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.

40. Chapter 40 Cover your A

Chapter 40

Cover your Ass

Sunday afternoon. Chase stood with his close protection team and cut a ribbon with huge red scissors to mark the grand opening of yet another business that would birth more jobs in Granville North. When he returns to his limo after a press conference he is told about Angel being arrested. Fury elevated his tone. "Tell her not to say a fucking thing." His son's brother Bradley says he isn't near her. "I heard you, did you hear me?" Chase hung up and then calls Bobby and was told what happened. After finding out more about what was going on from Bobby. Chase went to his next appointment, a charity bike race. He trained for this, for months. At the starting point, he sees none other than the current Mayor. Chase knew that without counting the wonderful job LEGNA Production had done helping him with tasteful adds and interviews his margin wouldn't be as large as it was in the polls. It wasn't that people here didn't know of him, other websites and news stations saw a different side of him for most of his time here. Mayor Jackson tried to say he wasn't from here counting his family residence in England as his permanent residence. Yes, it was ridiculous, most if not all, of the news stations dug into his past and came up with the same story. Chase was born in the state of New York. His father General Chase William Ivey Sr. got stationed overseas and took his family with. Chase's return after college and starting a business with a college roommate that grew in to the major conglomerate it was today that is owned and operated by his youngest daughter. Chase could keep his debate on the issues affecting Grandville not try to one up the current Mayor in false bullshit.

Mayor Jackson smiles at Chase as he straddles his bike. This was for charity, and for him it was for publicity. "Hey there old man, you sure you can handle this race?" Jackson knew that Chase Ivey was at the very least old as his father. Chase says nothing then pissed Jackson off by patting his gut and pointing at him. Heat rose to Jackson's face, as he yelled "I can change the fact that I got love handles, but you'll always be old." His campaign manager yells in his earpiece that he'd just served the first sound bite for today and to please not do that again. His numbers with the over 45 male population where in trouble as it was. Ivey had baited him without saying anything, no one would know where the nonverbal bait came from, since the cameras were on him and not Ivey. The race starts and Chase left him in the dust. Jackson peddles as fast as he could they hit the first hill and he could feel himself gaining speed as they descend. He pushes pass Chase, his campaign fed him juice to get back at Chase at the first rest period. "Oh, is that right?" This town didn't care that Chase was a New Yorker transplant. Jackson's data had been wrong when he tried to say that Chase wasn't American at all. Chase's father was in the US army, when that was revealed the rest of the shit just buried Jackson's statement, making him sound like an idiot, or even worse a liar. Chase's Whore Date scandal had even been for the greater good of a young life. When the little whore turned up dead, Jackson gleefully sent media trucks to Chase's home here, and Chase always the lawyer, had verbally tap danced these locals. Now he had some juice that Chase couldn't dance away from. As he gets off his bike he walks up to Chase who was already off his bike, and asks for a moment of his time. Chase nods to one of his close protection agents. "Is that really called for? It's not like we don't have my police force surrounding the place." Chase didn't, nor did he ever, talk about his federal level protection squad. Chase put on his shades and turned his back checking his bike. "I'm talking to you. You son of a…" Jackson steps forward and reaches for Chase's arm to spin him around. A male a head taller than Jackson, steps in the way and tells him not to touch Mr. Ivey. This wasn't Ivey's adopted son this agent was in complete control of his words and actions. His adopted son was known as a hot head. Jackson steps back and speaks to Chase's back. "Ivey, it's come to my attention that I have one of yours as a guest of mine. If you continue to ignore me, I may have to keep her around." Ivey's head came up as he turned around. Jackson smiles to himself as he now meets the hazel eyes of Chase William Ivey the second. "I thought maybe we could talk privately, I'll be brief." The warm hazel of Ivey's eyes faded before Jackson's, as it is replaced with a steely grey.

After the interview announcing their newest members, Joshua gets two calls he never wanted to be repeated to him ever again. When Bradley called him, his heart had dropped into his socks. Moments after hanging up with Bradley another call came in. The next call asking him for permission to treat Candy was just as bad. Joshua's mom and dad kept JC so he could try to visit Angel and check on Candy, when he arrived at the police station in their district, and was told Angel wasn't there, a panic seized him like no other. Bradley had said that it was G south police that took her in, not state, where the fuck was his wife? Standing in a vestibule of officers he managed to walk outside before he threw up. Making it to his truck, it wasn't until he called Bobby and was reassured that Angel was as ok, as could be expected, and that she was being held at a local government compound for her protection. Joshua could breathe a little easier, that their brother knew where Angel was, and because of his Field Commander status, and the fact that his agency was a part of her close protection team, Bobby would be kept abreast of any movement. Angel had a lawyer from Sophie's firm it was the husband of his new lawyer, and Derrick Spencer had done a hell of a job defending his dad so he trusted the man.

Sunday night, after the charity race Jackson pulls up in front of the meeting location. He walks into the VIP section of Ivey Suite Bar and Grill, and there sat Chase drinking. "Nice of you to show" Chase tells him he only agreed on the terms that Jackson would keep this brief. After ordering and receiving a drink, Jackson says. "I know and what I'm proposing will be mutually beneficial. This has been a very exciting run for me. Usually my opponents by this time, drop out of the race. You're costing me money that I have never had to part with in the past." Chase tells him to state his terms so they can be done with this meeting. "You are in no position to make demands. I would think 500 grand has a nice ring to it. Don't you think your daughter's freedom is worth such a small price?" Chase asked just how he intended to hold his daughter captive within the justice system. "Oh, that's easy, if you don't pay up, I'll make sure to red tape her until one of two things happen, she cracks, or this election grants me my rightful place as Mayor."

Controlling his outer body language Chase looks at his drink. "If you should lose?" It took everything in him to not bring harm to the man sitting across from him when Jackson said he may lose his daughter. "Jackson, the fact that you think I would give you money is insane. Let me make myself clear, if you try this you had better be ready for backlash that could rip apart not only your campaign, but threaten your own freedom." Jackson stands and says he would watch who he threatens. Chase sighs trying hard to maintain that devil may care attitude he was famous for within the business world, as he says considering the Mayor's angry gaze. "Same goes." Jackson almost got his wish of a being put on his ass when he gets in Chase's face and says well since Chase was unwilling to part with such a small price he would have to make sure that he held up his end of the bargain. "I'm old, and your part in an open investigation would be?" Jackson stepped back and says that he would remove Angela Rosa Davenport's protected status, and have her transported back to his police station, where he could keep an eye on her personally, because no one was above the law. "You are aware that removing her protected status would have to come from higher than your office Mayor Jackson, at least to do it legally, and I don't believe that you could get a federal judge to agree to put someone in her positon in such a dangerous position as you've described. If I were you I wouldn't try to get around the law, in the past you have won. This is present day, and if by some chance, you get my child hurt. You, and the chain of command that let it happen, I promise on everything I own, you all will never work again, because when I'm done, you and everyone involved will be vacationing in prison." Jackson stepped forward and says they will see about that. He then just as quickly stepped back and walked out of the bar. Chase meant every word if that piece of slim got his daughter hurt in all of this, he'd close this fucking town down.

Bobby watched the meeting from his Hummer on his laptop in full surround sound. He watched as Jackson got back in his limo. "Mayor Jackson needs a tail." His agent asked how close did he want him followed "No detection but keep visual."

Monday, Candy is released from the hospital. She'd suffered whiplash and a concussion from Deon punching her. She'd spoke to the police and told them what happened or what she could remember. Her head, neck. and back were stiff and sore, but Luke said that was because of the amount of pressure Deon used to hit her per the fresh bruises on her face and in her hairline. He explained that whiplash occurred when a person's head moves backward and then forward very suddenly with great force. That was the hardest she could remember anyone ever hitting her. Deon's words came back to her as he'd choked her out. Not only could he have killed her in her kitchen, but he tried to kill her in her bed. She now lay in her usually chosen bedroom at Ivey Mansion. She had made up her mind as she lay in the hospital last night. Josh told her she could stay if she wanted to. She was putting her house up for sale. This time around Joshua didn't try to talk her out of it. Her house just wasn't a home anymore, it was just a house, a place that held more and more of her demons. After Roman, after the fire, she didn't think she could stay there, but she did. Now after Deon trying to end her life. Memory flashes before her mind's eye of the attacks, in the kitchen with him punching her, fade. Waking in her bedroom tied to her bed, Deon's hands tightening around her throat, his face blurring, his words sounding far away, her thinking he was killing her, fade. Opening her eyes and meeting those of the med crew as they spoke to her, and put the oxygen mask on her. She would not go back this time, not to that room, not in that bed, not even in that house. She'd speak to Chase to see about selling the place and buying a new one. Talking with Joshua and finding out what happened after Deon choked her out, made her grateful Angel had come, but sorry her girl was in jail. Joshua told her that he about lost his damn mind when he asked about Angel and they told him that she wasn't there. He spoke about some place that had Angel for her protection, and that she may get out on bail today until the investigation was done.

By Monday afternoon, Joshua wondered what was the hold up with letting Angel out at the very least on bail. That drugged out fucker Deon was still alive, and had charged at his wife. Angel defended herself along with saving his friend. Attorney Spencer said she had a good chance at self-defense. The problem was that the Judge that was to go over the case went on fucking vacation. The bitch of an Assistant District Attorney accused Spencer of attempting to Judge-pick when he suggested another Judge that wasn't on vacation. That night, after waiting hours for Angel's case to be called then moments before the court would close for the day getting, the news about the Judge's ill-timed vacation, Joshua, Bradley, Jonathon, Sophie, and Luke, who showed up later, head back to Ivey Mansion. Sophie was just as pissed as Joshua, since she had it on good authority that the Judge started to look over the case and then decided he was going on vacation after getting a call. Sophie didn't know who called the Judge but this was a blatant attempt to keep Angel in custody. The question on everyone's mind was who and why?

Jonathon was beyond pissed at the games being played with his girl's freedom. He called Chase, who was absent from their waiting game at the court house today. After getting through he says "I think there is something amiss. I don't claim to be a law person that's Sophie and your world." Chase asked what happened. "Though my girl was to be out on bail tonight they didn't let her out. The fucking Judge went on vacation. Her lawyer asked for a Judge that wasn't on holiday, and he gets talked to like this is some trick he's planned, something about Judge switching. We would not have needed a new Judge if the current one had of done his job after getting a call while going over the case per Sophie's contact that works there."

"Jonathon, are you still at the mansion?" Jonathon says yes, he and the others. "I need to speak to you I'll explain when I get there, I think you may be on to something." John asks, what did he think was going on. Chase didn't need Jonathon charging out in this shit storm with guns blazing. If he couldn't, neither could his daughter's birth father.

Sophie spoke to Candy. Keeping her own transferences in check was a challenge, but she managed. Sophie wanted Candy to arm her damn house better, since the only reason the fucker got in without her detection in the first place, was through her damn attached garage coupled with the fact that her security system was cheap. Candy told her of her plans to sell the house, and arm the next one with Interactive Supervisor. "If by chance your next home has an attached garage have a damn door that locks in the middle please." Candy says she will. Sophie catches Bradley standing at the door as she is leaving the room. Closing the door again Sophie turns back around and says. "Bradley is here; did you want to see him or should I tell him to go home?" Candy looked at her hands and said she didn't know. "I can tell him you're not ready to see him if that's what you want. If his presence is going to stress you out, just say the word." Candy meets her gaze and says she would come out into the den. "Ok, I'll tell him you'll meet him in there." Sophie watched as Candy got up to make sure, she didn't face plant the floor. She knew Candy had been sleeping off the med Luke had given her before being released earlier this afternoon. At seeing Candy wince while trying to take off the neck brace. Sophie points at the foam neck brace and says. "Keep that on." Candy says ok and walks towards her. Sophie turns to open the door again, and Bradley had not left. "She'll meet you in the den." Bradley looks confused and then says ok. Sophie excused herself. Bradley looked at her opened his mouth, closed it, then turned towards the den.

Candy says "Thanks Sophie." This was the first time she'd seen Bradley since 3 something Sunday morning. Bradley looks at her and asked did she need him to help her. "No, I'm sore but ok." They enter the den he goes to close the door. "Can you not close the door?" He opens it back up. Looking out into the hall made her nerves calm a bit. His look of confusion wasn't going to deter her into keeping quiet about what she was feeling. She'd told him it was over, and though it was because of her situation at the time, she wanted him to know how she felt before they were closed in a room together. He stayed by the door with his thumbs in his belt loops as he leaned against the wall. Candy gingerly sits on the sofa. "About what I said to you over the phone. I want you to know, I didn't mean it." Bradley cuts her off and says he knows or hopes he did. That surprised her. "You did?" She says in a relived tone.

"Not at first" He explains what he thought at first and how hearing that Angel was in her home and so was Deon changed his mind, in the blink of an eye. Rubbing his hand over his face. He tells her that he was the one who called the cops. "I heard you scream out in pain and my mind was made up." he explained the fear that froze his blood after Angel fired, until he heard Angel agree to get on the ground and ask about her, and his relief when the med crew could wake her. She seemed surprised that it was him not Angel who called the cops. They continue to talk and at one point his facade of chilling by the door failed him. Candy said he could close the door and he rapidly did so. Turning back, he watched her tense then wince from the movement. The words sorry came to his lips but he swallowed it when she asked him not to apologize. She started to ask him a question and then he figured out why she wanted the door closed. What she asked rocked him. He didn't want to think about it. She was asking for a break until she could get her life back together. "You don't have to do that alone, I get it this shit with him scared you, it scared me too, but babe." She was running, it drove him nuts, but he couldn't make her stay, nor would he want to. Sighing and walking towards her she meets his gaze, and the fear there in her blue eyes was something he never wanted to see directed at him by someone he loved again. Before she tried to bolt or something that would just cause her more pain, he stopped advancing and says. "You know what, yeah I don't want to take a break, I love you, but I'm telling you now I'm not a romance book character, I won't stand here and lie to you saying I'll wait forever, but I'll give you, your space, and if it is meant for us to be together then we will, if not, it was nice while it lasted." She did something he thought he'd prevented, she started crying. "Hey, don't cry. I don't know what you want from me. I'm trying to be as honest with you as I can."

Candy felt so many emotions and for right now her only release was crying. She wanted him with her but she was afraid. So much had happened to turn her world on its ear. She also didn't want to be alone right now. "I don't know what I want." He asked if he could sit with her. She moves over allowing him space on the sofa as she tucks her legs under her. He sits down and clasps his hands in front of him. When he turned to look at her he tells her whatever she wanted he would try. "This is just a lot to deal with. I am afraid of something and please don't get mad." He stilled the stillness wasn't lost on her, it made her not want to ask though she doubted he would or even should give her an answer. Bradley says he never had hidden anything from her before so what was her question. "Why do you still want me? I've hurt you in my sleep. I hurt you last night. My question, why do you want my fucked-up ass?" Some emotion crossed his face.

A baffled Bradley looked at this woman that was like no one he had ever encountered. The question surprised him it wasn't the question alone. It was that she thought she had to ask. They had come so far only for Deon to push them backwards. He looks ahead, but felt he should look her in the eye hoping she would see the truth in his words. He didn't write love poems for a living, like his little bro, but he wanted to tell her how he felt and hoped she could see and feel him. He gazes into her eyes, and says "Candy, we spoke about your nightmares. As far as that goes, you talk like you meant to do it, and that's just not the case. Don't beat yourself up over something you can't control. Last night your life was at stake, and if the only way to keep that fucking nut from hurting you more was to hurt me. Babe you don't think I would have had a more unbearable pain if you had of refused to lie to me, and he hurt you or worse. When Angel fired, I was hoping she'd hit the threatening fucker, and two that you were ok. Lastly, why do I want your fucked-up ass? Hi, I'm Bradley, for most of my adult life I was fucked up, still am in some ways but that's why I love you, because you catch my big ass when I fall, and accepted me flaws and all, you are the first female not counting family, to love me for me. Even with some of them the jury is still out. You fill that part of me that I used to try to fill with expensive drugs. You make me want to continue being the one that makes you smile. Hearing your voice even on the phone, waking or going to sleep, makes my fucking day and night." He sits back on the sofa and fully turns to her. "I just, want you. All of you, your flaws, all your mistakes, smiles, jokes, sarcasm, water fights, everything." She drops her gaze from his. "Please look at me." She says she has more scars and he shouldn't have to look at them. As she runs her hand over the bruises on her wrists. "None of your scars make me love you any less. I see them as proof" Confusion laced her blue watery gaze. He puts his finger lightly on the one right above her temple drawing her gaze first to his hand, then to his. "Shit, you know I have scars and you still love me. Same goes" Anger touches his tone. "He could have taken you away from me, and everyone that loves and cares about you, and even if we had found him and beat the life out of him. It would not have brought you back. I see scars as proof of survival." Dropping his hands, he runs them through his hair and looks at the floor trying to contain some of the emotions that warred for purchase. Yesterday could have ended them for good with no chance because that fucker wanted to make good on the threat that had her so scared the week before. They had been doing so good as a couple even before they made it official, they were together. She says she never dared ask about his scar "You know stuff about me that not even my family knows" When she ran her hand along his side. Though his scar could be covered by clothing, the memory of the night he got it, triggered him to tense. She went to withdraw her hand as she asked how he got his. Standing and walking to the window hitting the code, and opening it, he needed air. "I, like a dumb ass, tried to score drugs in county, to help me forget that I'd just tried to destroy my own fucking family to get money for drugs. My contact stabbed me so he could keep the drugs, and left my ass in my cell. Somehow by some miracle a guard that I'd made a habit of pissing off, found me. I almost bled-out. After getting treated is when I started paying attention in rehab. I found that when I stopped trying to get at the stuff that got me locked up two times before then, my situation improved. That Judge that tried to throw the book at me, if I had of still been doped up I wouldn't have remembered her as a past girlfriend, and I would have never got out. Cass always thought it was her nagging that made me cooperate with rehab, and if she feels that way, who am I to say different? It really doesn't matter how I stopped, just that I stopped, before it got me or someone that I love killed." Arms wrapped loosely around his waist. Turning in her embrace he meets her eyes. She reached up and wiped a tear off his cheek that he hadn't even realized had escaped. Clearing the hoarseness out of his tone, he asked her to go to bed with him, not for sex just to lay with him because he'd longed to hold her for the past almost two days. She nodded and winced, and he offers to give her a massage. They head out of the den back toward her bedroom.

Out in the atrium, Chase shows up and invites Jonathon out on the back lanai they meet Sophie on their small journey through the kitchen, and invite her back as well. Sophie says they could use the den since Bradley and Candy had just left it. Chase agrees as they file in, John brings up the rear and asks what Chase had to tell him. Sitting in his old desk he pulls up his Supervisor account and lets them hear for themselves what the Mayor demanded of him, and his threats, if the price was not met. As Chase, had feared Jonathon jumped to his feet about to leave the room with intent to do more than harm the public official. "McBride! I didn't share this with you or you Sophie, for you to go off on a rampage of sorts. From what you have said about the courthouse today I spoke to Robert; he says that Angel was never even moved from the compound today. So, someone knew before that Judge got the call that Angel wasn't going to be bailed out tonight. Sophie, do you think your contact at the courthouse would be willing to discuss what they let slip with you?" Sophie pulls her phone and looked at the time, and said she could get in touch with him and see. She left the room to make her call.

Jonathon held himself very still. When Chase asked him his thoughts. "I am willing to stay my hand for now for the simple purpose of maintaining that Angel remains safe."

Chase says "We don't know how deep this well of treachery runs, to act without knowledge could cost us more than to form a plan of action that doesn't include either of us sending the bastard to hell via a bullet. If he has a contingency play in line, we could just cut off the tip of what could get our child hurt or worse. The fact that he came to me, and seemed so sure of victory, says that he may not be alone in his plans. Question, if you were making a play of this caliber towards me, what would be your first move?" Jonathon thought about it and said this would have to be a purely hypothetical considering he has more sense than to demand anything from him. Jonathon says what Chase was looking for Jonathon revealed that he would set up a plan b, or what if scenario, if he failed. "Right." When Sophie returns to the den with the DA on speaker phone a few plans are hashed. It is revealed that the call was made within the government complex the courthouse sat in, and came from city hall. The DA didn't know if it came from the Mayor's office, but said he would check it out. He then asked Chase would he be at City Hall tomorrow morning for the Mayor's advisory council meeting. "Of course,"

Over at Cass and Rapture's home Cass worked on her laptop as Rapture sat in the bed watching Raw. Today, was Rapture's first day back home. Mark and Luke both agreed that Rap stay out of the ring for three weeks. Mark added then the school would give him some test to see if he was fit to wrestle again. Mark had been great about making sure the news and other media people didn't bother them as they left the hospital. Since Rapture's ribs and the surgery on his head, and face was healing, he couldn't do much, which for someone that usually trained even at home in his gym, was driving him nuts. The woman that he'd spoke about was fired and fined. There was still a criminal investigation with her name on it. The man that lead the brutal beat downs of her mate was behind bars. He plead guilty after trying to resist arrests. He ended up telling on the woman named Denary Strait-Clarke. Her husband was the councilmen that got Dark Knight Paradise shut down for Rapture not letting him run a prostitution ring in his club. Their doorbell rang and Cass looked at the clock. Rap made like he was going to get to his feet. "Babe, I got it ok." Cass clicked the system on her screen, and was surprised to see Joshua standing on her porch. She had heard bits and pieces of his conversation at the studio on Sunday afternoon, but Joshua wasn't speaking to her other than business stuff. He'd showed up just in the nick of time to get microphoned, and in place for the interview. When the camera went off, she went to ask him for a second of his time, but he was already opening his phone, not even looking at her. So, this was a double shock. He looked worn out, she hoped he didn't have bad news, but feared he did, why else would he pick now to come to her? She had been told that Angel had shot the bass player for trying to charge at her, and trying to kill Candy. The last she heard from Bradley, was that Candy was out of the hospital after being there overnight, and Angel was in lock up with the court system playing hide and seek with her. Rapture asked who it was? "It's Joshua." Rap asked had she apologized to him. Clearing her throat, she says "No, I meant to, but he showed up and left back out after the interview so in a hurry with what was going on, that I never got the chance." Rap says then this was her chance. Cassandra gets up and walks out in the living room, and sure enough, just as on her monitor, Joshua stood at her door, about to ring the bell again. Cass opens the door, and the smell of booze hit her like a fist. "Holy shit face, you're trashed." He shakes his head no. Looking for his truck, and not finding it, another question jumped out of her mouth. "Where is your ride?"

Joshua asked one question. "Can I please come in, it's kind of cold out here?" Cass steps out of the way. He walks in that was a plus. He knew he was partly sauced, but the walk had done him good. She asked how he got here, with accusation in her tone. "I didn't drive my target of truck into the suburbs of Granville South if that's what you're thinking. It's at the club. Our club Vash, Candy, Angel and my club." She says she knows, and smiles at him. Heat rose to his face as he says "Yeah, well did you know my former bass player, tried to kill my best friend and threatened and then tried to charge at my wife, just like he did in her office." Joshua paced the small living room. "Now because Angel shot the fucker before he could hurt her like he hurt Candy. Now the fucking police won't let Angel come home. DEON fucking lived, and they won't even let her out on bail!" he shouted. Rapture is soon seen in the doorway. Joshua waves at him. "Welcome home." Joshua sits down on the stairs to their sunken living room. Rapture asked why he came here. Looking at Rap then at his sister he gets up and says on a sigh. "I'm sorry I bothered you. You want me to leave, fine?" Cass tells him he didn't have leave. Rapture went back in the bedroom. Cass turns back to her little brother and asked where JC was. "With mom and dad. I just want to see my wife with my own eyes. Hell, I'd settle for hearing her voice right now." Cass is shocked, asking didn't Angel use her one call, to call him. "If she could call someone, I have no clue who it could be. Her lawyer found out from Sophie who was called by Chase, I found out from Bradley." Cass asked him did he want water or coffee. "I'm wired as fuck as it is, I can't sleep anyway. I sure as hell don't need coffee."

Cassandra had never witnessed this side of her younger brother. As a child, he was either angry or quietly angry. At his wedding, though a fight broke out, and he'd had a few, he was still him. The times she'd seen him sauced at parties, he was goofy, and loud, verging on annoying. Now he stood in her living room at 11pm looking like shit, speaking in that eerie monotone that had given her pause when she and Brad had held him out the window so long ago. "So, when was the last time you got sleep?" he looked at her and then at the floor thinking. She'd guessed right, when he said Saturday night. "You've be up for two days straight? Joshua, that's not good. If what you told me is true you just walked 6 miles at night drunk. Do you want to be picked up by the cops you know they would happily take you down town, but Josh really, that's not the best way to see Angel? It doesn't work like in the movies. They wouldn't put you in the same cell. Why didn't you just go home, get sauced, and go to sleep?"

"I don't know. Truthfully, yes, I do, the last time I spoke to Angel, we talked about you. She told me to go in with an open mind, and I was stubborn." He sat back down on the steps, resting his head on his knees. "The world likes to pay me back for being an ass, I don't need any more bullshit right now. So, this is me with an open mind. Saying that Angel believes that you were just stressed and I was close enough to lash out at." He laughs with no humor then says "Old habits die hard. Our past is an old dance." He raises his head. "We can't do that dance anymore. I won't Cassandra. I keep trying to forget the steps, but you throwing that Boy shit in my face when all I was trying to do is keep you calm. Not right, you know me better than Brad does now. Screaming at me scenarios that involve my wife and my child after all the shit we have been through, not cool." She tries to speak but he stands and cuts her off by saying while looking her in the eye. "Forget the steps, or don't bother coming around me or my family again. It's not fair to me, or my family. Your choice. Learn a new coping style that doesn't include reopening past mental shit. Or our professional relationship will be our only one. That means you staying away from me and my family outside of LEGNA's walls." Blinking back tears Cass confirms Angel's suspicion about being scared and stressed and apologizes. She says if it's her choice she'd like her brother Joshua Davenport to forgive her this one last time, so they could keep moving forward. She ends by saying she missed him. "Come' ere" She walks slowly towards him. He pulls her against him in a tight hug she hugs him back. She tells him how she feared she'd fucked them up for good. Leaning back and releasing her he wipes away her tears with his thumbs saying with emotion in his own voice. "Stop crying before Rap comes out here and tries to jump my ass. I'm not as fast like this as I am sober, keep away would a be real challenge. Though I need sleep, I'm not up for getting knocked out." She nods with a smirk. When he turns to go, she tells him in a stern voice to get his drunk ass to the guest room, and sleep that shit off before his luck runs out with the cops out there waiting to target his ass. "I don't know about sleep, but if I look bad enough for you to notice, they would from a far, so I guess I'm staying the night." Heading into the guest room he lays across the bed staring out the window at the night sky. As exhaustion coupled with the eight 7 and 7's he drunk takes him under, he mumbles "We'll get you out babe, believe that. We just have to."

Tuesday morning at City Hall, Chase sits at his desk among the other advisory council. Bobby was with him today. Bobby returns from taking a call and sits on his desk, leans over, and quietly speaks to him. "I know you don't want to take shots at the guy, but I have compiled a folder from us following him. Don't say anything just nod. He's dirtier than I thought and is using his dad's connections. Pop, he's linked up with the guy to your right. You know who he is, so don't look over there." Chase surprises Bobby when he tells him to give him the folder. "Ok" Bobby slips Chase a thumb drive, and stands back up.

The Mayor walks in, sees Chase at his desk near the treasurer and saunters over. "Why Chase I didn't expect you to show up, with your family in such straights. It's a real shame that after I retain Mayor-ship your little foundation won't mean a thing. You seem to be failing when it comes to the posher side of Grandville South that doesn't care to share their town with the middle class." Chase smirks "You're infesting our fair town." Jackson bends down and whispers with a smile. "Read what's on the list today boy, you'll love my newest way to fuck you." Chase stands and asks the Mayor into his office. "We don't have time. To the council chambers gentlemen and Ivey, this here, is going to be an education in why not to fuck with me." The men and one woman stood to follow the Mayor to chambers to start the town hall meeting.

Chase fisted the thumb drive. When he walked to his seat and out among the audience he recognized Mark, and Paula Callaway. Looking at the listing he didn't want to search too hard, but found The Davenport on the list as well. Looking up he saw Vashon Williams, and Michael Davenport enter the room. Where was Joshua? Michael wouldn't be able to say anything unless this issue pre-dated the buyout from his son and daughter. Chase mouths to Bobby find Josh. Bobby walks to the end of the row that sat the council. Paula stood first and spoke of not breaking the law and how her bar had never come under the noise ordinance before. They were threatening to shut her down if she didn't remove the speaker system. Chase hid a smile when Paula asked who had reported her for noise considering the nearest residential housing was over three miles away. The council's only women said she wasn't at liberty to say. Paula asked doesn't she have the right to meet her accusers? The woman says in court not here. She then asked Paula would she remove the system or not. Paula says she'd operated since. The councilwoman huffed and said that wasn't the question. Paula says she could remove the outside speakers but the inside speakers were attached to her security system. The councilwoman put it to a vote. She tried to skip Chase, but the Mayor asked the woman, he then turned to Chase and asked him. The vote would have to come later since it wasn't unanimous. The woman tells Paula until a decision could be reached she was not to operate. Chase leans forward and says "that is not protocol." The woman tries to say it was a conflict of interest that Chase be a part of this vote. "No, it isn't. My main objective is to keep capital flowing into town. Closing her doors with only one complaint that isn't even visible to us on the listing is criminal, and not financially smart." The same was done to The Davenport. Williams proved that he was more than a sound man that got a bump into ownership. Chase was proud of the man. As the meeting adjourns Chase asks the Mayor just loud enough for others to hear. "Mayor, about that meeting I requested of you."

A red-faced Jackson says "My office now." The councilwoman walks over and tries to say it would have to wait, and whispers something in Jackson's ear. "Good help is so hard to find. Meet me in 20 minutes Ivey not a minute later." The Mayor and the councilwoman leave the chambers.

Chase nods and walks out to his car. When inside he puts the thumb drive in his tablet and goes over what Bobby has found. A smile lights his face. Looking at the time, he heads into the Mayor's office and waits for him. He had three minutes to spare. Bobby's number flashed across his screen. "Make it quick" Bobby tells him Angel was being moved out of the compound. "You know where I am so my speech here is going to be monitored, keep eyes open, and ears to the ground." Bobby says he knows but he wanted Chase to know what the Mayor got so busy with suddenly, after being made a fool of. "Is that opinion or fact?" Bobby sent him an email that was pulled from the local server. Looking at another piece of this little crooked puzzle Chase says "goodbye Robert." Jackson walks in. When he says, he had a surprise for Ivey. "Oh, I have a few things to share with you as well. May I?" Chase points his iPhone at the screen of the Mayor's office." Jackson says Ivey didn't have a great reputation with technology, and not to brake his new toy. "Since my daughter's company built it, I am aware, of how to use it." Chase chuckles as he waits for the images and video to load. "It has come to my attention that you are more corrupt that I figured. As advisory council, I would strongly advise against you fucking councilwoman Alissa Gale. I have pictures of you two from 4 years into your run. Which would have put miss Gale at the ripe age of 15. Not only do you enjoy extortion, but just last night after our meeting you engaged in more of it." Chase brings the video of him in the VIP section sitting with Jackson. "I warned you not to push me." Jackson lost some color as his words from last night rang through the surround sound of the office. Chase swipes again and a clear picture after the race before their meeting of an email with detail, telling the councilmen Clarke to call on Judge Vector and offer him a federal judge position saying that his father former Mayor Jackson the 1st had a strong recommendation for him if he went on vacation and didn't finish the Angela Davenport case. "You see Jackson I don't know if anyone ever told you this but bribing a circuit court Judge carries weight. There is you career, keep fucking with my family and this goes to the authorities. I tried to keep this election as clean as possible, but you had to move my daughter. She's said to be in route, right now." Chase moves his finger over and clicks on a moving video of Jackson and a few of the other Councilmen fucking not only Carla Fairchild-Jacobs, but also Henriette Valentin-Vargo. Jackson looked as if he was going to be sick. "For someone that took pleasure in watching me meet the demands of a criminal to keep a child safe, it doesn't look good for you to continue sleeping with the enemy." Jackson says he had it on good authority that he and his colleagues weren't the only ones fucking the deceased. Chase stepped forward and says "You know the time stamp at the bottom of the screen tells you this is security footage. Anything you could manufacture would not have it, because though you are one slimy bastard, I didn't fuck the deceased. I also didn't recently have an orgy with a woman that is under investigation by the Criminal Justice system reaching as high as the Department of Defense. Face facts, Jackson if this surfaces you're done. Oh, and one more thing if my daughter is not released by the close of business today, and you refuse to leave me and mine alone." Chase swipes one more time to a video that sickened him. It depicts Jackson last night walking into a home not far from Ivey Mansion and meeting with the two cops that were on suspension, the female ADA, along with Vargo, and Donald Strickland. "So, you think it is a good plan for a known Assistant District Attorney, a criminal, our great Mayor, and two police officers in high profile cases to be seen together is bad. You telling that bitch to use her connections to ferret out my son, if I didn't leave you alone, is even worse." Jackson says Chase isn't immortal he had better watch who he threatens. "Don't worry about my hide, I'm smarter than I look. There is a code that I personally must put in every night or all of what I have shown you and more will hit the internet and take over news stations all over the country. In the event, you off me, you had better make sure that it can never be traced back to you, because I may die on a day like today, but it won't be today. Goodbye Jackson for once in your life do the right thing. I'll be waiting."

Joshua hopes this afternoon he is finally going to be able to see Angel, she was arrested, and since it was on Sunday evening when she was booked, she had to remain in custody until a basic investigation was completed and a Judge could review the case, that wasn't on vacation. Joshua sat in the hall along the wall outside of court room 1. Jonathon sat with him. The case was supposed to take place at 1pm today. Looking at his phone it was going on 4. Joshua sat and remembered the past few days' events. Not only was his wife in police custody for shooting Deon who tried to attack her again. Then for that piece of shit to try to kill Candy outright. The thought that Deon could have done to Angel what he did to Candy or worse, pissed Josh off to no end. Luke said, Candy would be sore for a couple of weeks because of the whiplash. Jonathon bumped his knee with his own bringing Joshua back to the present. It was 4:25. "What's taking them so long?" Jonathon shrugs. Joshua goes to stand, Jonathon pulled him back down telling him pacing the courthouse wasn't an option. Finally, at 4:53 Angel's name is called and they all head into the court room after handing over their phones to the officer sitting outside. When Angel is brought into the court room via an officer and seated, she met his gaze briefly before turning her attention to her left, to where the Judge would be seated. Derick Spencer sits next to her as she nods at his murmured speech. The bailiff tells everyone to rise and the Judge's name is announced. It's not Judge Vector, It Judge Simmons. Joshua along with Jonathon, watched the tap-dance to see if this piece of shit case with evidence up the ass, that supported his wife's story, would go any further than this courtroom. The female ADA was no longer the state side's attorney. They had gained instead the DA himself. Hearing Deon's voice via the 911 call, made Joshua and Jonathon clench their fists, hearing the terror in his wife's tone as she screamed to get Deon's attention, the shot ringing out after movement is heard and Deon threatens her.

Judge Simmons asks the state did they have anything else. The DA says no. "From what I have reviewed both in the reports and here today. This case shall not move past this point, it is after a thorough investigation, I find that in this case it has been proven beyond doubt that Mrs. Angela R. Davenport's life was in imminent danger, when she fired her registered firearm in legitimate and clear self-defense. This case is dismissed with prejudice."

When the Judge banged the gavel. Relief swarmed Angel as she rose to her feet. Turning to Spencer who stood next to her she thanks him. He smiles and says he didn't know what to think with the new Judge since he'd never been before him, but he was surprised when the ADA from hell wasn't on the state's side. Turning back toward the door Joshua was there, she crossed the bar, via her lover pushing the small door aside. They embrace, and he whispers welcome back. Tears spring to her eyes, as they walked from court room one, with her dad in front of them. Out in the hall Jonathon turns around, and hands her a pair of her sunglasses. Angel puts them on hiding her puffy eyes from the camera flashes of the media, as they make their way down the steps and into a limo that was to take them home. As she lay on Joshua looking across at her father, she was happy to be going home. She asked about JC, and Joshua says that he'd texted their parents, and Sally had promised that their son would meet them home.

Later that night, all their closest friends and family gathered at Ivey Mansion, welcoming Angel home. She was pleasantly surprised to see that Cass and Joshua were even talking. She'd missed her baby and from what Sally had told her, JC must have missed his parents as well. Sally said he was quite fussy which wasn't his usual around his grandma and grandpa. Gloria walks over and sits next to Angel as she held a just fed JC. Gloria admits that she was against Jonathon teaching her to shoot, before she could continue Jonathon's girl spoke. Angel says "I'm glad he didn't listen to you, or I may not have been live today." Angel looks down at her baby, then back over at her father's mate. "When I went in, and saw, and heard Deon choking Candy and heard him say he was going to kill her, I screamed for him to stop before I even had a plan. When he got off her, and she wasn't moving I feared I was too late. I thought I saw Candy's foot twitch, but couldn't be sure. Deon saw the gun in my hands, and still threatened me. He said other sh…" Angel stopped the curse word since she was holding JC, then began again. "He said other stuff, but I didn't care, as long, as he was no longer choking my friend, and stayed away from me." Joshua walks over and sits on her other side. He reaches for JC, that now had started his lip smacking that would continue until he fell asleep. Angel hands their baby to her husband, and turned her attention back to Gloria.

Gloria says "I am glad you didn't kill him that would weigh on your conscious for a long time. Angela there is always another way."

Joshua glares at her and says "Oh, would you rather Angel try to fight his doped-up ass hand to hand? Is that your brilliant plan? Or maybe hope she can last minute move, before he took her out. He'd already hurt one person." Angel patted Joshua's thigh and mouths for him to please stop.

Turning back to Gloria, Angel says "No. When Deon ran towards me I fired, because if he had of plowed into me, there was no wall this time, like in my office. I knew in that second, that if he hit me, he would've taken us both over the banister. Shooting him was all I could do to stop him. When he pointed at me, I was prepared to do it again, but he fell to the floor, the police came in, and snatched the gun from my hand, and ordered me to get on the ground. While on the ground, I asked them to please check on Candy. When I heard, her responding to the med crew, it was a relief that I can't even explain to this day."

Now that the trial was over. The waiting in a locked room, and traveling in a van to parts of Texas she had never seen before. Being scared out of her wits by being cuffed to the seat like she was going hurt the officers. Hearing the driver argue with his radio about where she was going today. Though she'd told the story at least a dozen times, between Sunday and now, to police, and her lawyer, and Cassandra who rode with her parents to bring her baby home, and just now to her close friends and family that had come over as she spoke to Gloria. Her words hit her. She hadn't meant to raise her voice at Gloria but for the woman to say she didn't want her to learn how to shoot because it was dangerous, and then for her to say that there was always another, way pissed Angel off more so than even she thought. "I'm grateful my dad taught me how to shoot, or that man would have taken me from my family for good. I'm sorry you think there is always another way. I used the only way I had. He outweighs me by at least 70 pounds, I've had him run into me before, it hurts, and talking him of out trying to football tackle my ass over the banister wasn't a choice." Angel gets up "I want to thank you all for coming, but I'm tired, and my child, my husband, and I, just want some alone time." Joshua gets up and the little family goes upstairs.

Jonathon comes back in the room from taking a call. The silence that settled over the room alerted him that something was amiss. Looking around he saw his kin and friends then noticed that his girl, his son and his grandson were no longer on the sofa. Sophie says for Jonathon to get his woman. "What for?" He looks at Gloria, as she says she didn't mean to upset anyone. Candy and Bradley walk back to the bedroom on this level. "Ok what happened in the 10 or so minutes I was away?" Everyone starts talking at once. Jonathon puts his fingers in his mouth and whistles, to end the verbal frenzy. Sally who had been sitting in the chair across from their son and daughter stands and eyes him as she angrily speaks of what Gloria had said to Angel. Closing his eyes, there was no win within this room filled with his kin and loved ones for what his mate had said to his child. He sighs and says. "Gloria, a moment please." Gloria stands and walks pass him into the atrium. Jonathon opens the door for her to proceed him out onto the front closed-off porch. "I understood your fears at first about what I was doing. As the weeks progressed and Angel got better I saw that though she will never be a markswoman. She did what she had to, to feel safe. As I sat in the courtroom and listened to the events that lead to the shooting, and found out that the bullet went straight through his shoulder. Even the District Attorney admitted my girl got lucky. I've seen addicts continue advancing after being shot by trained police, until a kill shot is delivered. For you to say that you still disagree with me teaching mi girl, per her request, to protect herself after the same man attacked, and threatened her, in her office not shy of 30 days before last Sunday. You say there is always another way. What would you have had her do differently?" Gloria said that Angel should have called the police and left it to professionals. "The police were called. No, Angel didn't call them, but they were called. So, after my girl saw that waste of human, choking the life out of her friend, she should have just what, calmly walked away and called the police, all the while, preparing to hear that our talent, her friend, was dead by Deon's hands?" Gloria asked where was Andrew. Jonathon was tired, he and his children had a long day. "Haven't we lost enough talent this year alone? On this issue, I see, we will never agree. Angel went inside the home of her friend. In public, Andrew can follow her where she goes. On private property, such as homes, he must be given permission. Hell, here at her home, he is about, but not in the house. She wasn't expecting to hear her friend in distress of that kind. She came thinking soup, coffee, or shopping was in order. Angela radioing Andrew, would have taken away the much-needed element of surprise. Gloria my love, let this be the last time you speak on this. It happened, you've been heard, it's over, as of today, I don't need, nor do I want to have this difference of opinion to grow into something more. We all work well together, please let this go. For me." Gloria says she will not speak of it again. "Thank you."

Up in JC's bedroom, Angel sits on Joshua in the rocker next to the crib. As they watch their baby sleep, and quietly talk to each other. Joshua asks her who she called, and she tells him that because of wherever they took her, she wasn't allowed to call anyone. He asked how she got to speak to her lawyer, she speaks of being moved to a local police station in an interrogation room before being transported in a swat van to some place that felt far away. She tries to suppress a yawn. He tells her to go to bed, that they both needed to get some much-needed rest since they still needed to decide if they were doing Mania. She asks him about him and Cass, he tells her the high points, leaving out that he'd drunk like a fish, and struck out walking. After kissing JC on the forehead and waiting to make sure he didn't wake from the movement they head to bed, Joshua wraps his arms around her and they both fall sleep.

Wednesday morning Sophie wakes to the smell of coffee. Last night had been a circus, but she is glad her sister is home where she belongs. Taking off her sleep mask there wasn't just coffee, there was a donut from her favorite pastry place. "Hellooo" she says with a smile as she is about to reach for the nice smelling chocolate pastry, then jumps when Luke says if it answered he was leaving. "Ah funny." Sophie takes a bite of the donut.

Luke walks over from where he had been perched on the window seat and tells her "Today is the one year anniversary of one of the best days of my life. It marks the day you said yes. It marks so much more than that but Sophie today is a day that I could never forget, because when I asked you did this mean we were a couple and you looked, into my soul with your gorgeous big brown eyes telling me yes. It lit my world on fire, and from that point made that fire grow inside of me. The only days that top this one in my heart is the day you agreed to be my wife, and the only thing that will top that soon is the day you say I do."

Luke surprises Sophie in a big way to commemorate the start of their relationship, by taking her to the restaurant he first asked her. Unlike the last time, tonight they were the only customers and the staff served, until Sophie sat back and said any more sea food and she would bust. "I couldn't convince the band that was here to come off tour. I had arranged to replace them with another of your favorite groups but then I decided since you are off tomorrow, why not fly to Vegas and catch their show live tonight? You must thank Adina and Gregory for me I know it has been down right mean of me to not let her tell you what I had planned. When I told her that I was changing things around she threatens to rip off my face. You have such violent friends." She calls him her sneaky doctor. "You can call me whatever you want, as long, as you continue calling me yours."

After the concert, Sophie was just as hyped as she'd been when the group had played in Granville on the night they became a couple. Luke smiled when she walked ahead of him then turned around singing lyrics at him. "Okay, I don't think those are the words." He says on a chuckle. Not missing a beat, she smiles and sings lyrics that are so suggestive they'd make the rock band blush. He reaches out and snags her to him. "Hmm, I like your remix better than anything they could sing." She tells him that his gift is at his home. "Considering, I had you convinced that I'd forgot, I'm very interested to see what you bought me." She tickles him. He wasn't ticklish, but she always seemed to get him at the right time. Trying to suppress the laugh that bubbled up, came out in the most undisguised snort he could have imagined. She laughs at him and says if she knew all this was in the plans she would have told him to stop by his place before they left. "I did this so I could see that smile on your face." With everything that had been going on with Chase and his mood swings about his female, the law firm sinking themselves and trying to take her company with, and most recently the Angel business, which he was glad was over. He just wanted to give Sophie a few moments of pure unadulterated fun. He'd noticed the worried glances, and the tiredness in her this past few weeks, and had hoped this would take the edge off. He looks around for the car he'd ordered, to take them back to the plane. Sophie asked what was wrong. "Um, nothing big, I ordered a vehicle and it hasn't arrived yet." An enormous Hummer SUT Stretch limo turned the corner. "That had better be ours." When it stopped in front of them the driver got out and opened the door, the smile that took over Sophie's face at the sight of the jacuzzi inside was worth the small wait. "After you babe."

The next day, they head from the hotel and back to Grandville. He has the driver stop at his condo. When Sophie hands him his gift. He opened a series of tools. Confusion was high as she gave him a large wooden box to open with said tools. He smirks "You got me a man crate." She said it looked like she did.

Watching Luke bang, and pry at the wooden crate, was hilarious Sophie videoed him in action. It was too big to lift, and shake, thankfully or he would have had lots of broken glass. He gets a corner up and says he guessed he wasn't the only one with jokes. Considering the nails were fake, the box was glued shut. Popping off the top he reached in and withdrew the largest item in the crate. A large picture of them as children that fades into them as adults, done in an oil painting. After carefully placing it aside. He gets up off the floor where he'd perched over the crate and kissed her thanking her. It was simple things that said she got him. He pulls out 4 tickets to the Boston Celtics, the smile he beaned at her was electric as he said that they could take Adina and Gregory. For him to even consider her best friends from college was heartwarming but that's who Luke is, always doing for others. "Gregory would love it, but Adina isn't into sports." He says that was fine, he could taunt Bobby if his Knicks lost. "I'm not touching that, but it will be funny to watch." Luke pulls out the newest game console and a new fighting game that Joshua had told her about. He thanks her and totally geeks out, talking about all the imaging and the characters. Getting up he takes his picture and put it over the sofa. After using his newly gifted tools he then sets up the console and they played the fighting game together as he tells her the details of the game's storyline. They created characters, and that was the funniest conversation she could ever recall having with him. His character ended up with green hair. Hers with a pink and black cat suit. When she went to order dinner, he changed her character's bust size to twice what it was, and added pigtails. When she came back and saw what he'd done that earned him a popcorn fight.

On Friday, it was announced on the LEGNA TV network that Personal Touch would be playing their hit award winning song "Out of Time" for the theme of WrestleMania. Angel and Candy get up after the crew took off the mics, Connie followed them into the hall. "This is so exciting." Connie had startled their keyboardist. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Trevor came out and took her hand saying it was time to go to the studio. "I just want to say one thing, I'm glad you're ok Candy R. That was really obscene of Deon Baza."

Candy hadn't dared look at any of her social accounts while she recovered. Today was the first full day she was able not to wear her neck brace. Between Bradley giving her massages, soaking in the jacuzzi, at Ivey Mansion, and her physical therapy, the discomfort was more manageable. She'd met with Luke before this interview, and he'd said she was doing all the right things, and should be off the pain med completely in about three weeks. Looking at their newest bass player and lead guitarist when Joshua sang. She says "As far you scaring me, um I'm just a bit jumpy right now. I'm glad I'm ok too. Can we not talk about him?" Connie says of course. Candy takes a breath and says she is going to head up to Angel's office before they start rehearsal. Angel says she would join her. They wave at the couple and head to the elevators.

As they enter Angel's office, Angel asks Candy did she need to rest or anything. "Um yeah, I just want to take a breather really quick." Candy sits in the chair across from Angel's desk. Angel asks her friend for the hundredth time was she going to be able to do this show. Candy smiles at her friend "I have to, I have a new home to buy, secure, and furnish. Chase has agreed to sell my old one for way more than what I bought it for. Nikki is bummed that I'm moving, but I just can't stomach that place anymore." Angel tells her if she starts hurting too bad to please say something. "I will girl or Bradley will be up my ass verbally. Angel says not only him. "Yeah, the last thing I need is a Davenport triple team."

They soon head down to the studio and rehearse. Angel and Joshua were singing, so Trevor was to play lead guitar while Connie played bass. Trevor asked about a tour bus like Letters of Hurt were given when LEGNA moved to Grandville. Joshua said that Ivey Transit would provide proper travel to locations. Trevor says that since LOH disbanded they could all use its bus. Joshua shot down the idea quickly. "Thank you, but look, you won't have to drive if that's your concern. I just would like to get through our first few performances together before we commit to anything like a tour bus." Trevor asks about lodging. "We all will be staying at The MGM Grand. We get two performances, we'll open Access, and then we will do Mania."

That night Joshua and Angel took their band and their mates out to dinner. It was a nice outing that was a chance for them to get to know each other. They found out lots about each other's hometown which for Trevor was very interesting, since he was not born in the states. He and Joshua, hit it off faster than anyone when Trevor mentioned he played various, stringed instruments, in venues all over the world by the time he was 13. "So, is that how you got picked up by LEGNA was it Ireland or here in the US?"

Trevor didn't know what to make of this little "Downton Abby" moment in an eatery owned by their lead and frontwoman's father. "Well I hope you don't have anything against the original headquarters in Dublin, because they were where I got my start." The lead says not at all. "It's a beautiful facility." The frontwoman says maybe one day they can tour there. "I don't know about that, Lady Davenport. The news flying around at this new headquarters is, that this will soon be it. Mr. McBride is selling the Ireland office no?"

Angel says "Dr. Bayley please just call me Angel." He says only if she will not call him Dr. Bayley and just call him Trevor. Connie said to call her Connie. "That's fine I just didn't want to offend you guys since finding out about both of your PhDs in music history and musical theory tonight. As for LEGNA Ireland being closed, I can safely say they are just rumors." Trevor says well if not her, then who else but McBride himself would know. Connie asks Vashon didn't he play drums before with a smaller cover band? When she used his old stage name Drummer of Pain. Vash smiles, and says that would be him. The table exploded in laughter. Angel says looking at the man that had been like another father to her husband. "I just don't see it." Vashon's wife Cynthia, pulls up an old photo on her phone an asked did Angel see it now. The picture was of a younger Vash with blond and black hair in a 2-foot high Mohawk. He also rocked a lot of vicious looking piercings in his head, and along his face, complete with long beard. That was a far cry from the greying braided ponytail, and neatly trimmed goatee, he rocked now. Joshua says, that must have been even before he started working at The Davenport.

"Yeah, Josh it was still while I was in my own band, I'd say about eight or so years before you came along. Michael, gave me the bouncer / sound man gig, when our group broke for good." Vashon had given this idea to Joshua saying that they as a band, should sit down, and just hang together, and it seemed to be working. With all the changes that had been going through Personal Touch. Vashon wanted to give the Bayley couple a chance to just sit, have some food, and get to know the people that they would come to depend on as he had. Looking over at Joshua, his band lead, had went through so many changes. He was no longer the underweight scared little kid that Michael had adopted almost 20 years ago. Unlike with past members Connie and Trevor were solid. They didn't hit on other members and were around his age. In this business, he knew that sometimes age didn't mean shit, but Connie and Trevor had there shit together. In rehearsal, while Josh sang with Angel, Trevor stayed center stage left, it was refreshing not to have to wonder would he get in Joshua's way like Vivian did. Connie was a much better bass player than Deon hands down, her experience was a huge advantage to their sound. He also noticed that the girls asked more questions and answered a few as well. Angel had feared the unknown aspect of the couple. It was good to see even if all of Angel and Candy's reservations didn't totally vanish tonight, it was still nice to see the band acting like a band. He knew only time would tell, but he had a good feeling about this group. Looking over at Bradley sitting with Candy and Joshua sitting with Angel, the Davenport family had come so far from where they were, not even a year ago, when Bradley had first come back to Grandville, Vash was just as apprehensive as anyone else. He'd seen both brothers at their worse and where both were self-destructive at times. In their own ways, the Davenport boys, now adults, were headed toward death's door like freight trains. Seeing them in the same room together with Joshua not ready for flight was good. Seeing Bradley clear eyed, and not strung out, and ready for a fight, was a miracle. A few days ago, Michael had spoken of the changes in his family, and the old man was finally happy that with all the hurdles, his family were closer than they had ever been.

Eva Marie a WWE Diva, walks over and congratulates them on being the musical pick for this year's Mania. "You should let my husband manage you, he is really good. With giving unknown talent, a place in the business." Connie Bayley says that was funny because before WWE aired her reality show, no one even knew of her or her husband. "You might want to watch the tone old lady, I have my finger on the heartbeat of this business, and without my nod of approval your little band, will slip back into the unknown so fast, you'll be playing on street corners."

Trevor says in his slight accent "You claim to be a superstar with much influence, we did not apply to be your musical talent, the company you are just a minor cog in, sought us out." Eva Marie says say goodbye to fame because they were done. "Do you honestly think your threats have merit? Speak to us when you gain more than 2 million social media followers and a multi-award winning industry giant backing you. Goodbye Evil Mary, or whatever your name is." Eva steps closer, the close protection agent Andrew who worked for his band lead and frontwoman casually steps in her way. She backs away from the table and points at herself saying her name is Eva Marie. Trevor's band mates looked at him astonished. "What, too far?" they all say nope and carry on with lighter topics.

The next day, after another great rehearsal Candy and Bradley leave Ivey Mansion heading towards his home in Dallas. Bradley was driving her car. He'd got it cleaned inside and out, to remove the smell of Deon from the fabric. She picked up her mail from her P.O Box, the letter that she tucked she'd read later. The last one she received with that symbol on it wasn't good news, and she wanted at the very least her Saturday and Sunday with Bradley to be nice. As she stared out the passenger side window at the scenery that whipped by, she wondered if she would ever get rid of the nightmares. She'd woke this morning screaming. She was glad Ivey Mansion was sound proof. Or she may have woken her godson. It was bad enough that she'd woke Bradley, but he held her and told her she was safe. On Monday, since he had a job in Glenview he would be staying at Angel and Josh's place with her since it was closer than driving three hours from Glenview to Dallas every night.

Bradley has his orders about Candy's surprise birthday party. "Um Logan and Glenny are coming to Dallas. Logan is going over to our worksite that we finished, with the inspectors, and Glenny is going to hang with me, um us, I hope you don't mind." Candy says she didn't mind at all she missed hanging with Short Stuff. "That was easy" Candy smiled and asked him did he think she'd put up a fuss. "Well, not a fuss, more like I am still getting use to the idea that it's not just me anymore. Making decisions or promises and acting on them, and then for me to be asking you so last minute." Candy says she didn't think about all of that, she just knew that he and Logan hung out sometimes. "Yeah, you were there last time, you already know what we do." She says that he gets Logan drunk enough to pass out and then puts him to bed. "Um, not always, and that doesn't sound right, that night it was just better than letting Logan lose himself. Glenny don't need to see his hero, his daddy Logan falling apart. That little 4-year-old is one of the strongest kids I know, from all the shit I've seen, and heard he's been through. As small as Glenny is, I would bet money that he is what kept Logan together after his wife killed herself." Candy agreed. "Did you know her? I don't ask him about her because you can see it in Logan's eyes even now sometimes, when he doesn't think anyone's paying him no mind." When Candy told him just some of the stuff that Megan had done to people including Logan and Glenny, Bradley just told her "stop please." Bradley came to the same conclusion that most of them had, when Megan ended her life. At some time, she had to be better than she was at the end of her life, or he just didn't see his boss, and friend staying with her for nearly two decades.

Mark was at his school holding a lecture and to tell his students that they would be going to Mania. After class was over a guy comes up and asked about The Rapture. "He'll be back soon" Mark felt the kid was fishing but wondered why. This guy was his number 5 pick. As top seaters, this kid and Rap would have been close in training groups. Was this one of the guys that trainer asked to jump Rap after he told the Denary bitch no, to a different kind of contract? Mark told the guy to come to his office that he wanted to have a few words with him. As they head to Mark's office Mark thought about all the shit that was stirred this last couple of weeks.

The guys that jumped Sloan the weeks before Rodney got a hold of him, had been wearing masks, they'd hit the lights, and a fight could be heard. When the lights came back up Rapture had one of the guys pinned to the floor. On screen trainer Ash, did what Mark himself, would have, if he came in on the tail end of a brawl, Ash separated them. To think it was just the beginning of Clarke's plotted payback pissed Mark off all over again. This shit would go on for weeks until it ended with trainer Rodney Ash almost beating an already injured Sloan to death in a closet. Rapture hadn't said anything about the other ambushes because he later admitted to Mark, that after the first few times of being jumped and being accused and "punished" for starting the fights, he didn't know who to trust but thought he could handle it. Mark told Sloan if he ever got jumped again to report it. Sloan told him there wasn't to be a next time, because if this shit started up again, he would walk that fucking night. He told Mark that getting ambushed by a locker room of guys every other night wasn't what he signed up for, and because he saw just how far they were willing to take shit. He didn't need a criminal record for killing anyone, since he refused to be delivered to Cassandra in box, all for trying to learn how to not hurt people. Only one of the students had been identified and that was from Rapture ripping off the mask of the guy he pinned in the first attack. After seeing the footage Mark had went to Rapture's room and personally grilled his two roommates. A guy about Sloan's size who was called Big Cass he was the number 3 pick. Big Cass was not a suspect because on the videos of the ambushes, Rapture had been the tallest, Big Cass was 7 feet tall. The second kid he roomed with fit the profile, and after a bit of questions the smaller guy named Enzo his number 4 pick, told him that yeah he had wrestled, The Rapture in the ring the day he left and he was sorry he fucked up his top rope jump, and knocked the big guy out, but he didn't jump his roommate, saying if the guy would have recognized him, he would be toast. Mark believed the young man and left it at that, but he would keep an eye on them since they were Rapture's roommates.

Coming back to the present, Mark entered his office and waited impatiently for the young man to enter. Mark says "I don't have a lot of time I'm going to ask you a few questions." Mark asked his number 5 pick questions, and where Enzo seemed sorry for fucking up his move and hurting his roommate before the match was stopped and the students were dismissed. When asked how he and Rapture got along number 5 said he and Sloan were cool. Most people didn't usually refer to Rap by Sloan. Mark called him by his last name mostly in his head but even he, called him Mr. Sloan when speaking to him in an official capacity or Rapture. He asked a few more questions and the guy asked one of him. When he asked Mark, what had Sloan told him that made this a meeting. Mark asked him had he heard that Rapture was jumped a few times prior to his match and the attack after it, by former trainer Ash. The guy told Mark that he hadn't heard anything like that. He said what one of the reports that blamed Rap, said word for word. That he heard that Sloan was trying to assault one of the female students and on visitation day the girl's boyfriend hemmed him up in the locker room, and told him to keep away from his girl. Sloan refused to apologize to the girl and beat the outsider up. The student said that Assistant Coordinator Strait marched Sloan in her office and took away his weekends as punishment. Mark sighed "So you heard all that from whom, since you were nowhere around?" The student shifted in his seat. Then said he heard it from the female. "What's her name?" the guy asked why was he protecting Sloan. "Not at all. I have reports that don't match stories, that don't match video, and I want to get to the bottom of this. If Sloan is fucking around with the females here, I'll deal with him." The guy says the chick is not at the school anymore because she was afraid of Sloan coming back and blaming her for getting his ass handed to him. "Your story collides with itself." The guy says huh. "You're lying" the guy says no he's telling the truth. "I still need a name." The guy said he didn't have to answer that. "Here is what I have, you say verbatim what one of the reports says, and I find it convenient that the female in question is not named in the report that is on my desk. If this happened, I should have been the first to know not the last. You are right about one thing though, you don't have to answer any more of my questions, I'm sure the police would love to know how you know so much, yet so little." The guy stands and says the girl's name. "We are done here, now I need you to head on over to the infirmary for a wellness check." The guy says he feels fine. "Okay, since we are going to play dumb, you skipped a drug test while I was gone. It's not called mandatory for nothing."

Randy Orton was heading back to the road after a much-needed few days off. Mark and he had been tearing down the house shows. They drew a 10,000 seater in Grandville South Thursday night at the New LEGNA USA Auditorium. He gets a call from his best friend "Look John, Mark's contract says his family is off limits, but he just interfered in my wife's business. My wife was cut from the Tough Enough TV roster. They didn't fire her, but they gave her some shit for talking to his wife. His wife attacks mine, and I just must sit on my hands, fuck that." John Cena tells him to calm down and listen to him. An evil smile curves Randy's lips. "You been there longer than I have. I'm just sorry that I didn't think of it first. No one would ever expect that kind of plan from the John Cena" Randy chuckles, "They would probably expect it and worse from me. Can't disappoint, now can I? Nah, Mark's not coming on the bus he will catch up with the tour. Ever since he started his school he hasn't rode with us. He has his own travel manager since the boss family don't want him over stressed, they forget I'm in that match with him. I guess it's time to remind this company who they need in their corner."

Mark walks up to the woman's house that his number 5 pick supposedly got his story from, that matched the report on his desk. She stared at him, as she had the first day she entered the school, like he was going to eat her or something. Taking a page from his own book when meeting with people that didn't know him, he stays his distance and tried not to look menacing. Angel had once told him he sometimes had a resting I'll eat your ass face. He was working on it. When he called her, she told him he was welcome to come by. Now that he stood in her doorway the small redhead kind of seemed to debate on whether he could come in. Her manners won out, as she stepped aside and waves for him to enter. Wanting to cut through the bullshit without baiting her, or giving to much away, he started with the basic question. "So, do you want to tell me why you left the school?" A dark-haired female looked up from the magazine she was reading while sitting cross legged on Becky's couch and got to her feet asking did he want a water. "No thanks."

Becky Lynch introduces the dark-haired female as Paige. Mr. Mark L. Callaway nodded at her as her friend left the room. Boy, he was just as big as he was the first time she'd met him. what did you think he would shrink duh? such a weird thought. Shaking her head, He'd asked her a question and was waiting for her to say something. "I don't know why you are here but you make it sound like I just left and that you didn't make that woman hand me my papers." The look of confusion on his face as he asked why would his assistant send her packing. Confused her as she says. "No I have the paperwork it clearly says from the office of the head coordinator, that would be you." He asked her what had she done to be removed. That stung, "I Didn't do anything, I tried to explain that to your henchwoman but she wouldn't listen." Becky felt her temper getting to her. Anger and hurt shook her voice as she kept speaking "It never happened, if it had of I would have tried my best to kick his manhood into his brain." Mr. Callaway said maybe she should start with what she was talking about. "You really don't know?" He dropped the impassive look he had erected and asked her what she was supposed to do that she didn't. "Some weeks ago, I was called into HR."

Paige walks out into the living room. She'd heard enough. "She was called into HR per your orders, and screwed royally. The woman made it sound like it was a script reading saying she had not passed the test and was in danger of being pushed back out the door." Becky waved her hand saying for Paige to stop making it worse. "How much worse can I make it? Here she was so excited to be the number 8 female pick, and you throw her out over something that didn't even happen. What were you mad it didn't, was he?" Callaway asked for the details and Paige looked over at Becky then let the head of her school have the whole story. By the time he left they were both reinstated per his words, and told to not be late Monday morning to Mick Foley's office to sign new contracts. So, Denary Mega-Bitch Strait, wasn't there anymore, if Mick Foley was his new Assistant Coordinator and HR head. With all the crap, her roommate and she had been through, she just hoped he was telling the truth.

Candy's surprise party was said to be almost ready from a text he received from his youngest sister. Bradley walks to the door of his bedroom and watched Candy sleep. Last night had been rough, she'd kicked and screamed bloody murder. If that wasn't enough to make him want to beat the living shit out of Deon, later that same night Candy started crying in her sleep. He'd woke her when she started begging him not to do this here. He turned on the bedside light, when Bradley saw her with her hands crossed over her breasts pushing herself into the pillow, hassling for breath, he'd woke her. Ducking the swing that by now he knew would come, he pulled her against him calling her name, until she woke and looked him in the eye, as she cried and shook. She hadn't been able to go back to sleep. So, he gave her a different kind of workout. After one of her nightmares, though she wanted him to touch her, she had to be on top and that he didn't mind. She still rocked the shit out of his world. He'd kept it under wraps that he knew this was her birthday. Hell, Logan must have told Glenny, because Glenny reminded him too. Now hours later he stood watching her sleep. She'd finally drifted off a few hours ago, and right now he just didn't want her disturbed. He'd taken her phone out of the bedroom it had been blowing up with happy birthday texts. He heads into the kitchen he'd cook for his babe and it would get his mind off the text message he'd seen. It had been a long time since his jealous streak snuck up on him. Only one other female had made him give a damn about a relationship enough to remotely feel jealousy.

Hours later, Candy gets up, takes a shower and follows the sound of music and the smell of food down the back stairs. This kitchen was built by Logan and it was massive with lots of updated in-wall units the best part was the table / island conversion. She stops on the landing and just watches Bradley move around the kitchen. His tall, lean profile with that dark brown almost black hair. The fact that his yummy body was wrapped in nothing but a dark tee-shirt and black boxers made her mouth water. He'd woke her from a nightmare and made love to her until she was sent back into a dreamless slumber. He'd taught her a few new moves, she was no virgin, but hot damn could he move, and she was glad that he was cool with not topping her last night. Bradley found other ways for them to make love, he was a great change from what she had been through. After all the crap that had happened, though she tried to deal sometimes, she just couldn't last night, it had been a long time since the at once reoccurring night terror had reared its ugly head. Shaking the lingering image from her mind's eye she refocuses on Bradley as he tried his hand at dancing and almost falls on his ass. Covering her mouth to suppress a laugh, she is caught as he turns around and prowls towards her with that killer panty melting smirk of his, that reached his whiskey colored eyes.

Bradley smirks as he walks towards his woman and says "Okay so since the surprise is ruined good afternoon sunshine." She says good afternoon and calls him Mr. Davenport. "Not sexy, please don't remind me of how old I am." She says she's 27 today. "Oh, very subtle, Happy Birthday babe." He chuckles and says "Why didn't you tell me sooner I could have got you something?" Her next words had never been spoken to him by any female he'd ever dated.

"You got me the best gift A girl could have already." At his raised eyebrow, she says. "You gave me your heart." Candy meant it, she didn't need anything, and right now the idea of jewelry or some other possession wasn't something she wanted anyway. Last year, Joshua had song his cover of the song "Best Friend" and gave her a cake, she'd made the song his ring tone and ate the cake. Even on her birthday that night Deon had bashed Josh's song choice, and gave her a costly dress that she'd lost due to wearing it the night Deon had invited Scott over for their impromptu toke party, that ended with Scott almost killing them both. The intricate bodice on the little faux-leather dress froze and shattered from being hit with the foam that had taken her damn hair out.

Everyone stood in Sally and Michael's living room waiting for Bradley to pull up. Looking around she was so glad that the young lady that her husband had once employed was okay after what the news had printed about her latest attack. Long before she distanced herself from her own family Sally saw Candy as a part of theirs. Sophie Ivey and Doctor Lucas Sheldon, brought her grandson Jonathon-Chase. They ring the bell and are welcomed inside by Cassandra. Her male Rapture was looking better every day as he helped get JC inside, and held him, talking to him. Her little grandson liked being talked to and seemed to like the large man. Maybe it was true about children seeing the good in people. Nicole Davis, Janet and Markus Callaway along with his darlin twins were in the den. Logan Conner, showed up with his son Glenny. It had been a long time since so many babies were under her roof. Tracy and Paula comes to the back door with the cake. They had Tracy's son Tony with them. The young man looked just like his mom with his long dark hair and blue eyes. Joshua and Angel walk in as they pulled in audio equipment. Getting a text from her son she says "Ok everyone they are almost here."

Bradley said he had to stop off at his parent's place to pick up some mail that hasn't rerouted to his new address. He was glad that Angel had volunteered to park in front that way it would just appear that the STOP team was doing their job. He wasn't expecting to see such a convoy of parked vehicles lucky the neighbors were cool with people parking in their driveway since they didn't own a car. The other neighbors were long time family friends of his parents and said no problem if they didn't park in their grass. Candy noticed the cars and said the street was livelier than usual. He just shrugs and says well Angel and the team are here and this is a small suburban street. Candy agrees that makes sense because the team would not have a lot of different places to park. Bradley gets out Candy says she wanted to come in and say hi as well while he got his mail. She locks her doors, and sets her car alarm. She now has Ivey Protector for her car installed by Bobby. She asked him why her locks would not have locked even though she'd locked her doors Saturday night. When he looked at her system he found a factory defect in her alarm system. He ordered the new system and installed it on Friday.

He drew his keys and since they had spoken about some of his past personal shit she stops him, by putting a hand on his arm. "Just ring the bell. Yeah you still have the keys from when you lived here but you don't now, and why cause another issue with Mike." He continues opening the door saying it was kind of too late now. As usual he has her walk ahead of him inside with his hand at her back. All her friends jumped from everywhere and yelled Happy birthday. The shock of such sudden movement and noise for a second, Candy thought she'd faint. Putting her hand to her heart, tears streamed down her face. Looking back at the smirk on Bradley's face. She says "you knew" He nods and kissed her. She froze. At the shocked indrawn breath, she heard. She pushed against him. He let her go breaking the kiss. They hadn't told Sally and or Michael or anyone but Joshua. She told Angel about the start, but had not even told her that they were a real couple. She turns to look at his family and was rewarded with the biggest unforced smiles she'd seen on their faces in a long time. Glenny broke the silence as he asked her didn't she like her birthday with his "th" sounding more like an "f" because of his missing tooth that had recently fell out. Candy bent down and he ran to her, she braces herself for the jolt of his little body slamming into her as he had when he came to hang with them while Logan went to the work site in Dallas. Glenny surprised her when he stopped before he collided with her. He then hugged her gently and whispers that he was sorry he was rough last time. Yesterday when she'd seem him he'd slammed into her and given her a bear hug that brought tears of pain to her eyes. Looking up at Logan with a smile he winked at her. So, he must have talked to Glenny. She wrapped her arms around her little friend and hugged him back, as she says "I love my birthday and thanks for the great hug Short Stuff." He was very pleased with himself as he beamed at her.

Over at Deon's home, Deon was released from the hospital and with great amount of dislike for the decision his father allowed his mother to care for him at his home. Deon Senior still did not allow him to come to the family home. He was also given two restraining orders. If he went near Angel or Candy, he would not only be breaking the conditions of his bail which he would never be able to pay his mom back for doing again. He would also not have bail if caught within 500 feet of them or their homes. He still couldn't believe Angel shot him. He gets a call from a friend that invites him out to a party so he could network and possibly get a new job for when he healed. He told his friend he'd be there. He had a trial in weeks and his mother paid his lawyer. He needed money and this friend had connections to Joshua's old record company before Jonathon came along. They were a local band. He could do local gigs and it would be a thumb in Joshua and Angel's eye, because he would still be in the music business. His father plainly said no band worth their sound would touch him if they wanted to move beyond playing this town, because he attacked Angel in her office, he kept calling her the legacy of a major record company. If anyone ran LEGNA when Jonathon died, it would be Gloria, not Angel. He told his father this many times, and his father called him stupid each time.

Over at the Davenport's home, Candy had just cut her cake and everyone had dispersed in different areas in and around the house. Mark stands on the back newly built deck. He had to pick another number 5 the guy had more drugs running through his system than not only his school allowed but the law as well. Sophie comes out and hands him a beer. "Thanks." Mark pops the top and takes long swig, as he looks out across the flat greenery of the backyard. Sophie asked what was on his mind. "Mania, my school, I've been doing what you said, I've been making myself more reachable, along with all the things we have evidence of Denary just couldn't stop at fucking me over her vain attempt to punish one of my students. My female roster was filled when I left, I come back and it's two short. I found out today that Denary sent two of them packing not because they broke any of the wellness contract, or that they failed to work safe. No, Denary wanted to ruin Rapture's reputation and fuck up my name as well." Mark tells Sophie about the multiple ambushes on Rapture and how he was blamed for starting each one. Sophie sat next to him in disbelief. "I went to the young lady's home that supposedly left on her own. I find out that was a lie. The two females were called into Denary's office and told to read a script into the camera. They said they were doing great until they used The Rapture's and their own real names, and felt that was out of place. When they asked Denary about the typo she threaten to send them packing if they didn't make the script believable. They each refused to continue claiming that one of their students assaulted them and both were sent home. I didn't even know they were not there, and they were sitting on yet another thing that could have sank me. To my knowledge, before all this hit the fan, and I fined, and fired her ass, I never did anything to this woman but give her a well salaried career." Sophie tells him Denary doubted he'd find all her land minds, but what she didn't bank on, was that Mark knew how to cover his ass. Mark shrugs as he crushes the can. "With your help. Thanks for redrafting the girl's contracts on such short notice." Sophie says it's her job. Mark chuckles and says "ok now you are starting to sound like Sheldon" Sophie smiled as she excuses herself to go find her mate.