Silence reigned for several long moments while Brianna considered his words. Finally... "Why are you so willing to give up everything, Kent?"

Kent shook his head. "You're looking at this the wrong way, Brianna. I'm not giving anything up... except the pretense of a relationship that has served its purpose." He hesitated. "Think of this as coming full circle. The difference is now we're part of one another's circle as well."

"You're assuming I'm willing to do something."

Kent growled and clapped his hands together. "Women!" he muttered, running his hands through his hair before turning his head to look at her. "Brianna, I can't force you to do anything - I wouldn't dream of trying. But Charisma and I are separated, and nothing you do or don't do is going to change that fact. Would it really be so bad to be happy?" Brianna didn't answer and after a few minutes, Kent slapped his knees and rose. "I need to get going. I'm supposed to be at Es' in about fifteen minutes." He gave her a look. "Are you going to be all right?"

Brianna nodded her head, but she refused to speak. Kent watched her a moment longer, then made his way back to his truck. He had places to be.

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

"I'm sorry Brianna wasn't able to come by," Kay offered as she wrapped her scarf around her neck. "I know she was going to try; I guess her meeting with Senator Maxwell ran long."

"Did she really call at six o'clock this morning?" Ruby asked.

Kay nodded and pushed her hair out of her eyes. "Yes. Woke me out of a somewhat sound sleep."

"Any idea what she wanted?"

"She wouldn't tell Bri, but I know that Brianna wanted to be here. She wanted Es to know that her friendship and her honesty were more important to Brianna than Brianna's own anger was. Because that anger is purely self-directed, you know."

Ruby smiled gently and patted Kay's shoulder. "Oh, I know. I've seen a lot in my lifetime. We'll see you at the service tomorrow?"

"Yes. The family arrived this morning. We'll all be there."

"Thank you, Kay. It means a lot."

Kay squeezed Ruby's hand briefly before exiting the house and closing the door behind her. Ruby waited until she heard the car pull out of the drive, and then headed back into the kitchen where they had been receiving people all day.

"Well," she said slowly. "That's everyone except for Brianna and Okasa." A knock sounded on the door and Ruby's head dropped just slightly before she moved back to the door to admit Okasa into their midst. At least this should be the last for the day, and Ruby would be able to send Esmeralda to bed, and find out what was going on with everyone else.

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

Brianna had remained on the bench outside of the National Gallery for a number of minutes after Kent's departure before realizing she was starting to freeze into place with the lack of activity. A glance at her watch told her that she had a few minutes before she needed to leave for the Hill and her appointment with Laura Maxwell. So she mounted the steps and made her way to the Sculpture Galleries, walking briskly until she was standing in front of Diana. She idly wondered if the goddess had ever given up someone she wanted because it was the best choice for the one she loved.

The angle she stood at made Diana's features resemble Saphira and her thoughts turned to what Esmeralda had said to her. And she understood that as far as her friends were concerned anything was worth losing as long as they had one another. Brianna offered up a short prayer for Esmeralda, then turned her footsteps towards the door. She had a meeting to attend.

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

"Senator Walker... please come in. Can I offer you some refreshment?"

Brianna looked at Laura as if she'd grown two heads. "Senator Maxwell, can we please cut to the chase here? You called me at six o'clock this morning DEMANDING I meet with you immediately, so I'm assuming you felt some sense of urgency."

Laura gave Brianna a look of bare tolerance as she gestured for her to take a seat. "It doesn't mean we can't at least attempt an effort at civilization," pouring herself out two fingers of malt whisky before seating herself behind her desk.

"You probably should have thought of that before you called me at oh-dark-thirty this morning. Now, do you want to tell me what was so urgent it couldn't wait or shall I go? I actually do have more important things to do today than sit here and play politics with you."

Laura studied Brianna for a long moment, tapping her fingers against the crystal tumbler. She took a sip and wrapped her hands around it protectively, then leaned forward. "Why are you here?"

Brianna blinked. Whatever else she'd been expecting to hear, this wasn't even a possibility. Her eyebrows rose into hairline. "Are you kidding me?? *This* was your emergency??" She stood up. "I don't have time for this."

"Sit down, Senator Walker."

"Or what, Laura?" dropping the honorific, and smirking at the surprise on Maxwell's face. "What exactly do you think you're going to do to me? I am here by an appointment of the governor of my state because he asked me for a favor. I'm not running for re-election. The only thing of relevance in my being here is doing the best I can for the time I've been assigned. I'm going home when this is over - I have no interest in dealing with the nest of vipers that inhabit this place!" She paused for breath and modulated her tone. "So what exactly do you think you can threaten me with?"

"Charisma Tagherty."

Brianna didn't even blink, and Laura had to give her kudos for her poise. Obviously those acting classes had given her a good foundation, and years in the courtroom had only perfected her technique. Still, Brianna didn't move away from the door, but she was no longer threatening to walk out of it. She tilted her head and cocked an eyebrow.

"How exactly is Charisma Tagherty a threat to me?"

"She's not. You, on the other hand, are an enormous threat to her."

"You might want to ease off on the Scotch, Senator. It's starting to impair your judgment. Charisma Tagherty and I are nothing but old college roommates who fell out of touch years ago. We're merely acquaintances these day."

"I don't think that's true. And I want you to stay away from her."

"Strangely, I'm not particularly concerned with what you do or don't think, Laura. And I'm not going to change my relationship or lack of one with Charisma Tagherty because of your wants."

Laura Maxwell carefully set her glass in the center of her blotter on her desk before using both hands to push her up from her plush desk chair. She glared at Brianna, infuriated at the smirk she was receiving in return. She leaned forward and hissed, "Do you know who I am?"

Brianna grinned widely. "As a matter of fact, Senator Maxwell, I do. But I'm pretty sure you have no idea who *I* am. So before you get your panties so far in a bunch that shit starts running out your nose, I'd suggest you take a real good look at that file your private dick gave you. It might help you find a little respect."

"Why you...!" Brianna held up a finger and Laura Maxwell stopped speaking.

"Don't say anything you can't spin your way out of later, Senator. I'm just a guest on your turf at the moment, but I won't be nearly as forgiving of your attitude once I leave here and return to mine. As far as Charisma Tagherty is concerned, she's a grown woman and she makes her own decisions. I'd suggest you leave her to it. But I promise you I have no influence over anything she says or does. I haven't even offered an opinion to her in years."

"So I'm just supposed to trust that you'll stay off the radar. Senator Walker... she can't afford to have a liability like you around."

"It's funny how she's never mentioned me as a liability."

"Please, Brianna," trying to appeal to her sympathetically. "This is for the good of her campaign."

"Senator Maxwell, I've never interfered with her campaigns before. I have no reason to start now. What Charisma Tagherty does is her business."

"So you'll stay away from her? Brianna, I know what she means to you... or what she meant at one time. Do you really want the world to know?"

"Do you?" Brianna snapped back. "Because if they find out about me, they will certainly find out about Charisma. And without her, your dreams of getting anywhere near the White House go up like so much smoke. It's not like I'm in the closet, Laura, and if you can dig it up, how many others do you think will do the same thing? Maybe instead of trying to intimidate me, you should be more concerned on formulating a campaign strategy so that whatever friendship Charisma and I once had isn't even part of the platform."

"You make it sound so easy."

"You're making it into something impossible. Charisma and I have a history - we were best friends once. But we are merely acquaintance friends now." Brianna sighed and turned back towards the door. "Your detective should have done his homework better." She opened the door, then turned to look at Laura once more. "Don't call me again."

The door behind her shut with a firm click before Laura Maxwell could even think to make a response.

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

Brianna strode from Maxwell's office, and though she knew she was supposed to go see Esmeralda, she recognized she was in no state to visit someone in mourning. The fury that was coursing through her veins at the woman's presumption was making her blood boil, and Brianna knew she needed to calm down. A phone call to her massage therapist got her an immediate appointment, and it wasn't long before she was lying naked on the massage table.

Michelle poured the warm oil into her hands before she started, cringing when she touched the rock hard planes of Brianna's back.

"Should I even ask?" she queried softly as her hands dug into tight, tense muscles. Brianna flinched at the amount of force that was being wielded against her, but shook her head.

"No. But go as hard and deep as you can. I need to be a good friend tomorrow, and right now I'm angry enough to...."

"Hey... relax," Michelle instructed as she ran her fingertips gently over Brianna's bare back. "I'll get you there, but you need to do your part. Focus on your breathing, all right? Put everything else out of your mind."

Brianna nodded and closed her eyes. "Okay, Michelle. And thanks."

"It's what I'm good at, Senator. Now listen to the music, and slow your breathing down to match. Then let me take care of that hard part."

Brianna closed her eyes and hoped Esmeralda would understand why Brianna needed to be in a good place herself before she could be strong for anyone else.

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

Coral had been gone for some time before Jade finally arrived back at the house and Opal, Turq, Jas and Indi were downstairs in the living room with Amber and Ruby when she arrived. She had only just gotten her plate from the warming oven and was sitting down to eat when Michael arrived... sans wings and fanfare. The women in the room just looked at him. He sighed.

"I wanted to let you know - you're all going to be called home tomorrow after the service is over. Your assignment's been completed."

They all looked at him stupefied, the silence ringing loudly in the interim. Finally Amber spoke, "Excuse me? Michael, we told you we were staying with Es for the duration... for however long she needed us. Why are we being recalled again?"

"The mission is over. He's satisfied with the results apparently. You're done here."

"No."

Michael blinked. "You don't get to say no," he stated, though there was a hint of confusion in his tone. "He's the one who decides when an assignment is complete."

"Oh, I'll agree about the assignment - whatever it really was. We've been over that whole concept for a while now. But we're not leaving Es here alone with no support and no family. You can have my wings if you think I'm going to leave her here to fend for herself."

"And do what, Amber? The only person here that has a human job that is hers is Es. You, Coral, Mal and Jade are all non-corporeal entities here. These guys," motioning to the other women seated around the room, "are all holding jobs that will go back to their real life counterparts on Monday. Turq becomes an Amazon woman, and Jasper becomes a large black man. Opal goes back to being a fifty-five year old grandmother and the rest revert to their original states as well! Even Ruby loses her status. How exactly are you planning to manage??" the frustration clear in his voice.