Warning: Extreme language

Chapter 9

Mike stared through his windshield at the red brick building in front of him, wondering what the meeting with the DA would entail. He looked to his right, seeing the bag holding Antonio's cowboy boots sitting on the bench seat beside him. He picked it up with a wistful smile as he pondered the excitement on the little boy's face as he opened the box. Stepping out of his pick-up truck, he noticed a familiar burgundy sedan pulling into a parking spot a few spaces down. He gulped, pressing his lips together tightly. He couldn't stop the sense of dread he felt at the thought of facing Lexi, again. What kind of mood would she be in today?

E!

Lexi felt a fine layer of perspiration forming across her upper lip as Marco pulled to a stop at the DA's office. When she recognized the tall man standing beside his truck, she felt her heart leap into her throat.

"What's he doing here?" she asked her brother.

Marco shifted into park and turned off the ignition, reaching for his door handle before answering. "He got the same call as you, sis."

Lexi didn't try to hide her disdain. "And you didn't think it was important to tell me?"

"Based on how you've been treating him, I didn't think it mattered," was all Marco said as he stepped into the bright Southern California morning. He briefly locked eyes with Mike, flinching slightly when he heard Lexi slamming the car door much harder than necessary.

Mike gripped the bag a little tighter in his hand, stepping closer to the Lopez siblings. "Morning."

"What do you have there, Stoker?" Marco asked, already knowing the answer.

Mike looked down at the white bag with a grin. "Got a little something for Antonio," he replied, passing the bag towards Lexi.

Lexi gave him a curious look. "What?"

"Well… ahem, the last time he and I spoke, he mentioned that he wanted to be a cowboy for Halloween. So, I thought he might like a pair of boots for his costume."

"And I guess you didn't think that I could provide him with what he needs, huh?" Lexi scoffed.

Marco grimaced. "C'mon, Lex. That's not what he's saying."

Mike saw Lexi roll her eyes and he felt his resentment building. "I'm not trying to butt into his life… yours either, for that matter. I've grown to love that little boy, Lexi. And I really like doing things with him and for him. I thought you understood that. But ever since that day at the restaurant, I haven't been able to have a decent conversation with you without you getting angry at me, and for the life of me, I don't understand it."

Lexi felt her eyes beginning to sting and her lower lip starting to tremble. She really didn't understand it herself. Mike had saved her life and treated her better than any other non-relative had ever treated her. So why was she treating him so badly?

Mike shoved the bag towards her. "Please… take these to him. You don't have to tell him they're from me. I just…," Mike felt the lump forming in his throat and swallowed hard to push it back down. "I just want him to be happy."

Mike's words stung the young mother. When she had first met her son, he had seemed like a happy little four-year old boy. But lately, he wasn't happy, and she knew that the only thing that had changed was her presence in his life. Was she toxic to her own son?

Marco's dark eyes darted back and forth between his sister and his friend. "Lexi… just take the boots and you can tell Antonio that you bought them for him. Mike just wants him to have the boots… He doesn't require any kind of acknowledgement."

She reached for the bag, swallowing back an exasperated sigh.

"Uh, we better get going," Marco spoke up. "Don't want to be late." He also didn't want to give Lexi a chance to say something to ruin the moment. She had accepted the gift; something neither he nor Mike had really expected of her.

E!

In Sam's car, Bri felt a nervousness she couldn't really explain. She had been worried about the impending meeting with the DA until she had run into the handsome fire investigator at the Pourhouse. Now she was sitting beside him, alone in his car, and her anxiety had less to do with the meeting and more to do with her present company. She wasn't afraid, and being in a man's car, alone with him and unafraid, was something she hadn't felt in a long time – maybe never. So, if it wasn't fear and it wasn't nervousness over the meeting with the DA, then what was causing those butterflies in her stomach? The sound of Sam's voice brought her out of her musings.

"Okay, sit tight," Sam said, turning off the ignition. "I'll get the door for you," he added, his words spilling out faster than his normal speech pattern.

Bri giggled to herself, feeling like she had somehow entered an episode of the Twilight Zone. The whole morning was so surreal. But as soon as she stepped out of the car and the shadow of the brick building loomed over her, the sense of angst returned.

Sam walked beside her up the sidewalk. When they reached the door, he pulled it open for her, then suddenly realized his hands were empty. "Uh-oh… I left my notes in the car. Um, I'll be right back," he apologized.

While Sam returned to his car, Bri walked into the lobby, stepping up to the receptionist's desk. "I'm Brittany Mendoza. I have a 10:00 o'clock meeting with Mr. Nordan."

"Yes, he'll be with you shortly. Just have a seat with the others."

Bri's eyes followed the direction the manicured finger was pointing. Her stomach dropped when she saw Lexi sitting between Mike and Marco. She forced a smile on her face and took a seat on the opposite side of the room.

"Hi, Bri," Marco said with a smile and a slight nod. "Is Beverly parking the car?"

"She'll be here in a little while. She had to run some errands, so I…" She looked at Lexi who seemed to be looking everywhere except at Bri. "I rode here with Sam."

As if on cue, Samford Bennet rushed into the waiting area. "Sorry, Bri…," he looked at the others present. "Oh, hello… Are y'all meeting with the DA, too?" he asked, looking at the assembled group sitting opposite Bri.

"Yea," was Mike's answer. "I take it you'll be joining us?"

Before the investigator could respond, the door opened and a short gray-haired man dressed in a navy-blue suit stood looking at them. "Thank you all for coming today," he greeted them, waving his arm to indicate that they should enter his office.

"Um, do you want all of us to go in together?" Sam asked.

"Yes… This involves each of you," the man replied, looking at them over the rim of his reading glasses perched on the end of his nose.

"I'll hold Antonio's boots," Marco said, reaching to take the bag from Lexi. He watched as the four entered the DA's office, wishing he could join them. His curiosity was killing him, but so was his sixth sense and he knew that whatever was going on, it wasn't good.

Inside the office, Bri looked around at the furnishings. The mahogany desk had matching double bookcases behind it, covering the back wall. The shelves were adorned with volumes of law references and a few classic novels. She recognized the titles, but had never read them. Her eyes meandered to the expanse of the large desk. There were pictures of two small boys and a little blonde-haired girl sitting on a grassy knoll. Her snaggle-toothed smile let Bri know that she was probably around six-years old. She shifted her eyes to the DA when he moved behind his desk, taking his seat.

"Thank you all for coming over today," the attorney said, adjusting his glasses on his face. He opened a brown expandable file, removing several stacks of papers and photographs. He shuffled them around, spreading them for all to see. "Um, we've had some… shall we say… developments… in these cases that I need to discuss with you."

"What kind of developments?" Sam asked, bouncing his knee. He had taken the seat nearest the window with Bri sitting beside him. He managed to glance in her direction and saw her staring at the photographs scattered haphazardly on the DA's desk. Her face had grown pale at the images of her battered face following Hunley's attack, but it was Lexi's bruised and swollen face in the photographs from the hospital that seemed to cause her the most distress. He saw Bri shiver and felt a nearly overwhelming desire to wrap his arms around her. He noticed that Lexi, sitting next to Bri, had turned her head away, refusing to look at the pictures, and Mike had shifted in his seat, obviously uncomfortable with the display.

"Ahem," Mr. Nordan began, pushing his glasses upwards until they rested on his balding forehead. "We have some really good evidence against Leonard Hunley. I mean, we've got a taped confession of everything he did to you, Ms. Olivier."

"Mendoza," both Bri and Sam corrected, simultaneously.

"Yes… Sorry," the DA mumbled. He squinted at the spread of evidence laid out on his desk, then looked back up at the small group. "We've got Leonard Hunley on tape admitting that he assaulted you, Ms. Mendoza, in an effort to terminate the pregnancy that he allegedly fathered. We also have him admitting to various other obscene sexual practices… um… Anyway, we can add a charge of sexual torture with the evidence." He looked over at the engineer sitting to his far left. "And we have him admitting to trying to destroy your career, Mr. Stoker. He even implicated Ricardo Gomez in the process by naming him as the arsonist in your investigations, Mr. Bennett… Which actually is just an added bonus, as I'll explain in a minute."

"But we know all of this," Sam said, breaking into the conversation. "I thought you called us in because you had something new to tell us."

The seasoned DA looked to his right at the fire investigator. "Yes… Like I said, we've got good evidence against Hunley. The evidence against Gomez isn't as good."

Lexi's eyes grew wide but before she could speak, Mike jumped into the conversation for her. "What do you mean?" he questioned. "You've got Lexi's testimony, pictures of her injuries, and Ricardo's reaction to her supposed death at Rampart where he was arrested, and isn't the FBI investigating the stolen identities he used for his-"

"Mr. Stoker," the DA spoke up, hoping to calm down the angry fireman. "I know what evidence we've got, but…" He hesitated, not wanting to upset anyone, but he had to tell them the truth. "The FBI is investigating a very large ring of identity thieves. I'm not a part of that. As for my jurisdiction… Well… to be perfectly honest… a jury might be… um… reluctant to accept your testimony, Ms. Lopez… I'm sorry."

Lexi huffed, cutting a knowing glance at Bri. The two women hadn't spoken since their altercation a couple of days ago, but there was still a kindred spirit between them. "I knew it."

"This is bullshit!" Bri spat out. "You're saying that the jury will believe a murdering monster like Lennie because he had… HAD," she emphasized, "a respectable job, but won't believe Lexi because she was forced to be a prostitute?" She felt her blood pressure rising.

"I didn't say that," the DA defended himself.

"Sure, you did," Sam agreed, proud of Bri's boldness. "Maybe not in so many words, but that's damn sure what you meant."

"So then, are you saying that you won't prosecute Gomez for killing the elderly woman in the first fire, or the attempted murder of Lexi," Sam said, waving his arm in Lexi's direction, "assault, arson… all because you don't have a confession from him?"

"Look, here's the bottom line," Mr. Nordan began. "The recent development is that… Gomez requested a plea bargain in exchange for a reduction in his charges if he testifies against Hunley."

"Are you seriously considering taking that? Shouldn't that be up to Lexi?" Sam questioned.

"Yes, it should be," Mike replied. "And he doesn't even need Gomez's testimony because the Hunley case is so easy that any lawyer worth his salt could get a conviction."

"It's not that simple, Mr. Stoker," the DA responded, his face turning red.

"The hell it isn't," Mike shot back. He saw Lexi wringing her hands and discreetly wiping at her eyes. He wanted to reach out to her, but he didn't know if she would accept his gesture of concern. He leaned back in his seat, his eyes narrowing at the man behind the desk.

Mr. Nordan rubbed his hand across his forehead. "Please just try to understand, Mr. Stoker. In my professional opinion, it makes sense to take down the one who's done the most damage to the greatest number and then REDUCE the charges against Gomez… Not let him go free! Hunley has admitted that Gomez started the apartment fire, and Gomez knows that, too. No… he isn't going free."

"So that's your, ahem… added bonus," Mike stated with disdain.

Sam felt his jaw clenching and releasing as he glared at the DA. "What's your percentage, man?"

"Excuse me?" the DA questioned, unsure of where the conversation was heading.

"You heard me," Sam commented with venom in his voice. "What's your percentage of convictions?"

Mike, who picked up on what Sam was thinking, jumped into the conversation, again. "It's about 90 or maybe even 95 percent, right?"

Mr. Nordan's face turned ashen. "Ninety-seven."

"And," Sam continued. "Plea deals count as convictions, so if you accept Gomez's offer, then you get a conviction in court on Hunley AND a conviction by plea on Gomez… That's two more convictions to add to that percentage."

"And '76 is an election year," Mike added, feeling a need to punch the cocky DA in the nose.

Bri, who had been silent until now, pointed to the framed pictures of the children on the desk. "Those your kids?" she asked.

"Grandchildren," the DA said, proudly.

"I'm sure you love them very much, don't you?" She continued.

"Yes," the DA replied, confused by her line of questioning.

"If you had to turn them over to Lennie or Ricardo, which one would you choose?" Bri asked, maintaining her gaze on the family photographs.

"I-I don't know what you mean," the attorney said, nervously.

"Well, with Lennie, you've got a man who murdered his unborn child and who likes to torture women, both physically and mentally. Then with Ricardo," she said, holding out her other hand as if weighing the options, "you've got an arsonist and a murderer, I mean… he did start the fire that ultimately killed the elderly woman after Lennie killed my baby." She didn't wait for a response. "And Ricardo likes to torture others and then relive the events over and over and over, so…" She moved her hands as if juggling some unseen object between them. "Do you really want to turn Gomez back onto the streets to prey on your innocent grandchildren?"

Lexi saw the DA's countenance change when Bri mentioned Ricardo's penchant for reliving his dastardly deeds, and felt the color draining from her own face. "Bri, don't do this," Lexi said, clenching her teeth together tightly. She gripped the arms of her chair so hard her knuckles turned white.

"Why not, Lex?" Bri asked, her voice much too soft for the situation; she had to keep her cool, even though it was a struggle. "He's gonna let Gomez get away with what he's done, but they're both hideous creatures… and they don't even know everything about Ricardo."

"Stop it!" Lexi said, forcefully; obviously wanting to hide something from the men in the room.

Mike and Sam exchanged confused glances then looked back at the two women.

Mr. Nordan once again shuffled the papers in front of him. "But, uh, see… we've got more evidence on Hunley, and he-he also tried to ruin Mr. Stoker's career," he added, pointing at the engineer to his left. "And he caused a lot of damage to the reputation of the fire department, especially the arson unit," he continued, pointing to the investigator to his right.

"This isn't about the department, or me," Mike spoke up, his concern for Lexi and Bri growing with each passing second; he could see Bri's anger building, but it was Lexi's quickening breaths that had him most concerned.

"I'm just saying that Hunley and Gomez are not equally dangerous to society," Mr. Nordan argued.

"Oh, Hunley is a true monster, I agree," Bri said, adjusting her gaze from the little girl's picture to the DA. "But he hasn't done anything that Gomez hasn't done. Lennie just focused his horrors on me. He killed my baby, and Ricardo killed the old woman. Hunley sexually tortured me, and Ricardo tortured-"

"NO!" Lexi said, raising her voice. "Shut up, Bri!"

Bri looked at the woman who sat beside her, a look of terror on her face. "He needs to know."

"Know what?" Mr. Nordan questioned.

"Nothing!" Lexi said quickly, glaring at Bri. She turned her attention back to the DA. "Take it. Let Ricardo testify against Leonard and then reduce his charges."

"Wait a minute, Lexi," Mike spoke up, not liking how fast she had acquiesced to the DA's suggestion. "We need to know what Gomez is going to be pleading to."

"No… WE don't need to know ANYTHING!" Lexi shot back. "ME… I need to know… This doesn't involve anyone else, but me!"

"Bullshit!" Mike shot back.

"WHAT?" Lexi said, turning to face him. "He beat ME! He tried to kill ME! He repeatedly raped ME! He was MY pimp! Not YOURS!"

Mike's face remained stoic. "He took Antonio's mother away from him. He stole Mrs. Lopez's only daughter away from her for five years. He broke the hearts of the Lopez boys over their sister… AND…" He hesitated for emphasis. "I risked my life rescuing you from that apartment fire and-"

"Fuck you, Michael!" Lexi spat back, jumping up from her seat, her voice cracking. She looked over at the DA who seemed shocked by her language. "So, what will he get?"

"Um," the DA stammered, looking at his notes. "He'd plead guilty to assault and, uh, arson… since he knows we have Hunley on tape implicating him, and he'd serve 6 months in jail."

Lexi paced across the small room. "Okay, it's October now… so he'd get out in," she counted on her fingers. "He'd get out in April?"

"Uh, no… he'd get credit for time served so…"

Mike did the quick math. "He'd be out by February… sooner for good behavior."

The DA merely nodded his head.

"Sonofabitch," Sam mumbled.

Lexi stood still, dumbfounded. Her mind reeling. How could this be happening? How had her life gone from being rescued from near death to being thrown back into the proverbial lions' den? The emotions she was feeling were all too familiar to her. The pattern of her life was repeating itself – again.

Bri turned to look at her friend and what she saw made her heart leap into her throat. She had seen that same look on Lexi's face before… and the faces of other girls in their situation. It was the look of utter defeat. Lexi was giving up. "Lexi… don't take it!"

"Fine… I'll agree to it," Lexi said, dejectedly.

"Wait," Mike said, standing up to face her. "Don't make a hasty decision."

"Why not? Nothing will change whether I wait or not. If we go to trial, he'll get off with nothing… I've… Um," she stuttered, feeling the walls closing in on her. She backed away from Mike as he took a step towards her. "I've got to get out of here."

Just as Lexi turned for the office door, she heard the DA standing, calling her back.

"Uh, Ms. Lopez?"

Lexi turned to look at him and Mike saw that what little life he had seen in her eyes when they'd arrived, had simply faded away.

"Ms. Lopez, I'll need you to sign an acknowledgement that you'll accept the plea deal. I can have it ready later this afternoon," the DA announced.

Mike looked over at the man he now despised. "Why don't you take your acknowledgement and shove it up your-"

"I'll come back," Lexi replied. "What time?"

"Um, about four o'clock," the DA said looking nervously at the tall engineer. At the moment, Mike looked like a man who might be prone to doing bodily harm.

"I'll be here," Lexi said, quickly exiting the office, Mike following after her.

"Lexi… wait up," Mike called out.

Lexi's strides never slowed down as she hurried across the waiting area. She saw Marco standing up from the corner of her eye, but she never even acknowledged him. Instead, she pushed the glass doors open and walked out into the parking lot, heading straight for Marco's car.

Back inside the DA's office, Mr. Nordan was replacing the documents into the expandable file.

"Unbelievable," Sam said, standing up and offering his hand to Bri.

"No, just typical justice for women like us," Bri responded.

"Um, Ms. Mendoza… Is there something more you need to tell me?" the DA asked, anxiously. He didn't want to be reducing charges on a man who might reoffend, committing even worse crimes against society. That would have a negative impact on his upcoming re-election campaign.

"There's nothing more that I need to tell you," Bri spat out. "But there IS more that you need to know about Ricardo. Unfortunately, the only person who can really give you the information you need, just walked out that door," she said, jerking her head towards the office door.

"But it sounded like you had the information," Mr. Nordan said, hoping to force the issue with her.

"Oh, I have the information," Bri said, glaring at him as she stood up. "But she's the only one who knows where the… um, shall we say… confessions are hidden… I'm just a former prostitute that no one will believe," she stated bitterly, quickly exiting the office with Sam following her.

E!

Lexi stood at the passenger's door of Marco's car, waiting for him to open it. She refused to allow herself to shed a single tear. Tears were a sign of weakness; something exploited by others.

"Lexi?"

She heard Mike calling after her, but she refused to turn around.

"What's going on?" Marco asked, refusing to unlock his car until he got an answer.

Mike waited for Lexi to respond, but when she didn't, he allowed his anger at the justice system to spew out. "That DA back there," he began, jerking his thumb over his shoulder, "is a ball-less piece of shit!"

"What?" Marco questioned, unlocking the passenger's side door and tossing Antonio's boots into the backseat.

"What happened is exactly what always happens, Marco. Guys like Ricardo get away with what they do… The bad guys always win," Lexi scoffed, slipping into the passenger seat. "Hunley's going down because he made the mistake of getting caught on tape. The DA can't help him much now."

"I don't understand," Marco said, perplexed, looking to Mike for more information.

"He's prosecuting Hunley because he's got a taped confession, but he's gotten Lexi to agree to a plea bargain on Gomez that will basically let him get away with little more than time served."

"Huh?" Marco asked, squinting his eyes, not believing what he was hearing. "Are you kidding me?"

Lexi huffed loudly before saying what neither man expected to hear. "Oh, and what Mr. Nordan didn't say is that in return, Ricardo will make a nice… anonymous… donation to his campaign fund next year." When she saw the looks both men gave her, she continued. "What? You think dirty cops are the only ones on the take from the local pimps? Why the hell do you think it's us girls who keep getting arrested? Because we don't have the money to pay off the law," she said, slamming the car door shut.

Mike looked over at Marco. "Look… She wants to come back at four o'clock to sign the agreement to the plea deal. I know you and Beverly have an appointment so I'll be happy to drive her back here. Maybe I can talk her out of it, or something."

Marco scrubbed his face with his open palm. "Yea… I sure hope so, Mike. Thanks, man… Um, you want to come over to Mama's house for lunch?"

Mike hesitated, wondering how Lexi might feel about the invitation. He didn't allow his thoughts to linger too long before he accepted it. "Sure… but, uh, do you think Mama Lopez will be offended if I have a late lunch? I need to run a few errands since I haven't been home in over 48 hours."

"No problem," he responded. "I'll be there when you arrive and I'm sure Mama will keep the lunch warm for you."

Mike smiled, then stepped back from the car as Marco cranked it up. He waited for Lexi to look at him, but she didn't. Instead, Mike stood there watching as the burgundy sedan drove away, wondering how things had gone so badly in such a short period of time. He heard a car pull up beside him and a car door open.

"Hey, Mike. Are they through already?"

Mike turned around, seeing Beverly getting out of her car. "Uh, yea… It didn't go well," he replied.

By the time Mike had finished telling her what happened, Bri and Sam walked up. Both of them saw the look on Beverly's face and knew that Mike had informed her of what had happened at the meeting.

"Bastard," Beverly cursed, shaking her head.

"You took the word right out of my mouth," Bri commented.

E!

By the time the late lunch crowd had departed from the Pourhouse, Bri had finished her orientation of the restaurant, and was ready to serve customers. Amy watched in wonder at how quickly the young woman had picked up the procedures. She had been a little anxious about Bri, knowing that she had never attended high school, but she seemed to be able to smile to the customers, in spite of her past, and so far, she had gotten every order right.

When Bri returned to the counter after serving the last customer a piece of pie, Amy took a moment to commend her. "You're really picking this up fast," the older woman commented. "You're a natural."

Bri, who had been able to put the meeting with the DA behind her, seemed almost giddy. "Well… Guess I've had a little training in customer service." Beverly had told her that Amy was fully aware that she was a former prostitute, and that the head waitress was also completely supportive of the women at the Wellhouse who were trying to gain job skills and a positive work history.

"You have a remarkable resiliency about you, Bri," Amy commented. "I've never met a woman in your position who has such a positive attitude. Normally, the women who come through here from Beverly's place are bitter… They don't seem to interact with the customers as well as you do." Her mind went immediately to Gretchen. "Or they seem to be looking for love and acceptance in all the wrong places."

"Oh, believe me," Bri said, wiping the back of her hand across her forehead, "I know what you mean about bitter women. I've lived with them, remember? But, I do understand it." She leaned her hip against the counter, keeping a watchful eye on the front door, ready to greet any customers who may walk in. "When you've been given things… food, shelter… sometimes even what seems like love… then had those things snatched away, or used against you, you become very… um… well, pissed off… And then you'll fall for anything or anyone."

Amy mirrored her stance, listening to the younger woman. "So, I would imagine it's hard to trust someone after all you've been through."

Bri looked down at the counter, picking up a cloth to wipe it off, even though it was already spotless. The conversation was moving into a place where she wasn't completely comfortable, but she felt like Amy understood better than most. "Yea… It's hard… impossible, for some," she said, thinking of Lexi. She couldn't help but wonder if Mike had been able to reach Lexi and talk her out of signing the acceptance of Ricardo's plea deal. "They just don't seem to think they can trust anybody … maybe they can't," she said softly.

Amy reached out, patting her new employee on the shoulder. "You've seen the worst that humanity has to offer… Don't close yourself off to the chance to develop friendships with the good side of people."

E!

A very satiated Mike Stoker rubbed his full stomach as he took a seat on the Lopez front porch, waiting for the costume display that Antonio had wanted to show him. The worried engineer had hoped for the chance to talk to Lexi, but Mrs. Lopez had said that she hadn't eaten any lunch, and had remained in her room since Mike had arrived, refusing to talk to him… or anyone. She had even refused to talk to Beverly, or her own mother. Later on, Marco had presented Antonio with his boots, a gesture which seemed to have diverted his attention from his upset mother. Now the proud little boy was about to display them, along with his cowboy hat and plastic six-shooter that Marco had purchased, in an impromptu fashion show.

"Hi yo Sliver, away!" Antonio shouted as he stomped onto the front porch, walking like a miniature John Wayne, allowing the screen door to slam shut behind him as if it were the swinging door of a saloon from the old West. He obviously was ignoring his grandmother's chastisement from the living room.

"Weelll…" Mike admired the young boy from head to toe. "Don't you look like a real cowboy!"

"I'm not a cowboy… I'm the Long Ranger!"

"Oh, yes… the Lone Ranger," Mike agreed, subtly correcting the little boy's mispronunciation. "Grandma hasn't made your mask yet, right?"

"Right, but she said it would be ready by Halloween," the tyke said proudly.

"Okay," Marco spoke up. "Why don't you put away your costume. Don't want to get it dirty before Halloween."

The little boy removed his cowboy hat, looking it over carefully. "Jus' a little dust from ridin' Sliver."

Marco grinned. "The Lone Ranger kept his hat and boots clean though, Ant."

"I'll go clean up right now," he said, turning towards the screen door. He hesitated, then turned back around, rushing into Mike's arms, giving the surprised engineer a jolt. "Thank you, Mister Mike."

"You're welcome, Ant."

The child turned to his uncle, giving him the same gesture. "Thank you, Meeko."

"You're welcome, Antonio. Love you, sport."

"Love you, too," he replied, running towards the door. "Love you, too, Mister Mike."

Mike grinned as the door slammed behind the child, knowing that Mrs. Lopez would be raising her voice again. "Love you, too, Antonio," he whispered, snickering when he heard Maria scolding the excited little boy.

"Antonio, do NOT slam that door again!"

"Sorry, Grandma," Antonio said, heading for the stairs.

Maria rubbed her aching forehead. She mumbled something in Spanish that Beverly didn't understand, but the younger woman understood the emotions she was displaying. Mrs. Lopez was quickly reaching her limit.

"Any ideas?" Maria asked, her weary eyes looking at Beverly with a tiredness Beverly hadn't seen before.

"No… Not at the moment." She glanced at her watch. "Marco and I will be leaving shortly to see the new therapist. I'll ask her if she'll see Lexi."

Maria looked at her future daughter-in-law, lifting one eyebrow.

Beverly smiled knowingly. "Marco told me that he had shared with you what happened to us. It's okay… I'm not angry."

Maria patted Beverly on her hand. "I'm glad you feel that way. After all, you're about to join our family forever. I'm so happy to have you as a daughter, Beverly."

"I'm glad to… to finally have a real mother," Beverly replied.

Upstairs, the last segment of the conversation had been overheard by Lexi, who stood rigidly at the top of the stairs. She knew what she had to do. She had been contemplating it for a while now. The meeting with the DA had merely confirmed it. In the long run, it would be best for everyone.

The sound of the front door opening made the women look up.

"We need to get going, Beverly. I'm sure there'll be paperwork to fill out," Marco said.

"Yes," Beverly said, rising to her feet.

Mike followed Marco inside from the porch. He saw Lexi slowly walking down the stairs. "We need to get going, too, Lexi… Unless you've changed your mind."

The eyes of everyone in the room turned to Lexi.

"No," she replied, continuing her descent to the bottom of the stairs. "I haven't changed my mind. This is best for everyone."

Mike pressed his lips together in a tight line. It wasn't what was best and it wasn't what he, nor anyone in the Lopez family wanted, but it was Lexi's decision, and she didn't seem ready to change her mind.

Mike followed Lexi out to his pick-up truck, opening the door for her. She didn't look at him, just slid into the seat and waited for him to close the door.

"You're welcome," he whispered to himself, sarcastically, as he walked around the front of his truck to get in beside her. This was going to be another long and silent drive.

E!

Across town, Marco opened the office door for Beverly, feeling his stomach do a little flipflop. He had never seen a therapist before, and really wasn't looking forward to doing it now. But, he did want Beverly to be okay, and he wanted their marriage to get off to a good start. She was worth the discomfort of being psychoanalyzed.

"May I help you?" the receptionist asked.

"Um, yes, we have a four o'clock appointment," Beverly announced.

"Marsh?"

"Yes."

The receptionist passed Beverly and Marco clipboards with questionnaires on them. "Please fill these out. If you don't get finished before she calls you, just take them back with you."

"Thank you," Marco replied, accepting the proffered clipboard and pen.

The two had only finished completing the demographics sections of the forms when an office door opened. "Ms. Marsh and Mr. Lopez?" a tall woman with dark hair in a tight bun called out.

Beverly smiled at the woman, hoping her nervousness didn't show through. "Thank you," she said, nodding at the smiling woman.

"Just have a seat wherever you like," the therapist said, waving her hand at the plush furniture. There were pillows all around the room, even a few very large ones on the floor.

Marco placed a hand on the small of Beverly's back, allowing her to choose their seating arrangement. He offered the therapist a smile, thinking that she had the appearance of an owl with her overly large brown-rimmed glasses perched on her nose. She wasn't overly pretty, but she had a warmth about her that made him relax immediately. She definitely wasn't what he was expecting.

Ms. Coats moved a large floor pillow in front of her desk and plopped herself down, pen and pad in her hand. She slipped off her shoes and crossed her legs, obviously preferring to be very comfortable during her sessions.

Beverly followed her, slipping her sandals off and taking a seat on a floor pillow in front of the floral sofa. Marco sat behind her, allowing her to lean her back against him.

"Now," the therapist commented. "What brings you into my office today?"

"We-well," Beverly stuttered, twisting her torso to look up at Marco. Seeing his smile gave her the courage she needed to be honest with their therapist. "Um… I understand that you work with… uh… former prostitutes."

"Yes, that's right."

"Um… I'm… a… former prostitute… And the other day… Oh, uh," she continued to stammer, "… this is my fiancé, Marco Lopez, and the other day… we were having a… disagreement… minor one, about my going to grad school… and… um… I had a… a panic attack."

Ms. Coats glanced down at her notes. "Beverly… Marsh…" She tapped her pen on the pad of paper in her lap. "Are you the founder of the Wellhouse?"

"Yes, I am… I work with Dr. Baker. She highly recommended you," Beverly replied, feeling more confident.

Ms. Coats smiled warmly. "Yes, I've known her for quite some time. I used to work with her before she retired from full-time practice. I work with Dr. Shamburger now. Dr. Baker thinks you're a miracle worker," she said with a smile.

Beverly blushed, lowering her chin. "Thank you, Dr. Coats. I-"

"Wait… let me stop you right there," Ms. Coats said. I don't want to present myself as something I'm not. I'm not a psychologist."

Beverly glanced up at Marco then back at the therapist. "Um… you are a psychotherapist, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am. I've got nearly twenty years of experience; the last five years I've worked with a lot of former prostitutes. So, I feel confident that I can help you and Mr. Lopez. But if you're looking for a therapist with a doctorate degree, then I'm not the therapist you're looking for. I can make a referral, if you'd like… I mean, if you don't feel comfortable with a therapist with a Master's degree."

Beverly knitted her eyebrows together, glancing up at Marco who had a faint grin on his face. "May I ask you what you have a Master's degree in?"

"I have a degree in counseling and I'm a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I don't diagnose people with mental illnesses, but I do help people with relationship problems and assist them in improving their lives through insight, stress management, relationship education… I even provide sex therapy which is fairly new." She smiled broadly. "And, no I don't have sex with my clients, I just help them learn ways to communicate intimately and improve their sex lives."

Marco slipped from his seat, squirming into position next to Beverly on the floor. "You mean, you can do all that without a doctorate degree?" He reached out his hand, feeling Beverly slip her smaller hand into his larger one.

"Yes… I never felt called to complete a doctoral program, but when I found out I could help people improve their relationships WITHOUT going through all that extra work, I knew that was what I needed to do. Don't get me wrong," she said, raising her hand. "I have total respect for the doctors I work with. I work with both a psychiatrist, for my clients who need prescriptions, and with a psychologist who is my supervisor. But I can counsel my clients independently on marriage and relationship issues, and that's the direction I chose to take for my career. I'm more interested in working to help people fit better into their own environment than in treating mental illness. It's my niche," she explained.

Beverly felt the tears begin to sting her face and she leaned her head against Marco's shoulder. Could she do this, too? Was this the answer to their quandary?

"I assure you that I am qualified to help you, but again, if you feel more comfortable with a therapist at the doctoral level-"

"Ms. Coats," Marco grinned, his entire face beaming. "I think you've already helped us more than you could possibly ever know."

E!

In the DA's office, Lexi sat across from the large mahogany desk for the second time in just a few hours. She held a blue pen in her hand, poised to sign the document the DA had pushed in front of her.

"Does this mean that I won't have to testify in court?" she asked.

The DA removed his glasses, looking intently at the young woman. "Well… that all depends." He glanced down at his hands, then back up at her. "Ms. Lopez, is there anything else that I need to know about Ricardo Lopez? You seemed to have been alluding to something when you were here earlier."

Lexi gulped, feeling her heart beating in her throat. "Um… No… No, sir… So, I don't need to testify against him in court?"

"That's right, Ms. Lopez. You'll never have to tell your story in front of a large group of strangers," the DA said. "Nothing will have to be made public that would further embarrass your family or you."

Lexi felt the sting of that comment. "And he'll never be charged with those higher charges again?"

"Not unless he does them again… Or unless some new evidence comes up of a different crime that he's committed that's still within the statute of limitations," he said, allowing her one final chance to tell him what she knew.

Lexi twirled the pen between her fingers. She needed to make sure she was doing the right thing. "And… Um… He'll be in jail at least through the end of the year?"

"That's right… and on probation for another four and a half years once he's released."

She bit her bottom lip, grateful that he would remain in jail until after Marco and Beverly were married. That was her primary concern. Positioning her pen over the thin black line beside the large X, she paused, needing to ask one more question. She inhaled deeply. "If I sign this, am I allowed to see him?"

The DA drew his eyebrows together in confusion. "Do you want to?"

"There's a few things I need to say to him."

"Well… There's no legal reason why you can't visit him on weekends during visitation hours. That's between one o'clock and five o'clock on Sunday afternoons."

Mr. Nordan watched as she signed her name on the line, thus assuring him of another conviction… most likely two, when Hunley's case went to trial. "Um… of course, you can always write him a letter. You don't have to actually look at him, you know?"

Lexi stood up, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. "Thank you, Mr. Nordan," she said, walking towards the office door. Now she had to face Michael, knowing that he would be angry with her. He had tried to convince her to change her mind about signing the form, but she had remained steadfast, something that was sure to upset him further. She had already formulated her plan, and she was determined to carry it out… knowing that only one person was going to be happy with the decisions she had made.