Family Bonds: Book 2 of Sista

by Blackstar1979

Family Bonds the sequel to Sista. The the Superstars and Sistas have been through a lot that have carved out bonds where there were none. Will the past rip apart the bonds that have been forged or make them stronger? Reviews are welcomed as always.

20. Chapter 20 Chain Reaction

Chapter 20

Chain Reaction

Paula looked down at her newest bundle her prayers had come true. She wipes her eyes and looks over at Mark. The minute Luke left the room Mark drops his head his hair creating a curtain as he lets out a heavy sigh. He'd been her rock keeping her together her knight in leather and denim. Katie must have either picked up on the hidden emotion her father was hiding from the world, or just didn't like the sudden absence of light. She let go a wail and her sister seemed to answer her. Paula rocks her miracle girl and speaks to her "Momma is here baby girl, and so is daddy." Mark lifts his head and Katie must of not liked the absence of light because she seemed to quiet down almost instantly. "So what should we name her?"

Mark had prayed more in the last 47 hours than he had since Paula was taken. He believed that Nina and his mother heard his pleas and prayers. Jonathon had once said his sister Mark's mother was who protected his baby girl Angel. Mark didn't doubt it, but getting his little blessing back after finding out who wanted to tear his family apart shook something loose inside of him. Whichever one of his guardian angels protected his miracle until she could be returned he would do them proud by protecting all his girls. He wanted his youngest girl's name to be just as meaningful as Katie's. Paula and Janet had come up with Katie Jade's name. Jonathon had said Shani Jen meaning heaven sent. Mark had an idea but didn't know if the reasoning behind her name would be well received by Paula. "I want to name her Rosa after my mother and Alana meaning darling child." Paula smiles at him and says that she liked it and asked his youngest how she liked her name. Paula smiled up at him as he stood and put Katie Jade in her crib he picks up Rosa Alana. Looking at his youngest baby girl he noticed something when the light caught her half lidded eyes just right, her eyes were teal. He starts singing to her a lullaby his mother had sang to him as she would walk him around his bedroom the auditory memory was bittersweet. The song was simple and it was one of things she never song in English. He'd song it for Janet and Katie Jade and he'd continue the small tradition in honor of the memory of his mother.

Sophie sat in Luke's office when he returned he looked way different than when he rushed out. She asks him what was up, and he excitedly tells her that baby Callaway had been returned and was now in the system and safely back in her parent's room where she belonged. The look had been relief. Sophie thinks as she walks towards him and he hugs her tightly. Mumbling how scared he was that she wouldn't be returned confessing that he'd feared the worst when the Agent called him and with everything that had went on he didn't' dare trust that the little girl was back until he examined her and entered her info into the system. He sent all of the staff's original applications through federal scanning and fired 4 before they were arrested. That nurse had been a head nurse. He had put a new rule in effect. No promotion was to go through without a mandatory federal level scan and should this step be waved for any reason all involved would be fired and fined.

Angel and Candy are in the kitchen at Ivey Mansion Angel had told Candy. Candy said she was confused but Angel had cleared up her confusion. "Has anyone told the oldest?" Angel gets up from the breakfast table and grabs another cup of coffee and says no. "Okay that's not good what if they can't get the little girl back?" Candy watches Angel hug her arms around her middle as she sat back down and says she didn't know what to say to Janet and didn't feel she should because Mark hadn't told her for a reason.

"Hell he didn't tell me, Joshua did then I saw it on the news. With everything that's going on I just don't want to have to deal with his misplaced anger." When Angel saw the news program she had to cut it off. It was one thing to hear about it. It was another to hear all the spin the media was putting on it. Janet walks in and asks Angel what was going on. "What's going with what?" Angel says wrapping her hands around the warm coffee mug in front of her fearing that Janet had went back to an old habit of snooping.

"It's Saturday my momma is sad you can hear it in her voice even though she tries to hide it. My dad sent me all the way the here, after telling me I could stay. Angel I love you and Joshua but I want to see my sister. I don't get it. My friends keep asking me am I ok am I going to be ok. I don't get it I could hear Katie in the background but after I read the article buzz. Nikki says it could be a fake article but here, maybe your radar is sharper than mine." She hands her phone to Angel. Janet's phone rings in Angel's hand Angel hands it back and says she has a message from her dad. "Ok let see what he has to say I sent him the article incase Nikki is right and one of his fans are being weird." Angel hands her back her phone. Janet opens the video that is attached to her text message from her dad.

On the little screen Mark puts the camera on two sleeping little girls and then on the one on the left and says "Janet I want you to meet you other little sister her name is Rosa Alana Callaway." She calls him he'd seen her text message and the article and knew she would have questions. They talk and he tells her a very basic description of what the article got right and how he'd sent her with Joshua and Angel for her safety and hadn't even told Angel. Janet had gone quiet and Mark asks "Janet are you there darlin?" In a tone that sounded more like Nina everyday Janet says she wants to come and see her other sister and doesn't want to return to Grandville until her school starts back up on Monday. Mark and Paula wanted the hell out of this hospital and Luke said he understood. He was going to have them transferred to Grandville South Center since Paula wasn't up for release yet. The girls were cleared to be released and Paula didn't want to stay in that room. "I'll do you one better we are going to be coming that way. Your momma still has to be in for a while but she's coming too." Janet tells him to please be careful. "Of that have no worries little one. I'll be riding with the med crew with you sisters and your momma I'm not letting them out of my sight." Mark swipes the video and puts it in a mass text message to the select few people he cared about and trusted knowing something this personal. His thread exploded with responses as he and Janet wrap up their conversation.

Angel gets the text message and so does Candy they both text him back that she's beautiful and that they were glad she had come back. Logan sent a big cheesy grin Emoticon and says good doing now he'd have three nieces to spoil rotten. Jonathon says he loved the name and it fits her. Joshua says he'd prayed for her it was good to see she was unharmed and returned. Chase says that was the best news he'd had all day.

A week later Paula is released from the hospital and her Mark Janet and the twins go back to his home. It is a Friday and Janet and Nikki are picked up after school and driven to Ivey Mansion. Nikki gets a text from her mom and turns off her phone. Janet speaks to her and she has to pull her thoughts back to the conversation at hand. "Huh yeah that's cool Katie Jade turned over by herself." Janet asks what was wrong. They wait until they get out of the car and head into the room Janet used when she was here during the school week. Her mother had texted her saying she was coming to pick her up. Nikki was angry that her mom had just left her with her dad. Closing the door to the bedroom Nikki walks over and lays on the floor with her socked feet resting on the edge of the mattress staring at the ceiling. "My mother wants to come and take me home. I don't want go. If Candy finds out, she'll send me with her. She see it as my mom will take me back and keep me safe. My mom ran from me along with running from my dad, she ran from me." Janet tells her to not assume that Candy would just say ok strange lady that pops up after more than 2 months. Nikki looks over at her friend she just didn't understand. Heck she didn't know what was going to happen. "Janet you don't get it, my mom can come back and take me or try to" Janet asks what did she mean try to. "Nothing" Janet starts to ask her more questions. "I said nothing ok, I don't want to go. Candy and Deon are great they don't fight in front of me, Deon is pretty chill here lately after Angel's birthday party. I have something that I like to do and with helping with the music set ups. Just like you I no longer have to worry about getting my head sent into a door and I have…and I have you and playing with the twins. I don't want to go." Nikki's I'm a young adult bravado cracked as she bursts into tears.

Janet had never seen Nikki cry like this it scared her she didn't really know what to say. "Please stop crying or you'll make me start. I don't want you to go either you're like my only friend here that's near my age and not related. I can tell you stuff that I can't tell anyone else." Laying in this very room on the floor pigging out on ice cream and cookies they'd spoke for hours one night about her aunt Megan and even about Racheal and Nikki had told her about her dad. Nikki was the one that told her not to let her past make her change who she supposed to be. Janet tried a lot of new stuff like cooking, she still had a ways to go on the trusting people outside of her tight circle of people. She was the youngest student at the academy. She really kept to herself the other students were even older than at her old advanced school. She would soon start her off-campus pre-training at Ivey Enterprises and that would be even more adults and having Nikki to hang with during the week and some weekends was beyond cool. Her Houston friends were now getting into having boyfriends they spoke to her and all, but it just wasn't the same. She'd invited her Houston friend to another concert to one of the bands in the area that they liked, and the girl had stood her up, but went to the concert with her new boyfriend. Nikki had went with her and they had a great time up in the private box. Nikki sits up wiping her eyes on her sleeve Janet hugs her friend. "Hey maybe you can ask Candy can you come to our house for the weekend, that way you won't have to go home." they call their prospective people and Janet is told if it is okay with Candy it's fine. Nikki doesn't look to happy when she hangs up from Candy. "What'd she say?" Nikki gets up and says that Candy said she wanted to talk to her and that it had to do with her mom. Nikki accuses Candy of siding with her mother.

Earlier in the day before the girls got out of school Candy sits in the kitchen of Deon's home. Nikki's mother called her and explained that her and her husband were on the outs, and she wanted a chance to make it up to her daughter saying she knew she should have stayed, but her husband was very violent. Candy says that she knew, that is why Nikki was with her for now waiting on her to return. Nikki's mom proposed that she come and pick up Nikki from school and take her home. Candy as nice as she could asked how the woman could leave her child with her husband knowing he was abusive. Nikki's mother said he was abusive to her not Nikki. Candy got mad and corrected her. The woman says she'd make it up to her baby she promised and asked could Candy talk to her daughter for her and convince her to come home. Candy didn't want Nikki to feel that she was alone. Candy tried not to sink into the transferences this situation played from her mind's eye. Though in different ways they were both abused, and Candy would have been happy with just her mom, but she'd turned a deaf ear to what happened in the next room, and Candy was an adult before she finally said in anger why she wouldn't come back. Days after her explosive tirade, her mother killed herself. Candy says she'd talk to Nikki and see where her head was at on the situation, but she wouldn't push. It simply wasn't her place. Nikki's mother said for Candy to bring Nikki by the house and see if they could talk and she says that if she was willing Nikki could come back if she wanted to after they spoke during the weekend. After the call was over Candy felt sealed into herself this shit was too close she had to clear her head there were some things she would never understand and some things she just wanted to forget. She lays her head down on her folded arms with her eyes closed. What the hell was she going to say to Nikki? She suddenly felt a hand on her nape and jumps at the contact. "Oh Deon you scared the shit out of me. Did you get the car running?" He nods saying all it needed was gas this time. Deon's 2005 Mini Coop Convertible had stopped on him again. The gas gauge was messing up among other things. He asked who she expected if not him saying he wasn't doing the jealous thing just wanted to know why she was kind of jumpy. Nikki was in school. "Don't remind me I just spoke to her mother who has apparently tried to speak to Nikki to no avail."

Deon narrows his eyes. "Fuck her. Maybe when she was running away she should have thought about the ramifications of her actions." Candy's eyes flashed with something as she says in a lower voice that she ran away. Deon sits in the seat next to her. "Nope not even the same. If you had a kid like what all that stuff started about would you leave said kid behind with who you were running from?" She looks sick and says hell no Joshua would have just made room in his guest room for two until she bought her house. "Well then, Nikki's mother didn't just leave her husband she left their child there to get beat on and shit. It just pisses me off. That Nikki is going back with her." Candy tells him how Nikki's mom asked her to talk to Nikki. She knew her heart wouldn't be in it. But she didn't want to be using transference of their similar situations and possibly ruin Nikki's relationship with a parent that wanted a second chance to come correct, and protect and care for her child. "Unless there's something I missed I didn't know you girls were in a similar situation. Her mom ditched her."

"To my knowledge there wasn't anything else like what you're thinking, but abuse is abuse. Where her mother ran from the house leaving her there to fight with her father. My mother withdrew and pretended she couldn't hear what was going on in the very next room leaving me to…" Candy falls silent, puts her hands to her temples, running her fingers through her two toned hair staring at it. She'd dyed it because she no longer wanted to look like a part of the Rabinenvitch family for a while especially after going to Passion's funeral.

Deon reaches for her hand she lets him take it out of her hair. He was now seeing the parallels she had just painfully drawn. Both she and Nikki were pushed into very abusive situations with no way out but to run. "I wish we could just keep Nikki and tell the woman to go fuck off." Candy puts her hand in his with a rueful smile that didn't reach her eyes as she tells him as wonderful as that sounded it was illegal. She says she was trying to think of how she would feel in the event something drove her child away and she had a chance to correct it since she wasn't near perfect she'd want a chance. "There you go be rational again. Well I mean you could ask Paula she is like the only one with kids unless you want to talk to Mark, John, or Chase." Candy cringes and says she wasn't talking to any of them not about this. "Well how about Sally she has kids and you girls are tighter since she has stopped using our band lead as a punching bag. That way you can get some more unbiased insight since Paula is still pretty new to the parent game and her answer may be swayed by the shit she and Mark just went through." Candy leans over and kisses him and says that's why she loved him. "Oh that's it I thought it was just my good looks." He smirks at her and swats her on the ass as she goes to get dressed. Deon didn't want Nikki to go back. The bitch had left her to fight with her bad choice in men. He sighs but Candy had a point they weren't parents and more importantly they were Nikki's parents. He felt powerless to solve the issue swiftly in Nikki's favor. Nikki had really become a little sister to him as well.

Sally was surprised that Candy had called her in the middle of the morning asking to meet for lunch on her. She'd wondered until Candy had shown up in Deon's car saying she'd dropped him off at the Davenport asking was she ready to go to the mall for lunch. Candy used to work for her husband and had become one of her son's best friends. He'd tried to push her away as he did everyone back then, Candy stuck like glue. Sally didn't see it then but since she had gotten older and got a better sense of her brooding artist son. Joshua always was protective of the little blonde spit fire she challenged him and claimed she didn't want more than friendship. Which was why Sally guessed after a few years of working together Joshua just stopped pushing Candy away. "So you and you're husband to be are doing well?" Candy beamed at that and says Deon was great. "That's wonderful dear" Candy explains why she called. Sally says "Well dear I understand your concern and how you may want to protect her, but you don't know what the woman had to endure, you may have an idea but you don't know the real extent of what the woman was thinking in the time she ran. Also as she pointed out to you today she had no clue that her husband would harm their child. I was in a similar situation though it had nothing to do with Michael and me. Where I thought that my adopting Joshua and bringing him in to my home helped him, it tore me up for years when I found out that my own children would treat another human being so badly. I had no idea that Joshua wasn't just a quiet teen with a troubled past. When I found out the only thing that kept going through my head is I took him out of the fire to throw him into the grease. I didn't know what was happening under my own roof, I was given a chance to make the situation right or as right as I could. I almost lost my son." After Candy drives Sally back home she had a better direction to go in.

Nikki calls Candy after school and ask could she go to Pittsburg for the weekend to hang with Janet. Candy says they needed to talk and it had to do with her mother. Candy heard the sigh and the one word fine before Nikki hung up. Later that day Candy speaks to Nikki when she picks her up from Angel's house. They speak and Candy says for Nikki to remember that they had been waiting for her mother to return, and that Nikki should at least hear what her mom had to say. Nikki gets out of the car and accuses Candy of being on her mother's side. "You're still my little sister. You know I'm still here for you just like I was and will be if you need me just call and I'll be right here." Candy watches as Nikki walks towards her home and her mother opens the door for her. Candy hopes all went well as she drove back to the Davenport to pick up Deon. She was doing the right thing but she didn't like it, and she didn't want to be alone with her thoughts right now.

The sidewalk seem to grow longer before Nikki's eyes as she slowly makes her way up to the open door of her home. Memories came flooding back as she steps on the porch. Her mother holds her arms out, Nikki walks pass her into the living room. Sitting on the couch after putting her book bag down, she fingers the little charm Janet had given her from the concert they'd went to. As her mother walks in and sits down in the recliner she asks her mom "So how long before he gets out of college this time? I have Candy on speed dial she'll whip a U-turn in a heartbeat if he comes back. I agreed to talk to you not him."

"I wouldn't bring you here if I knew he was going to be here. He's in jail and baby I know this must be a lot for you to take in."

Nikki can still see signs of the violence. As she closes her eyes blocking out the image. "A lot, yeah a lot I can't believe you just left me here. He fought me just like I was a grown up. There's still a crack in the wall from him slapping me into it. He hurt me and tried to close my hand in the window. He showed up at my school I thought he'd killed you. He lied to my teacher and when I went back I had to pretend that I'd lost some random family member all the while thinking maybe his lie to me was just that a lie. When you didn't call after I had got away I thought he had really found you. You just disappeared like smoke. I was so afraid he'd caught up to you. Mom where did you go? Why didn't you take me with you? I can run faster than you. I'm not on the track team because of my looks, so I wouldn't have slowed you down if that's what you thought."

"No honey I had no idea that he would hurt you. The night I left he'd been drinking and snapped and I feared he'd kill me if he hit me anymore. He threatened me telling me I wouldn't get a chance to call the cops on him this time. I tried to anyway and the next thing I knew I was on the floor with him above me he'd slammed his fist into the side of my head and when I woke to the sight of him passed out on the floor I ran. I've been staying with a friend. I sent Erma over here to check on you while I was away. I didn't want you to see what he'd done."

"He got arrested a few times but it was like he wouldn't stay long enough. Erma is going to real college now and when I couldn't hide out over at her place anymore it just kept getting worse. When he would get picked up Erma would pretend she was my mom for school stuff. Since they never met you it worked." Nikki was angry she'd had to stay here alone and pretend everything was fine so her father's words wouldn't come true about her being sent to the state. "When I got your call yesterday and today I didn't answer because it just proved that you were okay and had chosen to leave me behind. I am glad you're not dead but you left me like I didn't matter." Nikki folds in on herself as she curled her feet under her and fingered her phone screen swiping it open and closed. She knew that at least Candy would be a phone call away if she needed her.

Nikki's mother had just been informed today by her program big sister Candy that her husband had hurt her little girl. That was bad enough without having to hear it first hand from her daughter. Her eyes stung and her throat felt tight as words escaped her for a time she opened her mouth and nothing could make it past the paralyses of the emotion that warred within her. She ran from this house and from her husband, she had no idea he would turn on his own little girl. "You matter you have always been in my thoughts, when I heard that he was in jail I thought this would be the best time to come back. When I found you not here I got worried when Erma said she'd had to leave to go to college but that you were with your big sister. I felt I had to call you. When you didn't answer I spoke to Miss Rabinenvitch and…"

"Her name is Candy. She told me that you wanted to talk but that you said I could go back with her when the week started. I don't want to be here. I love you mom but this place is like so much right now." Nikki and her mom get up and go out to her favorite place to eat but knowing that they would have to go back to that house kind if killed her appetite. She played with her food and moved it around her plate as her mom talked at her. That night Nikki climbed in her bed her mom had admitted to cleaning up her room from where her dad had broken the door on his way in to catch her climbing from her window. She holds her hand as she had that night as phantom pain struck her along with the auditory illusion of her father yelling at her as she dangles from the other side of the window sill before she jump down and ran. Her phone played Janet's text tone. She grabs her phone and lays in her bed reading her screen.

Janet C: Hey miss you

Nikki: Ditto

Janet C: how is your talk or did I interrupt?

Nikki: Fine I guess (Shrugging emoticon) it's just weird being back

Janet C: is he there?

Nikki: Oh heck no I told her if he returns I'm not staying around and I mean it.

Janet C: When you said you were at home I was scared he would be there too. I'm glad he's not. Anyway enough about that I made you a video. It's the Katie and Rosa Show. Want to see it? You are their big sister too."

Nikki: Sure

Janet C: Okay well momma want me to come help with getting them settled I'm sending you the vid. Goodnight sis.

Nikki watches Janet's jerky movement as she pans the camera phone over her little sisters. Nikki giggles as Katie rolls out of the shot as Janet puts the camera down and says "No rolling away from your close up Miss Katie"

Nikki's mother stood at her door when she heard her girl giggling she smiled and went to bed. Sleep wouldn't come everything just kept running through her head. She gets up she'd laid in bed for hours. She read, nothing would tire her out. She'd thought of her sleeping pills but didn't want to become addicted to them especially with her girl in the house. Just when she was about to give up and take one she heard it, a thumping. She walked down the hall. Had he returned? Then the thumping was accompanied by screaming and she burst into Nikki's room there on the bed her girl flailed and rolled from the bed climbing under it screaming she was sorry. She couldn't take it she runs to the bed sinking to her knees and grabs Nikki. That was a mistake, Nikki swung out and hit her in the face. "Baby wake up your dreaming you're safe." She screamed from the pain in her face and the hysteria building within her at seeing her daughter so afraid. Nikki moans momma and moves to her side of the bed. "I'm here baby girl I'm here."

Nikki takes in heaping amounts of air and shudders the dream was to real. She looked at her mom from where she lay on the floor with her. Her mother's lip was busted had he returned? "Where is he?" Her mom says not here and as Nikki climbs from under the bed. She didn't smell him he usually reeked and made the room reek of liquor and his stinky cologne. "What happened to your lip?" her mom tells her she'd tried to pull her from under the bed while in the throes of her nightmare. "Please don't ever touch me when I'm asleep. He used to come in here yank me out the bed and tell me some part of the house wasn't clean. I can't stay here. This is truly not working. I can't eat and if that's how sleep is going to be I'm not really wanting to repeat it."

"Nikki don't give up. Baby girl I am going to look for another place that way maybe we can both sleep he can have this place. We can get our own place. They have little two bedrooms in Grandville North"

"What if he finds us? What if you run away again then I'll be even further away from help." Her mother tells her that now that she knew the danger she'd placed her in she wouldn't leave without her again. Nikki's mother didn't want to lie to her girl "Honey as much as I want to move right now I just don't have the money it would take to make a clean break."

Nikki's mind was racing a mile a minute. "Well I could help if you sign the paperwork. I could do sound at my friend's club afterschool." Her mother asks about Candy and the people she was with. Saying she really hadn't got a chance to meet and greet Candy. "Oh momma their all nice to me and Candy has a friend his name is Deon and he's super chill, and they don't fist fight or nothing, and I have my friend Janet, and I am like a sister to her, she even likes some of the music I do. I get to hang with the band lead on my wall in real life, she has a new band but she sings most of the songs and she likes me too." Her mother smiled and asked how they were able to keep her father away. "He doesn't want Candy's friend to beat him up or my band lead's sister to get involved she's a lawyer. I feel safe with them. You said you stayed with a friend would they let me come with you?"

Nikki's mom paused her friend wasn't someone she wanted to come around her daughter. Where she was surprised that her husband would take his anger out on their child she would not put her child in the environment she was in while hiding from her husband. "I'll sign your paperwork, but as for you staying with my friend there really isn't a good way to say this so I'll be direct. Honey that's not a place that I think you would thrive in. I have a suggestion and this would only be until I could get back on my feet and get us a place of our own. Since you feel safe and that's my number one goal at this point, I would like to ask Candy if she would be willing to take you in on a temporary basis.

"If it's safe for you shouldn't it be safe for me?"

Nikki's mom firmed her lips thinking of how not to make this worse but she would not cave on this. "You're in school and I really don't want to mess that up for you. It's not an area that I would feel comfortable in letting you roam around alone in. It's outside of this area and I know you worry about feeling lost. This area seems to be doing well for you. I don't want to uproot you away from your friends. I wouldn't ask Candy for such a favor but honey I think it's the safest thing for right now." Moving back to the living room they sit on the couch and talk until morning. The sun was coming up and Nikki's mom noticed her daughter was starting to drift as she lays with her head on her lap curled up in a ball. In a protective gesture she places her hand on Nikki's back and lays her head back as sleep claims her as well.

April wakes to the ringing of her cellphone that only her husband had the number to. Why was he calling she asked herself. When she answered the phone her husband was very upset. He said his bank and he were under investigation. She tries to comfort him but his last statement had her wondering for the first time would her dealings be uncovered. His stock was falling and another bank was threatening a takeover. He sounded frail not powerful. He was her security blanket. He tells her to please not use anymore of the business credit cards. She promises she won't but wondered what she was going to do. When she gets off the phone with him she paces her secure location in Grandville South. Her Underground was starting to unravel. She had thought she was so smart. If her money was ever traced she would be in more trouble than she assumed she was in now. Taking the money off of the business account and sending it through her organization was a flawless plan, but if the accounts were being watched there was a risk of expositor. She remembers her fellow GSSEC's warning from Chase W Ivey. This couldn't be happening his name was not the one on the paperwork for the takeover. He no longer owned the mega conglomerate Ivey Enterprises. She knew he wasn't broke by any means but what had he done? It was time for action. She had to save her husband's bank. She paced more this couldn't be Chase they were just having a bit of bad luck. Her mind was made up when she checks the news and her investors were publicly starting to pull out of the Saving Mommy Foundation. Her orphanage had been closed down and she had to relinquish the home in Houston. What if this was Chase's threat coming true? With no access to money and one of her families getting captured the couple that were offering to basically save her with what they were going to pay for Angel's child had just taken away their bid. Email after email pushed her to contact Chase.

A week later she read an article she'd wondered why her husband hadn't called there was a long article that reported the results of the investigation and the scams and corruption that had been uncovered. He was arrested in a board meeting trying to save the bank that night after his lawyer bailed him out he'd hung himself. She didn't have the funds to even bury him, his money was locked up in the investigation. The law was on her heels because of the orphanage raid. The parents had given up one of her hideouts as a plea agreement. The Snyder family had their own troubles the woman the judge was wrapped in a scandal that fell on them both. The couple was related it had hit the news hours after they had been taken via a release to all the major news stations the author was Strickland Law an Ivey Company.

April had to talk to Chase he was the only one that could call off the war he was winning against her. With no buyers for his grandchild she had to convince him to let her go. She'd leave the country with the money she had liquidated from all her physical assets. She was now staying in a motel on the outskirts of town. In less than three weeks her entire life had spiraled out of control. The power was gone, most of the money was gone, her husband was gone, her life as she knew it had tanked. She calls Chase and he seems to listen, he asks for a meet telling her he'd be more than happy to fly her the fuck out of the country, if she promised on her life never to return. It was the best deal she had going as she walks out to a car that didn't have the Ivey logo on it he'd sent for her. Her nerves were on fire. The driver tells her that Mr. Ivey said she could make use of the bar if she wished. She eyes the collection and drinks what he wouldn't think she would she drinks the scotch instead of his former wife's favorite vodka just in case this was a set up. The Scotch burned just like when she would drink with the GSSEC at Sophia's place. The car stops and the door opens as she is about to get out Dr. Trent Shelly gets in. She slaps him and demands on knowing what is going on.

Trent was no fool he'd struck a deal with Chase the minute his clinic got closed down. Chase had offered to fly him to Italy. If he cooperated and he did, when the money stopped coming through the underground. Chase threatened to expose him to Luke and the rest of the medical community. He'd just showed up in the clinic with three large men in toe. At first he tried to call Chase's bluff but found out just how powerful the son of a bitch was. The men didn't jump in but for a senior citizen Chase had a mean right hook that sent him out like a light. When he woke tied to a chair in a location that he to this day had no idea was. He told off on April and on himself a few times and had the cracked ribs to prove it. When Chase offered the flight out of the country saying Trent could either do that, or stay in that room and possibly perish he picked the flight. The car comes to a stop in the middle of nowhere. April was starting to fade as the car slowed down. Trent had drugged her as he was told. He knew she'd go for the scotch. He looks around this did not look like an air strip. His phone rings. "Hello, you said you wanted her out, I did that what gives?" That was the last thing he said before the door opened, and he is pulled from the car. The men that were with Chase made short work of putting him on his knees. He looks up at the business end of a gun. The man called Joe, told him this was his flight. Trent feels a pinch and looks away from the gun at the needle that is pulled from his arm. His breath catches as his world narrows. Joey leans into his face and says "Get ready for takeoff, you now have enough shit in your system to kill an elephant." Trent felt extreme heat run through his body as his breathing slows his starts seizing and then nothing. The men pick Trent's body up with gloved hands, and toss him over the edge of the rock facing they'd parked on.

After a drive April's limp form is pulled from the car into a barn. Joey slaps her until she wakes on her knees. He takes a picture of her. "Hey sweetheart have a nice trip?" She slurs something at him. "Oh the flight yeah. You like to fly right I have tracked you for a while, I was just waiting on word from the boss." He pulls her head back "you like to fly, I'm betting you'll love this flight." He slams her face first into the ground. She chokes on the dust that blooms from her impact. "That was a short trip just like the boss's son. You remember right?" He pulls a cellphone with the video she'd sent Sophie of Joshua hitting the ground. He watches her eyes fill with fear. "Don't worry I'm not fucking up a perfectly good limo just to recreate you crashing into his daughter. Lucky for you sweetheart, unless you want that lesson?" She shakes her head no. "The same shit you drank was what you had in the woman's needle when your men trespassed on my boss's ship." Your little phone call almost took out my boss's kid and grand kid did you stop there? I asked you a question sweetheart." April shakes her head and slurs no. "We found the switched video on your laptop that you trashed. You almost killed his kids and his business partner. You like hurting people right sweetheart?" She says no and begs him to not hurt her. Joey slaps her hard enough to turn her head. Pointing at her he says "If you are going to get through this, you had better learn to follow the rules. I ask you a yes or no question, you don't add shit, are we clear yes or no?" She nods yes "I want you to feel just what your scare tactic did to my boss's kid. But since threatening to send your lover off the mountain wouldn't be effective, I guess there's only one way for me to scare you like you scared her. She panicked and an almost died because she stopped breathing. Lucky for you she survived." Joey slowly walks around to her back she tries to follow his movement but before she can fully turn her head. He snatches her up from behind and covers her face. Her hands fly to his gloved ones as she tries to pull his off her mouth and nose. She starts to shake. "Feel that panic?" He lets her go as she takes in heaping amounts of air on her hands and knees. He kicks her in the butt making her fall on her face. "You trapped that kid in hand and foot restraints after putting him out, and threatened to kill him either by suffocation or a gut shot. I'm going to let you in on a little secret, if you had of killed any of my boss's family, this would have been quicker and a lot harder. He wanted his son to catch you, but since you were so elusive he sent me after you. I'd say nothing personal, but then I'd be lying." He instructs her to get up she slowly climbs to her feet. Seeing her lift her eyes to his face, made him want to deck her and send her back to the floor. "Turn around" he sneers at her. She turns with her back to him he puts the plastic twist ties like those she used on Joshua, on her wrists drawing them tightly behind her back. "I would make this look like an accident, but if there is anybody out there that thinks they can take over where you left off, I want them to see just what could happen should they decide to take the reins and fuck with my boss's family." He guides her to the middle of the room and orders her to stand there his two friends make sure she doesn't go anywhere. He walks back over where his one associate holds her in place. The other points a camera at her. "Say goodbye" She starts to cry begging him not to do this she says there is no buyer no one is in danger anymore. She apologizes while blubbering. "What did you say to the kid oh that's right I believe you weren't fazed at hurting him. Touching really. Let's finish" He pulls out a blade that rivaled one of Joshua's longest daggers, and stabs her in the stomach. "Here is for all the pain you have caused." He moves the blade up before pulling it out and plunging it in again. As she is screaming in pain, the sound is soon distorted as blood bubbles up out of her mouth and her legs buckle. Joey says "stop video" when she stops moving while lying on the ground. Joey and his men pick her up and hang her body by her bound wrists over a bean in the center of the barn and leave. Joey calls Chase's throw away phone and says through the voice vamp "Phase 2 complete."

Chase sits in his dining room when he gets the call he gets up and walks to his car knowing that the STOP team wouldn't be needed after her body was found was a relief. He wanted to shout it from the rooftops that April's rein of terrorizing his family was over, but he'd have to settle for telling the one man that he knew would have done the same in a heartbeat. He calls ahead and asks Jonathon if he could come over. Jonathon agrees. As Chase pulls into Jonathon's car park he gets out and looks around for Jonathon's lady friend's vehicle. It was not here. He knocks on the door. Jonathon pulls it open with his guarded expression in place. "May I?" Jonathon steps to the side waving him in. This house looked so different from when he lived here last.

Jonathon watches Chase look around his home. "So you had something you wanted to meet about? Business or pleasure." Chase tells him that he wanted this meeting to share that Angel no longer has to worry about April and her underground. "So does that mean that Robert or Harold caught her finally?" When Chase tells him why he had it on such good authority that April her underground would not bother their girl or their grandchild. Jonathon raises an eyebrow. Chase had just admitted to single handily causing three deaths, saying that since April's husband would not tell her whereabouts he deserved the professional ruin that caused him to kill himself. The doctor was a surprise, and the fact that Chase made it seem like they would get anything from him was very amusing. After a beat Jonathon sighs in relief "To be perfectly honest I would have done the same if I could find her. I'm just thankful it's over. Chase I think that this occasion deserves a toast. " They soon stand with glasses raised.

Chase says "This is an old one I heard long time ago. Here's to cheating, stealing, fighting, and drinking. If you cheat, may you cheat death
if you steal, may you steal a woman's heart.
If you fight, may you fight for a brother?"
and if you drink, may you drink with me." he notices Jonathon mouthing the words.

They drink. "Spent any time in Ireland have you? That is a classic there." Chase smirks thinking of his father and says he didn't doubt it. It was his father's favorite toast after coming home on leave. "Did you follow his lead of being in the service?" Jonathon knew Chase was older than him but he wasn't sure if it was by a few years or what.

Chase takes another sip of the wine and shakes his head saying "Not to the extent of my father the General. I guess leaving the US as a teen, and going to military prep school in England did not make my heart grow fond of the idea. I just knew that wasn't going to be something that I did well. I liked to argue, and following orders was never my strong point. What about you John ever in the service?"

Jonathon says that was his grandfather and father's wish for him, but like Chase the idea of answering to someone never appealed to him. He reveals that his grandfather fought in the Irish War of Independence for the Irish Republican Army. If someone told him a year ago that he would be once again standing in this house. That he would once again own his family home within walking distance of his girl, or that he would be toasting with the man that struck all of his triggers at one time. Lady Sophie Ivey who was nothing like her mother put it well one day. She told him that he'd be lot happier when he stopped suspecting them of being out to get him. He'd now witnessed two very explosive episodes of Chase being genuinely angry enough to snap on someone. Chase had earned his respect and he believed he did the same. Chase is staring at him. And asking him what is wrong. "Nothing this year has been one hell of a ride. Chase after seeing you and the resort and taking out the bitch that messed with our girl. Let me be the first to say I believe your words on your position, that Sophia would not have convinced you to take any action against meh. I guess being in the moment and not thinking clearly just tunneled my vision sort of speak. I'm glad we're both able to wipe away some of the deception to see the forest for the trees."

"Though I didn't fully know the truth something just told me if Angela wanted to get to know you that I should help not hinder her chance. I came here tonight because Jonathon we're not that different, we both want what is best for our family and I knew that if you had of found the bitch, there would have been a projectile of some kind in her head. This way you and I can still be around our girl and get to see our grandson." Chase raises his glass "To no prison for either of us" they drink.

Jonathon smirks "I totally agree we both have a decent amount of protective wolf within us, yours is just more refined. This was why you vanished after the wedding?" Chase nods and tells him of the first meeting attempt, and how Jonathon and Harold were the only two people he trusted enough with the STOP team being compromised to protect his family in his absence. He continues to say seeing the fear in his child's eyes on her big day because of Paula's kidnapping as they all loaded into the limos made something inside of him snap. He was tired of the Federals fucking up chance after chance to grab her as she got closer to being in position to abduct Angel. He just couldn't let that happen.

"Glenn's little minx that helped kidnap my niece Rosa Alana had better be thankful for the bars that surround her now. I swear no new friends, accepted in to any more family functions without a federal scan and sanity check."

Chase sits at the counter with his hand around the glass. "I'll take that into consideration, although I doubt she would want to be in public with me. I'm probably old enough to be her father. I also wouldn't want to bring anyone around my family that I don't know very well just in case I didn't tie up all loose underground ends if you follow." Jonathon raises an eyebrow and asks is she legal if so if the woman made him happy check her out and give her a go. Chase couldn't believe he was here talking about this with Jonathon. Blaming it on the aged wine he continues. Shaking his head he says "I met her at the Major's birthday dinner 5 months ago. She's married" Jonathon's eyes narrow slightly "She didn't tell me some bullshit about him cheating I asked what happened to her she owns a small business startup here in town. I noticed her staff would show but she would not. I sent her a text asking when she was going to come and direct her staff. She called me and told me she and her husband had got into a fight and she had to leave the area but her staff was very capable of running the event in her absence. I aimed to catch her in a lie, so I drove to the location of her cellphone and told her to come outside. I didn't believe her, but after my past can you really blame me? Anyway she first said she didn't want anyone to see her like this and the like. I can really be a hard headed bastard when I want to. I walked up to the door knocked she answered the door, the fucker had almost put out her fucking eye. To my knowledge you can't just apply bruising like that within the 2 minutes it took me to track her address, it was all in different stages of healing. She had bandages where he's almost broke her jaw when he kicked her in the face. "

Jonathon asks "Is she a young socialite in training?" Chase pulls a face that reminded him of Sophie.

"Heavens no, I know those women and giving that I spent most of my younger years playing keep away with Angel and Sophie when they were around. I will not dip into the cesspool. To say the Grandville Social Elite leaves a bad taste in my mouth would be a gross understatement. I have given her Sophie's number since she wants a divorce and Sophie has a payment plan. I offered to purchase the consult and the divorce she refused saying she didn't want me to do anything like that in case our little friendship or whatever went south. I assured her I wouldn't ask for the money back, she's skittish about accepting finical help."

"No offense Chase but that isn't something one or a normal person would expect from a friend. No one says I wish I were divorced and expects there new friend or whatever to purchase what could be a very expensive life change." Jonathon saw it on Chase's face before he uttered another word. Chase had a point that he would not cross and Jonathon had just bumped it. He should have guessed that Chase had purchased his divorce. Back then the shock and pain of his failed marriage left no room for pondering where Sophia acquired the money to divorce him. Shaking off shit that really didn't matter Jonathon continues. "Anyway you say the woman was in an abusive controlling relationship, perhaps she is getting a taste of independence and likes the taste."

"I thought she was asking for help but I guess she just needed to talk. I'm a problem engineer, I see a problem and try to fix it." Jonathon tells him that some things you can't solve with the swipe of a pen.

Days later Angel and Joshua are having a much needed night alone. Angel sits on the couch in their room waiting on Joshua who went for popcorn and her a ginger ale. When he comes back in she asks "Hey did you remember the maple syrup and powdered cheese for mine?" Joshua makes a face, walks over putting the stuff before her on the table. He then sits beside her, and asks her stomach was his son sure he wanted this. Angel poked him and he tickles her until she snorts and begs him to stop. She hits the on button and is about to turn it to the input channel when she sees April on the news. Joshua tells her to turn it up maybe the team had caught her ass. Angel turns up the news and a picture of Doctor Trent Shelly appears on the screen. They both sit in stunned silence until the report starts to overlap and repeat. They'd come in on the middle of the broadcast, turned to a more reliable channel and it was everywhere. Luke's friend worked for April, he'd been in the same room with her. He'd freaked her out from the first time they met and he hadn't made a good impression on Sophie either, with the blaming Luke for his success shit. She read about April's husband killing himself. April was killed and the picture were said to be too graphic to show on television. Joshua takes the remote out of her hand. All the stress and panic was washed away as tears of relief flood her eyes.

Joshua was in shock until he heard a sniffle. He turns and she was crying. He asked "Honey is everything ok?" She nods and hugs him whispering it's over it's finally over they no longer have to live in fear of that crazy bitch, JC is safe. "I know" he says on a sigh after all the shit they had been through to know that April wouldn't make any of their nightmares come true, was a great weight lifted from their minds and hearts. He'd thought this person that was prank calling Angel with recordings of Sophia saying she didn't love Angel and the fact that Sophia had started this fucking train wreck, and pointed the underground at her own daughter, was a man. When he found that it was a female his hate and wanting to hurt her did not diminish, it just gave his hate a target with a face. Her threats to take Angel were the worse, she had got way too close to his lover a few times. Finding out what all happened to Paula at his wedding, being taken without a fucking trace had given him nightmares. The closer it got to his son coming set his nerves on edge, to the point it was like having inching powder thrown on you. He'd felt bad for Mark when his daughter was taken, and was one of the happiest when she was returned, but the fact that it was pulled off at all spiked his fear for his own wife and son. After Joshua was taken there was always that small pinch of anxiousness that if April caught his ass again he wouldn't survive. Though he tried to hide it Angel picked up on it when he suggested she have JC at the house. He is thankful that Sharp the ring leading crazy sadistic bitch is gone for good. Closing his eyes, and holding his wife, while rubbing her back, is where they stayed until Sophie's ring tone hit Angel's phone. He listened to the relief in his wife's voice as she spoke to her sister. Within an hour, everyone in their circle had called to tell the news and wanted to let them know that it was over. Even Janet, and Nikki called, saying it hit the radio on their way home from school. It was linked to entertainment and business because of who April had targeted.

Later that night their little circle of family and friends all asked to come over. Sophie said this was a time for celebration. Luke volunteered to barbecue. They all sit in the backyard of Ivey Mansion on the deck, Bobby and Harold were wrapping up the investigation, and they said it was like someone had put all the puzzle pieces together for them. Angel after a while went back in the house, saying that the smoke was getting to her. Joshua made sure she was ok, and helped her in the den since she didn't want to go upstairs the den was the furthest away from the back deck on the ground level. Joshua sat on the railing of the deck watching for barbecued broccoli and chicken for Angel. Bradley walks over and grabs a beer slapping him on the back in greeting. "Hey Joshua let me be the first to say I'm glad you didn't start playing with knives until after I'd moved out. Man I swear that sword was on your wall downstairs."

Joshua looked up at his brother and says "it was a dagger not a sword, and it happened far enough away that none of us are suspects, which was good since you have so eloquently pointed out I own that brand of dagger. I just don't carry it the thing is 2 feet long and isn't lightweight. The dagger used on her wasn't the style I have though anyway, don't think Bobby didn't call my ass asking was one of my toys missing. Believe me, if I had of cut her I wouldn't have hung her nowhere, fuck her stomach. The model used is 27 inches long with that much steel, I would cut off her fucking head. I'm just glad she's gone man." Luke tells him that Angel's food is ready. "Thanks Luke" Joshua takes the food into Angel who is sitting on the couch on her old laptop with Candy, picking designs for the rest of her band tee shirts. Meeting Angel's eyes when he stops staring at the laptop, she says hidden and he nods. So she'd took his advice in putting that fucking video in an encrypted folder and zipping it. "Hey babe you girls feeding Candy's addiction?" Candy smirks and says uh huh. Seeing his wife and his friend happy put a smile on his face as he teased his friend. Setting down the food Candy meets his eyes, and she says one of his Angelic Impression Sweat shirts were at her place. "Don't fret over that I get to go to bed every night with the only part of that band I ever cared about." He walks around the table and hugs Angel whispering something in her ear to make her blush.

Candy loved to see her favorite couple happy "Sophie talks about Luke's lack of a Poker face has she watched Angel? Girl you would give away the game every time." Angel giggles and says that's why Poker was never her game of choice. When Joshua leaves back out the den Candy asked "So when Josh came in his eyes bugged out and you said hidden, what is hidden?" Angel didn't say anything, and kept her eyes on the screen so long that Candy thought that maybe it was one of those couple things, that she shouldn't ask and starts to say something when Angel closes the laptop.

Angel sent in another print request to the shirt company and closed the laptop saying nothing. Candy had not given away any secrets she had given her to hold. It was easier to speak about it now that it was not the anniversary of the events on the video. She'd met with Middlebrooks last week, and Middlebrooks told her that the shame and fear of exposure she felt was normal reaction, but also the shame was misplaced, because it should have fallen on the members of her band that did not remove her from the situation when she could not defend herself. Sandra had hit the hammer on the head, the doctor in her own way told Angel that it hit her so hard because of the timing and the other events that she had been through and had not time to deal with. They spoke about all the emotions that fed her triggers as she watched herself. Angel wanted to leave when Middlebrooks suggested what Joshua had tried to but stopped. Angel felt herself getting angry at the doctor until Middlebrooks told her that the video information she wanted and feared did not require the person to view the video. That night after being driven from her appointment by Andrew she had him stop at Chase's she remembers it like it happened hours ago instead of a week ago.

Flashback

Angel lets herself in and awkwardly stands at the doorway of Chase's home office. He suddenly opens the door and she recoils thinking this was a bad idea. His features evened out Angel looks up and holds up the key he'd given her and Sophie. "Andrew wouldn't park until I got in the house and I didn't want him walking me in." Rubbing her hands on her arms she continues. "Um Chase is there a way that you could find something out for me about a video without you watching the video?" He asked what she wanted to know. Angel can't believe Middlebrooks had got her to agree to this. No matter what anyone said the fear that he would see her differently was thick in her throat when she spoke again. "I need to know where it came from and if it is a copy?" He asks what kind of video. Angel looked away from him at the floor. "I think it is surveillance." When she chanced a glance at his face it had hardened. "Never mind. Please forget I said anything. I'm sorry. I got to go." Angel turns she couldn't do this he was already pissed and she hadn't even told him. She'd almost made it out of the front door when he called her back using her entire name in that tone he used to stop a board meeting. In seconds he was behind her. With her hand on the doorknob she looks up at the pane of glass and saw his refection. She no longer saw anger she saw something she hadn't expected she saw hurt. He wouldn't grab her she saw the action play of over his face as he withdrew his hand. His voice evens out as he asked her to please come back in the office saying it was evident that she had come seeking his possible help. When he said for her to please at least tell him what she feared was on the video because with the limited information his mind was racing a mile a minute. She turned around and leaned against the door. That's when she told him and begged him to not tell anyone how stupid she had been for believing Braden's trick of calm. He stepped forward to hug her and at that moment not hearing the things she feared she would hear after telling him made her hug him back. She was so afraid he would say the shit her mother had about her embarrassing the family since now there was video proof of some really crazy shit out there. When he said he could find out the information. She sagged against him in relief. He went on to say he was just sorry it happened he also told her to stop blaming herself saying that Braden's drug abuse would have made it nearly impossible to read him. "Nothing said leave in my head. Yelling was the least of our problems. Screaming at each other, and this is going to sound stupid, was almost normal. That day he didn't even flinch in my direction so there was no warning sign that anything else was coming." Chase said a little disagreement is normal playing mind games with your mate and drugging her to an immobile state is far beyond anything normal and that Braden was a very unstable person. A few days later Chase called her and told her that the video was the original and that he was certain there were not any copies because the company that ran the surveillance was through his company it was a third party that later merged. The way they operated was if Braden had of called the police the stream would have split since no 911 call was made the video loaded into her video folder whole to be deleted later. She looked at where the file was and the folders around it with video logos and for the first time she saw the other videos she clicked on a few and closed and deleted them. When it came to the video she encrypted it and hid it.

End of Flashback

Angel is brought out of her reverie by Candy apologizing and getting up. "No Candy you know the picture that spiked the replacement dream." Candy sits back down and says she thought they had burned it. "Well yeah but I what I hid was when I was looking for images for your shirt I found … I found a video of that week. " Candy whistles low and asked why she didn't delete it." Yesterday Chase found the information I needed to be secure that this was the only one. The video was first tampered with by me opening it a week from Thanksgiving." Candy tells her to pull it up. "No"

"Angel not to watch it to destroy it. Now that you know there isn't some nut out there whacking off to your drugged out image delete it. Girl that shit was hard and horrible but please delete it. Move on, that's not something you're going to watch in a reminiscent way." Angel pales and shake her head. "Save the space on your laptop, delete that shit and make room to put memories you will want to watch and look at over and over again, in its place like videos and pictures of my god son." After she's done Angel reaches over Candy turns back since she didn't want to even risk seeing anything and is surprised when Angel hugs her tightly shaking saying she was so glad the April shit was over with. Candy pats her back and says "I know girl I am too."

With the close of the adoption ring known as the Mother's underground wrapped up. The next few days are filled with debriefing and dismissing the STOP team. Bobby is officially made Field Commander for this region not just Texas. Harold returns to New York. Bobby agrees to send Chase's private security through a federal scan. With the results back Chase hires the security that he felt could protect and not just scare the shit out of his daughter. He'd introduced them to Angel so she would know who is a part of the team. His oldest girl was in her 39th week and he was happy she felt up to doing something that, when not tarnished by outside forces worked marvelously. Seeing the excitement Angel held while planning Sophie's birthday party swelled his heart. He didn't realize until here recently how long it had been since he'd got a chance to spend a nice amount of time with Angel. Chase was so glad he could give her the information she wanted about the video. His children now knew of each other, and to his knowledge got along, so much had happened this year. He hoped the rest of this year and next year held a lot more joy than sorrow and fear than this year. His children were all here in town within walking distance from his home. He was going to be 65 in just a few days and still intended on going to Vegas maybe he would invite his? His friend they were friends. He refused to call it dating no matter what type of label you have it under, he was sure that his children who were around his friend's age would see it differently. Amy was mature and strong, she had her lumps, but she bounced back. She'd given her daughter to a woman who she trusted to take care of her, while she rebuilt her life. Chase clenched his fist, he hated that Jonathon had been right. He hated to see her struggle, it just wasn't in him to watch a woman struggle. Sighing he texted her they chat for a time. When he invited her to celebrate his birthday it first pissed him off when she said she didn't have the money for a plane ticket right now.

Chase W: You say that you would like to keep clear what is meant and what is said. When I invited you to come with me in my mind that would include me making sure you arrived and departed in a safe manor. It's my birthday and I would like to take you my friend with me. No hidden agenda, no hidden meaning, I want to gamble, and share my birthday with a beautiful woman. Do you feel me?

Any: Chase I think it is a nice Idea and I have no issues with celebrating with you. I just want to make sure that if you for some reason fall out of like with me, that I'm not trapped in a city I'm not familiar with. I've done the walk of shame before, and I don't intend to do that again thousands of miles away from home. If it wouldn't be too much of a bother I'd want the plane ticket in my name.

Chase W: You think you so highly of me LOL. But seriously I understand dear I am willing to make you as comfortable as possible. So maybe we can come to some form of agreement. I fly us there, in one of my fleet of aircraft. For your peace of mind, I will have the plane flown by a pilot and copilot from Ivey transit. This gives you the freedom to leave if you so wish to, at any point in the trip.

Amy: Chase can't we just fly with a regular airline

Chase W: I don't ride in commercial aircraft

Chase sat posed to type if she said anything else this wasn't something he could relent on, by the time they landed he'd be mental putty. The last commercial trip on an aircraft he took almost ended in disaster. He hadn't learned to fly himself, and needed to get back from London, he'd flew in first class and when that plane went down he just knew that was it, he'd never see his family again. His Sophie was 3 his Angel was 8 and Bobby was 21. When the oxygen mask fell from the ceiling, and he felt the sensation of free falling he must have passed out because when he came to he was being pulled from the plane. He'd bought his Aircraft on his way home, and added pilots to the job description of Ivey Transit professionals. It was a quick fix, which gave him peace of mind for a while, until he learned to fly himself. His phone rings in his hand. He loved her directness. They hash out a plan of action that is agreeable to them both.

Angel, Candy, and Cassandra head to the mall the girls were in school this was their last week before vacation. Candy is driving Angel's truck. Angel told her the truth, though Sophie trusted Ivey Transit, she didn't and she didn't feel like driving even though she wanted to get out of the house. Candy had the biggest grin on her face when she offered to drive. "Cass I found a gift for dad I hope. I really don't know what he likes, and I don't want to get him anything stupid. It would almost be like buying Chase a scarf. He'll smile at you, and it will be put in his bottom drawer never to be seen again."

Cassandra didn't really know what to suggest, she knew what Brad was getting their dad and she knew what her mom was getting him, she still had to come up with something for them. "Well dad isn't into ties anymore since he retired. Brad is getting him a game console so he can play golf in his living room." Cass texts Bradly when Angel asks what system and buys him a game for the system. Angel asks what Sally liked. "Mom is easy, just a music cd with instrumental and you'll win points." Angel thinks about it and asks did Cass know any of the people she liked. "Well she likes the Trans-Siberian orchestra. I gave her one of their CDs and she played it to death. It got broken during the move though, so I was thinking of snagging her another one."

Not wanting to over shadow Cass's idea Angel looks something up as they sit in front of the ticket master for this area in the food court nibbling on a pretzel. "Hey Cass do you think mom would like this from you and me?" Angel shows her sister-in-law the website announcing that the orchestra was in town soon and had a package left if she ordered now, Sally would even get backstage passes and a reservation for an after event gala. Cass asked if Angel was sure considering Joshua may want to get in on it. Angel smiled at Cass and said "Josh has assured me that he has already bought a gift for all of his parents." Cass made a face and asked what the hell he bought for the Smyth parents? Angel cringes at the mention of his birth parents and says "The same thing he bought them last year and the years before that not a damn thing. No, he claims not only my birth father Jonathon, but also Chase he says he went from having two parents that dared to love him, to having an entire family that loves him. Cassandra, I'm so glad that you and Bradley and Josh are getting along now."

Candy says "Yeah or you would not be able to play with my godson when he comes out." Cass mock glares and says he is going to be her nephew so family trumps god family. Candy knew Cass was kidding but little did she know if she hadn't of fixed her damn attitude, Joshua said if for any reason his adoptive siblings or his adoptive mother turned back to the crazy side, he would stop all communication with them in a heartbeat, saying all that infighting wasn't something he would allow around his wife and child. Angel politely changes the subject back to presents Cass agrees to put up part of the gift for Sally. "So you have Sophie's Christmas gift and her birthday gift?" Angel beams as they get to their feet and head to the next floor for shopping for gifts for their loved ones.

Angel was so happy about her plans for Sophie's party she stops and turns to Cassandra "Please tell me if Bradley gets his invite to Christmas dinner, I took the address from our wedding registry. I really don't need anyone feeling left out." Angel was planning two parties and bought Chase an outfit for his trip to Vegas for his birthday. Chase told them, he didn't want a party. He wanted her to concentrate on Sophie's party, and Christmas, and to tell him if she needed any help. Angel felt safe to go out now that no one was after her baby boy. Chase had introduced her to the group of men and women that followed her and Sophie around. Knowing that Chase had handpicked them gave her a sense of security. It was a good thing too, because she still had presents to pick up. Sophie had suggested a makeover and spa package for Cassandra, but Angel didn't know how her newest sister-in-law would receive a gift like that, Cassandra had a certain style that ranged somewhere between gothic and business. Angel wondered for a time what hair color was blacked out by the heavy blue black hair dye. Her look went more with the angry woman she'd been introduced as, instead of the nicer person she seemed to be working to become. The outfit she'd worn to the wedding was what gave Sophie the idea. Without all the extra material Cassandra was more medium build than overweight. In her everyday attire she wore clothing that did not flatter her frame, it tried to hide it. Angel really wasn't into fashion but she had grew up with Sophie, and she at least wore clothing that fit well.

Cassandra caught Angel staring at her and this wasn't the first time. "Angel what is it do I have a piece of pretzel in my teeth? You keep staring at me." Angel apologizes but doesn't say what is up as she heads into Torrid. "I didn't know you shopped here." Angel says she likes the boots mostly with a huge smile. Cassandra's phone rings she looks at it and tucks it back in her pocket without answering it. It rings again. "Hold on girls, I am going to take this get rid of him so I can come back and find me some tops for the Christmas party." Angel tells her not to pass up a date opportunity on their account. There were plenty of boots for her to check out since the store was having a sale. Cassandra walks backs in the hall shaking her head. This was not who she wanted anymore, and he had made it clear who he wanted. She answers the phone "What Chadwick? It's too late for that. No I'm not seeing anyone but I am not coming back to you. I thought you and my best friend had hit it off so well. Hey you married her. No that isn't me being a bitch. This is STOP CALLING ME. " Cass shrieks into the phone and pushes end. Cassandra looks around glaring through her large fake eye lashes at the people that had begun to stare at her for her outburst. When she turns back to Torrid she catches Angel and her friend staring as well. Angel looks away and nudges Candy. The female body guard that traveled with Angel looked her way through her sunglasses and went back to her pretend shopping. Angel soon suggest going home since it was going on midafternoon. Candy drops her off at home and Cass soon watches the tail lights of Angel's truck disappear down the street from her home with two of their people merging onto the street. Angel's father Chase's security was less obvious. If you didn't know which car you were looking for, you would miss the tail. Joshua had said them coming to pick her up even though Angel wasn't driving and had Candy drive was progress because Angel didn't like even riding though Pyramid. The fact that Angel was willing to come and pick her up to go shopping this morning was touching. Her little sister in law was really giving the closer family plan a good hard try as they all were. Joshua had got Bradley a job interview with the construction company that built LEGNA Grandville. Brad was not only doing the handyman thing for the woman he stayed with, but he would soon be working on the expansion of The Davenport and hadn't did anything stronger than a Motrin.

The next day Angel heads downstairs and finds Paula with Janet and the twins in the den. "Right on I get to hold my cousins." Angel sits in the recliner and picks Rosa up cooing at her. "She's so pretty and getting longer by the day." Angel looks over at Paula she'd made a good recovery. Paula had told her about not being able to have more children, but that she was okay with that now, since she hadn't thought she would ever get pregnant she would just have to take extra care of the miracles she was blessed with. Rosa starts getting fussy and Paula takes her saying her little greedy baby was probably hungry again. Katie is next Angel holds her until her shirt com goes off and Katie didn't like the beeping sound and start wailing. Janet picks her up walking away from the sound. Angel answers the call from the guard gate "Oh that's wonderful Frank show her in." Turning back to Paula "Note to self don't have this thing on when holding them." Angel takes the shirt com off, puts it on the coffee table and reaches for Katie again. Janet hands her over and sits next to them. "I'm sorry cozo for the loud noise." Paula asks who was coming in "Sophie's friend from school, Adina Frost this is the surprise part of her birthday present from me."

Adina Frost is a tall trim woman with blue eyes and long dark brown hair that rides just above her butt. She is shown into the den of Sophie's home when she sees Angela holding a baby the first thing that comes out is "oh my I didn't know you had your child already."

Angel hands Katie back to Janet and says as she gets to her feet patting her belly with a rueful smile. "Nope my baby boy is still baking. How have you been? " Adina says wonderful in her cultured tone. Angel notices the ring that changed her name from Holt to Frost. "Is Gregory coming with you to the concert?" She looks at the ceiling and says no he is in campaign mode. "Well if I lived in Baltimore I would vote for him." Angel liked Adina and her husband they were so nice to her when she would tour near Maryland. She was originally from a town right outside of London and went to college with Sophie. They were best friends and Angel knew that they had not got a chance to cut loose in a while. Angel notices Paula and Janet staring at her. "Janet, Paula I'm sorry girls this is Adina Frost she is Sophie's best friend from college."

Adina had met Paula before when Sophie, she and Greg had come here to Sophie's home town when they were 21. "Well hello again Paula and it is a pleasure to meet you Janet. Angel I don't wish to be rude but I seem to have forgotten how to navigate your place and I'm in need of the facilities." Janet says she'll show her the bathroom on this level. Angel thanks her and says not to go to the front one in case Sophie got here before she finished.

Janet and Adina leave the room. "So is she staying here?" Paula asks as she unconsciously pulls the double baby carrier closer to her. Angel who is messing with her phone looks up at her tone and says no Adina stays at Ivey Suites when she is in town. "Oh that's nice. I think I'm going to take the girls and put them down for a nap." Paula gets up and tries to pick up the thing and stops. She didn't need to pull a stitch she was doing good and Mark would be pissed if she did her super woman shit as he called it, and hurt herself. He'd got after her about not just putting the carrier in the stroller. Hearing his latest tirade in her head made her put the carrier in the stroller and strap it in. "On second thought I'll just go to the bedroom on this level." Angel says that's fine and asks was she feeling ok. "Yeah I'm just a little anxious about having the girls around someone new. It's nothing against your friend it's just after…"

Angel put her phone away and walks over and says "Paula stop, I get it." Angel picks up her little cousin Rosa Alana and Paula picks up Katie Jade. "How about we take the girls up to JC's room that way you can nap in the recliner, and still be comforted by their closeness. Instead of trying to lay them on the bed and follow Katie's rolling self around the bed." Paula asks was she sure she didn't mind. "No it's fine I'm sure JC wouldn't mind his cute little cousins sleeping in his room for a nap." Adina and Janet comes back and says that Sophie just pulled in the yard. When Adina walked closer to Angel and asked to hold Rosa Paula bristled. "Not right now um they are going up for a nap." Angel hands Rosa to Janet asking her to help Paula get the girls down for a nap in JC's room. Janet and Paula leave the room. Angel sighs Paula's edginess was wrapping itself around her she knew Adina.

"Is everything ok?" Adina asks "Is my perfume too strong or something I didn't think I applied a lot this morning." Angela says no it not her perfume and everything is fine. It then hit her why Paula was so recognizable besides a memory of the woman 4 years ago while trying to drink her future husband under the table. "Oh my god that's Mark Callaway's bride. That's why she looked so familiar. She was on the news something about an Amber alert of sorts. That coupled with having such young girls no wonder she was watching my every move. Sophie told me a few things in confidence. Well now that I know what those stares were about I don't feel so awkward. Around our firm she's called miracle because she was found so fast and unharmed. I can't even imagine being the parent waiting wondering it probably felt like an eternity."

Angel didn't want to think about this right now she wanted to think about something happy like Sophie's face when she saw her friend. As if on cue she heard Sophie and Luke walk in to the atrium. "Luke you can tell me what is going on. I'm not buying this random trip back home so you can find your sunglasses. Besides you hardly even where them." Luke turns while standing in front of the den and says maybe if she helped him look they could go for her birthday dinner a lot faster. She seemed grumpy and it must be because she was hungry. Sophie marches in to the den after him. "No I'm not grumpy I'm pissed because you're playing ga… games. OH MY God Adina?" Sophie and Adina meet in the middle of the room as they hug each other talking a mile a minute switching between French to English and back again. Luke makes a motion like he's rubbing his hand across his forehead. Angel is beaming from ear to ear. Her plan had worked she'd finally surprised her sister and it was a good surprise.

"Sophie I love the ring that is darling. So is this Lucas?" Adina eyes the male that stayed by Angela talking to her. Hearing his name he approaches and says to call him Luke everyone else did. "Ok Luke it is." Adina watches her friend's fiancé wrap his arm around her waist. She was mildly surprised that Sophie just intertwined her fingers with his a little smile playing over her features. "Luke A word please?" The male eyes his mate then looks back at her. Confusion plays over Sophie's face but it is hidden faster than her mate's. "Sophie you were right his lack of a poker face is cute. Worry not my claws will remain in." Luke and Adina walk on the other side of the room. As Sophie watches Luke's face as Adina talks quietly to where her voice doesn't carry.

Angel walks over and hugs her sister trying to take away the focused glare that was starting to form on Sophie's face and says "Happy birthday sista. Sophie this was just part of your happy birthday surprise how am I doing so far?" Sophie turns to her and says great she really wasn't expecting this. Angel then reveals her concert surprise and who will be there. That got and kept Sophie's attention and lit her face like a charismas tree. As she repeats your kidding after each band name was said. "No and you get the backstage tour as well. With your party of 6. I would have thrown you a party but I figured you would like this more. I didn't know that Gregory wasn't coming, so if there is someone else you wanted to take there is an extra ticket."

Over in the corner Adina faces her friend and suggest Luke do the same. "Luke Sophie is very smitten with you obviously. I know your type the young socialite doctor. You pull her into your social circle. Don't hurt my friend. I want to believe that her sister and I haven't found and taken the last of the good men in the world that there is room for one more in you. Her ex was garbage in good wrapping paper. You won points when you kept your eyes on your mate keep it up or so help me I'll hurt you where it counts. That is all, now smile and shake my hand." He sends her a sideways glare as he tucks his hand into his front pocket. She meets his angry blue glare head on and raises her eyebrow. "Problem?"

Luke didn't even get this reaction from her own sister or Chase. He would not be pushed like a puppet. "No Adina there isn't problem, Sophie isn't just a part of my social life, she is my life social and otherwise. I understand you want to protect her. That is natural. I have no intention of hurting her. Let this be known, if I were to hurt her in any way there wouldn't be a part of me left for your work. Now I am going back over there to take the partially hidden puzzled pissed look off her face. It has been interesting speaking with you. You don't know me well enough to pass judgment on me. Don't threaten me again." Luke walks over and wraps an arm back around Sophie. Adina snaps her lips closed and heads back after him saying they weren't finished speaking. Luke says "yes, we are quite done."

Adina says to Sophie in French what she said to Luke saying she did not want him twisting her words. Sophie tilts her face up to Luke who said nothing and then excused himself. Sophie knew he wasn't leaving the house, just the room. He'd taken himself off line today and off call because it is her birthday. Angel says she was going to go get dressed for the concert and call Josh. Sophie understood her friend's reaction it was kind of over the top, but she understood. Julius had left a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths. When she couldn't get ahold of Angel she had spoken to Adina for hours at a time about the Julius thing. "I know Julius left a horrible stain on the type of guys I date, but Luke is so much more than a socialite, and please don't call him that again. The truth is, he's not that social never have been. He works and hangs with me and my crazy family when our schedules permit it. That's what works for us. Dina, I know we don't get a lot of time to just chat, but Luke is so much more than a cute face with a career. He's protective, and caring, and he tells me exactly what's on his heart and mind. The stuff I found out from Angel about Julius, made me pay attention to if I saw any of that shit with Luke, and thankfully no I don't. Luke is on my side in more than a few ways. When we are out and about he is respectful. Adina I know you are just being your protective self, but could you refrain from threatening my fiancé? Luke is nothing like Julius, I don't have to wonder if he will speak to me about something. I haven't had to pick up one getting your man to talk, or understanding him books since we started dating. He's just more everything."

"Too bad Gregory couldn't come I'd have him see it from a male's prospective if Luke is sincere. You know Gregory didn't like Julius even when we were both fooled by his charm. I just want you to be happy. You are who introduced me to Gregory. I want you to get your happily ever after as well. I just don't want it to be false, I want it to last do you see my point?" Adina says as she watches her friend. "I'm sure he's met Chase by now. Do they get along?"

Sophie smiles Luke and her father got along better than Jonathon and Joshua in the beginning. "Yes dad and he are good. Aside from saving his life, they talk, both have a lot of passion for saving this area. They don't butt heads, and I really hadn't thought about that until now. Julius stayed away from my father as much as he could, and still be in the same house. Luke values family as I do, and he openly communicates with the ones I love."

"Wait he's the Dr. Sheldon you spoke about? I thought you were referring to his father." Sophie shakes her head. "Well alright no more threats of harm to your future husband. I'll formally apologize and leave it alone, fair enough?"

Sophie says sure. Then changes the subject and starts talking about the concert Angel was trying to distract her with while Adina was talking to Luke. She was really surprised and couldn't wait to go tonight. "It is going to totally rock. Gregory is going to miss out on Disturbed. I have one more ticket I surely didn't see this coming. This has been a great birthday so far."

Hours later Sophie, Luke, Adina, Angel, Joshua, and Candy as the sixth person gets into a limo driven by Ivey transit and followed by a few of Chase's men and woman. They head for Dallas. Adina apologized to Luke. He shrugged it off and said it was fine today is his lady's birthday and he isn't about to ruin it for her by bickering with her best friend. He rubs his thumb across the back of Sophie's hand.

They head into the concert and Sophie expects to stop at the row of seats but Angel keeps walking until she reaches a railing that separates the audience. Sophie's smile grows even more when she sees that they are seated right under the apron in what would be the orchestra pit in any other performance. Standing they were one foot away from the apron of the stage. The first band come up and gets the crowd moving. When the frontman of Disturbed walked out onstage with the band. He puts the mic to his mouth and looks at Sophie mouthing happy birthday. Sophie glances over at Angel who is beaming from ear to ear. The guitars start slowly and the frontman says to the audience "it's obvious that Dallas is infected with the sickness. So let me see your fucking hands." Angel, Candy, Sophie and Adina raise their hands and dance around as the song "Down with the Sickness" pumps through the theater. The band plays a few more songs. When the lights go down and a famous guitar and bass beat hits the room goes nuts. When the lights come up the group System of a Down start with their hit "Violent Pornography" Angel and Sophie dance and scream the lyrics along with the rest of the audience. Angel leans on the railing Joshua stands behind her with his fist clinched around the railing on either side of her so no one would knock her over. At the close of the concert a guard walks into their section and asks for the people with passes. The group raise their lanyards and the men show them through to the back stage area. Pictures and autographs are given out and Sophie gets a picture with the two feature bands. Both band leads sit on either side of her. The smile she had on her face before the picture got bigger, if that was even possible. On the way back home they stop at one of Sophie's favorite sushi places. Sophie sits back in her seat. "Well maybe we should have come here first I'm going to have to walk 10 miles to burn off what I just ate." Sophie snickers as she takes another sip of wine. She then feels Luke's hand slide up her inner thigh under the clothed table. He leans over and says in her ear "I can think of another activity that will work even better than a long walk. Don't think for a minute that there isn't a gift from me to you on this wonderful anniversary of your birth."

Sophie leans over and whispers in his ear "Gee and I thought ridding you of your clothing tonight would be my gift from you." Luke makes another comment that has her squirming in her seat with anticipation of a promised good time. When she looks back to the center of the table everyone was watching them. Angel says one more thing before they go and out of nowhere 5 people dressed alike walks around the table singing happy birthday. "Angel I'm going to get you for this."

Adina gets up hugs Sophie and says "Well dear before you do I must say this has been the most fun I've had in ages. We must do this again sometime." Angel asks will she RSVP +1 for Sophie's wedding. "Of course Greg will already feel bad that he missed such a great line up. If I have to bring him in my luggage we both will be at your wedding Sophie. I have to run but I wanted you to have this. " She hands Sophie a box, Sophie opens it and pulls out a purple ruffle scarf with matching driving gloves. She gets up thanks her. Adina asks to get dropped off at the airport one of her cases was in jeopardy, and her newest partner would not be able to smooth the judge's feathers. She had to get back to Baltimore tonight. After taking her to grab her things at the hotel she is taken to the airport.

On the ride home Angel says to no one in particular "it wasn't a party but at least something that I planned didn't end in disaster." Sophie tells her she told her about the party fail rate thing and how the idea that she had lost her ability to organize or plan a successful party was bullshit, and that other people were affecting the parties after the event was already underway. "Whatever the reason, I'm just glad you had a great birthday sista."

They arrive home after dropping Candy off at Deon's. Angel and Joshua say their goodnights and head upstairs. Sophie and Luke head to her bedroom where he hands her a jewelry box inside is a set of silver Amethyst Purple earrings in the form of oval dangles and a Silver Six Amethyst Bracelet with Purple Gemstones in a silver setting. After they shower Luke tells her to go in and lay in her bed and he would be in soon. She complies when he walks out of the bathroom he is wearing nothing but a purple bow tie and a smirk. He pleasures her making her rise up off the bed as he teases her with his hands and his mouth. When she is nice and clearly ready he takes them both over the edge. They soon lay curled around each other as Luke says after reclaiming his breath "Happy birthday Sophie"

Its Chase's birthday he received and outfit from Angel and Joshua. Sophie had jokingly told him not to bring home any casino hoes talking about "she wouldn't stay in Vegas" along with a gift card to his favorite eatery since she knew he didn't do the buffet thing. Chase and Amy land in Vegas she had been quiet the whole time after wishing him a happy birthday. He'd picked her up from the house she was staying in. Her mild surprise she had covered well. "How's business dear?" that's when he saw the excitement that drew him into liking her in the first place. She is passionate as she tells him about some new clients that called her and wanted her to cater on a annul basis. "That's wonderful I am glad things are picking up." They are led to their suite, he lets her proceed him into the enormous suite from the private vestibule they had arrived in via select elevator that would only return to the bottom floor when taken by one of them. Chase felt excited like a little kid she made him feel young among other things. "Come look I kept my promise" he says as he takes her hand. "Here is your room mine is across from you." She steps into the bedroom. He watches as her awe brightens her face as she looks around the massive open design bedroom.

Amy had been nervous when they weren't given two different rooms there were things Chase didn't need to know about her sleeping habits. "You could fit my entire home in this one bedroom." She looks at the door and saw that it had a lock. At the very least he had kept his word they had separate rooms, and she would be able to lock the door if she so chose to do so. "It's beautiful Chase" She tentatively kisses him. When he wraps his arms around her middle pulling her into him she felt secure not trapped. Coming up for air her phone rings "Please excuse me it's my daughter." He says he has to make a few calls himself and that the play starts in about an hour. He gives her one last peck on the cheek as he walks across the hall to his room. She open her call with Nikki. "How are you sweetie? I know honey I miss you too. I have news, my lawyer sent the divorce papers to your dad and I've have been looking at homes. I have a few new clients that will need catering on a regular basis. With what I have put away, and the events getting more frequent, we will be able to move sooner than I thought."

Chase walks back out of his room he'd changed clothing his business week was over it is his birthday. He'd gone to the board meeting and met with his future son in law Luke to start the paperwork to put a Sheldon center in Grandville North. They have talked about such an idea before but Luke hesitated because of the bidding process and the fact that if a center that large moved in to Granville North Grandville Memorial North would not be able to survive. After finding out about Doctor Trent Shelly's involvement in April's underground Luke met with him and wanted to start the process for bidding into Grandville North. When 3 pm came he had gone to pick up Amy. The flight was uneventful for which he was thankful for the skilled pilots hired by his staff. He calls the girls and tells them that he has landed so they wouldn't worry. He walks out of his room and lightly knocks on her door. They head back down to the main floor and chat over dinner he then takes her to see a rock opera. He watched her more than the stage.

They head to a string of casinos and he finds himself at the craps table with her by his side, he felt like he could conquer the world, or at the very least the craps table. Holding her hand he asks her to blow on the dice for luck. She looks doubtful but complies with a small smile. He does very good and on an impulse hands her the dice. She says that she wasn't any good at this. Games of chance weren't her strong suit. "I'll make it worth your wild, if you hit you can keep what's on the table." She says and if she doesn't he'd lose his shirt. "Then you'll just have to hit now won't you Kitten?"

Amy couldn't believe this was happening, there was at least 10 thousand dollars on the table, and he wanted her to throw the dice. He couldn't be serious. "Chase I. I can't do this, we are having such a good time, I'm afraid of ruining your birthday." Her hand that he'd held feels empty when he withdraws his hand. He turns her hand over and put the dice in her palm. He then says do it if not for him, take this chance for her chance to provide her child with a safe place to live by Christmas or at the very least the down payment on a place. "You play dirty sir" He asks her to please not call him sir, saying with a smile he felt old enough. "Okay only if you stop calling me kitten it makes me feel like I'm five." He nods. Taking a breath Amy says "For Nikki" She throws the dice with her eyes closed tightly. It became easier and more fun especially when her number came back around. Chase suggest they stop while they were ahead. "That's fine with me, I can't believe that worked. Oh my god. I was so afraid I'd crap out and lose your money."

"If you had half the faith in you as I do that thought would have never entered your mind." The dealer hands him a slip of paper with a cash out amount on it. "I believe this is yours" he hands her the claim ticket she reads it and looks back up at him. Before she could say anything he wasn't about to let her give it back. "My condition for you playing was that you could have what was left on the table that is what was left." She says but giving her the money would be just like him losing it. "But nothing Amy please take your winnings. I'm perfectly fine. As for you analogy it's not true to lose it would mean it went back into the casino. For me to give you ownership of it is a win for me and you. " She asks how he won. "I know you won't take money from my hand to yours, so this is my way of giving you something to help you with no obligation on either of our parts. You rolled the dice and won."

Amy looked back down at the ticket as they walk out of the platinum player's room. He was so matter of fact about it. "So if I had of lost." He reveals another ticket and tells her that the amount was what was not on the line but still on the table. No one had ever went to such lengths to help her. She'd told him that he couldn't purchase her divorce nor let him buy her a home. She didn't want him to think that she was with him for his money. She likes him for who he is not what he is. Behind all the intimidatingly suave shark like finesse of his business persona is a caring gentle man. They cash out and have the money wired into her account. She still couldn't believe it when she texted her bank 20 minutes later and it read that she was $86,224 dollars richer than when she came here and that was after taxes. He'd even put 10,000 behind the line so if she lost she would still get a very large help with finding a place. They head back to the hotel he suggest the hot tub. As they sip Champaign lounging in the warm water on the privacy deck of the suite it hit her that she had not given him the gift she had bought him. She looks at the clock on the wall it was still his birthday for about 20 minutes. "Chase I got you something I hope you like it." She gets out of the water and dashes off to her room. She comes back shortly after. He opens it and looks inside. They are self-chilling wine goblets. "The graphic made me think of you."

Chase stares at the wine glasses with a bicycle that looked like the one he'd rode to meet her on their second date. He'd been trying to get back in shape ever since his hospital stay. He still couldn't challenge the hill by Ivey Mansion it was too steep, but her current place was on a flat stretch of land she'd wanted to meet for coffee. That day was wonderful they'd laughed and planned a third date. When he rode up on his bike the look on her face was that of shock. The next date they both rode on a trail and had a picnic she'd prepared. She gave him something else to cherish something new a memory of sitting in the grass and just talking. She liked the outdoors almost as much as he. It was bad to compare her to his ex-wife but the thought would not stop bouncing around in his head. To get Sophia anywhere near a nature trail, he would have had to put a treasure chest of expensive jewelry at the end of said trail.

He sat there staring at the glasses saying nothing which amped up her nerves. "Do you like it?" She asks as she stands at the edge of the hot tub wringing her hands. He pins her with that hazel stare and tells her it was very thoughtful and he loved it. She lets out the breath she had been holding. She didn't want to come all this way for his birthday on him with nothing for him. He'd told her he picked this place as a kind of celebration a treat to himself for getting through a recent hospital stay caused by his ex, and how that stay made him see life in general differently. This year had been hard on them both when it came to their marriages. Both of their significant others had tried to hurt them. Amy felt a chill run down her body at the thought of how elaborate his wife had been in trying to do him in. The only difference was that his wife was dead her husband was very much alive and still very dangerous. He suggest she climb back in if she were cold. Blinking away the last image of her soon to be ex-husband she climbs back in the water. Chase opens his arms and she floats over to him and embraces him. "I'm so glad you like it." They softly chat and finish off the bottle of champagne she felt so relaxed with him that scared her she was falling hard for him.

Chase held her as they spoke, he'd loved this birthday he was able to get here and bring someone that he was really beginning to feel more than a small bond with. When he'd made the announcement that he wanted to have his birthday here in Vegas, it was a memory burned into his mind. Luke had just released him and he wanted this celebration of his birth to be different from anything he had ever done before. He didn't want to do anything he and Sophia had done. This year he is 65, once again single, and his children were grown. When he first met Amy something about her quiet but passionate demeanor drew him in. The age difference was something that gave him pause, but she was very mature for her 37 years. She appeared younger but he'd taken Jonathon's advice, he'd researched her and she was what she seemed a smart, small business owner that had married a younger man. Her husband is an auto mechanic when he can stay out of trouble. Her daughter is a junior high student. He'd seen the little girl with his Angel's friend Candy.

"I think it's time to get out I'm all wrinkled and you look on the verge of falling asleep." His eyes were half lidded Amy didn't know if it was the champagne or had the day caught up with him. He kisses her and tells he had a great day and if she wouldn't mind he'd love to invite her to his room. They'd had sex before but Amy never stayed at his place afterward for fear that one of his children or her husband would discover them, or that he would find out about her addiction. The person she currently lived with was providing her with drugs that could put her out, along with giving her a place to hide. Chase had found her without her ever giving him an address. At first it alarmed her but the more she was with him and had spoken to him she understood his reason for wanting to find her after her husband's attack. From that point on he never just showed up, he would always ask where she wanted to meet instead of tracking her down, especially when she revealed to him that it unnerved her when he did that. "I think it's best if we just say goodnight." Much to her relief he didn't look angry, he just nodded and climbed out of the hot tub. She climbed out and went to her room.

Chase went to his room he didn't get it, he thought they were having a good time. Maybe this was one-sided. At home he could rationalize that she was afraid of being discovered. Maybe he saw more than she as far as them being together. He was wired and tired which for him was a bad combination. After a quick shower he changes into shorts and a t-shirt. Along with a pair of neon green Nikes Angel had bought for him. Sitting at the desk in his room he pulls up the Saving Grandville website and logs in. looking at the clock on the wall he'd put in some work and try to get some sleep before check out. So this was why she asked for separate rooms. He couldn't concentrate on work that was rare. He gets up grabs his phone and keycard and heads out of his room. He debated on telling her he was going back downstairs but thought better of it. Maybe he was thinking with the wrong part of his anatomy, maybe she was tired. Along with making him feel like a teenager, she also made him feel overly amorous. Looking down at his attire he thought better of going back to the casino. He walks into the in-suite gym that looked out over the city. He turns on the music of the Charlie Daniels band Angel had downloaded his entire collection from his CDs onto an mp3 player. After sending the audio through the room's sound system, he took a hard run on the treadmill facing the window, from this great height Las Vegas looked like a solar system of its own.

About 30 minutes after they left the hot tub Amy hears a rhythmic thumping, she gets up what was Chase doing? She wondered as she put on her house coat and peeked into the hall that's when she heard what sounded like country music. She follows the sound when she rounds the door of the in-suite gym she stops at the sight of Chase at a dead run head back like he was running cross country on the treadmill. The Song "Drinkin' My Baby Goodbye" blares throughout the room. The music cuts off as he slows down and stops the treadmill. When he turns around after catching his breath he apologizes if he'd woke her, and walks towards her or at least she thought that until he walked out of the room telling her check out was at noon. She'd seen him on his bike, but watching him run with such powerful strides left her aroused. He was in better shape than her husband and though older in that moment before his eyes met hers in the refection of the window she would have never guessed he was over 40. She wanted to go after him but he was pissed and the shark like detached part of his personality was back. What the hell would she say to him? She soon hears his bedroom door shut with a firm thump. Her phone rings thinking Chase was calling her she opens the call before looking at the display. "Hello?" Silence greets her "hello?" the voice of her husband made her flinch as it usually did now.

"I can't believe you want to divorce me. I know we have had some really bad fights but Amy you are my wife and marriage isn't about two perfect people, it is about people that work to be perfect for each other. The neighbor across the street says Nikki was at the house and left with you last Monday, she my kid too where are you? Don't take that tone with me. I admit I was over the top with our baby girl but that won't happen again. If my wife wasn't running around, I wouldn't have took it out on my kid. Thanks a lot Amy you made that girl hate me, you should have seen the look in her eyes as she ran from me. She ran to that big sister bitch. So at least you got our girl back that little blond bitch threatened to get the cops involved. Can't we do something she admitted she took pictures of our kid without our permission?" Amy asked had he ever did anything sexual to her baby. The tone and the question reminded him of the case in Grandville North. That made him sick that she would think he was that much of a sick son of a bitch. He'd went upside her and Nikki's head but he'd never forced himself on her or their Nikki. "No what the fuck do you take me for? She's my kid yes fighting with her a few times was bad, but that's fucking disgusting. So that's what you think? Who is the fucker that has you thinking me some kind of perverted weirdo?" Amy's sigh of relief and her quiet statement that she just wanted to make sure her girl wasn't more traumatized than she was by him trying to fight her. "You used to love me, now that you got your business off the ground you don't give a fuck about the person that has been behind you, before you were serving the governor and the fucking mayor. That was me that was fixing cars to put my wife that would still be you for now, through community cooking college. No I couldn't afford to send you to an Ivy League cooking school but hey it worked you got what you wanted as long as Amy gets what she wants. I called you to see if we could stop this divorce, but you just want to demonize me. So let me tell you I hurt her hand but to ease your fucking worry I don't fuck kids. That's fucking sick." He kicks their bed it crashes into the wall. "I wanted to tell you that I haven't had a drink in over a week and the strongest thing as far as drugs was a blunt 4 days ago. I love you Amy but I guess I'm too late. Being sober sucks. What's the point if there's no one here? I can't deal alone bye." He hits end and chucks the phone at the wall.

Amy was hurting everyone tonight. What the hell was she doing here? Her husband had been crying by the end of their conversation. He'd never tried get to clean not even for her what if this was her was last chance to save their marriage? She writes Chase a letter of apology tapes it to his bedroom door, packs her things and leaves, as he'd promised the pilots flew her back to Grandville. She called her home phone from the time her husband had hung up. She called his cellphone it went straight to voicemail. It was 9 in the morning when she found herself outside of her home. He had helped her through school. She didn't want to be one of those that could be accused of using people to get what she wants she never wanted Chase to feel that she used him so in her letter she had told him what she did. She'd wrote an internet check and sent the money she'd won back to him, in an email all he would have to do is digitally sign the check and he could get his money back. There were still feelings for her husband, and if he was willing to try to stop doing drugs and drinking maybe he could get his garage back up and running, and they would be okay. She was a grown woman that had run away from home like her teenaged daughter. She wasn't totally blameless that night, she'd been angry at her husband for spending their bill money on drugs, and started yelling at him he'd told her to shut the fuck up, but no she had to get her point across, and that was what started the fight that sent her running. He'd tuned up her damn face, and the side of her head but he would have just went back in the bedroom if she hadn't provoked him by yelling at him. After he'd hit her, she threatened to call the police that was a hot button for him. Coming back to the present she unlocks the door something was off, as she stepped inside. It was quiet, like a quiet before a storm. She expected to hear snoring or something. She walked into the den and there on the floor passed out was her husband. This image was too familiar. If they were both going to work at this being clean thing might as well start now. She calls his name and lightly kicks his foot. She knew when she took her med she was out. He didn't move that was the quiet he was on the heavy side. A plastic bag lay not too far from him. What had he found so quickly? Calling his name again she dares to get closer when she did her heart jumped in her throat. He was trashed his eyes were open but she knew he couldn't see her. Vomit slid out of his slack mouth. She called 911 "I'm doing this for you not to you." She says to him before the operator answers the phone. Am tells the operator of the possible over dose. "I don't know what he took all I know is that he is barely breathing and needs help."

Chase wakes to the buzzing of his phone. His pilot was calling him to tell him they had stopped to refuel and would be on standby in a few hours. "Why I thought the plan was to land. We were fully fueled before coming here. Grandville South isn't that damn far away." the pilot quickly explains that was before the female requested to go back to Grandville this morning. Chase sat up in bed "She left? Okay call me back when you are here I'll be leaving as soon as you are fueled." He wonders what went wrong, he had not said anything out of the way to her. He remembered the treadmill she had a weird look on her face as he passed her to head to his room, he just said check out was at noon. Did she take it somehow differently? After packing his things he heads out of his bedroom, that's when he sees the letter tapped to his door. Alarm crossed his face as she apologized to him for leaving to try to give her marriage one last try. He understood but the things she apologized for saddened him. She was so worried that he would think poorly of her. When he read the part about the email he would let it sit until it returned to her account that was her money. He soon boards his plane and goes to his on board bedroom after take-off. He smelled her perfume she must have come back here instead of sitting in the seats up front. He prayed that the man didn't hurt her. Though the flight here seemed short it still felt like an eternity getting back home.

Chase W: I hope everything goes well. I am here for you as a friend. Please if just a word send me a message so I know you are alright

Amy sat in the waiting room rubbing her hands on her pants she was tired but couldn't sleep not without her drugs. She had taken half of one of her pills before and it had kept her going, but right now she felt foggy but she knew without the other half of the pill she would stay in this limbo. Her phone buzzes making her jump. Looking at it her eyes tear up. Chase was checking on her.

Amy: At the hospital

Chase W: What? What happened are you okay?

Amy: I'm fine but not the one in the hospital Nick was trying to get clean for us. I made him relapse. I have to go the nurse is calling me. Again I'm sorry Chase. I guess some feelings I just can't ignore.

Amy is called to the window "Yes I'm his wife" she is let back to the back. "Nick" she whispers as she enters his room. They pumped his stomach and he was on suicide watch. The doctor told her he'd taken a massive dosage of Morphine. He'd taken some by mouth and tried to sniff the rest his lungs weren't strong enough to carry the entire dosage. He was on oxygen. The hissing sound and seeing him laid on the stark white sheet made tears form in her eyes.

Nickolas Davis opened his eyes and saw his wife. "You" He felt like shit which was about right. His body felt numb the morphine pills he'd taken must have been old he'd huffed half a bag and pop and chewed 5 yet he was here looking at the woman that hated him so much she had lost all faith in him, they had fist fought before but this last time he guessed was her breaking point. His name sake, his daughter, hated him. Her pained cry when he shut the window on her hand branded itself as an auditory illusion in his mind. Please stop daddy my hand. Nikki's voice saturated his dreams and those 5 words would never leave him, no matter what he took or drank. "She can't hate me more than I hate myself."

Her words came fast she knew he hated the police because of his run-ins with them. Though he could hardly lift his own hand when he flinched she did as well. "I found you in the den trashed out on the floor and called 911 but like I said I did it for you, not to you. They said you tried to kill yourself with morphine."

Nick felt like his body had a mind of its own he couldn't stop twitching and the shit was beginning to hurt. Every time he flinched so did she. "Amy, I can't do this alone I've been the life of the party for over 5 years. You did this? I figured I'd be a weird smell by now." Tears streamed down her face." I've trashed my home, my relationship with my kid, and you flinch every time my body moves. I'd give anything right now for the strength to wipes away those tears."

"I'm so sorry Nick that I caused this. I should have not yelled at you that night. Then you would have never swung and I would have never ran. Now that I struggle with addiction I understand where I didn't before, NICK?" His eyes widened. "Nick, what can I do?" she says in a panic. "Nick? She takes his hand and that's when he squeezed it before his body starts convulsing and he chokes out "I'm to blame not y…" suddenly alarms start going off and she is soon pushed out of the room and replaced by a swarm of doctors and nurses that flood the room.

Chase didn't send another text he tracked her location she was in Grandville Memorial South. Oh he loathed this place but his friend needed him to be there for her. The snippy nurse that had spoken to his daughter and enforced his solitude from his girls told him that since he was not a family member he could not go up to see Nickolas Davis. "The hell I can't. Now see here if you continue to block my path you will be the first person I fire and blackball from the medical profession. Think I'm bluffing try me." Chase smiles what Amy would call his shark like smile. "My organization will soon be managing this property until it is closed down knocked down and rebuilt."

Chase rides up in the elevator to the same floor he was on. When he read the name on the wing it made since why he'd been placed on antidepressant drugs this was the suicide ward. That sent a chill down his spine. It was good none of the doctors discovered the gun Bobby had given him for protection. He walks towards the room when he sees Amy walking out of a waiting room with a nurse and a shorter woman with a cross around her neck he quickened his pace. Clergy in places like this were never a good sign. "Amy sweetheart what's wrong?" Amy looked up at him with tears in her eyes said she killed him and then her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she crumpled to the floor. "AMY?" Chase charged down the hall an orderly jumped in his way saying something about him backing up. Chase spun around the advancing man as if he were playing basketball driving to the hole and was at Amy's side in seconds. Chase pulled her unconscious form in to his arms and yelled at the staff. "For once in your lives do your fucking jobs. HELP HER."

Chase sat in the hospital that had tried to take him out at the order of Sophia. Any's husband was dead and she had passed out. She'd been taken down to emergency and he followed until he was not allowed to follow anymore. The nurse walks out and looked pointy at him he gets to his feet. "How is she?" the nurse says that she was very dehydrated and that he could see her if he wished. Chase marched pass her into the room Amy was in. He walks to the bed now he'd wait in here until she woke up. He sits by the bed and thinks of how much he hated seeing anyone he cared for in the hospital.

Hours later she had a bad case of dry mouth as she quietly said his name. "Chase?" His gaze snapped to hers. "How long was I out?" he says about 4 hours. Then it all came flooding back tears threatened to fall as her throat grew tight and her eyes stung. She bites her lip to keep from crying. It wasn't helping it just made her lips hurt. Words sprung from her "He was trying to surprise me with the fact that he was going to try to get clean. I killed his spirit and ruined his chance"

A week later Amy sat at the grave site of her husband. She was the only one in attendance. Nick had burned so many bridges with his family they didn't even come to his funeral. Her parents had promised to come but a snow storm had hit her home town of D.C and that prevented them from coming. December had been hard on her. She watched as the workmen lowered Nick into the ground. She asked Nicole to come, her baby begged her not to make her come. Amy had been staying at her home. Her dealer friend had kept her supplied she'd slept most of this week. Nick's so called friends didn't even show. It was only a few days before Christmas. Chase had told her to remember she still had a little girl that needed and loved her very much. He'd invited her to come stay with him she declined. He wouldn't understand if he saw her at night it would change how he saw her forever. She didn't dare tell him. Seeing a shadow fall across the grass she looks up and standing there in his black business suit was Chase.

Chase was worried about Amy she had been pushing him away but he stuck like glue. Today was the day the fucker would be put to rest. When she looked up she looked worn out she'd lost weight. He understood on some level and on others he'd never understand. He understood because even after waking in his Florida home after Sophia had hit him with the snow globe he'd convinced himself that his wife was just very upset and he'd retuned after healing. Amy says no one showed up. His wife's funeral was a circus. "I am here in support of you." She says he knew what she meant. Nicolas had given her one last mind fuck for the road and it pissed Chase off. "I know how you feel or at least in part I do." She says no he couldn't understand. He kept a lot that wasn't plastered all of the fucking news very close to the vest about his marriage. Sophia always claimed to be protecting the family image and blaming Angel which now he found amusing because he was often cleaning up not after Angel but after Sophia. Even after her death he'd had to clean up her bad business. Chase held out his hand to her she takes it standing from her front row seat. He asked could they take a walk. She looks back at the hole in the ground and then back up at Chase and nods her head.

They walk to his vehicle once she is in he takes her to the park they had walked in when they first met. It was secluded and had a stream that ran through it. They both liked the quiet natural setting. She speaks "You don't get it Chase I killed him." She saw something in his gaze change then it was gone. He motions her to proceed him to a bench overlooking the stream.

Chase knew this feeling all too well. "I get it believe me I do. When I found out Sophia was dead my first feeling was relief but along with it came a barrage of other feelings. One of them was guilt." Though he had not spoken about it in any length to anyone but his therapist he told Amy of the guilt he first felt at the idea that him sending Sophia divorce papers had led to her killing herself. Amy tells him no she'd read the article Sophia killed herself to avoid prison. "It took some sometime but I realize that now. Please stop blaming yourself, you killed no one, he gave up on life. You did the most selfless thing you could, you tried to save him. You survived him as I survived Sophia."

Some much to process Chase did understand though the situation was different in a lot of ways it was the same. Nick's last words sank in he'd said with his last breath that it was his fault not hers. The fact that Nick had killed himself with her drug of choice in the same little baggy that rode in her purse as she sat here with Chase unnerved her. She had noticed what use to take her 1 pill to get to sleep she was now on two. At first she could fight the urge to take it but it was becoming harder and harder to do so. The dreamless sleep it provided was a comfort. She really didn't want to go back to her house alone tonight, but there was no reason to stay at her dealer's home anymore. Her dealer had told her to stop the old man from showing up at his door. That's when she'd revealed to Chase that him popping up wherever she was made her uncomfortable. The truth was she didn't want her dealer saying or doing anything to Chase. When he showed up at the hospital she was glad, because someone was there for her. Being in her home just made her loneliness grow and gave her lots of time to think and her thoughts would send her right back to her baggy of pills. Chase was here with her as a friend. His actions spoke louder than anything he could ever say to her. She knew he cared for her and she cared for him. They soon get up and start walking again. He asked did she want to come to his place tonight. "I want to but, there is something I have to tell you." He stops walking and turns to her she stops she couldn't look him in the eye because when she told him her secret he'd never see her the same. She looked out over the stream as she leans on the wooden railing. "There is a reason I haven't been staying over."

Chase watched her was this it? Had he asked one time too many? She wouldn't meet his gaze. "Amy whatever it is just tell me. I know there is something you keep saying will change my view of you. I think that is unfair, because you are basing your reaction on a preconceived image of me. Just tell me whatever puts the look on your face, when I mention spending the night with you?" What she told him relived him and pissed him off all at once. She told him everything as she runs her hands through her hair and still stared at the water.

Chase sighs in relief she looks at him and says she understands if he didn't want anything to do with her anymore. If he'd just take her back to the graveyard so she could at the very least drive her car she wouldn't bother him anymore. "No I'm not taking you back…" She says she understands as she takes off her heels and starts walking down the bridge. Remembering something she said, he reaches out takes her elbow turning her around. She finally meets his gaze, but when she does she had tears in her eyes as she pulls to be let free. She says through her tears she never really thought he'd make her do a walk of shame but she guessed she deserved it. As he stood there letting her words wash over him relief and anger warred for control. "Once again you think so highly of me. I know you want to escape the thoughts and feelings running around up here." He touches her temple. "If you'd please let me finish what I was going to say. No I'm not taking you back to the graveyard so you can pick up your car and seal yourself up in that damn house. I'll be damned if I let you slowly kill yourself." She winced he lets up on his grip. "I know it hurts and there are a lot of things you will never understand, but sweetheart your child needs you and so do I." she stops trying to pull out of his grasp. "Amy we are friends, what kind of friend no fuck that, what kind of man would I be to just say no you're not perfect I'm done? Honey I've looked in the mirror enough to see my own flaws. No one is perfect I want to ask you something you know that this isn't safe behavior. Which is why in part you hid it from me. Are you willing to get treatment?" She says she doesn't know any places here that wouldn't put her business in the street this town is nothing but a gossip mill and if she went to Grandville Memorial she be ruined. "Well it seems that you have a decision to make. There is a program that is very discreet my oldest son struggled with drugs after my mother passed and he is now a clean member of rank in the criminal justice community. In some medical networks discretion isn't just a word on the wall. If you will allow it I'd like to help you. You have been through so much and there's only so much the human psyche can take before it needs help."

He'd revealed something she didn't know about him a few things. "I'm trapped I can't change networks when I signed up for my small business classification Grandville Memorial was all I could afford." He reminds her of her winnings. "Chase I returned that to you. I won't have you thinking I'm after you for your money. I know you're retired you need yours just like everyone else."

He lets her go and points at her. "Yes, about that damn email. I know god knows I know you are not after me for my money. I love that you are concerned and I respect you deeply for it. Amy let me ease your mind. When we were at the craps table you said if you lost the 20 grand on the table I'd lose my shirt." shock played over her face as she says she thought it was ten and was glad he did not tell her or she wouldn't have done it at all. "Sweetheart, I did the math with investments and other ventures I am involved with or have a hand in. I make what amounts to about half a million dollars every six hours. So please stop sending me that damn email back. That is your money so how would you be after me for something that is yours? I respect you more than I have anyone that I have ever dated. You remind me of myself in a lot of ways. The Ivey's weren't born with money my father was a high ranking officer in the military we moved a lot, when we moved to England my education became more important only because I didn't want to let down my parents. I knew I wasn't cut out to be a soldier because following orders didn't appeal to me, I like to debate everything. I knew I had to do something. So I partnered with a college mate of mine, and we used our education to start a business. You're just as driven and independent as I was. " They talk more and she excepts help in finding a program to help her that was with the Sheldon Network. He let her know something that would come out in the news soon the buildings that now housed Memorial North and South would soon be taken over by the Sheldon Network so her medical network package would either roll over or be refunded. Later that night he takes her to pick up her vehicle and stops by her home to pick up some clothing she then rides with him to his home where she stayed the night.

Authors Note: Thanks for reading. Who thinks Chase and Amy would Work? : End Note