Elizabeth woke to the knock on her hotel room door. Grabbing a robe, she pulled it open, knowing it could only be an extremely limited number of people. "Yeah, Keith?" She squinted against the bright light.

"I'm sorry to wake you, Ma'am, but I think you might be just the person to help with a small situation downstairs."

"Situation?" She saw him nod. "Hold on, let me find clothes. How dressed do I need to be?" She turned back in time to catch him blanche. "No, I um, is it a dignitary?"

"No, Ma'am. Nothing official."

She rushed to put on something presentable, using her fingers to comb her hair more or less into place as they rode the elevator to the lobby. She was about to ask what was going on when the doors opened, and she heard it. Piano music. "Who's playing at one in the morning?" She looked between her two detail agents. The lobby was otherwise empty, and the music was soft, but she'd not seen the piano used at any point so far in their six day stay.

"That's why we asked you down." Keith ushered her closer.

As they came around the end of the grand piano, she realized it was Blake playing, several empty and one full glass on a tray on the top. "Blake." She sighed.

"The concierge called up; he's been down here a few hours. He's not bothering anyone, and they aren't minding the music, they just wanted to know if we knew he was down here, given his state."

"A few hours?" It made her fingers hurt to think about playing that long. "Okay, I'll talk to him." Crossing the room, she simply stood at his side and watched him for a while. She knew he was a talented musician and singer; he'd used those skills for diplomatic purposes in the past. When one song transitioned into another, she sat beside him. "Blake." She whispered. "What's going on?"

To be honest, she'd been worried since they'd landed in Switzerland. On the flight over, he'd been his normal, slightly obsessive, self, but shortly after they'd arrived, he'd gone quiet. As the days had dragged on, he'd also faltered staying in step with her and eventually vanished entirely.

He kept playing, two more songs before the notes softened, his fingers barely pressing the keys. Placing her hand on his back, she rubbed slightly. "Blake. Come on, it's me." He carried on playing softly.

"The music can't stop." He finally whispered.

"Why can't it stop?" She ducked her head to try and see his face, catching the red eyes and tear tracks. "What happens of it stops?"

"If the music stops then…" His voice caught, then dropped impossibly softer. "Then she's dead." The notes carried on, a tune unknown.

"Who?" Elizabeth wracked her brain, then remembered… He'd shared once, on a trip back from Italy, it'd been just the two of them on the plane. His mother had been his first music teacher. "Your mom?"

The notes stopped and for a moment, the entire lobby was silent, his hands remained frozen, hovering over the keys before falling into his lap. "I can't believe how much it hurts. We hadn't really talked in a while…" His voice caught again, this time he only shook his head. "I thought I had plenty of time to fix it."

"Oh, Sweetie." Elizabeth wrapped an arm around his back in a partial hug, surprised when he turned and made it a complete, grounding hug. "When did you find out?"

"Just before we landed." He pulled back. "The rest of my family, what I have of one, wasn't speaking to me…"

"You found out almost a week ago and didn't say anything?" She searched his face. "Why?"

"You need me here."

"Blake… When's the funeral?" When he checked his watch, her heart sank. "A few hours ago."

"Oh, Blake. Why didn't you go back?"

"I couldn't."

"I would have had you on a plane right back to DC. I wouldn't have even hesitated."

"I know. I thought I could just push through but then this hotel had this damned piano… My cousin texted me and let me know that they weren't going to wait, they didn't feel compelled to wait for me to finish work. I found out this morning that they'd planned it knowing I wouldn't make it back."

Words were something she was good at, but now, they failed her.

"I won't force you back then. How about you come upstairs now?"

Tear filled eyes met hers and she knew what his answer would be. "I think I would rather stay here and play."

"Okay. Do you want me to stay here with you?"

"For a song or two?"

"Sure." She stayed beside him through two before she rose, moving quietly to the desk to request that her detail be notified if any problems arose.

Her staff was piled into the main room off her hotel room, picking over the breakfast Jay and Nadine had arranged. "Where's Blake?" Nadine finally looked around as everyone found a seat.

"He won't be joining us today. Something came up that needed his attention, so we'll all just have to muddle through." Elizabeth got them down to business. Once they were done and everyone was heading off to their tasks, she realized Nadine was hovering. "Yes, Nadine?"

"Is Blake okay? I know he's been off his game since we've been here and I just… I've been worried."

"He's dealing with a private matter and yesterday and last night it was hard for him." She topped up her coffee. "He'll be off until we return to DC."

"That's another two days."

"I know. Believe me, he'd rather be working."

When they all boarded the plane two days later, Elizabeth had shut herself into the stateroom. Generally, she didn't use it, she was used to working with the others coming and going. Sometimes Nadine or Jay would hole up for a while in there and they all used it for phone calls. She called Blake in once they had reached cruising altitude and watched him take a seat. "How are you holding up?"

"I'll be okay."

"Blake."

"I was barely in high school when I told my family about…me. They talked a good game, I really thought they'd be supportive. Aside from my parents, I was wrong. So as soon as I could, I cut and ran. After that I just…"

"Never told anyone."

"No."

She thought back to the night, it felt like years ago now, when he stood outside her motorcade. "And then you told me."

"And then I wondered how I got the wrong family." He exhaled heavily. "I'm sorry."

"No, Blake. You've been like a son to me for years. I'm proud to call you that. I'm proud of the man you are. But right now? You're still the hurt boy whose mom just died, and you were denied mourning."

"Everything feels so jumbled and a mess."

"I'm sure that's terrifying for you." She stood and moved to sitting beside him on the couch. "It doesn't have to make sense. It doesn't have to fit in a neat box. It doesn't matter that you hurt before, that doesn't take away from your hurting now."

"I'm trying to untangle it in my mind. I want to go to her gravesite."

"Of course, you do. You don't have to go alone. We are there for you as much or as little as you want."