Kris and Jill hung up the phone with everyone and looked at each other.

"I don't like this," Kris fretted as she looked out the window.

"Neither, do I." Jill agreed as she sat back against the couch.

"Why does she do this? Why set herself up like that, without backup? She knows better." Kris started to pace in front of the window getting more agitated.

"Kris honey, calm down. She will be okay and Sabrina and Bosley will keep a closer eye on her." Jill tried to placate Kris. Jill continued, "She isn't going to sit around, you know that. What is really bothering you?"

"Sometimes it seems Kelly gets in her shell and I can't reach her. We worked great as a team for 4 years. Why does she go off on her own now?" Kris said dejectedly as she sat down on the couch.

Jill cocked her head to the side and smiled encouragingly, "Kris honey, that was work, this is personal. Kelly just had all her dreams snatched away from her. Give her some time and don't take it to heart." Jill finished quietly.

Jill looked down at her watch and stood up, "Look we need to get out of here so we won't be late for our meeting with Karazna." Jill said trying to get them back to business. Kris nodded and followed her to the car.

Jill concentrated on driving through the city when she looked over at Kris. "What's wrong? You are being too quiet. Still worried about Kelly?"

"I'm just thinking."

"More like worrying, you know what Mom used to say - worrying is like rocking in a rocking chair, you spend a lot of energy, but you don't go anywhere."

"Very funny. Why aren't you worried."

"No point in worrying about something I can't change. I can only deal with what I know and right now I know there is a connection between Carl's murder and Karazna. The best way to help Kelly is to figure out that connection."

Kris grumbled low as she looked out the window, "Yeah, little Krissy don't worry the big girls will take care of everything, we don't need your help."

"Where is this attitude coming from?" Jill looked at Kris exasperated.

"I'm just tired of being on the outside looking in, that's all. Yes, I know that you, Kelly and Sabrina went to the academy together and I didn't. That ya'll were in prison together and a hundred other times I wasn't there for. That I'm not part of your little group." Kris said vehemently, not wanting to be patronized or teased, she was tired of being the one on the outside looking in.

Jill was taken back my Kris' tone and statement but she quickly fired back, "No that is your choice to sit on the outside, we have never said you weren't welcomed. We have always tried to include you. As far as Kelly goes you can't make Kelly tell you anything, you can't make her do anything. You have to let her come to you. You just have to be there when she is ready to talk."

"Well that works for you, but it obviously does not work for me." Kris said as she waved her hand around.

"Don't you get it? She grew up in a string of foster homes and orphanages. She had no control over anything around her, not if she was in a safe place or if she was loved or abused. Her way of dealing was to control what the world sees. That is her protection against getting hurt. She can't just turn that off."

"But I'm not those people. I have stood beside her, worked with her longer than anyone. Why doesn't she trust me?"

"Honey, she does trust you, but you keep trying to take control. Tell her what to do. Kelly will pull away from you every time."

"That is not fair, I just want what is best for her," Kris said.

"Then let her decide for herself. Then support her decision. Quit second guessing her."

"But she isn't that way with you or Sabrina," Kris said defensively.

"Yes, she is. She didn't tell us her plan either. We have just learned when to push and when to be quiet. I have learned that I can tease her and make her laugh, but I can rarely change her mind. She is very logical, very stubborn and she can separate her heart from her head when she needs to, better than anyone I know."

"Don't you worry about her getting hurt again?"

"Yes, I do. I would love it if I could bundle her up and take her some place safe. But that is not the real world and I respect her too much to do that, it would be like I said she could not handle it, like I doubted her. I respect and love her too much to do that."

"This doesn't have anything to do with her abilities; it has to do with her life."

"Yeah Kris, her life, her decision. You have to respect her choices, even when you don't agree with them."

"But, I want to help, isn't that what friends do? Protect each other?"

"Friends stand by you, they support you even when they don't agree with you, they show up with your favorite dessert, or take you shopping. Sometimes the best way to be a friend is to just be quiet and support her. Not make her spend her energies fighting with her friends." Jill said pointedly.

Kris looked down at her hands deflated, "I guess I do try to run things and we have been arguing a good bit lately."

"Don't get so hung up on me and Sabrina. We each have a different relationship. Kelly is not the same with me as she is with Sabrina or you. There are a lot of things that you and Kelly share that Sabrina and I were not involved in. You were there for her when she got hooked on heroine, that whole Margo mess, when she got shot the second time."

"Times like this make me wonder if Kelly completely trusts me," Kris said softly.

"I don't know that Kelly ever completely trusts, not after what she has been through. The amazing thing about Kelly is that she can still laugh or even have a relationship after what she went through growing up. She is a remarkable person. Kelly loves you and she trusts you, don't keep pushing for more than she can give." Jill says as she parks the car and looks over at Kris.

Kris sits in the car looking thoughtfully out the window, "I'm just so scared of losing her, you know."

Jill looks over at Kris sympathetically, "Kris, if you don't quit pushing her you are going to push her away. She loves you, but you have to let her handle things in her own way." Jill reaches over and gives Kris' hand a squeeze and a smile, "She will be okay, we will make sure of that. Now let's get to work."

As they walked toward the building Kris is still deep in thought looking down at the walkway, when suddenly Jill pushes Kris back behind a column outside the building. Kris looks up at Jill quickly and Jill signals her to be quiet. Jill slowly looks around the column and then looks back at Kris and whispers, "You see that guy walking across the courtyard?"

Kris nods.

"That is Nick Doyle. He worked for Frank Bartone in Mexico."

"What is he doing here?" Kris whispers back.

"I don't know, but I am going to find out. This could be the break we need. You take the meeting with Karazna and I will call you at the hotel in 2 hours." Jill whispers as she starts to follow Doyle.

Kris grabs Jill's arm and tries to pull her back. Jill impatiently shakes Kris' hand off, gives her a quick reassuring smile, signals that everything is ok and rushes to catch up with Doyle. Kris looks after Jill with an exasperated expression and thinks, she never changes, rushes in where others fear to tread, that's my sister. Come to think of it, it reminds me of another friend. Kris looks at her watch and starts to the elevators to make her appointment.

Kris slowly walks into the modern office of Karlos Karazna. She observes the priceless art work on the walls, the pictures with US and European sports and political celebrities and in the center of the room was a huge desk. Kris noted the visitor chairs had been lowered to make whoever was sitting across from the man look up to him. Kris mused, our bad guy has a big ego and it is fragile, that could come in handy. Kris shook hands with Karazna with a big smile, "Thank you for seeing me Mr. Karazna."

Karazna smiled superiorly at Kris, "I am honored to finally meet the famous Ms. Munroe, you reputation proceeds you." Karazna finished smoothly.

Kris just smiled, "Well I hope that is a good thing, but I like to think I have helped a few people along the line."

"You are too modest Ms. Munroe. Please sit." Karazna motioned to the chair in front of his desk.

Kris looked at the chair and then to Karazna, "Why don't we sit over there? More intimate. I never have liked formal settings." Kris said as she pointed to the sitting area in the corner of his office.

"Ah, a lady who knows her own mind and is not afraid to speak it," Karazna smiles appreciately and motions Kris to the sitting area.

Once they were seated comfortably in opposite chairs, Karazna asks, "I thought your sister was going to accompany you today?"

"Oh, she was but she had a last minute engagement that she could not let pass her by without her attention." Kris said with a smile as she moved her hair off her shoulder.

"Well, I think this is better anyway." Karazna said with a smile. Kris looked at him trying to decipher the statement. "Ms. Munroe I would like to start by apologizing for the way my brother treated you. Kidnapping you to get back at your sister was not the proper way to handle the issue. He should have taken the subject up directly with your sister. I think if he had, he would still be alive."

"Well, since we are being frank, Mr. Karazna. Your brother is dead because he could not accept the facts. My sister did not cause your nephew's death, and my friends and I did not cause your brother's death. So why don't you tell me what you really want?"

Karazna steepled his fingers for a moment thoughtfully, "Ms. Munroe, I do hold your sister responsible for my nephew's death, she pushed him too hard and that resulted in his death. My question to you is; why are you here now?"

"You were involved in some dealings with a friend of mine – Senator Carl Hansworth. I am investigating his death, in an unofficial capacity of course, and wanted to see if you knew anyone that would want him dead?"

"Yes, I do know someone – me." Karazna said with a smile as he lit a cigar.

Kris looked at him confused, wondering if he was admitting guilt. "Why would you want him dead?"

"Come now Ms. Munroe, this game in unbecoming. You and I both know Senator Hansworth was targeting me and my company for laundering money for Mr. Bartone's alleged drug business out of Mexico. His death leaves me free and clear"

Kris stared at Karazna for a minute, taken aback that he would admit his part, "So you are admitting you had Carl killed?"

"Come now Ms. Munroe, why would I admit such a thing?" Karazna said smoothly. "I am simply saying that I had a lot to gain from his death, and if that event helped me come in contact with an old family enemy so much the better." Karazna smiled as he puffed on his cigar with an evil grin.

Kris looked at him in disbelief, "So you had Carl killed partly to get back at my sister?"

"No, I said if I had the Senator killed to protect my business, the fact he was married to the former Ms. Garrett and a friend of your sister would have been a bonus. Ms. Munroe I will give you and your associates Ms. Wells and Ms. Rodgers one chance to live. Stay out of this; this is between me and my associates and your sister, Ms. Duncan, and Ms. Hansworth. A safe passage if you will. Otherwise we will come after all you and we won't stop until you are all dead or wish you were." Karazna finished with a sick smile, in a low deadly voice as he waved his cigar in the air.

Kris stood up her anger barely contained, "Mr. Karazna, I for one do not take your "safe passage" offer; I stand with my sister and my friends. And as for you, I find you despicable and we will bring you and your friends down. You messed with the wrong people this time."

"I'm shaking, Ms Munroe." Karazna said with a smirk. "Okay I will give you a month Ms. Munroe. The Kennedy Center Honors are in one month, I am sure the Senator will be honored there. If Kelly gives up her Senate seat and endorses my candidate, I will let the rest of you live. If you and your friends stand by her, my associates and I will have all of you killed, which includes your friend Mr. Bosley. That gives you a month to try and stop me."

"Let me get this straight – Kelly gives up her husband's seat, endorses you candidate and you stop trying to kill her, Ms. Duncan, and my sister?" Kris said.

"No, Ms. Munroe, I have every intention of seeing those three dead and I can't speak for my associates. The only ones I can help are you, Ms. Wells, and Ms. Rodgers."

"No deal Mr. Karazna." Kris said with a confident smile she didn't feel as she got ready to leave.

"Just remember I am not their only enemy out there Ms. Munroe, there are others out there."

Kris stopped and turned around, "Do you have an example?"

Karazna smiled evilly, "That would ruin the game. I'm sure the famous Charlie's Angels can find that out for themselves."

Kris turned away from him, straightened her back and held her head up. Kris felt like there was a weight in her stomach. Suddenly Kris stopped, she thought - this is not how I leave this, he does not get the last word. With a sweet smile on her face and fire in her eyes, Kris turned around and looked Karazna in the face and in a tone dripping with sugar and venom Kris said, "Well sugar, you just give us your best shot, because I promise you we will get you and your friends." With that Kris turned around and walked out the door.

Karazna sit back and smiled as Kris left the room. It was going to be a very interesting month.