"Of course, Senator. It was right before I met Adam for the first time."

"Do you remember asking me when I'd been happy last?" waiting for Esmeralda's head to nod. "What did I tell you?" Esmeralda scrunched up her face in thought before she started speaking.

"I think it was after my college graduation. I took a trip to Europe with the very best friend I had in the world," quoting Charisma word for word. Charisma nodded her agreement.

"I haven't been truly happy in such a long time, Bri. Every decision I've made since I was five has been for the advancement of my career, and for a while that was enough. But when you left - when I let you go - the most I ever found in my life was contentment. Nothing made me genuinely happy. I want to be happy again. Please don't let this give you cold feet."

"I just want you to be sure, Charisma."

"Oh Sweetheart," loosening their fingers so she could cup Brianna's face in her own. "I've had twenty years to make sure. And a family that will ensure neither of us ever doubt again."

Brianna covered the hands caressing her cheeks with her own, pulling them away so she could hold them. "Yea for the Taghertys!" Brianna replied. "I only want what's best for you, Ri."

"How lucky I'm holding it in the palm of my hands," Charisma said as she squeezed the hands she was clasping. Their eyes met and they started laughing, relieving the tension that had come from their conversation. "That was incredibly cheesy, wasn't it?" Charisma snorted through her giggles.

"Yes!" Esmeralda complained before Brianna could say a word. "Thank you for letting me be witness to that. It made me happy."

"Good!" Charisma responded emphatically. "Since it was your kick or six in the butt that got us to this place, it seems only fair that you got to see the denouement." Esmeralda shook her head and Charisma and Brianna exchanged worried glances. "No?"

"No, Charisma - this wasn't a denouement, because it's not the end of anything. This is a new beginning."


Chapter CVI

Esmeralda was right of course, when she told Charisma and Brianna that their conversation that day was a new beginning for them, though there was nothing overt about it. They were still old friends who had lost touch with one another, then been reconnected by a strange twist of fate. From the outside, no one could see the difference in their relationship - mostly because it didn't change publicly. It couldn't... not for a while yet. Brianna refused to do anything that would make her a home wrecker, and while Kent and Charisma were separated, they were still legally married. So while things did become a little more intimate between them privately, they were still slowly working their way towards rebuilding a strong foundation they would eventually be able to expound upon.

Their phone conversations became less gossip sessions about the people around them and more about who they were and where they had been in life and what they thought and felt about a vast array of subjects. That isn't to say they didn't gossip - though both of them would have denied the accusation to their graves. And they did still talk about family - Kent and Esmeralda and Kay and ALL the Taghertys, but that was to share things of interest the other may not have been privy to for whatever reason.

They did continue their Wednesday night dates with Esmeralda - for her sake as well as theirs. She needed the interaction and since Matilda had insisted she keep in touch, this was the best way to accomplish that for everyone involved. And since Brianna and Charisma were adjusting to being together again - even as simply friends - having Esmeralda as a buffer made it easier to just be.

Esmeralda, for her part, was happy to be included. She was never made to feel like a third wheel or an add-on, but felt more like a member of the family. She was able to watch their friendship slowly strengthen and blossom, and it gladdened her heart just a little... which given her circumstances was more than she expected to feel ever again.

For whatever reason, none of her angelic teammates had been back to visit... not even Amber. Esmeralda had begun to wonder if they had been forbidden to return to her or if they had been immediately reassigned to another case or if she had simply been wiped from existence as far as they were concerned. Saphira remained elusive in her dreams and it was wearing on Esmeralda in a way she couldn't explain to anyone. She didn't need to, however. Everyone could see that despite their best efforts, Esmeralda was slowly wasting away in front of them.

Charisma and Brianna tried to include her in more of their lives, but other than their Wednesday evening meals together, Esmeralda adamantly refused, citing their need to learn how to be a couple together. After spending nearly two hours on the phone discussing their options, they decided to call in reinforcements.

So Charisma placed a call to Mama and Brianna rang up Kay. And after just a few minutes of explaining their dilemma, Kay and Mama agreed to come in for the weekend to see if they could help.

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

Since Esmeralda wouldn't come to them, the four women decided to go to her instead. Kent was in from the City to spend some time with Adam, which Charisma believed was fortuitous timing.

She met him at the door, and led him immediately to her study where Brianna, Mama and Kay were currently ensconced with Adam. Kent looked surprised, but hid it fairly well, barely getting out his greetings before being mauled by his son.

"PA!" jumping into Kent's arms for a hug and giving his father a sloppy kiss. Kent returned the embrace fervently and laughed aloud at Adam's exuberance.

"Hey, Boy! You ready to have some fun with your old man?"

Adam frowned and shook his head. "No, Pa. Go fix Es." Kent turned and looked at Charisma.

"What's wrong with Es?"

"She's not doing well," Charisma replied, unwilling to elaborate more in front of Adam, but Kent was quick on the uptake and he nodded his understanding. "We thought we'd go visit her this morning while you and Adam were out having fun. Then maybe you could stop by to say hello."

"I think we could do that. Whaddya say, Adam?"

"Go fix Es?"

"Well, Mama and Gramma and Brianna and Kay are going to go see if they can make Es feel better first. Then in a little while, you and me can stop by to cheer her up. Sound good?"

"We bring ice cream?"

The women listening to the conversation chortled softly, but Kent nodded seriously. "I think that's a good idea, Son. Ice cream will help cheer Es up."

"'Kay! We go now," Adam replied imperiously, pointing towards the door.

"Well, how about we go see the airplanes and rocket ships for a little while? Then we'll go pick up some ice cream before we go to Es' house."

"Yes! Bye Mama!" he called out, waving as he urged his father forward. Now Kent laughed and turned towards Charisma.

"Give Mama a kiss, Son," Kent instructed, holding onto Adam's bottom half while he leaned into Charisma's embrace and kissed her. "Call me if you need anything," Kent offered to Charisma in a whisper. She nodded her thanks and walked them to the door. She waited until they were out of sight before closing the portal, then went back to her study to collect the rest so they could head out to Esmeralda's.

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

Esmeralda was surprised to see them on her porch when she opened the door at their knock, but her good manners held and she invited them inside. The place was spotless and smelled of cleaning fluid and each of them wondered if she did anything besides clean when she was home. Before she could lead them to the living room, Brianna headed for the kitchen, putting the bag she carried on the table and smiling when the others followed suit. Esmeralda stood in the doorway and watched bemusedly as they started unloading the groceries they'd brought with them.

"Is this an intervention of some kind?" she asked with a hint of sad humor in her voice.

"You could call it that," Charisma replied softly. "We're worried about you, Es. You're dying in front of us, and that's not acceptable! And we're going to do whatever it takes to change that."

Esmeralda could hear the tears Charisma was biting back and she crossed the room and placed a hand on Charisma's arm. Charisma's motion stilled at the touch and the rest of the room halted their work in deference to that lack of movement. Esmeralda smiled sadly at Charisma and shook her head.

"There's nothing you can do, Charisma. Without Saphira...." She shook her head.

"C'mon, Es," Brianna begged softly. "You have to want to live... you have to try. Don't you want to see Adam grow up? Don't you want to know how our story turns out?" reaching out a hand to Charisma who took it without hesitation. "After all, you're at least partially responsible for us getting this far."

"Adam is going to become a wonderful man - he is such a precious child, and with so many brilliant adult role models, I have great faith in his future. As for you two, I have to believe that in choosing happiness, you have finally discovered that your true path in life lies in being together no matter where it takes you. The only thing I'm responsible for is calling it like I see it - you two are responsible for the rest."

"Es, is there anything we can do?" Kay asked, confident of the answer, but wanting to hear Esmeralda's explanation. It might help the others to accept the truth of what Kay knew to be true.

"I don't think so, Kay. It's not that I want to die - I just don't want to live very much. There's nothing left for me here." Esmeralda held up a hand before the protestations could start and they respected her unspoken request to remain silent. She took several deep breaths before expelling a sigh and resumed speaking. "It's not that I don't love all of you or appreciate your places in my life. I will never be able to convey what you mean to me. But Saphira and I were always a part of one another... from the very beginning. I felt what she did; she knew my pain and my happiness. We started together and we were supposed to be together forever - we were promised forever. And yet, I haven't seen her... haven't felt her near since the night before her funeral service. I thought she was going to watch over me...." Esmeralda shook her head. "It doesn't really matter what I thought. The fact is that when she died, so did I. It's just taking my body longer to catch up to that truth."

"Bullshit!!" Charisma and Brianna exploded together, drawing startled looks from two of the other women in the room. Esmeralda didn't flinch - she merely held their gaze with her own sad one. "You're choosing this, Es. You're choosing to die!" Brianna accused.

"No... I'm really not. If I was choosing death, it would already be over. And I promised Amber I would do everything in my power to not put her through this again. But my heart is broken, and the only thing... the only person... that could have fixed it is no longer around to do so... not even in my dreams."

"So you're dying from a broken heart?" Okasa queried.

"Essentially, yes," Esmeralda replied. "I felt it fracture before I got the news of Saphira's death. And when I said goodbye to her in the hospital...." She looked at the ceiling and blinked back her tears. "I felt it stop beating." Charisma and Brianna snorted.

"I don't believe that," Charisma scoffed. "I don't think it's possible."

"It *is* possible," Kay confirmed, drawing a glare from Charisma that she ignored, choosing to focus on Esmeralda instead. "It's rare, but it's completely conceivable - especially between partners who are mated and have spent a lifetime together. Can we help make it easier, Es?" taking Esmeralda's hands in her own and clasping them gently.

"I don't think so," Esmeralda returned quietly. "I'm just taking things one day at a time." She turned to look at Charisma and Brianna who were clutching one another's hands, knowing that their anger was due in large part to the guilt and helplessness they felt. Kay released her hands, and Esmeralda cupped each of their faces with one hand, forcing them to raise their eyes to meet hers. "Please don't," she pled softly. "Please don't feel guilt over this and please don't refuse to be happy now. The only thing that has given me any real joy since Saphira's death is knowing that the two of you have finally found happiness together. Please don't take that away from me."

Charisma covered the hand covering her cheek, and smiled through her tears. "You don't play very fair at all," she grumbled. Esmeralda laughed.