AN – with very little time now I've returned to full time work, this chapter hasn't been as well edited as I'd like. Please excuse any mistakes in my haste to get it to you.

Living Room at Castaways, New York State

0052Hrs Saturday 19th February 2005

The girls came out of the kitchen and handed around the hot chocolates. Taking their seats beside their significant others, the Bob Whites sat in silence. Sipping quietly, several sets of eyes darted around the group, daring someone to start a conversation. Unable to stand the stifling atmosphere a moment longer, Honey turned in her seat to face her friend. She asked the question on everyone's mind.

'Is it true Trix,' her soft voice the perfect foil for emotions swirling within the room. 'Did you and Jim date in your senior year? We all hoped the two of you would finally get together.'

Trixie closed her laptop a few minutes after the boys returned from their wood finding expedition. Needing time to assimilate the new ideas, she'd become lost in her own thoughts. Brian attempted to apologise for his behaviour but not the content of his accusations, however Trixie brushed him off. She wanted to have that discussion privately with Jim present when the opportunity arose.

Now is the time to tell the rest of my friends everything, well almost everything, Trixie amended.

'Not to begin with,' she sighed. Embarrassed by her friend's obvious interest, Trixie reach out. Touching Jim's tense shoulder, he flinched away at the contact, still over awed by the event of tonight. Undeterred, pools of clear blue requested permission to explain the relationship, Jim gave it begrudgingly. Both realised they wouldn't have any peace until the story came out in the open. 'After that first meeting, we decided the anger each of us held towards the other over the "Case of the Kidnapped Schoolgirl" as we dubbed it, had long since faded. Jim didn't blame me for Honey's hospital stay, he'd been angry at himself for feeling so helpless at the time. I managed to work through the guilt I felt while away at camp. We had nothing to really reproach each other with, except our stupid pride. So we decided to mend the friendship we'd let slip away for no good reason.'

'We'd been telling you that for over a year, Trix,' Honey chimed in, disappointed in her friend and brother. 'We just wanted you to talk with each other.'

'But we needed to discover that on our own,' Jim finally spoke with a low, almost defeated timber. His expressive green eye's search out his sisters, showing her the pain the Bob Whites indirectly caused him all those years ago. 'Sis, you can't force people together like you tried to do in the year after your incident in California. The harder you attempted to get us to sit down and talk rationally, the harder we fought you. It caused us to grow further apart because you made it impossible for us to look at each other without a look of hope and determination in your eyes. We needed to find a place and time where we were comfortable. We needed the opportunity to talk about how we felt freely, with out expectation and constraint. When we were ready, we did it on our own, without the pressure all of you indirectly placed on us. It made our friendship stronger that way, because we could say we did it on our own.'

'We found it easy to be together and mend those bridges, since you guys were so wrapt up in each other or earning your way through college,' Trix berated her friends, yet making her tone light, she belayed the real hurt she felt. 'Suddenly, when ever we asked any of you to come along to The Cameo to see a movie or go for burgers at Wimpies, you all professed to be busy. It didn't take us long to realise you were trying to set us up. We played along for a while…'

'Until February 14th 1998.' Eye's closed, Jim remembered the night they finally became more than friends. 'The night we went out and it turned into our first official date.'

'So you dated…like six months?' Jo asked, astounded they'd managed to keep their secret so long among such a close knit group, even with their problems. After their conversation in the kitchen, she no longer felt surprised they'd become intimate.

'Six months, three weeks and four days,' Trixie confirmed with a sigh, 'not that anyone except Jim and I counted.'

'Or seemed particularly interested at the time,' Jim added resentfully. 'I did try to tell you Brian, several times,' he berated his friend and college room-mate at the time.

'I guess we all had our own problems,' Brian remarked cryptically, thinking about his behaviour towards Jim's sister at the time. 'To be fair to you and Trix, we realised you were getting closer. We attempted to encourage whatever occurred by staying away. I guess we really didn't need to!'

'Why didn't you tell us?' Honey sounded hurt. 'I can understand why you didn't at first. But when you had been dating for a while…'

'Because I asked Jim not too,' Trixie confessed, unable to meet her friend's disappointed expression. 'The excuses I gave him back then were weak but Jim went along with my wishes because he is just so predictably honourable.'

'You make that sound like a vice, Trixie,' Jim's voice became filled with hurt and disappointment. 'I don't quite know how to take that statement. I didn't realise you saw me in such an unflattering light.'

'I don't,' surprise laced Trixie's tone as she once again reached out to him, allowing her touch to tell him what she was unable to say in a room crowded with their closest friends. 'It's supposed to be a complement because my integrity in those days didn't match yours. I had learnt to…use…the honesty you displayed. I learnt to keep my own guilty conscious a bay by not telling outright lies to my friends. You are the most honourable person I know and I hope you never change.'

Taking in a deep breath and gathering her courage, Trixie finally lifted her head, making eye contact with each member of the Bob Whites. They needed to know how much it has cost me to keep them in the dark about my decision to attend George Washington.

'The reason I withheld the truth, even from Jim, centred on the CIA scholarship. Although I wanted to be at college close to home and with my friends, I knew I could finish up anywhere in the country. I'd been promised NYU but I had a feeling it would be better not to tell anyone until I was absolutely sure what my future held and where I'd go to school. I knew taking this path would hurt my friends. By continuing on the career I wanted and deceiving you all, I tried to limit the fallout. I couldn't go through seeing one of you hurt, bleeding and in hospital because of something I had done. I did that once and it almost tore me apart.'

'I knew choosing this path, choosing the CIA meant losing my friends and family eventually, although I tried not to think about that too much. I soon found out there is no room for sentiment in this job. No room for friendship or love or family commitments. It all becomes a liability if your cover is blown. It becomes a weak point for your enemies to exploit. I found that out the hard way three days before I was due to start College.'

'Trix,' Honey's soft voice held a hint of tears. 'How…'

'Please, Honey, let me finish,' begged Trixie. 'This is hard enough, so please, just let me say what I have to without interruption.' After gaining her friends consent, she continued in a slightly mournful tone. 'When my contact, an agent code named Shadow Man, realised I was dating someone who would be attending college in New York, he told me I had a choice to make,' Trixie admitted slowly, watching for Jim's reaction. His frown told Trix he didn't feel happy at the turn of events he knew nothing about. 'I told you earlier tonight, Jim,' she reached out a hand, covering his, before quickly pulling away from the contact. 'I left to protect you.'

To get through this I need all my strength, Trix realised. Right now Jim is sapping that strength with his disappointment in my actions.

'I chose the scholarship because Mom and Dad couldn't afford to send me to college, because I became afraid my love of mysteries would get someone else hurt, because I couldn't stay true to the promise I made to you and stay true to myself. 'Most of all I chose to leave because I naively thought I could ultimately have everything I wanted,' Trixie stated, belaying the hurt she really felt. Lowering her eyes, she reached out to Jim, her hand stopping midway between them. Understanding the next sentence to be for him, Trixie took in a long breath and raised her orbs. 'I assumed I'd eventually have our relationship and my career after I'd proved myself. I thought I'd just waltz back into your life when school ended. In four years I believed nothing much would change, knowing how strong our bond became and we would take up where we left off. It all seemed to be going to plan, until I was assigned to Jacob.'

'The guy you're now dating?' Jo asked, confused.

'No, Jacob "Jake" Hanky is my partner,' Trixie explained the misunderstanding quietly, 'or to put it more correctly, my handler. He oversees my investigations now I'm a very junior CIA agent. He's also responsible for most of my training and early assignments in D.C. I only just found out tonight he's been married to Sam for ten years.'

'How did meeting Jake make you realise your relationship with Jim was over,' Mart asked quietly. From anyone else, Trixie wouldn't have tolerated such a personal question. Yet her almost twin devastation for her shone in his expression. Trixie realised he'd made much the same mistakes with Diana at college.

I would love to say the same way as you, Mart, but you already know that, Trixie thought hopelessly. You at least have come to terms with your mistakes and admitted them openly. Once again my friends are making it easy for me to continue my explanation. Trixie realised the Bob Whites still cared enough to try and help her through this, even though she'd stretched the elastic band of love about as far as one can before snapping it and causing irreparable harm.

'I had only been at George Washington six weeks, when life as a prospective CIA agent hit me in the face. That's when I realised how deeply I'd been drawn into my new career and I'd never be able to go back. I'd been ordered to start distancing myself from my family. Jake encouraged me to end my personal relationships, quickly and without the promise of ever taking up where I had left off. I needed to concentrate on the techniques being taught, which would save my life in a tight situation. Everything I learnt, lead me deeper into a web of lies and deceit. I knew Jake was right, I had to end it with Jim if I didn't want to mysteriously disappear forever because I knew too much by that stage.' Trixie floundered, recounting her darkest days.

'So why did you come back to New York?' Dan asked, 'knowing you couldn't escape being a part of the Bob Whites. Knowing we all lived and worked in the city?'

'I'd been ordered to,' Trixie told them flatly. 'Frankly, I would have preferred to be assigned to Outer Mongolia in August 2003. Jake's investigation required an operative in New York, someone familiar with the city who'd integrate seamlessly. I fit the bill perfectly. Just finished my degree, everyone expected me to move closer to home. My position and Master's is a cover for my real purpose, arranged by the CIA. I managed several informants, Sabina being one of them, while reporting to someone higher in the food chain about Jake's operation. He's been under investigation for almost two years along with several other seasoned agents because internal suspects one of them is acting as a mole.'

'My orders included staying out of Jim's life in a romantic fashion, keeping Sabina in it and "be seen" to take up a relationship with Josh for my own protection. Jake's suspected Sabina of something more, but he's never been able to gain any proof and we needed someone to keep her in New York until we could discover her real reason for contacting the CIA.' Melancholy lacing Trixie's tone, she looked up to gage the atmosphere. Spellbound, the Bob White continued to listen with rapt attention. Once again turning her gaze on Jim, Trixie apologised, 'I'm so sorry Jim.'

'For what,' he asked, still taking in her tale.

'Being the son of a wealthy and prominent individual, adopted or otherwise, any romantic association with you,' shaking her head at the words she utter belayed her tears of frustration at the interference with her love life, 'would have blown my cover immediately. So I started seeing Josh. He knew I didn't love him but understood the reasons behind our pairing. We stayed together as long as I could tolerate living a lie. In the end, I couldn't play along as his lover any more when I knew it wasn't remotely true, even though he cared deeply for me.'

'Jim, you not going to like was else I have to tell you. Jonesy killed Josh.' Trixie began to explain her friend's death with the help of Sam's information and photos.

'How long have you known,' Jim stammered, completely dazed by the story. 'I know Jonesy could be a monster, but I never thought of him as a killer.'

'I only found out tonight when I met Sam at the lay by and she filled me in. Before that I knew someone from the New York Mafia had been payed to take my life. Josh warned me a day before the shooting, so I guess he heard through his contacts,' shrugging her shoulders, as though it didn't matter, Trixie tried to keep calm in a situation which must have been terrifying to her friends and especially Jim with the abuse he'd suffered at That Man's hands. 'I'm sorry you had to hear about Jonesy this way Jim. I hope it doesn't bring back too many memories,' she finished lamely, not knowing what else to say or do in the situation.

'But he still got away with it, because the Mafia are protecting him?' Jim asked in a defeated tone, his long fingers raking through his wiry hair. Attempting to be the stoic, honourable hero, his actions betrayed his inner turmoil.

'Half the FIB and CIA are trying to dig up anything they have on him,' Trixie soothed in an attempt to relieve his hurt. 'He'll rot in jail, Jim, because those agencies always get their man. Jonesy will probably be tried and convicted of murder and attempted murder amongst his many other crimes.'

'He will if I have anything to do with it!' Dan promised in a harsh tone. 'I swear that case will come across my desk and the very best DA will be on the case, Jim.' Eyes locked, the two abused men spoke to each other in a language no one could translate and only Jo pretended to understand.

'Can you tell us how you came to the notice of these sharks at the top of the food chain?' Dan asked when a sudden silence once again developed.

Dan, probably the only other person in the room who could comprehend Trixie's subtle disquiet, understood the government political machine ruling her professional life. After all I deal with it every day too, he sighed inwardly, and like Trixie, I can't tell a soul about half the cases that I am forced to drop because of bureaucratic bungling.

'I stumbled across a the case I told you about earlier tonight involving Al Quaeda and a female terrorist who seems to slip through every international agencies fingers with ease with my background search on Ismiran and his terror cell at George Washington University,' Trixie said into the enveloping silence. 'I had an idea about how to flush her out and who ever she was using to keep several step ahead of the CIA. When the head of internal investigations heard, he invited me to express my proposal, in a private interview.'

'And?' Honey sat on the edge of her seat with anticipation, 'did you get the opportunity to express your ideas?'

'Yes, I did. Johansson liked them but wanted me to file an official report into the case for his eyes only,' Trixie confirmed with a nod of her sandy locks, a sad, slow smile creeping across her face. 'My report became the major factor in staying attached to Jake and coming to New York.'

'Trixie, what has this investigation got to do with my Gallery and the threat of international terrorism?' Di inquired in a frightened tone which matched her deathly pale completion.

'I don't see the link, either, Trix' Dan commented. His observation greeted with general agreement. 'I realise you have to be discreet in what you tell us, but you seem to have blown that already. So how does Di's gallery, a very small operation, fit into your international terrorism plot?'

'I know it's late,' Trixie once again eyeballed every member of the Bob Whites to ensure she had complete compliance. 'But you have to remember you're the one's who wanted me to explain. As I told Brian earlier tonight, in order for me to do the job I've been trained to do, I need to find out about this virus which infected your computer system Di. It could be the only infection to have been discovered in the U.S. Or at least the first, making it a trial to see how quickly you were able to discover it and who you reported it too, if and when you did discover it. So far I don't have a definite lead in this case. The code Mart found in your computer system could be the first tangible evidence we have been able to procure since starting our investigation. I need to know if you kept a copy of it and the anti virus you used to eradicate it.'

'I…I don't know. Mart?' Di asked nervously.

'When was the first time you saw "This incredibly flamboyant man who came into your gallery",' Trixie questioned lightly, ignoring her brother who started to open his mouth.

'Last Christmas,' Di answered, uncertain about her answer.

'I think it was the year before that,' Mart chimed in. 'December 2003, because I remember you calling me while I was taking Bobby and your twin brothers shopping for presents in New York a few days before Christmas. Last year Linnie and I were in the Ozark's the week before the holiday. I had to bring the terrible trio to Serendipity with me. Remember?'

'And I had to get Nick to take them back to Sleepyside because the five minute job you promised me turned into three hours,' Di giggled as she remembered the evening, breaking the tension building in the room.

'Hey, I found and fixed the problem, didn't I?' Mart pretended his pride was mortally wounded.

'Yes,' Di agreed, a pensive look covering her face as she glanced a Trixie.

'Tell me about the man, Di,' Trixie asked gently, with a comforting smile turning the corners of her lips, so as not to frighten Diana any further. 'I would really like to hear about how you discovered the problem with your computer system.'

'He said his name was Chad Oman. I remember because I though it was such a strange name to go with such a strange individual,' she hid her expression behind a curtain of glossy hair.

Dan's ears pricked up at the name, he looked intently at Trixie, carefully reading her reaction.

Shadow Man, Trixie silently repeated to herself, searching her files for a picture. Oh Tim, how are you tied up in all this? Just when I was beginning to wonder if you were on my side, now Di and Mart's story casts doubts on your motives.

'Did he look like this,' Trix asked, turning the laptop around to show Di a photo displayed on the screen. It achieved her aim, as Di brushed her hair back behind one lobe as she intently stared at the picture for several minutes.

'It looks like him, but Mr Oman didn't have grey hair. It was jet black and he looked younger than your pic,' Di considered as she leaned forward on her seat, examining at the picture closely. 'He would have been mid thirties and impeccably dressed.'

She continued her story when Trixie looked expectantly at her. 'Anyway, he wanted some lithographs for his interior design company. I'd never heard of him before so I tried to get some information on his business and the clientele he served. I like to know what my customers are looking for so I can pre-empt their needs.'

'It's good for business,' Di defended when Nick gave her a side long glance.

'Mr Oman?' Trixie easily returned the conversation to its former topic.

'That's what made him stick in my memory,' Di continued easily, a pensive expression on her pretty features. 'He was so closed, I actually wondered if he would come back to take the works he had purchased. When he did, the written quote I gave him and the invoice differed by three cents. Mr Oman refused to deal with "such a dishonest Woman" over the incident even though I picked up the error and apologised. That's when I called Mart to come and take a look at my computer invoicing system and he found the bug that was causing the problem.'

'Mart have you ever seen anything like this since,' Trixie asked, pointing our several new lines of code since the first version she had seen several months ago.

'Well,' he hesitated just a moment too long. His sisters blue eyes extracted the answer she wanted before he could verbalise his response. 'Yes, I have.'

'How many times?' Trixie demanded. Loosing patients with her reluctant sibling, the glare forced the truth from him instantaneously.

'At least six,' Mart confided, somewhat embarrassed. 'Look Trix, it's not something I can talk about in public even though you obviously have a good reason to know about my business. I've managed to get a great reputation for solving this type of computer virus attack. In fact, I'm the only person in the industry currently good enough to deal with it. Because of my reputation I have some very wealthy and influential people as clients. You have to understand, I need to keep client confidentiality, even from you or my name will be mud around the traps.'

'Mart,' Trix scolded. 'That is my point. Think about your clients?' She knew she'd scored a direct hit when her brother's mouth opened in shock.

This would be funny if it wasn't so serious, Trixie realised. He's only trying to save his business and livelihood, while I'm attempting to save the world from international terrorism, or at least put a big dent in their funding. Oh Mart, you never did see outside the square sometimes. Disappointed in her brother, Trixie needed her almost twin to see the situation from her point of view. Because I finally think I've found a solution to this problem and you're it, wether you like it or not.

'I need you to think about this very carefully, Mart,' Trixie began, a warning in a level tone, but she soon found it hard to keep a tremble from her voice. 'Is the virus just the same piece of code you keep seeing in all your clients' data banks? Or is it an updated version which is infecting all of these multinational corporations you work for? How do you think it been introduced? How does the virus actually siphon off funds without anyone suspecting so easily?' Taking a deep breath, Trixie pulled out her trump card. 'By the way it's not like I haven't let you in on some of my secrets tonight!' she challenged.

'OK, OK. Gleeps Trix.' Mart looked embarrassed. 'Anyone would think this is a matter of national security.'

'It is Mart, or haven't you been listening to a word I've said tonight' Trix scolded. Closing her eyes and counting to ten, she opened them and found herself drowning in orbs the same colour as her own. 'I'm not attempting to close down your very lucrative business. Nor am I suggesting you're not the best person in the field to deal with this problem affecting half the multinational corporations in the first world. What I am suggesting is a partnership with the CIA, or at least a contract, because this latest version found in England not only syphons off funds into Al Quaeda coffers, it also tracks those companies manufacturing and/or supplying the latest research and weapons to the military in several countries around the world. The details are coded and then sent to a public e-mail provider, where we think our female terrorist is accessing this data before handing it to the highest bidder. Needless to say she doesn't have any discretion about who buys the world's latest technology blue prints if the price is right.'