"I don't think they understand themselves most of the time, Jas - I think that's part of the problem."

"That would certainly explain a lot. Oh," pulling out of her loose embrace with Esmeralda and sliding to the door. "I think the boss is headed this way. Time to play chauffer one more time." Jas opened the door and stepped from the vehicle, then bent down so she could say goodbye. "Love you, Es."

Esmeralda gave her a small smile. "Love you too, Jas." Then Brianna was approaching and looking between the two of them with concern.

"Is everything okay?" Esmeralda nodded.

"I just wanted to offer Es my condolences," Jas spoke before Esmeralda could. Brianna saw Esmeralda's agreement and bobbed her head.

"Thank you, Jas. Let's get Es home, all right?"

"Yes ma'am." Jas closed the door behind her, then climbed in behind the wheel, and they headed away from Charisma's home. Brianna was pensively quiet, and Esmeralda sighed. Despite the fact that her job here was finished, she couldn't stop caring about the two women who had become friends to her. She moved her gaze from the window to Brianna's troubled countenance.

"Brianna?" wincing when her neck popped as she jerked her head around to face Esmeralda. Brianna tilted her head in question. "Are you okay?"

Brianna chuckled wryly. "Pretty sure I should be the one asking you that, Es. I'm... I'm not really sure what I am, actually. Did I understand you correctly when you spoke to Charisma - that you plan to be at work tomorrow?" Esmeralda nodded and Brianna shook her head though she didn't make any comments as to her thoughts on that particular subject. "Ask me again tomorrow. I'll have the chocolate milk chilled and waiting."

"I'd like that," Esmeralda agreed. The two were silent for the rest of the ride home.

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

Charisma steadied herself as she approached the kitchen, easily noting the relative silence throughout the room. When she reached the threshold, she realized that at least part of that was due to the fact that the kids had once more left the building - quite literally from the sounds of it. If she didn't know better, she'd swear they were all running around in her back yard. The adults, however, still sat gathered around the table and all eyes turned her way as she walked into the room. Kent was the first to break the silence.

"Everything okay?"

Charisma looked at him and saw the hopeful twinkle in his eyes and the tremulous smile on his face. She smiled back at him.

"I think so. She's agreed to give me one more chance to see if I can get things right." She felt the release of tension in the room as a palpable thing and chuckled.

"Does this mean she's part of the family again?" Forrest asked hopefully.

"That will be up to her, Orrie. She and I are going to start from the beginning again - try to learn about the people we are now and be friends again. So it may be a little while before she's comfortable being part of the family again... I don't know. Just be ready to welcome her back when she's ready."

"Not a problem," he assured her. "The kids wouldn't stand for anything else anyway." Hunter laughed.

"God that's the truth. That's all we've heard about since she missed Christmas."

"If it makes you feel better," Kay cut in, "She's missed you all terribly. But don't pressure her... please. There are things she has to make peace with too." They nodded their agreement and let their attention turn to figuring out what they were going to do for dinner. Kay approached Charisma, who simply waited for her with a sardonic smirk.

"What's up, Doc?" she asked when Kay was close enough to hear her without Charisma needing to raise her voice. Kay rolled her eyes, but let a smile cross her face even as she examined Charisma's body language. She nodded in satisfaction.

"You've changed," watching a dark brow shoot into an equally dark hairline. "You're more settled... more at peace with yourself - even since yesterday."

"I am. I realized Es was right, and I was a coward to choose misery."

Kay nodded. "I hope it all works out, Charisma. It would be nice to see you both happy."

"You mean that."

"I really do. Just take things slow - I think you'll be fine." Charisma inclined her head, but before she could respond, Kent wrapped an arm around both of them.

"C'mon, ladies. Mama's calling and reserving an entire section of Outback for us. She figured they deserved some warning."

Kay looked down at her funeral garb and frowned. "Are we going like this?"

Kent shook his head. "Everybody's headed upstairs to change. Theresa said she's about your size if you want to borrow something - first door on the right at the top of the stairs. Just meet back here in fifteen minutes." Kay nodded and headed upstairs and Charisma realized she and Kent were the only ones left in the kitchen. He extended his hand, and tugged on hers briefly when she caught his. "C'mon, Charisma. Harley's watching Adam until we can get upstairs to change him." A beat. "I'm pretty proud of you, Charisma," releasing her hand to guide her up the stairs ahead of him. She smiled.

"I'm pretty proud of you too."


Chapter CIV

"Charisma, please... have a seat," Laura Maxwell commanded as soon as Charisma stepped into her office. "That's all, Jess," dismissing her assistant with a negligent wave. Jess nodded and closed the door. Charisma continued on until she was sitting across the desk from Laura. She had the distinct impression this was not going to go well and sighed. It was too damn early in the morning for DRAH-MAH, but better that they get this over with now.

Laura leaned her weight on her hands against the desk as she studied Charisma silently. Charisma didn't squirm or appear uncomfortable - she simply returned Laura's gaze with an arched eyebrow and the slightest hint of a smirk.

Laura sighed - she wasn't looking forward to this, but it needed to be done, so without a word, she took her seat and folded her hands on top of the desk. "It has come to my attention that we have a serious problem that needs addressing." Charisma cocked her head, but didn't speak. "Brianna Walker needs to be removed from your life."

Both eyebrows flew into Charisma's hairline. "Excuse me?" her voice calm, but Laura could see the fury stirring in the back of those blue eyes. She cleared her throat delicately.

"Brianna Walker could easily become an issue in your campaign... especially with your separation from Kent. We need to make sure she stays at the periphery of your life if not completely outside of it."

"No."

"Good. Next order of... wait - what?? What do you mean, no?"

"What part of no is not clear, Laura? I'll be happy to explain either the 'N' or the 'O' to you. I've become quite adept with Adam."

Laura could feel her blood pressure rising, and took a deep breath before saying something she could not possibly take back. Because unlike her meeting with Brianna, she and Charisma were on the same page about a good many things - all she needed to do was remind Charisma of that.

"Charisma, I'm quite serious. Need I remind you of how long and hard we've worked to get to this place? I can spin the separation from Kent - the voters won't be thrilled, mind you, but they'll accept the fact that you have outgrown one another... especially since you've indicated that you'll still be raising Adam together. Spinning your past with Senator Walker won't be that difficult either... as long as she stays in your past, Charisma."

"No."

Laura slapped her hands on the top of the desk and huffed out a breath. Charisma flinched, but held her ground. Laura ground her teeth together before leaning back with a grimace, crossing her arms over her chest and sighing.

"Why are you being so difficult about this? Do you know anything about who this woman is now?"

"I know what I need to know, Laura."

"Oh really? You know she's a lesbian."

"Old news, and not even news worthy to be honest. I don't think the world cares if my best friend is gay," not seeing Laura flinch at her slip of the tongue. "And frankly, if that's all they've got to worry about, then I'm going to be out of a job anyway - we'll be living in Paradise. There are far more important issues to be concerned with."

"And if she's gay for you?"

"That's between her and me."

"Are you really that naпve, Charisma?? It may not be news, but it will certainly derail your campaign... especially if people believe you're gay for her as well."

"If that's all it takes to stop this campaign from moving forward, then it's not really going anywhere to begin with, is it? Laura, I'm not removing Brianna Walker from my life. As long as she's willing to be a part of my life again, and let me be a part of hers, she's staying. End of discussion."

Laura growled. "Why the hell did she have to come back now, anyway? Why couldn't she have just stayed the hell away from you?"

Charisma narrowed her eyes at Laura for a long moment, then rose from her seat. "I think we're done here. If you decide that we actually need to work on an expanded press release about my separation from Kent, let me know and I'll put something together. But stay away from Brianna Walker, Laura. She's off limits to you."

"You're serious."

"As a fucking heart attack," her words causing Laura to cringe noticeably. Charisma walked to the door, stopping when she heard Laura's voice again.

"Did you know she's a writer? Or has ties to the Mob?"

Charisma sighed. "She was a writer in college, Laura. She could have made a living at it if she'd chosen to go that route. As for the Mob... I met her family. She can't help what she was born into, but she can be damned proud of who she became in spite of them."

"She did."

"Excuse me? She did what?"

"Made a career out of being a writer." Charisma turned and met Laura's eyes, which were smug with confidence in her knowledge.

"I beg your pardon."

"You don't have to beg, Charisma - just ask. Or better yet, go ask your supposed best friend why you never knew she's the writer known as Heather Athena Fontana. And when you're ready to get serious about this campaign again, call me."

Charisma didn't respond - she simply left Laura's office and headed for her own.

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

Charisma's day passed quickly enough - there was always something going on and it was enough to keep her busy and her mind off the conversation she'd shared with Laura. So when Esmeralda knocked on the door much later that evening, she was startled to realize just how late it had gotten. She glanced up as Esmeralda stuck her head in the door, then waved her forward.

"Come in, Es," standing and crossing from behind her desk to offer Esmeralda a hug. The embrace was strong but brief, and Charisma leaned back to look into tired green eyes. "Can I interest you in chocolate milk?"

Esmeralda bit her lip. "I'm supposed to have some with Brianna in a little while, but I don't suppose a little more will hurt me, will it?"

"Well, it hasn't messed me up yet," Charisma offered with a smile, "though I think Kent was expecting Adam to come out that color I drank so much of it when I was pregnant."

Esmeralda snickered. "Because, of course, chocolate cows give chocolate milk so chocolate milk drinkers give birth to chocolate colored babies."

"Of course," Charisma agreed drolly as she passed a bottle to Esmeralda and took one for herself. "How are you doing, Es?" sitting next to her on the couch.

Esmeralda released a shuddering breath and slowly shook up her milk. "I'm... I'm taking it one day at a time - sometimes one minute at a time. Sometimes I feel her so close to me that I think...." She sucked down a mouthful of milk and shook her head. Charisma moved closer and put an arm around Esmeralda, smiling sadly when the blonde head came to rest on her shoulder for a moment.

"Have you received her ashes yet?"

"Mr. Prescott delivered them first thing this morning."

"Would you... are you planning to scatter them? Do you need...?" trailing off when Esmeralda shook her head vehemently.

"No... thank you, Charisma. I'm not planning to scatter them. I'm pretty sure the Father is not happy about the fact that I... I had... that I had Saphira cremated, but I couldn't bear to put her in the ground. She was too much of a free spirit to be so confined."

"She really was, wasn't she?" Charisma asked with a smile, chuckling when Esmeralda nodded her head. They stayed that way for another minute before Esmeralda sat up and met Charisma's eyes.