"Do you remember Esmeralda telling us about her and Saphira being mates?" waiting for Charisma to nod impatiently. "Right - well, as far as Esmeralda is concerned she hasn't simply lost a spouse; her soul is broken. A large part of what kept her going every day is no longer there. So she has very little reason to live; if the will is not there, it will only be a matter of time before the body realizes that the soul is gone and follows it."

"You're saying she'll choose to die? She'll will it?"

"I'm saying I have never seen a bond like that before. I'm not sure she can survive it broken."

"Is there anything we can do?"

Kay shrugged. "I don't know. Try talking to her. We know the unconscious can hear the world around them. Maybe knowing people love and care about her will give her a reason to endure for a while."

Charisma nodded but bit her lip. "I wonder if that is fair to her," smiling sadly when she saw the confusion cross Kay's face. "Is it fair to ask her to survive and exist, knowing that she won't really be living?"

"I don't know, but either way it'll be good for her to know that she has friends and family around who love and care about her enough to let her decide what she needs to do."

"All right," Charisma agreed. "I'll do what I can. If Mama comes back, will you send her in?"

"Absolutely," Kay agreed, then stepped from the room, giving Charisma a bit of privacy to speak to Esmeralda alone.


Chapter XCIV

"... days, Es. It took days before his skin wasn't tinted black and blue. The only saving grace was that he wasn't enrolled in daycare or school at that point as I probably would have had a hard time convincing anyone I wasn't some sort of ritualistic cultist or something. I think the only reason Ame didn't question things was because she saw the state of the study after it happened." Charisma bit her lip in thought. "I think I still have pictures."

Charisma gently pushed the hair off of Esmeralda's face, then she caressed Esmeralda's cheek before surreptitiously checking her neck for a pulse. Esmeralda's breathing had become so slow and shallow that Charisma was reassured by the steady heartbeat under her fingertips. Still, there was no other palpable response to her words or her touch and Charisma sighed and resumed speaking.

"Of course, the fact that the child *smelled* like ink... let me just say that I'll take the smell of his first birthday party over that smell any day. I haven't told you that one, have I?" waiting for a reaction that wasn't happening. She sighed again. "You never got to meet my Grammy - she died just after Adam's first birthday. But she was the one to introduce each of her great-grandchildren to the wonders of chocolate icing." Charisma chuckled. "I have video of that - I'll have to show you."

The sound of her voice was soft, and even though Kay couldn't understand the words being spoken, she appreciated the soothing cadence Charisma had adopted. She motioned Okasa inside, then jerked her head towards the kitchen. "I'll be just outside the door if either of you needs me for anything."

Okasa placed a hand on her arm and Kay hesitated, leaning down so she could hear her words without disturbing the one-sided conversation Charisma was carrying on with Esmeralda.

"Did Brianna return?" feeling the slight shake Kay gave. "Have you spoken to her?"

"Not since I let her know you were headed her way," Kay said with a hint of apology. Okasa's smile offered clemency and Kay released a breath in relief. She didn't want to lose the Taghertys from her life, but Brianna would always come first if she was forced to choose.

"I'm glad you did, Kay - she deserved the warning, and knowing that she chose to wait for me.... I can't tell you the hope that gives me that all this may still work out."

"Okasa...."

"I know I shouldn't get my hopes up, but is it wrong for me to want my family to be whole again... to be happy?"

"Wrong?" Kay asked, shaking her head. "No. Likely?" She sighed again. "Probably not. However," she continued before Okasa could protest, "your daughter is waiting for you."

Okasa looked at the tableau taking place on the bed, then turned back to Kay. "Do you think this is helping?"

"I think it can't hurt. Esmeralda needs to know that there are people around her that love and care about her. It may make things easier for her until...."

"You still think this is going to kill her?"

"I have no reason to think otherwise at the moment, but I'd dearly love to be proven wrong."

"All right," Okasa replied. "Let me see if I can do anything to help keep her with us." Okasa patted the arm under her hand, then made her way to sit opposite Charisma on the bed. Kay watched them for another long moment before turning and making her way back to the kitchen.

************

"BR'ANNA!!" The yell across the Mall made a number of heads turn, but only one was important as far as Adam Rockwell was concerned. He pulled loose from both his father and his Papa and hurtled in Brianna's direction. Fortunately, Kent had seen Brianna exit the Gallery at almost the exact time his son did, so Adam only ran two steps before Kent had scooped him up in his arms. "PA!!" Adam screeched in frustration. He pointed at Brianna. "GO!!"

Kent looked around, noting that the few who were paying attention were chuckling at Adam's enthusiasm and insistence. He turned towards Brianna who had stuffed her hands into her pockets, but stood waiting patiently for him to decide how he wanted to handle this encounter. Patrick as well, simply stood back and waited for things to unfold. Kent turned his attention to Adam.

"Son, you can't just run off like that."

"But Br'anna...."

"Brianna hasn't moved, Adam. But that's not the point. You CANNOT keep running off like that - I don't care who you see. You could get hurt very badly, and that would make us all... Mama, me, even Brianna... very sad. We don't want anything bad to happen to you, all right?" He paused when Adam's lower lip quivered. "You're not in trouble for wanting to see Brianna, but you can't keep running away from Mama and me like that anymore either. Do you understand?"

Adam tucked his head beneath Kent's chin and nodded solemnly. "Okay. Should we go see Brianna now? I think she's waiting for us."

Adam's head popped back up so quickly he nearly clocked his father in the chin. As it was, only Kent's swift reflexes kept him from a sore jaw or worse. But it was hard to fault Adam's smile or his eagerness when he nodded his agreement rapidly. Kent laughed and headed them towards where Brianna Walker still stood watching them. Patrick followed along docilely behind them.

"BR'ANNA!!" Adam squealed once more as they approached, leaning out of his father's embrace as he reached for Brianna. Automatically she opened her arms and accepted Adam, letting him wrap around her in a firm body hug. It only lasted a moment before he pushed back enough to put his hands on her cheeks and rub her nose with his. Then he giggled. "Love Br'anna. Br'anna good."

"I love you too, Little Man. Are you out seeing the dinosaurs today?"

"Actually, we've only made it as far as the Mall," Kent replied with a smile, causing Brianna's attention to turn to him. "Hello, Brianna."

"Kent... Paddy," nodding at each of them slightly.

"So what brings you out here?" Patrick asked bluntly. "Aren't you supposed to be working?"

"Not today, Papa - not after what happened last night."

"So why aren't you there instead of here?" not unkindly.

"I was. It just got a little crowded and I needed some air."

Kent frowned. "How is she? Esmeralda, I mean."

"About like you'd expect, I imagine," Brianna said quietly. "I've never seen anyone as devastated by something like this. It's hard to explain. I've seen people suffering with the loss of a loved one. I remember when my grandmother died... my papa was completely distraught by her death. But it didn't destroy him - he managed to live for a number of years after she was gone, and if he wasn't as fulfilled as he had been when she was still with him, he was able to find a measure of peace and happiness in his life again."

"You don't think Es will be able to do that?"

Brianna shook her head slowly. "No. It's hard to explain unless you know them... unless you see it for yourself. But something happened to her last night. It was more than heartbreak - it was as if something in her simply died with Saphira and I don't know if she can live without it."

Adam squirmed and Brianna turned her attention back to him even as Kent spoke.

"Do you think it's still crowded at Esmeralda's?" he asked cautiously.

Brianna furrowed her brow at his words even as she kissed Adam's fingers when they tickled her lips. She felt certain Charisma was still there, which made it more than crowded in her mind. This wasn't about her, however, and she wasn't going to allow herself to be selfish any longer. Esmeralda had been a friend to her from the moment they'd met, and she'd do her best to stand beside Esmeralda for as long as she'd allow it.

"I think I've had enough air if you boys would like to come back to Esmeralda's and sit Shiva with us."

Kent and Patrick exchanged glances, then turned to Brianna. "We'd like that very much." Together they walked to the Metro and headed for Esmeralda's.

************

Kay made her way upstairs, idly noting the number of closed doors before she reached the one Okasa had assured her was Ruby's room. She knocked lightly, not surprised to hear a tired voice beckon her inside. Kay crossed the room and took the proffered seat on the bed.

"Have you gotten any sleep?"

Ruby shook her head. "I can't. Every time I close my eyes I see Es lying on that pallet next to Saphira. It just breaks my heart."

Kay bit her lip before she spoke. "Listen, I don't normally do this, but would you like a prescription for something? I'm only offering because you seem to be Esmeralda's main support right now, and it's not going to do anyone any good if you run yourself into the ground with exhaustion."

Ruby patted Kay's hands and shook her head. "You're sweet, really, and if it continues, we may revisit this. But right now I just can't."

Kay nodded. "I understand. Just know the offer's there if you need it."

"I appreciate it." Ruby closed her eyes and swallowed hard before taking a deep breath and refocusing her stare on Kay. "How's she doing?"

"Not good," Kay responded honestly. "She seems to have withdrawn inside herself, and I don't know if there's anything we can do to keep her from staying there. Charisma and Okasa are with her at the moment, but I don't know that they're making much headway. I'm sure wherever Esmeralda's head is at right now, it's probably a much more pleasant prospect than what her reality here is. I just wish there was something...." Kay stopped talking when Ruby patted her arm.

"Kay, you're doing as much as anyone could and more than most would even bother with. I mean, it's not like you really know either of them well, do you?" smiling when Kay shook her head. "Most folks wouldn't make this kind of effort for practical strangers."

"Glad I'm not most people then," Kay muttered. Ruby chuckled.

"So am I," then she tilted her head in a listening pose. "Is someone knocking on the door?"

Kay stilled and focused her attention on listening outward. After a moment, she blinked and looked at Ruby. "I don't know how you heard that, but let me go take care of it. You try to get a little more rest, okay? I'll let you know if anything changes."

Ruby held Kay's gaze for a long moment, then nodded tiredly before closing her eyes in exhaustion. In another minute she was sleeping and Kay headed downstairs to see what was going on. Somehow she wasn't at all surprised to discover Brianna had returned, but she was more than a little stupefied to see that she'd brought Patrick, Kent and Adam with her.

Still, as the de facto hostess, Kay took it upon herself to let them know what was going on. "Charisma and Okasa are with Esmeralda," she commented for Patrick and Kent's benefit. "And Ruby is still upstairs resting," she added for Brianna.

"Has there been any change?" Brianna asked as she removed her coat. She took a squirming Adam from Kent to allow him to do the same as they waited for Kay's reply.

"Not for the better, no. Esmeralda seems to have slipped into... well, if it's not a coma, it's something of an unconscious fugue state. She doesn't appear to be aware of anything around her. Charisma has been talking to her, hoping to reach her, but the last I checked, she hadn't made a lot of progress on that front."