Haunting Shadows 4

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Chapter Sixteen

It had been a week of frenzied calls to so called experts to halt the decline of Xianthos's worth in the market place. Catherine had effectively agreed to remain in charge of the whole operation, until such time as she could replace Paul Strong with someone equal to his standing in the corporation. It had been a difficult interview when she'd announced that particular decision, primarily because it appeared she cared little that Strong was dead. Catherine had also not been in touch with home since her earlier call of the week. And most probably Jace would not be aware of her decision from her lips but perhaps via the tabloids; there just hadn't been time! Now pacing in her sparsely furnished office, she pondered her dilemma.

A tapping on her door pulled her out of her current revere, "Come in," she told whomever it was knocking. Rio looked up from his position at the front of Catherine's desk as the party entered.

"Ms Devonshire, there is a Detective Kelsey in the building who would like to have a few private words with you over the shooting incident." Rita informed her quietly, noticing the blind woman stiffen at the mention of the shooting.

"Well, we can't keep New York's finest waiting downstairs can we Rita, tell him I will see him. Oh, and Rita I'd love some tea, very strong please, if you can get someone to manage that, the other tasted like tap water!" Catherine muttered her disapproval at the beverage.

"No problem, I will let detective Kelsey in to see you and go and get your tea myself." Rita smiled at the taller woman. She hadn't seen anyone work so hard to protect the company as she had this woman in the past week; pity so few knew that fact. If it hadn't been for her tenacious attention to the requirements of the market Rita doubted that Xianthos would still be taking on employees, it would be more like shedding them in colossal numbers instead.

Catherine tipped her head in Rita's direction, "Thanks, but you don't have to go and supervise the tea yourself, I'm sure you have lots of other things to do?" Catherine voiced sincerely.

"No problem, as I said before, if making your life a little easier with some decent tea is the key, then I'm going to do just that! I'll make it myself. My own mother could never abide the way she was often given tea in this country." Rita offered as her explanation.

"Your mother wasn't American then?" Catherine asked interested in the comment, if only to give her a few minutes respite from her own problems.

"No, she was English, she married my father when he was stationed in England during the war and arrived over here as a war bride, kind of romantic. She hated the way people over here made tea, so she made all her children learn to make tea the English way. Guess it's a skill I thought I'd never use and low and behold I can finally put that talent to use." Rita chuckled at the thought of her late mother she had been so picky about such a simple thing as a cup of tea.

"Then I will look forward to sampling that particular talent Rita, lets get the detective in here and will you contact Danni for me, she should be at the hospital with Ms Waverly. I will meet her over there around five p.m., okay?" Catherine smiled and then sat down heavily in her chair.

"Yes, fine I'll bring the tea, and coffee for the detective." Rita left the room and closed the door behind her.

Catherine whistled softly for Rio to come to heal at her side and he did so immediately; she gently stroked his ears in absent concentration. 'Jace was going to kill her, it was now Saturday and although the building wasn't fully working, there were still staff in and out seven days a week. Rita had agreed to come in today because the work simply wouldn't go away. She would reward her a decent bonus if things worked out and even if they didn't she still deserved the bonus. I promised a call to home and it's Sunday there today, I'd better do that at least, or everyone will be mad at me, not just Jace.'

Catherine's mind wandered, had it really been a year since the accident in Rio? Funny how tragedy seemed to dog her footsteps and now with this new dream she was having to remind her more forcibly of all the reasons why she should never have become involved with Jace! Her thoughts drifted to the memory of the dream that had been plaguing her all week.

Catherine tried to shake her head at the morbid thoughts, but the nightmare claimed her every night. She wasn't entirely sure if it hadn't started on 'Destiny' too, but Jace's body next to hers had dispersed the images as she woke. "Well Rio, looks like that trip I keep putting off to see the only person who can decipher this for me is obviously overdue, going to have to make that call sooner rather than later. Because sure as hell, I'm not giving her up or my life either if I can do anything about it!" Catherine whispered to the dog for his hearing alone. The intercom buzzed to announce her visitor.

"Let the detective in Rita." Catherine said as she straightened her posture in her seat at the desk.

Jace was disturbed by the reports she was hearing in the news about the ongoing developments at Xianthos. The newspaper in town was delighted to be running a story that had local appeal and Catherine Devonshire-Warriorson was local in a big way!

Now the speculation abounded about not only her business but also her personal life, Danni O'Neil's name had become prominent in the last twenty-four hours, god only knew why!

It should have been a simple family trip to the town, Jace had insisted on going with Grace and the children to get out of the house for a few hours. Grace hadn't been happy and now Jace knew why, it was abundantly clear that Grace had been run to ground by the local press when she went into town everyday. Jace had left Grace, Lisa and Jake at the local fast food restaurant, and went off on her own to shop for articles of clothing for Elena. Bad mistake!

"Ms Bardley? What do you have to say about the affair between your 'Friend' Catherine Devonshire-Warriorson and her therapist Danni O'Neil?" the reporter young, but eager for his first blood. The speculation about the relationship between Bardley and Warriorson had been buzzing for months, but hadn't been confirmed.

Jace astonished by the suddenness of the reporter's appearance but not only that, the actual implication behind his words. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, come on Ms Bardley everyone around here knows that you and your 'friend' Catherine Warriorson are having an affair, surely you're not defending her cheating on you?" The reporter saw her pale and knew he had hit a raw nerve; maybe this story would help him get to one of the city papers.

"I have nothing to defend, how can I? Your suggestion is both offensive and totally fabricated, Catherine and Danni are friends nothing more!" Jace angrily turned on him.

"Perhaps they might be more than 'Good Friends' now Ms Bardley. Will you leave New Zealand and go home to America if it's true?" The reporter had the bone between his teeth, now he wanted blood. He wasn't about to let go without a fight, but there again he hadn't expected the blonde to be quite so resistant, she was tougher than she looked.

Jace looked at him and gave him an icy look and walked back to the fast food restaurant and the relative security of her family. The reporter followed with more insinuations and suggestions all of which she ignored resolutely.

Grace had seen Jace's face as she entered the building; immediately she handed over some money to Jake and told the kids to go order a dessert and play on the video machines, as she needed to talk to Jace for a few minutes.

"Okay Grace, we like to play the machines don't we Jake?" Lisa answered for the boy as she skipped over to the counter to look at the desserts.

Jake was looking non-too pleased at Jace's expression either, Grace put a gentle hand on his shoulder and smiled briefly at him as Jace got closer. "It's going to be okay Jake, just go beat Lisa gently at the game and we will get along home soon, okay?" The boy gave her a quiet look and then nodded his head and went after Lisa.

Jace sat down heavily on the chair recently vacated by one of the children and looked at Grace with a mixture of anger and desperation.

"I was just accosted by a reporter who insinuated a ridiculous situation between Catherine and Danni." Jace sighed heavily at the words.

Jace looked away from the direct brown gaze of her friend and flushed a little while retelling the contents of the conversation. "Do you believe any of it?" Grace asked her gently.

"No! No of course not! How could I believe that of Catherine, she loves me?" Jace responded indignantly.

"Yeah, she sure does, but the power of the tabloids has caused her damage before, don't let it come between you and her Jace. She's not the woman she was, you have seen to that!' Grace pointed out and then decided to elaborate on that. "You would kill her soul if you left over something as trivial as this, I just wanted to warn you, should you consider that path."

Jace looked aghast at her friend. "You think that I trust her so little that I could or would contemplate leaving?"

"Actually between you and me, no! But the rest of the world doesn't always see it that way; she has not been in touch either. So, that can sometimes make things more powerful in the eyes of the persuader, and things like that have a tendency to get out to the press. Catherine might even get wind of the speculation, and at the moment she has enough to cope with without worrying un-necessarily about what we are thinking over here." Grace said her tone informative rather than accusing.

Jace looked steadily at Grace and smiled wryly. "Well, I think that its time we all told her how wonderful she is. I know just what to do about that, come on Grace, let's get the kids and log onto a computer at that cyber café in the next street." Jace smiled, happy with her suggestion and its possibilities.

Grace stared at her upbeat mood and smiled along with her, what the hell, if she knew how to make Catherine feel wonderful, who was she to argue, could be interesting knowing these two together.

They collected the children and went to the next street and the cyber café, being doggedly followed by the young reporter, who thought better of accosting them all at once.

Danni looked over the small private room that Constance Waverly occupied; although Catherine had been back to the hospital several times, in each case the injured woman had been sleeping heavily, now she was wide awake and watching her. "You okay?" Danni asked her directly.

"As well as I would expect to be in the circumstances, when is Catherine due? I need to be awake to talk to her this time." Constance said her tone brooking no refusal.

"Hey, don't go chastising me! I'm on your side remember, I suggest you point it out to your little friend who keeps everyone away from you and gets you to sleep at the drop of a hat." Danni smirked at the woman who had turned a light shade of pink at the suggestion.

"Clare is only doing what she feels is best, I don't know what I would have done without her attention in the last week." Constance stated quietly. She had been amazed at the way Clare had responded to her request to stay and how she had literally camped herself in the room for days, until she'd been told politely by the doctors that she really needed to get some rest herself. Reluctantly Clare was home sleeping, but she doubted that the younger woman would stay away long, the very thought made her smile.

"I'm sure you don't, but she's going to make herself ill if she doesn't lighten up." Danni pointed out her own clinical observations regarding the other woman.

"I know, but she's hard to stop when she gets behind something." Constance softly replied her eyes anguished at the thought.

"Maybe I should take you both in hand then and make sure you both take care of yourselves, what do you say?" Danni said practically.

"What will Catherine say, aren't you here to help her?" Constance said, although the offer was tempting, Catherine wouldn't have someone around who didn't know his or her profession, and she was going to need someone like Danni when she got out of the hospital, hopefully next week.

"Catherine? Who's she?" Danni laughed derisively; Catherine hadn't talked to her for the past three days and before then, only grudgingly.

"I see!" Constance saw the sadness play around the therapists features, she was hurt about something. Knowing Catherine, being put out in the cold wasn't pleasant for anyone, but could be especially hurtful if the therapist had any feelings for Catherine.

"I doubt it! But let's ask her when she arrives if you're game?" Danni said quietly.

"I'll tell Clare too, she will accept it." Constance remembered the offer was for both of them.

"Does she do everything you say, I didn't think she came into the tame pet category; thought she had more spark than that?" Danni grinned wickedly.

"What do you mean?" Constance was affronted by the suggestion that she controlled Clare's life in any way.

"Forget it, just my Irish sense of humour." Danni went over to look out the window at the gathering dusk. Catherine would be here soon and then maybe she could do something constructive instead of lounging around all day. Anyway, the damned reporters were bloody nuisances and for the hell of it, she had actually agreed to one of their comments; unfortunately it had been about herself and Catherine. Oh well, it wasn't likely to blow up, and Catherine was too busy to notice a little slip like that.

"It had better be!" Constance finally said as she closed her eyes and drifted back into sleep, until her boss arrived.

Danni watched the woman sleep. She was very beautiful in an exotic sort of way; her dusky skin giving her a very sultry look, she probably wouldn't look to bad on the catwalk if her figure were anything like her features. Seems she was taken though, but who knew in this world, things change all the time and she knew a ploy or two in the seduction game. Clare Fallon didn't look a match for her, but hadn't she thought the same about Jace Bradley. Yeah, well this was different, who was going to go to the defence of the girl in this big city.

Catherine watched the detective out of hooded un-focusing ice blue eyes. Although, if it weren't for the cloudy expression in them, you would have been hard pressed to say she didn't look right through you! That's what detective Kelsey thought when he sat at the chair in front of her desk; he was also wary about the dog too, it seemed to have a predatory look about it, very much like the woman opposite him. Strange really you always kind of considered guide dogs as playful and good natured, he didn't think this one gave that impression at all!

"Detective, you wanted to advise me of some facts?" Catherine inclined her head in his direction, the shadowy imaginary from her right eye allowing her that small advantage over a totally blind person.

Kelsey swallowed and had a gulp of the coffee he had been given by the secretary when he'd arrived in her office. "I wanted to let you know how far we are with the investigation into the shooting in the building."

"I see! Well, I'm all ears detective, I was beginning to wonder if the case had been hidden away in someone's waste paper basket?" Catherine gave him a grim smile.

Clearing his throat Kelsey could understand her frustration. Every day since her arrival in the city she had asked his superiors questions about the case and they had continually fobbed her off. Until she had taken the matter further and talked to the Governor of the State, now he was here to try and placate her, he didn't think much of his chances. "We have identified the shooter as Bart Kingston, he was a member of the fraction that disagreed shall we say with 'Jackson's' views."

Catherine digested the words and nodded her head for him to continue; she hadn't used her influence with the State Governor for that trifle of information. "Ms Devonshire, we picked up two others who are known associates of Kingston and held similar views of Jackson's work, I pulled them in for questioning this morning."

"Have they been informative?" Catherine traced a pattern with her hand along her desktop.

"First impressions, 'Jackson' was the target and under normal circumstances that would have been end of story!" Kelsey drank another mouthful of coffee; he noticed the woman didn't have a drink.

"Under normal circumstances? Now what do you mean by that detective Kelsey?" Catherine was intrigued by the man's voice it held a mystery waiting to be solved.

"The guys looked around the room all the time and refused to meet anyone straight in the eye at any time, always a sure sign that someone is holding something back and they sure were." Kelsey was warming to his subject and the obvious interest of the beautiful woman in front of him. He'd read the newsheet tonight and the announcement that she was gay and having an affair with the therapist she had returned to New York with from her home in New Zealand; there was also speculation that she had a lover there too, but that had not been unconfirmed. Catherine Devonshire was sure stunning, and he wouldn't have minded a little piece of her action; he should be so lucky!

"Detective Kelsey have you lost your direction? You were discussing that the men held some piece of information back." Catherine asked politely, she had heard his increased breathing pattern and wondered what the reason for that could be?

"Whoa, I'm sorry Ms Devonshire, must be this superb coffee your secretary gave me," he laughed sheepishly and continued. "They admitted that although Jackson was the original intended victim, there was another agenda, they had been given money to do the 'hit' but it should have taken place in four weeks time, well that was prior to the shooting so in another three weeks. Bart Kingston was high on drugs and had taken the decision to play god earlier. They hadn't been told to shoot anyone else in particular but that it had to be messy and attention grabbing, news worthy, very news worthy were the guys words. It had to bring someone out of hiding was all the information they had been given." Kelsey looked at the impact the words had on the woman her face never changed it continued to stare at him with a stoic expression almost of boredom, although he knew that wasn't the case. He would bet his next paycheck on that!

A knock on her door, heralding Rita with her tea, she could smell the aroma immediately Rita entered the room, it would help soothe her nerves after being engrossed in the information the detective had given her. "Excuse me a moment Detective, I need to speak to Rita for a few moments alone, if you wouldn't mind going into the other office, I will be back with you directly?" Catherine politely asked the man, he immediately rose out of the chair and left the room, her gaze watching his shadowy form filter from the room.

"What can I do for you Ms Devonshire?" Rita queried quietly she had noticed the white tinge of tension around the eyes of her boss.

"Thanks for the tea, it's marvellous, your mother taught you well,' she could almost picture the smile that crossed Rita's face, although she had never seen her before and had no accurate mental picture to draw from, it had a tangible feel in the air. "I need you to contact my home in New Zealand and advise Mr Colin Montgomery that the security on the ranch must be enhanced immediately if he feels it necessary, he will understand that message perfectly. Would you also..." she didn't know if she should leave a message for Jace.

"Also?" Rita asked her softly, she could feel the tension emanating from the woman close to her.

"Nothing," Catherine finally sighed in frustration, she didn't know what to say in the circumstances, she would have time to consider her options, before she made the call later tonight.

"Okay, shall I show the detective back in now?" Rita moved towards the door and the outer corridor to her office.

"Yes, thanks. Oh, when you're finished with that final instruction Rita, please go home, it's getting late and I appreciate your help." Catherine turned back to the tea on her desk and the soothing aroma.

Walking back in the room, he was surprised at Ms Devonshire's stance, it was as if she had decided there was going to be a bloody battle and she needed to don her armour and weapons for the onslaught. 'Must have something in that tea,' he reflected and smiled wryly.

"Detective Kelsey, I want you to let me know if your interrogations finds out pertinent information and I want the information immediately; not twenty-four hours later, other lives may depend on the facts! Do I make myself clear detective?" Catherine said brusquely.

"Sure, but do you know something I don't?" he asked, fully expecting her to deny it if she did know, he wasn't going to argue with her, she had the Governor of the State on her side, it would be professional suicide.

Catherine rose from her chair and pulled her tall frame into a leaning position over the desk, her face peering directly at him, the lioness prowling. "Yes! Whoever it is wants me to come out of hiding. So be it, I am here. We possibly have two weeks detective to recover the situation, or we might have just run out of time, it is difficult to judge with so little information to go on."

Kelsey was eye to eye with a view of cleavage he would have gladly done more than ogle, his face becoming flushed at the thoughts going through his head. He wasn't sure that he was capable of controlling the part of his body that was responding the most, but he had too! At least she couldn't see his embarrassment and discomfort at her unconsciously blatant sexually inviting position over the desk. "I'll go back to the station house now and continue our questioning with the accomplices, I'll be in touch." Kelsey gave himself a mental kick at his choice of words, 'Touch, hell I have to get out of here before I do just that!'

"Good day Detective Kelsey." Catherine finished the conversation and sat down gracefully in her seat. Totally unaware of the arousal she had caused in the man leaving her office, her mind pre-occupied with more pressing matters.

"Are you sure about this Jace?" Grace asked her tentatively, she had been watching Jace float from site to site until she had found what she was looking for.

"Yeah, she's going to love it trust me?" Jace smiled impishly at her friend's scepticism.

Various choices turned up screen after screen and all four of them had a choice of what they would send Catherine. It really was quite simple! Catherine wasn't the only one who could send her love over the thousands of miles in a tangible way!

Lisa and Jake were absorbed in the selection and after a little while even Grace had fun choosing what to send.

"What time is it there?" Jake asked wondering exactly what Catherine would be doing.

Grace glanced at one of the clocks on the walls in the café for the customer that indicated several time zones around the world. "Around lunchtime Saturday."

"Will she get them before she calls later today?" Lisa asked excited at the game.

Jace laughed merrily at the child, "Sure she will, I'm going to see to that; are we all done?"

"Yes," resonated in the room as they agreed Jace hit the send key and waited for confirmation. A few minutes later she received the answer she wanted, and they proceeded to leave the café and went towards the jeep and the ride home. The reporter now forgotten as they headed for the vehicle. Jace grinned at the thought of the task completed to show Catherine they all cared and were constantly thinking about her, even if she was thousands of miles away. 'I hope you like your surprise my love.'

Catherine approached the corridor to Constance Waverly's private room having had to stomach the presence of one of the hospital assistant administrators, who had insisted that he show her the way.

"Ms Devonshire, it was a great shock when the shooting occurred." the nasally voiced man said perfunctory.

"It must be difficult to carry on with many of your senior people dead or injured and to be frank, you are not exactly capable of taking on your old role with the obvious disability that has unfortunately befallen you." The man may have wanted to sound sympathetic but in fact sounded superior, simpering and totally ignorant to Catherine. Had it not been in a hospital she was pretty sure that a trip on the sidewalk into a gutter would have been a clear-cut option to her, but...

"Not really Mr..? Are you looking for another post, is that why you mentioned it?" Catherine could smell these weasels for miles; he wasn't good at insinuation that was for sure.

She was certain he was flushing from the question. "My name is Samuel's, and no I wasn't implying any such thing!" He spluttered out.

"Good." Catherine knew that her destination must be close at hand; Rio was slowing down as they neared the door.

"This is Ms Waverly's room! If I can be of any further assistance please have someone page me?" He turned away from her, not knowing what to make of the tall woman, but she was very wealthy and influential and that was all that mattered in his and the hospital boards minds.

"Thanks, have a nice evening Samuel's." She opened the door and entered without knocking.

The three women in the room turned at the intrusion and looked at their boss in sympathy, although in varying degree's. Catherine placed her back on the closed door and leaned into it for a few seconds then closed her eyes.

"Catherine, pleased you could make it?" Danni spoke eventually trying to hide the bitterness in her tone but failing marginally.

"Danni." Catherine replied in a derisory tone, her eyes scanning the room and the fuzzy shapes of three bodies. Having now tracked Danni when she spoke her name, she now knew that Clare was immediately in front of her close to the edge of the bed.

"Ms Devonshire, good to see you again, I'm sorry about your accident!" Constance surprised Catherine at her response.

"I would have thought that was my line Constance?" Catherine felt a smile slip onto her face.

"Yeah, maybe it is, but I thought I would say it first." Constance heard the bitterness in Danni's voice and she didn't want either woman fighting in her room, it wasn't the time or place.

"Then thank you, I'm doing rather well these days, I have reason to be, and I feel healthy and want to stay that way." Catherine obscurely answered.

Clare looked at Constance and they shared a smile, Danni looked out of the window bored with the conversation. "Has your friend had the baby yet? Paul...Paul wasn't sure before...before..." Clare faltered and was relieved of saying more as Catherine's hand touched her shoulder in gentle comfort.

"Yes, we have a daughter, she's called Elena after my mother." Catherine decided that her relationship with Jace, while private was not or ever going to be a hole in the wall affair that she was ashamed to acknowledge in public, and that went for their daughter as well!

"Congratulations," both Clare and Constance replied they had seen the look of tenderness come over Catherine's face when she mentioned the baby.

"Thanks. So, what do we know people, if anything?" Catherine stood around for a moment not sure of the positioning of the chairs in the room.

Constance smiled at the un-certainty of her boss, "Danni, get Ms Devonshire a seat please."

Danni rapidly realised she wasn't taking care of Catherine as would be expected of her and immediately rectified that by placing a chair at her right hand side and swiftly placing her hand on the back to give Catherine the positional feel of the object.

Danni despondently went back to her place and her view overlooking the hospital grounds again, she was not a happy woman.

Clare rapidly and efficiently gave her all the details from their meeting with Paul and Celeste, closing on the name of Tito Yashimo as the possible candidate for the hacking of the information.

Catherine considered the information and then raised her eyebrows, her concentration in full flow. "It's not Tito."

"He hasn't got the balls for that kind of operation, unless his wife is behind it, then I might reconsider." Smirking at the last time she had seen the Japanese businessman, she had been sure he was on the point of tears at her decision that day. "Ladies, I know he wasn't happy with the last decision I made, but Paul made sure he retained his position and there would have to be a pretty good reason for him to do something this suicidal. I'll get him over here and we can all talk to him, what do you think?" Who could really argue as the two participating women in the conversation nodded their heads?

Catherine then related her own information from the detectives visit to them and it was becoming clear as the nose on anyone's face, that the real issue was Catherine herself, but in what context? And how did they plan to carry it out? Lots of question and not one viable answer, yet! To make matters even more difficult, time was running out and to Catherine her nightmares seemed to get closer and closer to reality.

Susan had been surprised at the medium sized box that arrived at the apartment around six in the evening. Catherine was due home anytime, and had mentioned a call to home she simply could not miss. Susan let the delivery boy place the package inside the hall and she tipped him as he left.

Picking up the envelope that had been handed with the package Susan read the sender's name Ms J Bardley, 'Destiny' Ranch, South Island, New Zealand. 'Wonder who that is?' Catherine hadn't had the time to speak to Susan about anything remotely personal since she'd arrived; it had been far too hectic.

The door to the apartment opened and in walked a flushed and miserable Danni and an irate Catherine being pulled forward by Rio.

"Have you ever managed to keep your mouth shut in your life Danni? You know what this is going to do now? Do you really expect me to believe that you didn't know the effect this would have?" Catherine icily spat at her therapist.

"I didn't hear the precise comment and I answered in the positive rather than the negative, what are you going to do, sue me?" Danni exploded back at Catherine. It had been difficult to explain herself to Catherine after she found out by accident that the story that they were lovers was all over the tabloids. In fact Clare Fallon had brought it to their attention on the way out of the hospital. She wasn't exactly on the top of her list of favourite people right now, stupid bitch!

"Yes! I might bloody well do that!" Catherine stalked into the kitchen area. "Susan I need tea!"

Susan wasn't sure what the altercation was about but she certainly wasn't going to be spoken to like that. "When you calm down and ask me properly, I might reconsider that declaration." Susan saw the temper rising in Catherine and then the fist raised and then plunged down hard on the table, even Rio jumped at the noise.

Finally Catherine controlled her temper and glanced in the direction she knew Susan would be standing. "I'm sorry Susan, would you mind making me some of your tea, and I am sorely in need of it."

"You certainly look like you need the tea, has it been a bad day?" Susan saw Catherine flinch.

"Bad day? No! Whatever made you think that?" Catherine shook her head at the continuing problems plaguing her life.

"Well in that case, you have a parcel in the hallway do you want me to bring it in here for you?" Catherine looked anxiously around, what if it was a bomb? The way her luck was running at the moment that was entirely possible.

"It's from a Ms J. Bardley on the ranch." Susan had seen the agitation of her employer and decided the sender's name might help. She was impressed with herself, for the first time in all the years she had know Catherine, she had never seen such an expression of pure joy on her face, at the mention of a simple name. 'So this was the person who had replaced her tea in the sex stakes, marvellous.'

Taking apart the package, Susan retrieved a large heart shaped box, the material crushed deep red velvet. Placing the box in Catherine's hand, she watched fascinated as the younger woman beamed at the thoughts she had on receiving such a gift, her fingers trailing over the material, touch now the sense in control.

Opening the box, she could feel six objects, taking care she slipped the first one out of the box and her fingers curled around a replica coffee sized cup in what she assumed must be plastic, her nostrils flared slightly she could pick up the faint traces of coffee? Yes coffee, but it wasn't just any old coffee it was a good replica of cappuccino.

She felt the next object, a small oval shape with slightly spiky extrusions soft to the touch that fit into the palm of your hand. But it was the feeling of cold that emanated from the object and her mind associated it with a snowball and she laughed at the thought.

Next a miniature horse, with the tantalising smell of brass and leather, a longing look passed over her face briefly as her thoughts turned to Tralargon.

Her face fairly beamed, as she picked up a bottle, which had the distinct aroma of milk with the hint of citrus. It reminding her of lime and a special conversation that she had had with Jace that had the promise of lime milk; one promise that was never needed.

Then tears rolled gently as her eyes stung from the smell of ammonia, encapsulated in a triangle of material she wasn't sure of, maybe cotton? A smile of quirky anticipation apparent to the onlooker if they peered into Catherine's face.

Under all the tissue she closed her fingers around a long piece of wood, carved with distinctive letters. ' Home Sweet Home, We Love You.'

Susan had watched all the emotions pass over the features of her employer and was amazed that something this simple could and had evoked so much emotion. "Each object obviously has some significance?"

Catherine wiped a tear from her eyes, "Oh yes Susan, this is home! Grace is a good friend; she makes the best cappuccino in New Zealand. Lisa loves to throw snowballs and it's snowing at home, so she will be in her element. Jake has an affinity with horses, must take after me I think. Then there's Jace,' Catherine sighed softly at the image of her lover in her mind's eye. "She's reminding me of an offer and Elena is warning me of the pleasures to come, when I do get home again." Catherine spoke slowly and with such devotion, Susan was hard put not to cry herself.

"Well, you'd better tell me about them then and afterwards we will get to the fight with Danni. Come on Catherine, you need something to eat, before you waste away." Susan wanted to hear about this family who had the foresight to send a blind person things she could touch and smell, a tangible feel of home. Clearly someone had thought about the gift idea carefully.

Catherine's conversation during the meal, which fortunately didn't include Danni, was primarily about her new family on 'Destiny'. She had waited in quiet anticipation for any comment about her relationship with Jace, but none transpired.

"What's the problem with Danni?" Susan finally asked; she'd seen the scowl form on Catherine's face as she'd explained that Jace was going to be mad at her for not calling sooner. It reminded her of the angry look Catherine had when she'd entered the apartment originally that night.

"Indiscreet, now how would that go? I thought you had covered just about every eventuality last year in the tabloids?" Susan chuckled softly as she saw the colour rise in Catherine's cheeks.

"Danni has implied to the newspapers that we are having an affair, she says by accident but I have my doubts." Catherine grimly replied.

"That of course isn't true?" Susan asked the question but she knew the answer anyway; the previous half-hour had convinced her if she'd had any doubts.

"Hell, Susan I'm in love! The party in question is someone so far removed from the likes of Danni or anyone else that I have ever known, I still find it incredible that she loves me!" Catherine spoke with passion.

"Jace Bardley isn't it? Lucky lady." Susan smiled at the dreamy expression on Catherine's face.

"No, she's not the lucky one, I am, and believe me I know it. I don't want this rumour to get out of hand and it could; we are so far away from each other." Catherine clasped her hands together in a nervous gesture.

Susan looked at the pensive stance of the tall woman and her heart went out to her. Life had never been easy for Catherine, but she had been a survivor and proved it on more than one occasion obviously, so this little episode wouldn't defeat her. "If she loves you as much as you apparently love her, I'd say you're on very safe ground. I would suggest that Danni leaves the apartment as soon as possible, in light of the 'mistake'." Susan got up from the table and glanced over to the clock on the kitchen wall.

"Yes, she wants to help Constance and Clare come to terms with their problems after the shooting, she can go and stay at either of their apartments, it will be more convenient for them all I suspect." Catherine smiled at that solution, she could tell Jace that to; it might help ease the tension if the story had gone over the wire to home.

"Sounds like a plan. Now it's time for you to settle down and dial up your family, they will be waiting." Susan watched as Catherine slowly ambled out of the kitchen towards her study, Rio close behind her.

"Take care on the way home Susan." Catherine commented as she opened the door to the study and waited for Rio to follow her in before she closed it firmly behind her.

It had been one of the most unexpected shocks in Jace's life when she arrived back on the ranch. Nothing, nothing had prepared her for the surprise and yes, absolute shock of seeing her ex-husband watching them alight from the vehicle after their eventful trip the town.

"I can't believe it?" Jace whispered but loud enough for Grace to hear her as she glanced towards the figure leaning against the porch railings watching them.

"Believe what? Oh bloody hell!" Grace asked and then saw the object of Jace's disbelief.

Jace's face was devoid of colour, her cheeks white as a sheet and her hands were shaking. "What is he doing here? I never told him about the baby, how could he know?"

Grace saw the turmoil in the anguished woman and closed her hand on the smaller one. "Don't worry, do you want me to handle this?"

"Yes! No! No Grace you can't; he will want to see Elena and I can't stop him, he is after all her father!" Jace spoke quietly, trying to convince herself.

"Biological father Jace, we know who will be the substitute 'father figure' your daughter will look up to for advice and love." Grace pointed out to her, wondering if she'd forgotten Catherine in her shock at seeing Adamson.

"Yes. Well the only good point about this is, Catherine always said she didn't want to be on the property when he came visiting, guess she got her wish." Jace pulled her coat closer to her and braced the cold and walked briskly towards the porch and the straightening figure of her ex-husband.

Grace shook her head; some men never gave up on a lost cause did they! Climbing out of the vehicle she took Lisa's hand and called Jake to follow her to the stables. She needed to see Colin and they could come as, Jace had a visitor and needed to be alone for a little while.

Jace looked up at the boyish features of Peter Adamson, he hadn't changed but then again it had only been a year. "Peter, I'm surprised to see you here? Why are you?"

Peter Adamson looked at the beautiful blonde that he had been proud to call his wife and who had given birth to his child, but she wasn't his and had never been if he was prepared to be frank with himself! "I heard that you had given birth to my daughter, I thought I would see how you both were and get acquainted with my child."

Jace sucked in a breath and walked up the steps to stand shoulder to shoulder with him, her heart beating loudly, she was positive he must hear it. "Who told you?"

Peter quirked an eyebrow at her and gave a small smile. "A little bird, but obviously not the stork. It appears that privilege went to another." he couldn't help the sarcasm that laced his voice, his mind on the owner of the property he was currently standing on, but obviously very unwelcome.

Jace winced at his tone and wished that Catherine had been on the ranch, she could sure use the support, this she hadn't been ready for. "I assume you want to see Elena?" Jace decided that it would be prudent to let him see Elena and then he could leave.

"Elena? Foreign sounding name, no, don't tell me SHE decided on the name, typical!" Peter looked at her scornfully, why was she so besotted with that woman?

"I chose the name, Catherine didn't have anything to do with it!" Jace angrily responded. She didn't care what he thought anyway, it had absolutely nothing to do with him.

"Jace, you always did jump to her defence, after all the heart ache she caused you, you still think she's the most wonderful person on the planet?" Peter watched her carefully; he knew that Jace would find it impossible to lie about anything when looked at directly.

"She certainly is the most wonderful and loving person on the planet Peter. I hope you find someone like that yourself one day." Jace decided to keep her anger bottled, there wouldn't be any benefit in antagonism.

"I thought I had!' He stated simply and then looked towards the door of the house. "You look cold, time you went inside and we can see our daughter."

They both went into the house and Jace motioned to Judy and requested she go ask Faith to bring down Elena if she didn't mind.

Jace placed her coat and gloves on the coat stand in the hall and went towards the study. It would be warm in there but also private; you could never tell when someone was going to walk in on you in the other main rooms in the house.

Faith joined them holding the baby cradled to her chest. She looked at the young man and her face took on a quizzical expression similar to one she'd seen on Grace's features.

Faith looked at the unhappy expression on her face and at the man's feeble attempt at a smile. "Pleased to meet you Mr. Adamson, she'll need feeding shortly." Faith said sharply and left the room after handing Elena over to Jace.

"Hey beautiful, gonna open your eyes for mommy?" Jace whispered into the baby's face. The baby obediently opened her eyes and gurgled happily at the sight of her mother.

Peter shuffled around on the spot as he watched the woman he still loved, cradle and croon to their child. He was proud of Jace, but not happy with her decision to live here and with that woman! He was going to have some input into his daughter's upbringing, he'd make damn sure of that! "Are you going to introduce me to her?"

Jace had almost forgotten Peter was in the room with her, he wasn't important. "Sorry, Elena this is...Peter," she answered the glance she gave him defiant.

Peter noticed the title she had 'not' bestowed on him. Walking over to her he looked down at the curious eyes of his daughter. "Hey, little one, what a beauty you are." Peter was enthralled and he placed a finger into her tiny fist and laughed softly as she grasped it in a very strong hold.

Jace watched him through veiled eyelids, he had every right to be here she knew but she had so hoped that he just wouldn't have bothered. "You didn't say who told you I'd had the baby. It could not have been my folks they don't know anything about her yet."

Peter glanced up briefly into her expressive green eyes and then looked down into a much smaller mirror image of them. "No I never did. Why haven't you told your family Jace, they would be pleased I'm sure?" He was surprised at the admission. He was sure Jace must have made up with her family once he was out of the picture; it was after all, his presence in her life that had prompted the rift, however innocently.

"Never been the opportunity, I guess, we will get round to it soon." Jace supplied her thoughts, sad at the loss of contact with her family.

"We?" Peter smiled at his daughter who clasped onto his finger with even more determined strength.

Peter looked at her in annoyance. He wanted her back; he wanted this family life, and he would give up anything for it! "Come back to me?" he pleaded.

Jace looked at him in complete surprise, stunned at his question. "No! It's over, it should never have started in the first place, and I'm not in love with you!"

Peter pulled his hand away from the baby and she scowled at the action and began to murmur in agitation. "You never loved me did you; no matter what you said. What was it all about Jace, a stud for the night to have a child for that bitch you live with?"

Jace went several shades paler than she already was. 'No, no it had never been that, she had loved him but only the love of a friend, not a lover.' "How can you say that? You knew I loved you as a friend and I always will, but it was never the love that I felt for and do feel for Catherine. You always knew that Peter, ALWAYS! You were my friend."

Peter looked at her and knew it was a pointless exercise to try and convince her, 'what did he have to compete with Catherine Devonshire; hell she had everything! No, that wasn't strictly true she wasn't the father here I am, that gives me some rights.' "I want to have the right to see my daughter and have a direct influence over her upbringing." he stated matter of factly.

"Why?" Jace questioned. Now distraught and looked down at the peacefully innocent countenance of her daughter, 'Catherine had been right, he isn't going to let me have custody over Elena solely, how could I have been so naive.'

"She's mine too or have you forgotten that small point?" He was hurting her and he wanted to inflict even more hurt. Jace had hurt him when she left him suddenly the morning after the party at Thompson's, and pushed through with the divorce against his wishes.

"Your name isn't on the birth certificate." Jace told him defensively. She wasn't finished yet, he might be winning the skirmishes, but she was damned if he was going to win the war.

"Don't talk rubbish Jace, that's not your style, your lying to me!" Peter looked astounded that she would even think it.

"It's not my style you're right, but you're going to have to take me to court to get any access to my child and I'll fight you, if youthink I won't. TRY ME!" Jace exploded and Elena let out a shriek of surprise and started to sniffle and burrow closer to her mother. 'Feeding time.'

Peter looked at her angrily, and gave her a tight look. "Your upsetting her." He looked about the room and realised he'd worn out his welcome assuming he had been welcome in the first place, which he doubted. "This isn't over Jace!" He looked her over once again and then swiftly went to the door and left.

Jace sat down heavily on one of the large armchairs in the room she cuddled Elena to her, deciding this was a good place to feed her daughter. Opening her blouse and freeing her left breast, she pulled the baby close to get her to suckle. It didn't take long, that was something her daughter had caught on easily. It always made her chuckle at the appetite of her baby and today wasn't any different except Jace's expressive eyes remained sad. 'Please come home soon Catherine, I need you.'

A lone tear trailed along her cheek as she contemplated Peter's motives for trying to stay in her life, and who had informed him of the birth, that was still a puzzle?

Grace watched Colin Montgomery saddle up Tralargon, he was going to take the mare for her daily exercise. She watched as he talked and soothed the creature then stroked his hand down her right flank to compliment his words. Grace felt like a voyeur, she had to shake her head a couple of times, she knew her body was responding to the resonating tones of the ranch foreman not to mention the movement of his hands on the mare. He had always had the sort of voice you could spend a lifetime listening to, it was soothing and made you feel so safe. She wanted to have that in her life, no, she wanted to have him in her life!

Jake had taken Lisa to the top of the hillock to make a snowman. They would be engrossed for at least an hour or more, which should give Jace the time she needed to rid herself of her ex.

Now Grace looked closely at her own problems, it was okay to give out all this advice on love and commitment, but what did she do when it was her problem? Who was she going to talk to about it? 'Jace? I would but I think she's got enough on her plate, so my problems wouldn't be exactly welcome. Mother? Oh yeah, she could try the mother daughter interface and I know as soon as I mention this particular problem, mother would come running over to sound the man out, and that would be that! Not a problem any longer, but plenty of embarrassment all round. No, that wasn't an option. Judy? No, she was okay but there was something not quite right with that girl, I really must check her out soon. I guess that leaves me,' her natural buoyancy to make light of a problem where possible, made her laugh out loud.

"Grace?" Colin had turned at the laugh and was surprised but pleased to see her.

"Hi Colin, sorry to disturb you. Jace needed to have some time with her ex at the house and the kids are making a snowman; so I thought I would just pass the time of day with the horses. By the way, how did Adamson get to the house, wasn't your newly installed security working today Colin?" Well, it was close to the truth, wasn't it?

"Actually, Adamson arrived about the same time as the contractors who are fixing up the equipment on the north side. He obviously was taken to be one of them. I need to clear that matter up, not sure how yet; but I will! I checked up on him when he arrived about an hour ago, I said he could stay on the porch, no access to the house and I had a ranch hand close by watching him; it would be Jace's call then I suppose. So, horses and you Grace? No! Others I can understand, but you, come on what's the problem?" He looked at her in a friendly fashion, perhaps for the first time in months.

Colin gave her a long look and the lines around his eyes wrinkled as he smiled at her, his grey eyes locking with her brown ones. "I think you have in the past, but it's different now."

"Tell you what, I have to exercise Tralargon, would you care to have dinner with me and I think we can perhaps trade some stories, that might be enlightening for both of us. What about it Grace?" Colin smiled back at her and waited patiently for her answer; she seemed to be at a loss for words.

Grace was momentarily lost for words, anything she'd thought of as a smart remark to whatever he was going to say, just dried up; her mouth felt dry and incapable of voicing the smallest of sounds. 'Was he asking her out on a date?' finally she found her voice. "What about Fiona?" Grace looked at him and expected him to recant his invitation.

He continued to smile, then a mischievous grin appeared on his face and he bent close to her ear and whispered, "Long gone Grace, it's time to experience the real thing. I'll come to the house at seven. Okay?" He then placed a light kiss on her lips, mounted Tralargon and trotted the mare out of the stables and cantered down the drive to the open range without a backward glance.

"The real thing? Did he just say what I think he said? I have to tell Jace, I have to tell someone, I want to tell everyone!" Grace was spluttering over the words and she sat down on a clean bale of straw and hugged the information to her. Maybe she was getting her third chance at this and no way was she going to lose it this time, no way!

Smiling as if she had won the lottery, she decided now was a good time to throw some snowballs at those kids of ours, yeah payback time. She was in one of the best moods she'd been in for...years.

Danni chose the moment that Catherine went into her study to venture out of the guestroom and search for something to eat. Walking into the kitchen she noticed that Susan was although still here, was putting on her overcoat in readiness to leave.

"Hi Susan, anything left for me?" Danni smiled at the housekeeper, but lost it immediately as she was given an icy glance from Susan.

Danni noticed the coldness in the housekeepers tone and she hung her head, "I never meant to say what I did to the newspapers." Catherine would have informed the old crone about the story in the papers so it wasn't much use denying anything.

Susan looked at the young woman and speculated on that comment. "Then why did you? It would have been prudent to say 'no comment' others do?"

"I was mad at her, she brings me here and then ignores me altogether, I was, no I'm jealous of what she has with Jace Bardley." Danni wanted to talk to someone about this knot she was tied in and didn't have anyone else.

"Are you telling me you love her too? What are they putting in the water in New Zealand these days?" Susan chuckled at that scenario.

Danni laughed quietly with the joke the woman had tried to ease the tension with. "I think it's just a certain person, not the whole of the country."

"No, lust might cover it but love, well I've never been in love and what I feel for Catherine it is pointless anyway, and she's so in love with our token American, no one stands a chance. It makes you feel sick, when you see them together." Danni said, her manner one of resignation.

"Token American, isn't that a little harsh?" Susan looked at Danni who had poured herself orange juice from the cold compartment of the refrigerator.

"Sorry, Irish humour." Danni replied as she took a large draught from her glass and placed the half-empty tumbler on the kitchen table. This was her stock in trade answer when she couldn't formulate anything equally witty.

"What does Jace Bardley look like Danni? Call it a nosey old woman's inquisitiveness." Susan explained.

"Jace is well, she's Jace! She has silky blonde hair down to her shoulders, the most amazing green eyes that you could ever want to see you drown in them when she looks at you directly, mesmerising. When she smiles it's like she glows and it's hard not to respond to the compassion that flows from her. She's about five foot four or five; short when you see her and Catherine together, and yet she doesn't appear small, she has a way of holding her body that makes her as tall as Catherine and taller sometimes. You know she has a way with words that makes everyone love her, I don't think there is anyone on the ranch that ndoesn't; she's simply Jace." Danni spoke almost to herself, capturing images in her head of the described woman.

Susan had been watching Danni as she spoke and couldn't stop a half smile of recognition pass over her lips. Picking up her purse she walked to the doorway leading to the hall. "Danni if I was you I would reconsider how you feel, you might be in lust with Catherine, but in my opinion, you are in love with Jace Bardley, think on it." Susan left the stunned Danni looking into the glass of her juice and then Susan popped her head back round the doorway. "I suggest you keep that information from Catherine as that would certainly send her way over the edge with you if she suspected you of having deep feelings for Jace, and I mean any feelings at all!"

Danni completely still her mind numb from the housekeeper's disclosure, she heard the door of the apartment open and close as Susan left.

'What the hell was the old crone going on about, I can't love her? Impossible, she's an irritant nothing more, she hardly gives me the time of day.' Danni considered that remark, but did she give Jace the same courtesy. 'I can't believe Susan said that, I must be going mad with frustration that's what it is, it must be!'

Danni retrieved several items from the refrigerator and set about making a sandwich, it would at least give her something to do until her emotions settled back down. 'Me? In love with Jace Bardley? No! No! No!'

Catherine waited patiently for the connection to be picked up at home it seemed to be hours instead of the seconds that had lapsed.

Catherine smiled as she realised that Jake had answered the phone and he answered the call appropriately also!

"Hi Jake, what's my boy been up too since I've been away?" Catherine smiled as she heard the intake of breath and the sudden release as he realised who was at the end of the line.

"That's me boy, how you doing?" Catherine felt happy for the first time since she'd talked to Jace earlier in the week, it was the deep sense of desolation without her family that she had completely misjudged, and this wasn't going to happen again that was for sure.

"I'm in the hall, I will get Jace and Lisa and we will transfer the call okay?" Jake said remembering the rest of the family.

"Sure, but what about Grace?" Catherine had been surprised that Grace hadn't been mentioned.

"Oh, Grace and Colin have gone to town for a meal; she looked beautiful, she had a dress on!" Jake explained, the surprise in his voice at Grace's attire evident, which prompted Catherine to chuckle at her end.

"Well, that answers that one, go get the rest of the family and we will have a nice chat." She heard him put the phone down and call Jace and Lisa.

The call had been underway for over an hour and Lisa asked Catherine when she would be home.

"Soon Princess, soon. But you can play with Elena until I get there isn't that right Jace." Catherine sounded hollow as her voice echoed from the intercom.

Jace laughed, "Well, in small doses but this eldest daughter of ours is a dare devil Catherine; she wants to take Elena for a bicycle ride. I kind of think Elena is a little young for that yet!" Jace replied the call was just what the doctor ordered, not only for the children but for her also.

"Princess I loved your snowball and Susan my housekeeper here wants one too, gives you a tingling sensation when you hold it." Catherine laughed at the delighted sounds from the child.

"We will see, what about the others Catherine, did you recognise everything?" Jace had wondered if Catherine had received the box of goodies but had to wait for her to mention them directly, it would have spoilt the surprise otherwise.

"I love it all, Jake thanks for the horse it reminds me of you and Tralargon." Catherine's voice held her appreciation at his thoughtfulness.

"I nearly sent you a football, but the horse was better because you could think of Tralargon too, she misses you as much as we do." Jake said quietly.

Jace chose that moment to call a halt to the free for all call and asked if the children could watch some TV for a few minutes while they talked alone. Both children rolled their eyes at her.

"We know you just want to tell her you love her Jace, we can listen, you say it often enough here." Lisa pointed out frankly.

"LISA YOU CAN'T SAY THAT!" Jake shouted at her, but couldn't help the smirk cross his face as he agreed with her.

"I just did." Lisa said and looked directly at Jace. "It's true though isn't it?"

Jace turned red, very red at the child's accurate observation, it was embarrassing.

"I agree with you Lisa, so scram and then I can say I love her too!" the disembodied voice of Catherine resonated around the study.

"Yes. I agree, come home soon Catherine." Jake called as he followed Lisa to the door.

"I love you both, don't go causing trouble while I'm away." Catherine smiled into her receiver.

"So how much do you love me Jace Bardley?" Catherine asked seductively her voice low and sensuous.

"Ah, coming from the woman who is having an affair with her physio, that's rich. Is there something you need to explain to me?" Jace commented although she laughed.

Catherine heard the tone of voice and the question but Catherine decided that she wanted her answer first. "How much?"

"That's my girl, and Danni is leaving the apartment tomorrow, she said stupid things to the reporters." Catherine offered in explanation.

"Good! I didn't believe any of it anyway, who would want my cast off anyway." Jace's voice held the confirmation and trust that Catherine needed to hear. Catherine heard.

"Anyone ever tell you that you can be cruel Jace." Catherine laughed softly, never having been considered someone else's cast off before; it was amusing and accurate beyond measure, 'Who would want her if Jace didn't, there wouldn't be anything left to salvage!'

"Mmmmm today, I had a visitor." Jace decided that Catherine being ignorant of Peter's visit would be foolish, to many avenues for trouble.

"Who?" Catherine asked quietly, she knew that there were few people who would even know where Jace was, never mind visit her.

"Peter, Peter Adamson." Jace waited for the explosion. Jace didn't need to wait long, holding the receiver away from her ear slightly.

"HOW CAN YOU ENTERTAIN THAT MAN WHEN I'M AWAY?" Catherine shouted down the line.

"He came to see Elena, he has a right! Entertaining isn't the word I would use for it either." Jace answered calmly.

"No, he doesn't! Where has he been all through your pregnancy? Did he hold you when you couldn't sleep? Did he go hunting for those special cravings in the middle of the night?" Catherine would have continued her tirade, but was interrupted by Jace.

"Yes he does Catherine; he's the baby's father, I can't deny him the chance to see her." Jace choked on the words, hadn't she expressed exactly that to him herself, why was she aggravating Catherine with a lie.

"The bastard waits for me to leave the country and then he homes in on my family. Some good guy he turns out to be; couldn't keep you when he was married to you, so he waits for me to leave the country and he tries again!" Catherine blasted Jace.

"It's not like that Catherine and you know it! If you're so concerned come home." Jace pleaded.

"Because it's not over yet and I want who was behind the chaos at Xianthos." Catherine said coldly.

"For the people who died or for Xianthos or because you want it personally?" Jace asked desperately.

"Revenge isn't the answer Catherine, come home, let's get on with our lives, we have so much to look forward to." Jace pleaded but already knew her pleas were falling on deaf ears.

"This could take years and even your life! Are you willing to sacrifice our life together for revenge?" Jace now realised the depths Catherine would go for the sake of her precious Xianthos, family life and values paled in comparison to the drive she had from that entity; how did you compete with something so powerful?

"GIVE MY REGARDS TO DANNI, TELL HER I WISH HER WELL WITH YOU." Jace put down the phone in anger. Tears leaking from her eyelids, she shouldn't have done that, hadn't she learned anything from the last time she shut Catherine out.

Catherine held the disconnected instrument in her hands. 'You're just being over reactive Jace; I'll be back before you know it. That weasel Adamson doesn't stand a chance with Jace; she loves me! When I get back I'll make it up to you and the family, I promise. Jace always forgave her, didn't she?'

The phone rang at 'Destiny' Jace picked up the receiver in the study. "Hello 'Destiny'..."

"I love you Jace, please don't leave me!" Catherine choked back a sob as she sincerely pleaded. Her hand had speed dialled the number for home within minutes of the disconnection, that wasn't the way to end any conversation with Jace, she had learned that the last time.

Jace smiled through her own tears, "Not a chance dearest, you owe me all your tomorrows, remember?

Catherine smiled weakly at her end; she'd called it right, thank god. "Yes dear one, you have them and you promised me your love for every tomorrow too!"

"That you have and more, it's safe my love." Jace said her own tears making it impossible for her to say any more.

"I know and I'm coming home soon Jace, I promise. I love you." Catherine had managed to get her own emotions under control.

"He wants access to Elena, Catherine, I told him no!" Jace admitted her upset over the Adamson visit.

"You did huh? How did he take it?" Catherine had known that Jace was upset way over what they had discussed, she'd felt it in her gut and being stubborn about not calling back had not been an option.

"He did not take it well Catherine. He got angry; I told him his name wasn't on the birth certificate!" Jace tearfully admitted.

"That's not like you to lie Jace?" Catherine couldn't help but chuckle, she would have paid to see Adamson's face.

"I know, maybe you're a bad influence?" Jace managed a small tearful chuckle of her own.

"Good. I'll speak to my lawyers, get an opinion and then we can stop the bastard seeing her. When she's twenty-one she can decide for herself." Catherine stated positively.

"Catherine, you are so bad!" Jace smiled at the age their daughter would be before she would allow her to have that freedom.

"Yes, but I have reason to be, no one threatens my...family." Catherine's voice growled with frustration at not being at home to see to Adamson personally.

Jace pondered the last word, she was positive Catherine had wanted to say something else. "What do you say about a holiday when this is over? You, me, walking barefoot and holding hands in the moonlight on golden sands?"

Catherine's mind homed in on the suggestion, her thought patterns going wild at the tantalising impression she could evoke in her mind eye. "For you anything and I have just the place," her last word a seductive growl deep in her throat.

"You do, how?" Catherine asked puzzled, never having discussed her other properties with Jace.

"The power of the tabloids Catherine, they don't just give bad news, occasionally they pass on something of interest."

"Okay, we will discuss that when I get home. I love you Jace Bardley, so go and get some rest and I'll be home as soon as I can."

"I love you also dearest, and thank you for understanding." Jace referring to the returned phone call of earlier after she had abruptly disconnected the line.

"Anytime my love, anytime. Talk to you again soon," Catherine replied softly. Smiling contentedly, the tall woman gently lowered the phone to the cradle.

This was how it was going to be, she refused to let an argument fester; that was one lesson etched into her heart and soul from their previous experience. She was not going to allow that to be an issue with them ever again.

Hudson knew her next action went against her policy of having no direct contact with anyone who would be physically involved with her plans for Catherine Devonshire and Jace Bardley. Her Munich contact had stated that personal contact with the lynch pin of her project against Catherine appeared the only solution to gain complete trust. Hudson had disagreed at first; her money should be good enough. Then again, it hadn't been for that fucking fringe group they'd almost collapsed all her plans before they had even stepped off the drawing board. So here she was in the middle of a small German town she couldn't even pronounce, impatiently waiting in a far from desirable bar for her 'lynch pin'.

Hudson looked up at the mountain of a person that had asked the question, she wasn't sure in the dim recesses of the establishment is the person was male or female, even the voice was difficult to decipher. "Who wants to know?"

"As sharp as you are beautiful," the voice responded, and without invitation sat down heavily on the opposite bench to the one Hudson sat at, with the old and worn and heavily beer stained wooden table separating them.

"Thanks, but you didn't answer my question." Hudson looked at the now seated figure opposite her, it was a woman, not beautiful by any standards; she would have said ugly in her opinion, but that was all in the eye of the beholder wasn't it?

"I believe you have an interesting proposition for me? The name is Schmidt," the German looking at her with a forceful glare, accentuating the stony faced features.

Hudson smiled, "Then yes, I'm Clarissa Hudson, Ms. Schmidt pleased to meet you." Hudson held out her slender hand and was forced to turn her eyes towards the woman, who clasped her hand in a bone-breaking shake.

"Ms Hudson, welcome to 'Rudy's'," replied the heavily accented German, whose eyes held a cold menacing expression. If Hudson had any compassion in her heart, she would have been frightened by the appraisal.

"Ms Schmidt I have been informed by a reliable source that you have had dealings with a person I'm interested in?" Hudson purred and saw the German relax a little.

"I know of many persons, who exactly?" her eyes hooded and watchful as she waited for the response.

"Catherine Warriorson, but no excuse me, in the circumstances you will know her as Catherine Devonshire, I believe that title will be familiar to you?" Hudson marvelled at the differing reactions she got when the two names were mentioned, but today was slightly different a new reaction. Hate! Hate in the very primal form.

"Oh yes! I know where she currently resides, but I need you to do something that will scare the hell out of her first and then...you get to do whatever you want with Catherine, what ever you want!" Hudson gave a devilish grin.

"Why can't I just have her? Once you tell me her location, you have no cards to play." The German stated practically.

"Because I want my pound of flesh too. I'm going to pay well for the privilege. Do you understand me? You have only just been released from prison am I right?" Hudson knew everything about the evil bitch in front of her, she wouldn't have been happy to be on her hit list.

"I want you to have some fun with Devonshire's 'friend'! Whatever you want, in whatever way you prefer. She's considered very pretty by many standards and Catherine is besotted with her and will do anything, anything for her, so I'm reliably informed. I'll even pay you 60,000 US dollars, for the pleasure. Are you interested in my proposition?" Hudson smiled but her eyes cold as the arctic skies.

The German looked sceptical. "What do you get out of it?" was the suspicious reply.

Hudson gave one of her demonic laughs and relaxed into her bench seat. "Me? What do I get? I get the pleasure of seeing Catherine brought to her knees and knowing she hasn't a clue as to who was responsible and why. Oh, I'm going to enjoy it immensely, BELIEVE ME!"

"I hear she's a very resourceful woman, this game doesn't sound plausible. There's something else you're not telling me?" The German didn't think Devonshire or her 'friend' would make it easy for anyone to dupe them easily.

"Catherine Devonshire is as blind as a bat, she will never know who was behind any of the events that will eventually bring her to her knees, in fact, she won't know it's happening until it's out of her control. That is already being taken care of, in numerous ways, all unrelated but effective." Hudson looked around the bar and decided that a small toast wouldn't be a bad thing about now, motioning for the waiter she ordered a couple of drinks.

"Real, a touch of mystery behind the events but she's quite definitely blind; highly desirable in the circumstances wouldn't you say?"

Lifting her scotch and water to the other parties' straight vodka, the glasses chinked and in unison chanted. "To revenge, how sweet that sounds and how fatal it will be!"

Colin Montgomery had played one of his aces when he'd approached Grace in the stables, but he'd let so many opportunities slip through his fingers in the past year and even before that. Love wasn't for the feint hearted and his heart was strong, especially when it came to the woman who had ensnared it and no matter what the circumstances, he couldn't wrestle it from her captivity. He never wanted to either, so here he was guiding the most beautiful woman he would ever meet in his life to a small table in the corner of the only decent Italian restaurant for a hundred miles. Not that the choice to dine out in the area had vast possibilities, but he'd heard from others that the reputation was excellent, he hoped Grace liked Italian.

The waiter pulled out the chair for Grace as Colin removed his hand from her elbow. He then sat down opposite her and inwardly smiled at her smoothing down the dress she'd worn, he suspected that she hadn't worn a dress for months, maybe years; she just didn't look comfortable to him. "I hope you like Italian Grace? Although you can have something other than Italian, they have a varied menu?" the said menus arrived at that point and the waiter asked them if they wanted drinks, after ordering a Chianti and water, they were left alone to contemplate their choices from the much used menu's.

"I'm fine with Italian Colin, don't worry, it looks a nice place." Grace responded, her nervous hands fiddling with the dress she'd worn. Why the hell she had, was beyond her, the last time she'd worn a dress was at her dad's funeral and before that god knows when.

"You look beautiful Grace." Colin smiled the emotion slowly moving over his face and up to his grey eyes that held so much affection. Now she knew why!

"Thanks, you look quite handsome yourself." Grace knew it was an inane remark and regretted it as soon as she'd uttered it but it was to late.

Colin blushed slightly at the words; he'd worn the only decent suit he possessed, as his wardrobe was pretty basic. His concession to taking Fiona out had been new shirts and boots, but he was definitely going to buy some decent clothes if Grace looked like that everytime he took her out, she deserved nothing less.

They both looked at each other over the table and smiled ruefully. "We've been very stupid Grace," Colin began and noticed the slight shift in her shoulders as he'd said it.

"I should have been more persistent in persuading you to accept a date with me, I should have tried harder," he replied slowly,

"As I recall you asked on several occasions and I declined, doesn't look stupid to me from your angle Colin, I'm surprised you still want to try, assuming this is a date?" Grace had decided that honesty was the only way now with Colin, he deserved no less from her.

"You had other things on your mind as I recall and yes, I hope this is a date." his mind recalling a certain doctor and sadness came over his features briefly.

Grace saw the sadness etched briefly in his face and knew the reason for it. "I never loved him."

Colin looked at her, surprised at her confession and without prompting replied softly, "I know!"

"You do huh? What about you Colin have you ever been in love?" Grace asked him simply, but her stomach churned in anticipation of his answer.

"Yeah, once." He smiled at her and then the waiter came over to take their orders.

Several minutes later, Grace didn't know if she was supposed to ask whom, or when, or if he still did? It was perplexing, "Do I know her?"

What the hell, she had never been a coward when it came to sensitive conversations before so why become one now!

"Yes you do!" He grinned at her and picked up his glass of Chianti and raised it, Grace slowly raised hers and looked at him with a small smile of inquiry in her own. "Salute Grace, may all your worries be little ones."

"Salute Colin, I hope the same for you too!" Grace managed to say through dry lips.

"Then that's going to be fine, because I believe that between us those worries might just be something we can create together what do you think?" Colin's expression had become enigmatic.

Grace was puzzled; she knew what she wanted the words to mean but did he? Christ, why do men always persist in using phrases that had double meanings at the most crucial time? "I guess it depends on how much fun you have in creating them." She could be equally as dual purpose.

Colin laughed at the remark and choked slightly on his drink, his eyes dancing with glee. "I think creating them with you will be fun, glorious fun Grace, do you think, you might have the same fun with me?"

Grace saw the slight tension around his eyes as he waited for her answer. Moving her hand slowly across the table to avoid tipping over any of the water in the glasses in the vicinity of his hand, she put her smaller hand over his. "There's only one way to find out, we try it."

Turning her hand over into his fully, he squeezed the hand gently and would have said more but their meal arrived. Relinquishing her hand slowly he smiled at her and snared her in a glance that had her heart beating wildly in her chest. She wasn't sure if it was the piping hot food recently put before her making her perspire, or his eyes.

This first date wasn't over yet, but it was working out wonderfully well so far.

Catherine paced around her study in the apartment, 'It was bloody criminal that she was here in America and Jace was in New Zealand and that bastard of an ex-husband of Jace's had been in my home close to her. He's not getting either of them, no way! Elena could decide if she wanted to see her father when she was old enough, okay, maybe twenty-one was a little over the top but it's how she felt about the whole issue. Never! Would have been her original choice of reply. Hell, Jace had surprised her when she'd said that about the birth certificate, it had brought it home in a very positive way that Jace was hers. There wasn't anyone on this earth that was ever going to stop them having a fulfilling long life together she was certain. Once she'd solved the puzzle at Xianthos regarding the traitor, she would go home and the family would never be split up again, if she had to go away again they would go together or not at all,' Catherine almost spoke her thoughts aloud as her pacing continued.

Walking over to the window and looking out, she would have seen the dark recess of the lake eerily quiet of it's flocks of birds that inhabited the lake during the day, overlooking the park had its advantages. There were couples strolling in the evening moonlight, and the odd vagrant rifling through the waste bins until a cop dispersed them. Catherine saw none of this; she only imagined it from her previous stay over six years ago. When she'd lived here previously it hadn't felt like a home, it was a base of operation. She slept in the room, she occasionally dined here and entertained lovers when she saw fit, but it wasn't home. Susan's remark about sex and tea had amused her and made her realise just how empty her life had been then, even with Adam and Lucas in the background.

It was amazing how someone could come into your life so suddenly and spin it around on it's axis and you never felt a thing until you tried to deny it and get off the revolving movement. Denying Jace had been the biggest mistake of her life so far, now she couldn't deny the woman anything, well almost anything. Going home at this stage wasn't an available option. She needed the time to find out what was going on and why. She wanted to keep her family safe and to her reasoning, that meant staying away from them for the next couple of weeks; by then she should know more specifics about what the threat was and how to handle it. If she was the intended target, at least her family didn't have to be here to witness it! She intended for them to be safe; that came first with the tall woman.

"Hey Rio, time I got our superbly dense physio to take you for a short walk before we go to bed, what do you think?" Catherine gently caressed the dog's ears. That was one plus of being blind the possession of this animal, it was amazing his rapport with her. When she got her sight back she was going to keep him, regardless of the fact that he could be helpful elsewhere. To her, the achievement of gaining her sight wasn't a pipe dream; it was a driving force in her life. She would get it back and she would get it back before her children had grown up too!

Opening the door of the study, she ambled out and went towards the lounge where she could hear the TV. Striding towards the open plan arrangement, she saw shapes of furniture and then movement from the middle of the room as a body shape moved into the middle of her peripheral view. "Catherine, what can I do for you?" Danni asked quietly.

"I need you to walk Rio for a few minutes and then I'm going to retire." Catherine replied shortly, her anger barely disguised, she'd had enough of other people's stupidity, what with her security personnel and now Danni, it was time to remove the kid gloves and pack a punch or two that she was famous for, enough of this softly, softly approach.

"No problem, come on Rio, let's go and see what we can see out in the park boy." Danni's voice heavily subdued.

"Have you packed to leave yet?" Catherine quirked ups her eyebrow at the younger woman as she spit out the question.

"Not yet, but I will. I have to clear it with Constance about her apartment, but I will do that tomorrow morning early. I'll be gone when you get back in the evening." Danni said slowly, watching Catherine's stance grow more predatory. Danni realized she really had no true insight or actual knowledge of the dynamic woman that stood a few feet away and it suddenly became very frightening to her.

"You know you can only stay until I leave in about two weeks?" Catherine informed her slowly, thinking Danni was pretty dumb about some subjects, why not that one too.

"Yes, I know, hopefully that will be enough to get them on the road to recovery." Danni shuffled towards the hall.

"I take it my services are no longer required when you go back home?" Danni knew the answer to that before she'd said the words and looked at the flicker of annoyance and disgust on Catherine's face at the thought.

Several minutes passed as both women regarded each other, one closely in fear, the other turning her head from side to side in careful thought.

"I never had you down as a trouble maker Danni, playful and mischievous maybe, but trouble no! I made a mistake when I didn't intervene at the beginning with you and Jace. She didn't deserve any of the stupid bloody ribbing you gave her. You upset her constantly because she never understood the antagonism, and I never did anything about it. I thought it was innocent fun, no hassle, you could both handle it, and well I was wrong! I didn't take you down in the hospital when you mentioned my wanting your body, that was a mistake too, but I didn't want to disturb the only person who has ever brought me peace in this world with an angry outburst over some childish immature remark. Only this time you have overstepped the boundary that only Jace will ever be allowed to cross with me. You have demeaned the woman I love, by making it appear that my intentions to her have been anything but honourable. You have made the world a watcher in my life again by your cheap sensational remarks about my lifestyle. I do not forgive it Danni; I could say I hate you and I'd be forgiven for thinking like that in the circumstances, but really I feel sorry for you! Thank the woman that I love for allowing this compassion Danni, because had this been any other time in my life, you would have been a broken woman in more ways than one by the time I finished with you!" Catherine spoke slowly and precisely, each word emphasised the listener clearly aware of the magnitude of the accusations.

"I'm sorry." Danni said totally deflated by the unexpected tirade from Catherine.

Turning away from Danni and shaking her head, wondering if the immature girl inside the body of a woman would ever grow up. As she reached for her bedroom door handle she turned back seeing the shadowy figure of Danni and Rio at the external door about to open it to leave for the walk.

"I'm not a nice woman Danni, as much as I have had some of the edges smoothed in the past year or so. I never forget this type of indiscretion. If I ever find that you have said anything underhand about Jace, my family, friends or me in the future, I will hunt you down and skin you alive. Do you understand me?" Catherine growled menacingly as she opened the door to her room.

Danni watched the cruel persona shift into place on Catherine's face, even her sightless eyes held the true menace of the woman and she was ready to go to the hospital tonight and ask Constance for her apartment keys. This woman before her was incredibly dangerous and if she didn't know better, evil too. I wonder how Jace lived with that? "I understand completely," she murmured softly but explicitly.

Danni watched Catherine move into her room and shut the door; it's closing resonating around the silent hallway. Tears that she'd wanted to cry since talking to Susan, slowly trailing down her cheeks. Taking the leash that was used for Rio when Catherine didn't need him, she opened the door and let them out for a walk into the night air. A stroll in the park was a much more promising prospect than being in the apartment with a pissed off Catherine Devonshire.

Jace looked around the kitchen and smiled at the sight. Jake was explaining the rules of soccer to Faith, who had taken to the quiet boy in a generous grandmotherly way. Grace's mother had settled in at the ranch remarkably well. The initial couple of days had been difficult but now almost three weeks later you would never have known she hadn't always lived there. Lisa was giggling over something Grace was saying to her and having her nose tweaked too. Grace looked happy and so she should, her nightly visitations to the town or the foreman's house to be with Colin, had caused her mother to raise her eyebrows in question. But to give Faith her due, she had been reticent to ask anything of her eldest daughter, not wanting the magic atmosphere surrounding her daughter to disappear.

"Hey Grace what time are you meeting Colin tonight? You're a little later than normal." Jace smiled warmly at her friend; it was wonderful to see the resonating sparkle in those gentle brown eyes.

Grace tweaked Lisa's nose one last time and sat herself down next to Jace and whispered in her ear. "Actually I don't know, he had something to collect from the town and said he might be late, but he would be over as soon as possible. He was very mysterious."

"Good or bad mysterious?" Jace chuckled at her friend Grace's eyes, which never left the external kitchen door, anticipation evident in her body movements that she expected him to be the next person to enter.

"Hard to say, he was smiling though." Grace continued to fix her gaze at the door.

"Yeah, well, he's always smiling these days and one wonders why? He's been kind of secretive about the security on the ranch too. I hear we have more gadgets than Fort Knox; Catherine has never said anything about it. So, I'm not sure if it's a belt and braces move by Colin or something Catherine has requested. I guess I'd better ask her tomorrow when she calls." Jace looked towards the door herself, willing it to open and let Grace off her nervous hook waiting for him.

"I know, it's crazy all the panels he has in the house and he even has one in the bedroom would you believe?" Grace spoke absently and didn't realise what she'd implied until Jace finally choked out a strangled laugh.

"I know I'm sleeping with the boss, but are you sleeping with the second in command on this ranch; must be something to do with that aura of power huh?" Jace teased her as she saw the red flush on her friend's cheeks.

"I...Jace don't be ridiculous, what a thing to say, my mother's in the room!" Grace spluttered over the remark.

Jace laughed loudly this time and had to endure the interested expressions from the others in the room. "Anything we would want to know?" Faith asked looking at Jace and her daughter.

"No, Faith we were just discussing the...the weather!" Jace finally managed through her laughter.

"Right, that's right mother the weather, getting colder out." Grace kicked Jace's foot under the table gently.

Jace smirked and then the external door opened and in walked a snow covered Colin Montgomery, his eyes immediately tracking to Grace and smiling broadly. "Hi everyone, it's snowing again, going to be chilly out tonight." Colin told them, certainly having the appearance of a snowman to emphasise the point.

"Great to see you back in one piece Colin, going anywhere interesting tonight?" Jace asked him and she received a playful slap on her thigh for her efforts.

"I was thinking of asking Grace if she wanted to see the new movie showing in town." He looked sheepishly round the room and noticed all the interested smiles at his statement.

"What movie is it Colin?" Lisa asked as she bounced from her chair to put her arms round his legs, his attention now captured by the small redhead.

Jace took that moment to whisper to her friend. "How romantic, and I thought he was going to ask you to go with him to see his etchings."

Grace choked into her coffee that she'd been drinking. "Are you asking for trouble Jace or what?"

"Or what probably, oh come on, I'm teasing you. Paybacks are a bitch though, aren't they Grace?" Jace gave her a very mischievous glance, her green eyes sparkling.

"Catherine needs to get back here sooner rather than later, you are way out of control Bardley do you know that?" Grace smiled at her friend and stood up from her seat.

"She'll be home soon, she promised me. Anyway I suspect that I was right the first time, you won't be home early will you Grace, checking out security panels and all that entails, a long session I would suspect?" Jace gave her an innocent look.

"Jace, I'm going to pay you back for you're Smart Alec remarks have no fear." Grace mussed the blonde's hair and moved out of the kitchen to the hall to collect her coat and put her boots on.

Colin extracting himself from Lisa, ruffled Jake's hair and smiled shyly at Faith before he followed Grace with a silly grin on his face, winking at Jace as he left.

Faith looked at the teacup she held thoughtfully and then turned to Jake to continue their previous conversation, the child fairly glowed when he talked about his passion for soccer.

Jace looked with interest out of the kitchen window, watching the snow grow steadily deeper, it really was snowing hard and she could feel the temperature dropping swiftly. Suddenly a small hand was tugging on her arm to get her attention.

"Lisa darling, what's wrong?" Jace smiled at the child. She had become especially dear to Jace; the child was just so loveable and always happy, nothing ever fazed her.

Lisa crawled closer to Jace and glanced around the room, and conspiratorially whispered into her ear. "They are kissing out in the hall Jace."

Jace put a hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh and composing herself she looked at Lisa with a friendly smile. "Who Lisa?"

"Grace and Colin, he had her in his arms and they were kissing, you know?" the child continued to whisper.

"Oh yeah I know how that works Lisa, are you upset?" Jace wasn't quite sure what the child was attempting to convey.

"I'm not upset Jace, but why do they have to kiss in secret and not like you and Catherine do everywhere in the house! Doesn't her mom like Colin?" This time Jace did chuckle, more from her own embarrassment at the statement. This kid sure knew how to keep the adults on their toes with her innocent comments, wonder what she was going to be like as a teenager, sometimes it didn't bare thinking about.

"Well...it's kinda like a game...yeah a game with them at the moment, you know you play hide and seek with Jake? Grace and Colin are doing something similar about finding places to kiss without being found out." Hades she hoped that made sense.

Lisa eyed her with her warm blue eyes and a slow smile appeared. "That's cool Jace, I wonder if Jake will play that game with me?"

"Ah, well Lisa when you're older, maybe you can try it but I think Jake would be a little upset if you tried that now." Jace looked down into her coffee mug and thought. 'Catherine will kill me for putting that thought into her head, Hades, I want to kill me, and Jake, oh yeah, Jake will most definitely kill me!'

Clearing her throat, she answered seriously. "Well, it's one of those past-times for adults Lisa, so you have to be...twenty-one around here before Catherine would allow that," crossing her fingers and hoping for mercy from this child.

Lisa laughed. "Oh good, I don't like kissing boys anyway, but I might when I'm older. So is Grace twenty-one Jace?"

"Yes, she is darling. Now, how about we go and see if Elena is awake in the lounge." Jace changed the subject; the baby monitor that she had linked in all the rooms hadn't signified her daughter's wakefulness, but it was a good ruse.

"Sure, can I hold her please, if I sit on the chair and be extra careful?" Lisa smiled sweetly, the other issues now forgotten.

"What a good idea." Jace held out her hand for the child and they went to the lounge. It was determined control that stopped Jace from mopping her brow.

Tito Yashima paced the floor outside Catherine's office. He'd been waiting for an audience with her for over two hours. All the other VP's had speculated on who would replace Paul Strong and he had been disturbed and intrigued when she had called his office and asked him to arrive in New York as soon as possible. He knew the request had been a directive, but she had tempered it with making sure that all the business interests had been taken care of. No way did she want to loose any more market confidence and that had meant that her original request two weeks ago was now being acted upon.

Rumours had abounded in all areas of the world about Catherine's tactics in the last few weeks. She'd attended press conference after press conference to salvage Xianthos's position in the global market. Her word was the only one that could, and had saved the further slide of the corporate value. Her changes in New York had bordered on obsession in her dealing with security issues on the building and the personnel. Everyone in the New York office had been vetted and reclassified for access around the building. A new security system had been installed within ten days of her taking back the reigns of Xianthos; it was almost paranoid in it's measures. Getting into the building could take anything from five minutes to fifty depending on the circumstances of the visit. Even the police were amazed at her continued reassessment of the security measures on every third day. All external contractors had to arrive at the building at least one hour prior to the working day allotted to them for final security clearance. Money and personnel in this venture had not been an issue. Devonshire's statement to the personnel on site had been blunt and unequivocal. "My employees, my building, my responsibility, you do what I say." Few had disagreed and even fewer had murmured any disagreement, those that had, had been immediately removed from their positions. A memo to every VP had instigated new security measure policies and Catherine had made it clear that she was shortly to appoint someone to travel to every site in the world and assess each individual situation.

The view from gossip sources had stated that she had finally flipped. Maybe the knock to her head when she'd been blinded in the mystery accident that no one could get a handle on had muddled her brain in some ways. The profit forecast for the year would be hit heavily with the new measures she had introduced; it would not go down well with the market analysts. But when had Catherine Devonshire given any credence to market analysts on forecasts, it was after all her money.

"Mr Yashimo, Ms Devonshire will see you now if you will please go through the door to your left." Rita Tuscany informed the man who had been pacing restlessly in her office area for over an hour!

Yashimo appeared to bow slightly to the woman, and went towards the door and his boss. Walking inside the room, it was a conference facility room; with a large rectangular table in solid oak and from what he could judge in the short glance round about ten chairs in oak, but with a royal blue seat cushion. His eyes scanned the room for other people, seeing first a young woman seated in a chair towards the far end of the room with papers and folders spread out in front of her and had her hands clasped resting on the tables surface. The young woman glanced at him and smiled briefly, before turning back to gaze at a list in front of her. He then noticed the tall woman looking out of the window onto the New York street, then the dog at her side, sitting patiently for her command.

Turning Catherine Devonshire looked at the shape that had entered the room and pierced him with what she hoped was her best imitation of a glare, accuracy always a little hard to judge in the circumstances. "Mr Yashimo, glad you could finally answer my request." Her words clipped.

Tito looked at the woman, she was as formidable now as she had been the last time he had seen her. Being blind did not detract anything from the quality of the persona she emitted. That persona being one of a predator and a successful one also, her whole bearing indicating one false move and she would have trapped him with a powerful claw. There was electricity about her that made you feel the static building and move out of the way before you got burnt by it. "I'm sorry it has taken so long, you did say to make sure all the business interests were clear first?"

"Yes, I did. I know what you have done to ensure that, thank you. Please Tito sit, I will introduce you to the only other person who will be party to our discussions today, Ms. Clare Fallon." Catherine moved towards the seat at the head of the table and gracefully seated herself and clicked her fingers at Rio to have him join her.

"Ms Fallon this is Mr Yashimo my VP for Asia, your suspect." Catherine said enigmatically, evoking a choked sound from the small man and a shocked glance, which Catherine couldn't see in her direction from Clare. "Now that the formalities are over let's get this crap put to bed! Clare, all yours."

Clare glanced at the pale features of the man, although it was difficult to tell with his own skin tone if that was normal or invoked by Ms Devonshire's statement. "Mr Yashimo I have evidence that suggests that you have been hacking into the corporate personnel files and taking data, which is sensitive and classified." Noting the man's unflinching stare and his obvious disbelief at the situation, she continued. "I will show you the paths and the security used and then perhaps you can enlighten us?"

Catherine listened intently to the quietly spoken woman impart all the relevant facts and dates and how they had come to the conclusion that it was his password that had hacked the information. The evidence damning in the extreme, and it was hard to look the man in the face as Clare finally finished her report.

"Have you anything to say in your defence Tito, considering this is a criminal offence and their maybe repercussions that have yet to be felt?" Catherine calmly pointed out, her hands placed palm down on the oak table, her fingers drumming on the surface.

The small man looked at Clare and noted her quiet repose; waiting for his answer, the puzzle was his boss. He thought that she would have had security lock him up by now if all the facts were correct. They did appear to be correct, that is if you were a spectator looking at the problem with interest. "I do not know how it was done, but I didn't breach the computer security access with my password. I have not been to Europe in over a year, the dates are difficult to assimilate at the moment but I can check my personal diary to confirm my locations and the business dealings at the time! I did not do what you have accuse me of."

Catherine gave him a raised eyebrow and a small cruel smile passed over her lips. "You know that it does not matter where in the world you are Tito, you can access any computer network with the correct protocols and someone with the authority level you have could perhaps cajole someone into that role? We are in the age of technology, I'm sure you realise that?"

The small man looked down at the empty table surface and saw his career, family and literally his life pass before him. He was no match for this woman, if she wanted his blood, he could do what his ancestors did in the circumstances of disgrace commit hara-kiri.

"You have nothing more to say?" Catherine asked her hands now tapping the table vigorously.

"HELL MAN! Will you please get your miserable face off the bloody floor and for once in your life become more than the spineless half wit I'm becoming to think you are and challenge the situation? I know you didn't do it, so how come you don't have the backbone to convince this young woman that you're innocent? Am I employing wimps in the corporation or intelligent brave men and women who can stand up for themselves? You want to be a fall guy for someone else? Go ahead Tito, Clare here will help you all the way, but I was always taught that the Japanese were a honourable race, which prided themselves on honesty and integrity. Not to mention the most important factor in my believing you was Paul Strong's faith in you, and he was rarely wrong!" Catherine pushed the intercom button to her left and asked for some refreshments.

"Mr Yashimo did you ever give your password to anyone else in your organisation?" Clare asked him trying to jog the man out of his depressive state.

Rita walked into the room with tea, coffee and soft drinks, not knowing what the small man liked as a beverage.

"Ms Devonshire, detective Kelsey is in the reception area and he wondered if you had a few minutes to spare him; he said it was important?" Rita advised Catherine as she placed a mug of tea to the side of her right hand.

"Interesting! Advise reception I will see him and contact security that the detective will be allowed in with his gun, but he must have the bullets removed." Catherine picked up the tea and began to sip it, her smile of appreciation evident.

"If he doesn't want to relinquish the bullets Ms. Devonshire?" Rita knew what the answer would be; she'd heard the expression numerous times before.

"My employees, my building, my responsibility, he does what I say." Catherine replied icily.

"No problem, I will let security know that." Rita walked out of the office and smiled, she had yet to give on that issue and even if it were the President of the United States she would have told him the same, Rita was sure of that.

"Surely you can relax the rules for an officer of the law?" Tito asked surprised at her stance.

Catherine turned her ice blue unfocused eyes in his direction and gave him a precise gaze. "I do not want a repeat of three weeks ago and I can assure you, I trust no one in this building, no one, that should be clear enough to everyone by now."

Clare scrapped back her chair and went over to look out of the window, Tito was surprised at the young woman's retreat from the table, and surely Ms Devonshire would need to dismiss her. "Ms Fallon was in the room when the shooting occurred Tito, Mr Strong was instrumental in her being alive today." Catherine had sensed the question in the air as Clare had moved towards the window, it still being the early days in her recuperation from the trauma of the events of that day.

"I'm sorry, it was a shock for everyone who knew the deceased but to have been there too, indeed it must be very traumatic." Tito said sympathetically.

"So, Tito have you ever given out your password to anyone and I mean anyone, even your wife, perhaps at the height of passion maybe?" Catherine knew she had rattled the man as she heard a shift in his chair and he rose to his small stature.

"I...that is most impertinent of you, I would never, never discuss business when I'm with my wife!" the small man replied very indignant.

"Oh, so it's not the height of passion that got to you, it's the wife bit?" Catherine toyed with him.

"I have never discussed my password with anyone outside the organisation." Tito responded, refusing to bite at the bait she offered.

Catherine smirked, that was the key. "Okay, I'll accept that, so who in the organisation have you discussed passwords with?"

Catherine felt the subtle shift of Clare behind her and knew that the younger woman was listening intently to the conversation. "We that is, I have discussed it with one person only but surely he would not have used it, he has no need to he has exactly the same access." Tito almost dismissed the idea as absurd when it dawned on him that this wasn't a normal request. "He wouldn't?"

"Sounds like he did, maybe you should enlighten us?" Catherine gave him an inquisitive glance and waited for him to continue.

"It was after the last conference when you dropped the bombshell about moving people around the world. We had a few drinks and the topic came up, I cannot remember why..." Tito continued to relate the conversation and the identity of the person.

Rita knocked on the door and then opened it for detective Kelsey who walked in a little red in the face. "Glad you decided to take my advice Kelsey." Catherine smiled at him, knowing she had very likely ruffled his feathers.

"Did I have a choice if I wanted to see you?" he blustered angrily and then looked at the others in the room. "Don't we need to be alone for this?"

"Oh no, not this time, if you have the information we have been discussing for several days detective, I think I might just be in a position to collaborate it and bingo we get to nail the bastard." Catherine sounded extremely happy with herself, as well she might, it could be her chance to go home.

Catherine motioned for him to sit and continue. Clare took a deep breath and joined them at the table, her eyes a little red rimmed.

"Well, it appears that the money has been routed through several banks and institutions but the original transaction has been traced to a small bank in Kenya and the name of the depositor G T Cuthbert! Have you ever heard of him?" Detective Kelsey asked, noting that no one appeared surprised by the name.

"Have we heard of him detective? Oh yes we've heard of him and I'm going to love taking down one of my own, absolutely love it." Catherine purred, but her demeanour one of the aggressive feline about to pounce on an unwary prey.

All three sets of eyes looked at the expression on the tall woman's face and realised that she wasn't in the right frame of mind to ask if it was time to celebrate anything.

Jace was happily settling Elena in her crib and soothing the child, who she knew would be asleep shortly, her child loved to sleep it would seem. Grace had departed with Colin to see the movie in town and they would eat while they were out. Jake and Lisa had finished their respective homework and no doubt would be plaguing the life out of Faith and Judy for cookies before they went to bed. They usually had a quiet half hour in the kitchen with a hot drink before the bedtime story session and tonight it was Jace's turn to read the book, unfortunately the last one was finished and they needed a new one. Watching her daughter blink back with drooping eyelids, she smiled and thought it was time to make her peace with her own family. A year was way to long for a stupid misunderstanding to continue and she missed her family, especially her father. 'Dad you're going to love your granddaughter when you see her and I want that to be sooner rather than later. I wonder what will mom think, she doesn't look old enough to be a grandmother!' Jace chuckled at the thought.

Elena was now sleeping soundly and Jace checked that the baby monitor was working as she slipped quietly out of the room and down the stairs to the others.

Catherine had decided that she would enlist the aid of Enricho Garcia the VP in South America to take over temporary custody of the operation in North America until Constance was fit enough to take back her role.

Catherine had called him and he had done exactly as she'd advised him, prepared someone to take over from him in the event of any unforeseen absence, there should always be a capable second in command. The fact that her second and his ultimate second were both decommissioned made life a little more difficult. Nevertheless, Enricho although nervous about the prospect, did not shirk from the confidence his employer obviously had in him. Enricho was now on his way and that meant she could go home, if only for weeks at a time and then keep going back intermittently until her staffing problems had been resolved.

Pacing around the room she was anxious to get home, she needed to hold Jace and feel the love that the woman had for her, it settled the aggressive streak she had when she settled into this persona of Catherine Devonshire. Her whole attitude became that of a predator and her personality changed accordingly, nothing was safe if she wanted it badly enough. In all the hours she'd spent with Jace, the wary and uncomfortable sensations were felt at times depending on the situation but the dangerous aggressive nature of the beast never showed it's ugly head. It was a peaceful feeling that overcame her whole body, when she was in the same room as Jace, they didn't even need to touch. An excitement and electricity that burst forth when they did touch and it was the simplest of endearments that triggered the racing of her heart. Sight wasn't ever going to impinge on her feelings; they were basic to her very existence now. No, sight would only paint the memory she had with more colour. If her life had to forever hold the remarkable picture she had today, then she was the lucky one; Jace would never grow old in her eyes. She would always be as her soul projected her, the lovely blonde, compassionate, happy, with mesmerising green eyes that she would always recall with love and passion for her and her alone. Did you need anything else in life, no I think not! I'm coming home my love sooner than you think, this time I'm going to surprise you with my presence.

Colin and Grace strolled the few hundred yards to the movie theatre in quiet retrospective, hands linked but words unnecessary. That had been the most amazing feeling when Grace was with Colin, the fact that they didn't need to communicate verbally, a touch or a glance usually said it all and more. They had accepted the way they felt went beyond simple attraction but neither wanted the magic of the moments they shared together being spoiled with any reference to a deeper meaning, they were going to see how things panned out, at least until Catherine returned home.

Grace glance at Colin's strong profile, he was smiling at something and she couldn't help but smile along with him, he looked so relaxed and happy. 'Guess maybe this love thing has got something going for it.'

"Have you completed all the security arrangements that Catherine wanted on the ranch?" Grace asked him. He had diligently explained the precautions and discussed the overall schematics to Grace in detail. She felt the need for the extra precaution after the events in New York also; however, in Grace's mind it hadn't been prudent to worry Jace about it.

Colin looked down at her and carried her hand to his lips in a light kiss and smiled gently at her. "Yes, they are finished, but we have a perimeter break and the contractors can't come until the morning, I checked it out and it looks like one of the horses strayed near the fence. But, you can't be to careful, so I've posted one of the men there this evening. Catherine would kill me if anything happened to the family because of that breech."

Grace looked at him ruefully and reached up and placed a tender kiss on his lips, "Yeah, she would and I don't think a good word from me would help either, she can get kind of demonic when she's angry and upset. Although other than it being yourself going up there tonight, I don't think you could do much more, could you?"

"Not really and I would have gone this evening if you hadn't agreed to come to the movie, I know it sounds strange but I have a gut feeling that something is about to happen, just not sure what!" Colin gave her a wry grin and shrugged his shoulders.

Grace gave him a concerned look and stopped walking and held his hand and looked at the palm with fixed interest. "You going to read my palm now Grace?" Colin chuckled at her concentrated glance.

Colin placed his arms around her shoulders and pulled her in for a sympathetic hug. "You worry too much Grace, but I love you for it and so does Catherine and Jace. How about we skip the movie and have something to eat and go home early, then we can both feel better about the security, what do you say?"

Looking into his grey eyes she affectionately replied, "Oh I think that's one of the best propositions I've had all day," reaching up to kiss him passionately this time, leaving no doubt in Colin's mind what going home early would mean.

Finally breaking for air, Colin tugged at her hand and they ran crunching through the snow back to the Land Rover, thoughts definitely not on food.

Jace sat in her usual seat at the kitchen table with Lisa and Jake opposite her, and Faith to her right with Judy preparing the hot drinks to settle everyone down for the evening.

"Okay you two, which story is it to be tonight?" Jace placed her hands down on the table and contemplated them with a happy smile on her face.

"Lisa can chose, I picked the last one we all read." Jake turned to Lisa and saw her scowl as she really hated choosing the story, but loved every minute of each one.

"But Jake, you know I can never remember the titles!" Lisa returned his stare with one of her own, with her eyes beseeching him to choose.

"Not this time Lisa, you make me chose all the time, it's definitely your turn," the boy answered adamantly.

"That's not fair, I hate you Jake!" Lisa wailed and looked at the amused Jace across the table, her eyes filling with tears of laughter.

"Hey darling, no I wasn't, but come on, you don't hate Jake now do you?" Jace asked the child gently.

Lisa scowled at Jake and pulled her tongue out, and refused to answer the question. "I want the first story that Catherine ever told us, it was about a boy and girl like us and they had our names too!"

Jace chuckled and turned to Faith and they both smiled at the child's choice. "Well, that shouldn't be too difficult to find now should it? Jake do you want to go to the study and find the book for me please?"

"No, you won't go for the book?" Jace was shocked it wasn't like the boy to refuse such a request.

"No, I would go for the book but it's not in the study." Jake said, assuming she would understand.

"Where is it then?" Jace persisted; surely it hadn't been lost, not in this house. Books were a cherished possession for every one of them.

"Didn't she tell you?" Jake smiled, pleased and proud he had a secret that Catherine hadn't shared with Jace.

"No! She doesn't! I've seen the book in the study, you just don't want to hear it because you didn't like what happened in some of the chapters." Lisa accused him, her childish anger now reaching another level with the older boy.

"I most certainly did like the story, it had a happy ending." Jake countered a little angrily.

"Okay, time out people. Explain Jake?" Jace finally lifted her hand and called a halt to their bickering.

"Catherine made the story up, she wanted us to feel a part of the story so she made it up." Jake looked at the expressions around the table. Jace looked surprised, Lisa looked upset, Faith shook her head at the thought of the mysterious Mrs. Warriorson going to that depth to tell children stories. Judy grinned at them all, didn't sound like her tall enigmatic employer at all, more like something Jace would attempt.

"You're serious aren't you Jake?" Jace whispered once she'd gathered her thoughts, another unexpected facet of her lover having been revealed.

"Yes, I asked her one night where the story was in the book she was reading to us, she said something about it being in another book, but I knew better and she never denied it, just smiled. Catherine made up the story for us, only Catherine can tell that story!" Jake said importantly.

Jace looked across at the child, "I'd love to hear it myself Lisa, but Jake's right, only Catherine can tell the story. How about when she gets home we ask her to tell it again, what do you say?"

Lisa gulped back her tears and gave Jace a watery smile and nodded her head. "Jace? Can she tell the story even if she's blind?" The girl looked at her with a questioning regard.

Jace almost shed a few tears herself, "Sure she can darling, it's all in the mind and Catherine can picture the story in her head. She doesn't need her eyes to read anything, all she needs is her imagination."

"Well, in that case she can tell us other stories too! I love the way she speaks all the different voices." Lisa replied with childish logic.

"Ah, shall we get the first story out of the way before we ask her that one, but you never know." Jace answered and looked out of the window to the clear night sky that heralded a colder weather front. 'Now that's a new one Catherine, you could have been participating in our story sessions all those months, shame on you,' a stupid grin planted itself on Jace's face. "How about I read 'Huckleberry Finn' to you, that should keep us occupied for a while."

Catherine sat restlessly in the chair in Constance's apartment with Rio at her feet she'd arrived the hour before and was surprised that Constance was alone. Normally Clare or Danni would be around, not today.

"How are the sessions with Danni going?" Catherine asked the woman who was seated to her left, turning her head in that direction.

"Sessions are great she's very good, never lets you get away with anything." Constance replied, but guardedly.

Catherine noted the guarded tone, "She never did me either, and she's an excellent physio, Clare enjoying the sessions too?"

Constance wasn't sure what to say. "She gave up after the second session, they argued about something or other and Clare refused to attend again, I've seen little of her since."

"You don't know what they argued about, the therapy maybe?" Catherine asked and pursed her lips in concentration.

"No, neither would say, but Clare and Danni are antagonistic to each other so I think Clare decided to stay away." Constance sighed heavily.

"That doesn't sound good to me, how is Danni otherwise?" Catherine had an idea what was going on.

"I can remove her and replace her with someone else if she's overstepping appropriate boundaries with you Constance, I've had enough of her shenanigans to last me a life time." Catherine sighed at the remembered news report.

"No, that's okay, Danni just isn't the person I'd prefer to have around that's all." Constance finally answered having waited a few minutes to reply.

"Well, I have to leave in an hour for the airport, if you want me to take her with me I will. I've only arranged for her to stay another month and then you can perhaps use someone in the city, Danni O'Neil off my payroll for good is something I'm going to welcome in the very near future."

"He arrived a couple of hours before I came here, should be doing the rounds with Rita and Clare, to be honest they're about the only ones I trust in New York at the moment. When you have it back under control...assuming you want to continue to work for me? I realise that the trauma of the shooting might have given you second thoughts." Catherine gave Constance a glance that the receiver would have sworn seared the soul.

"Of course, you don't think some disturbed idiot is going to stop my career do you; I'm only young once after all and I want more!" Constance became excited at the prospect of going back to work.

"Pleased to hear it, actually I was going to ask you about that particular point, thought it might be a few months down the road, however having mentioned career prospects, how would you feel about taking over for Paul?" Catherine said the words slowly and precisely.

Catherine gave a throaty laugh and Rio lifted his head at the unexpected sound from his mistress. "Is there anyone else in the room with us?"

"No, I'm sorry, but I guess I wasn't expecting that!" Constance looked at the tall woman reclining with a relaxed pose in her armchair.

"Paul had you down as a valid replacement, my faith in his judgement did not end at his death; and it enforced some of his commitment in people rather than detracted from it. He would have been pleased that I've followed his advice; he respected you far more than you probably realised." Catherine replied softly.

"You miss him more than you show to the world don't you?" Constance saw the shuffle of the woman in the chair as if she was uncomfortable with her feelings.

"Miss him, that seems a lukewarm expression for how much of a hole he's left in my life. He taught me everything about Xianthos when I first held the reigns after my father died. He was a father figure in the business world for me and he became a great personal friend along the way also! And yet I never really knew much about him until a year or so ago, he was just always there for me, but wanted nothing back in exchange. So, the answer is yes, but it doesn't cover half of what I felt for the man and what I still feel for him. Does that answer your question Constance?" Catherine realised that actually talking about Paul for the first time helped in a strange way and she was grateful to the woman in the room with her for that.

"Yes, I hope I can help you in the future with Xianthos and I'd be honoured to assume the position, but I have one condition." Constance asked.

"I will remain in New York and run the operation from here, we can replace the VP when we find a suitable candidate. That way we maintain control easily and reassure our market analyst friends. Is that agreeable with you?" Constance watched tiny lines crinkle at the side of her eyes.

"I would welcome that prospect, it will mean that I can stay at home for longer periods, although this time around Constance I will have the final say on all strategic and potentially dangerous decisions. It was foolish of me to ask anyone else to undertake that role for me. My employees, my buildings, therefore my responsibility! This time around I will ensure that I am responsible," Catherine advised bluntly.

"No problem there, I always wondered about that finality when you choose to delegate total control to Paul, especially since you appeared to manage okay with the major decisions from New Zealand previously." Constance responded with interest.

"I thought by removing myself totally from the arena I could get on with my life, all it accomplished was create more difficulties for me. This way I can manage how much time I spend on the corporation and still have my family life intact," Catherine smiled ruefully.

"Good! One more thing, I want you and Clare to set up Gareth in New York in two weeks time, that won't cause any suspicion, then we will close the trap on the bastard; I'll be back to do that personally." Catherine gave an evil grin.

"Aren't you leaving this situation a little long? I thought you would be going to Africa and confronting him immediately and put the arrogant excuse for a man in prison for years?" Constance was surprised.

"The damage has already been done Constance, he's the hacker alright but the person behind all this, is still unknown. I want to be with my family now! If something is going to go down with my family, I want to be there in the thick of it and I feel like I am running out of time." Catherine gracefully stood up to her six-foot height as Rio stood at the same moment.

"Maybe, maybe not, but I'm going to give it my best effort that's for sure. Time I went to the airport Constance; I'm not looking forward to the sixteen hour flight time but I'm sure looking forward to the end result of it." Catherine held out her hand to the other woman who shook it briskly.

"Thanks, you too." Catherine moved towards the outer door and then turned and faced Constance. "If I was you I would ring the party you'd rather have the company of other than Danni. You never know, it might just be what they want too," she opened the door and left the apartment.

Constance looked at the receding figure going towards the elevator and gave her a quirky smile she missed nothing, nothing at all! 'He loved you too Catherine, pity it had to end so tragically,' with that thought she closed her door and contemplated a phone call.

Jake was taking his time in getting the book, surely he could see it, Jace considered going after him but decided to wait a few more minutes.

Faith was having her ears bent remorselessly by an animated Lisa, about some anecdote from her school adventures as she called them. The child had a wonderful imagination and it was amusing to listen to her most of the time.

Judy was ready to dish out the drinks and the cookies for the story telling session. She would then retire to her room until the morning, it was a busy house and although she had enjoyed the challenge, she knew at times it got to her how much she had to work to achieve even the smallest of tasks on certain days.

Jace heard a commotion in the hall and thought that Jake must have dropped the book on his way back, smiling she listened intently at the baby monitor equipment but it was silent, the disturbance hadn't awakened her daughter at all.

Suddenly the door from the hall to the kitchen was kicked open with a resounding thud and three armed masked figures moved swiftly into the room and ensured that all the exits were covered.

Faith screamed and held Lisa in a tight hold, the child looking frightened and tearful, Judy backed herself up against the oven and looked terrified at the intrusion. Jace looked at the three unexpected 'visitors' but kept her mind alert, 'Where was Jake?'

Several staccato instructions were given by the largest figure, all three were dressed in black and the black ski masks just gave credence to their menacing presence. First impressions would have the action down as a robbery but the largest person of the three finally turned to the original occupants of the room and spoke in a heavily accented voice. "Jace Bardley."

Faith looked at her and tears cursed down the older woman's face, she had never been so scared in her life; she'd always lived in the relative security of having a police officer in the family, this was totally alien to her.

The lead masked figure looked impatiently over the two younger women and went over to Judy and stroked a finger down her cheek and the cold flint like eyes that were seen through the slits of the mask, made Judy shiver in terror. "Are you Jace Bardley?" the voice echoed softly in her ear but it wasn't gentle it was totally devoid of emotion.

Jace decided that intimidating the others wouldn't achieve anything, "I'm Jace Bardley, where's my boy?" her defiant spirit coming to the front.

The large figure gave a cold laugh and tapped a finger hard on the bridge of Judy's nose, causing her to cry out with the pain. Walking slowly with evil intent over to Jace, the figure looked her up and down insolently. "So you're Jace Bardley? I believe someone very dear to us both will do anything for you is that correct?"

"I wouldn't know anyone who would possibly hold you dear that I care about, and you never answered me, where's my son?" Jace was annoyed now more than terrified, she wanted to see Jake.

"Ah, that's were you're wrong Jace, may I call you Jace?" The figure asked and Jace didn't deem it fitted a reply. "You live with Catherine Devonshire isn't that right? The boy is no longer of concern." The figure moved closer to Jace to see her reaction.

"What do you mean the boy is no longer of concern? What have you done to him? So help me if you've hurt him I'll...I'll hurt you myself," Jace finished off desperately.

All three figures laughed at the aggressive nature of the small blonde, who wouldn't have been a physical match for any one of them, never mind all three. "That would be interesting as I have the guns on my side and even if I didn't have the weapons, you are a little small to put up a good fight I suspect." The leader placed a pistol into her face and Faith sucked in a breath at the action and pulled Lisa closer to her to avoid her seeing the violent gesture.

"I would try! Where's my boy, I want to see him?" Jace demanded, she wasn't sure if she was being suicidal or not, but if they have already hurt Jake what of the chances for the others.

"Enough of this! You will come with me now I have no more time to spare, get a coat for her!" The leader pointed at Judy, who went out into the hall being closely followed by one of the other masked figures. Closing in on the hall coat rack, she saw the sprawled legs of Jake turned in an awkward position, his face down against the wooden floor and blood coming from his nose.'Jesus have they killed him?' Judy's stomach turned at the possibility, almost stumbling with the nausea that threatened. Picking up Jace's heavy outer coat, she turned back and walked towards the kitchen, wanting only to go down on her knees to check on the boy.

Judy handed the coat to Jace and gave her an agonised look, her tears followed closely, Jace saw the expression and her heart went into her mouth and her stomach churned at a tremendous speed. 'The bastards have hurt him, they have maybe killed him, Hades, what will Catherine say or do?' her mind closing in on her lover and the turmoil this would cause. Silently with tears drenching her cheeks, she turned towards Faith and mouthed take care of them for me, all of them!

Faith nodded her understanding and received a slap from the leader. "There will be no communication here unless I say." Taking Jace roughly by the shoulder, she was shoved back towards the hall and on her way out she saw the unconscious form of her boy and the tears fell more profusely. Jake had probably challenged them. Something he knew Catherine would do and he was in many ways Catherine's son, even if she hadn't given birth to him or reared him most of his life. His life had started again on 'Destiny' and the boy had, known it, if that was to be his epitaph then he'd become the hero that he always dreamed about; just like his new 'mother' had been in his eyes. 'But you're not dead Jake, you're not, Catherine won't let you die, not like this, not for something this stupid!' Jace prayed for her family and for Catherine to come home and solve it all for them.

As a parting gesture the leader walked over to Judy and whispered insolently into her ear again, two words in German. Judy looked at the figure and paled even more than she had before, the leader strode out after the others.

Catherine was on the private jet ready to leave for Christchurch, they were waiting for final instructions from the tower and then would be on their way.

Catherine stroked Rio's ears as he rested his head on her lap and was in the seat next to her, it was a wonderful luxury of having her own private jet, and no one could say anything about her dog. Dave the steward on board asked if she wanted any refreshments during taxing; she declined and he went to belt himself in readiness for the take-off. Continuing her idle stroking of Rio, which she found eminently soothing, it had helped her numerous times in the last few weeks, particularly that sorry episode with her security personal. She'd talked to the lawyers, but between them decided that making a clean break and leaving it at that was perhaps a very lenient option; or Catherine had to many other things to do and having to wade through that crap would be a waste of precious effort on her behalf.

Now she was relaxed and patiently waiting for this final stretch to be over. She could ring Colin and secretly arrange for her to turn up at 'Destiny' and surprise Jace and the children, yeah that would be a good way to come home after all the problems. Susan had been sorry to see her go and discussed briefly her plans regarding retiring.

Catherine held onto Rio as the plane taxied down the runway and eventually took off, she was on her way home and peace at last or for a short time at least she hoped.

Grace was laughing hard at a comment Colin had relayed about one of the ranch hands and then noticed the police vehicle at the gates of 'Destiny'. "What the hell Colin?"

Colin drew the vehicle up to the gates and was asked to identify himself. They both did, but had to wait for the officer to relay the message to a superior and he nodded his head at them to proceed. Not wasting any precious seconds, Colin put his foot down and sped the rest of the way towards the house.

Lights were blazing in just about every room in the main house, several police vehicles were scattered around and an ambulance was outside the porch area leading to the main entrance.

"Christ what's gone on here Colin? We have only been gone about three hours at the most," Grace cried out in anguish and jumped out ignoring the pain in her leg as she ran up the stairs to be stopped by a police officer again. "Let me go you bastard I live here!"

The officer calmly moved out of her way and she shot off into the hall and watched as paramedics were working on a body close to the coat rack. Taking a deep breath she looked towards the doorway and the ashen face of her mother "Mom what's going on?"

Faith looked at her daughter, went forward and burst into tears on her daughter's shoulder. Colin came up behind them and bent down to see who was the victim. "They've taken her Grace and they hurt Jake badly. What are we going to do? It was horrible, horrible if only your father were alive!" The words were almost incoherent.

"Mom, who have they taken and who are they?" Grace whispered soothingly into her mother's ear, her own tears trailing down her cheeks.

"Jace, they came for her and took her; she was upset about Jake, and she must think he's dead the poor child." Faith eventually muttered.

"Judy is with the other children, Elena is still asleep but Lisa is distraught she thinks Jake is dead too and she'd argued with him before he went out to the hall; she wont stop crying." Faith sobbed and was held closer by her daughter.

"They've stabilised him; seems he has been hit with something hard to the front of his head, could have a fractured skull and looks like one of his legs is broken. They're about ready to take him to the hospital, do you want to go with him or shall I?" Colin wasn't sure what she wanted to do.

"I need to see Lisa first, tell them I'll follow closely behind, you better go and find out what the police know, we have to tell Catherine too!" No one was going to relish being the bearer of that news.

"Right, I'll get to that." Colin gave her a weak expression and touched a hand to her face gently and mouthed 'I love you,' and followed the medics out with Jake on a stretcher.

Grace took heart from his words. She gently disengaged from her mother, walking slowly with her to the lounge where Judy had Lisa in her arms rocking her gently as the child sobbed continuously. Elena was sleeping soundly in the second crib they had downstairs. When Grace moved into the room, Lisa saw her and rushed out of Judy's lap and flung herself at the woman who was part of her family.

"Aunt Grace, Jake's dead and Jace is with bad men and I told Jake I hated him and I don't aunt Grace, I don't, I love him and I want him to know that!" The child said everything in a rush of emotional words and tears.

"Lisa honey, Jake isn't dead, he's not very well that's true and he's not going to play soccer again for a while but he's alive. Tomorrow maybe you can tell him you love him Lisa, what do you say?" Grace had picked up the petite bundle and held her close, whispering soothingly into her ear.

Lisa turned red-rimmed eyes to one of her protectors and she gulped back more floods of tears, "You sure Grace?"

"Would I lie to you Princess? Catherine would be mad at me if I did." Grace smiled at the child, who looked at her uncertainly.

"Can I really see him tomorrow and Jace too!" Lisa looked at her with complete trust, Grace swallowed hard at the last part of the question.

"I'm going to stay with him tonight at the hospital and Colin will bring you during the day if the doctors say he can have visitors, what do you say?" Grace held her breath.

Lisa nodded. "What about Jace, she will have to come home, Elena needs feeding soon."

"Well, Lisa, Jace had to go with the bad people but the police will get her back, and Catherine is sure to come home too!" Grace didn't know what to say, but didn't want to lie blatantly to the child either.

"Oh, if Catherine comes home, it will be okay, she'll find Jace for us, don't you worry Grace?" Lisa turned the tables on her from being the one soothing to the one soothed, it was bizarre.

Grace clutched the child closer and kissed her head, "I hope so Lisa I surely do. I have to go now Princess, my Mom and Judy will look after you for the rest of tonight. Tomorrow everything will be a little better, just you wait and see."

Lisa kissed her cheek and was gently deposited back on ground level, still holding Grace's hand. Moving over to the crib, Grace looked at the serene features of Jace's baby and wondered who the hell had perpetrated this little nightmare; could it be her ex? Or was it even more sinister, only time would tell.

Gently caressing the smooth cheek of the baby, a single tear dropped onto the blanket and Grace let go of Lisa's hand to brush her hand over her eyes to stop the flow. Turning to her Mother and Judy, she told them her plans to go be with Jake at the hospital, and that Colin was talking to the police and he would let them know what was going on as soon as possible.

Smiling weakly at them, she left the room and grabbed her keys and went to the jeep and the lonely vigil at the hospital bed of a very brave boy, because sure as hell he didn't get injuries like that for nothing.

Her mind refused to think about Catherine. She would call her from the hospital when she had more news of Jake, and hopefully good news about Jace!

Colin was shaken at the news that had been related to him about the bastards that had taken Jace and beaten Jake. In many ways, he felt responsible, that had he been on the ranch it wouldn't have happened; but the truth was he would probably be in the same condition as Jake or worse he suspected.

Detective Armstrong looked at the ranch foreman and stroked his chin as he considered telling him the worse news. "Actually, Mr Montgomery did you have anyone out in the northern pasture this evening for any reason?"

Colin raised his grey eyes to the detective and nodded his head. "Yeah, Daniel Otaga, he was keeping a patrol on the boundary. The security system had been breached by a horse we think and I didn't want to take any chances..." Colin trailed off as he looked at the serious expression on the detective's face.

"I'm afraid we found Mr Otaga's body about a mile from the breached fence; it appears that he was in some altercation with another party. Furthermore, we believe that party to be the same that unlawfully entered the house tonight. He was shot twice in the head, I'm sorry." The detective saw the tall man blink back tears that threatened to fall and clear his voice fractionally.

"I see. Dan was a good man, I will have to go and see his family; they live in Dunedin, he was their youngest son, a credit to them. So, it wasn't a horse and I was right to be worried." Colin rambled softly to no one in particular, it should have been him not young Dan!

"Why did you have to enhance the security here on the ranch? Did you expect trouble?" Armstrong asked him seriously.

"Mrs Warriorson wanted to put in extra protection after the shooting on her business premises in New York. She wasn't sure if there would be further action against her family, obviously she was right." Colin told him. All he wanted to do now was hold Grace and look into her gentle brown eyes and see the comfort and compassion she had in difficult situations.

"Ah yes, the renowned Mrs Warriorson has become quite a celebrity in the past few weeks hasn't she? Has she been informed of the situation here?" Armstrong would like to meet her. He had heard that she had a formidable reputation and her beauty was legendary in the area.

"Grace my...Catherine and Jace's close friend will call her shortly. She's gone to the hospital first to check on Jake's condition. Why did they do that to a boy for god's sake?" Colin asked, his voice breaking with the anguish he felt.

"People who shoot in cold blood Mr Montgomery never need a reason, and unfortunately I fear for Ms Bardley's life too in these circumstances. We have only the two words spoken to the housekeeper that have any possible relevance, but to whom? That is the question?" Armstrong said matter of factly.

"Can you tell me the two words and why to Judy?" Colin pondered the question of Judy himself.

"Revenge and Maria! Does that make any connection to you? We will talk to Judy Schmidt shortly, she's new here I believe?" Armstrong waited for the man to reply with interest.

"Yes Judy arrived a couple of months ago, we obviously know very little about her background. Perhaps that was an oversight when she was employed, I would have to ask Grace, she and Jace employed her." Colin considered the implication of the words.

"I'll take what you have said in consideration. Strange that the security in the house wasn't switched on, who would be responsible for that?" Armstrong asked him quietly.

"Usually I check all the house security as everyone goes to bed, I was in town as you know. Often Jace will put on the temporary security sensors for the porch and the drive; she obviously didn't for some reason." Colin was puzzled; Jace was normally so efficient about the house.

"So effectively Ms Bardley was in part responsible for her own kidnapping, if you look at in black and white?" Armstrong shook his head at the thought himself.

"If you put it like that yes." Colin decided that Jace being blamed in anyway for the kidnapping would not benefit anyone including herself, so he answered the first part of the detective's question.

"I suspect Catherine will know what the message means; I'll contact Grace now and inform her on what's happening. Grace will call Catherine immediately. Have you got any leads as to their whereabouts?"

"The tracks are being followed as we speak, but the weather is changing and in about an hour, another heavy snow storm is forecast, which will most likely obliterate the tracks. So, it's now or never, they certainly chose the right conditions for kidnapping without trace." Armstrong looked out of the kitchen window and saw the flakes of snow begin to fall; maybe he was optimistic with an hour.

"Thanks. If you need me I'll be in the study calling Grace and then with the rest of the family until you leave." Colin didn't wait for any reply. He left the detective staring out at the worsening weather, within ten minutes you couldn't see a hand in front of you with the blanket of snow falling.

Constance called Clare to ask if she wouldn't mind coming to visit for the evening, she had something she needed help with.

"Usually she is, but if that's a problem I will ask her to leave for the evening." Constance couldn't understand the friction between the two of them, but it was there so she had to deal with it.

"No, it's okay. She doesn't have anywhere else to go anyway does she; now that Catherine has left the country?" Clare said quietly.

"She doesn't. However, if you're not comfortable with the arrangement I'm sure she can go see a movie or a show, there must be something in the city she still hasn't done yet." Constance gave the young woman a chance to reverse her original decision.

"I can try again, if she can." Clare replied finally. "What time do you want me to come by?"

"Do you want to join me for dinner?" Constance hopefully asked not really expecting her to agree. They hadn't shared a meal since she'd left the hospital over two weeks ago, and Danni just wasn't Clare. Danni didn't have the same interests and she certainly didn't have the same sparkling fire in green-flecked eyes that Clare had when she talked about a subject with gusto.

"No, thanks for the offer, but I need to do some extra work tonight. Mr Garcia is a little stressed with the arrangements in the building, I promised to help him, but I can come by afterwards, say around eight?" Clare didn't really have to help Garcia, but she didn't want to have dinner with Danni either, although she missed her chats with Constance and the genuine friendship they had developed.

"I can understand that and it's very commendable of you Clare, I'll see you at eight then; don't work too hard." Constance finished feebly.

"Bye Constance see you later," Clare replaced the receiver and quickly walked over to the coffee machine in the hall and bought a strong expresso.

Constance replaced her instrument on the cradle and walked slowly back to her armchair and sat down in a defeated fashion. 'Oh well, at least she's coming over later, that's an improvement; now to tackle Danni, that should be fun.'

Grace watched the boy being settled comfortable in the bed in a private room in the local hospital that only a few weeks earlier she had visited Jace and Elena in.

"Are you Jake's mother?" the young doctor asked, as he glanced in her direction.

"No, my best friend is his guardian. She is currently abroad and I want to know his condition prior to calling her, she will want to know the facts." Grace answered him quietly.

"Who's his guardian?" The doctor inclined his head as he examined Jake again now that he was settled in the bed.

"Mrs Warriorson at 'Destiny' ranch; she will be home within twenty-four hours of the call." Grace supplied the barest of details.

"Ah, the recluse that isn't really a recluse but seems to dominate the papers almost everyday, remarkable. Well, in that case Jake here is a very lucky boy. He has a hairline fracture of the skull and will have a massive headache when he wakes but hopefully nothing else from that injury. We will obviously know more when he wakes properly. His leg has been broken in two places. I wouldn't like to say how, but the bruising indicates some physical force almost as if it was done by hand, but that seems unlikely; must have been the way he fell. He will have a cast for six weeks. Then hopefully, if it knits together without a problem; he will be walking around within a few weeks of that without aide." The doctor looked at her pale face and smiled. "He looks like a strong boy, he's going to be fine."

"He loves to play soccer, wants to do that for a living one day or at least that's his dream." Grace whispered as she sat by the bed and stroked the black hair out of his eyes.

The doctor looked at her with compassion, playing football for fun and professionally was a different question altogether. "It's too early to say, but I think he's got a good chance of following that dream." He walked out of the room leaving her alone with the boy.

"Catherine will be home soon Jake, and when she does, she'll want to see that shy smile of yours, you know the one you always give just for her and then she'll ruffle your hair as she always does afterwards." Grace softly whispered to the boy, knowing that the drugs he had been given would make it impossible for him to hear her.

Grace stroked his hair and gently traced the forehead and the eyelids in tender concern. "You know Jake, Lisa was crying like a baby, when you got hurt. This means she's going to smother you with love for ages, so the quicker you get better and leave the hospital the sooner you get away from her into your own room, what do you say?"

Grace watched the eyelids flicker indicating a dreamlike state in Jake; Grace laid her cheek next to his and placed a light kiss on his nose. "You're going to have a black eye, by the looks of the bridge of your nose, and a busted nose too. That will put you on a par with Colin, when he got punched that time and broke his nose, you can trade stories the two of you when you next go riding."

Moving slowly and carefully hopefully not to disturb him, she picked up his left hand and traced her finger over his palm then laced their fingers together. "You know something Jake, you're the first one to know but Colin said he loved me tonight for the first time, what do you think of that one huh?" Grace held onto his hand for a few minutes more and then disengaged it and went to the furthest corner of the room as her cell phone rang; it would be Colin with her update for her call to Catherine.

Jace became disorientated with a blanket over her head to obstruct her view and it was damn cold too, her heavy coat, not a match for the blizzard conditions and the freezing temperature. 'Thank God Judy had chosen this one and not one of her others, by now I would be hypothermic and that wouldn't help my cause any. What did these people want with me? I know it has something to do with Catherine but what?'

The leader of the three masked kidnappers pushed her forward and into a wall, it was cold and wet. The way her sense of smell was working, although with difficulty as her nose was running with the cold, she would guess they were in a cave of some description or other. Although she wasn't aware of how much time had elapsed since being taken from the ranch. She was certain it was well over two hours; that could mean they might be a hundred or so miles from home and in this weather who would be in a position to trace them? Her shoulder hurt where she'd been roughly handled and wanted nothing more than to see her home, family and especially Catherine. 'I'm not going to die here, I will not do that without having seen her, I refuse to give these monsters that satisfaction!'

Jace tried to listen to the conversation between the three of them, it was muffled and one of them the leader had a definite accent.

"You go and keep watch outside for any movement, if it runs, walks or crawls kill it," the heavily accented voice demanded coldly.

"Okay, but who the hell could have tracked us in this weather?" a distinctly male voice replied.

Jace still wasn't to sure about the leader the accent and the low level of the tones used had rendered it neutral to her hearing.

"Give our guest another blanket and then tie her hands and feet up, I don't want her moving around in here at anytime, got me?" The leader spoke to the men without respect.

"She's not likely to wander around out there, she'd kill herself by falling into a ravine most likely," another male voice ventured an opinion.

"I don't care what you think, just do what I say, and you're being paid enough for the privilege," aggression surfacing in the leader with little prompting.

"What are you going to do?" the man obviously hadn't heard the tone of his leader. Hearing a shuffle and a sharp intake of breath, Jace took a guess that it was the man asking the question not the leader.

"What I do is my concern, you need to do what I say and that's all you need to know. If you ask me again, I'll kill you, just like I did that little runt on the ranch," the leader's voice bearing no compassion at all, just evil intent.

Jace heard the reference to a killing on the ranch and she closed her eyes as tears spilled, it could only be Jake. He hadn't looked alive when she'd walked past him in the hall it wasn't fair! He was only a boy! Her sobs silent, racking her slim shoulders and she managed to control herself with difficulty as she heard someone approach her position. No way would she let the bastards know she was upset or frightened or angry, she needed to look calm and composed, her very existence may depend on it.

"Move over bitch, I'll take the blanket off your head now, but you're going to be tied up so you don't leave our gracious company," the man said, freeing the rope that held the blanket over her head in place.

Jace looked around her as her eyes quickly focused in the dim light, it certainly was a cave and there were icicles forming above her head and on almost every flat surface. It wouldn't be the ideal place to spend an evening; in fact, it could be the final place you ended up if you didn't keep warm. Jace looked at the man before her who still had the black ski mask over his head, his eyes were a pale green and held nothing but contempt in them for her; it puzzled Jace, whatever had she done to deserve that look. The man pushed her back against the wall and she winced as once again her back was subjected to the impact of the rock wall. Eventually, the man had tied Jace's feet and hands and she noticed the eyes smile wickedly at her as he tightened the ropes around her wrists tighter than they needed to be, she didn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her wince at the pain it caused. 'Well, I'm going to die three ways here at the moment, by exposure, loss of circulation or a gun!' Jace looked down at her bound feet and a trace of a smile passed over her face 'Well, at least I can't get into any trouble now can I?' The darkness of the tremendously cold cave abounded as they extinguished the meagre light that had been surrounding them. Except for the faint sounds emanating from the far recesses of the cave, she felt entirely alone in this dank and simply appalling place. 'God help me, but I want to go home,' her mind screamed out to her reminding her of one of Lisa's outbursts, she was an adult, not a child, she could handle this; couldn't she?

Dave the steward gently pushing her shoulder to get her attention awakened Catherine. She looked at him in surprise shook her head to clear her thoughts and smiled briefly at him.

"Got a problem?" Catherine asked quietly, Rio beside her had one eye open and the other closed, hoping to continue his nap.

"You have a call Ms Devonshire, do you want to take it or shall the pilot take a message and you will return it later?" Dave asked her politely.

"Who's on the line, I'm surprised that anyone would try to get me in flight?" Catherine gave him a puzzled look and arched her left eyebrow in question.

"Grace? Jesus how did she know where I was? It was going to be a surprise. Get me the link Dave and leave me alone, okay?" Catherine immediately had all her senses working overtime.

Seconds later Catherine was handed the link phone and she waited for Dave to leave the cabin before she switched to speak.

"Hi Catherine. Sorry to bother you in flight." Grace replied softly, her eyes tracking to the peaceful form sleeping soundly in the hospital bed.

"Grace, don't prevaricate what's going on?" Catherine asked again, this time her voice raised an octave to give more meaning to the question.

"You're sitting down I assume Catherine, well, yeah you would be wouldn't you. There's been some trouble at the ranch." Grace finally finished her rambling with at least a smidgen of information.

Grace heard the sharp intake of breath at the other end of the line and waited, she didn't have to wait long.

"Three masked gunmen breached the property and entered the main house." Grace told her quietly.

"Go on, are you trying to torture me here Grace, for god's sake get to the bloody point will you?" Catherine replied in agitation.

"They killed one of the ranch hands, injured Jake, he's in the hospital I'm with him now..." Catherine interrupted her.

"What did they do to my son?" Catherine's voice held menace aimed directly at the unknown perpetrators.

"They beat him over the head, he has a hairline fracture of the skull and they broke his leg in two places, but the doctor assures me he's in no danger now!" Grace tried desperately to send that re-assuring message to Catherine.

"When he wakes you tell him I'm going to be there soon?" Catherine choked back a sob at the condition of the boy; the bastards would pay, that was for sure.

"I'll tell him. Catherine that isn't the end of it I'm afraid!" Grace had dreaded this part most of all.

"Go on." Catherine felt her gut tighten at the words, she knew already that it involved Jace, why else would Grace be calling, surely Jace would have contacted her unless she couldn't; she hoped in her heart that it didn't mean that!

"They kidnapped Jace and have left you a message," Grace whispered through tears, that she could no longer hold back.

If Catherine had needed her fears realised and brought from a shimmering illusion to reality and total clarity, she just had her wish with that one stark sentence. "What was the message?" Catherine managed to say though her voice cracked with the strain of the moment.

"Revenge and Maria? The leader of the kidnappers spoke in German to Judy, though how they knew she could speak German amazes me!" Grace pondered her own words as she spoke them, she should have checked Judy out fully as soon as she'd returned to 'Destiny', but oh no her own selfish needs had been gratified instead. "Do you think Judy had anything to do with it?"

"Let the police work on that one, have they any other leads other than the message?" Catherine asked her emotions in turmoil but her mind analysing everything that Grace said to her, losing her head in a fit of emotional un-stability wasn't going to get Jace back!

"Colin can't believe it, he had the final system working as you directed and he put Otaga at the breach in the fence to keep everything safe; he wished it had been him and not Otaga!" Grace said, her emotional state less than balanced with all the events and the reactions of others around her. She wanted to scream her own anger and frustration to someone, but there wasn't anyone!

"It's not Colin's fault you tell him that Grace? He did what I asked, I should have done it earlier in light of Adamson arriving and getting on the ranch so easily, and it just wasn't to be. Anyway if he had done that, he would be dead now instead of Otaga!" Catherine stated simply.

"I wouldn't have been happy about that point myself." Grace said ruefully, her expression lightened slightly in the darkness shrouding her.

"No, I guess you wouldn't, how are my daughters?" Catherine tried to focus on the things that were known and not the unknown that Jace was now encompassed in.

"Lisa is upset. She'd argued with Jake prior to him being hurt and she thought he was dead. I'm going to bring her here tomorrow to see him. My mother is caring for Elena, fortunately the baby has had processed milk before; Mom's coping with that aspect as well as she can in the circumstances," Grace volunteered, knowing that each facet that had to be changed regarding Elena, fully illustrated Jace was no longer resident on the ranch.

"I'm glad!" Catherine this time couldn't help the sob that refused to be subjugated into silence, her pain at the situation finally breaching all her barriers of restraint.

"Catherine do you know who has done this, with the message they left?" Grace knew that having Catherine break down now wasn't what the stoic woman would want, she would expect more control over her emotions especially in public.

Catherine wiped her hand over her eyes and was surprised to find that Rio had laid his head on her lap in uncanny canine comfort. "Yes!"

"Do you want to share? I can ring the detective in charge and get him to apprehend them or at least have their pictures out as suspects?" Grace said quickly, her heart racing in the knowledge that the identity of the kidnappers would bring about a quick result to an already tragic situation.

"I'm sorry Catherine but Katia? Who is that?" Grace looked over to the bed in the room and noticed Jake moving around thrashing at images in his dreamscape. Moving over to his side, she gently placed her free hand on his arm and stroked it in a comforting way, he eventually settled down, she listened intently to what Catherine said to her.

"Do you remember I told you about my time in prison and the altercation I had that resulted in my friend's death?" Catherine replied softly, her thoughts back to that fateful day and it's events.

"Yes, yes I remember, your friend was Maria and the other woman was Katia?" Grace was astounded.

"Yeah, that's right, she must be out of prison. In all the furrow of the last few weeks I didn't check that one small point, Jesus Christ Grace, my life is coming full circle!" Catherine cried out in anguish.

"Will she hurt Jace, Catherine?" Grace asked her knowing the stress that was building in the jet that still had several hours to go before it landed in the country.

"Katia Schmidt is a cold blooded killer; she will play with Jace first and make me suffer knowing she will do that! Then she will kill her, there are no half measures with the woman, none at all!" Catherine said solemnly, knowing that her time was short to work this particular problem out, it might already be too late!

"What does she want?" Grace finally asked her hand gently soothing the sleeping boy at her side.

"Want? Oh Grace that's the easy one here, she wants me!" Catherine pressed her steward's bell and waited for Dave to appear.

"Hold on a minute Grace?" Catherine asked Dave to highlight to the pilot that she needed to get to her destination faster than the original flight plan what were the possibilities?

"He will want to know why Ms Devonshire?" Dave anxiously avoided her blind glance.

"Tell him he can fucking well do as I say and get this tin can to Christchurch early," shaking her head in frustration at her inability to control her volatile temper. "No, Dave I'm sorry, tell him it's a life and death situation, and please ask him to consider that, okay?" Catherine gave the steward a brief smile.

"Will do; sounds better the second time around." The steward tried to make a joke out of it but retreated quickly with his task not waiting to find out if his joke had been received or ignored; the woman was definitely under strain, that must be some phone call she was having.

"Grace, there is nothing left in my life if I don't get Jace back alive, haven't you realised that yet? I can't live the rest of this sorry existence I have without her in it! I'm already a partial shell. I would not be of any use without her light to lead me from this darkness I live within my soul." Catherine beseeched her best friend to understand.

"What about the children? Jace wouldn't want you to sacrifice yourself for her and leave them alone, especially Elena, you know that Catherine?" Grace's words demanded her friend to pull out of her depressive spiral.

"The children still have you and Colin, Elena is a baby she would never know if I left! Jace would forgive me, I can't keep these haunting shadows at bay without her Grace." Catherine let another racking sob escape her lips at her admission; she just didn't have the heart to fight any more demons on her own.

"I think you underestimate the power of your children and what it would mean to them if anything happened to you both! When you get here you and I will talk about this again. If you want my shoulder to cry on you have it, but don't you dare give up on the rest of us! Because I know Jace wouldn't want that, she would see you in hell first!" Grace exploded adamantly and had to stifle a sob of her own, it was hard enough having one of them crying like a baby.

"I love you Grace." Catherine responded softly trying to get her battered emotional state under control.

"And I love you too Catherine, always remember that! We are going to get her back safe and sound. You always taught me to think like that and I'm going to, and if I have to do it for you also, then I will! Do you hear me Catherine, I'll believe for us both!" Grace spoke her voice filled with emotion.

Catherine placed the phone link to her lips and crushed it to them in an anguished response. Finally answering, "I'll remember Grace."

"That's all I need. You better get some rest, if you can. I will arrange for Colin to be at the local airport to collect you when you arrive, your helicopter is already on standby waiting for your plane to touch down."

"Who knows, but I want you both at my wedding so that should be incentive enough." Grace tried to bring what she hoped would be some lightness to the conversation.

"Has Colin asked you?" Catherine asked in disbelief, rather fast work of her normally romantically slow ranch foreman.

"Well no! But I can always ask him and I think I might just do that, it's not always the man's prerogative Catherine." Grace chuckled softly.

"Yeah, sorry about that Grace, I forgot you're probably more dominant than he is, otherwise you'd be too old for children waiting for him to ask, I guess." Catherine gave a weak chuckle of her own at the thought of Grace kneeling before Colin and asking that special question.

"That's me alright, dominate and then sit back and see how it goes. You might like to have that particular question as an incentive in the back of your mind Catherine." Grace knew that the time sucked for this conversation but between them they had never exactly pulled punches with each other, regardless of sensitive situations.

"I'm glad I'm not married to you! You'd scare the shit out of me!" Catherine exhaled a heavy sigh and looked over at Dave as he re-entered the cabin. Speaking quietly he indicated a thirty-minute speed up of their flight plan. Catherine thanked him and the pilot.

"Thanks very much Catherine, let's face it you wouldn't exactly be Snow White in any partnership either!" Grace snorted in playful displeasure.

"Touché Grace, I'm going to be back in Christchurch within the next seven hours. I'll see you around lunchtime Grace; take care of the rest of my family and be careful." Catherine stated as she ended the phone call. She wanted to have some time to think, to think and wait!

"Sure my friend, safe journey and I'll see you later today." Grace punched the end call on her cell and looked down at Jake. "Well, I told her Jake, but I swear I don't know what will happen next." Grace continued to watch the boy in silent thought.

Catherine laid her head on the backrest and idly stroked Rio's ears, her tears cascading down her cheeks. "I'm getting her back Rio, there just can't be any other option. Now, who the hell gave Katia the details, and the money to finance this type of operation? If it was Gareth, I will personally kill him and face the consequences later." Her own gut feeling told her otherwise, but the facts pointed to him clearly, maybe her gut was just so tied up in knots now it wasn't making any sense.

Hudson smiled as she watched the report on her TV screen about the attack on the home of Catherine Devonshire in New Zealand; the reports could not confirm the exact events or if anyone had been injured. The report then went onto the events previously at the New York offices of Xianthos and speculated on a connection.

"Oh, I love the media, it's so deliciously obvious about it's reporting." Hudson chuckled, as she watching several pictures of the New York building and it's shocking aftermath of the shooting and a distance shot of Catherine Devonshire with her guide dog at the scene several days later.

"I wonder if I should look into what really happened regarding her blindness. She's been so very secretive about that event, I wonder if it has a shady basis? Wouldn't that be a simply wonderful end to a messy life?" Hudson considered that point as she smirked at the screen and the beautiful woman on camera. "Catherine you should have taken up my offer, now you can suffer and suffer you will. The really marvellous thing about all this is that I get to sit here in LA and watch the events I've engineered roll by and no one can touch me, absolutely no one. Oh, I swear my talents are lost on you Catherine. But you are only the first, I'm sure there are others out there begging for my particular services; what a fitting vocation for me?" Hudson's cackling laughter drowned out the sound on the TV.

Constance couldn't believe the news report, she and Danni had watched in silence as the TV gave the very basic information it had gleaned from New Zealand. Clare was due anytime and she might know more, with that the doorbell rang.

Danni walked over and opened the door and gave Clare a brief glance but no smile of welcome. "Clare."

"Danni." Clare said cautiously, her face flushed at the speed she'd moved across town after hearing about the new turn of events.

Moving inside the hall and towards the open plan lounge and where she expected Constance to be, removing her coat as she walked rapidly forward. "Constance have you heard?" Clare said in a tone bordering on distress.

"Yeah, we just saw it on the news, have you any more information?" Constance smiled at the younger woman, she was really pleased to see her it had been too long!

"Enricho refused to comment to the reporters, but I know he got a call from Ms Devonshire about an hour ago, he went tight as a drum after the call. I told him I was coming to see you, but he didn't say anything to that." Clare finished breathlessly; it was so good to see her friend again.

"Danni, can you get Clare a coffee and I'll have water if you don't mind?" Constance asked, having already gone through the physio's cool mood after she requested the younger woman go out or watch TV in her room when Clare came over. It was very obvious they didn't get alone together.

Clare sat opposite her friend and smiled her eyes taking on a sparkle in the green flecks. "You feeling okay?"

"Yes, I'm hoping that in a couple of weeks I can get Enricho to send me some work over. It's going to be another couple of months before they let me go back to the office full time," Constance said ruefully.

"She's good at her job that's for sure, I can understand why Catherine improved at a rapid pace with her, after the injuries Danni told me she suffered." Constance smiled at the memory of the day, Danni talked none stop about her boss and how she'd sustained the injuries, seems Catherine is quite the heroine.

"Yes, well she's not you for a start!" Constance felt as if she'd put her foot in her mouth at the startled look in Clare's face.

"Me? But that's...well that's nice of you Constance, I miss you in the office too!" Clare flushed slightly and gave her a shy smile.

"Does that mean you're going to come and visit me more often now we have that point clear?" Constance smiled at the younger woman's embarrassment.

"Yeah, I think I can do that; especially if you keep Danni off my case." Clare grinned at her.

"Oh, I'll do that alright, trust me!" Constance grinned back and she felt better than she had been feeling for two weeks now, just at the simple pleasure of having her friend near.

"I do trust you. So, what do you need me to do for you?" Clare changed the subject to the original reason Constance had called.

"In light of the current events, which Ms Devonshire didn't know at the time she talked to me, we have a traitor or perhaps traitors to nail and nail them good and now!" Constance's tone held nothing but contempt for the man or possible men.

"Okay boss, what do we do?" Clare smiled happily it was so good to work with her friend again.

Constance leaned forward in her chair and they discussed plans to catch Gareth Cuthbert, with a little help from some friends or even accomplices.

Colin waited for Catherine's jet to arrive; it had been delayed by ten minutes due to the weather but still twenty ahead of schedule. Colin wasn't sure if the helicopter would brave the conditions but suspecting Catherine's present mood, he knew she would take her chances.

He'd decided to come to Christchurch personally and be there to give her the updated news from the detective in charge of the case, although because of it's high profile status, there was talk of a team from Christchurch coming to take over. The events last evening when he'd waited with Faith, Judy and the two girls had been traumatic.

"Colin, Grace said Jake would be okay, is he Colin, is he?" Lisa asked the man as he stepped over the threshold into the lounge.

The early morning light streaming into the cave brought activity from Jace's kidnappers and suddenly she was staring face to face with a woman. A woman whose features looked like she had been subjected to more than one broken nose and a scar prominently featured on her right cheek, she wasn't the most angelic looking woman Jace had ever seen. Now her mind raced, this must be the neutral voiced leader?

"Ms Bardley, no that's far to formal for this informal gathering now isn't it? Jace, interesting name." The woman put a stubby finger down Jace's left cheek and pressed her finger into hollow of the cheek, smiling as she saw the pain register in Jace's eyes as the pressure.

"No more interesting than yours?" Jace challenged as the finger moved down to the side of her neck in an angry gesture.

"Ah, you still have spirit, I'm surprised. Surely our mutual friend would want someone to be decorative rather than feisty?" The heavily accented voice rumbled in Jace's ears.

A hideously sounding laugh echoed around the cave as the burly tall woman breathed down on her blonde captive, "Perhaps not, but by the time she gets here I will be your friend and a good friend too!"

Jace grimaced at the thought, 'What the hell did these sick perverts get out of taunting people this way, first it had been Hudson and now this bitch; couldn't they get a love life without threatening people?' "That's not going to happen!"

"You think you can stop me? When I've finished I'm sure the boys outside wouldn't mind taking care of you when I move on to Catherine. I've waited over ten years for that piece of arse. Tell me is she good?" The words whispered into Jace's ears made her want to be sick on the spot, but she controlled the churning of her stomach.

"I will have the pleasure of your company tonight, after I leave my ultimatum for your precious Catherine, and you will find out what a real woman is then!"

Jace was left shaking at the terrible thought of being at the mercy of the murderous woman. 'I think I'd rather be dead!' that particular thought didn't bring the fear that she knew it should, it was almost as if her mind had resigned itself to the inevitable fact.

Grace replaced her cell in her handbag and looked at Jake who was struggling to open his eyes. The call had been Colin, he was waiting for Catherine and she was due through customs any time; he would have her back on the ranch by noon weather permitting.

Grace watched in eager anticipation as Jake opened his left eye and then shut it quickly and then within a few seconds tried the same task on the right with the same result. "Hey Jake, how do you feel?" Grace asked him softly.

Jake tried to open his eyes again and this time he managed to with difficulty as they were almost closed shut with the bruising to his face. "I hurt Grace," the boy replied weakly.

Grace felt her tears well up and spill over onto her cheeks. "I know you do darling, but you're going to be fine; the doctor said so."

He tried to look at his body and saw his leg held up in the air in traction equipment. "They broke my leg?" The boy whimpered in disbelief.

"Yeah in two places, but the doctor says it should be fine in a few weeks." Grace held onto one of his hands and chaffed it in sympathy.

"She sat on my leg and pulled it back!" Jake informed Grace matter of factly, his tears surfacing and slowly trailing down his pale face.

Grace clutched at the child and held him tight. "I know it hurt Jake, but it's over she won't ever hurt you again!"

"Is everyone else all right, what about Lisa you know she's a scardy cat really she just tries to be brave all the time." The boy asked his eyes shadowed in pain.

"Lisa is coming over later Jake, she wants to say sorry. Faith and Judy and Elena too are okay." Grace informed the boy.

He looked at her his alert intelligence already picking up that she'd missed one person out. "They took Jace away Jake, kidnapped her. Catherine will be home by lunchtime and we'll get her back."

Jake slowly shook his head and cried out at the pain; Grace pressed the button for the nurse. "Catherine will be mad at me, I tried to stop them Grace, and I really did! I was the man in the house, I tried Grace I tried..." the boy sobbed into Grace's shoulder.

"Jake? Jake, Catherine won't be mad, she knows you tried to stop them, look at you? You couldn't have done any more than you did, Catherine will be proud not mad at you!" Grace whispered to the sobbing child in her arms.

The nurse came in and then picked up the phone to alert the doctor, it wasn't good for the boy to be this worked up he needed to rest. Grace reluctantly moved away when asked and watched as they sedated the boy and he quickly went back into a deep sleep.

Grace watched and then turned and went out of the room for some air and a coffee, her body protesting at the lack of sleep, but more importantly the emotional turmoil she was storing up. 'Where was a good mountain when you needed one!'

A police officer was stationed outside the door and looked Grace over seriously as she left.

He saw the announcement of the flight arrival and waited patiently for the formalities of her disembarkation, he was pleased she was finally home, regardless of the situation. He had already arranged for a Red Cap to immediately place her luggage aboard the waiting helicopter as soon as she cleared customs for what he knew would be a bumpy flight from Christchurch to the airport closest to 'Destiny' where he had left the Land Rover. He dreaded answering her questions about the incident at the ranch much more than he the nauseating return helicopter ride and then their final lap back to the ranch.

Catherine had her eyes closed as the Land Rover progressed steadily towards the ranch entrance; Rio was in the back and had lavished Colin with affection when they had met at the airport. Other than a brief update, the rest of the journey had been fairly silent. There again the trip from Christchurch to the local airport in town had been far from ideal and they both felt queasy after alighting from it.

"Catherine the police will want to see your ID, they have put people on the gate." Colin said, his feeling of failure evident in his voice.

"Okay, but a blind woman isn't going to do much damage is she?" Catherine heard the tone and smiled briefly towards her companion.

"Ah, but you're a very resourceful blind woman Catherine," he smiled a little as he pulled up at the entrance to the property.

Formalities over, they quickly reached the ranch house and Catherine was informed that there were two police officers guarding the house also. Eventually she was let into her home, where she sighed heavily at the intrusion of her privacy, but knew that it was long overdue and far too late. Her ears picked up the sounds of Lisa laughing as she was being over run by Rio; Catherine had let him into the house to look for his small mistress as she divested herself of her outdoor clothes.

Catherine then heard a movement towards the kitchen doorway and she saw a small shape waiting there. "You coming to give me a hug as well as the dog?" Catherine asked her eldest daughter.

The small girl then suddenly ceased her at the waist and Catherine swiftly bent down and wrapped her arms around the child and picked her up so they could come face to face. "I love you Catherine and I missed you!"

"Same here Princess," they exchanged a kiss on the cheek and Lisa burrowed into her shoulder. "Are you ready to go and see Jake with me in a little while?"

Lisa looked into her eyes and placed another kiss on her left scarred cheek. "Oh yeah, I'm ready now," the child said enthusiastically.

"Well, I need to have a shower and change, then we can go; I think Grace needs to get home for some sleep don't you?" Catherine smiled into the child's face close to her own.

"Okay, are you home forever now Catherine?" Lisa asked her voice holding the fear that another person she loved was going to leave again.

"Princess, I might need to go look for Jace, but otherwise I'm not leaving you all behind again next time I need to go away on business." Catherine patiently explained to the child.

"Great that means we can go to America too! Cool." Lisa laughed into her shoulder; then Catherine gently put her down onto ground level and they walked hand in hand towards the kitchen.

Judy saw her employer enter the room and she immediately reached for the kettle and the tea. The woman looked haggard and thin, certainly the last month hadn't been good for her health and this was the final straw. "Would you like tea Mrs Warriorson?" Judy's mind going over the interview she'd had with the detective, before he left the house last night.

"Ms Schmidt, interesting name are you of German decent?" Armstrong asked the young woman politely, it was odd that she had the same surname as the leader of the kidnappers, very odd.

Catherine turned her head towards the housekeeper, her mind mulling over what Grace said about the possibility of Judy being involved. "Thanks Judy, I'd love a decent mug, better make plenty I'm in withdrawal." 'I'm going to have to tackle that problem at sometime but not yet.'

Faith chose that moment to enter with Elena who was chuckling at the movement of shapes and light. Seeing Catherine, Faith stopped at the doorway and considered retreating back to the bedroom with the child.

"No! Please stay?" Catherine raised her hand; she'd felt the uncertainty in the room as the baby came into the room.

Faith looked at the woman, she'd heard so much about in the last six years and certainly more so in the last month; she was certainly beautiful, tall and yes, blind. But, she gave off a physical aura that put her at the top of the pile in any room; she was simply stunning. "Mrs Warriorson, I'm Faith Thornton, Grace's mother, how do you do."

"Pleased to meet you Faith, I've heard about you of course in the last few years," Catherine returned the welcome.

"In that case, I'm going to have to start from scratch, because I know how that would have come out knowing Grace and her sense of humour." Faith depreciated her daughter's views of her.

Catherine laughed quietly. "Yes, well Grace does have a rather colourful way of explaining people at times. You have my daughter, would you mind if I hold her for a few minutes?" Although Catherine asked it was a demand and Faith knew that.

Walking over to the seated woman, she gently placed the baby in the crook of Catherine's arms and helped to settle her, before going to the other side of the kitchen table.

"Hey beautiful, how's my baby behaving?" Catherine crooned softly to the baby and heard here chuckle contentedly. Elena grasping her fingers in a tight hold.

Catherine bent her head to the baby and placed a tender kiss on her downy head. "Her hair is growing!" Catherine said, surprise in her voice.

Faith and Judy both had tears in their eyes as they watched the tall woman take in the perceived changes to the baby which she hadn't seen or touched for over a month and babies were apt to grow quickly. "Yes, it's black, as black as yours I would think." Faith replied the grey in Catherine's showing through in stark contrast to her normal colouring.

"Yes, her mother said it looked like mine, have to wonder at that. But you still have your mama's eyes little one, those wonderful green orbs that captured me from the first day." Catherine whispered to the baby but the other two women heard the words and each looked at the other in sympathy at her pain; she certainly wasn't talking about the baby's eyes.

Judy placed the mug of tea to her right and Catherine looked towards Faith to take back the baby.

"No, not at all, I'm glad she can call someone that! My parents are dead, Jace...is estranged from her family at the moment, but we will clear that up soon. I'm pleased, Grace is my family, and so her mother by default gets to take some of that responsibility too, thank you." Catherine said quietly.

Eventually drinking a couple of mugs of tea, she got up from her chair and walked to the door to the hall. "I need to clean up then, before going to see Jake. Faith can you leave Elena in my room in the crib for a short while, I want to..." Catherine didn't finish as Faith immediately said she would. "Thanks."

When Catherine left, Faith looked at Judy and asked. "That's the reclusive Catherine Warriorson?"

Judy smiled at the expression. "Some recluse, I think every man and his dog knows where she lives, what she eats and just about everything that you want to know, they all know, but she is something else isn't she?"

"I know now why my daughter loves her so much and will defend her to the last." Faith said thoughtfully.

When she loves, she loves wholeheartedly and you can see that in the way she treats her children and how she treats both Jace and my daughter. It is very rare to find that in a woman who comes from her background and heritage to express outwardly her feelings; it is hard to elicit any reaction from her about most things, but for those she loves, she gives her heart and soul. You can't ask for more than that in this life and I think anyone who has that love from her knows it." Faith smiled at her romantic meandering; my, but this place had the strangest effect on people!

"Maybe I'd better find someone like that myself." Judy laughed at the older woman's words, she was almost as bad as her daughter with these strange sayings.

"I hope you get that lucky Judy, I sincerely hope you do." Faith looked at Lisa and gently went to collect the baby from her and left the room.

Catherine had showered and changed her clothes; it felt good to be home in familiar surroundings at least. Walking over to the crib and the gurgling Elena. Catherine looked down and a brief smile crossed her lips. Sitting at the edge of the bed, she gently put out a hand and placed it on the baby's head ensuring it was done slowly not to startle the baby.

"I'll bring her home little one, your mother is going to come back to you and you will never know she left. That much I promise and I never break a promise Elena. Never!" Catherine whispered to her daughter. She picked the baby up out of the crib and gently rocked her as she sat in her room and recalled the last moments she had with Jace, tears once again tracing a path down her cheeks, her memories the only things holding her sanity.

"Elena, I'm going to tell you a story. It's a love story about two people who meet on a mountain side in appalling conditions and how the most compelling green eyes captured blue ones, never to release them again without projecting love!" Catherine softly crooned the words to her daughter and began her tale of love that defeated the darkest of spirits and brought only light into hearts.

Katia Schmidt walked confidently into a local newsagent and purchased the stationary she needed to leave her ultimatum. Purchasing notepaper, envelopes and a small box, sellotape and finally a newspaper to see if the story had hit the headlines. It had! Leaving the shop she continued on to a local café and ordered the largest meal she could along with strong black coffee and settled down to her task of reading the news and composing her note for Catherine Devonshire. Within an hour she had been fed, watered and had the note ready for the postal service. She did consider sending a token of maybe a piece of Jace's ear as a little gift but thought better of it, that could come later if Catherine ignored the first request. Hudson didn't think that would be necessary but you could never tell Devonshire was volatile and un-predictable. Hudson was assuming she had become predictable in her relationship with Bardley; it would be interesting to see if that was true.

Katia purchased the necessary stamps to send the message express; assuring its delivery would be by tomorrow. 'No way is Catherine going to get in the way of my fun with Bardley tonight, no I deserve some fun and why not take advantage of the blonde. Bardley was after all very desirable and the prison hadn't had much to offer by way of desirable women in a long, long time. When I'm done with her, Bardley wouldn't be in a fit state to have a relationship with anyone.' Katia laughed at the thought, Hudson had said she could do anything, so anything it will be!

Putting the envelope in the post box she noting that the collection would be in a couple of hour's time. Excellent!

Katia got into the truck she'd used to come into the town and headed off in a southerly direction. She was two hours away from the hideout, almost guaranteed to stop the police getting their hopes up that the kidnappers were in the close vicinity; that would have been way too easy.

Catherine was being escorted to the hospital by a police officer, in an unmarked vehicle, it had been a precaution that she welcomed; and it meant that Colin could remain on the ranch when she left. Lisa was sat in the back with her, holding onto her rag doll and Blacky the stuffed toy dog. She was humming a tune painfully badly, but Catherine refused to tell her so; she looked relaxed and that's the only thing that mattered. Rio was in the rear of the vehicle behind a mesh screen, sitting patiently waiting to get out of his prison.

Arriving at the hospital, she was immediately engulfed by reporters and it took the strength of the burly officer who was escorting her and the child, to get them to leave her alone, having shouted that he would put them in the local lock-up if they didn't let them through. Catherine smiled briefly at the officers stance and held onto Lisa's hand tightly and Rio's harness as she was finally allowed inside the doors of the hospital.

The police officer followed immediately behind her and asked her if she knew where the elevator was in the hospital, she nodded her head.

"We are going to the fifth floor, your son has been put in a private room and we have a man posted outside the door until the situation is relieved," the officer advised.

"I see. Then let's go shall we officer...?" Catherine turned her sightless gaze upon him.

"Officer Grant, Liam Grant, at your service Ms Devonshire." The police officer's voice held a touch of humour in his voice.

"Well Officer Liam Grant, thank you." Catherine smiled once again at him as she whispered to Lisa their destination. Lisa then tugged her towards the elevators and Jake.

Within minutes they had been shown to the door of the boy's room, and immediately officer Grant took up vigil next to his compatriot outside the hospital room.

Lisa opened the door and rushed inside, letting the door fall back in Catherine's face in her haste. Fortunately, Catherine had a hold of the top of the door and managed to stop it hitting her and Rio, She smiled wryly at the child's enthusiasm. "Aunt Grace, we're here." Lisa said excited at seeing Grace and Jake.

"So I see Lisa, but I think it would have been polite not to have let the door slam into Catherine and Rio." Grace smirked as she noticed the quirk of Catherine's left eyebrow at the comment. The woman looked terribly thin and had a grey pallor that wasn't healthy at all!

Lisa looked at Catherine and then back at Grace and gave her a sheepish grin, then turned to the bed and the occupant within. "Jake, Jake it's me are you awake?"

"Yeah silly, how could I be asleep with a tornado like you entering the building." Jake said with a smile. He was pleased to see Lisa and looked at Catherine in quiet wonder.

Grace walked slowly over to Catherine as she came into the room and disengaged Catherine's hand from Rio's harness and pulled her into a sympathetic hug. "Hey Catherine." Grace whispered gently into her ear.

"Hello yourself Grace, it's good to be with you again." Catherine's voice choked back a sob.

"You look terrible Catherine, what the hell have you been doing in the States?" Grace admonished her best friend.

"Just a friendly observation and you do you know, Jace is going to give you a hard time when we get her back." Grace had see the flinch at Jace's name but refused to back off it was important that they think positive at all times.

"Yes, I know she will, but let's get her back first and then I can worry about the back lash," Catherine sighed heavily.

Grace removed her arms from around Catherine and gently led her towards the bed and saw that Lisa had already propped herself next to Jake. "Hey I hope you are being careful Lisa, Jake isn't well enough to be pushed around yet?" Grace chastised the child but gave her a smile to counter any negative feeling.

Catherine sat down on the chair that Grace pulled up close to Jake's bed and she put her hand out for the boy tentatively. "Hey Jake how are doing?" Catherine wasn't sure what to say to the boy, he'd almost been killed and it had all been her fault.

"I'm fine Catherine, but they broke my leg and I can't play football for weeks," Jake said sadly.

Catherine grimaced at the mention of the person that had hurt her boy. The worse part of it was that she knew exactly who it had been; it wasn't a stranger to her, it was someone who had a grudge and could and had decided to act on that feeling. She should have finished the bitch off all those years ago! "Well, in that case I was thinking that as you can't play, how about we go and watch a couple of matches when things have settled down at home. What do you say?"

"You can't see them play Catherine, you wouldn't enjoy it, so I'll wait until you can see to go to another match with you." Jake gave her a solemn look, he knew that she hoped for her sight back, he had heard her say lots of times that it would be soon.

"In that case you have a date Jake and I'd better get my sight back soon or you will be to old to want to go with an older woman." Catherine gave him a slow grin and reached over to ruffle his hair, but her fingers misjudged his position and she touched his bruised face and he gave out a small cry of pain. "I'm sorry Jake, I guess I...I'm sorry." She trailed off, acutely embarrassed and upset at her mistake.

"That's okay! Grace said I could trade stories with Colin now we have both broken our noses." Jake tried to wipe away the hurt he saw in Catherine's face.

Grace suddenly picked up Lisa from the bed and said they were going to get some refreshments and they would be back shortly, the child tried to protest but was soon whisked out of the room, leaving Catherine and Jake alone.

Catherine looked towards the boy and swallowed hard. "I want to thank you Jake."

"Thank me, why?" Jake looked at her quizzically and saw uncertainty and something else he couldn't understand in her face.

"Yes! You tried to save everyone in the house; you were very brave. I know that Jace would want to hug and kiss you for that, and I do too, but this time you are going to have to guide me here Jake because I don't want to hurt you again!" Catherine asked him, her voice hoarse with emotion.

Jake moved a little closer although his leg didn't allow much movement, and tugged at her hand as she rose out of the chair and moved gingerly onto the bed beside him; enclosing him in a heartfelt hug that he thought was going to squeeze all the air out of his body. Catherine then placed a couple of kisses on his cheeks and before very long they were both crying softly.

"I know that Jake and I'm so proud of you! I've never had a hero in my life Jake but I think I've just found one and you're it!" Catherine choked back the tears as much as she could.

"Yes, you are and I'm sincerely glad that you came into my life Jake and you decided to stay with us; I love you!" Catherine hugged the boy closer again. The door to the room opened and she heard Lisa rushing back in the room and Rio's tail thud on the floor as he saw his younger mistress.

"Guess we have to break this up huh? Our tornado has turned up again." Catherine said into his ear. She felt a small tremor go through his body and heard the slight chuckle at her words.

"Well, I want to say I love Jake too Catherine, you can't hog all his time!" Lisa said with her hands on her hips, Jake and Grace burst out laughing at the stance she'd taken. Catherine shook her head in the girl's direction having a good idea what was going on.

"Great, I can take a hint." Catherine moved gently off the bed and back into the chair.

Grace moved closer to her and placed a hand on Catherine's shoulder and slowly guided a cup of coffee into her hand. "Thanks Grace."

"No problem my friend, have you received any more news?" Grace asked her quietly as the two children discussed something together.

"Colin and I talked to the detective on the way back from Christchurch, they haven't been able to trace the tracks after the snow built up again last night. He said the only thing that they hope now is a ransom note." Catherine kept her tones low and controlled.

"Colin will be upset about that and the security not to mention the young man Otaga's death, he will blame himself for everything that went wrong." Grace replied absently, her mind on her lover and his feelings.

"Grace, Colin cannot be held responsible for the weather, or the fact that some vicious people killed one of his men. The security was a joint effort from both of us. I am to blame for that; I didn't have the foresight to put more people on the ranch for that aspect alone, I thought you would all be safe there. I thought they wanted me! I'm beginning to think when I got the blow to my head last year Grace it did more than make me blind, I think it scrambled my brain cells too!" Catherine spoke in desultory terms.

"Oh, no it didn't! Have you slept at all in the last month Catherine? Or are you still having bad dreams?" Grace asked her carefully.

"Not much! I keep having the same dream over and over again." Catherine admitted reluctantly.

"I also think you can't sleep without Jace now anyway?" Grace smiled a little at her own audacity, after all what did she know? Yeah, but she would always recall that one morning when she'd seen her boss fast asleep as peaceful as a baby and the small blonde held tightly to her. Yeah, what did she know?

Catherine turned her head so that she was looking directly into Grace's face; a weak smile crossed her lips at the comment. How well Grace knew her, it was an uncanny knack she had, like being bound by a connection, very strange. "Yes I'll agree with that one, Jace has the power to make my dreams disappear. Long may that continue Grace."

Grace chuckled and patted her shoulder. "Glad you said that, I was thinking the same myself." Turning towards the children, she joined them in a conversation about horses.

"I wasn't aware of an interest in horses Grace, horsepower maybe, but horses?" Catherine asked in surprise.

"Times change Catherine and I have a major interest in more than the horses I can tell you." Grace quipped and they all talked happily about the ranch, until Jake finally fell asleep and they decided to leave him to go back to the ranch.

As they were about to leave, Lisa placed Blacky on the bed besides Jake and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Grace watched the child in fascination Catherine had left to talk to the officer on Jake's door.

"He won't let me kiss him when he's awake, but he can't stop me when he's asleep can he Grace? Blacky will take care of him until we come back too!" Lisa explained and put her small hand inside Grace's larger one.

"Yeah I guess you're right there Lisa. Come on let's get everyone home I'm sure Catherine could do with some sleep, I know I certainly could!" Grace pulled the door shut quietly as they headed towards Catherine and home.

"Haven't I already told you that I do what I want and you follow my orders, not question them?" Katia hissed her voice echoing around the cavern walls.

"There are people out there, if you try anything like that and she screams they will know we're here," the man continued, not caring that he was making the woman angry.

"People out in this weather, they must be mad, show me?" Katia didn't believe him and anyway she could always gag Bardley but that would spoil the fun.

Jace heard the altercation and knew that time was getting shorter before the large woman would carry out her threat of rape! Because that's what it was definitely going to be, no way would she go willingly into the hateful woman's arms?

Several minutes later footsteps came closer and she was suddenly face to face with the leader, who looked at her with a mad gleam in her eyes. "You have been saved tonight, because it looks like some idiots have decided to camp near here and I don't want any trouble this early in the game. But trust me you're time will come and I'm even more frustrated than I was, so believe me, it won't be pleasant for you in the least!" Katia put her face close to Jace's and her breath smelt of stale garlic and her body odour could have been happy in a pigsty. "Please let me warn you that if you make a sound at anytime I will kill them and you will know it was your fault." Katia watched the blonde cringe, 'I could still have some fun with Jace Bardley but if our visitors near the cavern entrance decided to investigate I would have to kill them and there is no knowing who would become involved or how rapidly that would happen. No matter I will have my fun with Catherine Devonshire here instead, and the pleasure will be all mine.'

Jace nodded her head in understanding, the woman would do it, Jace had no doubt about that, it was in the eyes and they never looked anything but full of contempt for life and the world in general.

"At last a spark of interest, I wondered when you would finally ask me that question. Catherine is the lust of my life." Katia spoke in quiet tones close to Jace's face, the stale breath tickling her neck.

"Lust? That's a novel expression, isn't it usually love?" Jace wanted to know more about this woman and why she was taking such drastic action.

"Love? Love is for the foolish romantics of this world! People talk of love and yet mean lust, it is all a charade to get to the same result." The woman's voice became even more accented as she said the words.

"Love isn't foolish or for romantics, it is for everyone! There is a person in the world for us all, you just have to have faith and go and look for them and never give up until you find that person!" Jace said adamantly.

"So, you're a bona fide member of the foolish romantic club, let me tell you that people like you make me sick. When she said she loved you did Catherine follow through and take you to bed?" Katia slowly lowered her head to Jace's neck and flicked out a tongue on her neck, Jace pulled away in disgust.

"No! You're disgusting." Jace threw back defiantly her green eyes sparkling with anger.

"Oh come on Jace Bardley, surely a little necking between friends can be tolerated? After all I've done the same to your precious Catherine." Katia watched the younger woman's eyes take on a look of disbelief.

"Catherine wouldn't have you near her!" Jace spit the words out angrily, she knew that much about her lover. This woman before her wouldn't have got to first base never mind close to her neck, unless she was a vampire and even then, it would be doubtful knowing Catherine.

"Catherine at the time was doing a very good job of fighting off my advances I have to admit. But you must have seen my little gift to remind her of my affection surely?" Katia placed her lips on Jace's neck and sucked hard.

Jace's stomach was churning, and she wasn't going to be able to stop the nausea this time. Retching over Katia's shoulder, what little she had in her stomach became a heaving mess on the floor and triumphantly for Jace all over Katia's hair and her back.

The German made some explicit remarks in her own language. She jumped back quickly, backhanded Jace across the face; sending her sprawling with a bloody nose and her lip split as she crashed to the hard cold surface, unable to stop her fall as her hands and feet were bound. The two men in the cavern both burst out laughing and regretted it as Katia rounded on them with high kicks between the legs. If she suffered, so did they, she shuffled off to her corner close to the fire and continued to curse at the mess on her hair and back.

Jace slowly managed to right herself and although pleased that her distress had hit the target, she was now forced to be in the close proximity of her regurgitated food and that was not a pleasant sight or smell; however it was far better than her previous prospects for the night had been. 'Now what gift had Catherine received from the woman?' Jace thought as she closed her eyes and wished she were home in bed, next to her lover, at least her thoughts would always be wonderful and no one could take that from her.

Clare paced about Constance's apartment. Danni was being difficult today; it had been to good to be true yesterday. Now Clare was contemplating leaving, but Constance had asked her to calm down for a few minutes and walked slowly after Danni who had gone into the kitchen.

"What the hell is going on Danni? You just insulted my guest!" Constance spoke sharply.

Danni turned from the counter at the far corner of the kitchen and gave her a cool glance. "I only asked her when she was leaving."

"What's it to you when she leaves for god's sake? We are working on something together and she's the only one I trust with this!" Constance eyed the physio; she didn't understand the woman at all.

"You're getting tired, I thought it in your best interest," Danni replied smoothly.

Constance shook her head at the woman opposite her. "I thank you for your concern, but I will be the judge of when I'm tired or not, you are definitely not my keeper!"

Danni moved away from the counter and moved up close to Constance they were within inches of each other. "Maybe I'd like to have the right to care about you," as she placed a gentle finger to Constance face and traced it from her cheek to her lips.

Constance shifted away suddenly and looked at her with panic in her eyes. "Are you totally mad Danni? I have no interest in you or anything to do with you other than professionally. Why on earth do you think I would even consider it?"

Danni noticed her agitation and smiled wolfishly. "Because I think I turn you on that's why, perfectly valid to me! Let's face it I'm more of a woman for you than that excuse next door, she's just a girl, no experience whatsoever, there's simply no competition."

Constance didn't know if she should laugh at the remarks or cry out in anger at her description of Clare. Taking in a shaky breath, her legs now holding her up by sheer will power alone. "I think you've said enough to convince me that the only person I'm asking to leave my apartment tonight is you Danni! I suggest you get your possessions together and leave my home now!"

Danni looked at her aghast, this hadn't gone the way she planned; she'd been sure that Constance liked her, or more than liked her! "Why?"

"Why? You ask me why? I don't like you Danni; I tolerate you at best, but if I have to chose between you and Clare, Clare will come out on top every time. Get out of my home Danni, I've had enough of this tension." Constance replied, astounded at the audacity of the woman sat heavily down in a chair in the kitchen, and she placed her head in her hands in frustration, her body not only protesting at the lateness of the hour, but also the stress of the conversation.

Clare had heard the raised voices and couldn't stop herself from eavesdropping at the entrance of the kitchen. She smiled as she heard Constance take her side in the discussion, "I think you heard her Danni, she wants you out of her home," Clare spoke with quiet authority from the door.

Danni gave her a sneer and walked briskly by her on the way to her bedroom. "You'll never keep her Clare, you haven't got what it takes!"

Clare watched her go into her room and heard the door slam shut. Walking slowly into the kitchen she looked at the weary and totally frustrated woman slumped in the chair. "Are you okay?"

Constance hadn't expected to have to defend her friend in her home and find out at the same time that her physio had taken a far from professional interest in her. "Yes, I'm alright, maybe I could do with some rest. It's getting late, how about we continue tomorrow? Can you arrange with Enricho to give you leave for a few days to help me with this?"

"I have already requested leave, he agreed in principle if he could call me on certain points if necessary," Clare smiled.

"Guess you're way ahead of me Clare, that's what I like about you." Constance returned the smile and slowly got up from the chair, but her legs refused to respond. Clare reached over and grasped her elbow in support.

"How about I help you to bed and let Danni out personally, and I won't forget the key. Then I'll check that you're okay, let myself out and call back in the morning?" Clare said in a business like tone.

Constance gave her a shy glance, "You don't need to leave," her voice soft and gently pleading.

Clare helped Constance along to her room and didn't answer her question immediately, her own thoughts in turmoil. Opening the door to the room she looked at her friend. "Will you be okay now or do you need some help?"

Constance felt stupid; she'd obviously made one assumption too many. "No, this will be fine, when you leave just let me know," Constance moved further into the room, not looking back.

Clare decided to leave the subject open at the moment and waited for Danni to leave her room. Within half an hour she had her wish, Danni looked at her with dislike evident on her features.

"You don't need to look like the cat that got the canary," Danni said spitefully.

"Constance is just like Catherine, besotted with an innocent, but you will need more than that to keep her!" Danni bit back angrily.

"How would you know? What makes you think that I'm innocent? You don't know me Danni, you don't care about other people and what happens to those other people when you interfere in their lives! You're selfish, arrogant and completely without morals when it comes to relationships. I think it's time you looked at yourself in the mirror before it's to late, because there will be someone out there who isn't as generous as Catherine or as polite as Constance in the same circumstances. Beware Danni, the next time, you could get hurt with your brash remarks," Clare responded, her voice tight and angry.

"No, merely pointing out the facts of life as I see them, maybe you should try it one day?" Clare stood her ground and noticed a defeated expression rise on Danni's face.

"Tell Constance I said good bye and I hope to see her around some time," Danni stated flatly as she opened the door.

"Before you go Danni, can I have the key to the apartment?" Clare held out her hand for the object.

"Oh, yeah the key, almost forgot! I guess you get to keep it now?" Danni shrugged at the thought and left Clare at the door, heaving a sigh of relief.

Closing the door she enfolded her fingers over her palm holding onto the key and smiled. Softly knocking on the bedroom door, she entered and saw that Constance appeared to be sleeping. Moving silently over to the edge of the bed, Clare gave her a long thoughtful look. 'What did her friend want from her? Conversely what did she want from her friend?' she thought as she turned to leave the room.

Turning back Clare smiled slightly and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Yeah, she's gone, and good riddance! Go back to sleep and I'll see you in the morning."

"Yeah, I'm going to stay," and placed a tender kiss on her forehead as Constance fell back into a much needed sleep.

Tomorrow was another day and they needed to work out a plan to trap Gareth but she still wasn't sure Tito was innocent in all this either; no, he needed to convince her and in a very positive way!

Catherine paced her study; it had been a sleepless night for her, although she'd tried to sleep. Her dreams invaded her at every turn and in the end she decided to shower and go and listen to some music in the gym, at least there it wouldn't disturb anyone. The room was sound proofed, Catherine had insisted on it, she knew her appetite for loud music; but tonight, the music loud or soft had not worked. Now, back in the study, she heard Judy moving around the kitchen, at least now she could get some tea.

Walking out of the study and towards the kitchen with purpose, she surprised the housekeeper who almost jumped through the roof when she silently came up behind her.

"Sorry, didn't mean to make you jump," Catherine replied sincerely, but noted her unease, which was far more than any scare she'd innocently inflicted.

"That's okay. You're up early, would you like tea?" Judy replied, her nerves on edge after her discussion with the detective, maybe Jeff would find her and then what?

"Sounds good to me, how are you coping with the situation Judy? I should have asked sooner, but my mind was preoccupied elsewhere." Catherine tilted her head to the right side in a listening action it was quite an endearing trait.

"I'm very well thank you Ms Warriorson, I know you have other things on your mind that are far more important." Judy tried to convey her sympathy at the current situation.

"Yes, Jace's kidnapping is very serious and extremely important, but the welfare of others that are my responsibility are equally as important," considering her next words carefully Catherine continued. "My children like you by the way, also, they say you have helped them with their assignments from school and have been helping them with the reading in the evening, especially Lisa. Thank you Judy, that means a lot to me." Catherine heard the heavy sigh as if the other woman wanted to say something important but didn't know how. "Are you worried about any particular aspect of working here Judy?"

Judy knew there never would be a better time than now to get her particular problem in the open. "I'm not what I appear Ms Warriorson, in fact I'm not a housekeeper at all!"

Catherine gave her a long look out of her sightless eyes and a wry smile creased her face for a moment, "I know, I've always known, you reminded me of Grace when she first arrived here. Only thing was I had to show Grace the ropes, she hadn't been a housekeeper before her arrival here either! So, what's your story?"

Judy related her career history and her traumatic engagement to the deputy head to her eventual final beating at his hands; the post being advertised in the local paper, and her attendance at the interview, everything else was history! Sitting quietly after she had bared her soul or it felt like that to her, she waited for some reaction from the other woman seated opposite her sipping tea.

"No, I want to be here to help you all through this, I know I can help in some way," Judy responded with conviction.

"Well, that settles that point, and when it's all over, perhaps we will talk again about what you really want to do with the qualification you possess. If you like it here, what about teaching in the local high school if there are vacancies?" Catherine remarked practically; the woman obviously was wasted as a housekeeper, even though she was turning out to be a good one.

"I appreciate your compassion, especially in the circumstances." Judy went over to the teapot and poured more tea for them both.

"It appears when I became resident here on 'Destiny', things that I would normally not suffer have become common place; must be an element on the ranch that brings out the best in people. My husband always intended this place as a retreat from the harsher realities of life; only he and our son never experienced that dream. I guess his caretaker is trying to rectify that for them both." Catherine looked into her now full mug of tea in a contemplative mood.

"Detective Armstrong is coming towards the house Ms Warriorson," Judy informed her. "Do you want to see him in the study alone?" Perhaps she would have the chance to ask who the caretaker was at some other time?

"Yes, good idea. Please bring more tea for me and whatever the detective drinks Judy." Catherine drank another mouthful from her mug and then raised herself to her six feet and left the room towards the main entrance and the detective's unexpected visit early in the morning.

Constance waited for Clare to call her and confirm that she had contacted Gareth Cuthbert and asked him to attend a special meeting of VP's in New York in two days time. Enricho had been advised that the meeting was a ploy to trap Gareth and that he needed to say nothing at all unless the African VP wanted to confirm the meeting in light of the recent events at the home of Ms Devonshire. Rita had been asked to arrange a special meeting room for the visit. She had chosen the boardroom; it had the prestige feel for an extraordinary meeting. Once news circulated around the building that a meeting was arranged in the boardroom of all places, then Gareth would get the right kind of message relayed back to him by his spies, because he obviously had them.

Fortunately Eduardo was away from the European office and he couldn't be contacted; that left Tito and he had been told to attend the meeting, it would be his chance to redeem himself if he could.

"Hi, we have a green light at this end, Rita has arranged the boardroom and Enricho is saying nothing on the subject other than a meeting will be in progress in that room that day. He's quite the prevaricator Constance, I'm not surprised Ms Devonshire likes him." Clare chatted on obviously pleased with the way the events were panning out.

Constance bit her lip at her friend's praise of the caretaker VP in New York, her role! "Great, so Gareth is coming over?"

"Oh yeah, his secretary called to confirm his flight and could a driver be on time to pick him up at the airport. She gave me his flight number and other details, so I guess he's coming." Clare smiled into the phone she was very pleased with the progress.

"Good, when are you coming back here?" Constance wanted to discuss the final details with her friend, not only that she missed Clare's company.

"Oh Constance, Enricho wants to go over the Anderson book deal and I can help him on that one, so I'll be back later. This isn't a problem is it?" Clare asked her tentatively.

"No, no of course not, it's your time. I'll see you later, I could do with a little more sleep anyway, and it's going to be a long two days I suspect. See you later Clare, bye," Constance disconnected the call.

Clare held her handset in her hand dumbfounded, which was sure a sharp reply? Puzzled, but to busy to consider it further she went off in search of Enricho.

Constance paced slowly about the apartment for several minutes, she'd been childish to severe the connection between Clare and herself so abruptly on the phone. She was jealous! Clare's references to Enricho had broken down a barrier she'd been keeping up between her feelings for Clare on the friendship front and what she would prefer to progress to with her friend. But...would Clare? Although Clare had stayed the night, it had only been because of the circumstances nothing more. Clare had never given her any reason to think that she was interested in her other than as a friend; maybe she was over-reacting to the situation she was in at the moment. That would have to be the answer for the time being, at least until this mess with Cuthbert was straightened out.

The other problem she had was should she inform Catherine of her plans or leave it for now? Once it was over Catherine would either give a sigh of relief or give her the sack if she didn't handle the situation correctly. However, that last option didn't take any long residence in her thoughts; she would not fail.

At least she was right about one thing, she still needed some sleep, her body was still recuperating and so slowly it seemed. Time was the great healer they say, but she would like to see time move a little faster, for her body at least.

"Detective Armstrong take a seat." Catherine waived her hand in the general direction of the furniture in the room.

Armstrong watched the tall beautiful woman walk towards her chair behind the large imposing desk in the centre of the room. He had been surprised when she opened the main door to him, and amazed when she gave the uncanny impression that she saw him too, when all reports had indicated that she was blind. "Thanks." He sat down easily in the chair opposite her desk facing her directly.

Catherine saw his shadow take the seat directly in front of her; it made her smile briefly. "Detective Armstrong, I'm sure your visit this early in the morning warrants either good or bad news. What is it today?"

Armstrong gave her a keen glance and saw that her expression was fixed, interested but refusing to acknowledge any type of emotion. "Yes, we intercepted your mail this morning,' he saw her arch her eyebrow in question. "This is normal in the circumstances Ms Warriorson, a precaution merely to avoid further distress."

"I know what the woman is capable of detective; she almost killed me in prison, I have a six inch scar on my back as a goodwill gesture. So, if you think that I'm squeamish than you would be wrong. Do you have any news?" Catherine questioned him bluntly, her expression never changing.

Armstrong shifted uncomfortably in his chair, she had a formidable presence that was a fact that you couldn't overlook and had obviously been around. "There is a ransom note, although it's a rather odd one."

"The ransom isn't money, it's you!" Armstrong advised her, his voice surprised at the contents.

"No surprise to me detective; it's exactly what she came here for, only she decided that taking Jace was going to be the icing on the cake," Catherine quietly informed him.

"We obviously cannot allow this to happen, having two hostages and no request for money is to dangerous," Armstrong gave her a long look.

"Unfortunately she has something very special to me and if having the chance to get Jace Bardley back, is my going into her clutches she has the upper hand at the moment. When and where?" Catherine then replied as if she was undertaking a business deal.

"This isn't a business deal Ms Warriorson. This could mean your life and that of Ms Bardley, are you going to risk that?" Armstrong hissed out his frustration, she was way too calm about this.

"Oh, but detective that's exactly what it is, a deal, pure and simple and Ms Bardley is already dead unless we get her out of there soon, and I mean soon detective," Catherine stated in a dry tone. Refusing to acknowledge the small voice of her conscience that said Jace might already be dead.

Armstrong cleared his throat and was relieved when the housekeeper brought in the tea, it might soothe his nerves. Catherine Warriorson obviously had nerves of steel. Maybe she wasn't having an affair with Jace Bardley as the newspapers had implied; she certainly didn't look like the upset lover, more like a concerned friend.

"Where and when detective?" Catherine resumed the conversation immediately after Judy left the room.

"Lunchtime today. They want you to go to a deserted farm about hundred miles away alone," Armstrong said quietly.

"That about sums up the facts detective, are you going to use a wire or have you other instruments far more discreet these days?" Catherine asked him with interest.

"We propose the wire and I will monitor it personally. This has a risk attached to it, you realise that of course?" He saw her turn to the window and stare out her face blank of any emotion.

"Risk, I'm dead as soon as she has me anyway detective, if this saves Jace's life and mine in the long run, then we have to take that risk. Tell me did you contact Jace's ex-husband?" Catherine kept her back to the detective.

"Yes, he's working in Europe on a documentary series, one of our compatriots pulled him in for questioning. He's very upset at the situation, but says he had nothing to do with it; his only contact with his ex-wife was around three weeks ago on this ranch. He wanted to see his daughter I believe, and he left after that event." Armstrong noticed a tightening of her jaw at the words 'his daughter'.

"Did he say how he threatened her and indeed how he knew that Jace had the baby in the first place, we didn't exactly publicise it," Catherine's voiced strained; she loathed Peter Adamson.

"He mentioned that he had indicated that he wanted access to 'his' child and that Ms Bardley had refused unless he went through the courts. He wasn't happy about that, but has since resigned himself to the fact that he will not have access to his child, as he's far too busy at the moment to spend time in court." Armstrong saw a brief satisfied smile pass across her face, so Jace Bardley did mean more than a friend to her after all.

"How did he know about the baby?" Catherine persisted with the question that had plagued her ever since Adamson had turned up at 'Destiny'.

"He works for a foreign studio; the German producer advised him of the event when the producer was in LA, it appears that the news was available there. Adamson assumed that her parents had known, he found out that wasn't the case when he saw his ex-wife." Armstrong answered her question, there didn't appear to be anything sinister here at all.

"Interesting, so Adamson doesn't have a connection to Ms Schmidt and he no longer wants to be involved in the upbringing of his child?" Catherine murmured.

"It would appear so on both counts, but as to the access that can always come around again." Armstrong advised her.

"It could, but it won't! I have that in hand already. I need to talk to several people before we leave in what...a couple of hours?" Catherine gave him a brief glance.

Armstrong nodded his head and then realised she couldn't see that, "Yes, I'll be back with another officer to help you with the wire and then we will leave for the rendezvous."

"Thanks for making this easy for me detective, arguing about a situation that had to happen would have been a waste of both our energies, and we will be best served by consolidating our efforts. We are going to need it!" Catherine picked up her mug of tea and drank the residue as the detective let himself out of the room.

'This is turning out to be one adventure after another since I've been involved with you Jace, do you think that we can have some quiet time soon, or there is going to be nothing left of me but skin and bones?' Catherine looked down at her emaciated body although she couldn't see it, it certainly felt like that now; she hoped she had enough reserves for this final battle.

Grace sat at the end of Catherine's bed holding a sleeping Elena in her arms and contemplated her friend, who was now wired and ready for another dangerous situation. Did this woman want to take over the lead in the 'James Bond' movies?

Catherine turned to her friend as she pulled on a thick white sweater over her heavy towelling shirt, it was going to be cold out there.

"I can hear her sleeping again, must be a family past-time, I wonder if Jace's sister exhibits the same tendency?" Catherine absently said.

"I wanted to, I even dialled the number last night but I couldn't do it! I chickened out Grace. What was I going to say! Sorry, but Jace is living with me now, congratulations you're grandparents, and Jace has a beautiful baby girl. Oh, by the way she's been kidnapped by an ex-con who has a grudge against me from my prison days." Catherine sat down heavily next to her friend and reached a gentle hand out, which Grace steered towards the baby's head.

"Yes, well it does kind of sound dramatic, pity it's all true!" Grace touched her friend's cheek in gentle sympathy.

Grace gave her a sharp look Catherine was joking surely. "The part about the ex-con, whatever else did you think?"

"Nothing really, I'm certain that now they're not exactly going to be to happy about me in her life! I've not exactly been good for their little girl now have I?" Catherine shook her head at the desolate thought.

Grace chuckled softly. "You were right the other day Catherine, you're head does need to be examined. Jace came alive the day she met you, and you better believe that my friend. Whatever happens now you will be together, and as with all the other obstacles that have been placed in the way of your life you will overcome them together! I can't predict an outcome here Catherine, but I'm positive about the effect you two have on each other and everything else fades into the background. I'm going to make arrangements for my wedding, because you're going to promise to give me away and Jace is going to be my maid of honour."

Catherine let a solitary tear track down her cheeks at her friend's consistent optimism in the face of tremendous odds; she gave the only answer she could. "I promise."

"Excellent, because I'm not going to tell Jake or Lisa that you're going okay? I want you back here tomorrow as early as possible got me?" Grace saw Catherine's single tear and stopped her own it would be too much for them both to cry.

"I...no we will be back tomorrow Grace, one way or the other." Catherine quickly placed a kiss on her daughter's head and smiled at the downy cap of hair.

Grace heard the remark but refused to comment, there simply wasn't anything more that she could say on the subject. It was now up to Catherine, Jace and the police. The two women sat beside each other deep in thought, until Catherine was called to leave the property.

Jace hadn't been sure that she had heard correctly, but she was as close to being certain in this dingy and echoing cavern. 'One of the men had been dispatched with the leader to collect an important package, what sort of package could that be? It was also several hours ago she was certain, although time didn't have any clarity here.' Jace tried to get her thoughts in order, her whole body was freezing and if she moved she suspected that her legs would splinter into fragments for they appeared to be icicles to her senses; her hands didn't fair much better either. Being tied up for over twenty-four hours was going to be a problem, or maybe not, depending on the circumstances of the end of this encounter. Jace felt as if rigor mortise had already set in and she was still alive! At least she thought she that was the case, appearances could be deceptive. That brought about a slight chuckle and the attention of her kidnapper.

"Nothing really, just wondering what the weather was like outside?" Jace decided that being polite might be better for her than confrontational.

"It's snowing as always at this time of the year, and it's going to get colder. So, I hope you're one of those with plenty of body heat, you're going to need it," the man informed her sourly.

"Actually I usually have an electric blanket of some description or other to help me with that problem. What about you?" Jace smiled un-consciously as she realised that hers just happened to be six foot, dark and way too sexy to be called any kind of blanket at all!

"Never used one, my ex-wife said I was a furnace all year round," he stated and then glanced around the area she was held in. "You got lucky last night, she was going to do something nasty to you and it would have been nasty; she's an evil bitch that one."

"I wouldn't call her pawing me being lucky, but I guess that depends on taste really doesn't it." Jace saw that the man was eyeing her with frank appraisal. 'I wonder.'

"I heard her say that you prefer women anyway so it wouldn't be a problem," the man continued his appraisal.

"Does she know everything, she certainly doesn't know me! I just haven't found the right man, unless he's in the same place I am at the moment." Jace wondered if this was her chance to get free of the bindings and maybe, just maybe, get an advantage.

The man came closer to Jace, she stopped herself from having a very expressive expression at his personal hygiene, and a girl just had to do what she had to do! "I could show a girl a good time, never had anyone complain." he boasted.

'So, why is it the ex-wife?' Jace wondered and then smiled one of her powerful beguiling smiles she used when she needed something badly.

The man leaned in closer to her and his lips pressed hungrily on hers, it was a mind over matter situation with her stomach again, she couldn't afford to be sick again, not yet anyway.

Jace murmured something to the man, who released her lips and gave her a confident smile. "What?"

"I could get more comfortable if you released my hands and feet; it's not exactly the best sort of seduction experience I've been through." Jace smiled at him and saw him look at her suspiciously; he thought about the situation and then shook his head.

"No, you might do something stupid like run away," he said and moved slightly away from her.

"I might, but then again if you're as good a lover as you say you are, why would I?" Jace used flattery as her final weapon. He could take her anyway if he had the intelligence, but she doubted he did, just the muscle.

The man considered her words and grunted. "Not exactly the place to go out alone anyway, you'd get lost or fall over a ravine or something." he went to untie her feet and she wriggled her ankles in blessed relief, the circulation going back to the area making it a pins and needles situation. Then came the hands, she shook them and smiled at the man, if for nothing else but a brief respite from the bindings.

"Thanks." Jace smiled at him and he bent back closer to her and carried on his assault of her mouth, before his hands appeared to become attached to an octopus and went everywhere. Jace was going to have to do something soon or she was going to regret her little venture into seduction. A noise from the entrance of the cave mercifully stopped the mans advances; thank god she'd had a thick coat on or she might be worse for wear.

The man scrambled up from his position over Jace and momentarily forgot about her as he went towards the entrance. He waved to who ever it was that was coming, well it had been several hours since the other two had left and the light was fading. The man walked quickly back into the cave and went towards the banked down fire and reset it. Jace silently watched him and hoped he wouldn't remember her unbound hands and feet.

Detective Armstrong watched the tall blind Catherine Warriorson sit patiently on a wooden bench at the deserted farm. She appeared to be relaxed and gave no indication of the dangerous situation she was in. To the onlooker it would seem as if she was resting quietly and absorbing the crisp wintry day. They had waited for over two hours and no one had arrived and neither had a message been left. Well, as far as he could tell, if there was a note, they were at a disadvantage, as Warriorson wouldn't see it!

The woman herself had taken the bench seat and waited, and appeared to be almost a statue on the bench. He suspected that she must be freezing, he was and he'd been pacing for most of the two hours waiting time, she had motionlessly sat there. His superiors had nearly taken his badge when he'd gone back that morning to advise them of the new situation. They hadn't wanted Warriorson anywhere near the kidnappers, it was too dangerous and she was blind; didn't he know that! What the hell could be gained by sending a blind wealthy woman into their hands?

Armstrong waited for them to finish and then instructed them on the conversation he'd had with Warriorson. It would have been pointless to ignore her wishes, all that would have happened is that she would have made herself an easy target and then they would have no chance. As it was, a wire would be suspected and he doubted that it would remain on her person longer than a few minutes after they came for her. But it had been an option and sometimes items get overlooked. Only he had an ace up his sleeve, she'd agreed to swallow a micro transmitter that would dissolve in her body in the space of twenty four hours, it was experimental and the effects on the recipient hadn't been disclosed fully, but it was another option. Warriorson had calmly held out her hand for the micro and swallowed it then and there. She didn't say a word, her face a mask entirely devoid of any emotion, that feature had impressed him.

Finally he was pulled from his revere as a cloudy of white was revealed to the right of her position, two snow bikes noisily but speedily pulled up in front of Catherine Warriorson. One of the bikers stepped off the machine and began a conversation with her.

"Yes. You have something I want back!" Catherine curled her lip in a sneer. She didn't need to see Katia Schmidt to see the ugly bitch smile at her remark. Catherine already knew what Katia looked like and her expression. Oh yeah, she had first handexperience.

"I bet you're wired too?" Closing the distance between them Katia put her large hands on Catherine's shoulders and made a slow and deliberate exploration of her body that had nothing to do with finding a wire.

"You always had a beautiful body Catherine and this time it's going to be mine before I have the satisfaction of killing you!"

"Get on with it, will you? The cops won't be far away you stupid bitch," the man on the snow bike shouted at his leader.

Katia turned away reluctantly from her task and snarled at the man. "When I want an opinion from you, I'll ask. Got me?"

The man looked down at his bike and revved up the machine, saying nothing to her remark. Katia went back to her task but this time found the wire and effectively removed it by tugging at the bra that held it in place. Catherine could feel the woman's body tremble at her perceived power over her. "It's strange but if I didn't know better I'd say you could see me Catherine Devonshire. You have the most startling eyes I've ever seen on a woman. Pity that I can't save them after you're gone, but we all have a price to pay in this life." Pulling Catherine roughly towards the machine being revved by the man, Katia make sure she mounted the bike and wouldn't fall off.

Armstrong watched the situation in fascination, the hostage hadn't lost control at all; even the manhandling of her person by one of the kidnappers hadn't caused her to even bat an eyelid at the assault and there was no doubt that the rough treatment had been an assault. The wire had been found as they suspected and now it was up to micro to track her. Looking at the small instrument panel he held in the palm of his hand he watched the signal remain strong and once they were ten miles away he called for support. They would keep that distance and hope to god that she wasn't going to be removed from the country and that the micro dissolved before they had a chance to apprehend the suspect's.

His vehicle arrived from over the left mountainside it was time to close in on the trap and hopefully before anything tragic happened.

Constance watched Clare pouring over the papers and the scheme they had to nail Cuthbert, and Tito too if that proved the situation. Clare became so involved in the subject matter it was a passion for her, her eyes glowed with her interest.

"Have you all the available information ready Clare?" Constance said quietly and was rewarded with a large infectious grin from her friend.

"Constance he can't possibly be anything but guilty with this information. We have detective Kelsey with the banking records, and he's also bringing with him one of the informants involved in the payoff. They've agreed to spill in front of Gareth for some leniency when they go to court. I don't think Ms Devonshire will mind too much if we apprehend who was responsible out of this will she?" Clare suddenly realised that Ms Devonshire might have something to say in the matter; Devonshire could be quite vocal if necessary on a subject.

Constance looked at the worry that flashed over Clare's features and she put a gentle hand on her arm, "No, I hardly think that Catherine will worry too much at this stage of the game, after all she's used to trade off positions, she will understand perfectly."

Clare's face cleared and she looked seriously at her friend. "If Gareth is guilty but decided to name Tito as an accomplice and he's not guilty what do we do?"

"That my friend is for the courts to deliberate. We will bring the facts to the table, but the verdict is up to them." Constance saw the facts and had doubts herself about Tito. However, Paul had been adamant and Catherine had backed-up Paul's gut feeling on Tito, that he wasn't involved and not guilty in this situation. "I think we can help him out there with some fabricated information if Gareth decides to be the creep he obviously is; and I think he will take anyone he can with him when he falls. Hopefully that might help Tito, but it will then be up to him. What do you think?"

Clare looked at the information in front of her and a sad smile crossed her lips. "Paul said he wasn't guilty and I think deep down with the facts we have Celeste would have reached that conclusion also; she knew him better than either of us. I agree, we have some rigging of our own to do and catch Gareth at his own game."

Constance saw the tears welling in her friend's eyes at the mention of her friend, Celeste had been one of Clare's closest friends at the office and she hadn't really expressed any mourning over her friend, although she'd gone to the funeral. "How about you come over here for a hug? I think you could do with one," she smiled at the younger woman as she held out her arms to the young woman for the much-needed embrace.

Clare didn't hesitate. The two women held each other in comfort and support, nothing was said for sometime. Gently smoothing her hand across Clare's hair in an absent motion. "I heard from Danni this morning."

Clare raised slightly red-rimmed eyes to her friend, "You did? What did she say?"

"She was waiting for her flight to New Zealand, said she was sorry and that she wished that it hadn't finished in the way it had." Constance hesitated about the rest of the message.

"Was that all?" Clare knew Constance was holding something back, with the hesitation in her voice.

"Tell me?" Clare turned fully to face Constance and they were within inches of each other.

"She...well she..." Constance stumbled over the words as Clare moved in closer to her and captured her lips in a sweet kiss that had Constance's heart hammering in her chest.

"I know what she thinks, and I know what I want, do you?" Clare asked breathlessly hoping she'd called this right.

Constance gave her a wide grin, her pleasure at the younger woman's advance taking her by surprise, but what a surprise, smiling and pulling Clare closer, "Yeah, I know what I want also!" She proceeded to show the younger woman exactly what that was; all other issues were truly pushed into the background at that instant, if only for a few minutes.

Catherine was shoved persistently in the back as she unsuccessfully tried to walk towards the entrance of the cave. It wouldn't have been so bad, except without Rio she was almost helpless in this type of terrain and proved it as she fell for the third time in as many minutes. Her need for restraint was beginning to weight heavily against her growing anger and frustration.

"For gods' sake man give the woman a hand; she can't see where the hell she's going. She'll fall over the fucking edge before Katia has any fun with her. Anyway we need the ransom she told us would come with the bitch," the man who had been left behind in the cave with Jace shouted at his accomplice in crime.

The other man shouted a stream of obscene language and roughly grabbed Catherine's arm in a painful locking hold that had her wincing at the action.

'I'll get you back you bloody poor specimen of a human, or is it a dog? No! I have more respect for dogs than to put you in that category. Paybacks are a bitch!' Catherine thought as she was finally pulled to her destination.

Catherine could feel the heat from the fire that she could vaguely see with the shimmering colours, but she couldn't see anything else. This was going to be a nightmare, how the hell did she think she could get Jace out of here. Where was Jace?

"Katia where is Jace, I want to hear her voice?" Catherine spoke but her tone tinged with quiet menace.

"She's still alive! A little worse for wear but then I had to keep warm somehow during last evenings cold snap, she makes a fine feet warmer." Katia smiled at the blind woman in front of her and wished just for a second that she wasn't blind and she could see the expression in those ice blue eyes of hers at the horror of the implied situation.

Although Catherine wanted to get her hands around Katia's throat, she knew that finding out where Jace was located in this god awful place had precedence over her need to kill the foul vermin in front of her. For now! "Where is she?"

"Oh, the ever attentive lover. What a shame you're never going to experience that again," having seen no visible change to Catherine's grim expression, Katia lost interest. "Your friend is in the corner to your left, give Catherine a wave Jace Bardley, I'm sure the blind bitch will appreciate it." Katia laughed the echoing sound creating a devilish image in Catherine's mind.

Jace didn't wave; it would have given away the fact that she was now boundless. The man who had been in the cave with her was told to bring Jace closer to the fire and the conversation. When he moved in on his captive he noticed that he'd forgotten to tie her back up, he gave Jace a look of censure at the situation and she gave a nod of agreement. 'If he wouldn't say anything, she certainly wasn't going to look the gift horse in the mouth, no sir,' she thought as the kidnapper pushed her forward towards the fire.

Katia was preoccupied with Catherine; her hands roaming over the tall woman's chest in fascination, it was so easy and Catherine was being so very meek about the whole scenario. 'Hudson had been right, Catherine Devonshire would do and put up with anything for the blonde.'

Jace saw her lover at close quarters and gave a small sob at the sight of her friend who had obviously suffered in the last month; her face was ravaged and her body looked like it hadn't had a decent meal since she'd left, now this! They needed a holiday and eternity wasn't what she'd had in mind, not for a long, long time. "I'm here Catherine." Jace let a smile briefly frame her features as Catherine's whole stance responded to her voice; she looked as if she became several inches taller and her face relaxed a little of it's tension.

"You have me, what's next Katia?" Catherine asked the only question she could. She surmised the men obviously expected some form of payment, but had concluded the setting before them hadn't been the deal at all; a possible pinprick in the balloon?

"Ah, Catherine you make everything so easy, not like the last time we met, you had more passion. Such a pity you've fallen so hard for the blonde and she's sapped your energy, you were so very vital." Katia traced her forefinger over Catherine's lips and bent her head to taste the lipstick Catherine wore.

Jace watched the action of the woman now referred to as Katia, 'this was the woman who had nearly killed Catherine in prison and who had killed her friend Maria. All this time I've been thinking that Maria was the ghost that would haunt us, but it's really not a ghost that haunts us it's a shadow of the past-Katia Schmidt!' Her stomach churned as she watched the blatant display of lust being placed unwillingly upon on her lover. This could not go on!

One of the men got restless as he approached the three women. "We want our money, before you do anymore. Carl and I want to leave now, you can deal with the two bitches, after all that's what you came for?"

Katia turned on the man her eyes cold and dark a primitive emotion stalking the depths; she walked closer to him and beckoned the other man over. "You want out Carl?" Katia purred.

"Sure, you can handle the blind woman, she's pretty useless without help, and you sure can handle the blonde she's only a slip of a girl and she'd bound too!" Carl muttered and came shoulder to shoulder with the other man.

Katia gave them a long glance and smiled ferally and turned to her satchel and pulled something out. Turning swiftly she shot each of them at point blank range in the head. They didn't have time to blink never mind move. They slumped to the floor and Jace screamed at the blood that smattered over Catherine and her as the walls of the cave turned crimson. "Takes care of that payment." Katia turned to a shocked Jace and pushed her roughly on the floor of the cave, her body collapsing in a heap at the unexpected action, she was inches from one of the dead men.

Catherine moved her head in a listening mode the police were close by, she could hear the sirens, and she knew this was it! It was now or never, the bitch was going to die for everyone she had killed.

Jace seeing the opportunity to trip Katia as she moved towards Catherine extending her left leg placing it so Katia couldn't avoid the limb; after all, she wasn't expecting Jace to be free of her bindings. The airflow change around Catherine indicated the out of balance movement and she leapt forward to the shadow that closed in on her. Katia was falling towards Catherine she was taken totally unawares by Jace's action. How the hell could the captive move so freely, she hadn't expected that?

Catherine suddenly grappled with Katia, who managed to pull them both to the ground in a fierce struggle. Catherine's unexpected arm lock on Katia arm jarred the gun loose causing it to slide across the cave floor out of the heavier woman's reach. Several moments later Catherine managed to get her hands around Katia's throat; this time she wasn't going to be let go until Katia was dead. OH! No, not this time!

Jace heard the sirens of the police and rushed forward as fast as the lack of circulation in the legs allowed her, to the entrance and she motioned frantically as the police vehicles arrived on the scene, within seconds police swarmed the area and Jace was being led to safety. "No! I have to go back Catherine is still in there!"

Armstrong had seen the determined expression on the blonde's face and again realised the futility of arguing with strong-minded women. "Let her go," he then took her elbow and guided her back inside the cavern.

Catherine had a death hold on Katia, the larger woman might appear stronger but Catherine was fitter, she had at least Danni to thank for that advantage. Katia was breathing shallowly, it was so close now, and soon it would be over. No more bloody shadows to haunt her from her past, this was it; this was the end. "No!" an anguished voice she recognised in her sub-conscious called out to her.

"Let her go Ms Warriorson, it would be senseless to kill her. You would go to prison, is it worth it?" Armstrong spoke immediately after Jace, who was trying to coax her lover to let go.

"She deserves to die and I'm going to see to it that this time she does." Catherine's voice held nothing but hatred for the woman.

"Don't you dare Catherine! Do you hear me? I will not let you do that! Your mine remember, you promised me your tomorrows, I want them all not in twenty years time when they let you out of prison, you promised me!" Jace beseeched her lover with tears falling heavily down her cheeks.

"I promised every tomorrow?" Catherine whispered in a haze, her sensibilities finally kicking in over her anger and hate.

"Yes! And I want them all!" Jace went close to her friend and pulled at her shoulder, Catherine turned to look at Jace and a slow smile of recognition appeared.

Catherine released the half-unconscious Katia and moved away from her prone body to sit down heavily on the cavern floor.

Jace moved closer to her as the police held onto Katia and dragged her up and out of the cave. Armstrong looked at the two emotionally drained women and went on his haunches to speak to them. "Let me have the pleasure of taking you both home ladies. I think tonight we can all celebrate." A shot was heard outside the cave and Armstrong moved swiftly and ran outside to check the situation.

He saw the body of Katia Schmidt lying in a pool of her own blood. The police marksman who had shot her was being relieved of his gun as per the regulations. "She looked like she had a gun and was going to use it. It was almost as if she wanted me to kill her," the officer tried to explain. Armstrong shook his head and kicked the woman's body over. She had a small pistol in her hands and she would in all likelihood have used it on his men, everything was going to be fine.

Walking inside Armstrong saw two women wrapped tightly together; rocking away the tension of the past few days, or in their cases maybe it was more like months. He walked over to the couple; it was time to take them home, which was without a doubt, definitely the best place for them!

Catherine held Jace close in her arms; the blonde had remarkably fallen asleep on her shoulder. Catherine had closed her eyes wearily on the whole situation, there was only one more event to take place to finish this nightmare and they could get on with their lives as a family. 'Hopefully Constance had arranged everything they had discussed. Something just didn't add up, there was a piece of the puzzle missing; bloody damned if I know what though. Katia surely wouldn't have had the resources to set up a kidnapping, not when she'd only recently been released from prison? Then again, what do I know about her background, she might be independently wealthy, a rich kid gone wrong and Katia Schmidt had gone wrong in a big way. Still that was something to check up on in the future, more than likely Gareth had arranged it all. It would be like the stupid bastard to try and get his own back on her, although what had been so wrong in what she had suggested?' Glancing down at Jace she let a tender smile trace her lips as she placed them on her hair. It needed a wash by the texture and smell, but she was alive and by all that was holy, that was all that mattered in this world!

Armstrong looked over at her and cleared his throat to catch her attention, he didn't want to surprise her in anyway, and she'd had enough of those he suspected. "Ms Warriorson, we are pulling into the drive of the ranch house now, it may be prudent to wake Ms Bardley."

Catherine smiled briefly at the detective. "Thanks, I'm sure she will want to be awake for all the fuss." Catherine's words held a touch of humour in them.

The door to the main house opened and Grace looked out followed by Colin; they rushed down the steps of the porch and waited expectantly for the vehicle to glide to a halt. The door was swiftly wrenched open by Grace who watched Jace sleepily extract herself from Catherine and push herself out of the door into Grace's comforting hug.

Catherine listened to the welcome and was surprised at how numb she felt at the end of the day. Armstrong looked at her and spoke again.

"I'm glad everything turned out well without tragedy Ms Warriorson. Maybe in a couple of days, you can come by the station and we can fill out the reports and put this situation into the garbage can where it belongs. Is that agreeable with you?"

Catherine turned her head towards the owner of the voice. "Sure, but I will need those few days; I don't think I've slept properly in over a month. Anyway we have a micro transmitter to check out, I don't exactly care for it to remain in residence indefinitely should it fail to dissolve."

Armstrong chuckled softly, "Yeah, I forgot about that gadget, but it sure saved the day don't you think?"

"Maybe, maybe not, I thought I was doing okay under the circumstances." Catherine had felt a little proud of herself. If it had gone all the way, Katia would still be dead and she would have paid the bitch back for Maria in full!

"Well, I'm glad it worked, I think your friend would have had something to say had you committed that offence. Wouldn't you Ms Bardley?" Armstrong noticed the blonde had put her head back in the vehicle to check out why her friend hadn't got out.

"Yes, I would and I think I did too," smiling at the detective she mouthed her thanks and tugged on Catherine's hand, "Come on hero, let's get you some hero's tea."

"I'll see you again detective." Catherine succumbed to Jace's insistent tugging with a wry smile as she left the vehicle.

"I certainly hope you do one day Ms Warriorson indeed I do!" He motioned for the driver to leave as the party moved back into the house.

Catherine moved slowly out of the bathroom having showered quickly, they had spent the last couple of hours with Grace, Colin, Faith and Judy going over the day's events, and their eventual release and the death of Katia. Jace had decided to leave the gathering an hour earlier than Catherine to check on Lisa and see her daughter, also for a much-needed shower of her own. On entering the bedroom Catherine heard the slight breathing of Jace and the baby, both apparently asleep, well it had been a long couple of days for everyone.

Walking silently over to the crib placed on Jace's side of the bed for convenience if the baby woke up suddenly, she heard a change in the baby's breathing and a small almost inaudible chuckle displaced the silence in the room. Catherine listened to the sound of their daughter with fascination and moved closer, unable to see her, but her mind drew pictures in the blank spaces for her, it made her smile tenderly. "I promised to bring her back to you Elena and I never break a promise." Catherine spoke softly to the baby not wanting to wake Jace; she'd had an ordeal and a half in the last few days. Jace's joy at having heard that Jake was alive and was going to be released from the hospital within the next two days, was muted by the death of Otaga, he'd only been a boy himself, couldn't have been more than twenty. Gently caressing the downy head of hair, Elena gave a sigh and sleep reclaimed her.

Jace had woken when Catherine had finished her shower but watched in sensual pleasure as her lover walked naked towards the bed and had stopped to talk to their daughter. Even if she did need feeding up a little, Catherine still had the most beautiful body that Jace would ever see in her life and she wasn't interested in viewing anyone else's. "I'm pleased you keep your promises Catherine, so come to bed and let me hold you, that's about all I'm capable of at the moment. You promised me all your tomorrows as I keep reminding you and I have a few to catch up on!" Jace whispered looking at the startled expression on her lover's face, which turned into a brilliant smile at her words.

"Yes, and I think you promised to love me through them all, sounds like a good deal to me." Catherine moved towards the bed and slid gracefully in next to Jace, and was immediately covered by the younger woman's body.

"Am I a transaction to you Catherine?" Jace asked sleepily into her warm shoulder, this beat the Hades out of that cold cavern she was in last night.

"The best my darling, without doubt the most wonderful transaction that has ever or will ever walk into my life." Catherine responded hoarsely into her hair, which now smelt of fresh herbs.

"A lifelong transaction...?" Jace mumbled as she fell into a deep sleep unable to hear the resulting answer.

"Oh, yes Jace, lifelong is just the start of it." Catherine whispered into her hair and kissed it gently as her own eyes closed in much needed sleep, knowing this time her dreams might haunt her, but she had her light beside her to keep the demons at bay.

Grace watched Colin as he lay sleeping. He looked at least ten years younger in sleep, it was amazing how that often happened to people, the tension of the day completely erased as if by magic. Leaning forward slightly Grace traced a featherlight touch over Colin's cheek and eventually came to rest lightly on his lips. Her heart beat racing as she recalled the conversation they'd had that last evening when the main house had settled down for the night.

"You know I think they're going to be safe now Colin, after all the woman's dead and I can't see anyone trying that trick again in the near future can you?" Grace watched Colin going over the security panel in the bedroom.

Well now to inform Catherine and Jace and then her mother, oh that should be fun. Grace had visions of her mother taking over the whole event, 'On reflection why not, it's not exactly my forte and knowing Jace, I bet she'd love to help out my mother with all the shopping. I can always use the trust fund business as a good reason to stay in the background. Wonder if they will catch on; that would only leave Colin and his plans, well he could always ask Catherine, with luck she might take the hint herself.' Grace chuckled at the thought and saw one grey eye focusing on her as she leaned in to kiss his lips and take up where they left off last night.

Constance had arrived at the Xianthos New York building an hour before the meeting was scheduled to take place; she wanted to make sure everything was in order. She had no need to worry, both Clare and Rita had been in the building at the crack of dawn and made sure everything was in order and exactly as they had planned. Walking over slowly to the chair at the head of the large conference table, she was surprised when the door opened and Enricho entered. He really was a striking man and it wasn't a surprise that many of the women in the building had started a fan club on his arrival. She smiled as she recalled her own jealousy when Clare had mentioned him that day; and it made her feel a little foolish in light of their present relationship.

"Constance you look well, what do they feed the women executives in Xianthos? You remind me of how Catherine rallied round after her accident." Enricho smiled genuinely at the woman he had replaced temporarily as VP in the building.

"Oh, I guess it's the water we drink. How are things going here?" Constance gave him a smile back. Maybe, he wasn't so bad, and he couldn't help it if all the ladies fell for him now, could he?

"Everything will be fine here until your return, I guarantee it!" He walked towards the window and looked out on the milling street below.

"Pleased to hear it, but the unexpected often happens Enricho. Don't forget that, I never will again." Constance replied simply.

"Yes, sorry about that, but I will try. Catherine told me that you would assume Paul's role in the organisation when you are fully recovered. I wish you every success." The South American held out his hand as a goodwill gesture.

"Thanks. Obviously, it won't be official until I return to work full time, and I'm looking forward to the challenge." She took his hand and smiled. Then the door opened and in walked Rita and Clare, they both looked embarrassed at the intrusion.

"Sorry, we thought you wouldn't be here until later, we will come back." Clare said quickly, not looking at either of them, but towards the floor, having noticed their linked hands.

"No, that's okay, I'm early. Come in please! We can talk before our two suspicious characters arrive." Constance gave the two women a reassuring nod.

"Well, I must go and see to other business, ladies I wish you well in your endeavours today. Let me know if you need my help." Enricho smiled graciously at them and left the room.

"I tell you he has one hell of a smile. He almost makes me swoon just looking at him, wonder what he's like in bed." Rita said softly only Clare could hear.

"You could always ask his wife that." Clare supplied and grinned when she saw Rita's face; obviously that wasn't common knowledge, or if it was, people were going to ignore it if they got the chance with the man.

"Don't you find him absolutely gorgeous though Clare?" Rita continued but this time Constance heard the question and she waited for Clare's answer also.

Clare looked down at her feet again but then just as suddenly; she looked up and smiled directly at Constance. " Actually no! I've found someone who is irreplaceable in my heart. Enricho can't hold a candle to that person."

"Hey, I didn't realise you were seeing anyone, is it someone I know?" Rita asked her and then heard the phone in the other room and excused herself to answer it.

Constance moved closer to Clare and looked at her tenderly. "Thanks for the compliment."

"I meant every word of it Constance. If you want me to prove it I certainly will." Clare gave her an equally serious look.

Constance held out her hand and touched the younger woman's face, "No, I think I get the message loud and clear."

"Sure." Clare gave her a brief smile and then walked over to the window as Rita announced that detective Kelsey was on his way up with the informant.

Constance looked at Clare's back, as a brief sadness over took her at the true meaning of today; it could mean the destruction of two men, the ongoing effect on several other lives and all for what? Greed, power, who knew? One thing for certain, she was going to take down the bastard that had effectively destroyed lives wantonly and could and probably had been instrumental in the present problems Ms Devonshire was experiencing at her home. There really weren't choices here, just the hard cold facts. They had a vicious murderer to uncover, and uncover they would!

Jace watched Catherine sleep; she looked so young! Her facial scars now faint traces appeared to disappear as her face relaxed. She was so very beautiful and yet it had been once again a close run situation that might have deprived Jace of Catherine for good this time. Not wanting to disturb her sleep, she slowly moved away, from Catherine, who turned slightly at the release of her body from its captivity under Jace's hands.

Jace silently padded towards the crib a few feet away from their bed, Elena was awake, but staring at the mobile that was hanging above her crib which had lots of floating Warner Brothers cartoon characters and of course, her own favourite right there in the middle-'Taz'. Catherine had sent it from America, one of her many packages for the children in the four weeks she'd been away. Lisa was still singing the praises of her new doll, that could walk, talk, sleep and eat. Although her rag doll that she had brought with her had remained a silent onlooker along with Blacky the soft toy dog, as she played for hours with her new doll. Jake's present had been the most up to-date handheld computer games machine that was on the market, Jace suspected in the world not just in the States. The boy would probably be using up batteries as if they were going out of date in the hospital, as Grace had taken it along to him yesterday. This was one visit today that she didn't care if anyone laughed or made a joke when the water works started, she deserved to shed those tears; their boy was a hero!

"Well Elena, let's get you changed so we can go downstairs to feed you and let your mom here sleep a little more. I think she deserves it, don't you?" Jace smiled at her daughter who was gurgling happily away, kicking her feet at the swirling objects above her.

Jace gently extracted her baby out of the crib and went into the bathroom; today was going to be special. They had all the ingredients to make it a memorable day for everyone, even down to a family visit to Jake at the hospital later this morning.

Jace set up the small bath and placed warm water inside at the temperature that Faith had finally convinced her was how her daughter enjoyed bathing. Chuckling at Grace's mom's ease at taking over the proud grandparent role, she knew now where Grace gained much of her generosity of spirit, even if Grace may never have realised it herself. Placing her now unclothed daughter in the water, she watched as the child let out a small murmur of disapproval and then a smile came across her face as the baby realised it was a past time she enjoyed. Several minutes later with Jace liberally covered with water. She realized her kid was going to be a real terror in a pool when she was older, that was for sure. Jace towelled her dry, replaced her diaper and put on a clean set of cute, cuddly clothes.

Catherine awoke to the sounds of splashing and laughter from Jace coming from the direction of the adjoining bathroom. Words were being spoken but Catherine was unable to decipher them as the tone was to low. Placing a hand over her eyes, she then touched her fingers down the faint traces of scars on the left-hand side of her face. 'If only.' Catherine's thoughts were wistful. What she wouldn't give to see Jace bathing her daughter and the expressions on the baby's face as the different experiences were enjoyed or not for the first time. The simple act of changing a diaper or watching the baby feed contentedly, these were all normal everyday experiences that Catherine would never see or for the moment couldn't. Yet, with everything that had happened to her and Jace since that unexpected meeting over sixteen months ago, she should be thanking god that she was alive and not just blind! Closing her eyes, she blinked back her tears of frustration and her thoughts drifted to her deceased friend Paul. Once again she was responsible for someone else's death, this reminded her of her guilt over Maria. Now, Maria could become a pleasant memory with no guilt attached, Katia the perpetrator was now dead and all the guilty feelings she'd had inthe past twelve years could be buried with her. Hopefully, the resolution to her problems in New York would restore her sense of balance then she could endeavour to do the same with her guilty feelings over Paul and remember all the happier times. Perhaps she'd ask Jace to convince James Thompson, Paul's partner to accompany Susan to their home for the Christmas festivities and celebrate with them here. After all Paul had become family in the last year, and that honour should be extended tohis partner. Yes, that was a sound idea; she would broach that with Jace.

The door to the bathroom opened and Jace walked into the main bedroom quietly. She was dressed in a long thick robe that insulated her from any cold chill in the room or the house generally if she ventured outside their room. Elena was cradled into her shoulder and clothed in a clean diaper and dainty playsuit in forest green to match her eyes. Jace expected Catherine to still be sleeping; she had been all but wiped out last night, a simple breeze would have knocked her over, or that was the impression the woman had given. Not that a breeze might dare to try that with her lover, she was pretty darn sure that Catherine would have choice words about it. Smiling at her thoughts, she made her way towards the door. At this time in the morning, only Judy, Faith and Rio would be moving around in the kitchen. These days Colin arrived late every morning for some strange reason; it would be amusing to hear Catherine's comments on that event.

"You sneaking out on me Jace Bardley?" Catherine spoke quietly and propped her naked body up on the bed on her left hand.

Startled, Jace turned abruptly and Elena gave out a cry of protest at the sudden movement. "I...that is I...Hades, Catherine you surprised me I thought you were still sleeping?"

Catherine smiled, her eyes tracking towards Jace's voice and she stared directly into the green eyes of her lover; not that Catherine could say for certain she was doing that, but her senses implied to her that she was. "When you leave my side I know. It's as if a part of my body leaves with you; then again, I guess that's accurate as you are the keeper of my heart and soul," Catherine replied equably.

Jace watched her friend and lover as the potent words made her blood curse through her veins rapidly as she, moistening her now dry lips with the tip of her tongue, 'Hades, Catherine knew exactly how to press her buttons with the greatest of ease.' "I guess you want me to come back to bed, huh?"

Catherine raised her left eyebrow in affirmation. "Anytime now would be fine with me." Catherine held out her open arms to illustrate her request.

"No! How could I forget such a wonderful miracle as Elena? You could come here and I'll show you exactly how much I've missed you both." Catherine's voice low and sultry, Jace didn't need any further convincing, not that she'd needed convincing anyway.

Easing herself onto the bed and climbing onto Catherine's lap, the younger woman snuggling up to her chest as Catherine placed her arms around Jace and the baby, very much like the last time the three had been together in the hospital. Jace purred in exquisite pleasure, this was the feeling she'd had missing in the long weeks of their separation, the comfort and beating heart of her lover in time with hers. "I love you Catherine."

Catherine sighed in happiness and rested her chin on top of Jace's head as her fingers gently stoked the baby's head. "Pleased about that, because if you didn't I would have to entice you to love me."

Jace laughed softly, "Care to share how you would tackle that particular task?" Jace carefully placed Catherine's restless hands around the baby to cradle her, which enable Jace to release her hands so that they could follow a restless pattern all their own on, slowly down Catherine's lithe thighs, noting the muscle tension as her hands flirted with the skin.

Catherine growled in pleasure at the pressure of Jace's hands on her lower body. She realised that Jace had made sure that her hands couldn't reciprocate, sneaky! "Oh, with you it's easy all I have to do is show you my many assets and you fall into my arms with ease."

Jace turned slightly to see the cheeky grin crossed her face. "You sure about that?" Placing her lips at the corner of Catherine's in a chaste kiss.

"Absolutely, I have many, many assets and I can think of one or two that you might find particularly attractive. What do you think?" Catherine gazed at the shadow before her, its proximity enticingly close.

Jace turned fully now so she was straddled chest to chest with Catherine, and the baby at her back held safely in Catherine's hands. "You have the most beautiful eyes that make me want to drown in them everytime you gaze in my direction. Then there's your body, wow! One day, I'm going to map it like you wouldn't believe, there would be no part of it left to my imagination, it will all be reality. Mind you there's always your money!" Jace couldn't help the chuckle that passed her lips at the last comment. Catherine's face had taken on an affronted expression, which Jace immediately eased with a passionate kiss.

Catherine was eventually released and both women were breathing heavily, "I think our daughter would appreciate some attention about now, for sure as hell Jace, I can't take much more of your assault with her held in my arms. You trying to kill me, or just drive me insane?"

Jace placed her forehead to Catherine's. "Those were the furthest things from my mind; you and I are going to live to fulfil this passion time after time my love. Do you have a problem with that?"

Catherine rubbed her nose with Jace's and kissed her, the expression a simple, but effective confession of her love. "Never have a problem with that lover, you can fulfil your passion with me anytime you want. Although, about now, I guess we need to feed Elena and have breakfast before we go and see Jake." Her own frustration now a little under control; they had time, yes, all the time in the world.

Gareth Cuthbert had for some time now been plotting his revenge on the 'Evil Bitch' who had moved him out of his lucrative operation in Europe. He's been skimming the company's profits for the last five years, just as he had paid numerous associates to keep the authorities at bay, while he pursued his continued thieving and extremely lucrative illegal enterprises. The move to Africa had been a crucial blow to his plans and his operating style. Pretty boy Eduardo wouldn't have ever have found anything out of the ordinary in his dealings; he didn't have the necessary background or much less the inclination. He hadn't bargained on Waverly. He actually hated the woman. When she had been given the plum role in New York, the post he thought he should have succeeded, that was the final straw. Devonshire was now paying heavily for what must seem to her a logical business decision and she'd never know about it. Strong and some of the Senior Executive's in New York hadn't exactly gone down well with the market, pity the shooter hadn't taken out Waverly also, near thing though, but there was always another day. Now the bitch Waverly was delving into places she shouldn't; he would do what he needed to do to curtail her activities. He had been provided with some interesting information on his arrival in the States; seems Miss Rising Star Waverly was screwing her PA, a pretty thing by all accounts. The private detective had been following Waverly for three months and had even bugged her apartment when she'd been in the hospital. Unfortunately, only the bedroom had the listening device, but that had been enough to give him some ammunition. Devonshire by the time he was finished with his scheme, wouldn't know what hit her, and she would need him to take over; after all he knew the business well and had some powerful underground contacts.

Gareth Cuthbert looked at the faces of the people round the conference table, to say he was surprised at the ensemble would be putting it mildly.

"Constance, how are you?" He held his hand out for the customary acknowledgement, but his words held no warmth.

Taking his sweaty hand in her hand Constance briefly held it in a shake and released it quickly, wanting to run her own palm across her neat skirt at the moisture she could feel retained there. "I'm doing well Gareth, I see that the African problems still exist?"

He eyes her warily and shook his head, "You know as well as I, that it would never be easy to turn it around!"

"That is not exactly what you indicated at a very verbal meeting over a year ago Gareth. So, perhaps you admit defeat on that particular point?" Constance wanted to see the demise of the pompous arrogant excuse for a man now, she actually disliked him intensely, and she always had.

He studied her and didn't answer her loaded question; he didn't need to answer to her, as she was on the same level in the chain of command as he. "Well, unless there have been some pretty wondrous flights up the corporate ladder, I'm surprised to see your PA in the room and who the hell are those three?" Gareth pointed to the seated personnel he had no knowledge of.

Constance smiled cautiously at him and motioned for him to take a seat. "Those questions will be answered forthwith; but Gareth tell me please, have you heard any more rumours of trouble that could blight Xianthos in the near future?" All eyes turned to him, surprised at Constance's immediate attack, that hadn't been part of the plan.

"No! Why do you ask me, haven't you got enough spies out there of your own?" He laughed cockily at her.

"As you know I've been out of action for a few weeks; Tito you haven't heard anything have you?" Constance turned to the Asian VP, who shook his head confirming her statement. "Enricho is busy at the moment, something has come up in South America, he's fielding the problem, he may be back later, but he hasn't heard anything either. Eduardo is travelling in Europe at the moment and sends his regrets, although, I did receive an interesting message from him this morning before I came into the office, but I will deal with that a little later. So that leaves you?" Constance gave him a smile that didn't even get close to be conveyed in eye contact.

"I see, well the answer is a big fat no! Although, Devonshire obviously needs to watch her back!" Gareth looked down at his fingernails nonchalantly.

"Oh, why do you surmise that Gareth?" Constance watched every move the man made; he was a very confident and smooth character.

"Well, Constance if you spent more time listening to things that went around you, instead of playing with your PA, you might have noticed that Devonshire isn't too well liked in certain circles." Gareth smirked at the rising colour in the cheeks of Clare Fallon. Rita looked at her new ally and gave her a friendly squeeze of the hand under the table. Constance never gave away any emotion at the personal remark, but did raise her eyebrow a little at the suggestion that there was possible mutiny in the ranks.

"Which circles would you be refereeing to Gareth? You wouldn't happen to be one of them I take it?" Constance looked directly at him, her eyes now conveying the disgust they both knew they had for each other.

"That would be telling, now wouldn't it Constance; and I am not a telltale." Gareth looked towards Tito. "Ask Tito? I bet he's heard the gossip also. It wouldn't surprise me if he wasn't involved, now that Strong isn't here to cover his back against the big bad Ms Devonshire; he only survived his post because of Paul and now..." Gareth gave Tito a disgusting smirk.

Tito raised his small statue from the chair in anger at the words. "You have no right to cast aspirations on my Character Cuthbert, after all you have placed several of your own paid people in primary roles in all of the main offices around the world and we want to ask why?"

Gareth faced him across the table, his face blood red, who was this bloody Oriental telling him that he had spies in the camp, even if it was true. "Take your face out of your arse Tito and get some god damn balls; it's common knowledge that all senior VP's have friends in other strategic operations within a corporation." He sat back done heavily and grasped the coffee urn and poured himself a black coffee into the mug setting in front of him, then slamming the urn back down heavily on the conference table.

"No, never felt the need, always went by my own efforts not stabbing others in the back!" Constance spit out at the shuffling Cuthbert only two chairs away from her.

"God damn women don't know what the bloody hell business is all about, make your contacts, screw them and get what you can before you move on to other things, simple. But, oh no, the fucking women executives get antsy when you do that. No sir, we can't have that sort of behaviour anymore, just like the racial bloody problems, so fucking scared of tabloid feedback we got to call a black anything but!" He snorted in anger and looked at the dusky features of the woman at the head of the table. His expression challenged her to retaliate his obvious slight at her ethnic origins.

"I thought this corporation was owned by a 'god damn woman' as you called it. I also believe its doing better under that particular woman's control then at any other time in its existence?" Constance calmly replied; but what she really wanted to do was punch the bastard right between his deceitful lying eyes.

"Ah, she's no saint. Catherine Devonshire would screw anyone if it meant the deal was going to go through; you can't possibly paint her with the same brush as you others." Gareth spit out and a dribble of coffee went down his chin.

"Perhaps in the past she did some things that today she might be a little shall we say embarrassed about, but not now! Call it how you will Gareth, however, fucking arseholes like you aren't worth the time of day and certainly shouldn't be in charge of any part of this Corporation. Maybe that is one recommendation that Tito and I can make to Catherine at the next VP meeting," Constance gave Tito a brief smile.

"You talk crap Constance. Who's going to take notice of you? You couldn't even manage your own security in this building; it was so inept, it was laughable. Catherine will most likely shove you to the bottom of the totem pole and leave you there to rot. And Tito, god help us is so weak kneed, he couldn't get Catherine to back him to go to a get a drink never mind take any notice of a VP removal. That leaves you with whom exactly? The womaniser Eduardo, well, guess he can't use his charms on her, I believe she's on the same side you are, such a pity too; she's got one hell of a body on her. Then we have the gopher Enricho, do I need to say more!" Gareth pointed out all the deficiencies in the so-called team they had running Xianthos.

Tito looked down at the table, he didn't like what Gareth said, it hit home, the plain truth being, and he had looked chicken a year ago. But now he was here to fight for his freedom, and this piece of British trash had just insulted him enough to do exactly that!

Constance looked at her own interlocking hands and a smile of pure devilment came across her features, making her eyes sparkle. "So that would leave you? Are you interested in taking over the corporation now that Paul is no longer with us? Do you think that's an option here and if Ms Devonshire was no longer around? Do you believe that would give you complete control over Xianthos? Would that not be some great motive for you Gareth?"

Gareth looked at her a strange gleam in his eyes. "Motive? Motive for what exactly Constance."

"Well, if you had theoretically speaking that is, arranged for an accident to happen here at Xianthos, knowing all the facts as you do; not only eliminating the President of the Corporation and several of his senior executives in the process, but effectively driving the owner of the Corporation out of hiding to answer to the growing market pressures of a supposedly sinking ship, which would leave her wide open to both personal and professional attack. Wouldn't she then want to consolidate her position and put people in positions that she could trust and stabilise the ship? Then, say something tragic happens to her, and low and behold, the most senior member of her staff baring Tito, as everyone knows he himself hasn't exactly made corporate friends, but you have in the Corporation. Would I be correct in my assumptions so far?" Constance saw the rapt expressions of her colleagues.

Gareth got up from his chair and went over to the window; he had his hands behind his back and watched the milling people and traffic below him. "Sounds plausible, but could you prove it?" He turned back to the group with a sneer.

"Oh, you wanted to know who the others around the table were didn't you? Well, let me introduce you, Rita Tuscany, she's been working for both Catherine and myself for the past month digging up every piece of dirt in this place on you Gareth, from the toilet cleaner to the highest senior staff member in the building!"

Constance saw Rita bow in his direction with a giant beam of a smile on her face she was enjoying this immensely.

"Then we have detective Kelsey here, he's been instrumental in tracking down the person who paid for the shooting here at Xianthos. Now, wouldn't you like to have words with Gareth detective?"

Gareth turned white at the mention of a detective; he stood his ground at the window.

"Sure would Ms Waverly, whenever were done here, we have lots of questions and all with a fifty year minimum sentence attached to them." Kelsey knew the man was on the ropes, but it was what he intended to do or who he drew into the discussion which would turn the tide.

"I will be happy to help you in any questions, but seriously detective I've been on the African continent for some months now, arranging a shooting incident here would have been a little difficult, surely?" Gareth smiled charmingly at the detective who gave him a bland look back.

"I believe you answered your own question Mr Cuthbert. Didn't you say you had allies in all of the main offices, I cannot believe you wouldn't have here and as Ms Tuscany has already discovered it isn't just one ally, it's a whole army." Detective Kelsey had been amazed at Rita Tuscany's information, but certainly it helped to stack all the cards in their favour.

"That is for business purposes only, not murder!" Gareth spit out at the detective. Frustrated that all his options were being burned in front of him, "What about him?" Gareth pointed to Tito.

"What about Mr Yashimo, have you any incriminating evidence that can be attributed to him?" Kelsey smiled at the man. 'Slime pure unadulterated slime.' Kelsey thought as he watched both men.

"He used his password to access confidential information from the main computer here about Ms Devonshire." Gareth stated as if that let him off the hook.

"Oh, we know about that Gareth, Tito got in by accident, it's all been rectified at this end. How did you know it was a big security rift and we didn't advise anyone not even the VP's?" Constance said quietly, knowing that Tito would be looking at her in astonishment.

"Well...he told me himself." Gareth said desperately, all eyes turned to Tito, who shook his head and gave Constance a brief nod acknowledging her support.

"Ah, but forgive my manners Gareth there is another person at the table you haven't met, talked to possibly, but never have seen face to face, old friends maybe? This is Mr Ransome, he was instrumental in the plans for the shooter in the building; and in fact he's on your payroll I believe?" Constance saw the red stain of anger and frustration move up Gareth's neck and face.

"Go to hell Constance! Where is your proof?" Gareth then had to look at Clare Fallon as she held out a stack of papers, the evidence so to speak.

"You're not telling me that your little tart here has the evidence that could send me to prison? Don't make me laugh Constance." Gareth laughed maniacally at the calm face of Clare Fallon, she moved closer to him and Constance got up and put a restraining hand on her elbow which Clare shook off, as she went forward towards the VP.

"If you care to read the contents perhaps you will be in a position to refute the accusation, but I doubt it! If its proven that you started this whole tragic mess, then I'm going to be in court to see you go to prison for the longest sentence that any judge can give you!" Clare threw the contents of her folder at the man, who looked at them in disgust.

Clare moved away from him and sat down heavily in her chair; all her fight released on a very sorry individual. He really wasn't worth all this energy.

Gareth looked around the room and tried to think of something to say, but couldn't. 'He had one last chance; he hadn't done this without prompting. But he hadn't had any personal contact with that person. He didn't even know if it was a man or woman. Why did this bitch support Tito; he thought he'd covered all his angles; Jesus what should he do now?'

Detective Kelsey stood up at the table and looked at the accused man, "I think it's time we went down to the station and you told us your story in light of the current facts Mr Cuthbert?" Gareth looked at the detective. He doubted that he had much chance of redeeming himself under the present circumstances.

Turning back towards the window his shoulders slumped, he walked back towards the table and in a surprise move picked up a chair and threw it at the window and saw it crack but not break. Everyone moved quickly in shock.

Detective Kelsey now realizing the intent of the enraged man, immediately ran forward, attempting to tackle the VP who had jumped at the windowpane causing it to crack a little more. Grabbing his ankles Kelsey tried to wrestle him down to the floor as he shouted out for assistance. Tito moved his small frame forward and tried to hold the larger man down. Tito received a swift kick in the chest and rolled away in pain, that left the much lighter Kelsey struggling, his hold was forcibly released as Gareth gave him a roundhouse kick on the chin; the blood from the impact splattering on the cream carpeted floor.

"You haven't heard the last of this you know! There is still someone out there who is far more powerful than any of you can imagine. There is no safe place for Devonshire or her family, none at all!" With that Gareth threw his powerful frame back towards the weakened window, this time the glass gave way under the sustained pressure and the man flew through and plummeted the thirty floors to his ultimate death.

Constance looked over at the gaping hole in the window, the direct evidence of the guilty Vice President having jumped from 'her' building; was this nightmare of death ever going to end.

Clare was comforting Rita who had broken down at the man's drastic plunge to his death. It had not been expected at all!

Detective Kelsey was rubbing his jaw from the impact of the kick from Cuthbert and sat down on the floor to talk to Tito, who was still breathing heavily at his own injuries from Gareth.

Enricho with security rushed into the boardroom; seeing the hole that once was the large window overlooking the street below; he motioned the security personnel to talk to the detective as he headed for Constance. He put a hand on her chin and raised her face to his, "He jumped?" the shock evident in his question.

"Yes," Constance looked directly into those deep brown eyes. He really was a quite stunning specimen of a man; wonder what his wife thought about all the attention he had at work, or maybe she didn't know?

"The police have arrived below, they want to take some statements, but I told them Detective Kelsey was present during the suicidal incidence; they will discuss this with him first. Did he confess?" Enricho asked her and gave her a lopsided smile.

"Well, it didn't go the way we originally planned, however, we received a result quicker than we anticipated. He didn't exactly confess, but actions speak louder than words Enricho. With his final actions, I think he answered ours, didn't he?" Constance glanced across at Clare; who had taken Rita out of the room and was returning with a full coffee pot.

"Yes he did! You will have to inform Catherine; she will not want to hear this on the news." Enricho looked around at the mess once more then left the room.

Constance watched him leave and then turned to the detective and Tito, "The police are in the outer reception area wanting information, would you help me out here Detective Kelsey? I'm afraid my energy source is quite wiped out today, but tomorrow I will respond to anything that remains unanswered."

"No problem Ms Waverly, I think we got the result we wanted! Well, maybe not the final end result but justice is often served in the strangest of circumstance, and I think it was well served here today." Kelsey smiled at the woman, who had shown him why they say she was the next figurehead of Xianthos.

"Constance, I would like to help the detective with all his enquires. In light of what has been said and my own sense of pride, it is something I have to do; I will follow up the situation and get back to you tomorrow." Tito raised himself to his small stature and walked after the detective, who had gone out of the room in search of his colleagues.

She looked around the now silent room, where only Clare and she remained, "I guess that leaves the two of us; hell of a way to have a meeting, huh?" Constance smiled weakly at her friend.

Clare met her eyes and returned the smile with a sad one of her own. "You need to rest, I have your pills here and some fresh coffee. How about you take these and then call Ms Devonshire?"

"You know something Clare do you read minds, or is it just mine you have an uncanny knowledge of?" Constance reached out for the proffered pills and then the coffee to down them.

"Oh, maybe it's because I care about you!" Clare sat back down in the seat nearest to Constance's position.

"Sorry for what exactly, you can't blame yourself for what Gareth did surely?" Clare looked at her with surprised eyes.

Reaching over to stroke her cheek, she smiled again and this time it held warm affection. "No, no I'd never be sorry for that piece of..." Clare help up a hand and then grasped Constance's at her cheek and turned it to her lips, in a tender caress. "Okay, enough of him, I'm sorry that people know about us," Constance finished lamely.

"I'm not!" Clare gave her a defiant look and considered that maybe Constance was!

Constance laughed at the sheer happiness that simple comment had on her heart. "Then I'm not either; do you think we need to wait before you move in with me and we make it very official?"

Clare pushed herself up out of the seat and wrapped her arms around the other woman and held on in a warm hug. "Let's do that tomorrow shall we? Today, I think we could both do with some rest," and kissed her briefly before, making her way towards the door. "You have a call to make."

Constance couldn't stop the grin that eliminated all the previous events of the day, that young woman had just made every single moment worth the effort. "Yes, I'll catch up with you shortly."

The door closed behind Constance as she went over to the conference phone and asked the person answering to place a call to Ms Devonshire at her home in New Zealand. This was a call she was going to enjoy, even if she did have to add Gareth's warning to it, Catherine would handle the situation; she always did!

Constance continued to look out of the gapping window that Gareth had decided was his only way out. 'Had it been? What did he mean by his comment about another person who was more powerful, perhaps even more powerful than Catherine and she could certainly weald some power if she had a mind also! No, this must surely be some thing he'd made up as his final party piece, she wouldn't put that past the evil bastard!' The phone on the desk rang and she quickly retrieved it, several seconds later she had Catherine Devonshire on the other end of the line.

"Constance, what can I do for you?" Catherine asked her tone indicative of a relaxed state. That was good!

"Catherine, I hope I'm not disturbing you, I know of course you have problems at your end too." Constance rambled a little.

"My problems for the moment have been resolved at this end, no doubt it will be in this evening's tabloids, but that wasn't why you called?" Catherine sat back in her chair and idly played with Rio's ears, he had come for his usual petting session before he was taken away by a boisterous eight year old. Lisa wouldn't be long before she bellowed half the house down calling him.

"No, you're right it wasn't about that! I wanted to talk to you about Gareth Cuthbert, well, explain about him anyway. I guess we get to reciprocate for the story will be in your papers no doubt this evening or the morning too!" Constance smiled wryly at her handset.

Constance began explaining what should have been a simple meeting to expose his evil, with the end results turning into a suicide from the conference room window of the New York building. There were several minutes of silence at the end of her closing statement.

"By default he confessed?" Catherine finally muttered, her relief at the fact that it was all in the open. Perhaps now they truly could get back to a normal lifestyle; or as normal as she possibly could engineer for her family, that wasn't going to be as difficult now.

"Yes, or as the detective put it, 'justice' had been served." Constance said quietly, knowing she still had Gareth's final words to relay.

"Once again my building has seen death, I think Constance if you don't mind I would like to see those particular events squashed in the future. Do you think between us we can eradicate it before it becomes fashionable?" Catherine decided that this really was turning out to be quite a wonderful day!

The sound of the door crashing open in the study and the loud voice of Lisa, shouting for Rio, dragged Catherine's attention from her caller for a moment. "Lisa? I'm talking on the phone, if you want Rio call for him quietly, now take him and leave the room." Catherine sounded harsh, but the child simply got away with too much sometimes. She needed to have a little more discipline; she would need to talk to Jace about that.

Lisa looked shamefaced at the tall woman who was looking towards the door and right in her direction the blue eyes cold and distant. "I'm sorry Catherine, I'm pleased to have him back that's all, and I missed him. I missed you too!" Lisa said her voice barely audible for the final sentence.

Catherine realised that the child was hurt by her words. Speaking quietly to Constance, she then turned her attention back to Lisa. "Come here Lisa?"

Lisa shyly moved towards the large desk and the tall woman seated in the big chair, Catherine held out a hand and Lisa took it and was hauled onto the taller woman's lap and hugged. Lisa hugged her back and whispered into her ear, making Catherine smile. "Yes, and I love you too!" Holding the child on her lap, she went back to her phone call.

"Sorry for the interruption Constance, my eldest daughter here thinks that Rio only responds to loud noises and she imitates loud noises like no one I've ever met before," Catherine explained the interruption.

"That's okay; it's Lisa isn't it?" Constance chuckled at the impression her boss gave of her daughter. Quite a handful, very much like her employer she suspected.

The door to the study opened wider as Jace walked in looking for Lisa and was astonished that Lisa was perched on Catherine's lap with her arms wrapped around the tall woman's neck, as Catherine continuing her phone call. Now, why should she be astonished! Nothing in this place was quite what it seemed anyway, why would she think her lover would want peace and quiet when she had a call? Why indeed!

"Yes, that's right, don't know what we're going to do when she reaches the teenage years, she's hard to control now. I must ask Jace to control her a little more, that is more her field than mine." Catherine laughed as Lisa squealed and let out a shriek of Jace in Catherine's ear, almost deafening her. "Whoops."

Jace wagged her finger at Lisa and motioned her to come over to her and take Rio for a walk or play or whatever they managed to do together. "Control?" Jace asked a sheepish looking woman who was embarrassed at her faux pas.

"Constance, I think I just dropped a brick on my own head here. The beautiful mother of my youngest daughter has just caught me out. I could be in trouble here." Catherine laughed and Constance followed suit at the image that conjured up of a hen pecked Catherine Devonshire, no way in hell!

"Control, Catherine really! If you weren't so lenient with the children in the first place, then Lisa wouldn't be so much trouble to you! Because she's certainly not a problem to me! Say hello to Ms Waverly for me." Jace smiled at the chagrined expression on her lover's face and walked over to her chair and laid a hand on her shoulder.

Catherine smiled at the action and placed her free arm around Jace's waist and held her closer as she continued her conversation.

"Catherine there is one more thing from the episode earlier, I can't confirm anything for sure but Gareth did say something as he jumped." Constance could almost see the changing expression on her boss's face.

"He said 'You haven't heard the last of this you know, there's still someone out there who is far more powerful than any of you can imagine. There is no safe place for Devonshire or her family none at all!' He looked like he believed it. Although he did jump at that precise moment," Constance finished off lamely.

Catherine tightened her hold on Jace and her expression became thoughtful. "Thanks for the warning Constance, I'll watch my back and my family's. I think you better do the same yourself. If we are still on someone's hit list, you could be taken out like Paul." Catherine felt the tension in her lover at the spoken words. It would be pointless to keep the truth from Jace and in any case she'd known that Katia couldn't have funded that particular event out of her own pocket.

"I will! When will you be back in New York?" Constance asked her as a final note.

"Ah, well it was going to be in a week, but now that you have effectively cleared up this drama for me, how about in a month. I will need you to find me a replacement for Susan in the time, although, if I ask her nicely, she might stay this one last time. Even so, I will need a replacement; my family will be travelling with me in the future and the apartment is still the right size for the moment!" Catherine could feel Jace turn towards her, but unable to see the expressions on her face as she finished her call.

"I'll get Clare onto it immediately. Once we have a short list shall we send it to you?" Constance asked not surprised that Catherine had finally conceded she needed her family close by.

"Send it e-mail for the attention of Ms Jace Bardley; Jace will chose the person this time. Can't have a stranger looking after my...family, although Susan will probably stay and help in the selection as well! Well, if that's all Constance, I have an inquisitive woman just dying to ask me all kinds of questions," Catherine grinned into the receiver.

"No problem Catherine, see you in a month and I'll keep you informed with verbal reports, say every week for now? "Constance knew that Eduardo was sending verbal business tapes on a daily basis to Catherine, so the day-to-day running was covered.

"Fine, take care and be careful. Oh, did you resolve your problems with Danni?" It was an after thought and Jace stiffened at the mention of the name.

"She's back in Christchurch, no longer your responsibility and certainly a load off my mind. Let's just say she was instrumental in making me a very happy woman," Constance grinned at her end.

"Pleased to hear it, hope you and Clare are very happy together. Bye." Catherine replaced her receiver and turned to pull Jace down towards her for a very satisfying series of deep, passionate, exploring kisses.

Constance stared at the phone held tightly in her hand. "Does everyone know about Clare and me? Could my place be bugged?" Constance smiled wearily and considered that point, 'is my place bugged'; I think I might just have that looked at by Detective Kelsey.

Rising from her chair she walked towards the door and gave one final glance to the broken window, which by tomorrow would no longer be evidence of the tragedy that transpired today, although it did have the means of making a legend out of her meetings. Not a bad thing, no, not bad at all.

Hudson heard the snippet of news that there had been a jumper at the Xianthos building and the name had not been released as yet. Hudson was still angry and frustrated over the failed attempt to eradicate Catherine Devonshire from the face of the planet and her irritating blonde also. Can't get the good staff these days, but at least the German was dead and hadn't had time to give away any secrets. She was sure of that detail, or the police would have arrested her by now.

"Lose ends, always the very devil to tie up, but then we have only one left and that cannot be trace to me; only you can fall Cuthbert and fall you shall!" Hudson spoke out loud in her empty apartment, the vocal sounds echoing in the sparsely furnished room.

Walking over to the TV, she saw the Xianthos building and the numerous people milling around. Then Hudson's eyes looked at the face of one of the people who had been speaking to the reporters, wasn't he one of Catherine's executives? Yes, she had all the pictures and backgrounds on everyone and that surely was the Asian VP. Now, what was he doing there? Speculation from the reporter indicated that the person who jumped had been a prominent member of the Xianthos executive team.

Hudson mulled that information over in her head for several minutes, maybe Cuthbert had already fallen. Now that would be quite a finish to her aborted plans, he would not have been any use to her now anyway; smiling she hoped that Cuthbert was the jumper; it would make everything so simple.

Walking over to her view of the beach from her window. 'Well Catherine you managed to survive again. How many lives have you lost now? There comes a time in everyone's life that the luck of the draw hits a bad steak and I now have the opportunity to regroup and try again; allies, allies, now where can I find allies?' Hudson went over to her computer terminal and logged in as if she had all the time in the world.

Grace was watching her new fiancé discussing soccer with Jake, they had decided that afternoon that visiting would be a full family affair.

Catherine was seated close to the bed as Jace sat on the bed and marvelled at the boy's calm attitude to what had happened. It didn't matter as long as they were all together as a family.

Lisa was happily chasing Rio around the room as best she could in the confined space. Rio appeared to enjoy the tag game that his small mistress inflicted on him everytime they met.

Faith was seated on the other side of the bed from Catherine, she was holding Elena and making noises that only grandparents make at babies, or so Jake had informed her a few minutes before.

"Catherine can I ask you a question?" Lisa had finished teasing the dog for a short time and all eyes looked in her direction, you never knew what Lisa was about to say.

"Sure Princess, what is it?" Catherine turned her head slightly but was surprised at the child's closeness to her as Lisa sat gingerly on her knee.

"You once asked us a question, Jake and me, do you remember Catherine, before you hurt your eyes?" Lisa looked directly at Catherine's ice blue eyes with her own blue ones and she put a small hand to them in explanation of her point.

Catherine looked perplexed, a question? But that would have been over a year ago, what question? "Do you remember the question Lisa?"

Grace looked at the child and it suddenly dawned on her what that question was; she glanced over at Jake, who was watching the expressions cross Catherine's face with marked interest.

"I remember, so does Jake. We have an answer for you don't we Jake, that is if you want to ask us again?" Lisa waited for the question to be posed again.

Jace looked at the faces around the room and then placed her hand on Catherine's in a gesture of support, although she wasn't exactly sure what she was supporting.

"Ah, well you see, I forgot something's Lisa, was it important?" Catherine struggled with the words. Surely, that must have been the most stupid comment Warriorson, of course, it was important if the child wanted to answer it!

"Oh, well it doesn't matter," the child replied in a sad voice. She looked over to Colin who gave her a strange look and then he shook his head at her. Grace watched in fascination as Faith smiled at the gesture.

"I think it does matter Lisa; and I really would like to remember the question. How about you help me out here or maybe Jake can?" Catherine asked quietly.

"I'll help you out Catherine." Jake answered quickly before Lisa stepped in, this time Lisa gave him a big smile of thanks.

"We want you to remember to ask us to be your children again. Will you ask us to become adopted by you Catherine like a real family?"

Catherine couldn't help the tears that rolled down her cheeks at the boy's words, God she was getting as bad as Jace! "I'd be proud to ask you both to be my son and daughter officially; so what are your answers?"

Jace was crying, Grace had her hand held tightly by Colin and Faith watched the tableau in quiet joy.

"Yes! I want to be your daughter Catherine and live with you always." Lisa hugged her around the neck and planted several kisses on her cheeks.

Jake shifted in his bed and touched Catherine's hand, "Yeah, I want to be your son too!"

Catherine managed to stop her flood of tears and nod her head, "Well I guess we are a family then; I'll see my lawyers first thing in the morning and have the papers drawn up."

Jace hugged Jake and then Lisa and then put a hand on Catherine's shoulder and squeezed it in understanding of the emotion that the moment had brought. "At this rate it's going to be some Christmas celebration, and long may it last!" Jace smiled at everyone in the room, and they all began conversations about different subjects. Lisa clambered off Catherine's lap and went over to talk to Jake. Grace was talking quietly to Colin, probably about his role in Lisa's question and answer session. Faith was murmuring away to Elena who was giggling at the antics of the elder person.

Earlier that day Catherine had discussed her New York call with Jace. Obviously shocked that potentially they could still be targets, Jace had asked what they could do to prevent the worse happening.

"If I told you that beyond cosseting you and the children in cotton wool for the rest of your lives there was nothing I could do, what would you say?" Catherine needed to know exactly where Jace stood on this point. It was okay for her to keep beating the odds, but did Jace want to do the same. Now, with the children, it was all a different ball game and dangerous too.

Winding her arms tightly around her lover as they sat in the large armchair in the study, resting her head close to the dark one she loved beyond measure. "Are you asking me if I want to stay with you?" Jace asked her quietly.

"Yes, Jace, I am." Catherine answered her voice held a hint of her discomfort at the subject matter. They certainly still had raw nerves from the last forty-eight hours that was for sure, and they hadn't really discussed it together at length, maybe this was the appropriate time.

"Catherine I know you can't see what I'm thinking and I know that it hurts you not having that sense to help you evaluate what I'm thinking. Darling, if you feel my heart you will know exactly what the next words mean, so give me your hand," Jace said her voice emotionally charged. She placed the hand held out to her on her heart and kept her own over it to enhance the contact between them.

"You can feel how I love you Catherine; how I love the spirit in you when the odds are stacked against you; how you reach beyond that and come back with strength and love for us. I never ever want you not to come back to our children, Catherine or me! Where you travel we will also! Because together we're stronger than the hate that wants to harm or defeat you. So, I'm here to the end on this Catherine, so are our children also. Because, we love each other and that's all that matters at the end of the day, my love!" Jace spoke softly, her voice caressed Catherine's ears with her pledge to love beyond the hate that could encompass them again; nothing else really mattered did it? They had love!

"I love you all too, and I promise to take every precaution I can in life to protect you and the children Jace, with everything that I am and everything that I have." Catherine pulled Jace closer for a gentle kiss to seal the pledge.

"Now we have that settled Catherine, I need you to tell me once and for all that the issues that befell you in prison are now over and done with?" Jace smiled as she placed her lips tenderly on her lover's.

"Yes, it's over. Katia was my final nemesis from those unfortunate days. Maria is now at peace in my mind. I would have carried the guilt forever if Katia had lived, it was eating me away inside." Catherine admitted and rested her head on Jace's shoulder.

"I'm glad because I don't think your Maria would have wanted you to spend your life in recriminations over her death. She obviously loved you enough to protect you, even if she paid the ultimate penalty with her life. Do you feel guilty about Paul also?" Jace wanted Catherine to be free; it would be the only way for her to rid herself of the shadows she allowed to haunt her.

"I did. Constance has eradicated that problem to a degree for me, but Jace the person behind all of this is still out there and I need to purge them also, or we will never be safe and happy." Catherine spoke quietly into her shoulder, tears flowing down her cheeks.

Jace hurt inside too, but her heart broke at the pain of her lover; this was a burden they were going to share, after all it involved both of them now; her kidnapping experience had brought that home to her. "You know I'm happy Catherine. I have you and the children and we are all safe here. What more could I possibly want?"

Catherine lifted her tear stained face up to gaze at Jace, her ice blue eyes filled with a need to believe. "We might never be in a position to go out again alone, or have a family picnic without security, or go shopping, or see a soccer game with Jake or..." Jace placing a finger on her lips stopped Catherine.

"I always thought the Catherine Warriorson that I met and fell in love with had a really positive ambience about her. Has she been replaced overnight with a negative clone?" Jace laughed softly and traced her fingers over Catherine's lips.

"No, overly protective perhaps. But we will live with that and if it means you never let us out of your personal space again, Hades I'll never complain, that's an unexpected fringe benefit." Jace laughed and replaced her fingers with her lips that lingered in a gentle heartfelt kiss.

"I love you Jace Bardley it makes my chest ache. What about how you feel about the events that have happened to you since you've met me?" Catherine asked slowly.

"Funny you should ask me that question, I know I should hate some of the things that have happened and indeed they scared me, and I was unhappy at the kidnapping. Okay! More than unhappy, down right frightened, I thought she was going to rape me!" Jace's tone came out panicked at her last words.

Catherine drew her close and held her, for this time, Jace broke down in tears. "I know my love, I know I was frightened for you too." Catherine stroked her hair soothingly.

Sobbing but wanting to explain further Jace continued. "I always knew you would come and save me and no matter what happened to me, even if she did rape me, as long as I was alive when you came for me that would have been okay. I didn't want to die without seeing you one last time Catherine; that would have been harder to take than any physical or mental abuse that woman could have possibly inflicted."

Catherine sucked in a deep breath at her words. "I would have followed you Jace; you would not have been alone." Catherine simply replied, knowing the children would not have been enough to keep her from joining this woman she held in her arms.

Jace looked deep into the un-focusing eyes and saw the expression of quiet acceptance of Catherine's fate in this life, if anything happened to her. "I don't want you to do that for me Catherine, we need to be there for the children too!"

"If it had been role reversal, what would you do?" Catherine knew that was an uncalled for comment.

Jace placed her hands on either side of Catherine's face and came as close as possible without touching as she replied sincerely, "You wouldn't have gone alone either Catherine." The embrace and kiss resolved the need for further words; they would have to be careful that was all. They would need to watch each other's backs.

An hour later Jace raised herself off Catherine's lap and tapped her nose thoughtfully. "Catherine the children wanted a story the other evening, and I wasn't able to find it." Jace watched in fascination as an inquiring one replaced the languid expression.

"Which story? All the books are put back in the library, it's a ritual we developed." Catherine asked her mind, wondering where a book could have been misplaced.

"Does the title 'The Magic of Giving' ring any bells with you?" Jace smirked as she saw the concentration on the face change to one of brief recognition and then embarrassment.

"Well, yes it does. Maybe, the kids just couldn't find it?" Catherine asked tentatively.

"Oh, no, I asked Jake and he was adamant that you would know exactly were it could be located. Would you like me to give you a clue?" Jace was enjoying her friend's mild embarrassment.

"Jake does, does he? I might have to have words with the boy when he gets home tomorrow." Catherine grumbled.

"I take it you might know where I can find it, or would you like to read tonight? Lisa was upset at not reading her selection. "Jace laughed silently at Catherine's face; she really was cute when she didn't know what to say.

"You're teasing me aren't you? You know I made it up?" Catherine finally admitted.

Jace laughed out loud this time and wrapped her arms around the tall woman. "Got to hand it to you Catherine, you sure keep some of your many skills firmly locked up out of reached. The kids loved the story and I never knew you could do that?" Jace kissed the pouting lips in front of her.

"My father often read stories to us as children, and he made up all the voices for the people and animals. When I read to Mother and Lucas I made up some of the stories to meet the occasions. I never said they were good though!" Catherine pulled Jace back for another kiss.

"If you make people happy with them that surely is good enough, so when do I get to hear you read your first story to Elena?" Jace laid her head on Catherine's shoulder.

"What?" Jace jumped up and turned in her lover's arms swiftly, almost knocking the breath out of her.

"I told her how we met and fell in love the night I came home and you were gone. I thought it fitting at the time, even if she didn't understand me," Catherine whispered self-consciously.

Jace looked at Catherine, this was the woman who could take on a killer and match her and become a killer herself if necessary. She was ruthless in her business dealings when necessary. She was powerful, confident and in control. Yet, for the family and the friends she loved, she sacrificed her reserve; becoming a confidant, lover, and wiper of tears and the protector of the innocent. She also had the power to keep the demons of others at bay with her brand of stories and concern; that became the image that Jace would cherish for the rest of her life. She was simply Catherine, who, loved without reserve and who would make up stories for her children, if that was what it would take to keep them happy. "She understood you Catherine, trust me on that one." Settling back in her lover's arms, she sighed, her happiness complete.

"I suppose we need to make a move soon. I know Grace said she would take care of Lisa for us this evening, but I think I want to tell my eldest daughter a story tonight, and I think I know the one she wants to hear. What do you say Jace?" Catherine's voice low and hoarse.

"Tell you what, I'll bring Elena also. So she can hear her Mother tell stories and get used to that beautiful voice you have. Then, I think you and I deserve an early night." Jace placed another tender kiss on Catherine's lips as they moved together out of the armchair and Jace was drawn into the taller woman's arms.

"Sounds like a solid plan to me and as I make up the story, I can shorten it too!" Catherine gave a low growl as she released her captive and they walked hand in hand out of the study to spend some precious time with their daughters.

Grace waited in anticipation for Catherine to arrive for breakfast; it would be amusing in the extreme. As with everything Catherine never disappointed, she walked in the room looking very relaxed and if it wasn't for the fact that she'd lost so much weight, you would think that the events of the last month hadn't occurred.

"Good morning." Catherine sauntered easily into the room and sat down at her usual chair. Glancing around she could only see one shape in the room that was unusual.

"Good morning Catherine, sleep well?" Grace chuckled knowing that answer by the glow on her face.

"Yes! Remarkably so Grace, where is everyone? I was kind of hoping that Jace would be around?" Catherine looked around the room with an expression of interest.

"Ah, the esteemed Ms Bardley left a message for you, but first I have a favour to ask." Grace smiled at the quizzical expression that replaced the interested one.

"Jace has left me a message? She's not gone to see Jake without me has she?" Catherine asked quietly.

"No, now behave Catherine, I will give you your message, but first, I want to ask if I can get married on your property on Christmas Eve?" Grace asked her words rushing out at a remarkable pace.

Catherine looked towards the direction of her friend and beamed at her. "Yes, of course, I'd be honoured. How the hell did you manage to get him to say yes, never mind in a few months time?" Catherine moved towards her friend and wrapped her in a friendly hug.

"Ah, to be honest Catherine, he didn't. I didn't want to wait, so I guess I made the right call when I asked him, huh?" Grace said her voice a little sheepish.

"My friend I will never, ever underestimate you again, he didn't stand a chance obviously." Catherine laughed softly as she still held onto her friend in happiness.

"Well, it could have been something to do with my being naked and draped over his bed at the time, but who cares." Grace chuckled at the stain of red that flowed onto Catherine's cheeks.

"Did I really want to know that Grace?" Catherine moved away from her friend and sat back down in her seat.

"Probably not, but I thought maybe if you knew how it worked, you might try it yourself," Grace impishly explained.

"Give me Jace's message Grace, then go and tease your Mother, who I'm sure will be ecstatic over the news," Catherine replied with a grin.

"My mother? Yes, well that's another story. Jace asked when you arrived to go meet her in the gym. She mentioned a new piece of equipment that you might want to try out; you know all that tension release you need." Grace watched the woman in fascination as she considered the words.

"Fine, I'll go now, Jace still down there?" Catherine moved towards the door leading to the basement gym.

"Yeah, I haven't seen her come back up. She wanted to do some exercise herself anyway," Grace said tongue in cheek.

"Great, we will catch up with you shortly Grace and we can go over any plans you need me to get involved in." Catherine opened the large oak door and carefully went down the steps in search of her lover.

'I don't know about that Catherine, if Jace is planning what I think she's planning, we might not see you all morning. Now to talk to my mother, just as well she will be preoccupied with Elena.' Grace thought as she walked out towards the lounge.

Catherine approached the gym floor with respect; she knew that there were numerous objects that could cause her injury and serious injury if she didn't take care. It was evident that the gym had been left exactly how she remembered it. Now what piece of equipment had Jace possibly found that she didn't already have? Catherine heard Jace's breathing or she hoped it was Jace. "Hello?" Catherine knew caution was a useful ally these days.

"Hi yourself, would you like to join me?" Responded the sultry voice Catherine Warriorson heard in every dream she had, even the bad ones. Smiling she walked across to the woman she loved and as she moved closer ready to enclose Jace in a solid hug, a hand was held out to stop her advance.

"No, no Catherine. Not this time! This time we get to see who needs the cold shower first." Catherine gave her a surprised but eminently pleased look from her ice blue eyes. 'God I swear she can see me,' Jace thought as she reached over the machine and pressed the button to activate the sound system. The room reverberated with the beat of one of Catherine's favourite bands, 'Infinity'.

Jace placed Catherine's hands on her hips, "This is all you're allowed to do. You can't touch until I move your hands, okay?" She watched as Catherine nodded her head in understanding, a sexy smile clearly indicating that Jace could do whatever she wanted with her.

Commit to me your body and soul; I'll do the same for you.
Never take it lightly this love I give precisely.

Jace placed barely touching fingers to Catherine's ears and in sensual movement with the music traced her fingers over the inside of her ears and then down the cheek bones, her hips gyrating with the music, Catherine able to feel the rhythm through Jace's movements.

Replace my fantasy and illusion, by making me live and breathe you in.
I need your enticing, erotic body that invades my dreams, don't let it wait forever give it to me now.

Hands slowly traced from Catherine's breastbone, down the cleavage with a touch so slight it was like the ghostly sense of an apparition but Jace's lower body movement proved that a fantasy long past.

Everything I've ever wanted is in my love for you. There will never be a reason why this love will die. I give you all of me, will you do the same?

Hands splayed over the taunt stomach muscles on fire with the need to explore the smaller body, moving in perfect timing with the music, it was intoxicating Catherine's senses.

Your blue eyes enthral me; my green eyes adore you, come lover commit to me your body and soul.

Jace moved her body slowly down as she slid gracefully onto the floor, Catherine's hands having to relinquish their hold on her hips and move through Jace's silky hair. Jace placed her hands at the top of Catherine's taunt thighs and stroked a gentle path in a rotating motion down the full length of one and then up the inside of the other, eroticism had nothing on Jace Bardley at this one moment in time.

I won't let you slip away; your heart is mine to keep.
You're the blood that powers me; your smile devours me. Please love me still.

Slowly in time with the beat that was thrumming at a ferocious pace in both bodies and could be mistaken for more than the feel of the music. Jace moved back up Catherine's body in a slow perfectly executed swirl around her whole body. Jace's touch so light it could be blown away with a slight wind.

I pledge everything I have, all you have to do is say yes!

Finally Jace tangled her hands in the dark hair and brought a heavily breathing Catherine Warriorson to fever pitch as she placed her lips on the willing prisoners of her partners in a kiss, guaranteed to block out every other sense.

The music drifted off, as the two bodies seemed unable to extricate themselves from their present position. A very flushed and incredibly turned on Catherine Warriorson was being released finally from the searing kiss. She looked sightlessly at her equally heavily breathing partner, and a low sexy growl escaped her lips. "How about I help you remove your clothes, you can do the same for me and instead of a cold shower we take a cold swim together in a very, very private pool I know?" Catherine's low tone sending further ripples through Jace's already aroused body, the indication given that the pool wouldn't stay cold for long!

Placing her hands on Catherine's shirt Jace gently pulled at the corners to release them from their prison. "Way ahead of you lover, way ahead," she continued the process as they slowly and deliberately took several expressive minutes to do just that.

"Yes, and if this is what happens with our paybacks, were going to have some fun, a whole lot of fun." Jace pulled the dark head closer to hers as she whispered the words and sent them both over the edge with another passionate kiss.

It would be several hours before they emerged from the exercise and this very special payback situation.

Catherine let Rio run around in the snow after Lisa, who had promised with Colin's help to make a snowman close to the lounge window so Jake could watch from the patio window and issue instructions. The boy was happier home and now with his cast full of black writing, he was laughing at the antics of his sister and the dog.

That had been an interesting time when Jake had been settled at home on the sofa and turned in whichever position he wanted to either see the TV or others in the room or out by the patio window, nothing was too much trouble now the boy was home.

Catherine had started the whole episode and that had been a pleasant surprise to everyone and Jace had watched once again as another facet of her lover came into the open. Colin and Grace were pushing the sofa around the room much to Jake's amusement, Lisa was laughing and chasing Rio much as usual and yelling at the top of her voice. Jace had brought Elena in and then immediately turned to leave at the excited voice of Lisa, if Elena started too, then the place would be chaotic. Catherine had chosen that moment to appear having finished the business part of her day. Now, she held a black marker pen in her hand and Jace smiled at her raven-haired partner.

"Right! Everyone, I want to put my good wishes on Jake's cast, anyone else interested? When it's full, we'll ask the doctor for another one!" Catherine chuckled as Jake spluttered that he didn't want to go through having another cast so soon.

"Yeah, great idea! Let me go settle Elena in our room and I'll be right back. Jace squeezed Catherine's shoulder as she passed her at the door.

Catherine smiled in acknowledgement and went further into the room, Rio immediately at her side and nudging her gently. "Ah, thanks for the reminder Rio, who's moved the furniture?" Catherine laughed as she heard Colin say he was sorry. "Forget it Colin, but you can come over and lead a blind woman to her son, I want to be first with this as it is my idea." Colin rushed over, which made Grace smile at his action he was such a wimp with Catherine, but such a loveable one.

Eventually, she was directed to the edge of the sofa and her hands were placed on the cast. "Jake this isn't going to hurt, but let me tell you by the time your friends are finished with it, you might want to cover it up."

Catherine looked towards the voice, smiling as she withdrew the top off the marker and placed it on the cast. "Because my son, people put the most embarrassing messages on the cast," with that, she duly proceeded to write boldly on his leg. Get well Jake, for my son who will be my hero forever! Catherine.

Jake saw the message and gulped. "That's embarrassing Catherine," his expression delighted at her message.

"Exactly my point son, so you better get used to it!" She reached over and kissed him on the nose. "Who's next?"

"Me! I want to be next." Lisa piped up and pushed Colin out of the way in her haste to get to the cast. Catherine held out the pen and it was taken hastily out of her hand by anxious little fingers.

"Be careful with the pen Lisa, we don't want black ink over the furniture and Jake too!" Catherine listened as the pen squeaked its message across the cast. Get well soon Jake, I want to throw snowballs at you and win again Lisa. The writing wasn't exactly neat nor was it legible in some parts but this was Lisa after all.

The pen was handed next to Colin who wrote, Jake you need both legs to play soccer, you're not staying on the bench too long, get well soon. Colin.

Grace was given the pen next, Jake no stealing cookies from the jar because we can catch up with you now! Grace

Jace arrived back in the room and was given the pen by Grace. She saw the differing messages and smiled at Catherine's bold script, it was a fitting tribute to the boy's heroism. Jake I always thought breaking a leg had something to do with acting, is there something you want to tell us? Love you Jace

They had a wonderful time trying to convince Jake that people wouldn't laugh at the messages, but he was sure to get worse when his school friends had the pen in their hands. The soccer friends he had were due at the ranch on the weekend; that had made the boy smile broadly at the gesture. Catherine hadn't been particularly said anything about friends coming over to the ranch, but with all the new security Jake hadn't wanted to bother anyone about it. Jace had been asked to persuade Catherine to let the boy's friends on the property and resume as normal a family life as they could. Catherine hadn't protested, in fact, she'd been surprised that the security had stopped the children bringing friends home, which had never been her intention.

Now walking towards the stables Jace held Catherine's hand in hers in a light hold that helped Catherine make the distance without Rio's help, in the snowy terrain. She was unable to safely negotiate the distance in the snowy terrain due to the snow banks and the slippery surfaces. Jace hadn't minded, in fact she enjoyed this small gesture, this was something that Catherine needed her for and she could provide it; but they both knew it was only a feeble, obvious excuse for the closeness they both needed.

"You know I'd swear you love Tralargon more than you do me?" Jace said a teasing note in her voice.

"I do love her that's true, but she can't do for me what you can, that much I guarantee." Catherine laughed and placed her arm over Jace's shoulders.

"I think I can guess what that would be." Jace smiled and placed her arm around Catherine's waist.

"You can, can you, and what might that be?" Catherine stopped in the snow and pulled Jace into her arms, oblivious to anyone else around.

"Well, she wouldn't be that good about changing Elena, and certainly she'd take up too much room in the bed, not to mention the smell that would we rampant in the room and you can't say I smell of horses now can you?" Jace chuckled and Catherine placed cold lips on Jace's and the loving kiss warmed both women indubitably.

"Mmmmm, got me cornered on this one I see, but I have a better reason and I'm willing to show you later if you're interested?" Their faces came very close together.

"I'm all ears Catherine," Jace laughed and saw the smile turn wicked at her words.

"Oh, I think you will find that more than your ears will be interested Jace." Catherine gave her a sultry laugh and they moved on towards the stable.

"Really Catherine, is your mind permanently in the gutter?" Jace said in mock outrage.

"Guess I'm going to have to get used to that because, I intend to be around for the rest of your life Catherine Warriorson."

"Somehow, I don't think either of us has a choice in that decision any more do you?" Catherine replied seriously.

Jace turned towards her and stopped their advance on the barn. "Can I ask you one question Catherine?" Jace placed her right hand on Catherine's left cheek stoking the faint scars tenderly.

"You've read your late husbands book lots of times Catherine, am I your soulmate that Adam wrote about in the book?" Jace saw Catherine flinch slightly at the mention of her husband.

Silence ensued for a few minutes and Jace wondered if Catherine had shut down on her, a habit that had been happily non-existent of late. Catherine reached for Jace's hand and turned the palm to her lips and kissed the cold hand in reverence. "I never thought I could love Jace. To have a soulmate seemed a miracle that would pass me by and yet, I found you on a mountainside in terrible weather and the gods were looking out for me that night, because you stole my heart, and my soul happily sped right along with it. My love for you is without question and our bond will survive our ultimate deaths on this plane. Jace Bardley, if that was the emotion that Adam tried to convey in his book, than by god I have that for you and more!" Catherine spoke from her heart.

"You really are quite eloquent when you need to be Catherine. You had my heart and soul from that day also!" Jace placed both her hands around Catherine's face and pulled her into a tighten embrace, sealing their love once again with several deeply passionate kisses.

Jace placed her cheek close to Catherine's and whispered to her, "I love you Catherine Devonshire-Warriorson. If there ever comes a time when you doubt that in any way, look back on today and let all the good memories flow through you. Because we have them Catherine, in ourselves and in our family, always remember that, let your haunting shadows go and let us get on with our dreams, and live our lives happily together, what do you say?"

Catherine turned slightly so their lips were close, "I love you too Jace and I will always remember this and more. You gave me the ability to replace my shadows with something far superior; I owe you everything. Yes! Let us go in pursuit of those dreams together." Catherine sealed her words with a gentle kiss as Lisa and Jake's laughter could be heard near to the house.

'Kids! Who would have them? I would!' Catherine thought as she hugged Jace tighter and they continued on their path to the stables and the rest of their lives together.

An expanded version of Haunting Shodows can be found at Amazon.com or at Libertas

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It may be reproduced, duplicated or printed for personal use only. For all other uses, please contact jmdragon