Chapter 28

A very tired Amy dragged herself out of bed the next morning and forced herself to get dressed and head downstairs for coffee. Even though it was Saturday, and she really wanted to sleep late, she needed to stop by the theatre. She wanted to thank the cast and crew in person for their continued dedication to the foundation and their decision to keep going with rehearsals for the gala production.

Checking her watch, she saw that it was eight o'clock. She knew rehearsals would begin at 9, and that today would be the first day to have the full orchestra present instead of just CD accompaniment. Amy grabbed her cell phone and called Alex. Normally, she would have run upstairs and asked Bobby to go with her, but her thoughts and emotions were still jumbled from having seen South Pacific the night before.

Forcing more cheerfulness into her voice than she felt inside, Amy urged Alex to come along and sweetened the deal with lunch, calling it a "girl's day". Alex was surprised by the request, and readily agreed; she enjoyed being around Amy and said she was looking forward to lunch and maybe even some shoe shopping afterwards.

Amy popped in at her parents' kitchen for breakfast that morning, telling them about the show the night before and how wonderful Connerly was. She let them know that she was headed to the theatre and that Alex would be with her; she also told them about her lunch and shoe-shopping plans. After a hug and kiss with each parent, Amy went back to her house.

Bobby was standing in the back alcove outside her kitchen. He was wearing jeans and a black tee-shirt and his dark curls were still ruffled from sleep. He had a coffee mug in his hand (one of hers, she noticed) and looked as though he had just gotten out of bed.

Amy stomach flipped and she had to fight hard to resist the overwhelming urge to comb his hair with her fingers, caress his stubbly cheek and gently kiss his sleep-swollen mouth. Instead, she balled her hands into fists and greeted him warmly.

"Did you sleep well?" He knew the answer before he asked from the dark circles under her eyes. He saw the tension in her fists and knew she was fighting her emotions and feelings as well.

"Not really," she shrugged. "I'll probably take a pill tonight if I can't fall asleep quickly enough. You?"

Bobby shrugged and took a sip of coffee. "I hope you don't mind," he said, holding up the mug.

She smiled and shook her head slightly.

"You're up and dressed early. Going somewhere?"

Amy looked down at herself. "Yes. I need to go by the theatre. I didn't get over there yesterday and I really want to thank them in person for their dedication and reassure them that I'm okay."

Bobby ran a hand through his hair and across the back of his neck as he spoke. "I, uh…I can go with you, if you'll wait for me."

"Hello! Anybody here? Amy?" Alex's voice rang out down the hall as she left Patty and AJ's.

"Down here," Amy called out as she turned her head and averted her gaze. She could feel Bobby's eyes on her and was afraid to face what she might see there.

"Oh, hey, Bobby," Alex greeted him cheerfully as she made her way towards them.

"Hey, Eames."

Alex noticed the tension between the two that arose from her sudden appearance. "That coffee smells good; I'm going to get myself some." She ducked into the kitchen.

Amy crossed her arms over her chest defensively. "I wanted a girl's day out with Alex," she said lamely. "We're going for lunch and shoe shopping after the theatre."

"Sounds like fun." His steady gaze and emotionless face remained tightly on her.

Bobby was about to say something else when he was interrupted by the sound of little feet pounding down the back hallway as a small voice hollered out, "Boppy!"

"Hey, Hudson!" He turned and greeted Hudson warmly, scooping him up as the little boy hugged his neck hard and squealed and kicked his legs.

"Gammy," Hudson cried out as he spotted Amy.

"Good morning, Hudson!" It was easy for Amy to greet the child with a big smile in spite of the awkwardness between her and Bobby. She reached out and tousled Hudson's hair and kissed his cheek. Hudson turned as Bobby turned, so that both were facing her, and Hudson reached out his arms, framing Amy's face and planting a sloppy kiss on her lips, before he hugged her neck. This brought Amy's face dangerously close to Bobby's, and she noticed the instant physical change that came over him from her proximity. Something flared in his brown eyes as his body reacted to the electricity that seemed to spark between them. Suddenly, Hudson pulled away from Amy and turned his head to plant an equally sloppy kiss on Bobby's cheek and the moment was gone.

"Go see Daddy," Hudson demanded. "Boppy want pancakes? Choc'it chip!"

"That sounds yummy!" Bobby turned to Amy. "I guess I know what I'm doing today," he said with a boyish grin.

"Well, you boys have fun," Amy said, tickling Hudson's tummy and smiling at her grandson's delightful giggles.

Alex emerged from the kitchen then, asking Amy if she was ready to go.

"I need a few more minutes. Why don't you come up with me?"

Bobby watched as Amy and Alex went up the stairs together. His expression was unreadable as he closed off what he was really feeling and focused on his grandson instead. They needed to talk about their feelings, and soon, before it was too late again.

"So, what's your name," he asked as they took their trays to a nearby table. Breakfast at the shelter that morning was hot oatmeal with sausage and fresh fruit.

"Donny Carlson," he answered as he sat down across from his new friend.

"Matthew Richardsen," Matthew responded, extending his hand to shake Donny's.

"You say you know of a company hiring workers," Donny asked as he stirred butter into his oatmeal.

"Yeah, a janitorial company in mid-town. They have a bunch of us working at City Centre, getting ready for some socialite's big gala performance fundraiser thingy. We have to have every inch of the place scrubbed and shined. I spent a lot of time the other day picking up trash and scrapping gunk off the chairs in the auditorium. You wouldn't believe what people stick on their chairs; it's like a fuckin' cheap movie show, ya know? Sorry, pardon my French," he grinned through a mouthful of food.

Donny smiled back. "No problem, I let stuff slip like that all the time. Used to drive my mom nuts, but she ain't here to fuss at me."

"I hear ya," Matthew agreed. "So, you interested?"

"Sure! What do I have to do?"

"Just come with me later and show some ID. You do got ID, right?"

"My driver's license. The address ain't correct, though."

"No problem; just tell them you moved and haven't changed it yet. You can put my address on your application. Oh, and your Social Security number; you gotta have that, too." Matthew finished his oatmeal and dove into his grapefruit.

"Okay," Donny said. "Thanks, man."

Matthew nodded back and the two men continued eating in companionable silence.

Amy felt loved and appreciated as the cast and crew of her gala show applauded when she and Alex walked out onto the stage. Amy thanked them warmly for their devotion to the show and the Foundation and for their bravery in their willingness to face the dangerous threats from whoever wanted to ruin her show.

At the encouragement of the cast, Amy agreed to rehearse her performance in the Christmas portion of the show. Amy would be portraying a mother whose son was off at war. The young man would sing "I'll be Home for Christmas" as he writes a letter to his mother. An instrumental portion would follow the letter to his home back in the states, where Mother reads it as the man's voice was heard finishing the piece from off-stage. The mother, in her desperate sadness, then sings "Where are you Christmas?", then turns from staring out the window to find her son standing in the doorway. They embrace, then begin to dance and finish singing the song together, with lyrics changed to reflect their happiness at "finding" Christmas. It was guaranteed to be a tear-jerker of a salute to all the men and women serving as soldiers in the U.S. Armed Services.

After a very successful, but very grueling rehearsal, Amy and Alex met with Samantha and the theatre manager out in the lobby. Samantha and the manager were inspecting the progress on the cleaning that was being done to ready the building for the gala.

"Hey Samantha; this looks great," Amy exclaimed as she slowly crossed the lobby.

There were workers everywhere: on ladders wiping the walls, on hands and knees scrubbing the baseboards and every level in between. All the nooks and crannies were being washed, dusted, scrubbed, polished and shined. Amy's function was important to the City Centre management team, and they wanted the place perfect.

"They're making great progress," Samantha agreed.

"Looks like they've hired more workers," Alex commented as she scrutinized the group closely. Several looked down-trodden and rag-tag, as though they had come straight from the sidewalks and shelters in the area.

The manager greeted the two ladies warmly and assured Alex that every one of the workers was on the up and up; all had been recommended by shelters and half-way houses in the area and the newest workers would have background checks run on them that afternoon. Several were parolees who had been dropped off from a nearby halfway house, but were being supervised by a parole officer. Every precaution was being taken.

Satisfied, Alex nodded and she and Amy left for lunch.

Off in the corner, Donny Carlson put his head down even closer to the floor and held his breath as he worked. He was fearful Detective Eames would notice him and talk to him. He was curious as to why she was there and his Uncle Bobby wasn't, but was smart enough not to ask her any questions. He knew his uncle was mad at him for running away from Tates Correctional, and he didn't want to be sent back to prison, or bother his uncle. He was his own man now and could make his own way without anyone's help. He was nervous about the background check he'd heard the manager mention. Maybe he would pretend to be sick tomorrow, or go find work elsewhere.

Later that evening, back in Matthew's very small, very run-down tenement, Donny brought up his concerns.

"I know one of those officers that was at the theater today."

"Really? Which one," Matthew asked. He was trying very hard to be nonchalant, but if Donny knew any police officers personally, it could jeopardize his whole plan.

"The woman that was with the tall dark-haired lady. I met her once when I was being held for shoplifting." Something in Matthew's body language was warning Donny not to say anything more. He had a very strong gut feeling that if Matthew knew his uncle was a detective, he could be in big trouble.

"Well, I know some of the ones who were hanging around yesterday. If you don't bother them, they won't bother you. They're just there to protect that tall dark-haired lady. You read that crazy threat letter in the paper? It was aimed at her."

Donnie looked at him in shock. "How do you know that?"

"I pay attention. I read the papers and I keep my mouth shut and listen. I don't need no cop trouble, either. You just keep quiet and listen and you'll be okay, too."

Matthew went into his bedroom and came back with a sleeping bag and a pillow.

"This is all I got, man. After you get paid, you can get some sheets or something." He threw the items on the couch.

"Sofa's yours. Stay outta my room, and we'll be cool, a-ight?" He stuck out his fist.

"A-ight, bro," Donny smiled and bumped Matthew's fist with his own. Matthew may be wound a little tight for Donny's liking, but he was cool.

Monday morning found Amy standing center stage at City Centre, trying to calm down a very distraught assistant director. Bobby was with her, as were Trey and Mike. Amy and Trey were supposed to practice their speaking parts for the awards presentations. Instead, they arrived to find the stage in shambles; the Teleprompters were smashed and broken and the podium was a pile of rubbish. Trey was on the phone, calling a friend in the theater business to see about getting new Teleprompters. The theatre manager was off to the side, trying to reassure the director that none of the damage was his fault and that there were more podiums available.

"I just feel so violated," the assistant director said. "I was the last one to leave the stage, and I know the officers in charge locked everything up. I don't understand."

"We have some the best detectives and crime scene techs in the entire police force working on it," Bobby quietly reassured the man. "Please don't worry about a thing."

"No one is mad at you either," Amy said consolingly. "Whoever is behind this is serious. This was a message. But I don't care; everyone has already told me they are committed to stick this out through the final curtain call. In two more weeks, it will all be over, and we can get on with our lives." She said it with more conviction than she really felt; right now she was shaking inside and all she wanted to do was leave. Maybe I should get away for the weekend and go to the winery, she thought.

Bobby noticed Amy's struggle. He reached out and gently touched the small of her back. Instantly, he felt her relax and lean slightly into his hand. That's it, he thought. Lean on me; let me be your strength.

Later that day, Amy slipped into Bobby's office and asked him for a hug. As he held her tightly, tears began to roll down her cheeks and her shoulders shook slightly. Bobby rubbed his hands up and down her back and spoke to her softly.

"Are you okay?"

"No," she stated emphatically. "I'm tired, I'm frustrated, I'm angry, I'm scared. I'm all messed up inside and I feel like I'm going to explode trying to hold it all together. I can't wait until this is all over; I'm going to the winery, stand out on that big back porch and scream. Long and loud. Then, I'm going to cry until I can't cry anymore, sleep for three days straight and pig out on ice cream."

Bobby chuckled.

"What's so funny about that?" Amy pulled back and pouted at him. "I mean it. It's what I always do after the Gala, only this time even more so with all this threat business. I hope they find whoever it is, strip him, and string him up by his toenails."

That really made Bobby laugh; when he was done, he put his forehead to Amy's.

"They're going to do a lot more than that. Captain says the Mayor and the Police Chief really have it in for this guy. He – or she – has basically threatened the whole city with a terrorist act. There will be serious consequences for whoever it is, whether they are caught before or after acting on their threats."

"Have they made any progress?" Amy pulled away and moved to the floor to ceiling expanse of window that overlooked the street below. She loved to clear her mind by watching the traffic flow up and down the street and the people moving about on the sidewalk. Lately, however, the scene filled her with sadness at the thought of what could happen to her and her family or even how the scene below could change should the letter writer succeed.

"Some," Bobby answered. "Ross says they've narrowed down the area the letters were all mailed in, but that doesn't mean the person lives or even works there. They are pretty certain whoever it is, is male; young, possibly white, but again, not certain. Unless someone comes forward with more information, all we can do is what we've been doing."

He moved to join her at the window.

"That and hope y'all can catch him before he acts."

Bobby smiled. He loved it when she slipped into her Southern speech habits; while he would never use the word "y'all", he found it cute whenever Amy did.

That night, as Bobby was going to bed, there was a soft knock on his door.

"Amy." She was standing outside his door, in her gown and robe, a pillow clutched to her chest.

"I can't sleep."

"Why don't you take one of your pills?"

"I don't need one."

Bobby raised an eyebrow at her questioningly.

"I'm plenty sleepy," she yawned. "But…well….it….it's just not the same without you next to me," she blurted out. She averted her gaze quickly to the floor and clutched her pillow even tighter.

Bobby's mouth formed a silent "O". He felt the same way, too, but for different reasons. It had been taking every ounce of his strength not to make love to her before he was sure they were ready for such a step. It was something they had entered into lightly the first time around and he didn't want to make the same mistake twice, no matter how strong the physical attraction.

He reached out and raised her face to his. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea."

Amy looked at him, hard. Part of her was deeply hurt and felt like he was pushing her away. She hated the feeling. "Why not," she ventured softly.

Bobby sighed audibly and ran his hand through his hair. "Because…."

Amy knew in her gut, suddenly and surely, why not. Oh, my, she thought.

"Bobby, I just want you next to me while I sleep. I just want to wake up next to you. I want to see your face, your kind, sweet, gentle, handsome face, first thing in the morning. That's all. I promise," she said honestly and seriously.

Bobby sighed again then opened his door and his arms to her.

"I want that, too," he said softly into her hair as he hugged her close.

The next two weeks were fairly uneventful. The stage was cleaned up and a new podium and Teleprompters were brought in and set up. Rehearsals went extremely well, and everyone involved felt very prepared and ready for the big night. The theatre was gleaming and the excitement of opening night was in the air.

Donny had almost quit after he learned about the background checks, but Matthew had given him a fake ID and reminded him to keep quiet and listen. He had seen Eames several more times at the theatre, always with the "tall dark-haired lady", whom he later learned was Amy Wainwright. Matthew gave him the lowdown on the Foundation and the fundraiser, always careful to leave out his part of the treacherous goings on that necessitated all the security.

The day Donny had seen Trey Wainwright for the first time was almost his undoing. He was coming out of the restroom and bumped into Trey, hard. Upon looking up into the man's face to excuse himself for his carelessness, he nearly passed out. At first, he thought he was staring straight at his uncle, then realized he wasn't. Introductions had been made, and the two cousins met for the very first time. After asking around, Donny learned that Trey Wainwright was Amy's son. He also learned that another man came to the theatre with Ms. Wainwright as her private security guard, and that the two seemed awfully tight. It was rumored that that man was possibly Trey's father because they looked so much alike, but no one on the cleaning crew was really for sure. Donny's gut told him it was his Uncle Bobby.

The weekend before the gala, Donny was cleaning the kitchen in the small apartment he shared with Matthew. He reached into the cabinet under the kitchen sink for some cleanser when he noticed the large stash of green boxes. They were full of rat poison, yet Donny had never seen any rats or rat traps. Strange, he thought. He grabbed the cleanser and finished the kitchen.

Moving into the bathroom, Donny began by scrubbing the bathtub. Although Matthew had never asked him to, Donny felt like he should help out by doing some cleaning, especially since Matthew wasn't charging him any rent. He opened the bathroom cabinets, looking for the toilet cleaner and scrub brush when he spotted more boxes of rat poison.

Now he was really curious.

Matthew wasn't home. He said he had a second job at night and another on weekends, cleaning other offices and buildings with the janitorial company. He claimed to be saving up for classes at a nearby technical school; he wanted to be an auto mechanic.

Knowing Matthew would be gone most of the day, and really starting to get nervous about all the rat poison he was finding, Donny quickly finished the bathroom and put the cleaning supplies away. He stood in front of the door to Matthew's bedroom, agonizing over the urge to go in and find out what was going on, and the need to respect his roommate's request to stay out of his room. Taking a deep breath, Donny turned the knob and pushed open the door.

Bobby was surprised when his phone rang at 9:30 that night. He and Amy were still out to dinner; they were paying the bill and considering going to a comedy club around the corner for the late performance before heading home.

"Hello," Bobby said cautiously. His phone display had said "Unknown number" and he shrugged at Amy as he answered.

"Uncle Bobby? Is that you?"

Amy stared as Bobby's face paled and his body went completely still.

Bobby didn't know whether to choke the young man or to hug him. Donny Carlson, his prodigal nephew, was sitting across the table from him. They were in a donut shop in Chelsea; away from prying eyes and familiar faces.

"Okay, explain it to me again." Bobby was taking notes this time, his familiar binder open in front of him, favorite pen poised and ready.

Once more, Donny spilled out the same story he had the night before over the phone. The man he was currently rooming with, Matthew Richardsen, had a house full of rat poison and ball bearings, and stacks of plain white envelopes addressed to Amy Wainwright. Matthew had gotten Donny a job with a janitorial company and they had been spending most of their time working at the City Centre. He had seen Detective Eames there with Amy. He had heard about the threats to the Wainwright Foundation Gala that was happening the coming weekend. Matthew was spending less and less time in the apartment, he was out at other jobs, or so he claimed. Donny was scared and didn't know where else to turn.

"You did the right thing, Donny," Bobby reassured him when he was finished.

"I know about the letters and the threats," Bobby told him. "The whole force is working on it. We just didn't know who was behind it or what they were planning on doing. Now, at least, we have a name. Do you have any idea what he's planning on doing, if he is the one making the threats?"

"I don't know, man. He doesn't talk about it except to say it sounds scary and I should just keep quiet and listen and not make any of the cops or security officers mad. That's all. I wasn't even supposed to go into his room. If he finds out, I won't have a place to stay."

"Don't worry about that," Bobby said. "I'll take care of you."

He smiled. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too, Uncle Bobby. I wish I knew more."

"Well, like Matthew said, keep quiet and listen. Maybe you'll find out more. If so, you have to let me know right away. I need to get with Eames and Logan and tell them what you told me. This may be the break we need."

"Are you sure you want me to go back there?" Donny referred to the apartment he was sharing with Matthew.

"No, but what choice do we have except for you to be careful." Bobby ran his hands over his face. "I need you to find out all you can. Maybe this Matthew will let something slip and you can threaten to go to the police if he doesn't let you in on his plans. You have my cell phone, call me if you find anything, no matter how small or crazy, that could tell us more."

"Can you keep me from going to jail? I AM an escaped prisoner; I know they're looking for me and that if I get caught and printed, I'll have to go back. But, I can't go back to Tates, Bobby; I just CAN'T go back there."

"It's okay, Donny. She can't hurt you; she's not the warden there anymore and everyone who was working there has been re-assigned to other prisons or stations around the state. If you do end up going back to Tates, you will be safe, there. I promise."

Donny sighed and finally smiled back. They spent a few more hours together, catching up and talking about Bobby's new found son and grandson.

Eames and Logan were shocked when Bobby told them. The three were having an afternoon conference in Bobby's apartment, where Bobby shared his unexpected news. They all agreed that Ross needed to know, and that Richardsen needed checking into. Bobby called Ross and put him on speaker phone. Ross thanked them for the new information and assured them he would keep them in the loop. Ending the call, all four decided to keep this quiet until they knew exactly who they were dealing with and why he was targeting the Wainwright Foundation.

"Bobby, are you sure you did the right thing letting Donny go?" Alex was worried; this was uncharacteristic of Bobby. She knew that more than anything, Bobby wanted Donny safe.

Bobby ran his hand over his face and sighed. "I don't know, Eames. We need the info, and Donny wants to help. I just hope I'm right about this."

Gala week was always frantic at the downtown offices of the Foundation, and this year was no exception. It was even more frantic with the added security measures from the terror threats. However, all their hard work and preparation was paying off, as the to-do list was finished and it was only Tuesday morning.

At noon, Amy called Samantha into her office.

"I need to get away," she told her assistant.

"Well, then, go! Things are well under control here and the only stuff left to do can't be done until Friday and Saturday anyway. While you're up there, you can make sure the wine gets loaded for delivery; Jason called about and hour ago and said they were short several cases here in town. I'll get you the list before you go."

Amy smiled and thanked her.

"You taking Bobby with you," Samantha asked innocently.

Amy narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. "Just get me that list."

Amy DID take Bobby with her. He had laughed when she said she needed to have her ice cream pig out party BEFORE the Gala, then asked her what flavor he should get for her. Their time away was easy and carefree, full of laughter and fun. There had been an evening of serious discussion, an "airing of the feelings", if you will, that had resulted in the two of them reaching a deeper understanding of themselves, each other, and their relationship.

Everyone noticed the change that had taken place between Amy and Bobby upon their return Thursday afternoon. Trey and Alex had certainly noticed and discussed it after dinner at Patty and AJ's that night.

Trey was pouring drinks in his grandfather's study when Alex came in.

"So, do you think they finally did it?"

"Did what," Trey asked, looking up from the small bar counter set back on the shelves behind the desk.

"Your parents," Alex huffed. "Something happened up at the winery; they've changed, and it's definitely for the better. My guess is, they finally had sex."

Trey blanched and sputtered. He blushed profusely at Alex's directness.

"Okaaaaayyyy….." He was very uncomfortable talking about such matters, but could tell Alex wasn't going to let it go. "They are different, I'll give you that much, but I'm certainly not going to ask them that."

"Well, whatever it is, I like it. It's about time those two figured out they belong together. I just hope they don't screw it up." She took one of the glasses Trey offered her and sipped thoughtfully as AJ, Patty, Mike, Bobby and Amy drifted in and joined them.