"I hate to do that. She's supposed to be off." She gave Turq a wry look. "Of course... so are you." She sighed deeply then nodded. "Give her a call - if she can come over for a few hours, I'd count it as a favor."

"Yes ma'am," Turq said as she pulled out her phone. "Do you want me to stay...?"

Charisma shook her head. "No, no. If Ame's agreeable, bring her over and you can have the rest of the day. If you're shaking like I am...." burying her nose in Adam's hair for a moment.

"Mama!!" pointing imperiously towards Brianna before turning and grabbing at the buttons on Charisma's shirt. She covered his hand.

"Son, give Mama a minute, all right?" He turned his attention to her hand, playing with her fingers. She looked back at Turq. "I'll ask Brianna to take Es and Saphira home. I'm sure she won't mind."

Turq nodded. "As you say, Senator," raising the phone to her ear and relaying her request to Ame. It only took a minute and she was nodding Ame's agreement to Charisma and sliding behind the wheel of the car. Charisma watched her take off, then headed back to the house to join the friends who waited by the front door.

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

"MAMA! DOWN!!" Adam shrilled as they entered the door, twisting as he tried to pull away. Charisma gasped and hugged him to her harder. "MAMA!!"

"ADAM!" Brianna said firmly, but just loud enough to be heard. Everyone froze and Adam turned big blue eyes towards her, then lunged, scrambling up Charisma's body. "No," Brianna instructed him quietly. He stuck his finger in the side of his mouth, then reached for her again. She held up a finger and shook her head. "No, Adam," she reiterated kindly. "You scared your mama and now you're hurting her."

Adam leaned back so he could look at Charisma, blinking when he saw tears in her eyes. Gently he patted her face. "Mama scared? Love mama," he whispered, throwing his arms around her neck.

"Love you too, Little Man," Charisma replied, hugging him tightly once more and kissing the top of his head. He returned the kiss to her cheek sloppily when she loosened her hold.

"Mama good," he said with a cheerful laugh.

"Your mama is very good," Brianna assured him, putting one hand on Charisma's back and the other on Adam's. She turned to look Charisma in the eye. "How about I take him for a few minutes? I'll get him cleaned up while you get his lunch ready. He'll be safe with me, Ri - I promise. I'd never...."

Charisma nodded. "I know you wouldn't, Bri," patting the hand that rested on Adam's back. "Are you sure...?"

"Yeah," Brianna pledged as she shifted Adam into her arms. "We'll go wash up for lunch and maybe have a little talk about running in front of a moving vehicle. Thank God for swift reflexes," giving Saphira a look.

"No kidding," Charisma muttered. "Thanks, Bri. I...."

"I know," Brianna responded compassionately with a smile. "Now go get lunch started," she commanded with a strained chuckle. "I'm starving."

"Me too," Esmeralda agreed. "Can I give you a hand?" she offered Charisma. "I'm pretty sure Saphira and Brianna can manage Adam. Maybe with two of them he won't go streaking through the house."

Charisma's laughter was stressed, but it was the best she could do under the circumstances. Still she nodded gamely and took Esmeralda's arm. "Maybe I should lay out some towels... just in case." She turned back to the two women standing in the hallway with Adam cradled between them. "There's a half bath down the hall on the left," motioning past her and Esmeralda. "And there are several full baths including Adam's upstairs if you really want to risk it."

Saphira and Brianna traded looks and shook their heads simultaneously. "We'll stick with the downstairs for now. It shouldn't take you *that* long to fix a PB&J." Saphira turned back to meet Brianna's eyes and gestured her towards the bathroom. "After you, Senator Walker."

Brianna glared. "You're just trying to start something, aren't you?" she growled, causing Adam to laugh at the sound she was making. Saphira's eyes widened innocently.

"Me??" pointing to her chest. "I've never tried to start something in my whole life," making Brianna howl in relief at her nonsense. Charisma couldn't help but chuckle at the look of wounded outrage reflected on Saphira's face, and though she knew they were carrying on ridiculously to lighten the still-tense atmosphere, she could feel her muscles starting to uncoil and relax. When Saphira stuck out her lip and frowned mightily, she had to laugh out loud.

"What??" Saphira whined. "I haven't - you can ask Es."

"She really hasn't," Esmeralda confirmed. "Saphira doesn't start things; she finishes them."

Before either woman could comment or question, Adam decided he'd been silent long enough. "BR'ANNA!! GO!!"

She shifted him until she could push a finger against her ear, trying to eliminate the ringing Adam's screaming had caused. "Inside voice, please, Little Man," holding his eyes until he patted her face. "But you're right... we're not getting anything done standing around here. Chop, chop, you two," she said to Charisma and Esmeralda. "We won't be but a couple minutes."

They disappeared down the hall and Charisma and Esmeralda looked at one another and nodded, turning without a word and headed to the kitchen.

They never did find out what Brianna and Saphira had said to the little boy, but they heard him running down the hall seconds before he ran into the kitchen and wrapped Charisma up at her knees. She was thankful for rapid reflexes and Esmeralda's hand at her back besides when Adam collided with her. She bent and lifted him up for a kissing, smiling when he wrapped his arms around her neck.

"Sorry, Mama," he murmured, tightening his hold when she squeezed him.

"I love you, Adam."

"Love Mama," he replied, then leaned back to look at her when she slackened her grip. "Eat now?" peering over her shoulder at the sandwich sitting on the counter behind her.

"You hungry?"

"YES!!" he affirmed cheerfully. She carried him to the table and seated him at his place, scooting the chair close before taking the sandwich and sippy cup of milk from Esmeralda's hands. She riffled her hand through his hair and moved back to the counter.

"The resilience of children, hmm?" Esmeralda commented wryly. "We should all be able to maintain our equilibrium so easily."

"At least then I wouldn't need to have a stylist who covered the gray every couple weeks."

"Oh, I don't know, Charisma," Brianna commented from the doorway as she and Saphira entered the kitchen. "I think you would probably look very distinguished with gray. It looks good on your mother."

"Yes, but my mother is a grandmother," Charisma replied drolly. "It fits her image."

"But not yours?"

Charisma paused thoughtfully, then turned to remove the raw food she had prepared earlier. She set the platters on the counter before she spoke. "I don't think so... at least not right now." She focused on Brianna a long moment, then looked at Esmeralda and Saphira. "So much of this job is about imagine... how the public perceives us. Sometimes I think the scrutiny is worse than the politics."

"Is it worth it?" This from Brianna who held Charisma's gaze until Charisma looked away. But before Charisma had a response, Adam chimed in.

"Mama! All done!" cringing away from her when she approached him with a wet towel. So naturally a knock sounded at the back door before Ame stuck her head in. "AME!!"

There were several reactions to his screech - Ame's brows flew into her hairline; Brianna chuckled; Saphira and Esmeralda exchanged glances with one another and then Ame; Charisma blew out a frustrated breath then grabbed and missed when Adam jumped from the chair and made a beeline for Ame. Without looking up, Ame raised her hand for the towel she knew Charisma held and Charisma tossed it to her. The towel and Adam arrived at the same time and Ame caught Adam by the hands and wiped them off, then did the same to his face, despite his squirming. Then she scooped him up in her arms and headed out of the kitchen.

It was silent for a full thirty seconds before the four women left behind turned to each other and burst into laughter.

"Wow!" Brianna said after taking a deep breath and getting her laughter under some semblance of control. "Who was that masked woman?" causing another round of giggles to peel throughout the room.

"That was my wonderful and long-suffering nanny, Ame. She agreed to come sit with Adam for a while so we could have a little time to regroup after the morning's excitement."

"Would you prefer we leave, Charisma?" Esmeralda asked sincerely. "I can only imagine how you feel after watching that. I know how I felt and Saphira is old enough to take care of herself... most of the time anyway," giving her mate a smirk. Saphira just stuck out her tongue.

Charisma shook her head. "I'd like you to stay... unless you need to go home." She moved over and tilted Esmeralda's chin so she could look into her eyes. "We're a little worried about you, Es."

Esmeralda covered Charisma's hand. "I'm fine, Charisma. I promise." She paused and gave an impish smile. "I am a little hungry, though."

Charisma's smile broadened. "I can fix that." She moved back to the counter. "C'mon on. Have a seat and I'll get things on the table."

"Need some help?" Brianna offered.

Charisma met her eyes briefly and nodded. "Sure. If you'll grab the platters, I'll get the fondue pots."

Saphira stepped up and took the pots out of Charisma's hands. "You need to get the oil and stuff out. I don't know where it is."

"Good point," Charisma allowed with a grin. "Does everyone drink wine?"

"Could I have milk?" Esmeralda asked. "Wine gives me a headache."

"Absolutely," Charisma agreed, turning back to the refrigerator. "Are you sure you want milk? I've got soda, lemonade, flavored water...."

"Milk is good," Esmeralda assured her. "I drink a lot of milk."

"That would explain the great skin," Brianna muttered, smirking at Esmeralda. Esmeralda stuck out her tongue and crinkled her nose. Then they settled in to putting lunch on the table.

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

"Oh... I'm so full," Saphira groaned as she leaned back in her chair. She tilted her head in Esmeralda's direction and gave her puppy dog eyes. "How could you let me eat so much?"

Esmeralda sputtered and set her milk back on the table, wiping her lips before she turned a forceful glare on Saphira. "Excuse me? Let you?? Since when do *I* let *you* do anything?"

"Wasn't there something in our wedding vows about love, honor and keep from overeating?" Esmeralda snorted and threw her napkin in towards Saphira.

"You're so ridiculous."

Saphira grinned rakishly and waggled her eyebrows. "I know - it's why you keep me around. Cheap entertainment."

"That's debatable," Esmeralda mumbled.

"Which part?"

"Yes," she agreed, recognizing what Saphira was doing and knowing their playing like this would help Charisma and Brianna to relax a little more. Not that they weren't more comfortable together, but there had still been a few awkward moments and silences. Esmeralda bit her lips to keep from smiling when Saphira narrowed her eyes, but she couldn't stop the sparkle from twinkling out of her own.

"Fine. Just for that, you can wash the dishes. I'm gonna go see if I can find my little buddy. I bet he won't pick on me."

"Yeah about that...." Charisma started as Saphira rose from her chair. "They're probably in the playroom - up the stairs and down the hall on the right. You'll be able to hear them. Will you ask Ame to come downstairs, please? And be careful not to let him jump on you. He may be little, but he's not small and if you're as full as you say you are... it could get ugly."

"Got it," Saphira said. "Is it all right if I bring him back downstairs?"

"Absolutely. I know he wanted some time with all of you." Saphira nodded and headed out the door. Brianna and Esmeralda rose and started moving things to the sink while Charisma put the leftovers away. It wasn't long before the kitchen was spotless and Ame was standing in the doorway waiting for Charisma's instruction.

With only a few words, Ame was headed back out and the rest made their way towards the study. Saphira met them as she and Adam made their way down the stairs together. Then they were all entering Charisma's private sanctum.

She had debated long and hard about leaving her album out, but in the end, it remained on the coffee table it had been sitting on for the last couple weeks. Adam looked around carefully, then turned to his mother.