V: Decisions

Claire tried to fix the answering machine tape, but it was of no use. The remainder of Ben's message was completely unintelligible.

Dammit, she thought. She was just starting to talk herself into forgetting about him. She had applied to several law firms, hoping that one of them would take the risk of hiring a censured lawyer, and was planning to put this whole mess behind her. Obviously, there was something Ben wanted to tell her; he wouldn't have called otherwise.

It might be nothing. It might be everything.

The only way Claire would know was if she ventured to find out. She wasn't keen on humiliating herself again in the event that it was nothing, but if that was what it took…

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Once again, the halls at One Hogan Place were darkened; in the distance, Claire could hear a vacuum cleaner running. Many people had already gone home for the evening, but a few dedicated attorneys remained. She knew that Ben would be one of them. He was always one to burn the midnight oil, never leaving until there was absolutely nothing left to accomplish until morning.

Once again, Claire had nothing to lose. Except her pride, maybe, but she'd already sacrificed that when she told Ben how she felt. She'd thought it over, torturing herself with the ruined tape, and she realized that she wouldn't be able to forgive herself if she didn't come here and find out what Ben wanted. If nothing else, she needed closure. Still, she could hear her heart pound as she took the final steps toward his office.

"Knock, knock," she said, leaning against the door frame. She stepped into the office, closing the door behind her.

Ben looked up, pulling off his reading glasses and stuffing them in his pocket. He stood up from behind his desk, crossing his arms and sitting on the large wooden table.

"You got my message," he said.

"Not quite." Claire smiled nervously. "My machine went on the fritz. I only know that you wanted to tell me something about last night. That's why I'm here."

"Okay." Ben took a deep breath. "I'll keep it simple, then. I love you, Claire."

There it was; what Claire had wanted to hear twenty-four hours ago. The words hit her with the strength of a thousand bricks, and she almost had to pinch herself to make sure that she wasn't actually dreaming.

"You…you do?" she asked.

Ben sighed. "I've loved you from the moment I first laid eyes on you. I should have told you when you came here the first time, but to tell you the truth, you might as well have hit me over the head with a two-by-four. I never expected you to have feelings for me."

"So you were protecting me."

"Yes, Claire, I was. I couldn't stand to watch Thayer hurt you. The way he tried to ruin your career…it took every ounce of strength I had to not haul off and punch the bastard."

"Thank you," Claire said. "I truly mean that."

"I wouldn't have done it any other way," Ben replied. "I don't take kindly to people hurting those I care about."

"Now I guess the question is where do we go from here?" Claire asked.

Ben leaned in close. "I want to be your partner, Claire. I want you to come back as my assistant. And I want to kiss you, although here might not be the best place."

"To hell with propriety." Claire wrapped her arms around Ben, pressing her lips to his.

finis