After three more days in the hospital, endless hours of physical therapy, and more than enough hospital food, Lily was finally released, whisked away via private limo to the airport, and taken to her parents' estate in Virginia. She had wanted to go to Martin's apartment, but the driver had told her that her parents had insisted that he take her straight to the waiting private jet. Lily fumed the entire trip, attempting to reach her father, but was stonewalled by his secretary. "Martin, Sweetheart, I'm sorry. My hands are being tied again."

"I know, Honey. Don't worry about it. You'll be more comfortable down at your parents' place anyway." He lied, not wanting to upset her by telling her about the heated discussion he'd had with her parents about her. "I'll be down this weekend. I promise."

"I'm holding you to that." She sighed. "I just can't believe that they'd do this to me."

"Yes you can, Lil. This isn't the first time they've done something like this and it won't be the last. Just enjoy the break and I'll see you on Friday."

"OK. I love you."

"I love you too."

"Everything OK?" Vivian questioned as Martin joined her at the conference table.

"I will be once we clear this case." Picking up a file, he attempted to get back to work, but his temper got the best of him. "No, it's not OK. Her parents blame me for getting her kidnapped. I was barely good enough for her before, now, I'm a menace to their daughter when it was her case to begin with that got us into this mess." He shook his head. "She was supposed to be married to a Senator after law school, but she broke it off because she didn't love him. Her parents blame me for that as well. Their perfect plan for their perfect child."

"No parent ever believes that the one their child chooses to marry is ever good enough, Martin. I wouldn't take it too personally."

"That's not it. They had her future picked out from the time she was born. She's three years younger than I am, but we graduated high school in the same class because she was forced to take summer classes. After high school, it was straight to Bryn Mawr for two years then onto Georgetown Law. Her father had picked out everything right down to all of her boyfriends, including the future junior senator from Virginia she was seeing while she was at Georgetown, until, one night, she'd had enough. That was the night she came to see me at Quantico."

"Lily!" He opened the door to his dorm room with a look of shock, but quickly hugged his friend. "Come in. What brings you up here?"

"I just wanted to see what you are always talking about. Am I disturbing you?" She suddenly looked uneasy.

"Not at all. I was just surprised to see you, that's all. What's going on?" Reaching for her coat, he smiled at the magnificent black halter dress she was wearing. It suited her, classy and elegant, yet a little risqué without being over the top. "That's some dress. Where'd you come from?"

"I was out with Todd. That's kind of why I'm here." Her voice cracked and she quickly regained her composure. "Do you have anything I could borrow to change into?"

"Did he do something to you, Lil? If he hurt you, you can tell me, and I'll take care of it. I promise."

"No, it's nothing like that. I just don't want to be Senator Anderson's daughter, Lillian, right now. That's why I came to see you. You're the only person I know who sees me as Lily."

"Come here." Hugging her, he kissed the top of her head. "Lil, you're my friend and I don't care who your parents are." She smiled as she pulled away and he handed her one of his FBI t-shirts and a pair of cotton gym shorts, turning his back as she changed. "So, what's going on?"

"Todd asked me to marry him tonight."

"Wow, um, congratulations."

"You don't have to pretend, Martin. I don't want to say yes. I don't love him. This was all arranged by my parents. He's my father's choice for succession into his Senate seat. We don't love each other."

"I'm sorry." He placed his hand on her back as she flopped down on the bed next to him.

"I am terrified that I'm going to wind up like my mother, trapped in a loveless marriage, if I don't break this off right now, but I don't know how to stand up to them."

"You have to go with your heart, Lil. If Todd George isn't the right man for you, then walk away. The right one will come along. Don't marry that guy just because your folks want you to. You have to do what is right for you."

"Thanks." She curled up in his arms and sighed.

"Anytime."

"And for that advice, they blamed you?" Vivian was shocked.

"Yeah, I was a bad influence because I told her to make her own decisions and go against her parents, like I had. After that, they made sure we lost touch. She graduated from law school and began clerking for Justice Scalia while I was assigned to white collar in Seattle. I guess they were reminded of all that now since I was the one to bring her in on the militia case."

"Martin, you found her again, despite her parents. It was meant to be. You'll be just fine."

"I hope so." He sighed and went back to work.

"You have a caller, Miss Lily." Robert announced Friday night.

"If it's not Martin, I'm not here." She never looked up from the law book on her lap, remaining curled up on the library window seat.

"No, it's your other fiancé, Beautiful." Martin laughed as she quickly flew into his arms. "God, I have missed you."

"I've missed you too."