Four hours later, Edie was idling for her missing boss' sister in law and beloved niece arriving from Paris. "You didn't need to meet me, Edie." Bianca greeted.

"It's how he would have done it if he were here instead.."

The raven haired beauty nodded. She spoke the truth. "Hi, how are you?"

"I've been better!"

"I bet! Thank you anyways. We appreciate it, don't we Miranda?"

"She gets more beautiful every time I see her!" Edie praised.

"Thank you! Now down to business, any news?"

"They discovered the plane. No bodies were inside."

"Which means they all escaped?"

"That's what our team of experts and rescuers think so." She affirmed with a nod.

"Thank heavens." Ms. Montgomery sighed with a measure of solace. "How's my sister?" Almost afraid of the response.

"Remarkably well. Not to say she isn't near her breaking point. But she's doing a marvelous job of keeping a level head." She reported pleased.

"And for my sister without your singular boss that's something of a breakthrough!"

"Well...Will's here!" She offered.

"Still...Kendall and self-control are not close companions." She continued lovingly. "How's Ethan?"

"He's a rock, as ever!" The statuesque young black woman imparted. "He's beginning to remind me of his father. When this is all said and done I have a sneaking hunch that he's going to need a good cry. Because he's too busy now running around barking out orders and taking care of those he loves and those his father treasure, he hasn't had the proper time to process the plane crash."

Her companion grinned, they are in the best hands possible. "I think you missed your calling, Edie."

"Why do you say that?" She queried confounded.

"You have the wonderful ability of insight." She explicated dulcetly.

"Thank you for noticing. But it helps with my job here at Slater-Hart Gaming." She proclaimed. "I can smell a cheater on the tables or in the boardroom."

"I can definitely see why my brother in law trusts you so much." The African-American woman blushed severely.

"Thank you so much, Bianca."

"Of course. My pleasure." With that the two friends parted one going upward, the other back to lively Command Central.

Miranda gurgled gaily as they approach her Aunt's door. On the plane, the girl's mother had been upset by the state she would find her sibling. But her encounter with Edie has done wonders to ease her mind. It was her usual cohort, Myrtle who answered her light strike. "Ah, the circle is finally complete." All that was assembled examines who had arrived.

Mother and son have mirror images of a mixture of relief and joy. "Binks!" Kendall squealed. She jumped off the couch and ran to her beloved sister and niece, grabbing them in a tight clinch. The others in the spacious room looked on with delight at the cheerful family reunion under such harsh straits. The cousins greeted each other as if hardly any time had passed. The ever considerate Will lead his elder relation to where his toys laid temporarily abandoned. Moments later, their mothers were forgotten. His tired Mom conducted his glowing Aunt back to the gang of adults. The others welcomed the Parisian citizen back into the fold.

"She's right." Bianca said, seeing the question in her eyes she continued. "Edie, she told me.."

"When?" Her perfectly waxed brows burrowed together.

"Just now, she was waiting for us out front."

"Sounds like Edie."

"She said you are near your decomposing point but holding yourself together quite nicely." She said impressed. "Truth be told, Zach is your rock." Kendall nodded. "I was expecting frankly a distraught woman, crying uncontrollably and unable to hear any reason." Mrs. Slater knew that Bianca's words once described her perfectly.

"I've grown up. I've learned that..." She reached for her younger sibling's delicate hand. "Those traits is not going to bring Zach home safe and sound.." She let out a troubled sigh. "I miss him so much, Binks."

"I know you do. They're going to find him." She proclaimed passionately. "He's strong. His love for you and Will is even stronger. Even if the Grim Reaper comes for him I have a sneaking hunch his answer is going to 'Hell, no. I'm going home to my beautiful wife and our son. But you're more than welcome to stop by Ryan Lavery's penthouse. And I'll see you again in fifty years or so. Other than that thanks for keeping me company I was getting a bit bored here.'" Her audience roared until their sides hurt.

"Now that sounds like the handsome boy." Myrtle replied with a soft chuckle.

"I wouldn't put it past him to make a deal with Death." Simone concurred bemused greatly. "And if anyone could strike a deal with the Grim Reaper it's the Donald and Zach Slater. The genius of the plan is to send Him after the man who harasses you non-stop." She commented evilly.

"So Ryan still takes his never-ending anger out on Zach?" Bianca asked. "Because he never mentions any troubles in his daily emails." Kendall smiled she sometimes forgets that Zach and Bianca have a relationship separate from her. The old Kendall have been hurt, but the improved one relishes that her husband took such an active role in her sister and niece's lives.

"How's Maggie?"

"She's wonderful. She sends her love and prayers. Thanks for asking. She would have come but one of us needed to stay and 'man the fort'."

"I completely understand."

"I would find him myself for you if I could." Her sister promised.

Kendall hugs her sister. "I know you would, Binks. And if our roles were reversed, heaven forbid it, I wouldn't have to."

"No, you wouldn't, Zach would do it. Your job would be to stay safe and hold my hand."

Kendall's brilliant olive-green eyes sparkled with unshed tears. "He was said he wasn't a hero."

"Well, he was wrong. He's at least one little boy's champion."

"A lot of his actions can be designated as heroic." Simone remarked. "I was with Ethan and Zach as you remember after Janet Dillion tried to destroy us all." She laughed ironically. "My first thought was 'Oh great, another night of bickering is ahead.' With father and son in such close proximity. Zach's couple of days old stitches were split wide open, and he was on the weak side. Ethan, on the other hand, had valiantly used his gorgeous body as a shield. So as you can imagine he received most of the impact of the falling debris." A loving smirk flitted across her oval face. "At first, Ethan's old anger resurfaced and he lashed out at his Dad. Who took the verbal beating probably feeling guilty for doing what he thought was best at the time. I sat there and watched a man I knew who doesn't take crap from anyone, take some abuse from his adult son. I think I began to see Zach for who he really was. Not the man Ethan needed him to be, or the monster that Ryan fabricated to camuoflague his own shortcomings. I saw a man who desperately wanted a relationship with his son."

"How very shrewd of you, my dear." Myrtle acclaimed.

"Maybe it sounds horrible for me to say this but I think the best thing that could have happened for the both of them is Ethan almost dying. It forced them to come to terms with each other so one could die with a clear conscience and the other could continue peacefully. Although I saw in Zach's eyes that he wasn't going to loose a son. But he went through the motions of making amends for his son's sake. Probably, heaven forbid, if Ethan DID die Zach would have felt better for doing it. I know I did." She paused for a breath. "Your husband most likely didn't tell you since he doesn't savor praise...we both thought Ethan was near the end, he was talking to Hannah. I was cordially introduced to a woman who has been dead for what, fifteen years? Zach appeared to be as broken as I felt."

"Oh Zach." His wife whimpered as if she could feel his long ago heartbreak.

"We both knew what Hannah's arrival met. I've never seen Zach so scared. And yet at the very same time he looked like some kind of warrior. I knew he was going to fight dirty to save the man we both loved deeply. If he had to sell his very soul, he would have without a second thought. He believed the life he dreamt of with you and Will was gone. He thought that no one would mourn him if he sacrificed himself."

"I was mad at him. And no matter what I propelled at him in the heat of the moment I never meant them." Kendall mewled.

"He knew that down deep, dear girl." Her elderly confidante sweared consolingly. "He just wasn't thinking, that's all."

"He was just thinking of the pain he caused you and Ethan, Kendall. I know, he felt, you both, deserved retribution." Simone sought to interpret her father in law's motives.

"His death would...will kill me." She bawled. "How could he think that I wanted him dead? I admit I told him I wanted him out of my life. But I was in pain, I was doing what I did best, lash out at those I love the most. He said he would wait forever for me but the afterlife is a bit extreme even for him." She ranted impatiently. Simone's emotional colloquium hit too close to home, because he was that gallant. She had to remember that he didn't have to trade his life for that of his son's, thank goodness. A part of her loved him all the more for it. The other, a smaller fraction resented his eagerness to depart from her. No, she chided herself, stop being petty and childish. He's only being a good parent. "Sorry."

"Don't ever apologize for lovin' your man."

"I do love him!"

"Of course you do, Kendall. Anyone except Mom can see it." Bianca put forth, patting her sister's hand. "And he, you. He's so proud of you, sweetie. Every email he's singing your praises about your contribution to the renovation of the casino in Atlantic City, the new fall line-up at Fusion, your parenting skills." She giggled when she saw her sister flush. "How happy you make him." She paused. "And he's the world's greatest uncle."

Her daughter looked from her playing and blithely concurred with her mother. The room erupted into laughter. The phone rang, everyone's expressions sobered. Considering she was the closest Mrs. Ramsey answered. "Hello? Hiya, Gorgeous. Wassup? Uh-huh. Of course. I'll see you then." She hung, turned to her friends and said. "Ethan coming up to rest. No news as of yet. Edie taking over. Unless you want to, Kendall."

"Nah, Edie is more than able to oversee everything."

"I'm going to see he gets his rest. I'll be back later."

He had been awake for twelve hours and was totally exhausted. Felt like he has been conscious for seventy-two hours. The hot spray of water kneaded his tense muscles and washed away some of his numerous worries. Once in bed, holding the woman he loved more than life itself he could let himself feel better. But his poor father's arms were empty now aching to hold Kendall and Will. The only reason why Zach would even think about himself is to get home to his family.

"Go to sleep, babe." His wife pacified as she smoothed his midnight colored hair.

"I'm scared, Simone. I'm fearful that I won't be able to fulfill my promise to Kendall. I can't lose my father again."He revealed wildly.

Wiping her own tears away, knowing just how hard it was for him to divulge such information. Simone ventured to console her suffering husband. "Ethan, if Zach is out there to be detected then you'll do so. No matter what happens, he'll always be with you. He loves you! He will never abandon you." Her words did the trick, he drifted off to sleep. His attentive wife snuggled close to feel him breathe, the evenness of breathing lulled her to sleep.

Two hours later, Ethan woke up somewhat refresh. However, he laid there, powerless to return to the reality where his father was MIA and feared dead. Here in bed with his lovely spouse he could pretend that Zach was in the next penthouse with his new family. Marveling at the immense strides Will has gained since the last time he saw him which was two to three hours prior. He couldn't get through the day without getting a visit from Will. His eldest got a few phone calls a day to check in. But that was not actuality, Zach was missing, Kendall was brokenhearted. He couldn't give up. He owed it to so many people. Kendall, Will, and himself. Ethan stretched his long body before swinging his generous legs over the sides of the bed. He trudged to the bathroom. He splashed some cold water on his still fatigued face. The man who was staring back at him look a good decade older. He felt that old. Could a man age that quickly?

The eternally handy Ms. Foster had someone go to their apartment for about a month's worth of clothes. Not that she figured that they would be here that long she thought he would want to change his clothing that often. He silently thanked her. Ethan felt like a new man once fresh clothes were don. After kissing his dormant spouse he impelled himself to revisit Command Central. He grimaced when he saw his father's long-suffering African-American secretary still busy at work. "Good Evening, Edie." He chirped. "Have you even rested?"

"Yes, thank you. On Zach's couch." She replied as she completed her task. "Did you have everything you need?"

"Yes, thank you!" He sustained emotive.

"Good. Are you hungry?"

"I could eat."

"What would you like to eat?" She solicited.

"A salad, maybe."

"Veggie, or would you like some meat with that?"

"Bacon, please." A red meat lover, a trait he inherited from his father.

"Dressing?"

Ah, Bleu Cheese."

"Got it. Be right back."

"Thanks."

"Of course. That's my job." And she was gone.