Cole set the small packet of loose gemstones on the counter in the seedy backroom. He tapped his fingers impatiently as the dealer counted them out. "Looks in order, just what we talked about on the phone. Do you need papers? That'll run you a bit more if you do."

Cole shook his head as Caitlin slipped her hand into the back pocket of his jeans. "No, I don't need to be formal about it." Caitlin had changed in their week in Monte Carlo. She had blossomed. Gone were the prep-school outfits of neat pastels, that had been the first thing to go once Monique had a hold of her. Now she was dark, hair shorter, sleeker instead of blown out.

Monique had replaced her entire wardrobe, redid her hair, changed her makeup. Innocence was as gone from Caitlin's appearance as it was from her body. She leaned on the counter as Cole had taught her. Giving the dealer something to look at as he shuffled with his paperwork.

She reached for the muzzle of the gun as the dealer set it on counter between them. Caressing it lightly as the dealer ran through the specifications. "Sig Sauer SG550, Swiss made, one of the best in the business. 13.6 lbs with scope, double pull trigger, fully adjustable stock, optional detachable laser sight. Comes apart in five places, fits in a standard instrument case. Case will run you fifty dollars if you don't have your own."

Cole slapped down forty, and the dealer took it, handing up a battered violin case. "Now, you paid for shipping stateside, this beauty will be waiting for you by the time your plane lands in California."

"Can I hold it?" Caitlin asked, by the look of the weapon. Cole nodded as he turned to look at ammunition. She picked it up, the dealer showing her how to hold it, placing her hands in the trigger.

"Now, put your eye up to the sight, just like that. Use your left hand to turn on the laser. Track it up your target, look into their eyes." The rifle was power, she could feel that just by holding it. Caitlin pointed the laser to the wall, watching the tiny red dot move up towards the ceiling. She closed her eyes for a moment, picturing Cole running it up her mother's body. Daddy would want her again. Daddy would need her once her mother was-

The trigger clicked, the magazine was empty. "This is beautiful." She set it back on the counter reverently. She returned her hands to Cole's arm, he tolerated her touch with a smile.

"You'll see it in action tomorrow." He promised. "You'll be across the street, watching, just like we planned."

Caitlin nearly purred in excitement. "Wonderful."

Alex left the bench at the police station to get a glass of water. Roger hopped up to follow her, catching her sleeve as she reached for the faucet in the break room. He slipped her sleeve up to her elbow, revealing the dark purple needle tracts. "When did you start dialysis?"

Alex filled her cup and looked down at her own arm with a mixture of disgust and pity. "Monday. Dr. Wallace thought it might slow my liver degradation, but apparently my 'parenchymal metastasis' is too far advanced."

Roger's smile took on a sad note. "How long did it take you to be able to say that?"

Smiling back around the rim of her cup, Alex winked. "Hours of practice."

"Do you know what it means?" He questioned gently, resting his hand on her cheek.

"It means I've got a week to get everything in order." Her smile became bittersweet and she trouble keeping her eyes steady with his. "Did you ask Lillian to fly in for me?"

"The honorable Lillian will be here on Saturday." Roger hugged her, wishing he had more time. "She's keeping the visit quiet, just like you asked. The kid knows, but he'll keep it to himself if I ask him to."

"I just can't ask Gregory to do it, not right now."

Roger took the cup from her hand and swirled it thoughtfully for a moment. "You know Alex, a point is coming where right now is all you have left." He poured the water into the sink symbolically, watching it disappear into the drain. "Do you have what you want?"

"Right now?" She set the cup back next to the sink, upside down to dry. "My boy's happy, he's in at Liberty now, so it won't be too much of a shock for him to assume my board member responsibilities."

"Which is good." Roger reminded her as he traced her chin thoughtfully. "You'd hate to suddenly make him rich when he's never had any experience with money."

Alex kissed his fingers, settling comfortably into his arms. "And he's got a good stable woman now. He has Heather, who's brilliant and funny."

"And a doctor." Roger pretended to nibble her hair. "Even if its of kelp and sea turtles."

"Marine Biologist, not a kelp doctor." she corrected laughing. "He's going to be happy, isn't he? Grow up, have a good life, have a family."

"More family then he knows what do with I think. So many people are going to miss you-" Trailing off for a moment, he perked up when Alex kissed his hand again. "He's never going to lack anywhere to go for Christmas. If that's what you're worried about."

"Sometimes." She ran her fingers up and down his arms, grateful for the confidant. "Being an only child gets a bit lonely when your mother runs out on you."

Spinning her around to look in her eyes, Roger lifted her chin firmly. "You're not running out. You've set him up with everything he needs to have a good life. You may be bowing out a little earlier then everyone-" His green eyes were unnaturally bright suddenly. "Including me, would like."

Coyly rearranging the collar of his polo shirt, Alex pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I thought you liked the whirlwind fling just as much as I do."

"Maybe I'd like to have you around longer-"

Alex reached up to brush a tear out of his eyelashes and muss his silver curls. "You'd be worth sticking around for."

Ethan had grown used to the many women who fell for his father. Roger was free with his charm and affection. He was starting to feel Alex was just another harmless fling, someone to wine and dine with. Then he walked into the break room at the station, hanging back he was able to overhear the entire conversation. From parencymal metastasis to the way his father dropped into that soft tone of voice he only used with those he loved.

Roger being in love was wonderful, his father deserved it. Even his mother thought so. Alex's secret was the sucker-punch opposite of wonderful. Her liver was failing. That meant the end stages ot cancer. If Lillian was flying in to arrange Alex's estate the curtains were coming down for her soon. He would have to confront his father about it, first chance he got.

Ethan flopped down on the bench next to Sean, unsure what he wanted to do. Sean was a mess at the moment, his mother was being publicly threatened. The last thing he needed was another dose of bad news. He had to find something cheerful to talk about.

He put his hand on Sean's shoulder. "So, when school starts up you think you'll live at the manor then?"

"What?" It took Sean a moment to collect his thoughts. "Yeah, I guess, if that's all right with your mom."

"Mum? She's a pushover. Don't let that fancy barrister bit fool you, she's a sucker for charming young men." Ethan pointing to Roger and Alex, who were emerging from the break room with their arms wrapped around each other. "How do you think dad landed her?"

Sean managed a small smile and encouraged by it, Ethan continued- "We'll have fun, train the hounds, teach you polo, dodge the ghosts, bring your parents up for Christmas, learn cricket, clean the gargoyles- loads of excitement."

Casey found driving with one police car on either side of his car more then a little unnerving. The flashing bars of light behind and in front of his car made him feel like he should pull over and let them go past. Ricardo sat in the passenger seat, hand on his weapon. Neither of them spoke. Casey wasn't sure what to say. He hadn't been inside a protective detail before. He checked the rearview mirror again nervously.

Ricardo chuckled softly. "I promise they're still there."

"Actually-" Casey tilted his head towards the backseat. "I was worried about Mrs. Richards. She's not looking too good."

Ricardo checked subtly in the mirror. Olivia had her head in her husband's lap, as she had most of the trip to the police station. Now her eyes were closed, her face was a greener shade of pale. Gregory's right hand rested on her head. His left held his sodden handkerchief, protectively curled over her stomach. Ricardo watched her throat move as she swallowed. Gregory met his eyes in the mirror, he obviously had the same concerns. It was hard to keep up his dislike for the man when he was with his wife. Mr. Richards was human whenever Olivia was around.

Olivia sat up suddenly, putting her hand over her mouth. Gregory put his arm around her shoulders and slid her acorss the seat towards the door. "Pull over."

Ricardo radioed the other cars. "We're stopping."

Casey immediately obliged, watching as both squad cars follow suit. She fumbled with the door handle until Gregory assisted her. He was one step behind her as she fled from the car. Olivia made it past the shoulder of the highway, dropping to her knees when she hit the grass. Illuminated in the lights of the two squad cars, she vomited into the ditch. Struggling to against the rebellion of her diaphram, Olivia kept her death grip on one of Gregory's hands.

The officers fanned out around her, forming a half circle between the cars and the line of the trees. Casey hung back by the car with Ricardo, desperately wishing there was something he could do. He hated to watch anyone suffer needlessly and nothing about this situation struck him as fair in the least.

Olivia was sobbing again, Gregory didn't have anything to say to comfort her. He was there next to her in the muddy grass as she finished throwing up and tried to regain her breath. "It's going to be all right." He assured her finally, when he knew she could hear him. He took his handkerchief to the mud she had smeared on her face in her panic. "No one's going to let him near you."

"Gregory- I-" His name was everything, at once plea and prayer. Olivia shook her head, throwing her hand desperately over her mouth, as if that could keep her from continuing to throw up. She failed, dropping her hand and turning away from him. She pressed his hand into the ground with her own. Straining his arm as her stomach heaved up the last of its' contents. The heaving of her stomach became coughing, the horrible pointless choking that overrode the instinct to breath.

Gregory finally had to slap her face, surprising her enough to force her to gasp and breathe in. "Olivia look at me."

"Breathe." He wiped her lips, holding her so she had to look at him. One of the officers, Ruiz tapped him on the shoulder with his water bottle. Taking it gratefully he filled his cupped hand, letting her drink slowly. "Just look at me."

Gregory rinsed out his handkerchief with his free hand. Waiting for her to spit the water out before he tried to get her to drink anymore. "I know you're in there somewhere sweetheart. Focus on me. I'm right here."

Olivia pulled herself together somewhat and put her hands on his chest, not even noticing the mud she left on his jacket. "I want to go home."

"We will." He leaned forward, nearly close enough to kiss her. "I promise as soon as this is over we'll go home. We'll hide up in our bedroom and make Rose bring us breakfast in bed."

She moved her hands up to his shoulders, trying to put her feet beneath her. "You promise?"

Gregory smiled as he started to stand up. "You can have anything you want. We'll take a whole week off."

Olicia stumbled slightly and there were hands all around her to catch her. Casey helped Gregory lead her back to the car, deeply touched when she managed to smile weakly in thanks. Still too nauseous to look out of the window once the car started moving, Olivia closed her eyes and curled up on the seat with her head back in Gregory's lap. "Anything?" She asked finally, surprising him out of his thoughts.

"Anything." Gregory agreed gently, relieved that she was following the conversation. "Anything at all."