Chapter 8

The first rays of sunlight were just beginning to creep into the dorm room of Station 51. Mike's bedsprings squeaked as he rolled over, his full bladder pulling him from his deep sleep. He sat up, unable to delay relieving himself any longer. Quietly, he padded through the locker room and into the privacy of the latrine. While groggily taking care of his business, wake-up tones sounded causing him to flinch.

"Shit," he mumbled to himself, swiping a bit of toilet tissue to clean the mess he had made. Mike quickly completed his morning routine, dressed in a fresh uniform, then headed for the kitchen in search of a bit of liquid energy to help him make it through the next 24 hours.

"Mornin', Stoker," Hookraider said, his rough voice sounding even deeper than usual as he reached for the coffee pot.

"Morning."

Dwyer snickered at the exchange. "Can't you ever say more than one word, Mike?"

The engineer allowed a grin to cross his handsome face as he waited for his chance to pour himself a cup of coffee. "Sometimes."

A round of laughter erupted from the two linemen who were seated at the kitchen table.

"That was great," the senior lineman commented, his face red from laughing.

"Thanks," came the stoic reply as Mike reached for a mug.

Hookraider nearly spit his coffee out when he heard Mike's comment. "Ahua… Ahem… Damn near caused me to choke, Stoker."

"Strangle," Mike corrected, continuing the game. He couldn't help but laugh himself, feeling a sense of relief at the station banter. It was the first time he had laughed in a long time and it felt refreshing.

The junior lineman got up and headed for the refrigerator. "I'm starving, man. Anybody else want some eggs and toast?"

All eyes turned to Mike, knowing that his answer would be brief.

He pressed his lips together, trying hard not to laugh. "Sure."

Another round of side splitting laughter filled the kitchen just as Captain Stanley walked in.

"What'd I miss that's so funny?" Hank asked, stepping over to the kitchen stove. He, like most firemen, was a coffee drinker and he hadn't had a cup, yet.

"Hank, your man here is the most elaborate communicator we've ever encountered," Hookraider explained.

Hank's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. He knew that Mike was a very intelligent man, and everyone on A-shift had learned that while Mike Stoker might be quiet, when he did speak, whatever he said was likely to be important. "Elaborate?" Hank quizzed, looking back and forth between Hookraider and Mike.

The C-shift crew burst into laughter again, and anyone who didn't know them would assume they had been imbibing on the job.

"Da-damn, Hank…," Hookraider heaved, pulling out a chair to sit down. He had to find a stable place for his hot coffee before his laughter caused him to spill it. He set the cup on the table before continuing. "Stoker must've rubbed off on you. You sound just like 'im."

Hank looked around at the assembled group. The junior lineman had propped his forearm against the refrigerator, resting his head on it while he laughed. The senior lineman was wiping tears from his eyes. Dwyer and his paramedic partner were hugging their abdomens in uncontrollable giggles and Hookraider's face was redder than it would've been if he'd been fighting a three-alarm fire.

"What the hell's going on, Mike?" Hank questioned, seeing his calm engineer leaning his hips against the counter, coffee cup hovering near his mouth.

Mike looked at the others in the room and quickly searched his brain for a one-word explanation. He was enjoying the joking. "Sarcasm."

The junior lineman cackled, but finally managed to open the refrigerator, removing the carton of eggs and quickly placing it on the counter. "I'm… I'm gonna piss my pants if we don't stop."

"Just don't piss in my eggs," Dwyer said, trying to stand up to help with the breakfast preparations. His sides were aching, but he was enjoying the time with his shiftmates.

Hank blew a cooling breath across his coffee cup while he watched the antics continue. This made the verbal sparring between Chet and Johnny look like child's play. He took a tentative sip, then propped a hand on his hip. "I still don't get it."

Mike pushed himself away from the counter, clapping his usual captain on the shoulder. He felt his lips quivering as he tried to prevent a grin as everyone waited to see what he would say. "Office?" he asked, ushering Hank towards the kitchen door while the rest of the men guffawed.

A brief explanation in the apparatus bay was all it took for Hank to finally understand what he had witnessed.

"They wouldn't say more than one word, either, if they had to work with the twits we work with," Hank laughed, thinking of his two youngest crewmen. "Nobody else even gets a chance to speak most of the time, and that includes me," he snickered.

"Morning, Mike… Cap," Marco called out as he entered the open back bay and pushed his way through the locker room door to change into his uniform.

Mike grimaced. He needed to talk to Marco about Lexi, and he wanted to know if Antonio and Bri were okay. He turned back to his captain. "This is gonna take more than one word," he sighed. "Um, I really need to have a private conversation with Marco about Lexi. Mind if I use your office for a few minutes at some point, if the tones don't drop?"

"Sure, just let Hookraider finish up first and then help yourself. Johnny's gonna be late because he's taking his parents to the airport, so we're not gonna have roll call until after he gets here," Hank replied, slapping Mike on the back. He was curious, but he wasn't one to meddle in the personal affairs of his men unless it impacted their job performance.

E!

The crowds at LAX were not as bad as Johnny had anticipated. He dropped off his parents and their luggage before heading for hourly parking. Half an hour later, their checked bags were loaded and the trio headed for a restaurant for a bite to eat before the Gages needed to board. Sharon was already growing weepy, but she fought valiantly to keep the tears at bay. She didn't want this to be a sad occasion. It was the beginning of a renewed relationship with Johnny and for that, she was grateful.

"Mom, please don't cry," Johnny said as they ambled through the crowded corridors of the airport. "I'm gonna go home for Christmas. That's only a couple o' months away."

"I know, son," she said, looping her arm around his elbow as they walked. "I'm just so… happy."

"Me, too," Johnny said reaching over and patting her hand. "What do you want to eat for breakfast?"

"Just something light. My stomach doesn't handle take offs very well," she commented.

"She's right about that," Roddy piped up, wrapping his arm around his wife's waist. He glanced down at her pretty face, seeing how happy she seemed as she walked between her two favorite men. He wanted the moment to last forever.

As they walked past a tiny airport business, Johnny stopped suddenly. "Ohhh…ah-haha…," he chuckled. "Oh, this is far out!"

"What?" Roddy asked, wondering what his son was looking at. All he saw was a small counter with cheaply made kids toys that were obviously overpriced. What was it about Johnny and airport toys?

Johnny reached for a small container. "This," he said, holding up the can. "Remember what I said I was gonna do to Chet?"

Roddy snickered. "Yea."

"This would be perfect to go with it," he laughed. "I can make this joke go on until his wedding," he mused, turning the can around in his hand. He reached inside his back pocket, withdrawing his wallet. "I better get a few of these… Got to make this prank last," he laughed.

Johnny paid for his items and accepted the white paper bag from the cashier. The grin on his face immediately made Sharon smile, her previous misty eyes replaced by a bright and sunny disposition. Her son really had done well for himself, and under the most difficult of circumstances. She just hoped that his future would be as successful in romance as it had been professionally.

E!

Lily watched as Iris hung up the telephone, unable to read the look on her mother's face. "Um, is everything okay at the flower shop?" she asked, knowing that her mother had been talking to Caroline.

"Oh, yea, it's great. Caroline is doing a fantastic job with Bloomer's."

"Then… what's wrong?" Lily asked, concerned.

Iris looked at her daughter and smiled. "There's nothing wrong, Lily. Caroline was just filling me in on all the plans for the flowers for her wedding and…"

"And?"

Iris offered a soft laugh of happiness. "She asked me to be a bridesmaid."

Lily gave her mother a toothy grin. "Oh, Mom, that's great. She really loves you, you know?"

"I know and… and she's a wonderful friend. I mean, I couldn't have come back here if she hadn't agreed to take over the shop for a while."

Lily enjoyed seeing her mother happy, especially when talking about a friend. Just like Lily, Iris had spent many years with only a few people she could call a friend.

"She's really learned a lot. I think she's doing a great job with planning the flowers for her special day. I agreed to pay for them for her. It's the least I can do. She's…," Iris turned to look out a window. "She's had a hard time."

Lily walked over, wrapping an arm around her mother's waist. "Yea, and so have you. You amaze me, Mom… I… I love you so much."

Iris pulled her daughter into an embrace. "Oh, baby… I love you, too."

For the first time, Lily felt the confidence to tell her mother something that she had been feeling for a while now. "You know who else I love?"

Iris released her daughter, looking into her face. "Yea, I do… You love John, don't you?"

Lily blushed, dropping her gaze briefly. She really did love Johnny, but she wasn't ready to declare her feelings for him just yet, not to her mother. She wasn't sure what the future held for them and she wouldn't know for a few more weeks. "Um… I was gonna say… I think I love Grandma and Grandpa Jones."

"Really?" Iris whispered, the lump in her throat too thick to push additional words past.

Lily nodded in affirmation. "I wanted to hate them ever since I found out what they did to you, but… but they've acknowledged their mistake and… and it really wasn't all their fault. There were… um, extenuating circumstances," she said, thinking of the threats the KKK had made against her and her mother.

"This is the happiest day… I've had in… in a very… long… time," Iris said in a ragged breath. "Well," she said again, correcting the statement. "Almost."

Lily lifted an eyebrow, silently questioning her mother's comment.

Iris tenderly caressed her daughter's cheek, admiring her beauty. "The happiest day of my life was when you were born. And, again when you came back home," she added.

"I'm glad I came down here with you. I… I wasn't sure at first, but… Now I feel like a part of my life that was missing is complete."

"Are you gonna tell 'em?" Iris asked, her former southern accent reappearing.

Lily looked out the window, seeing the debris littering the front yard from the storm the previous night. She thought sheshould go outside and start raking up the leaves and twigs. This place was a part of her heritage. "Maybe… I'm not quite ready just yet, but… I will before we leave."

"Speaking of leaving," Iris began. "I need to call the airport today and go ahead and buy our return tickets. I know we still have a few weeks left, but… We have a surprise party to attend," she laughed, her heart feeling lighter than it had felt since she was a child.

Lily thought about Johnny and how shocked he was going to be. She knew she needed to call him. Today was the day his parents were returning home and then he would be on shift. She needed to hear his voice and vowed to call him tomorrow night. And she hoped that he wanted to talk to her just as much. She wanted to know how his visit with his parents had gone, and she also needed to tell him about her revelations about her maternal grandparents. But then a thought worried her. She sucked in her bottom lip, biting it until she felt a painful pinch. Would Johnny approve of her feelings for her grandparents after everything that had happened in the past? He had encouraged her to talk to them, but would he accept her love for them?

E!

Johnny, having said his heartfelt goodbyes, hurried back to his Rover. He needed to get to the station and relieve Dwyer. His reddened eyes began to sparkle as he thought about the small plastic canister he had tucked away in his duffel bag. The other two remained hidden away in the white bag and tucked underneath the driver's seat. He knew Chet often sneaked into his locker to set up the Phantom's notorious water bombs, but the Irishman knew better than to plunder through the Rover. The evidence of Johnny's future transgressions would be safe in his vehicle.

He turned into the station driveway, parking in his usual spot near the brick wall. Noting that the apparatus bay was empty, so the men were on a run.

"Oh, yea… This is perfect," he snickered, pulling the duffel bag from the passenger's seat and hurrying into the locker room. With a little luck, he would have time to set up the first of many pranks that would put the Phantom's antics to shame.

He set his bag down, digging into it to grab what he needed. He had to be quick, but luckily, this first prank wouldn't take long to get into place. It was merely an introduction, a foreshadowing of what was to come. Unlike Chet, Johnny could be very patient when it came to dishing-out his revenge.

As soon as the joke was set, he carefully tucked away the remaining contents, depositing it into a side pocket on his duffel bag, then set about getting ready for shift. He was just pinning his badge into place when he heard the engine backing into the station. "Show time," he mumbled to himself, pocketing his hands into his pants pockets and meandering out to the engine. Hopefully, Chet would need a clean uniform after their run.

He leaned his lanky frame against the internal brick wall, watching as Mike expertly positioned the engine. The first voice he heard was that of his nemesis.

"Nice to see ya, Gage. Had to wait for the real men to take care of the job before you showed up, huh?" Chet asked, removing his helmet and turnout coat, grinning.

Johnny jerked his disheveled hair in the direction of the empty space where the squad was normally parked. "Looks like the REAL men are still workin'," he snickered in retort.

"Watch it, Gage," Hank replied. "You're outnumbered four to one."

Johnny's lopsided grin wilted. "Aww, c'mon, Cap… You sidin' with your engine against your squad?"

"Haha," Chet shouted, heading for the latrine. He stretched his hand out, pushing open the door, hesitating long enough to send a verbal jab at Johnny. "Nope, it isn't the squad against the engine… It's the Irishmen against the INJUN," he tossed over his shoulder, emphasizing his last word a little too much.

Johnny narrowed his eyes at the retreating form of Chet. "What'd you say?" he asked in a raised voice so as to be heard in the other room.

Mike hopped down out of the cab of the engine. "Hey, Cap?" he called out, jerking his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the captain's office.

Hank grimaced at his two men who were jousting on their way into the latrine and figured he'd better follow them. He looked over at the place where Mike and Marco stood and realized what Mike was asking.

"Oh, yea, sure, Mike. Go ahead," he said, turning to follow Johnny into the latrine. "John, let it go, pal and… Chet?"

"Yea, Cap?"

Hank pushed his way into the latrine, noting that his two men were standing facing each other. "I haven't assigned chores yet, so you'll be getting latrine duty for that remark."

Chet knew he had crossed the line. The look on Johnny's face had told him that. He hadn't meant any harm by the comment, but he knew he had been wrong to say it.

"Yessir," the lineman responded, turning towards the row of lockers.

Hank, knowing he needed to separate the two of them, slapped his junior medic on the back. "How about a cup of coffee, John?"

Johnny saw Chet stepping across the room to his locker and he fought his lopsided grin that was trying to make an appearance. "Sure."

Just as Hank and Johnny walked back into the apparatus bay, Roy was shifting the squad into park. Dwyer quickly exited, ready to turn the shift over to Johnny.

Johnny extended a grateful hand to the other paramedic. "Thanks for covering for me, man."

"Anytime," Dwyer replied just as a loud curse sounded from the locker room.

"Aww, SHIT!"

Dwyer rolled his eyes, muttering as he walked toward the locker room to change. "I'm so glad I don't work on A-shift."

Hank turned his attention back to his youngest crew member, noting that the other man was looking like the cat that ate the canary. "John?" he asked, lifting his eyebrows.

Johnny shrugged his shoulders in feigned innocence, tossing his paramedic partner a knowing wink. Roy was leaning over the hood of the squad, his blue eyes nearly twinkling when he realized that Johnny had done something to pay back the Phantom for all his antics.

The locker room door swung open, slamming into the brick wall with enough force to startle Hank. Chet came charging through with a handful of white tissue in his hand.

"What the hell is this, Gage?" he asked, shoving the tissue in front of the younger man's face.

Johnny cast a quick glance at the tissue. "Um, it's called toilet paper. Civilized men use it to wipe their-"

"I know what TP is," the infuriated man shot back, not even realizing that his comment had sounded like another joke about Johnny's heritage.

"Teepee?" Johnny questioned, adding fuel to the fire. He knew that wasn't what Chet had meant by his remark, but he had the Irishman on the proverbial ropes, so he just couldn't stop himself from finishing him off.

Chet's pale face burned crimson red as his blue eyes shot back and forth between Johnny and their superior officer. "Cap… He...," Chet stammered. "He blew his nose in my locker!"

Johnny, remaining cool and calm, offered his reply. "No, I didn't… Besides," he scoffed. "The nose isn't the only body part that produces thick fluid." He bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing as he watched recognition register on the Irishman's face. He could hear Roy snickering behind him, but he dared not look over at his best friend.

"EWW!" Chet yelled, dropping the tissue on the concrete floor. "Damn, Gage! You're disgusting!"

"Not me," Johnny retorted. "Maybe the Phantom needs a girlfriend."

"Looks more like he needs a shot of penicillin," Roy deadpanned.

"Pick it up, Kelly, and now you can mop the apparatus bay when you finish cleaning the latrines," Hank ordered.

"But, Cap…" Chet began, his eyes wide.

"You started it, Kelly," Hank reminded him.

"And it looks like he finished the job, single-handedly," Roy added with a mischievous grin.

"ROY!" Chet argued, feeling the pressure from the other men. "But… I did NOT do that!" he said, pointing at the discarded tissue.

"Pick it up!" Hank repeated, trying hard not to laugh at the predicament Chet was now in.

"But, Cap… I don't even know what it is!"

Roy turned his back on the scene unfolding before him. He was about to lose all control of his laughter, and he knew he needed to retreat to the kitchen.

Johnny saw him leaving and quickly followed him, but he couldn't resist sending his nemesis one more verbal stinger. "You should really talk to the Phantom, Chet," Johnny called out as he watched the lineman bend over and carefully pick up the tissue containing the unknown substance. "He needs to learn the ol' sayin'… No glove, no love… 'Cause the treatment for that's gonna hurt!"

Chet held the tissue up closer to his face, unable to determine exactly what it contained. He couldn't let Johnny have the last word. "Oh, yea? Well, maybe you picked up those little green men as you were flyin' over Area 51 and one of 'em got squished in my locker!"

Johnny's entire body nearly doubled over in laughter. Chet had taken the bait and now the prank was heading exactly where he wanted it to go. "Or maybe the little green men needed to spend some quality alone time in your locker!" he shouted back, pushing open the kitchen door.

"AARGH!" Chet groused, looking to his captain for any offer of assistance. The blank hazel-eyed stare he received told him that he would get no sympathy there.

Inside the captain's office, Mike and Marco were too engrossed in their conversation to pay any attention to what Johnny and Chet were arguing about.

"I don't know what's wrong with my sister, Mike. I really don't." Marco propped one forearm against the filing cabinet, waxing his mustache with the opposite hand. "I mean, why is she being so hateful to you and Bri?"

Mike sighed, rubbing the tension from his neck. "I don't know about Bri, but she's really pissed at me about something… I think it's about you and me talking about… intimate details, you know? But, why Bri?"

"Beats the hell out of me, but… now she's got something else to be concerned about," Marco said.

"Oh?" Mike questioned, his blue eyes searching for an explanation. When Marco didn't immediately respond, he continued. "Well, make that two things, because I got a call yesterday from the DA's office."

Marco's dark eyes narrowed. "What? You too? Lexi has to go down there tomorrow at 10:00am. That's what I was talking about."

Now it was Mike's turn to look shocked. "So do I. That's the main reason I wanted to talk to you. The secretary didn't say anything about Lexi being called in. I thought it was just me. I, uh… I wanted to see if you think Lexi might talk to me before I go? I… I don't know what they want from me, but I'm sure it's about Hunley and Gomez." He lowered his face to the floor as he considered his next statement. "I won't say anything she doesn't want me to reveal, Marco. I don't want to hurt her, or… embarrass her any further."

"That's nice of you, Mike… especially since things haven't been going well between the two of you."

Mike took a seat beside the captain's desk. He rested his forearms on his knees, trying to decide what to do. "Yea… I really… I really thought she would… um, apologize, you know? I mean…," he looked up again. "Hell, I'd apologize, if I knew it would help... But you and I talking about private matters isn't something that I feel like I should apologize for."

"You shouldn't." Marco exhaled loudly, taking a seat beside his engineer. "Speaking of private matters… I wasn't gonna say anything, but… I could really use a friend right now, and… Mike, you're the only one who might understand."

Mike lifted his gaze. He could see that Marco was struggling with something and that worried him. "Are you okay?"

Marco hesitated for a moment but then forged on ahead. "Beverly and I are going to see a therapist tomorrow afternoon. We, uh… We had a misunderstanding and she… She went ballistic, Mike. She had a full-blown panic attack."

"Oh, man… I'm sorry."

"I said something that set her off and…" Marco ran a nervous hand through his dark hair. "She just lost all control. Neither of us want that to happen again so… We're going to see Dr…. Um, I think her name is Dr. Coates, or something like that. She does a lot of work with women like Beverly… and Lexi."

"I hope it goes well," Mike said, sincerely.

"Yea, me too. I don't want to ever see that happen again. Anyway, I talked to Mama about it. She… and now you… are the only other people who know. But, we both think that if Dr. Coates can help us… maybe she can help Lexi, too."

The engineer nodded his head.

"Mike… I know I don't have a right to ask you this, but… Would you consider… maybe… not giving up on Lexi, yet?"

Mike stared at his fingers for several long moments. He swallowed hard before he answered. "I haven't completely given up, Marco. But I think she may have given up on me. She won't talk to me."

Marco nodded his head slowly.

Mike leaned back in his chair. "Will you do something for me, Marco?"

"Of course."

Mike cleared his throat, finding the task more difficult than he had thought. "I, uh… I want to buy Antonio a pair of boots so he can dress up like a cowboy for Halloween. I know Lexi doesn't have any money and I really want to do this for the little tyke. If I buy them, will you take them to him? You don't have to tell Lexi and Ant that I bought them. You can just tell them that… that they're from you, or something." Mike felt the back of his eyes beginning to sting so he turned away. "I just want that little boy to get what he wants so badly."

Mike felt the lump in his throat bulging, nearly choking off his breathing. He remembered that cowboy boots weren't the only things Antonio had asked for. He also wanted a daddy. At least Mike could make one of the child's wishes come true.

E!

Bri stared at the waitress uniform hanging on the back of Beverly's bedroom door. She still couldn't believe her luck. Last night, when she and Beverly had gone to the Pourhouse for dinner, the head waitress – an older lady whose name was Amy – had asked them if they knew anyone looking for work. One of her waitresses was moving and today would be her last day. Bri had quickly volunteered to go to work and Amy had readily agreed. Bri sat staring at the dress. It was not an attractive uniform, but it covered all the parts that she needed covered, and then some. For the first time in her life, she was going to be doing honest work for honest pay. And if it all worked out, she might even be able to afford this apartment when Beverly moved out. She hoped she could learn everything quickly. She hadn't finished high school and she wasn't necessarily smart. She might not have been able to finish, even if she hadn't run away from home. She felt butterflies in her stomach as she thought about her first day on the job. Beverly had told Amy about the appointment with the DA, and Amy had agreed for her to work the afternoon shift. That thought sent her mind in a different direction. Why had the DA wanted to meet with her? Had she done something wrong that she didn't even know about?

"Bri?"

"Oh, um, yea?" she called out, walking into the kitchen. "Need help with something?"

Beverly motioned for her to take a seat at the small table in the kitchen where she had a cup of coffee waiting for the younger woman. "No, I just wanted to fill you in on what's going to happen tomorrow."

"At the DA's office or the diner?"

"At the DA's office," Beverly said, encouraged by Bri's obvious excitement about her first job. "I called in a favor from a friend of mine who works there. I wanted to prepare you for something."

"What?" Bri asked, worriedly, wrapping her hands around the mug.

"You won't be the only person who will be there. Lexi and Mike will be there, too. And there may be someone else there from the Fire Department; my friend wasn't sure."

"Lexi?" Bri grimaced. She didn't mind Mike's presence, but she was not looking forward to seeing her former best friend. "Do you have any idea why they want to talk to us?"

"I'm not sure, but usually when they call in victims for a meeting, it's because the defendant wants to offer a plea and they want to know if you all will want to take the deal… but I really don't know."

Bri rested her head in her hands. "I just want all this to be over with," she groaned. "Nothing is gonna change what's happened…"

"No, but we can make sure that they get punished, AND," she added, with emphasis. "That this NEVER happens again to anyone else."

Bri rubbed her hands together, nervously, her fingers suddenly feeling icy. "They won't be punished, Beverly. Lexi and I are just a couple o' street walkers. We don't matter to the DA."

"NO," Beverly said, forcefully. She had to stop Bri's negative thought spiral. "You and Lexi were victims and you DO matter… Every soul on this earth matters."

Bri looked over at her new friend, her eyes had lost their earlier vitality. "I don't feel like I have a soul."

E!

By the time the B-shift arrived for duty on Friday morning, Mike's stomach was in knots. He had no idea why he and Lexi were being summoned to the DA's office. He glanced at his watch, realizing that his replacement would be arriving any minute. He prayed the klaxons would stay silent for just a little longer. If he got to leave the station on time, then he might be able to purchase Antonio's boots before the meeting. Marco had encouraged him to give the boots to Lexi, but Mike didn't think she would accept them. If she refused, Marco had agreed to take them to Antonio himself. It was a dirty trick, but both men knew that if Antonio had the boots in his hands, Lexi wouldn't make him give them back.

"Carter's here," Marco said, pulling Mike out of his thoughts. "I'm heading out. I'll be taking Lexi to the DA's office for the appointment so I'll, uh, I'll see you there."

"Thanks," Mike said softly. "I'm leaving just as soon as I can. Hopefully, I'll be able to find the boots in Antonio's size and bring them with me to the appointment. Still think I should give them to Lexi?"

Marco leaned against his closed locker door, staring at the forlorn look on his engineer's face. "Yes… I really do. And if she rejects them, then I promise that I'll give them to him myself, Mike."

Mike merely nodded, hanging his head. When the locker room door opened, the B-shift engineer walked in.

"Morning, fellas."

Both Mike and Marco offered their greetings. Marco exited while Mike filled in the on-coming engineer on the specifics he would need to know for the next shift. As soon as that was done, Mike grabbed his duffel bag and headed for his truck. This was going to be a very interesting morning.

E!

Lexi picked at her eggs, her head throbbing. She reached for her coffee just as her mother walked into the kitchen.

"Lexi? You've been up for a while, haven't you?" Maria asked, surprised that her daughter had already made breakfast.

"I couldn't sleep… Figured I'd make myself useful," she said, her face downtrodden. She sighed, circling the rim of her coffee cup with her finger, absentmindedly. "My life is so screwed up."

Maria poured herself a cup, tightened the tie on her robe, then took a seat beside Lexi. She reached out, patting her daughter's arm. "No, sweetheart… Your life is just beginning to get straightened out. It'll take time, but your family will be with you every step of the way."

Lexi curled a few strands of mussed up hair behind her ear. "Why? I just don't get it, Mama. I don't deserve your love and support… I don't deserve anything from you or anybody else…"

Maria saw her opening. She said a quick silent prayer, then launched into what she needed to say to Lexi. "We all love you, Lexi. All of us… your son… your brothers… even Bri... Marco's friends at the station… and yes, that includes Michael. We all love you. We care about you and what happens to you. Now… respect is something that one must earn. In the last few days, you haven't necessarily deserved respect. But everyone is willing to give you the chance to earn it back. We aren't giving up on you… None of us."

"Michael and Bri have… And… I guess I don't blame them." She used her napkin to dab at the corners of her eyes. "I've been thinking a lot about everything I've said and done lately." She looked up at her mother, fear paling her face. "I don't know what's wrong with me, Mama… I'm… I'm saying things I don't mean, and I'm doing things I don't want to do, but… I can't stop myself. It's like… like I'm on the outside watching me and I… I can't…," she covered her face with both hands. "Oh, Mama… I'm so scared!"

Maria pulled Lexi to her bosom, stroking her long dark hair the way she had done when Lexi had been a small child. "Shhh," she said, rubbing soothing circles along the younger woman's back. "It'll be okay… I've been praying for you for a long, long time and now you're back."

"But I'm so… messed up."

"Look at me," Maria instructed, releasing Lexi. When the two were looking at each other, Maria decided to take a chance. "I need to tell you something, but I need you to keep it in the strictest confidence, alright?"

"What's wrong, Mama?"

Maria smiled softly. "Well, I want you to know that you aren't the only one who's struggling with her past."

Lexi wrinkled her eyebrows together.

"Beverly is struggling a little, too. And she's been off the streets longer than you. She and Marco had a big misunderstanding the other day and… and she had a panic attack."

"Beverly had a panic attack? What did Marco do to her?"

"That's just it," Maria explained. "They don't know for sure. They have an idea what set it off, but it was relatively minor."

Lexi returned her gaze to her coffee cup. "What are they going to do?"

Maria smiled. "They're both going to see a therapist this afternoon. They want to find out what caused it. That way, hopefully, they can start their lives together without having panic attacks causing problems for them later on."

"Do they think it'll help?"

Maria again placed her hand on Lexi's arm. She could feel the trembling beneath her touch and knew that Lexi was terrified – she just wasn't sure if the fear was of the meeting with the DA, the concerns about her behavior, or perhaps a combination of both. "Well, it's better than doing nothing…" She let that thought linger between them for a moment. "They know they've got to do something different if they want to make things better. And they love each other enough to work on it together."

"Beverly's really lucky that Marco is stubborn," Lexi said with a nervous snort. "He doesn't give up easily."

"No, he doesn't… I know a few other people who are like that," Maria added.

"If the doctor helps them…" Lexi hesitated, looking over at her mother. "Do you think he'll be able to help me?"

"For what it's worth… the doctor is a female. And, yes, I think she just might be able to help you, too. If you're willing to let her." She sat back in her chair watching her daughter. "She specializes in helping women who have been prostitutes."

"I know it's too late for me and Bri, or me and Michael… but… I don't want to mess up with Antonio and ruin my relationship with him," she cried. She pushed away from the table before Maria could say anything else. "I'm going to be late if I don't get ready. Marco will be here soon."

"Everything will be okay, Lexi. I just know it," the older woman said, making the sign of the cross.

E!

Across town, Mike placed the shoe box on the counter and withdrew his wallet. The cashier looked at the small boots inside, ensuring that he had gotten a left and a right boot in the same size.

"For your son?"

Mike gave a soft smile to the young woman. "No… The son of a friend. He wants to be a cowboy for Halloween."

The gum-smacking lady offered him a wide grin. "Ahh, that's so sweet of you. You're spendin' a lot o' money for someone else's kid… Twelve dollars and nineteen cents."

Mike passed her the money. "He's a great kid… been through a lot." He accepted the change back, dropping the coins into his front pocket. "He deserves nice things."

She glanced at his left hand and smiled when she didn't see a ring. "I'm pretty nice," she said, leaning forward enough to reveal a little too much cleavage. "Maybe you deserve somethin' nice, too, huh?"

"Thanks for the boots," he said, quickly grabbing the bag and walking out the door. He had too much on his mind and absolutely no interest in the overly-flirtatious sales clerk.

E!

At the Pourhouse, Samford Bennett was drinking his coffee in a quiet booth, reviewing his notes before heading to the DA's office. He heard a familiar voice and looked up at the two women who were settling in at the table beside him.

"Bri?"

Both women looked over.

"Sam?" Bri questioned, not believing her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

The arson investigator gathered up his papers, straightening them into perfect alignment before replacing them into the manila folder. "I was just going over some notes. I've got to, uh, I've got a meeting at 10:00 am," he said, glancing at his watch. He didn't want to upset her by telling her that the meeting was about Leonard Hunley.

Beverly accepted the menus from Amy, giving her a knowing wink to let her know how excited Bri was about her new job. She passed one over to Bri, but realized that the younger woman seemed too involved in her conversation with Sam to notice. She looked up at Amy with a grin. "How about start us off with a couple of waters. Maybe we'll be ready to order in a few minutes," Beverly said, perusing the menu she knew by heart.

Bri tilted her head at Sam's comment. "I have a meeting at 10:00 am, too. Is yours with the DA?"

Now it was the investigator's turn to look quizzically at her. "Yea…"

Beverly pushed the menu towards Bri again, tapping her elbow with it. "Well," Beverly began. "Sounds like this will be an interesting meeting."

"Are you going too?" Sam asked Beverly, allowing Bri a chance to choose something to eat.

"No," she looked up at him, smiling. "I'm driving Bri over there. She's staying with me for a while," the counselor added.

"So… you're out of the shelter? That's great," the blond-haired man offered, his white smile shining.

"And, she has a job, too," Beverly added. "She starts here this afternoon. She'll be waitressing on the evening shift."

"Congratulations," Sam said, sincerely. "Guess I know where I'll be eating dinner from now on," he said with a grin. "Um, since we'll be heading in the same direction, I'd be happy to drive you to the DA's office," he offered. Immediately, his mind was sent reeling back to the day he carried her out of Mike Stoker's personnel hearing after she had collapsed. She had seemed so pale and weak. Today she looked much stronger and healthier. It was a marvelous change.

"Um," Bri stammered, cutting her eyes at Beverly, wondering what she should do.

Beverly knew Bri was nervous, but she also knew that she would be safe with Samford Bennett. The DA's office was only a few blocks away. She remembered how Sam had been so concerned for Bri's welfare and how much he seemed to care for her when she had confronted Leonard Hunley in the board room during the hearing. Perhaps it would be good for Bri to take the first step in trusting someone outside of her small circle of friends. After all, it wasn't as if Sam was a total stranger. She raised her eyebrows approvingly at Bri, offering her a slight nod of her head.

Bri felt a blush color her cheeks and an unfamiliar warmth spreading within her chest. "Um… Yea… That would be very nice of you, Sam."

'Atta girl,' Beverly thought to herself. At least someone seemed to be making progress instead of digressing.

E!

Mr. Nordan, the District Attorney, sat behind his large mahogany desk, scanning the notes he had made on the Hunley and Gomez cases. He steepled his fingers, releasing a heavy sigh. His 10:00 am appointments would be arriving soon, and if things went the way he was anticipating, at least one of them would be very unhappy when the meeting was over.