"Not long, relatively speaking - maybe ten minutes?"

"Did they talk about anything important?"

Amber shook her head again. "They didn't actually talk about anything at all. It was mostly awkward pauses and long silences. In fairness, I think Kent was in shock. Charisma played it off like she just wanted to see how things were going. Kent actually had to cut the call short because it was time for him to get to the stage."

"I can't imagine that," Saphira said softly. "I can't imagine not needing to talk to your mate or not having anything to discuss when you had the chance to do so without interruption. Es and I always have something to talk about... even if it's just our days at work or the things we'd like to do while we're off. And when we have time to simply sit down and talk...."

"I know," Amber agreed. "I'm the one that generally has to risk life and limb to interrupt the two of you, remember?"

Saphira cut her eyes at Amber in a mild glare. "I am well aware. Your timing usually leaves a lot to be desired."

"That's not what Michael says," she replied with a smirk. Saphira's eyes widened and she covered her ears to block the sound.

"Lalalalalalala - TMI, Amber. I don't think Coral and I needed to know that." Coral kept her hand over her mouth to keep her laughter from escaping. Saphira glared at both of them. "We've moved pretty far afield of yesterday's activities. Did anything else of note happen?" pinning each of them balefully.

"Only one more thing, as far as I'm concerned," Amber answered slowly, pinching her bottom lip between her thumb and forefinger as she considered her words.

Saphira arched her brow when the silence continued. "Would you like to share with the rest of the class or are we supposed to guess?"

"Oh... sorry. Charisma went directly to her bedroom as soon as she got off the phone with Kent."

Saphira blinked slowly. "Okay... pretend I'm a complete moron here and explain to me the significance of your statement."

Amber blew out a frustrated breath. "Almost without fail, Charisma sticks to a routine once she gets home. She drops her stuff in her office and heads directly to Adam's room. After she spends a little time with her son, she goes straight to her office and takes out whatever she brought home with her. If she's home relatively early - meaning she didn't have some sort of political function to attend - she grabs whatever dinner Ame leaves for her in the fridge and takes it to the study. Until Brianna crashed back into her orbit, her time was spent going over whatever bills and legislation she felt needed her attention while she ate dinner at her desk."

"And since then?"

"A lot less of both. She still brings her plate to the desk and she still pulls out her work, but so far she's not finishing much. Most of her time has been spent looking at that album."

"And this doesn't bother Kent?"

Amber tilted her head. "I don't think he knows about the album. And the other is just SOP as far as he's concerned. It's always been like that between them. Most of their time together is spent in the public eye - most of their private time is separate."

Saphira pinched the bridge of her nose and rubbed her eyes. "Father Above," she prayed, trying to rid herself of the headache she could feel coming on in the back of her skull. Coral and Amber remained silent, knowing Saphira hadn't talked to her Father since He had turned her out of Paradise with Esmeralda to begin this assignment. Saphira didn't say anything else and finally exhaled noisily. Then she turned to Coral. "What about Brianna?"

Coral shook her head. "It was... normal. She went home early after her all-nighter. She called for some dinner and took a shower, changing into some old sweats before her meal arrived. Then she ate, brushed her teeth and crawled into bed. She read a little - Harry Potter, before you ask - then turned out the light and went right to sleep."

"That's it?"

Coral nodded. "That's it. She didn't even get up for the bathroom or a drink of water. The first time she stirred was when the alarm went off." Coral stopped speaking and bit her lip thoughtfully. Saphira cocked her head in question.

"What?"

"Well, aside from the fact that she didn't move at all, the only thing that was a little odd about her night was that she seemed to resent the alarm going off this morning."

"Doesn't everyone?" Amber asked with a hint of a grin. It was a well-known fact that she was perfectly suited to her night job because she didn't have to deal with a morning alarm. In her mind, that made all the difference in getting out of bed every day.

Coral looked at her seriously. "Not Brianna. I know we've only been here a few weeks, but according to the background I had to dig out on her she's always been one to face the day as something to be treasured for the gift it is. She was almost angry this morning."

Saphira blew out a breath. "I guess Indi will have an interesting report tonight."

"Maybe," Coral said with a shrug. "Brianna was in the bathroom for a few minutes this morning, giving quite a pep talk to herself in the mirror."

"Oh?"

"Yeah - she was assuring herself that she could do this... that it was only for two years... that she had survived this long, she could survive a little longer."

"Did she believe what she was saying?"

"Well, there were no tears in her eyes and her spine was straight when she walked out the door. If she didn't believe it, she was at least able to put up a credible faзade that would fool the rest of the world."

"Including Charisma?"

"Especially Charisma. She doesn't want to see past it, given what we know of her."

"This just keeps getting better and better," Saphira muttered as she rose from her corner of the couch. She gave Amber a wry smile when she immediately stretched her length along it as soon as Saphira vacated her space. "All right. I hate to ask, but I need the two of you to go out and get groceries before you settle down to sleep. Ruby was going to when she got off this afternoon, but since she's taking my shift...." She stopped speaking when Amber held up her hand.

"Saphira, it's all right. Coral and I do a lot of grocery shopping. Stuff is generally stocked better when you go early and the farmers' markets open early."

"Yeah," Coral concurred. "You go take care of Es. We'll restock the larder and fix up some lunch when we get back."

"You're sure?"

Coral snickered. "We're sure - we've cooked a lot of lunches that translate into dinner for the day crew."

Amber scowled at Saphira. "Will you please get out of here? We're professionals - we know what we're doing. You, on the other hand, are a neophyte in the guardian business, and you need to get back to guarding the boss for now. We'll call you if we think we need you. But we know Es does, okay?" putting a firm hand in the middle of Saphira's back and pushing her towards the bedroom door. "Go on... buh-bye... see ya."

"Thanks, Amber," Saphira said softly without turning away from the door even as she reached out for the knob. Amber scowled again... this time to keep the tears at bay.

"Yeah, well... just don't get used to it, all right? The world would probably stop spinning or something equally horrible if the universe caught us playing nice together."

Saphira's chuckle came out more like a strangled sob, but Amber let it go. "Heaven forbid," she whispered. "I've got enough to worry about without having that on my shoulders."

"Amen!" Amber agreed, patting Saphira's back gently. "Now go be with Es. Coral and I'll be back in a little while." Saphira nodded and opened the door, crossing the threshold and shutting it behind her without a backwards glance.

Amber stood looking at the closed door for a moment longer, then shook her head and went back to the kitchen to meet up with Coral. There was still work to be done.

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

Saphira leaned against the closed door, waiting for the sound of Amber's footsteps to indicate that she and Es were alone in the house again. It took a moment, then another for her to hear the echo of the outer door shutting and the car starting and pulling away. Only then did she let the tears slide silently down her face.

They only lasted a brief minute. Then she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, centering herself before allowing them to flutter open again and moving towards the bed. Saphira crawled onto the mattress carefully and curled herself around Esmeralda's warmth. Then she jerked in surprise when a warm hand touched her still-damp face. She leaned up and looked down into Esmeralda's sleepy green eyes, smiling broadly.

"Es?"

Esmeralda smiled momentarily, then her brow furrowed in concern. "Saphira?" in a hushed tone. "What's wrong, love? Why the tears?"

Saphira took Esmeralda's hand in hers, bringing it to her lips and brushing a kiss over the fingertips. "You scared me," she admitted in a small voice. "You were sleeping so deeply... it was like when you were so sick."

"Oh, Sweetheart. I'm fine. Just a little tired."

Saphira nodded her head firmly. "Then there's nothing for you to do but stay in the bed today and catch up on some sleep."

Esmeralda gave her a fond smile and shook her head. "I can't do that, Phira. You know that - though I do appreciate the sentiment. You don't know how much."

"Actually, you can. It's all arranged. I called you off sick today and Ruby is taking my shift at the diner. So there's nothing to keep you from getting some of that rest you need to catch up on."

"But the mission...."

"... will go on regardless today. You can start worrying about it again tomorrow. But today you're going to rest. Amber and Coral are out getting groceries at the moment, but they will be back shortly to fix something for lunch before they settle down to sleep. Trust that the rest know their jobs and will do them."

Esmeralda was quiet for a moment, then nodded her head. "All right. And you'll fill me in?"

Saphira rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Naturally."

"Good," Esmeralda smiled, tapping Saphira on the nose with a soft finger. She pushed up into a sitting position and sighed tiredly. "I'm going to go the little angel's room. Then I'll crawl back in bed beside you and you can tell me what I missed. Then I promise to take another nap," holding up one hand as if taking an oath.

"Do you want something to eat?"

Esmeralda shook her head. "No... not now," changing her answer when she saw the look of concern flash across Saphira's visage. "I'll eat whatever lunch Coral and Amber surprise us with."

"That's awfully brave of you," Saphira commented with a smirk.

"Never let it be said I'm not the bravest of them all."

Saphira laughed and Esmeralda smiled. Esmeralda got out of bed slowly to take care of her morning business and Saphira went into the kitchen to get them both something to drink and make some toast for Esmeralda. If they were going to have a sick day, she might as well do her best to make Esmeralda feel better before she settled down to sleep some more.

It only took a few minutes before they had resumed their places on the bed. Esmeralda had taken a little of the liquid but hadn't touched the toast, preferring to curl up into Saphira's arms instead.

"Now tell me what I missed," she insisted. Saphira rolled her eyes again and shook her head at Esmeralda's persistence. Then she started relaying the morning's events, not realizing when Esmeralda dropped off to sleep - only knowing that she did eventually. Saphira smiled and closed her eyes. This was how Amber found them some time later when she knocked on the door, then opened it to find them asleep in one another's arms.

"Guess lunch will have to wait a little while," she commented to Coral when she returned to the kitchen alone.

"Best thing for all of us," was Coral's only reply. Then they sat down to eat so they could go to bed themselves.


Chapter XXIX

"I missed you yesterday," Brianna greeted with a concerned smile when Esmeralda peered around the door of Brianna's office as she knocked. She waved Esmeralda into the inner sanctum and Esmeralda pushed the door open and rolled her cleaning cart into the room ahead of her. "Is everything all right?"

Esmeralda nodded her head even as she gathered together the things she needed, then started her cleaning routine. "Everything's fine," she promised with a smile. "Saphira was being a little overly cautious."