Hey guys, I'm having problems contacting my beta reader, so that's why things have been so slow. When I finally can get ahold of her, I should be able to post two more chapters in Weakness and at least one more chapter here.

I'm almost done with this one actually!

And beware...this chapter is mean.

- - -

"So," Maddie said quietly, breaking what she felt was an uncomfortable silence as they rode in the expensive, black car. "Why are you here?" She glanced at the white-haired man seated across from her warily, but only for a second before returning them to the suitcase she still clutched in her gloved fists.

Jack had bought it for her on their honeymoon.

He didn't answer for several seconds, and sounded slightly unsure when he finally did.

"I...er...heard about the allegations on the television–"

"Wait," Maddie interrupted, a sudden flare coming to her eyes. Vlad seemed well aware of this, which only seemed to encourage her to continue. "You mean what the news says about how Jazz probably wasn't kidnapped at all, but ran away? And how they said that we're just trying to cover our "abusive" history?" Her voice rose with a passionate anger she didn't know she had strength for after everything that had just happened, but there she sat across from him, fuming.

Vlad looked at her with an impressed, but thoughtful look on his face. "Well," he started, "it does seem suspicious to lose both children within only a few months, but–"he held up his hand when she leaned forward, opening her mouth to speak, her face twisting with more anger. "But," he repeated quietly, when she paused, allowing him to speak, "I know that neither you or Jack would ever do anything to purposely hurt your children, and I came to offer my help." The red-headed woman blinked at him, but said nothing. After a few seconds, she seemed to deflate, and sat back, obviously too surprised to speak.

"I should have offered my help when Daniel disappeared. He was obviously coming to my house for help when you found him. Had I paid more attention to my surroundings instead of my work, I might have been able to lend him such help..." he faded off, shaking his head sadly.

"I'm sure you did everything you could," Maddie reassured him uncertainly.

The other shook his head. "I didn't Maddie, and I want to make up for it by helping you find Jasmine."

She couldn't suppress the genuine smile that touched her lips, and vaguely she remembered that it was the first time in days, if not weeks, that she felt she could smile. With a grateful look, she returned her vision to her hands again, seeing them relax slightly.

"Thank you, Vlad," she said softly. "You don't know how much that means to me." A slight tear escaped her eye, and rolled down her cheek, but she refused to let out any more than that.

"Oh, you might be surprised," he replied. Her eyes snapped back up to look at him, only to see a sad, concerned face, but she hadn't liked the tone in his voice... "Ever since the Ghost King incident, I've felt like a fa–er...uncle to your children. The fact that all this has happened..." he shook his head, "and to such a deserving family." Maddie felt herself snort under her breath at the remark, and they rode in silence for several more minutes before the rain caught her eye.

"Oh," she said suddenly, sitting forward. He reacted immediately, with obviously honed reflexes as if to catch her and keep her from falling. "I was heading to the Motel 6–"

Vlad relaxed, but cut her off by raising his hand again. "I wouldn't hear of it," he said haughtily. "Only the best for my college friends."

"Oh," Maddie began, "But–" he cut her off again.

"I insist."

With several more blinks, she shook her head sadly. "Thank you, Vlad. You didn't have to do that."

"It is no problem whatsoever, Maddie, and you deserve the best."

She nodded with a grateful smile, when he lit up suddenly.

"I have an excellent idea!" He scooted to the edge of his seat, and put his hands together. "What would you say to a nice dinner?" She looked up and started to protest yet again, and yet again, he cut her off. "We can discuss what's been going on, and maybe sort things out enough so that I can drop you off at home tonight instead of a hotel."

She looked at him skeptically, her grip unconsciously tightening on the handle of the old suitcase. Jack's suitcase...or the one that seemed to tie him to her. Why did she suddenly think of her husband like that? It hurt so much.

"Maddie?" She looked over at the millionaire, who cocked his head at her worriedly. She nodded and held up her finger, signifying she was still thinking over it.

Her mind told her everything was fine; that he was just an old friend trying to help out. But some vague feeling told her as she glanced at her college friend, that something had gone terribly wrong with him at some point, and it hadn't been remedied.

Why did she feel that way? Why would she?

'The fact that he asked me to come and live with him has nothing to do with it, I'm sure,' she thought sarcastically.

They both remained silent for several more seconds, as she weighed the different sides to her dilemma. Why she had such a difficult time over something as simple as dinner reached far beyond her conscious, logical reasoning, but it did. For some reason, this decision was important, she knew.

It was Jazz that made her decision for her. If Vlad really was as unstable as she felt he might be, then she needed to keep him appeased to retain the offer for his help with Jazz...and having his help might be the difference between finding the teenager alive and well...and not finding her at all.

With a sigh, she finally looked into his light blue, concerned eyes and smiled.

"Didn't mean to space like that," she said with what she hoped was a cheery voice. "Of course I'll have dinner with you, Vlad"