AN:You aren't supposed to know who the murderer is yet the murderer is speaking in italics. Thanks Isobel. Um Gem is very good looking check out the photos of the Canadian actress who played her Erin Karpluk. she also starred again with Jensen Ackles in Supernatural she was the new mother in salvation.

Funeral for a friend.

I didn't mean to kill Joshua he was just an innocent casualty. I feel bad I do. Not so bad I'm going to stop trying to kill him of course.

"I don't know if I can arrange this funeral." Max said brokenly, to Alec and Mole. "I can't believe he's gone."

"None of us can." Alec said putting his arm round Max's heaving shoulders. "But we gotta stay strong Maxie it's what he'd want us to do."

"I still hate it when you call me that." Max sniffed, smiling though her tears.

"I know Maxie." Alec kissed her cheek affectionately. "So you just put the newspaper notice in Mole?"

"Yeah, I said it was a private funeral held in T.C. I've let his agent Rita invite anyone she thinks would like to attend from her world. She was gutted; there goes her cash cow I guess." Mole said lighting his cigar his hand shaking with emotion.

"Be fair Mole, Rita really was fond of him, she respected Josh as an artist, she saw him as he always wanted to be seen I guess by ordinaries." Alec said sadly.

"What the same ordinaries that killed him?" Max said bitterly. "I wonder how they saw him? Some freak to be killed obviously."

Logan came in. "Max dear I've arranged the flowers from us and got that black suit of yours dry cleaned. I brought lunch for you guys too." He held out bags filled with hot burgers and fries.

"Thanks Logan." Said Mole graciously, his respect for Logan had been grudgingly earned but once it had been, the respect was unwavering. "I'm not hungry though."

"Me neither," said Max, waving the proffered food away. "I'm sorry Logan."

"I understand," Said Logan sympathetically. "Anything else I can do for you guys?"

"Yeah can you give Gem and the kids a lift home? It's pouring down. We're down a car now obviously." Alec gave a snort of disbelief.

Logan found Gem's café abuzz with ordinaries and transgenics alike. The café was busier than normal, because of the rain. No one wanted to leave the warm cosiness of the café and everyone was horrified at Joshua's death.

Dalton was working the lunch shift there. Logan noticed that at twenty one Dalton had turned into a fine young man. Medium height and blonde, with the wiry muscular build Alec had had at that age. Dalton picked up Eve and swung her round. The little girl laughed, she obviously adored the man she called Uncle Dalt'n.

Mole came in to pick up coffee and fetch Luke and Dix. They were going to help plan the readings at the funeral. They were talking in hushed voices to Gem.

Logan waited till Gem took her apron off and then joined him. They walked out to the car. Logan carried Eve for her a courtesy gesture only seeing how Gem could have carried Logan and Eve effortlessly.

"How are you holding up?" he asked her, holding the umbrella above her head, as she strapped Eve into her car seat.

"Okay. Come in and have a coffee, I'll talk to you while Eve has her nap." Gem replied.

Logan was impressed with what Gem had done with the living room, in just four days. She had already painted the walls blue and hung new curtains.

He told her so, as she made him coffee.

"Yeah. I liked the colour green and Alec liked purple, so this is our compromise colour." She said, sitting down with him on the sofa. "You want to tell me Alec is the target of these two car sabotages in a row. I know."

"Alec realises this?" Logan said surprised.

"Of course not, in complete denial." Gem said frustrated. "He's such a risk taker still, stupid idiot."

"I looked up Beresford's whereabouts; he's gone to live in Manchester England." Logan said. "I don't know who else would specifically hate Alec, more than Max."

"Me neither," Said Gem worriedly "Unless they're working their way through her friends."

"Yeah that's occurred to me." Logan sipped his coffee. "I'm going to Washington D.C. next week."

"I heard." Gem said neutrally, focussing on her coffee cup.

"I love her, but it's not working." Logan admitted, he laughed sadly. "I always told her she should be with another transgenic, but she wouldn't listen. You know she pretended to go out with Alec once, to get me not to love her?"

"I heard that too." Gem repeated. "I also heard it was just pretend, and nothing ever happened."

"Yeah huh," said Logan. "I heard that too."

I know the truth about our precious leader and her third in command. I saw them that night. I see everything. The unimportant get to blend in as background so many times.

Just like I see how beautiful my titan haired love I,s and how smart. Well apart from her knowing I'm in love with her. But then she's a female. Females can be so stupid with X5 males. I've seen it again and again. When he is gone hopefully I can make her see how much I love her then. Third time lucky and all that.

Alec came home from the funeral and following wake. Numbly he sat in front of the television unseeingly, the channel on rap music on loudly. A bottle of scotch at his hand. Gem put the children to bed and came down stairs.

"Are you going to cry or anything?" she asked casually.

"No." Alec said shortly. "That won't bring the big fella back."

"Do you want to have sex?" Gem suggested, to her mate.

"I never thought you of all people, would be offering me pity sex." Alec grimaced drinking his scotch.

"It's for me." Gem stated coolly, "I feel stressed."

"God that's seductive. I bet you passed the entrapment course at Manticore with flying colours" Alec said sarcastically. "Go to bed. I'll be up after I've had a shower. And I'll act as your human vibrator then."

"Shower's not working remember? We had to cancel the shower delivery to attend the funeral." Gem reminded him, walking away to the bedroom.

How can a player like that really be happy in day to day domesticity? It'll be a kindness really, to remove him from it permanently.