it," Vanessa replied with a encouraging smile. She jerked her chin down the hallway. "FYI, get well baskets have been arriving for you."

"Oh, really?" Danny asked, wide eyed as he glanced down the hallway. "Anything good?"

"Oh, you know you've never met a gift basket you didn't like. But it is good stuff: fruit, muffins, cookie bouquets, Pepperidge Farms…that sort of stuff," she replied, listing off the bounties. "We put them all in your office."

"Say no more," Danny replied as he started down the hall to his office. As he walked, he glanced over at Martin and said, "Meet in my office in ten?"

"You know it," Martin called back.

Vanessa glanced at Sam and Jack and greeted, "Hello."

Gesturing to them, Martin explained, "Vanessa, these are special agents Spade and Malone. They are going to be…um, keeping an eye on things for awhile."

Reaching out and shaking their hands, Vanessa said, "Yes, of course. Director Fitzgerald's office called ahead to let me know you were coming."

"Of course he did," Martin quipped.

Ignoring Martin, Vanessa smiled at the agents and said, "Pleasure to meet you. I'm Vanessa Jeffries, the senator's office manager. Please let me know if you need anything at all." Once the handshakes were exchanged, she looked directly at Martin and said, "I have your one o'clock meeting scheduled with Senator…"

Sam and Jack followed behind as she updated Martin on his appointments for the afternoon. Anne excused herself and headed off to her own office as they continued towards Martin's.

Vanessa finished updating him on his calendar, welcomed him back once more, and excused herself as Martin removed his jacket and hung it on the back of his leather chair. He picked up a stack of pale pink papers and started leafing through them. Once he read through a few messages, he announced that he was heading over to Danny's office so they could discuss a few things. So with them trailing behind, he exited.

They reached Danny's office and Sam started to follow Martin inside when Jack reached over and touched her shoulder. She stopped and looked at him as he whispered, "I think you can handle watching those two dismantle food baskets. I'm going to talk to Anne about…" he paused and Sam knew he was searching for the words. She gave him an amused look as he finally finished, "The senator's agenda."

"Yeah, you go discuss that agenda," she replied with a mischievous grin. "That agenda needs a lot of discussing, doesn't it? It's very complex."

He shot her a dirty look before turning around and walking to Anne's office. She watched him go, her thoughts drifting to Anne and that nagging feeling in her gut. She couldn't understand why she felt this way, Anne has shown herself to be nothing but a stand up friend to Martin but there it was – doubt. Shrugging it off, she turned and entered Danny's office in time to see him and Martin scavenging the baskets with exuberance.

"You know, I could just stay here," Danny commented, polishing an apple on his lapel before taking a bite. Pausing mid-chew, he motioned to the sofa against the wall and said, "I have a place to sleep," jerking his chin to the baskets, "plenty to eat, and I can shower and change in the locker room downstairs."

Grabbing an orange, Martin replied, "Give it up already will you?" He held out the basket for Sam to take something. She peered inside and grabbed a pear. As she unwrapped the tissue paper, Martin set the basket back down and added, "You're being entirely too dramatic about this so let it go."

Danny jutted his lip out like he was going to protest some more before shaking his head and shrugging. "Fine," he stepped behind his desk and sat down. "Let's get to work then." Peeling his orange, Martin sat down across from Danny as he opened up a file and skimmed over the pages. Plopping down in his chair, Danny began, "I have the water quality report on that property Senator…"

Figuring this was going to take some time, Sam sat down on the sofa and took a bite of her pear. The sweet, textured fruit tasted delicious. She half-listened as Danny and Martin discussed environmental impact studies, upcoming legislation, and other things that only left Sam feeling bored; a feeling that did not dissipate over the rest of the day.

She spent a bulk of the day following Martin from meeting to meeting, most of which were behind closed doors so she had to stand outside and wait. Which is why she was now sitting on a stiff leather chair outside Senator Trailor's office, flipping through a congressional newsletter waiting for Martin. It wouldn't have been so bad if she had someone to chat with but Jack, feeling confident that the would be assassin wouldn't try anything in the Capitol Building, left her to watch the senator alone while he and Viv went to the Hoover Building to do some more research and background checks.

The door opened up and she heard soft laughter filtering out as Martin emerged from the office. She stood up and waited as he thanked the senator for his time and said that he would look into something. As soon as the door was closed, Martin turned to look at her and smiled. "On a scale from one to ten, just how bored are you?"

"Fifteen," she flatly replied.

He laughed. As they started walking back to his office he softly said, "Well, that was my last meeting for the day. Now you get the exciting job of watching me read legislation for the next two hours."

She nodded thoughtfully. "In that case, I'd like to change my answer to twenty-four."

He laughed again.

They reached his office and after he discussed a few things with his staff, Martin settled into one of the leather chairs and propped his feet up on the coffee table while Sam took position opposite of him on the sofa. As he read, she texted Elena only to find that there were no new updates on the whereabouts of Dante Harris. She started texting back when Martin's cell phone rang. She paused in her typing and held her phone in her hands, watching as Martin got a very put out expression as he read the caller ID.

Answering his phone, he said, "Hey mom." He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Actually, we're going to be here pretty late so I don't think…" He paused in his talking and Sam guessed he had been cut off. He took a breath and started again, "I appreciate that… no, I didn't…" He opened his eyes, catching Sam's curious gaze. He shook his head, looking annoyed so she just shrugged and smiled. "Okay, fine. You win. We'll be home for dinner." He narrowed his eyes at Sam and added, "Be sure to have Francine set four extra places. Well, there's me, Danny, and the two agents assigned to protection detail. They have to eat, too." Sam's eyes went wide and she shook her head but Martin waved her off. He went quiet as he listened and then said at last, "Great. See you tonight."

He clicked off his phone and set it down on the coffee table. Leaning back, he sighed heavily and tilted his head.

"Seriously, there is no need for us to have dinner with you and your parents," she carefully said. She didn't want to offend him but wasn't exactly thrilled at the prospect either.

"Sorry, but they behave themselves a lot more when there are other people around," he replied, with a wink. "You are assigned to protect me, right?"

She raised an eyebrow. "This isn't exactly what the bureau had in mind."

"Tomato, tomahto," he quipped.

They both shared a light laugh when Martin's reached over and picked up the paper he had been reading. Sensing an opportunity she quietly asked, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," he replied, straightening the sheath of papers.

"Why is Danny so opposed to staying at your parent's house?"

Martin sighed and licked his lips, thinking. "My parents see things…" he paused, searching the right words and finished, "in a very specific light." She nodded, waiting for him to continue. He frowned and said, "My father doesn't exactly approve of the fact that someone with Danny's past is my chief counsel. He sees everything that Danny overcame in his life as weaknesses while I prefer to see them as his strengths." He rubbed his hand over his jaw and looked over at some framed diplomas on the wall. "I can't imagine struggling with addiction every single day, having to be that strong."

"I can see why Danny doesn't want to put himself in that situation."

"Actually, I think what Danny finds hard is he could care less what my father thinks. But he's Cuban and believes that you should always show respect to people's parents no matter what. So I think sometimes it's hard for him to bite his tongue around my father. It's not so much what my father might think but he doesn't want to be a problem between me and my parents. The thing is I consider Danny as much my family as my parents."

Sam nodded. "I can see that. I mean, it's clear you treat each other more like brothers than co-workers and friends."

"Which is why I hate that he still feels uncomfortable around my father after all these year, but honestly, I can't blame him. My father does very little to show any appreciation for all Danny's done for me career."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked curiously.

Sighing heavily, Martin glanced at her and gave her a small smile. "There were instances, early on in my political career. My name was really getting out here. There was a lot of buzz. Danny's strategy was to ride the wave of enthusiasm to get to the next level...the Senate. Danny had it all mapped out: how we'd get support, how we'd win. Sometimes he's so prepared, I wonder if he thinks about anything else." He released a soft reflective chuckle before beginning again, "As things started to come together, my father started to offer his advice more and more. To some degree, we appreciated it. He has so many connections and so much great input. But there were instances where he would completely dismiss Danny's ideas...without even listening." He leaned forward, his elbows propped up on his knees as he rubbed his hands together. "My father has a way of playing into people's insecurities. As much as Danny would never admit it, my father can make Danny feel like the screw-up he was when he was seventeen years old without so much as a word."

"That's rough, but I guess it's a testament to Danny's loyalty to you that he puts up with it," she replied, with an empathetic look.

"We all put up with it," Martin replied with the wizened knowledge born of years of experience. "It's who my father is. I've just learned not to let it get to me and to fight back whenever possible."

She nodded and sarcastically said, "Did I thank you for asking me to dinner with your parents?"

Martin smiled as he shook his head. "My mother evens my father out a bit. You'll see. I know, deep down, he has my best interests at heart. And I really believe, one day...maybe even today, he'll realize what how important Danny is to all of this," Martin commented as he looked around his office. "Because I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for him." He reached up and touched his shoulder in the same spot where Danny had been shot and quietly added, "And I mean that in more ways than one."

~*~

"…and I really think the voters will respond to that," Danny finished, glancing at Martin for confirmation. "Isn't that right?"

Martin nodded.

"I see," Victor replied with a skeptical nod before looking over at Martin. "You know, I'm sure yours and Daniel's idea has some merit but I was talking to your old friend, Corey Greene, and he worked on the president's last campaign. He told me he was looking for something new to work on and I mentioned you. He said he'd be more than willing to take a look at…"

"We're fine, dad," Martin interrupted.

"It wouldn't hurt to at least meet with Corey," Victor replied, taking another sip of his scotch. "You know, a lunch meeting with an old friend."

"Corey wasn't my friend."

"What do you mean?" Victor argued. "You went to prep school together and were both on the skeet team at the club."

"Corey was a pretentious ass and I wouldn't want him anywhere near me or my campaign…" Martin snapped back, his voice even and hard.

Sam's eyes widened a bit at hearing Martin's comeback. Clearly, he wasn't lying when he said he fought back whenever possible. Quickly glancing in Danny's direction, she could see his lips had tightened into a thin line. While he was clearly trying to appear neutral, she could tell that Victor's idea of bringing in an outsider made Danny feel threatened. For some reason, this annoyed Sam so much so that it was all she could do not to speak up and ask Danny how his shoulder was doing...just to reiterated what he'd just gone through for Victor Fitzgerald's son. Thinking better of it, Sam mimicked Danny's expression and bit her tongue. She was getting the feeling that many people had to do that around this house.

"All I am saying, Martin, is that a new perspective…" Victor began when he was promptly cut off by his better half.

Clearing her throat – loudly – Elizabeth sat up straight and stared across the table directly at her husband. "Victor, I think Martin and Danny have heard your thoughts on the matter and will take it under consideration." Sam tensed up, her eyes darting between the couple. She saw Victor bristle at being interrupted but make no move to challenge his wife on the matter. Elizabeth smiled brightly at Danny and continued, "I, for one, have complete faith in Danny's ideas. Any man who takes a bullet for my son has my unwavering trust." She met Victor's eyes, a gentle expression on her face as she finished, "As I'm sure he has yours."

Sam studied Elizabeth, impressed by the woman's composure and compassion. Martin was right; she was a good balance to Victor's head strong personality.

Taking a breath, Victor's demeanor softened and he nodded in agreement. "Yes, yes of course." He looked over at Danny and humbly said, "My apologies. We never even thanked you for what you did – for Martin."

Danny, blushing under the unexpected praise and gratitude, softly replied, "Really, I didn't do anything…"

"Nonsense," Martin eagerly boasted as he reached over and affectionately smacked Danny on the back. "This guy is a hero." Danny shot Martin a look to shut up but he still continued, "I'm completely in his debt for the rest of my life."

Shifting in his chair, Danny lowered his head and mumbled, "Seriously, Martin, there's no need…"

Smiling broadly, Elizabeth chimed in, "Now, now, Danny, we are eternally in your debt what you did."

"No, really, please stop it, already," Danny shyly argued, clearly uncomfortable by hearing the Fitzgerald's affectionate words. He laughed nervously before looking over at Sam and saying, "Agent Spade's the real hero here. She's the one who chased the gunman down."

Sam froze, her face growing hot. "Um, who?" she asked, looking at all the faces looking back at her. "I was just doing my job."

"Then we owe the both of you," Elizabeth replied, reaching over and gently touching Sam's shoulder. Sam smiled nervously when she saw Martin watching her with a goofy, proud and amused expression on his face. Elizabeth raised her glass and toasted, "To both the heroes who saved the life of my son."

Everyone raised their glasses and clinked them together before taking a drink. As Sam sipped her water she noticed Martin eyeing her over the rim of his glass, a bemused glint in his eyes.

Elizabeth set her glass back down and grinned, clearly as relieved as Sam by the broken tension as she merrily asked, "Who's ready for dessert? Francine made cherry pie."

"None for me," Danny replied with a gentle smile. He patted his belly and said, "I'm stuffed."

"Yeah, none for me either," Martin replied, giving his mother a small but affectionate smile.

"Come on, Martin. You love Francine's desserts," Elizabeth prodded.

"Oh, I do, but Danny and I have a few more reports to review before presenting our bill tomorrow," he tossed his napkin on the table. "We really need to hash out the final details."

Elizabeth gave him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, clearly disappointed that the evening was being cut short. "Of course." Martin and Danny both stood up and as he exited, he planted a small kiss on his mother's cheek and whispered, "Good night." He looked over at his father and they nodded silently to one another.

Realizing this was her out, too, Sam stood up and announced, "If you'll excuse me, this is my cue as well." Kralian stood up with her as she finished, "Thank you for dinner."

Elizabeth smiled and replied, "Good evening, agents. If you change your mind about the pie, it's in the kitchen. Help yourselves."

Sam and Kralian nodded and started to the door after Martin and Danny. Sam entered the hallway in time to see the two men enter the study at the far end of the hallway. She watched as Danny said something to Martin before smacking him on the back of the head. Martin laughed and then shoved Danny into the office.

Kralian tapped her on the shoulder and said, "Um, you know, I actually wanted some pie."

Satisfied that Martin and Danny were probably fine, she smiled at Kralian and said, "How about you grab me a slice, too?" She pointed to the living area adjacent to the study and said, "Meet you over there."

He gave her a mock salute and wandered off the kitchen as she moved to the living area and sat down on one of the sofas. A few minutes later Kralian returned with the pie and Francine in tow.

Kralian was carrying a tray of cherry pie, a pitcher of coffee and several cups and plates. Setting it down on the coffee table, Francine stepped over and said, "I'm glad you decided on dessert after all," she cut into the pie and placed a slice on a plate that she held out for Sam. "I would've been insulted if you turned it down."

"Sorry," Sam replied, reaching over and taking the plate. "Work comes first, you know."

Shaking her head, she cut another piece for Kralian who was busy pouring two cups of coffee. "People around here are just work, work, work. You start taking work too seriously and you will start to forget what's really important in your life."

"You know D.C., it's just one big rat race," Kralian commented, setting a cup near Sam before sitting down.

Francine set his plate down and replied, "And you know what I say?" She picked up the tray with the pie and coffee and added, "It doesn't matter who wins or loses a rat race because in the end you're still a rat."

Sam nodded in agreement and watched as Francine walked to the study and, expertly holding the tray with one arm, turned the doorknob and entered without so much as a knock.

She and Kralian both began eating their dessert when he released a satisfied moan and murmured, "Oh, man… if I wasn't already married I'd ask Francine. The woman can cook."

Swallowing the wonderfully sweet dessert, Sam replied, "Get in line."

He laughed.

They spent the next few hours sitting there chatting and enjoying their dessert while Martin and Danny were sequestered in the study. She learned that Kralian grew up in Las Vegas and that his parents were both dealers at the Luxor. They discussed the pros and cons of working in New York versus D.C. He admitted that while for most agents, landing an assignment in Washington was top notch, he hoped to work someplace far from bureau politics.

"Trust me, there are politics anywhere you work," Sam reasoned as she slumped further in the sofa. "But if you are that unhappy working at the Hoover Building, why don't you put in for a transfer?"

He shook his head and replied, "I'd love to but my wife's family lives in Virginia and now that we are expecting, ain't no way she's moving."

"You're gonna be a dad?" Sam asked, smiling. "When is she due?"

"Official date is tomorrow," Kralian replied.

"I'm surprised you're on duty," she said, puzzled.

"Didn't have much choice," Kralian replied. "Besides, she's a nurse and working, too. She insisted on keeping busy right up until her due date. She's stubborn like that." He laughed and checked his watch. "In fact, she's getting off her shift right about now." He stood up and pulled out his cell phone. "You mind?"

"Nah, go call your wife. I got it covered here."

He gave her a grateful smile and disappeared down the hallway. Sam stood up, anxious to move around and get the blood flowing, when the door to the study swung open and Danny stepped out.

Rubbing his shoulder, he glanced over at her and said, "Night."

"Good night," she replied, watching as he started up the staircase. She waited in the hallway for Martin and when he didn't exit, she stepped over to the open doorway and peeked inside.

Martin was lying on one of the sofas with his eyes closed and his socked feet propped up on a pillow. His sleeves were rolled up and his tie hung loosely around his neck.

His eyes were closed so she reached over and gingerly knocked.

Martin's eyes fluttered open and he smiled slowly. "Hey."

"Hey yourself," she replied, savoring the sight of him looking so languid and cute. She resisted the urge to step over to him and lay down on top of him, reminding herself that Kralian could return at any moment. Taking a seat across from him she said, "So dinner was interesting."

"That's one way to put it."

"What do you mean? I had a very nice time."

He raised an eyebrow and looked at her for confirmation. "Seriously?"

She laughed. "No, not really. But the food was good."

He nodded and laughed. "True. But believe it or not, for the Fitzgerald's it wasn't that bad either." She laughed softly as he sat up and rubbed the back of his neck, tilting his head back and forth, stretching out the kinks.

"You should get to bed," Sam gently said.

Martin's hand dropped as he met her eyes and grinned. "What is it with you, Spade? You always want me in bed…"

She shot him a look and glanced over to make sure Kralian wasn't around. "Don't say stuff like that. You're going to get me in trouble."

He held his hands up in surrender. "Fine, I'll behave." He slumped back onto the sofa and looked at her. "But you're right. I should get to bed. The Senate reconvenes in the morning and that's when things get much more fun."

"I've followed you around for a full day. I can't imagine it being any more fun."

He laughed. "Actually, it is. All that excitement and energy of proposing new bills, the air is filled with possibility and hope. It's the main thing I enjoy about being a senator."

"You know, I think this is the first time I heard you talk about being a senator with any sort of joy."

"Sorry, I guess I do grumble a lot," he admitted. "I do hate politics sometimes but I like what it means to try and create change, to be a part of history." He smiled nostalgically and said, "You know, there's this tradition among senators when they enter office. The desks in the senate have been there for over a hundred years. They are these beautiful old pieces of furniture and when you open the drawer, you can see the names of all the senators who preceded you carved into the wood. So when you take office, you get to carve your name in as well." He shook his head slowly and smiled. "I can't tell you how amazing it can be to see your name etched into the same wood as other famous senators like Robert F. Kennedy. It really makes you take stock and feel like you need to leave lasting impressions as well."

Sam forced a smile on her face and said, "Yeah, I can imagine that must be a pretty surreal experience."

Martin nodded agreeably and she kept that smile planted on her face as her stomach churned as she tried her best to ignore the fact that Robert F. Kennedy had been assassinated and that the only reason she was here today was to keep the same thing from happening to Martin.

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A/N: Thanks to Anmodo for her help and guidance in getting me on track, her contributions to the story, and the encouragement to keep writing. Thanks to Spyglass for her gentle prodding along, LOL, and beta work.

Big thanks to all of you for reading and infinite patience. Thanks! I would have replied to some of your pleas but I can't reply to ANON posts so please know that I appreciate your comments and pokes and I am trying my darndest to not let too much time lapse but the current state of the show does not entice my muse so it's been a struggle. Sorry. But this fic is my priority and I am diligently working on the next chapter right now. Thanks!