"Sorry, Es. I don't think I'm functioning on all cylinders," Charisma confessed. "Bri told Mama that she'd invited you and Saphira to spend the holiday with her when Mama told her she expected her for the holiday. So Mama instructed her to bring you - I was told to make sure it happened." She turned big blue eyes on Esmeralda, and for a brief moment, Esmeralda was reminded of Saphira. "Please don't make me explain to my Mama why you didn't come with Brianna."

"Um... okay." She looked at Brianna as relief passed through Charisma's expression. "I didn't realize you meant the actual holiday."

Brianna shrugged. "I didn't at the time."

Esmeralda's eyes twinkled, understanding more than Brianna felt comfortable saying. "All right," she reaffirmed. "As long as you're sure we won't be intruding."

"Es, I'm not kidding you when I tell you Mama insisted. You'll find my Mama tends to get what she wants. Just ask Brianna." She pointed to Brianna whose head was bobbing up and down vigorously. "Trust me when I tell you that not only will you not be intruding, you're expected and will be more than welcome to join us. Ruby is invited as well."

Esmeralda blinked. "I'll tell her, but I think she expected to go home for the weekend. Matilda has already given her the time off."

Brianna frowned. "Doesn't that mean Saphira will have to work?"

Esmeralda shook her head and smiled. "No. Joe and Matilda close the diner early the night before and celebrate with their family - all the kids and grandkids. Then on Thanksgiving they volunteer at the local shelter as a family... they've done it since the kids were very little. It's become a family tradition - some of the in-laws have even started joining them."

"Wow," Charisma said. "That's an amazing tradition."

"And what a fabulous mindset to pass on to the next generation," Brianna added. "Imagine being able to see your children and grandchildren making a difference in the lives of others," she added, losing herself in thought.

"Do you miss not having children, Bri?" Charisma asked softly.

"I don't think so, no. I've gotten the chance to enjoy your brother's kids growing up and now there's Adam for me to play with and enjoy." She shrugged. "I don't think I'd make a very good mother anyway... not given the example I had growing up."

Charisma's eyebrows crawled into her hairline. "Should I tell my mother you think she's a bad example?"

Brianna cringed and shook her head rapidly, thankful that both her head and her lip had healed during the week. "No!! I was grown when I met Okasa! That's not what I meant and you know it!"

"Yes, but the look on your face was pretty priceless," Charisma teased. Brianna just gawked at her, then stuck out her tongue. Charisma just snorted. Esmeralda decided it was time to remind them of her presence and cleared her throat, startling them. "Oh God, Es... I'm so sorry."

"Why?" she asked honestly. "It was highly entertaining, but I'm done here and wanted to say goodnight before I left."

"Wait a sec, and we'll walk out with you," Brianna declared as she put her shoes back on with a groan and stood. "Okay, that was a really stupid thing to do," she said with a grimace. Charisma winced.

"No kidding. Where are the Danskins when you need them?" She swallowed the last of her liquor and shivered, then took her glass and Brianna's to the bathroom sink to wash them out. In a moment, they were all set and ready to go.

"OH!" Charisma exclaimed as she tucked her purse under her arm and picked up her briefcase. "I was wondering if you," motioning to both of them, "would like to try for another get together on Sunday. Ame has already said she'll come watch Adam for a little while if we need her too. He's been asking about the album since Mama and Papa left yesterday. I think they kept him too busy to think about it before then."

Esmeralda shrugged. "I don't think it will be a problem, but I need to check with Saphira. It's a short week for her, so it should be fine."

"Well, I'm headed that way, so let me give you a ride and we can ask her while I'm there. Don't," Charisma said, holding up her hand. "I need to talk to Matilda about her chocolate cake." She looked at Brianna to forestall Esmeralda's protest. "What about you?"

"Depends... which part are you asking me about?" Charisma frowned. "Are you asking me about Sunday or tonight?"

"Oh... Sunday naturally. Though never let it be said I got between a woman and her need for chocolate cake," she added with a smile. Brianna snorted.

"I seem to recall...."

"Eh," Charisma held up a hand. "No telling tales out of school, Brianna Brianna. Now... about Sunday?"

"I'll be there."

They had reached the public elevators and Esmeralda pushed on by them with her cart, headed towards the service elevator. They looked at her and then at one another.

"Can we ride down with you?" Esmeralda just blinked and Brianna continued speaking. "You can't use these with that," she stated, "and we know that. And the cars are pretty close to your exit, correct?" smiling when Esmeralda nodded dumbly. "So why don't we just save a couple steps and a few minutes and just ride down with you. That way we can be sure you get that ride."

Esmeralda just chuckled. "All right," gesturing them to one side. "You're gonna want to let me get in with this thing first though. It's gonna be crowded, but at least that way, you'll be able to back in and face the door."

"Let's do it," Charisma said as the door dinged opened, and almost instantly, they were loaded up and headed down. The reaction when they stepped out into the service corridor was abrupt and entertaining. The custodial manager rushed to greet them.

"Senator Walker... Senator Tagherty - is there a problem I can help you with?" When he greeted them by name, every janitor and driver froze, not quite sure how to behave with hierarchy down in the catacombs. Esmeralda just rolled her eyes and moved to her supply closet, carefully restocking before she put her cart away. Charisma and Brianna just remained nearby, trying not to stare and make folks feel more uncomfortable with their presence than they already did. Jas and Turq headed out to recover the limousines, knowing they would be necessary in a very few minutes.

"No Rick," Brianna answered the man, having met him briefly the last time she'd been down here with Esmeralda. "We're just here with Es."

Rick frowned and looked between them and Esmeralda. "Is something wrong?" he asked again. "Es?"

She glanced over at him and shook her head. "Everything's fine, Rick. They want to go over to the diner to talk to Matilda about her chocolate cake, and since I'm headed that way, they decided to give me a ride with them."

His frown deepened into a scowl and he shook his head. "That's highly unusual," he commented. Now it was Charisma's turn to frown.

"Is it a problem for you, Rick?" her words sharp and biting.

He snapped his head around at her tone, and suspected immediately that she was displeased about something. He turned back to Esmeralda, who shrugged and nodded her head in Charisma's direction, knowing Charisma expected an answer from Rick and not her. He cleared his throat.

"No, Senator Tagherty. It's not a problem," he replied stiffly. "It's just never been done."

Brianna smiled at him. "Well, 'tis the season and all that, right? Since we're headed that way anyway...."

He looked at Esmeralda, noting the pallor of her skin and the exhaustion in her eyes despite the smile she wore. Rick nodded slowly. "I suppose so," he conceded. "And it's good of you to look out for Es like that. She's had a bit of a rough time, you know, so anything that makes things a little easier...."

Esmeralda glared at him. "I'm standing right here, you know."

He leered at her, then stepped behind Charisma and Brianna, peeking his head between them. "I know. I figure I've got big guns backing me up this time.

Esmeralda narrowed her eyes. "That's like cheating, you know."

"Um hmm - Saphira would be proud of me," earning him muffled chuckles from not only Brianna and Charisma, but also from several of the custodial and driving staff.

"I'm being ganged up on."

"You'll live," Charisma assured her drolly. "Now let's move it. I hear chocolate cake calling my name." She turned to Brianna. "You want to send Jas home and just ride over with us? I'm pretty sure we can get you home."

"You're pretty sure?"

"Yes. I'm pretty sure. How much do you trust me?" blue eyes twinkling.

Brianna studied her thoughtfully. "I guess I'd have to say completely, so let me go dismiss Jas and I'll meet you at the car." She turned and walked off before Charisma could respond... not that she'd have had a clue what to say. Still, Charisma couldn't stop the smile that tweaked the corners of her mouth. She turned to Esmeralda who had finished her stocking and had locked her cart away for the duration.

"You ready, Es?"

"Yes, Senator." She didn't even crack a smile when Charisma rolled her eyes, but dutifully followed her to the vehicle that had been pulled to the door. Turq opened the car door and Charisma slid in, gasping in surprise to find Brianna already sitting inside. Brianna grinned.

"Turq insisted. She and Jas were waiting here and when I told Jas to go home and why, Turq put me in the car." Brianna wrinkled her forehead in thought. "I think she actually would have done so physically if I'd refused to get in."

"No," Charisma assured her. "But she would have stood there holding the door until you got in just to keep from feeling ridiculous." Esmeralda snorted and Charisma smirked. Brianna just grinned.

"Happened to you before, I take it?"

"Oh yes. We like to think we're in control, but let's face it - it's the people around us who keep us going that are really in charge."

"There's something so wrong about that statement."

"Yes, but there's also a lot of truth to it too," Charisma replied. She turned to Esmeralda. "You're not going to get into trouble for us going downstairs with you, are you?"

"A little late to worry about it, Charisma," Brianna responded drolly. "I mean, there's not a lot we can do about it at this point without potentially making it worse."

Esmeralda held up her hands. "All right, you two - enough," seeing Charisma gearing up for an argument. "You're not gonna start fighting about this on my account. Brianna's right - it's a little late to worry about it, but the fact is that it really doesn't matter. For one thing, we're all going on holiday, and by the time we come back they will have mostly forgotten. For another, you're certainly not forbidden from being there - it's just we never get visitors from your level - it kinda threw everybody off-stride."

"Why?"

"Because we get to be ourselves there," Esmeralda offered with a shrug. "It's where we eat our meals and smoke our cigarettes and talk about our families and cheer for our favorite sports teams - none of the stuff we're allowed to do upstairs. There are rules we have to follow when we're in your world. And I'd venture to say that not a lot of the lower level staff has cultivated any sort of relationship with their? clients, for lack of a better word."

"Why?"

Esmeralda raised an eyebrow and both heads nodded. She sighed. "Mostly because a lot of the folks upstairs feel they are our betters. It's all right to say hi or ask how we're doing, but they don't want to be our friends. So we don't welcome them into our lives."

"Have they tried?" Charisma asked, forehead scrunched in thought. "Surely?."

Esmeralda smiled gently. "The world isn't a nice place Charisma? especially to people like me. Most people look at me and they see poor white trash. And when they find out I love another woman, it makes me less than the dirt on their shoes."

"That's not right!"

"No, it isn't, but it is life. It shouldn't matter that I clean up behind people to make a living or that my mate is a woman like I am. What should matter is that I work hard and pay my bills on time; that I talk to God diligently and am a loving, faithful mate to Saphira."

"How does you loving another woman make you a bad person, Esmeralda? And what is wrong with honest, hard work that people look down their noses at you for doing it?"

"You're asking the wrong person, Charisma. I just know how things work in my world."

Brianna tilted her head. "Do you think your world is so different from ours?"