**AUTHOR'S NOTES: Someone sent me a review of my previous chapter, but I was unable to respond to it, due to the fact that they don't have a account. I never once said that this story takes place during the late 80s-early 90s. It would be impossible for me to write it without the modern conveniences of the past twenty years, IE., the internet for one. There is no timeline in the story, so Joe's ranting about the republican party committing crimes against humanity in the previous chapter could be relevant to both the 80s and the recent years. The show never went into the political preferences of the characters of the show and since I am a staunch Democrat, the characters in the story are as well. On another topic, I dedicate this chapter with respect and admiration to the late and great Farrah Fawcett. It will appear why towards the end of the chapter. Thanks to my 'fans' and please keep reading and reviewing, Friends!

~Mackenzie

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5/

The Great Hall was bubbling with quiet murmurs. Everybody was conversing quietly with one another when Father came into the Hall, all smiles, Mary flanked on his arm. Clearing his throat quietly, his normally quiet voice boomed into the room, "Loved ones, may I have your attention please?"

A hush fell across the room as everybody turned to face him. Father was smiling brightly as he instinctively took Mary's hand. "Mary and I have an announcement," he began, "this fall, we will be embarking on a new and exciting journey. I have proposed marriage to Mary and she has accepted."

Cries of happiness and joy erupted in the room and Vincent turned and looked at Catherine, who was beaming from ear to ear. "This was the secret you knew," he said.

Catherine grinned at him and nodded, "Believe me, I wanted to tell you so badly," she said, "but Father made me promise not to say anything." Pausing, she looked at him, "Are you angry?"

Vincent took a deep breath and then shook his head no, "No, on the contrary. I'm delighted for Father and for Mary. It has been a long time coming and both deserve love and happiness. I only hope that Father is half as happy with Mary as I am with you."

She blushed a little as a shadow of a smile crept onto her face, "Father asked me to officiate the ceremony... they want to do it down below... so that you may attend."

Vincent smiled quietly as he bowed his head once, "I am honored and I eagerly anticipate hearing your words. If I know you, you will make it a very beautiful ceremony."

Catherine smiled quietly as she gently fingered the edge of Vincent's shirt, "It will be easy to speak of love," she said, "I'll have inspiration."

He nodded his head at her and then leaned down and brushed his lips over hers, "I love you so very much."

The woman smiled quietly, "And I you."

Vincent wrapped his arms around her as the two basked in the overwhelming love that filled the air.

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Joe sighed heavily as he sat behind his desk in his office. Leaving Lauren down below was a difficult decision. He felt as if he had left his child down there. Taking another deep breath, the attorney also knew that it was the only place that she would be safe, and he knew that she truly would be safe and that everybody down there would protect her as if she were one of them.

Hearing someone enter his office, Maxwell set his pen down and glanced up. "Oh," he said, when he saw the cleaning lady, "hey Carly. Just work around me if you can, please, I'm up to my ears in this."

The twenty-something woman nodded as she brought her cart in, "I'm sorry to disturb you, Mr. Maxwell, I didn't realize that anybody was still here. I thought everybody had left for the night."

Joe smiled quietly at her, "I did leave, but then I came back. I feel a little like Michael Corleone in the Godfather movies... Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in."

Carly laughed softly, "God, I haven't seen those movies in ages. I used to have such a crush on Pacino... and Brando."

The man chuckled, "Is there anybody you don't have a crush on?"

The woman rolled her eyes as she emptied his trash, "Yeah, yeah, yuck it up. By December I'll be battling for your job."

Joe looked at her, grinning, "You get to graduate early?"

Carly grinned back at him. The two had struck up a friendship one late Saturday night when Joe had went to the law library and found the girl hard at work, her nose buried in a book, as she struggled with a certain aspect of the law. Striking up a conversation, Maxwell learned that she was putting herself through law school at night while working two jobs. Joe couldn't help but have a tremendous amount of respect for that, "The dean approved it last week. I just need to wrap up a few loose ends and grab another two credits and then it's spending the rest of my life studying for the bar exam."

He laughed at her as he nodded, remembering his own days spent studying for the test, "Well, if you need any help at all, Carly, don't hesitate. I'll even speak with Moreno and see about maybe getting you a paid apprenticeship or something and you can work with me, that way you won't have to clean the offices. It'd be good for you to actually get your feet wet legally than dust desks anyway."

She smiled at him widely, "Oh, Mr. Maxwell, I would love that. It'd give me a chance to spend more time with my little girl too."

Joe smiled at her softly, "I didn't know you had a daughter."

Carly nodded, "Her name is Grace... she's four."

"Does her father watch her when you are working and going to school?"

The woman shook her head and sighed deeply, "No, he skipped town about a nanosecond after finding out I was pregnant. I haven't seen or heard from him since."

Joe clenched his jaw, he couldn't stand guys who got girls pregnant and then didn't stick around to help out. "So who baby-sits her for you?" He quickly held a hand up, "Forget I asked," he said, "It's none of my business. I'm sorry for interrogating you on your personal life."

Carly laughed softly and shook her head, "No, no, it's fine, really. I actually am staying with my mother and she keeps an eye on her for me. It's kind of a win-win for us both. Ever since my dad died, mom has hated living alone and has been begging us kids to move in with her. When I found out I was pregnant with Grace, it seemed logical, especially when Jeremy bailed. It's actually been wonderful. Grace gets to see her grandmother all the time."

Maxwell continued to smile at her, mesmerized by her beauty. It struck him odd, considering that he had seen her nearly every day, he certainly knew what she looked like. It wasn't as if she covered her face with a mask. Yet here she was, seated across from him, smiling at him. His eyes took in her blonde hair and her blue eyes, her perfect white teeth. "You look like Farrah Fawcett."

Carly blushed crimson as she averted her eyes shyly. Unable to find anything else to say, she, stupidly in her own mind, said, "I'm sorry."

"Don't," Joe grinned, "I had a mega crush on her in the seventies. Her poster adorned my wall while I was in college."

The blonde couldn't help but grin at him as she tipped her face up to look at him, "You and every other guy on the planet."

The man laughed softly as he glanced at his clock and saw that it was already after eight. "Listen, I don't know about you, but I'm famished. Let me buy you dinner."

Carly glanced at her watch and then stood up, "Can I finish cleaning your office? It's the last one left."

"Nope," Joe said as he stood up, "your shift is over. Your work is done. Leave everything exactly as it is in here. That way I can jump back in in the morning."

She laughed quietly, "Well can I at least change my clothes? I keep a set in my car."

He looked at her, a brow arched, "You keep a spare set of clothes in your car?"

Carly nodded, grinning a little, "A girl never knows when an attractive man will ask her to dinner."

Joe smiled at her and nodded, "Alright, but you got ten minutes."

She nodded as she started scrambling out of his office, eagerly anticipating the coming night.