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.

38. Chapter 38 Contract Withstanding

Chapter 38

Contract Withstanding

Days later, at Mark's school Rapture was up for a weekend break, he'd kept it to himself, something in him would not let him tell Cassy. As much as he loved her, he didn't want to admit it to her, but they had jumped in with both feet after she'd got released from the hospital. They had been spending night and day together. Hearing all the horror stories of his classmate's failed relationships, and the cheating that went on in their homes, made him uneasy. Cassandra was the first female he really cared about with more than his other head. She was a sexy, smart woman that could do a hell of a lot better than him. He'd missed her while here at the school. Next week, he was going to one of the shows. He would not only be away from his home, but also really away from Cassy. They talked or videoed each other, everyday he was away. He wondered if she would be glad he came home, or was she cheating? He tried his best to stop the onslaught of his negative thoughts. She'd said her buying the house was an investment in them as a couple. Her chance to wear a few capes for him. Rap had a hard time seeing himself in that light. She'd told him he wore a few capes for her, hell he was no Superman. He figured he did what anyone would do that gave a shit.

Heading in his room to pack his belongings, he stilled when he felt someone watching him, turning to look at the person intruding on him. He quickly claimed a neutral expression and strolled to the other side of the room. Denary Strait tells him she was happy she caught up to him before he departed. "Considering this place is wired, I'm sure it wasn't that hard to follow my schedule, since you made it." She mentions their previous contract. Rapture looks at her like she lost her mind. "That was in the past. We have no more business of that sort."

"What, where you fuck the shit out of me while my family lay sleeping upstairs in my upper middle class home? Don't pretend that you didn't want to make it permanent." He says if that was true he would have not let the contract end. "I see you're packing. Are you quitting?" He says no this is his re-coop weekend. "Oh, you thought that applied to you?" He pulls his schedule. Denary walks over and looks at the paper. "That schedule was created last week, things change. If you leave today, you will forfeit your place here." He looks angry and yells that she was out of her mind. "Face facts Rapture, the only way you are getting to follow that plan and have a place to come back to, is to follow my directive to the letter." He says maybe he could let Callaway know and explain that she was making this a hostile work space. "So you are willing to tell a newly married man, that you entered into a contract with a woman to cheat on her husband. Yes, please do that, and I won't be the one marched out of here. If you want to leave the door is always open. I can make this really easy for you, or I can make it hell on earth. I have another contract for us if you sign, I'll make your time here as manageable as possible, if not, welcome to hell." He asks for the contract. She hands it over he signs it, and hands it back. Reading to see if he signed his name, she is struck with anger as powerful as a lightning bolt. Meeting his lazy glance, with a glare, she hisses "Fuck me, no, but you will wish you had, once I'm done with you." She pulls her phone and walks out of the room. He says that would be harassment. Turning back with her hand on the door she says over her shoulder. "I'm the assistant coordinator, and the head of HR you think that is going to fly far?"

After a conversation with Amy, Chase sits in her kitchen alone. He'd wondered where she had been disappearing off to, what she told him wasn't what he was expecting. He demanded she be clear, and she was as clear as she could be, when she admitted that the restaurant among other things, was not what she wanted. She then explained that she always wanted a bigger area, that was true, but nothing as stationary as an entire 4-star restaurant. She told him that he'd lied to her in front of his family. When he went to say he'd done no such thing, her chin came up, and she met his eyes, and asked where was he as her business partner, reminding him that he said they would run the place together. She felt he dumped it on her, and gave her no real choice but to sink or swim in a part of the culinary world that was way different than what she was doing before. At his look of confusion, she asked him a question, had he ever worked even as a manager at a restaurant. He told the truth no. He added but he owned a lot of them. She explained that these transitions in her life was causing her to be very stressed until Sophie gave her some help. She would not elaborate but he could guess what kind of help his daughter would offer. The truth was he was stressed as well, but when Amy admitted that she had started drinking more and more, and that she felt trapped in a way that she explained as feeling as if he was smothering her to make her fit into his lifestyle. He told her she should have spoken up. She asks him a question that left him here sitting in her kitchen staring out the window. She asked him when should she have said anything, when he introduced her to his children then acted like their feelings didn't matter, making them resent her. She added that yes, they were adults, but his silence would not make them like her, any more. She admitted speaking to Nikki the night of her birthday to clear her confusion. Or when he lavished stuff unasked for, on her that she didn't feel she could handle. She spoke of the large amount of attention, and how she was nervous because people were now harassing her most everywhere. She started to cry saying she loved him for him, the charismatic male that could melt her heart with a smile. The man that rode with her in the park on bikes. The man that walked with her near the lake, and made her feel safe and appreciated. The man that loved a good nature hike and picnic. That was the man she fell in love with. She begged him to stop trying to purchase her. She went on before he could speak, and said yes he had lots of money, and though he was a self-proclaimed problem engineer, unless he saw her life as a problem, if he really loved her he would stop trying to fix her, because she would never be perfect, but she wasn't broken. As she left to go to collect Nikki from school, she told him she felt like this was a very bad casting of the film "Pretty Woman" and if he continued, their story would never be a happy ending.

Chase sighed, and rose to his feet. He sensed that she would not be in a hurry to return. He'd started putting off going to his Starting Over Group. Maybe it was time to return. The pattern that he was following was harming his relationship not helping it. Amy's concern for his other relationships with his own children being strained and her comparison of how she handled her own child's fears, be it her child was a child, he understood what she was saying. He'd been nervous about moving too fast, but pushed instinct aside, and apparently good sense. His fallout with his children, he didn't know how to repair, and it left him awake many nights. The only reason he hadn't revealed his wanting to wed Amy to his children that day, was because something in Amy's eyes spoke of alarm at the mere mention of another announcement. Not 72 full hours before that dinner he'd been looking down the hollow halls of being alone again, before he was able to convince Amy at the rehab center and on her way to his plane hangar, that what she thought she had seen was a manufactured hoax. The truth was, he'd moved too fast. Though he at first didn't see the transference he was using, he once again started treating Amy as he had Sophia. The difference was that Amy was not dependent on him. In some sordid scenarios, that scared him, because he didn't know what really he had to offer. She cared for him even before she fully realized what he was worth. Her belief that he had retired and was living off of a pension, and still she wanted to date him, surprised him. He had sprung the restaurant on her, and it was causing her to relapse because she didn't know if he would be there for her if she refused such a gift /curse. She felt honor bound to run it because of the importance he placed on it. Jonathon's words the night of April's murder after he revealed to the younger man that he might have his eyes on another younger married female. "You can't solve every problem with a pen. No one in their right mind would allow you to buy them a divorce." The auditory illusion was shut down and the realization that John had been wrong in thinking that Sophia had divorced him on her own, was a blow. Chase had visually shut down, at John's words, but it had less to do with John's mention of Sophia and more to do with the fact that Chase felt like a fool. One of the reasons he loved Amy was that she wasn't like Sophia, but he finally saw some of the things he was doing that was causing her to pull away. He called his life coach and set up an appointment, he refused to lose everyone he cared for because of his own resistance to change.

Another week had passed and Cassandra was beginning to get worried about Rapture. He had sent her his original schedule; he was supposed to be home by now. His original schedule listed three of the past weekends that he was to be home to recoup. Their conversations were getting shorter and shorter. On video chat her mate looked tired. If he had all of this free time on the weekends, why wouldn't they honor it? If she could see the change in him, surely Mark and his staff could see what they were doing to him. He kept saying he was fine, and last night she'd told him no he wasn't. He had begun to push her away. She wondered why? Was she bugging him? How long would this last? Was there someone else? There were female students at the school, had one of them tempted her mate?

Days later, Mark was on his way home for his anniversary. This was a new part of his contractual agreement. He headed into his school. Steve Austin found out he was in the building and made sure to tell him that his #2 pick needed to go home on break before he passed the fuck out from exhaustion. Mark asked Stone Cold why he didn't send the boy home when he was scheduled to go the first weekend. Stone Cold showed Mark the schedule and that's why he called him to find out what the kid had done to be put through all 34 challenges at level 3 or higher in less than 3 weeks. Mark read the updated non approved by him schedule, and about punched a hole in the wall. Mark moved around his desk and looked up Rapture's schedule and called him into the office over the P.A. system. He had told Stone Cold to keep an eye on his assistant coordinator. The woman used his letterhead to reprint Rapture's schedule which was why Steve must have thought Mark was punishing the kid. This shit got out to the right people and his school could go down the tubes. Mark asked Steve to go ask Denary to not leave before they spoke. Steve walked out and Mark paced, Rapture Sloan still had not come to his office. Mark read the report from Rapture's teachers / trainers. As time passed Mark's anger grew, where the fuck was Sloan?"

Mark headed out into the hall and came face to face with Steve and Denary. "In my office now." She claimed that she had changed the scheduling because Rapture told her he was bored and didn't feel challenged. "I'm not saying this because you're not a fighter, I'm saying this because common sense no longer exists. You don't change my scheduling because of what a student says. He is a student, a good fighter, but a student. I set those time frames for a reason. Yes, his endurance levels are high, but he is still a beginner. You printed a schedule with my name on it without my consent." He'd call Sophie since his signature is already on the parchment he wondered could he sue Denary. "Where is he anyway? I called him to my office and he still hasn't shown up." Denary told him that Rapture was fine and loved the challenges. "That's not what I asked you."

An hour prior, Rapture had been in 12 fights today. They seemed like training at first, but the longer they lasted the more it was like he was under attack. Breathing heavy, with sweat running into is eyes, he tried to dig deep and tap into his level of pissed off, this shit had been going on since he refused to sign his self into another kind of contract with Denary. These guys were his classmates not trainers. This wasn't right, he'd thought for the millionth time in these past few weeks. He was now in a "training" for a no holds barred match against his roommate. Hell even he knew he was wet behind the ears. While trying not to lose his shit and really start trying to hurt the guy, he continues with the moves he was taught. In a bar, he could have all these guys on their asses but that wasn't the goal here. Mark's lecture about working safe slammed into his head. Pro-Wrestling and street or bar fighting were different. He'd been up since 2 this morning. He wasn't focused enough for this right now. The kid tagged him really good upside his head, and the world tilted. The next thing he knew the kid was on the rope. Rapture braced for impact, the kid was good, but missed his mark and landed with his head connecting with Rapture's chin making the tilt-a-whirl in Rapture's head spin into darkness. He is soon brought awake to a punch to the gut, instinct took over as he grabbed the wrist, and twisted until he heard a yelp, as his attacker's hand went limp against his flesh. Rapture came fully back to himself. The kid that was yelling for him to let go wasn't his roommate, it was one of the trainers. Why the fuck had the guy punched him? Letting go of the guy's wrist Rap tried to open his eyes. Light assaulted him, and something else got in his eyes, making him close them tight. It then became clear he wasn't in the ring anymore. The sounds and the material under him wasn't padded spring-loaded wood. Was he on the floor? He didn't remember leaving the ring. The last thing he could recall was his 220-pound roommate body shooting him, and turning out his lights. Where were the other students? He was so tired he felt spacey in the head. The trainers were talking at him, or to each other, he really couldn't tell. Until one of them got in his face, he could see the guy's shadow through his lids. The guy asked did he still think this school was a walk in the park. "Never… said… that." He didn't like how he sounded. Most of what he said could only be called a rasp. He lifted his hand to wipe his eyes and his hand was grabbed as he tries to get free the fucker applies a choke hold, saying that he would learn his place as Rap struggled to find purchase to get free. Hysteria was building training went out of the window, and he tried to head butt the mother fucker. He was running out of air. The other guy in the room told his capture that was enough, that he seemed to know who was in charge. The guy holding him to the floor had not let up. With his arms trapped like this, he had nothing to anchor himself with. The head-butt attempt only gave the fucker more angle to get his arm more secure around Rapture's thick neck. He was sure this hold wasn't legal. He started gagging as his body danced by itself. A loud disembodied voice is heard from out of nowhere. It said his given name as darkness claimed him.

Callaway was back, this was not good, thought the younger trainer, as Rapture Sloan was called to Mark's office over the P.A system. "Look, I know she your woman and all, but I'm sure killing him in the janitor's closet isn't what she meant by teach his ass a lesson. Okay he out, stop man shit." The younger trainer said as he pulled on the older trainer's arm that was locked around Sloan's neck. When the senior trainer let go Sloan's bruised and bloody body seized. The older trainer got to his feet and tells the younger one to wake Rapture and tell him to get his ass to the boss's office. The younger trainer nods as he watches Rapture's huge frame twitch. When the older trainer left, the younger trainer did tap and shout. Rapture jerked at the trainer's slaps to his face. Callaway wasn't supposed to be back this soon. Though it was probably for the best. This place was getting out of hand. 12 fights at level 5 this morning. The 13th had put the big man down, and that's when the head trainer had dismissed the class and moved Rapture into this closet and beat his ass until he woke up about to break the older trainer's wrist. Denary was the older trainer's girl, the younger trainer would have been pissed if some guy put the moves on his woman too, but this was way out of hand. This shit had been going on for weeks. But who was going to stop it? Sure as hell wouldn't be him, he had three kids at home. Denary was the second in command, anybody go against her and you could kiss your career here goodbye. Rapture still hadn't come around. The younger trainer was at a loss for what to do. He was a weight trainer, not a medic, his answer was given to him when the closet went quiet the clicking puffs that told him that Rapture was at least breathing were getting softer and too far apart. No matter what this SOB had done, he didn't deserve to die in a closet. Pulling his cell phone, he called the infirmary and reported that one of the students wasn't breathing. When they asked him to identify himself, he refused and said the student was in a janitor's closet on the second floor. The younger trainer got up and bolted from the closet right into the older trainer. "I called the med crew I think he's in there dying." The older trainer had no remorse in his tone as he told him to get lost he'd handle it. The younger trainer saw the neon arm band of one of the med crew coming around the corner and bolted down the hall, feeling like the coward he was.

Present time, Mark went back to his office and still no Rapture. He opened Supervisor and cued the camera system. His footage was being copied and sent to the local police. "What the fuck?" Mark mutters as he opened the link and saw what area the footage that was being sent from. When he saw his med crew lifting a bloody nonmoving larger male that had to be Rapture onto the Sheldon Med crew's gurney that had just arrived, Mark got to his feet, took one last look at the area on his screen, and ran from his office. This wasn't bad, this was beyond bad.

Mark gets to the med crew just as they are existing the building. They had the big man on oxygen with a tube down his throat. His upper body including his face was a mixture of blood and destruction. They had his head and neck stabilized. His students had started coming out of their rooms and out of the gym to watch. The police come over to him and ask him for a statement. The fact that he didn't know what the hell had got his student to this point pissed him off. One of his weight trainers was in hand cuffs. He wanted answers dammit. One of the med crew had come over and stood behind the cops trying to get his attention. Mark raises his gaze to the med crew member. It seemed that no one was listed as Mr. Sloan's med contact within the system since he was a new patient. "I'll take care of letting his emergency contact from my records know what's going on." The med crew member nodded and left the building. Mark watches as the med crew member climbs up in to the emergency vehicle, as it made its decent down the hill with sirens wailing, and lights flashing. After his interview with the cop he had to do a few things. He heads back to his truck and jumps in, calling Cassandra wasn't something he was leaving to the person that would normally be responsible for the task. It would seem she'd done enough.

Over at LEGNA, Cassandra had thrown herself into her work. She hadn't even got her good morning sunshine text from Rapture today. She posted an open audition at Joshua's request for a bass player. Joshua had done the all call in one take. It was time for her to take a lunch or Josh would be up her ass personally. She wasn't in a mood to eat but he'd offered to take her to the pizza joint downstairs and threatened to tell their mom that she was crash dieting again. He could be so stubborn when he put his mind to it. The last thing she needed was her mother on her case about fad dieting. Their food comes and her phone rings as she is about to finish her slice. She is shocked that instead of Rapture finally making time for her, it was Mark calling her. Dabbing her mouth, she answers her phone. She said hello, and Mark's words penetrated her brain. She dropped the phone. A numb fear taking up all the space within her. The next thing she know her body is moving before she even has a location. Joshua jumped to his feet, threw money on the table, and grabbed ahold of her as she turns in a complete circle, asking her what was wrong. His piercing blue eyes boring into hers, with concern lacing his tone. "It's Rap, he's on his way to the hospital." Joshua asked which one. She didn't know, all she knew, was that Mark had said Rap was being rushed to the hospital, and her day bottomed out. Joshua grabbed her phone, putting it up to his ear, and talking to Mark, as he escorted her to his truck. She climbed in and looked back at Rapture's ride, the large vehicle she had been driving around, since he'd went to school, so she could feel close to him. It had retained his scent for the past few weeks, and even that scent, that enveloped her was starting to fade. She couldn't lose the only man she had ever truly loved with all of her. Joshua said his goodbyes to Mark in a slew of "okays" he then said Rapture was being taken to Sheldon Medical here in town. She had a direction. "Please hurry" Joshua drove defensively but not fast enough for her liking. "Hurry damnit, Mark said he was "rushed" there why are you going so fucking slow? Don't you give a damn?" Joshua didn't speed up. Cassandra wasn't listening to Joshua as he spoke to her in a calming tone. It didn't matter what Joshua's answer was, Rapture needed her." Images of her and Rapture's first meeting, flashed through her mind as the scenery that whipped past it blurred, and she was back standing at the bank entrance when his tall lean frame stood just behind her excusing himself and calling her darling. For once she hadn't bristled at the platitude, it usually irked her when some guy called her babe, doll, or darlin. That day Rapture's mix of baritone and southern touch had made her smile at him, and not an evil "I'm gonna kick your nuts into your brain" smile as Joshua called it, but a real smile. They were still 10 miles away when fear at the situation ripped from her, the words that she wished she could take back before they left her mouth. "If it was Angel or JC your ass, would have been there already." He said something in a firm tone, but she wasn't hearing him, and her Davenport inner retard moment pushed from her words that once again she wished she could have swallowed instead of spewed at the only person that was helping her get to her lover. "I can't believe it, or actually I can, you still hate this much. Fuck you BOY" He stopped speaking and his mouth firmed into a thin line. As the hospital came into view he pulled to the entrance, and said nothing, as she jumped out of the truck, and ran into the hospital. She went to the desk, identified herself, and was told to have a seat in the OR waiting room. On hour two, of her sitting here with Mark. Her mind drifted to one of her Starting Over sessions where her therapists had instructed her to stop lashing out at her loved ones, and break the vicious cycle of self-directed hate, when she was angry. On some level she knew why Joshua wasn't hitting his usual 90 mph on the highway. He was still panicky about driving his truck, after being assaulting by the cop that claimed he was speeding, even though that day he wasn't. Looking back to their ride here, she noticed him checking the camera system frequently, as he checked his mirrors while still trying to speak in a calming reassuring tone to her. He got her here safely, which was way more than she would have been able to do in her state of mind, when she got the call, if she was truthful with herself. She spoke to Mark and was pissed that he seems to have less information than she wanted. Why was her lover beaten to within an inch of his life? Who was at fault? Why hadn't the doctor come out here yet? She tried to rip Mark a new one, but fell short as he went off on her telling her that he didn't know, but would find out, and if she thought he was going to sit here and be her verbal whipping post she had another thing coming. She screamed at him to get out. What he told her next shut her mouth. He told her that she wasn't listed as Rapture's medical contact or anything, and if it weren't for him having respect for her, and her relation to his kin, she wouldn't have known the shit he does know, nor would she have been allowed back here. He was right as the head of the school Mark was as close to a medical contact as Rapture had right now. She texted her therapist and vented at the woman all the shit that was going on.

Joshua returns to LEGNA, Cassandra's words incited within him two very different emotions. The first was anger that she would pull the Boy card on his ass, after their fucking past. The second emotion was nameless. Her words just filled him with an unrelenting amount of unease. Cass mentioning Angel and his son in a what if scenario, that matched what she was going through, with all the crap that was going on, the thought of something like the verbal picture she painted in his already taxed mind, wasn't a nice one. He heads up to Angel's office he needed to see his little family. That was his first mission as he hit the 70th floor. The elevator opened and it did him good to see that someone had taken his advice about moving her Administrative Assistant's desk closer to her office. As he walked by he showed the woman his ID and she nodded, and pushed the button that would unlock his wife's office. As he walked in, Angel was behind her desk holding JC who was on his way back to sleep. He looked around before meeting her eyes, greets her, then asks "where's Andrew?"

Angel had just fed JC, and their baby was fighting sleep as he snuggled deeper in the fold of her arms and squirmed, smacking his lips, something he usually did right before sleep claimed him. When the door clicked she looked up and there stood her mate, but something was off about him. just hours ago he'd texted her asking if she wanted pizza for lunch she'd had lunch plans with Candy and Sophie and he said she should go. She asked was he sure and he said he was, but Joshua went radio silent on her for like hours, and now that he stood in her doorway after a hello that she barely got a chance to respond to, his first question is where is Andrew? "Hello to you too, Andrew is in J.C.'s room." Andrew walked out of JC's room took one look at them and walked back in to the little room. Joshua asked why the close protection officer was in their son's room. "I had a meeting and though the door is slightly ajar, I'm not doing live meetings up here anymore with Andrew far away." Joshua asked was her meeting with anyone he knew. "Dad wanted me to try convince Lonnie's band to rebrand. They are not willing to continue playing. Since Lonnie's attack I feel for them. I know if anything like that happened to…"

Joshua was tired of the what if game. They'd had too many close calls, and what if's, as a band, and he didn't want to talk any of that shit into being. Especially with them in search of yet another stranger/ band member. "Just stop, I GET it, ok." Running his hands through his hair, fuck he had frightened his own son with his loud mouth. Angel asked what was wrong as she rocks JC who didn't like his loud outburst, and was showing them both his displeasure, by screaming to the top of his lungs. Sighing Joshua walks over and reaches for JC. Angel hesitated but handed their son up to him. She then stood looking him in the eye, and once again asked what was wrong. Speaking louder so he can be heard over their son's high-pitched protests "Look babe, I'm sorry. Let me get him settled down, then we can talk in normal tones of voice." Joshua starts walking the length of Angel's office speaking to JC. After what seemed like hours, JC stops crying and starts his lip smacking again. Joshua heads into JC's room, and Andrew leaves the office to give them all some privacy. As Josh walks back into Angel's office she is sitting behind her desk staring at him. He walks over, and sits on the edge of her desk facing her, before she can ask again, he explains what went down with Cass and the stuff he knows about Rapture, which wasn't much.

Angel held her comment that popped into her mind. Saying that Cass had a lot of Sally in her would not help the situation at all. So she says "I'm sorry she lashed out at you, but I think that's all it was. I know you said you were just trying to calm her down, but babe I understand her, because the night I rushed you to the hospital from the house, after you were taken in the back. I don't even remember parking, there wasn't shit I wanted to hear from anybody that wasn't Luke, before I saw you with my own eyes. Cass is scared and we all react to fear in different ways. I also understand your edginess about driving, and to answer her question you did what you figured you could to help. hopefully she will come back down to earth, once she gets to see him." Joshua says he hoped Angel is right because if she isn't, and Cass is returning to the dark side, she'll have to do that shit alone. "I hope so too. You guys have come so far."

Two and half hours later, Cass jumps to her feet along with Mark as Dr. Sandra Middlebrooks entered the OR waiting room. "How is he?" They both ask in almost unison. If it hadn't been for Mark standing behind her, Cassandra would have fallen over. Rapture's long list of injuries, and the fact that he'd flat lined once while on the way to the hospital due to internal bleeding, scared her beyond anything she'd ever felt before. Middlebrooks said that due to the amount of pressure on Rapture Sloan's brain from his assault, though she managed to stop the bleeding that was causing the pressure, he wasn't out of danger until the edema decreased, and he woke from his coma. Though Mark stayed quiet as the doctor spoke, Cass had many questions. Her main question was the first thing that popped out of her mouth. "Can I see him now please?" Her mate had technically died today, and it was because of this doctor that Rapture at the very least still a chance to live. Middlebrooks pissed her off when she asked Mark as Mr. Sloan's medical contact through his school did he approve of allowing Cassandra to visit with his student. Cassandra prayed that their previous conversation here in this waiting room didn't get her disallowed to visit her mate. She didn't think she would be able to take it, if Mark went vengeful on her ass.

Mark looked at Cassandra then back at the doctor, he then says "She should be back there with him if she wants, all I ask is to let me know if there is any change." Mark saw some of the tension leave Cassandra. He had a bit of a reputation of being a jackass sometimes, but he wasn't doing this for her. He thought of it as more for Rapture, hell Mark had been in a few of these places himself, and waking to his woman was much better than waking alone. Cassandra had almost fell into him when Middlebrooks first started speaking. If he hadn't of put out a hand, her ass would have been on the ground. Besides, he didn't need any bad juice, the kid wasn't out of the woods yet, say what one will about the laws of karma but Mark believed. His father's voice floods his memory on the subject. Markus, if you put garbage in, you'll get garbage out, it's just the way the universe works son." Mark also needed to get a few things rolling and have a talk with his upper management team that wasn't in handcuffs when he left the school. With the video he reviewed while sitting here waiting on word, he had found a lot of shit that needed his attention. His assistant coordinator circled around Steve Austin dropping his name all over the place. After he called Paula, and brought her up to speed, he had a lot of time to watch the video that hadn't been pulled. He called Vince not Stephanie, and told his longtime friend what he knew at the time. Vince agreed Mark needed to contact his lawyer about his staff using letterhead with his name on it. After brushing off Cassandra's thanks, he watched her walk into the back following the doctor.

Cassandra walked into the heavily secured private room her mate was in and saw him. He was so pale. His face what she could see of it, and upper body was a road map of cuts and bruising. The hiss of the oxygen, and the hum of the monitors attached to him scared her, but also in a weird way gave her some comfort that he was being watched closely. A chair was placed near the bedside. As she sat next to his prone form, she reached out and lightly touched his bandaged hand. To see him like this, after not being able to see him for weeks ripped her to pieces. "I'm here babe, please wake up." If only it were that easy. Her mind teased. Pushing the tremor out of her voice, she spoke to him. Everything she read in the last 3 hours sitting in that waiting room, said he may be able to hear her, though he wouldn't be able to respond. He'd been through so much, they both had, and had finally found each other. She spoke of their first meeting anything to just keep talking. She understood that he was in training to fight but he was wrestling. She watched the videos of the moves and Mark's detailed schedule with him when he was first accepted. Mark's program never advertised anything that would put her man in a fucking coma. The words under the name of the School on everything that Rapture signed, said work safe or go home. Somebody wasn't working safe. This was sure as hell not safe. He couldn't wear his rings during practice, he wasn't allowed to wear anything accept ring attire. Looking at his face, his swollen eyes, and the fact that Middlebrooks had to rebuild his fucking nose, someone was allowed to wear something. He sparred with Joshua before and kept them both safe, and yeah Joshua had tagged him a few times, but that looked nothing like this. She remembers Rapture calling her after his first week. "You were so excited that Mark sparred with you." Not even after that match had her man looked this bad, and Mark was a professional of the craft. Weeks later he'd went on a trip to some arena in Arizona. He got a chance to work with some of the newly signed talent of the WWE. He'd been tired when they spoke, but his level of excitement even at 4 in the morning as they were traveling back to their hotel was infectious. That night she would remember with true clarity, because he'd said he loved her. Most of the time he usually said he liked her more than anyone he'd ever been with, and made sexual jokes, keeping their conversations flirtatious. She remembers the first time he professed his love for her. She recalls looking up into his eyes she knew he meant every word.

Hours later Mark pulls into the parking lot of The Last Ride. Paula was supposed to be here tonight. Logan had offered to watch the twins along with Janet. Paula told him about their meeting a few days after Mark spoke to Logan. It turned out that Logan had been making himself scarce because he wasn't sure how he and Glenny would be received after Megan's death. Paula told him about the way Logan was with Janet and the twins, and how he barely wanted them to leave the IHOP they met up with him at. Though Logan himself had never did anything to damage Mark's trust in him. Mark was still uneasy, but he trusted Paula's instincts, if Logan had of seemed off, or unlike the person they both believed him to be, Paula would not have let him watch their girls. Mark called Logan to check on his girls before entering the noisy club. Logan came on the line, and it was refreshing to hear laughter in the back ground. "Hey just checking to see if the girls needed any…"

Logan answered on the first ring. "Hey Mark, I got one better for you, hold on." Logan walked into his den and hits record. Janet and Glenny were playing with the twins who were sitting up and singing a stream of funny sounds. "Say hi to your dad" Janet starts waving at his camera. Glenny waved too. He then takes Rosa's hand and waves it up and down. "not too hard buddy, ok" Glenny says okay and makes funny faces at Rosa who laughs at him. Janet does the same with Katie, the twins start back up the only word they had mastered that sounded like a word. Glenny and Janet joined in singing the word da. Mark says for Logan and the girls to have a goodnight. "Will do, and Mark, happy anniversary."

After the work day Denary had just had, she was in the mood for sleep more than anything. Sleep would not come, so she'd checked her email, no message or request from Mark and by his wife's Facebook post, the school was the last thing on his mind right now. She'd really made a mess by getting that damn head trainer involved. She wasn't going to sleep around on her husband, but when Rodney Ash the head trainer showed interest she was in lust. None of this would have happened if it weren't for Rapture refusing to sign a new contract. He would have been discreet. She could honestly say, she did not make Rodney attack Sloan. All it took was for her to tell Rodney that Rapture pushed her to the floor in a meeting, and bashed the program calling it a cake walk. Like magic Rapture was the target of some really interesting fights. All she did was give Rapture a challenging schedule, and refused to allow him a rest period, nothing criminal. Her husband had Rapture's club shut down. She never used her married name so that could not have been why he refused her. She was used to getting what she wanted and Rapture's refusal just made her work harder at her goal. She tries to login to the system from home. Using her husband's computer, she tries to log into the school camera system. Her screen flickered then a blue screen came up with a scrolling dialog.

We're working extra hard to fix the problem please try again later. She tries again in a few minutes, and once again her screen flickered but the next page she saw said page not found. Now she was worried, she knew she typed in the right address. She tried to open her virtual desk, and found the same message. Had Mark blocked her on this computer that quickly? Nah, that couldn't be it, she was being a paranoid fool. He was probably fucking his wife by now she wouldn't be on his radar. Taking a breath, she felt her husband rub against her. She used to really love the councilman. She had the picture perfect life from the outside looking in, she was top management of a growing institution, she had lots of followers as a councilman's wife, and she fucked who she wanted as long as she kept it off camera and out of the press, her husband didn't mind. Well, on the last part, he didn't suspect that she had such adulterous urges, and any man he did suspect got put out of business really quick. Her and Rapture were super careful, she never knew what made her hubby close down Dark Knight Paradise. Maybe he saw her go in that first time when she had signed the original contract with Sloan. That made no sense it wasn't like she could ask him, and Sloan never did tell her. She let her body relax and went to sleep.

The next day, Sophie had just got out of a very long meeting with Mark. He'd given her a guest account to his security system in the event legal action took place. Which with all the factors there was sure to be some. She drew up another contract for his newest acting Coordinator and HR Head one Mick Foley. The "acting" would fall off, once Denary's suspension ended. Though Sophie knew Mark's initial response to the incident Sophie strongly recommended another course of action. Truth was, Denary Strat- Clarke was on her way out of Mark's school. Sophie suggested putting her on suspension until after the investigation was done. There were lots of things to go through and if councilmen Clarke wanted a piece, there was some for him as well. The fact that Denary didn't disclose her full name on her application was the least of her problems. Her husband had this compulsion to throw his political weight around when his wife is near. Sophie wanted the guy to try, she'd bury him and his shady ass career. She had another complaint come from yet another lawyer that was fired by Strickland, not the daughter. The former partner had joined in a list the of lawyers that wanted to be rebranded under Ivey Enterprises. Sophie looked at the lawyers, the firm were getting rid of, and sat back in her seat. Looking at the last five non-partners to lose their job, two had 30 clients ranging from corporate firms to entertainment personalities. She called in her team of acquisition lawyers, she was done, she'd given Strickland a choice and if he chose the wrong path he would regret breaking a part of his contract that usually people that needed merger so badly, didn't do. In all Ivey Enterprises mergers there was a number of cuts not allowed. The very thing that made her father want their business before handing over the company to her was being taken away in large doses. The firm had cut more than was allowed and it left them all susceptible to a class action law suit. Lawyers that had been practicing and pulling in major cliental were being fired, and taking their clients with them. Strickland tried to get around the clause by firing non partners. Sophie ends her meeting with her team and she would soon own Strickland Law. Calling attorney Spencer and his wife Sophie proposed that they join the few lawyers that had already come over. Spencer drove a hard bargain and so did his wife. She awarded the Spencer couple full partnership. If it wasn't for Spencer bringing her attention to Strickland's deal, she would have been wondering why all these lawyers all of a sudden were on their own, and why Strickland would have been dragging her name into the toilet.

Checking her watch, Sophie headed towards her car she wanted to do lunch with Luke. After checking his day planner, and sending him a text, he answered which center he was at, she drove towards the Sheldon and Middlebrooks Medical Center of Pyramid. Upon entering Luke's outer office, she looked over and saw non-other than her father coming out of the back. It was out before she could stop herself. "Everything ok?" He'd been in super asshole quiet mode ever since the damn dinner. She half expected him to keep walking like she hadn't said anything.

Chase had just finished another Starting Over session with his life coach. He wasn't expecting to see any of his children, that's why he selected an office outside of Grandville. He heard the worry in her tone. He didn't want her worried about him. His behavior towards those that cared was deplorable here lately. Just before she reached the door that would lead to the offices he says "I am well, Sophie. Do you have a moment; I'd like to speak with you?"

"You would like to speak to me in what capacity? As your daughter who loves you, or as business owner that agreed to share some of your old servers with your new endeavor? Or maybe you need to speak to a contract lawyer." Sophie met her father's gaze. Putting his finger to his lips he then says all three. She looks at her watch then sent Luke a message and he told her if she wanted she could use his conference room here. Looking back up at her father she says "fine, follow me"

They walk in to Luke's section and pass his office. Sophie goes to slide the two glass doors open to his conference room when Chase says he'd get that for her. Luke's Administrative Assistant solves that problem, when she hit a button on her desk and the doors slide open. She offers them something to drink. Chase says water would be fine, the woman asks if Sophie wanted something. "No, thank you." Sophie walks in and sits in Luke's seat in one of the three seating areas in the huge space. After the admin hands Chase a glass of water she pours from a glass pitcher, she leaves and the door slides closed behind her.

Chase watches his youngest take a position of power. He knew if this went south she'd leave this room and their relationship would be more damaged, if that was possible, and with his latest behavior he would have no one to blame but himself. Sitting in the seat that faced hers, he rubs a hand over his mustache and sighs just looking at the woman that looked so much like his mother. He'd thought of Nana Barnett a lot here lately, and the fact that she would have smacked him upside the back of his head for his behavior towards his children. Taking a sip of water, he says. "Sophie, I apologize for my behavior towards you. I felt under attack, and I fired back, it was uncalled for."

"For almost a month now, after you tried to verbally shred me, then sent the law my way, you apologize for your behavior?" Chase says he can't change any of what was exchanged between any of them. "My point still stands. I brought Sophia into the conversation, because I was frustrated with you, but you must admit I had a valid point. That's what pissed you off." Chase goes to say something then thinks better of it. "You are going to keep "helping" Amy and she is going to end up back in rehab or worse." He says he loves her and was getting help in trying to deal with some personal issues he'd ignored after Sophia's death. Sophie saw what this was doing to her father, and she hated that he was having this hard of a time, but she would not keep quiet about what she was seeing. "Dad no matter what. I know in some way you miss Sophia. Maybe not the latter part of your marriage, but you can't cookie cutter Amy to be what Sophia was. I helped Amy get a life coach. You're hurting her more than helping. You couldn't save Sophia. It's not fair for you to shove Amy into that social role. You know nothing about her." Chase says that's not true. "Ok, without mentioning her ex-husband, or her child, or her addiction issue, or even her career, tell me something about her. What do you do for her? Not financially, but what is it that she sees in you? Do feel that she loves the man or the money? From the time it's taking to you answer, you don't see her as an equal. You see and treat her as if she is a cause."

Frustration burned his lips as he says "Damn it, that's not true."

Sophie kept her tone calm "Oh no, tell me something, if Amy were an outside buyer that wanted to move into a $300,000 home with the income she had, would you have approved the sale? I don't see you lowering your price to fit her income in an area that you could have made close to the original market value price of that home." Once again Chase reminds her of why he had come into ownership of the property. "Yes, I remember your talk with Angel about selling Evie's parent's home. So you want to claim it was more to get rid of it. It's a good thing Evie's parents didn't want the money. You sold Angel's condo in Manhattan for 700,000 more that market value. You also sold the Florida Ivey home for higher than market value. So your argument of just wanting to get rid of a prime property no matter how you came about it, doesn't really add up. The repairs alone on the property to bring it back up to code, after removing the fire damage cost what you sold it for. As for this deal you struck with Amy with the restaurant. Once again taking out your feelings for Amy. Would you have agreed to become and angel investor/partner in a business with a person with Amy's past, and the fact that she never ran a restaurant high end or otherwise?" Chase defends his decision by saying she ran a very successful catering company. "Dad, take it from someone that runs not just owns, but runs, a few eateries. Your gift would be like me saying oh, Luke likes cars, so let me buy him a car dealership to run. You promised that woman that you would partner with her, but truth be told you have no experience in that field, and neither does she. Catering and restaurants are in the same industry in some ways, but not in the ways Amy needs to be successful alone. I've given her names of a few top chefs and she is hiring on a man that I suggested to manage the location. He would kind of teach her how to run the place."

This conversation with no fire made him see just how bad he'd made the situation with his children and Amy, he had not missed that most of what Sophie said was in her counseling tone. If he was truthful with himself, he would not have sold Amy the house, or given her a business. He could say it was because they were friends, but he'd refused to do bad business even with friends. Sophie was helping fix a part if his relationship by getting his female help with dealing with things beyond her addiction. While he was trying to solve Amy's problems, he'd became one. Putting his hand to his mouth and siting back in his seat he looked at his daughter. "You know Sweetheart, I initially thought you and your siblings just didn't want me to move on. I can see at the very least with what you said today, and the fact that you offered her help, that's not the case with you. I did most of the things I did for reasons that are not as clear as they once were."

"I can only speak for myself, It's not that we don't want you to move on with your life. It's not like Amy thinks that we don't like her, I'll tell you what I told her. I don't know her; I know of her, but that's it. Anything I can't glean from a background check, or from what Nikki has said in passing, is all I had to go on. I want you to be happy, you deserve that as much as the next person. I just want you to make sure that you are in love, and not just trying to "save" Amy because you feel you failed in saving Sophia." Her father sighs and then explains how he felt about Amy, and how he is baffled by the fact that Amy refuses help more than she accepts it. He explains that for a very long time he did things a certain way, and then had to deal with and is still dealing with how bad he managed to misjudge his former mate. He then says he felt he was more to blame than Sophia because he was an enabler to Sophia and didn't see it that way until months before she self-destructed. Hearing the guilt in his tone and seeing it riding in his face made Sophie want to take away that pain. He tells her that he has started going back to his Starting Over courses because he didn't want to lose his family, and his mate, all because he refused to accept that he had life transition issues. Sophie breaks eye contact, looks at her phone, and stands Chase stands as well, he then pulls her into a hug and apologizes profusely in to her hair. "Dad, I forgive you, but you're going to have to forgive yourself before you can fully start over."

After lunch with Luke, Sophie returned to her office building. Seeing Joshua come off the elevator was kind of a surprise. Looking around him, and seeing no Angel really intrigued her. "Hey, are you lost?" she says in a joking tone. He looked at her and shook his head. He was wearing a suit. "What's going on Josh?" He was pissed and looked on the edge. He tells her he had to get going. "Joshua, you look like at any moment your about to bite through your dental work, or punch a hole in one of my walls, mind on telling me why? If you want, we can go somewhere more private." He says fine. "Follow me" Joshua is very quiet as they stepped on the elevator, but his anger was coming off him in waves that almost made a sound of its own.

As they enter Sophie's office, Joshua paces in front of her as she skirts her desk. She tells him to please stop moving before he gave her motion sickness. Looking at his little sister he wondered if he could speak to her. "I don't know if I can speak to you." Sophie asks him why wouldn't he be able to speak to her. "It's a conflict within Strickland since they have just landed a contract with the state. My lawyer, who I've retained for years before your company merged, wants to make this go away." Sophie asked what was the magic number. Joshua's anger changed direction, she thought this shit was funny? Yeah, they teased each other but her company helping his lawyer screw him was too much. "There is nothing magical about it. That fucker tried to bash in my fucking skull in front of my wife, and my kid, so excuse me if I don't see the levity. My other choice is in the middle of all this, is try to find another lawyer willing to come within miles of this case." Sophie asks was he done. Her neutral tone and blank expression infuriated him. Joshua turns towards the door he was almost out of the office, stopping he turns, and says. "Am I done? They mentioned, it could be bad for Chase's campaign. Your fucking company is attempting to screw me but sure, it's just business, right?" Sophie told him to calm down that she would handle it. "I'm out of here."

Cassandra sits out in the waiting room staring at Rapture's closed door. She'd gave Mark an update of no change. She'd almost called Joshua; it was weird, for years, she would have never called him then for the past few months she seemed to always be calling him, or sending him a good morning text. Now that she had stuck her foot in her mouth, both sides of her screen were quiet. The door at the end of the hall opens and her mother walked towards her. Cass got up and waved at her mom. Her mom put out her arms and Cass hugged her mother. "Oh momma. He still has not woke yet. They're in there, changing his bandages on his head. I hope the person that did this goes to jail for a very long time."

Sally had received a call from Angel telling her about the events that had taken place. Her Cassandra's male had been beaten very severely, her oldest daughter had lashed out at her youngest son, and her youngest daughter thought she should know. "Um Rapture is strong I'm sure he'll be fine." She says into her daughter's hair as she hugs her. "Your father is parking the car. Honey, have you eaten?" Cass pulls away from her and says not yet. "Honey, you can't starve yourself until he wakes." Cass sits back down staring at a door saying that she wasn't going anywhere. "Cassandra, this isn't healthy. He will be fine, now please come on down stairs with me and your father and at the very least get something to eat." Michael walks through the door and Cassandra went to him. Cass tells her daddy that her mother didn't understand. "Where is his family?"

Cassandra turns to her mother. "He has me." she says with conviction. Her mother says she should try to find his parents, or at the very least his siblings. Cassandra didn't want to get into any of the privileged information Rapture had shared with her. To Rap's knowledge he was an only child. His mother was killed in front of him, and he had no idea where his father was. Her mother had freaked out for weeks just about his name, if she knew anything else, Cass wasn't sure her mother would understand. "Mom he has me. His mother is dead he has no siblings, and lost contact with his father a long time ago." Then it hit her, she hadn't called anyone, the only ones who knew she was here, was Mark and Joshua. Now she wondered had Joshua spoke to her mother about her outburst? She just didn't see Mark talking to her parents. It had to be Joshua. "Did Joshua tell you I was here?"

Sally looked at her oldest daughter and told her the truth about Angel calling and being concerned about both her husband, and her sister in law. Cassandra explained what she'd said and the fact that Joshua didn't say anything else to her, just dropped her off. "Did you want to argue with him or did you want to get here safely?" Cassandra said that the comments were out before she could shut herself up. Sally's eyes narrowed "We have come so far, please think before you tarnish what you have worked so hard on with your brother that is all I am going to say on the matter. As for Mr. Sloan he is in the best place he can be right now, and you need food and sleep because honey, take it from me, a person that had to watch and help loved ones recover, you are going to need your strength, and he, if he is as in love with you, as he and you claim, he would not want you exhausting yourself like this."

Upon Joshua's explosive exit from her office, Sophie picks up her office phone and calls Angel, then called Strickland. They put her on hold, then hung up. By the time Sophie reached the 56th floor of Ivey Towers, livid did not come close to her mood. She already knew who Joshua's lawyer was, though she called Angel to make sure, and was rewarded with her suspicion. For once she didn't have to guess. Jake Washington was not only a partner, but also Strickland's son in law. Turning the corner, after speaking with the receptionist, she sees Jake talking with a few of the partners. Sophie walked up to him and says "Your office now."

Jake looked at the female from the merger recordings and then back at his colleagues. "You always this rude? I like you better inside the screen." He points to the update screen. Chase's only offspring says she'd like to speak with him in his office and adds please. One of the partners stops laughing and tells him maybe he should be nicer to her considering. "Considering what, I just saved her father's hide, and our firm." The partner rolls his eyes and walks away. Jake turns and walks away. Sophie E. Ivey follows him inside his office. Slamming the door behind her, Jake steps away from her sits behind his desk and says. "From the look on your face you're angry I don't get why." She speaks about Davenport. "Look I can't comment on my clients you should know this." Sophie explains that Joshua Davenport was not all too happy with his dealings and blames the Ivey brand. "I'll talk to him. I'm sorry he bugged you." She asks what was the magic number. "2 grand, and he drops this suit and doesn't speak of it again. That's as good as I am allowed to make it. I told him if he thinks anyone will touch this case he'll have to go somewhere else. He's not going anywhere, he's been my client for 10 plus years now, he gets fired up, and then sees it my way. I helped secure the State contract." Jake stands and taps on the window. Sophie tells him that he should have been paying attention in due diligence 101, because this is a huge amount of conflict of interest that could end in he getting sued for malpractice. "Look, lady, I'm Davenport's tamer no one in this office will take him." He saw footage of her in court but looking at Sophie E. Ivey he guessed he'd be her tamer as well. "So why don't you just relax, I got this." Seeing his father in law over her shoulder outside his door he says to her stony expression before she can open that pretty mouth. "I'm sure my dad will love to know you are here."

Sophie came here to throw water on a fire that was burning, this fool was one of the major players. Donald Strickland walked in as if on cue. Sophie texted her team. "Good, you're here. The audit team, and appraisers are on their way, you will have a meeting with the board of directors. Fire him now, or I will." Donald says she can't fire one of his partners. "It doesn't seem to be too hard for you to get rid of good partners. You have broken more of the agreement and I will not let you tank my company, for trying to help yours." Sophie points at Jake "he's not a lawyer, he's a liability." Strickland steps towards her, yelling she can't come in here and do this. Sophie eyed the older man's nearness and says in an even tone. "You touch me and you'll lose your life via my security team. Good day Strickland, goodbye Mr. Washington." Jake moves in her way blocking the door. Her ear piece came to life with Bobby's team giving her instructions. They hated this floor's office set up, because they only had a visual line of her in certain parts of this office. Sophie meets Jake's glare. Strickland tells his son to back up. Jake walks closer. All Sophie had to do was move about three feet to the right and some action would take place that was irreversible. Jake looked back at his father then back at her. He opens his mouth then closes it as a bean of red light pierces one of the windows and lands on his chest. Sophie looked at it and so did Jake. "Move now. This doesn't have to get any uglier than it already is." Jake seemed to come back to himself rather quickly, and stepped back, turned, and walked out of his own office. Strickland thanks her and follows his son telling him to go to his office. Sophie sighs in relief. Soon Bobby's voice comes into her ear telling her the hall was clear, Strickland and son were now in Strickland's office. Sophie walked to the desk Joshua's file was still open on Jake's computer. Sitting at his desk a bug crawled from under his ink blotter. Sophie stood abruptly turning green, trying hard to keep her lunch in her body. "Okay, so exterminators are needed as well, gross." Sophie calls her data collection team and orders them to download the file in its completion and then erased it off of Jake's computer.

Sophie leaves the office and heads back up to her own. She opened Joshua's file, Jake had not been serving Joshua well for a time now. Another statement popped up in his file. Sophie wanted nothing to do with what she had just seen. She calls Spencer's wife. "Yes Adrien Spencer please. I'm sending you a caseload. The one for Joshua Davenport. I need you to contact him first. No I don't think he will be opposed to with working with you." Sophie couldn't un-see what the hell Jake had done. After a few more calls Spencer calls her back and says Davenport agreed. After ending the call with the partner, Sophie sits back in her seat she feels his gaze before she looks, up and sees Luke standing in her doorway about to knock on the open door. "Hey"

Luke watched his fiancé work, he liked just taking in her at work. When she looks over her screen the lightening that lit his soul did its usual dance across his nerve endings. He smiles. "Hey yourself beautiful, It's 8pm, ready to head out?" She gets to her feet talking about her day he rounds the desk. The thought of some body getting in her face pissed him off. "It's good the team was there. If not, and he touched you when I found him, he'd be wishing for death right now." She smirks at him and tries for levity saying he was a nut. Luke kisses his future wife and says. "Babe, call it what you want, I'm serious he ever put his hands on you, and I get wind of it, no one will be able to put him back together again." He tries to smile but knew his face gave away the fact that he was beyond irritated that people in her world had dared even think about crossing the line. Sophie asked him how he felt about Chase. "Babe, as long as you are ok, I'm fine. I said my piece to him about her when he revealed that she was buying my stolen pharmaceuticals. As for him treating you like shit that's what pissed me off most. I'm not over it and hope it doesn't happen again."

The next day, after a meeting with Mark, Denary sat in her car pondering what her next move should be. She was suspended until the investigation was over. There was an acting co-coordinator. Mark didn't yell, he just called her in and dropped this bomb on her, and then had the nerve to dismiss her. So she would make sure that the true story was never told. Foley was sitting in her desk, on her computer. She gets out of her car and walks into the medical center. She wanted to see what she was up against. Telling lies was her hobby and she was very good at it. The nurse at the desk fell for her little white lies. Walking towards Rapture's room, seeing her Rodney's handiwork was a shock. She hadn't got a good look at Rapture when he was taken from the school. If Rapture woke up and spilled the beans Denary would be ruined. Rodney Ash her head trainer was suspended as well until further notice. The younger trainer Matt was detained and released. Denary wanted to know what the young weight trainer had told the police. Right now though, she would tend to Rapture. She speaks to his prone form. "I know you can hear me. If you are going to come back as any less than what you were, just stop fighting." Denary watches the machine continue to breathe for him as she bends over the railing whispering in his ear, hoping her words would turn subliminal to him as she repeated for him to stop fighting, and just let go. If Rapture died it would be her word against Rodney's. Looking at his bruised face and bandaged head, she places her hand on the hose that was sending life giving oxygen to his lungs. She then just as slowly removes her hand and tries to make it look like she was caressing his face. The only thing that stopped her from covering the hose with her finger or "accidently" unplugging the system, was the camera in the ceiling she'd just noticed. If she killed him here she would be on video. Once again she bends down and whispers her stop fighting mantra into his ear, kisses him on the side of his mouth, and walks out of the room.

Moments earlier, Cassandra is convinced to take a break from her vigil of her lover. Her mother had been at her nonstop. She'd caved and went to the café downstairs. Food had no taste, or at least to her it didn't, it was probably a lovely sandwich and coffee combo. Her dad sat next to her. They talked, or at the very least he spoke to her. Angel had come by and given her a change of clothing. When she asked about Joshua, Angel said he was fine, then quickly changed the subject. Now that the sandwich was done she stood and announced that she'd eaten, and now she was heading back up to be with her man. When she stepped into Rapture' s room there was something on the side of his face. Had he moved? Hope surged as she ran closer to the bed. That hope plummeted and made her sick to her stomach. Someone had been in her mate's room and had kissed him. Fears that she had not allowed herself to think about surfaced, as she sat in the chair beside his bed. A nurse walked in and said she was there to take his vials and wash him up. Looking at the woman something was familiar about her, but Cass couldn't put her finger on it. The woman was blonde and skinny, Cassandra stared at the woman and asked her "did you kiss him?" The nurse of course denied it and from what the head nurse said Cass believed her.

Diamond knew the woman looked familiar. This woman had been one of her patients, Diamond remembered the woman now. Around the first of the year after eating her windshield in a car crash, Cassandra Davenport was sent into her section. This was a relation to her other patient and Candy's Band Lead Joshua Davenport. Diamond looks at the lipstick on the comatose man's mouth. She walks over and starts logging his vitals. "Miss Davenport, I was recently promoted to head trauma nurse. Considering how the smallest thing could compromise his immune system right now, and the fact that I like my job. I don't want anything from this man but for him to wake up, and get better, so I don't have to see him anymore. He's been in my care for 20 of the 36 hours he's been here. I will check our camera system this room is video out only. If it's one of my staff he or she will be dealt with swiftly I assure you. I must ask you to leave while I wash him up." The woman eyed her then sighed and left the room. Diamond pulled up her room link and rewound the vid of this room on her iPad. "You're not one of mine, who are you lady?" Diamond watched a few more times something about the woman's demeanor was off. Yeah, she kissed him, but something was off. At one point she runs her hand along the tubing then looks up into the camera, that's when she touches his face whispers in his ear again and kisses him. "Freeze frame, start reverse image search." Diamond didn't want the woman to be one of her nurses just out of uniform or something stupid. The match comes back for an upper management part of The Undertaker wrestling school. She sends the vid to Dr. Sheldon. Yes, he may be out of the office, but she would not keep this to herself, and besides if it looked to him like it looked to her, they may have to restrict more people from this room. Diamond knew she was being watched by Luke in her new position, and she wasn't going to give him a reason to want her gone like the dealer she'd replaced. When that shit hit the fan, and he called in audit, and Denton was marched out, and handed over to the cops. It shook the entire staff even those that had been in their positons for decades. Diamond cleans up Mr. Sloan and leaves the room. She calls Dr. Sheldon's phone expecting his answering service. Sheldon picked up and surprised the heck out of her. They speak, and at the close of their conversation, she was instructed to have Mr. Sloan moved and to contact Mr. Mark L. Callaway. So Diamond wasn't just seeing things, the woman in the video looked suspicious to her boss as well. It was also confirmed that Cassandra M. Davenport was in fact given permission to travel with Mr. Sloan to his more secure room. She speaks with Davenport and the woman asks her had they met before. Diamond confirms their previous meeting, and the suspicious glare the woman had been shooting her seemed to ease.

Nikki heads into her mom's restaurant after school. She was supposed to get picked up by Candy but Candy never showed and the restaurant was closer even than her home, to her school. Janet was back at Ivey Enterprises with her externship, so she couldn't even walk home with her girl. She texted Candy for the fifth time. Still no answer. Sighing she heads into her mom's office, and sits behind Amy's desk. She calls Joshua because the reason Candy was picking her up, was so she could get to the club afterschool. She was supposed to do sound for a pretty mild concert of some people she had never heard of. "Have you heard from Candy?" Joshua says no, and asked her did she want him to come pick her up. "Sure I'll just let my mom know I'm leaving. If I'm not where she last thought I was. I don't need her or Chase thinking I ran away and broke the contract." He says good thinking and that he'd be there in about 20 minutes since he had to stop for gas. "No problem boss man." She could hear the cringe in his voice as he asked her to never call him that again. "You are my boss or one of them, and you're a man, what's the big…" He tells her that's what one of his former female band mates called him and it hadn't led to anything positive. It wasn't that hard to figure out who he was talking about, the only former female band mate would be the Vivian Arrow woman that had a really short run with the band and the company according to Janet who had been at Joshua's birthday party. They finish their talk and she agrees to continue calling him what she'd always called him, and gets off the phone. She goes in search of her mom. One of the waiters says her mom was in the kitchen. "Thanks." As Nikki heads towards the kitchen she comes up short at the sight of none other than the boy she had no intention of seeing again. Standing in her way with a cocky smile on his face, was Frederick Hall. He says him and his adoptive parents were dining here, and he saw her, and thought he would. Nikki stopped him right there. "Would what, get to talk to me after shoving my butt in the lake with a dead body?" Her voice hitched as she continued speaking while all kinds of thoughts and emotions warred for purchase of her tongue not giving him a chance to respond. "You not only could have killed me, if I didn't know how to swim, that pier is way higher than it looks, we had never gone swimming together, what if I couldn't swim Fred?" He says he kind of figured she could swim since she was athletic. "If it hadn't been for Janet teaching me in her dad's pool over the summer, you could have killed me. You yelled at me, pushed me into a large body of water, and just left, like you didn't care. By the time I surfaced and figured out which way to swim, you were already gone." He walks towards her and tries to hug her. Nikki moved back away from his embrace attempt. "Just stop" He says he was freaked out and that he was sorry he yelled at her, and put his hands on her. Nikki hugged herself, and says "Just go back over there, have lunch with your family, and leave me alone. You proved you're really good at that, keep it up."

Frederick was pissed she just shredded him here in public. "You don't have to be a bitch about it. You're not cute enough to get away with that shit, grow some breasts and lose some weight miss track star." He verbally scored her, as she had him. He knew she wasn't near fat, but she'd once said she could stand to lose three more pounds and joked that maybe she'd be able to run faster. The look in her eyes and the tear that escaped before she turned away, and ran towards the kitchen was a short lived celebration. He hadn't come here to break up with her. He'd come to gage in a public place where her head was. Now he'd just fucked up any chance of getting her back. He figured she could swim because it seemed that all of the South Grandville girls around his age could. The thought that he could have killed her while running away like a chicken shit, pissed him off at himself. Some Wolf pack member he was. It was a shock to see the woman he dove in to rob floating there in the water. He remembered the dress, it freaked him out to see her in the daylight. His actions of robbing the body had freed it from the truck cab, her death was a suicide with question marks. He dove in with all his fucking clothes on, and one of his bracelets had been found. Wolf had been major pissed at him and yelled that murder had no time limit. If anything leads back to the Wolf, or the Den, Fred knew he was toast. Mixing his den life, and his daytime life at that lake was stupid, and he'd lost the best girlfriend he'd ever had. He told her about his past and she had stayed right by his side. His den member/ adoptive father comes over and tells him to come sit down, that he was drawing attention to himself standing in the hallway looking like an idiot. Fred walks back over and sat with his family. The den member asks him was there anything he wanted to happen to the little cunt. Fred thought better of saying anything and shook his head no. The female den member/ his adoptive mom, told him not to give up if it was worth it. That gave him hope. Nicole Davis was worth it. He spotted her again as she walked out of the restaurant and climbed up into her boss's truck.

Joshua looked over at her and did a double take asking her what was wrong. So many answers wanted to spill from her lips, none of them would sound professional. Joshua was her boss; he was cool with her, but still her boss. Joshua asked did her mom say she could come. "Yeah, she's cool with it." Nikki had to pull herself together. Fred was part of the reason she had to go find her mom and tell her that she was going to work tonight. Before her mom lost trust for her, she could move freely, with just a text saying where she was, not having to ask before going anywhere. If she hadn't of snuck out of the house, she would not have got into trouble, and upset her mom, and there would be no contract. She'd almost lost all of her freedom over Fred, a guy that didn't even really like her. Swallowing hard she looked down at her clothing Fred had called her ugly and fat. Had he gone with her as a pity kind of thing? That thought reminded her of the guy at her school that was on the boy's track team that flirted with her. She knew she wasn't attracted her school mate, but she was polite to him. Had Fred been just seeking a hook up? Was that why he tried to talk to her after he thought she would be over him ditching her at the lake? Once again millions of questions and no real answers. A question sprung from her mouth that left Joshua looking stunned. "Hey Joshua you're a guy, do you think I'm ugly?" As he cuts his eyes to her briefly then back on the road without speaking, she continues with. "You can be truthful."

Joshua didn't know where that came from and wasn't all that hype to answer her. It wasn't that he thought she was ugly, but it just wasn't something he felt he should comment on. "Nikki I'll tell you I'm not the best person to asks that to, but anyone in your circle that has made you doubt yourself in any way maybe shouldn't be in your circle." She nods and stays quite as they head towards The Davenport. Joshua sees a State cop in his review. Wired didn't come close to how he is feeling. The cop passes him, and he sighs in relief only after he sees the patrol car exit the highway. They get to the club and only after he closes the gating for the owner's parking, does he take an easy breath. Nikki askes him is he ok. "Yeah you go on in and I'll be in there in a minute I still haven't heard from Candy I'm going to call her again then I'll be in there, Vash is already in there so he can tell you what he needs to be done as far as sound tonight." Nikki hops out and closes the door.

Jonathon heads home and is met with the smell of pastry, this had been happening for a while now. He asked what was on his mate's mind and she would either not answer, or snap at him, and he was getting bloody tired of the silence and snapping. He noticed that she wasn't in the kitchen and called out to her. He hears her speaking to someone and walks around the corner. She sounded upset, walking into the room he puts his hand on her shoulder about to bend down and kiss her cheek, and she jumped almost head-butting him, with her hand over her heart, she glares up at him, and ends her call with one of their talent in a stern voice. "Gloria, whatever is it that puts that look on your face, and makes you jump as if you believe someone will hurt you here in our home? Please just tell me what it is." She says nothing in a snippy tone. Sighing and walking towards the door John recounts her behavior this past week and a half here, and at work. "Is it something to do with me?" She tells him not to be foolish. "You see, that's what I'm talking about, you're at my throat most of the day in the office, and when we get home you verbally try your best to bite off my head and I want know why? Have I forgotten an important date? Your birthday isn't for another few months, it wouldn't be any kind of anniversary of ours, so I am drawing a blank here, please Gloria, my love, help me out, make me see what has you so angry."

Gloria could not get over her own blood being employed by Wolfe, and to make matters even worse how was she to say that a part of the den had come to her with a such message. She wondered what Jonathan would think. The more time elapsed, she became afraid of saying anything to him for two main reasons. His temper, she didn't want him going off and getting himself hurt, also what if he thought she would hurt him. She thought she'd been hiding her internal struggle well, but from John's retelling of her screaming at him last night over a pile of mail he'd forgot to throw in the bin among other small things that she angered quickly about, she had to say something. This secret was affecting her relationship, and her work. If John left her, Wolfe wouldn't have to send anyone else after her. That pattern of morbid thought opened her mouth. Looking up into the confused gaze of her mate she starts with. "John, sit down, please." He sits in front of her holding out a hand. "What I'm about to say, please know, it's not for you to take any action. I just can't hold it within me, any longer." She tells him about her cousin, and his threat via his boss The Wolf. She watched as John's jade gaze moved from confused to a hunter stormy green. John let her hand go, and she instantly felt lonely. He asked why she hadn't said anything before now. Though tears threatened to fall she wipes her eyes and clears her throat. "I didn't know how to bring something like this up. I tried to keep it tucked away, and thought I'd been doing a good job of it. No matter what Wolf's assumption is, I want you to know and I hope you already know. I love you more than I have loved another human being. I would never hurt you. The other reason is sheer embarrassment, that someone from my own bloodline would work for him after the things he has done."

Seeing his mate standing here in front of him so emotionally bared to him, coupled with the fact that though he wanted to charge to her defense, there was nothing he could do. His initial response was anger that Maxwell would send one of his men, no matter who it was, to her with such a message. She says for him to please not do anything rash. Sighing Jonathon pulls her into his arms just hugging her to him. "Yes, I'm angry, but I'm not foolish enough to charge after a man that can put me in the ground before I even know I'm hit." Wolfe had not missed her presence, if the message was word for word Wolfe knew who she was, and where she was all along. She restates her love for him. Had he been too quiet for her liking? "Gloria, I know how you feel about us. I love you as well." Her father and her ex-husband were the reason Wolfe knew of his mate. Wolfe's threat was uncalled for. Jonathon wondered why Wolfe thought Gloria would do anything to him. He also wondered why Wolfe would threaten Gloria, but never Sophia. The selection made no sense. If Wolfe was watching this closely all this time, why threaten and possibly scare off a woman that had done nothing to warrant such a message, and not intervene when John would have needed it most. Instead Wolfe had accepted a job and not completed it only because of lack of money Victor was able to provide. It had nothing to do with the fact that had Wolfe succeeded in killing Gloria, the mere dark thought shook him at his core. Even before he named her partner, when he was away she lead the company like he would have. Without her, LEGNA would not have grown to be the empire as it is today, of that he had no doubt. A lot of things just did not add up. Wolfe was unstable. He'd contact Ivey's person again. If something happened to his mate, he'd lose what was left of his fucking mind.

The next day Casandra sits in Rapture's new room holding his hand and speaking to him. Millions of thoughts ran track in her head. Was there another woman in her man's life? If not, why had the woman kissed him. She'd berated herself for not being awake when Luke came to visit her mate. She was furious with the doctor for not waking her. She looked at the window of the door and saw Joshua standing on the other side. He didn't look angry, that was a plus. Getting up she walks to the door. Joshua hands her a small bag with another change of clothing. He wouldn't even look at her. So Angel had put him up to this. She opens her mouth to say something then stays silent. A weak gagging noise draws her attention back to her mate. Casandra runs back to his side; Joshua runs down the hall yelling at someone that Rapture Sloan was choking. Doctors and nurses flood the room, and she is ordered to leave. Cassandra now stands on the outside of her mate's room watching through the floor to ceiling window. One of the doctors move in her way and she tries to look around him. "Please be ok." something moved in her peripheral vision when she looked to her right, Joshua was standing next to her. "He has to make it, I'd be lost without him."

Standing next to his sister watching what looked like a reenactment of another time he'd love to forget Joshua tried to fight off the images like this when Candy had tried to take herself out. He was worried he hadn't been able to catch up with Candy. She never showed last night at the club. The show they put on last night he knew Candy liked the band that featured, so he was surprised when she didn't show. Where the hell was she? This ghost shit wasn't her style. Not hearing from her for two days was weird and alarming. When he took Nikki home last night he'd stopped by Candy's place and she didn't answer the door. Her car was gone so where the hell was she? He didn't even have a spare key to her house anymore, since she had to get her locks changed because of Deon. The med staff coming out of the room leaving Rapture in view with only a nose cannula woke him from his racing thoughts. He hears Luke speaking to Cassandra. Rap was going to make it. He watches as Cass walks into the room and sits next to the big man's bed. You could see Rap was still out of it, but he was awake and that's what everyone had been waiting on.