V

She couldn't wait another day for,
The Captain of her Heart

- K. Maloo, F. Haug

Bailey found herself in her office at a minute to eight in the morning, wishing she had stayed with Piper the night before. She had arrived at home and gone straight to bed but only managed about two hours of sleep. She lightly drummed her fingers on the desk and waited patiently for the phone to ring. At three minutes after eight it did, she answered it immediately.

"Cameron."

"Miss Cameron there's a Mr. Anderson to see you. Shall I send him up?" Tom asked.

"Yes, please, but would you set him up with a keycard first, total access."

"You bet, it'll take about five minutes."

"That's fine, he's going to be in the building for the next few weeks, would you let your guys know, please."

"Will do."

"Thanks, Tom."

She smiled to herself and waited patiently for Josh to show up. She turned on her computer and spun a little in her chair while it booted. The phone rang again and she scowled a little before answering it.

"Cameron."

"Miss Cameron, this is Debra Womack."

"Hi, Debra. What's up?"

"Miss Tate called in a few minutes ago and asked that you call her at home, she says you have the number."

"Is everything alright?" she asked, her chest tightening.

"She didn't say, just asked me to let you know. She said she couldn't get through on your cell phone."

"Alright, thank you, Debra."

She dug in her pocket for her cell phone and realized with relief that she must have turned it off. She tapped the speakerphone and dialed Piper's number, waiting through four rings.

"Hello."

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, my car died in the driveway, I'm gonna be late," Piper said, obviously annoyed.

"What happened?" Bailey asked, relieved.

"I backed it out of the garage to let it warm up and when I came back out, it had died and wouldn't start back up."

"Don't worry, I can come get you in a little while. Would you like me to arrange to have it towed to a garage?"

"Salvage yard would probably be the best bet."

"I missed you last night," Bailey said, surprised to have said what she was thinking.

"You did?"

"Yes."

"That's funny. I missed you too."

"Can you hang tight for a bit?"

"Yep, you don't have to come get me though. I can take a cab."

"Don't do that, I'll come get you in about an hour, alright."

"Alright," Piper said. "My pager has been beeping constantly do you know what it's about?"

"Nope," Bailey said as she saw Josh tentatively approach the door and she waved him in. "I've got to go, I'll be there as quick as I can, okay?"

"Okay, see ya in a bit."

Bailey hung up the phone and turned her attention to Josh, who had cleaned up impressively well and appeared to be a completely different person. He was dressed in a sharp navy blue suit and had cut his hair in a professional fashion; he had even donned a pair of rimless glasses that she knew were just window dressing.

"Good morning," she said.

"Morning," he replied a little uneasily. She had changed a little since he saw her last week but he couldn't pin down exactly how.

"Any questions?"

"A few."

"Let's hear them."

"Your package was very thorough and I don't think I'll have any problems finding the guys inside for you. But I'm a little unclear as to what you want me to do outside of the building."

"I'm already under constant surveillance when I leave the building, I need you to follow the people that are following me and track them back to their location."

"Alright, I only have the rental car at my disposal, I'll become a little obvious if I do this regularly."

She unlocked her desk and pulled out three sets of keys that she sat on the surface in front of her. "These cars are in the parking garage across the street, their locations are on the key chains. Use one of these vehicles when I leave the building." She pulled a piece of paper from her desk and slid it across the desk. "This is a list of the vehicles I own and will most likely use when I leave the building," she added and collected the keys and the list.

"There was cell phone in the package, I assume that's what you'll call me on when you decide to leave the building?"

"Yes," Bailey said. "You're to call me on the number I gave you immediately if you suspect they're moving on me or have become aware of your presence."

"Understood," he said with a nod. "The laptop you gave me has corporate access?"

"Yes, there should have been several log in handles and passwords for you in the case."

"There was, I just wasn't going to try them until I confirmed," he said. "I have your other package by the way."

"It's your package, Josh. Carry it with you, there might be an occasion where I need back up."

"That wasn't part of the deal. I've never shot anyone and I don't want to."

"You probably won't have to, Josh," she said. "Carry it with you."

He stewed for a few minutes. "Alright."

"Anything else?"

"I'm having second thoughts about becoming, Renfield."

"I see."

"I'll do your job for you, but I don't want to have all my teeth ground down and capped."

"You visited the dentist I take it."

"Yes."

"Well, that's up to you, Josh. The monetary offer still stands if you want to remain who you are, or if you want to become Mr. Anderson permanently. Tell me what you'd like and I'll arrange it."

"Can I get back to you on that?"

"Certainly, but I'll need to know as soon as possible to be able to accommodate you."

"Very well, how often do you leave the building?"

"Rarely in the past, but often recently."

"Where do you go?"

"Out with my girlfriend," Bailey said with a grin she couldn't quite keep from forming.

Josh gaped at her for a second. "I take it this is a relatively new development?"

"Yes."

"I thought there was something different about you, now I know," he said with satisfaction, but swallowed nervously when her eyes flashed.

"What do you mean?"

He threw caution to the wind. "Love suits you," he said with a grin.

She stared at him for a long moment but the little grin on his face refused to disappear and finally she relented. "Perhaps," she admitted with a shrug and turned away from him slightly in her chair. "I've arranged an office for you, number 1739. You'll find it on this floor, close to the elevators you got off of today."

"Alright," he said, grin still in place. She's shy! I can't believe it.

"Anything else?"

"What do I do when I find these people?"

"Just tell me who they are."

"That's it?"

"Yes, I'll take it from there."

"I think that's everything that was on my mind."

"Very well. I estimate there are around sixty to eighty men in the city at this time. The surveillance on me has been light up until now and will probably remain that way for a little while. However, it will increase dramatically when they get an idea on how to move on me," She paused. "You can't keep that many people working together spread out over the city without problems and I imagine they'll find an apartment complex or another building to house them in so they can be easily coordinated. I need to know where this place is."

"I'll find it," he said easily although it disturbed him to think that there were that many men lurking about with the sole intention of killing the woman who sat in front of him.

"I know you will, that's why I chose you. A word of caution, these people have to operate in secrecy, they won't hesitate in the slightest if you're discovered."

"Gee, what a happy a thought for me."

"Just be careful, contact me immediately if you even suspect you've been discovered."

"You can be assured that I will."

"Alright then," she said, rising to her feet. "I've an errand, call me if you need anything."

Josh stood with her. "I will. You said office 1739?"

"Yes. Have a nice day, Mr. Anderson."

"It's getting better all the time," Josh said cryptically on the way out the door.

Bailey watched him leave. "Yes, it is."

Piper hung up the phone in her kitchen and sighed heavily. She walked around the room in a little circle, occasionally stomping her foot and mumbling under her breath. She had been on the phone for the last hour, packing a bag and trying to no avail to weasel her way out of having to leave.

The doorbell rang and she walked out of the kitchen dragging her feet. She paused before she opened the door and put a bright smile on her face.

"Hi!" she said, greeting her with a kiss.

"Hi."

"I'm ready," she said coming out of the house carrying her bag. She beamed another smile at Bailey and took her hand. "Sorry, you had to come get me."

"That's alright," Bailey said. "Your car needs a tow, the block is cracked."

"What does that mean, is it bad?"

"New engine, it's not going anywhere for a while," Bailey said and Piper scrunched up her face in disgust.

"Probably time for a new car anyway, I've been driving the same one for almost ten years. My brother had it before that," Piper said but stopped when she saw the car parked next to her Camaro in the driveway.

"How many cars do you own?"A few," Bailey replied as Piper let go of her hand and circled the Corvette in examination.

"What year is this one?"

"1965."

"Are all of your cars black?"

"Yeah."

"I didn't see this one in the garage, where did it come from?"

"I have another garage."

"I see. Can I drive?"

"Of course," Bailey said and tossed the keys over the hood to Piper who caught them excitedly, opening the trunk and depositing her bag before she hopped in behind the wheel.

"Why did you drive this one today?" Piper asked as she seated herself.

"I figured you would need a car to drive so I brought this one for you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, what's with the bag?" Bailey asked and Piper frowned. "What's the matter?"

"I have to go to Knoxville until Wednesday night," Piper said with downcast eyes.

"Why?" Bailey asked, visibly disappointed.

"We have almost thirty IT people up there as contractors and the contract is up for renewal. Sales already has a couple of people there and they want me there to bargain on their behalf. Apparently, the company only dealt with John and because he isn't available any longer, they want his replacement to be present." Piper watched as Bailey sank in her seat and almost giggled when her lower lip started to protrude childishly.

"No fair."

"I'm not too happy about it either," Piper said, grinning at her behavior.

"When do you have to go up there?"

"This morning," Piper said. "I have to stop by the office for my laptop and sales wants to speak with me before I head out."

"How are you getting there?"

"I was going to rent a car."

"No, you take this one," Bailey said, pulling her wallet out of her jacket and handing Piper a credit card. "This is a company card. Keep it and put all of your expenses on it; I'll clear it with accounting later. I should've already arranged to get you one."

"Are you sure about the car? I can rent one."

"No, I want you to take this one," Bailey said. "Are you taking Debra with you?"

"Yeah, I asked her a little while ago, she's already gone home to pack."

"Do you think she's pretty?" Bailey asked before she could stop herself.

"Who, Debra?" Piper asked with a smile. "Are you jealous?"

"No…I…" Bailey started. "…I don't know," she admitted with another sulk, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You are so precious," Piper said and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Debra is married and has two kids. Besides, I only have eyes for you, goofy."

"You'd better."

"I'm crazy about you, don't you ever doubt that," Piper said poking her in the ribs.

She got a little smile out of her so she started the car and pulled out of the driveway, trying to keep from giggling at the sulking form in the passenger seat who was scowling under her sunglasses.

"Have you gotten a cell phone yet?" Bailey asked after a few minutes.

"No, I never thought to ask for one," Piper said and Bailey pulled out her phone and dialed a number.

"Marta?" she said into the phone. "Yes, this is Bailey. Would you assign Piper Tate a cell phone, please? She needs it immediately."

Piper listened until Bailey hung up the phone and turned to her. "She's sending one up now, it should be on your desk when you get there. Call me tonight when you get settled?"

"Okay," Piper said and Bailey promptly went back into sulk mode. "I'll miss you, you know."

"Me too," Bailey said quietly and turned her face to look out the window. "What time did you want to leave on Thursday?" she asked after a moment.

"Late morning would be good I guess."

"Okay," Bailey said. "Do you want me to have your car towed?"

"Hmmm. I took everything out of it this morning. Do you think it would be worth it to have it fixed?"

"Not really," Bailey said and Piper snickered.

"Can we just put it in the backyard and have someone throw a tarp over it, and I'll decide what to do with it later?"

"Okay." Bailey said and frowned when she saw they were pulling into the parking garage.

"Walk me up?" Piper asked as she pulled into her usual space.

"Yeah," Bailey said as they both got of the car and Piper activated the alarm.

They walked together through the lobby to the private elevator and Piper took Bailey's hand the second the doors closed. Bailey squeezed her hand tightly and let Piper lead her to her own office where, as soon as they were inside, Piper embraced her.

"I'll be back Wednesday night, but I'll have to pack for my parents," Piper said into her chest. "So I'll see you Thursday morning, okay?"

"Okay."

"Now give me a kiss and tell me that you'll miss me."

Bailey leaned down and kissed her. "I'll miss you," she said and Piper squeezed her tight.

"I'll miss you too," Piper said. "I'll call you tonight," she added with a smile and turned to walk out of the office.

Bailey watched her leave and went around to sit at her desk, unlocking a drawer as she seated herself and fishing through it to produce an ashtray. She took the cigarettes out of her jacket and lit one, leaning back in her chair to smoke and feel sorry for herself. She snuffed it out a few minutes later and reached for the phone. The first call was to a wrecker service to arrange to have Piper's car taken care of and the second was to Josh, to inform him that she wouldn't be going out for the next couple of days and would be gone over the weekend.

She hung up after speaking with Josh and went upstairs, glad Satterfield wasn't in sight as she padded to the bedroom and threw herself on the bed. She felt around for her new teddy bear and, rolling over on to her side, she let herself drift off to sleep.

VI

Every time you go away,
You take a little piece of me with you

- D. Hall

Piper had been driving for almost an hour, wishing that she had the next few days to spend with Bailey before introducing her to the experience that was going to be her family. She had looked so miserable when she left her this morning that, for totally unjustified reasons, she had begun to feel guilty about having to go. She knew that was ridiculous but couldn't seem to shake the feeling, and to top it off, she had barely said a word to Debra, who was riding beside her silently browsing through a magazine.

"I'm glad you were able to come with me, I would've felt bad leaving you alone so soon after you started," Piper said conversationally.

"Actually, I'm happy to come," Debra said, closing her magazine and putting it in her lap. "A break from the husband and kids was too good to pass up."

"How long have you been married?"

"Fourteen years next month," Debra said. "How about you, do you have a husband?"

"No."

"No?" Debra asked. "Pretty girl like you, I would think you'd have been snatched up a long time ago."

"Thanks," Piper said, grinning at the compliment.

"This isn't the typical executive's car. My husband is gonna be green with envy when I tell him I got to tool around in an old Corvette. How long have you had it?"

"About two hours."

"Huh?"

"My car broke down this morning and Miss Cameron loaned me one of hers to drive for a while."

"I see," Debra said. "She's a gorgeous lady, young too. What's she like to work for?"

"She's very hands off, I doubt you'll deal with her very often."

"I heard some of the gossip on Friday, is there any truth to it?"

"What gossip?" Piper asked with a wrinkling brow.

"That she's as sharp as a razor and to never, ever cross her," Debra said. "I also heard she lives on the top floor all alone and she rarely makes an appearance in public."

"Well, there's no doubt she's really smart, she does live upstairs and I worked for C-Corp for over two years before I saw her for the first time," Piper said. "Let me guess, they tried to scare you with the Princess of Darkness routine?"

Debra laughed. "Yeah, I heard that too."

"I heard all the same things when I came over. Don't pay any attention to them."

"I won't now, but I'll admit she looks like she could be the Right Hand of Lucifer if you got her angry."

"Maybe," Piper said quietly and wondered what Bailey would be like angry. She had watched her beat up those guys, but she had done it with no emotion and in a very distant and cold manner. It had been quick and done with very little effort. There was no doubt in her mind that Bailey could be very dangerous if she wanted to be, perhaps even lethal dangerous, but what would she be like if she lost control in a rage? She took a deep breath and hoped that she would never find out.

Bailey wandered out of her bedroom late in the day with the CD's she had purchased the day before and spent a couple of hours listening to them on the headphones in the library before Satterfield made an appearance. She saw him enter and removed her headphones.

"Hello, Mr. Satterfield."

"Hello," he said as he took as seat in one of the chairs. "I'm afraid that I have a grocery list for you," he added, producing it out of his pocket.

"Alright, I'll call them in, I noticed the cupboards were getting a little bare. You might want to add to your list, I'll be gone over the holiday."

"I was wondering about my car as well."

"The Gremlin?" she asked with a touch of amusement.

"Yes, I've developed a fondness for it. Would it be possible to have it moved someplace until I can recover it?"

"Alright."

"Not going out tonight?"

"No," she said with a little frown.

"Is everything okay?"

"She had to go out of town for a couple of days."

"Oh, good," he said. "Where are you going over the holiday?"

"She's taking me to meet her parents."

"Really? That's a big step."

"It is?"

"Well, sure. She's bringing you home to her family, it means you're important to her."

Bailey pondered that for a moment in silence before she reached into her sweats for the cell phone.

"Josh?" she said. "Are you still in the building?"

Martin listened while she arranged to have his car picked up from the hotel parking lot and placed in the parking garage across the street.

"I'll need the keys, I put them back in your bag," she said to Martin when she hung up.

"Alright, be right back," he said handing her the grocery list and ambling out into the hall.

While Martin was gone, she called in the grocery list to the delivery service she used. He returned just as she was finishing the order.

"You have your groceries delivered?"

"Yes, they'll be here tomorrow."

"Does someone come in here?"

"No, they're delivered to the private elevator in the lobby and I go down and bring them up," she explained. "No one has access to this floor but me. You can't get in or out without me."

"I see."

"I have to drop off your keys. I bought some new CD's yesterday, they're on the desk if you're interested," she said getting up and leaving the room.

"Thanks," he called after her and with a grin, went over to see what she had bought.

Bailey was scowling slightly when she came back into the house. Josh had seen fit to snicker at her and even make a comment when the elevator doors had opened. She made straight for the bathroom to look in the mirror and found that her hair was indeed all over the place, having not given a thought to doing anything with it when she got out of bed. She started to brush it out and wondered if she really had changed recently. Josh and Satterfield were both afraid of her and she knew it, but both of them had relaxed around her to the point of making wisecracks and even teasing her a little. She couldn't imagine even two weeks ago letting anyone get away with such familiarity. She traced all the changes around her to a little redhead who had insidiously gotten around all her barriers, and now she couldn't imagine being without her. Her cell phone rang and she put her brush down to pull the phone from her sweats.

"Cameron."

"Hey, gorgeous, what ya doin'?" Piper asked in a sultry voice.

"Was just thinking about you actually," Bailey said walking into her bedroom and taking a seat on the edge of her bed.

"Really?"

"Yeah. You get there okay?"

"Yep, just got settled, thought I'd call my girlfriend."

"I'm glad you did."

"Me too, I really wanted to spend some more time with you before we took off this week."

"Piper, am I important to you?" Bailey asked quietly, remembering Satterfield's words.

"Bailey, you're the most important thing in my life," Piper said, sensing that the answer was significant to the sometimes insecure woman. "Why would you ask?"

Bailey closed her eyes at the response. "Just wondering about things."

"Well, you don't have to wonder about that."

"How did things go today?" she asked to change the subject.

"Okay, meeting with the bigwigs tomorrow morning, wish me luck."

"You'll do fine."

"Think so?"

"Yes, I do. You're one of the smartest and most capable people I've ever met."

Piper caught her breath. "Thank you."

"Do you like the car?"

"Very much, although I haven't had a chance to engage ludicrous speed. I don't think Debra would appreciate it."

"Probably not, I took care of your car it's in the backyard like you asked."

"Thanks a lot. Nanny will be home tomorrow, I'll have to call her and tell her why it's back there," Piper thought aloud. "That reminds me, did you watch your movie yet?"

"No," Bailey said. "I'll watch it when I get off the phone with you."

Piper giggled. "I'll call you tomorrow, let me know what you think."

"Alright."

"I need to grab a shower and something to eat, talk to you tomorrow?"

"Okay."

"Sleep well."

"You too," Bailey said and listened until Piper hung up.

She put the phone back in her pocket and with a little grin she ambled to the kitchen to make some popcorn in the microwave. She grabbed a Pepsi from the refrigerator when it was done and puttered back to her bedroom, making a mental note to do some laundry and put her spare clothes back in the GTO as she pulled the videotape from her bag and crossed the room to put it in the VCR. Grabbing the remote off of the nightstand, she seated herself cross-legged on the end of the bed and placed the bowl of popcorn in her lap.

She pointed the remote at the television and turned it on as she chewed on her popcorn, chuckling a little when the title came up on the screen. She watched with interest for a few minutes before her eyes slowly widened to the size of pie plates and her mouth dropped open to rest on her chest. Blushing a bright crimson, she hurriedly shot up from the bed, spilling her popcorn as she ran over to slam her bedroom door shut. This time she warily approached the television and watched cautiously from a distance, as if afraid to get too close to the screen. She alternately blushed and gaped at the displayed images and twice she moved all the way to the corner of her bedroom to watch from as far away as possible before slowly, and very guardedly venturing forward again.

When the movie ended, she clicked off the television and put her hand over her eyes. "Oh, my God."

She took a few minutes to compose herself as the tape rewound and clutching her teddy in her lap, she sat back down on the foot of the bed to watch the movie again.

VII

Stains on the carpet and stains on the memory

- R. Smith

Bailey emerged from her bedroom the next morning and proceeded directly to her home office to make travel arrangements. She sat down at her computer and punched a number into the keyboard, watching the monitor until it was answered.

"Yes, ma'am."

"I need to make some travel arrangements."

"What kind and when?"

"Helicopter to New Orleans on Thursday and back on Sunday."

"I can do that. Pay for the fuel times two and the pilot's expenses?"

"Deal."

"Gimme the details."

"Pick up on the roof of C-Corp in the business district Thursday at 11:00am return to the roof Sunday afternoon or evening."

"Alright."

"Where does the pilot need to berth? I need to arrange pick up on arrival."

"I'll have to check, can you hold for a few?"

"Sure."

She leaned back in her chair and shook a cigarette out of the pack on her desk, smoking half of it by the time he returned to the phone.

"New Orleans Lakefront."

"Good enough, I may need transportation on standby for the next few weeks and a pilot that can be deaf, dumb, and blind."

"I'll take care of it, give me a call when you need it," he said. "I can have a chopper pick you up anywhere in Atlanta within twenty minutes."

"That's perfect, I'll let you know," she said with satisfaction. "Transportation will be available Thursday by 11:00, correct?"

"Count on it," he said. "By the way, did my last piece of info help you out any?"

"Yes it did. Was there a problem with the payment?"

"Not at all. I thought Fisher was dirty."

"He was."

"You'll have your chopper on Thursday, contact me if you need anything else."

"I'll do that. Thanks, Thumper."

Thumper Washington, who's real name was a closely guarded secret, was a bald and mountainous black man that stood within inches of seven feet tall, weighing in at over three hundred pounds of solid muscle. He also happened to be the head of one of the largest crime syndicates in the South. It was rumored that the man was afraid of nothing but he knew this wasn't true. In fact, the only thing that scared him was the lady he had just gotten off the phone with. Dressed in a bathrobe and boxer shorts, he sat at his desk and made several phone calls to assure himself that she was accommodated before he leaned back in his chair. He still felt a shiver run down his back when he thought of the only time he had seen her face to face.

He had been playing cards in the back room of his favorite nightclub, his favorite only because it had been the first he had acquired, when he heard the music stop out front and he was informed that he had a visitor. A visitor that had asked for him by name, his real name.

"You know I don't take visitors, Jamie."

"I think you better take this one."

"Why the fuck would I want to do that? Who is it?"

"A white lady," Jamie said and winced.

"What?" he said almost bolting from his chair before he caught himself. "How the fuck did a white lady get past the door?"

"She took them both out." Jamie said, wincing again.

He stood from his chair so fast that it crashed on the floor behind him. "She killed them?"

"No, just fucked them up," Jamie said. "She dropped them both like they weren't there, walked in and asked for you. She's waiting at the bar."

He picked up his chair and looked at the faces gathered around the table, noting that all of them displayed a mixture of surprise and admiration. His thoughts mirrored the expressions of the others, being more than a little impressed that a white woman had the balls to walk into a black only nightclub, take out the doormen, and patiently wait to see him.

"What's she look like?"

"Spooky."

He shrugged. "Show her in, the rest of you morons get frosty," he said to the five bodyguards he brought with him every time he went out in public. He caught Jamie by the arm as the man turned to go. "And tell them to start the music back up."

He waited patiently until he heard the music start and Jamie came back into the room leading a remarkably attractive young woman dressed from head to toe in black and sporting a long raven ponytail tied up on the top of her head. He met the woman's black eyes and knew, knew with a clarity he had rarely experienced, that unless he was extremely careful, his death had just walked into the room.

He nodded to one of his men to search her and was surprised to hear an Irish voice.

"No," she said. "I'll talk to you privately, please."

Despite of himself his temper got the better of him and he got angry, he couldn't believe a white woman, a white Irish woman, had the fucking nerve to walk into one of his clubs, fuck up the guys at the door and issue directives to him.

"You'll be searched or we don't have anything to talk about," he said with as much menace as he could muster, his men starting to take up positions in a circle around her.

"No one touches me. I'm here to talk business with you alone."

With all of his instincts screaming at him to do as she said, his pride won in the end. "Search the bitch and throw her out," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

His balls jumped into the back of his throat as a katana flashed into her right hand from the back of her jacket and she exploded into motion. The blade sang through the air about her so fast that he almost dismissed it as an illusion. In the span of a heartbeat, she stepped away from his five dead or dying bodyguards and glided towards him. One of his card playing companions had managed to draw his gun and swing it in her direction, but before it could be trained on her, she ripped the gun from his hand in a casual motion, throwing it forcefully behind her to strike Jamie violently in the forehead, who had been standing by the door and in the process of drawing his own weapon. She clamped her left hand around the throat of the man who had drawn on her and came away with his Adams apple, which she let drop to the floor as he gurgled and slid lifelessly under the table.

"I'll speak with you now, privately please."

The survivors all got quickly out of their seats without so much as a nod from him and began to flee from the room.

"No visitors and trying to surprise me would be outstandingly stupid," she said with her eyes trained on him as the men started to leave the room.

"Do exactly as she says," he ordered with a look at Jamie who was beginning to pick himself up off the floor. Jamie nodded groggily and with a hand pressed to his profusely bleeding forehead, he exited the room.

He watched as she sat down in one of the now empty chairs and placed the bloody katana on the table in front of her.

"Your handkerchief, please," she said.

He reached into his jacket with a hand that he couldn't quite keep from trembling and handed her his handkerchief, which she used to wipe off her gloves and clean the blade of the katana. His breath began to become a little forced as it became obvious that the woman scared the shit out of him. He had seen men kill many times for a variety of reasons but he had never seen anyone kill so emotionlessly or so efficiently. He couldn't shake the feeling that he'd gotten a glimpse of something extraordinary, a memory he was positive he'd rather not have. He watched her toss the now bloody handkerchief to the floor and his eyes came up tentatively to meet hers.

"From time to time, I'll need things," she began, drilling him with her eyes. "Things you can provide for me. Things you will provide for me. I'll pay your price for any merchandise or services I might require. However, I'll deal only with you; no go between, no middleman. Anything that you might provide for me stays between you and I. Betray me in the slightest, and you'll see me again. An occasion you won't live to lament. Do as I ask and it'll be profitable for the both of us. Any questions?"

"None."

She slid a card across the table. "That's my last name and the number you can contact me on."

"Alright."

"I'll need you to give me an account number that I can wire money into if and when I require something and a contact number from you as well," she said. "If I call the number you give me one time and someone besides you answers, I'll consider it a betrayal."

"I'll get a phone that only you have the number to. Can I call this number in the morning and give you the information you asked for?" he asked gesturing to the card she had given him.

"Yes, I'll expect to hear from you no later than 11:00," she said, rising from her chair.

He watched as the katana disappeared into the back of her jacket and she turned to leave the way she had come.

"Wait," he said before she walked through the door and she turned back in his direction. He reached for his phone and dialed the club number.

"Let me talk to Jamie, right now," he told the bartender who had answered the phone and he waited all of five seconds for Jamie to pick up. "She's coming out, make sure no one fucks with her. Understand?"

"Goodnight, Linus," she said in parting and walked through the door.

The incident had taken place two and half years ago and during that time he had dealt with her perhaps a couple of dozen times. She was always polite and never bargained price with him, although she probably wasn't aware that he was afraid to tack on anything but a marginal profit.

He lifted his bulk from the chair and placed the cell phone he carried with him everywhere into the pocket of his robe as he lumbered to the kitchen to make breakfast for his kids, who he could already hear rambunctiously starting their day.

"Piper, I believe you charmed them," Kurt Norvath said with satisfaction. "I've been trying to convince them to use us as their primary reseller for over a year and they'll probably consent to that tomorrow as well."

"I'm glad it seems to be working out," Piper said, playing with the food on her plate.

It had been a long day spent in the confines of a conference room sitting across from several uptight executives who all seemed to be looking for any excuse not to like her and go with a competing local company. The competition had representatives present and after that initial surprise, and an entire morning of smiles and platitudes, they had regrouped at lunch to formulate a battle plan. She had been dismayed to find Julio Martinez as a member of the sales team and had endured his covert dirty looks the entire day.

Over lunch, she had studied their proposal and with a few bright insights from Debra, had filled in some of the gaps and sweetened the overall appeal of the previous contract. After a heated argument with Kurt and Julio, who had ended up reluctantly agreeing with the majority of the changes, they had gone back in with a new approach.

The day had ended in their favor and she found herself at a group dinner that she had reluctantly acquiesced to, not wanting to spend any more time than was necessary in Julio's company and almost overwhelmed with the desire to check in with Bailey. However, Kurt had been insistent and over the course of dinner had apologized for their argument over lunch and had complimented her several times.

She noted the easy smile the man beamed at her and grinned a little herself. Kurt was an accomplished pro in the arena of boardroom politics and a rather likable man in his fifties with graying hair and an aging athletic build.

"It doesn't seem to be working out, it has worked out. I'm willing to bet my paycheck they sign the whole enchilada by lunch tomorrow," Kurt said jovially. "I have to admit there was a lot of talk about the Princess naming you John's successor but you handled yourself in there today as well or better than John ever did."

"Thanks, Kurt."

"You're quite welcome," he said with a smile. "As you know, I was very much against dropping the hourly rate of what we charge for our contractors in exchange for a two year agreement instead of the usual one year deal, but I got to believe that was the game breaker."

"Actually, that was Debra's idea."

"Well done, Mrs. Womack."

"Thank you," Debra said with a grin.

"That's a pretty expensive hotrod you're driving, Piper," Julio spoke up. "You must have gotten a hell of a raise."

"It was rather significant," Piper said not overlooking the underlying malice in his tone.

"How much did it set you back?" Julio asked and Piper narrowed her eyes.

"It's not mine, I'm just borrowing it."

"Really?" Julio asked, momentarily stymied. "Who loans out a car that expensive?"

Piper debated with herself and opted for the truth. "It's one of Miss Cameron's, she loaned it to me when mine broke down yesterday morning."

"You're driving the Princess's car?" Julio asked happily. "You must really be in her good graces."

Piper shrugged. "Perhaps."

"The word around the water cooler is she showed herself twice in one day and visited you both times. I don't think she visited Johnny twice in three years."

"I think you might be spending too much time around the water cooler."

"Just curious, no one seems to know much about her. What's she like?"

"She's Irish and she owns the company we work for."

Julio snickered. "Tell us something we don't know."

"I'm afraid that if there's something you want to know, you'll have to ask her," Piper said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Like that's going to happen," Julio scoffed. "One of the security guys said that Tom sent him out to go buy roses for her and that she picked them up one evening last week on her way out. I wonder if she's dating someone?" he speculated, looking at Piper.

"Why would you care, Jules?" Kurt broke in. "You interested in her?"

"No way," Julio said. "There's no denying she's gorgeous but she's too creepy for me. Probably use me as a sacrifice at some black mass."

"She wouldn't cross the street to piss in your mouth if your teeth were on fire," Kurt chuckled. "You've got a problem with anyone who doesn't think you're as fantastic as you do."

Julio reddened and Piper shot a quick grateful look at Kurt. "It's been a long day and I'm wiped," she said signaling for the waiter.

"I'll get that," Kurt said swiping the tab off the table and handing it to the waiter with his credit card.

"So, what's the plan for tomorrow, Kurt?" Piper asked.

"We'll go back in around 9:00. There should be about an hour of posturing and another hour or two of fine lining, but like I said, I believe they'll sign before lunch," Kurt speculated. "After they sign, they'll probably feed us or take us out to eat. After which, they'll probably want to give you the tour since this is your first time here and I'm afraid you'll have to run a gauntlet of introductions."

Piper sighed. "What time do you think I can be on the road?"

"Three or four probably," Kurt guessed.

"Ouch," Piper said with a wince.

"You have plans for the holiday?"

"Yeah, leaving Thursday morning."

"We'll get you back in town by tomorrow night," Kurt said pulling a pen from his jacket at the sight of the incoming waiter.

Piper stood up to put on her jacket and collect her purse as soon as the waiter left.

"Thanks for dinner, Kurt."

"My pleasure," Kurt said. "Can I have a word with you a moment?" he added as they approached the exit.

"Sure," Piper said and looked at Debra. "I'll be out in a minute."

Debra and Julio exited the restaurant, waiting just outside the glass doors and Piper turned a look at Kurt. "What's up?"

"I wanted to let you know that this whole thing would've gone down the crapper if you hadn't shown up and I intend to send a glowing e-mail to both the Board and the Princess in regards to your performance here today," Kurt said sincerely. "There's some people out there, of which Julio is one, that think the Princess fell off her rocker with the decision to put you in charge. I'm not one of them; in fact I learned early on that she doesn't make many mistakes. I just wanted to let you know that and apologize for Julio's behavior. He has an axe to grind and I'll speak with him about it."

"Thanks, Kurt," Piper said, beaming. "That means a lot to me."

"You earned it," he said returning the smile. "The commission from this contract will feed my kids for the next two years."

Piper laughed. "I'm glad I could contribute to their welfare."

"Me too," Kurt joined in. "Let's not leave them in the cold any longer," he said gesturing to Debra and Julio.

"Alright," Piper said and Kurt opened the door for her.

"Goodnight, ladies," Kurt said.

"Night, fellas," Piper said as she and Debra made their way to the car.

Kurt hung back and lit a cigarette. "Jules, if you have a problem with the new boss, I suggest you get over it," he said as the Corvette began to pull away.

"She burned me on a contract the other day," Julio said. "The Princess showed up while we were discussing it and dismissed me like a houseboy."

Kurt laughed. "The Princess put her in charge, you better get used to it."

"Yeah, but I don't have to like it," Julio said. "Plus, I get the feeling there's something going on between them."

"That may or may not be true," Kurt conceded. "But it ain't any of your business. You've got a good job, Jules. You stick your nose in and you'll find yourself unemployed so fast you won't know whether to shit or wind your watch."

"Piper can't fire me with out a review."

"No, but the Princess can," Kurt said. "She put Piper in charge and I think she made a good decision; you question that and I guarantee they'll be scraping the name off your office door within an hour."

"I'd sue," Julio said and Kurt chuckled.

"Boy, you'd better get your head on straight. I was in the boardroom when the Princess negotiated the buy out of the company I came over with. She doesn't bargain, she grabs you by the ball hairs and dictates terms. From a corporate point of view, I can't think of a decision she's made that didn't turn out to be best for everyone involved, and there are a lot of people who would agree with me. You'd do well not to rock the boat."

"Maybe."

"There's no maybe about it, whatever you have stuck in your crotch you'd better get rid of it," Kurt said shaking his head.

"She scare you, Kurt?"

"Who, the Princess?"

"The Princess."

"No," Kurt said dismissively. "But I do respect her. She put this company together and made it work for everyone and she did it quickly from a distance. She didn't waste time with anyone who wasn't sure they wanted to be on board and she put the right people in charge and let them run the show. I'm making almost three times the salary I made two years ago. I think she's great."

"She's looking into selling the company."

"That's her prerogative," Kurt shrugged. "But like I said, I've seen her in action. If she doesn't get exactly what she wants she won't be selling. And if she does, I have no doubt that she'll take care of everyone."

"Do you really think she'd fire me?"

"In the blink of an eye, Jules," Kurt said as he flipped away his cigarette and started walking to the car.

Bailey's mood had grown steadily worse over the course of the day. She had done every little task she could possibly think of in order to occupy herself but her thoughts kept returning to Piper. She couldn't seem to concentrate for more than a minute without the little redhead intruding and taking over. In addition, it was almost ten in the evening and she still hadn't called.

She had been sitting at her desk in the library for over two hours. Her original intention upon entering was to listen to some of her new music but not wanting to miss Piper's call, she had ended up brooding. Martin had walked in earlier but with one look at her expression, he had done an abrupt spin on his heel and left without a word. Her scowl got deeper with every glance at the clock and her insecurities began to gnaw at her. She had considered calling and had even rehearsed several conversations, but all of them sounded desperate and the truth of the matter she discovered, was that she depended on Piper for her cues because she really had no idea of what to say or do.

She placed the cell phone on the desk in front of her and leveled a hard stare it, willing it to ring and jumping in surprise when it did.

"Cameron."

"Hey there."

"Where have you been? It's after ten," she asked accusingly.

"Kurt took us all out to dinner, I just got back to my room," Piper said carefully, sensing that Bailey was worked up about something.

"Oh," Bailey said quietly, the wind leaving her sails.

"What's wrong, Bailey?"

"Nothing."

"Tell me."

"It's nothing," she said. "How did things go today?"

"I think we did okay. Kurt seems to think it's a done deal," Piper said, accepting the subject change.

"Great, our ride leaves at 11:00 should arrive around 3:00 at New Orleans Lakefront."

"Alright, I'll call my folks tonight and let them know," Piper said. "So, tell me what's bothering you."

"It's nothing, Piper," Bailey said. "What time do you think you'll be home tomorrow?"

"Please, don't change the subject again. I want to know what's bothering you because if you're upset about something, it upsets me too."

"I'm not upset," Bailey said. "I just… never mind."

"You just what?"

"I just miss you and I thought that maybe…" she struggled and took a deep breath. "… I thought maybe you were having a good time and didn't want to call me."

"Oh, Bailey," Piper sighed. "You didn't leave my mind for more than a minute today. I couldn't wait to get back here and call you, I just couldn't break away."

"Really?"

"Really," Piper said. "You're constantly on my mind, don't you ever think otherwise."

"I'm sorry. It's just that lately…I feel so…unsure of myself and I'm not used to it."

"A new relationship can cause that, it's okay. A lot of this is very new to you and I know I said it before, but it gets easier with time. Just don't give up on me. I wouldn't know what to do without you."

Bailey closed her eyes. "Piper, I never give up."

"Good. Now tell me what you did today."

"I did laundry, I cleared your credit card with accounting, I made travel arrangements, I bought groceries, and I… I watched the movie again."

"Really?" Piper giggled. "How many times have you watched it?"

"Three times. It took some getting used to."

"I can imagine," Piper chuckled. "Those kind of movies usually get right to the point. Do you understand why I couldn't explain it to you?"

"A picture is worth a thousand words I guess," she said and Piper laughed.

"That's certainly true in this case I think."

"How's Debra working out?"

"Fantastic," Piper said, letting her change the subject again. "She came up with the idea that we think ended up winning them over today."

"I knew you'd pick a winner."

"I picked you didn't I?"

"Why did you pick me?"

"Well, there's a short answer and a long answer to that," Piper said. "How about I give you the short one now and the long one later?"

"Okay."

"You were just too cute."

"You're a dork," Bailey said with a smile.

"I'm your dork," Piper said chuckled. "Look, I should call my folks before it gets too late and I should give Nanny a ring too and let her know where I am, okay?"

"Okay."

"I'll call you tomorrow when I get home."

"Alright, what time do you think you'll be in?"

"It looks like eight or nine, but I'm not real sure."

"Okay."

"Night, sweetie."

"Goodnight."

Feeling remarkably better, she put on her headphones and pointed the remote at the stereo. She let out a sigh and leaned back in her chair with the ghost of a grin gracing her features.

VIII

Please don't bother tryin' to find her,
She's not there

- R. Argent

Russell yawned as Zack pulled into the parking lot of their new home Wednesday morning and parked. He got out with a stretch and walked around to the back of the car to wait for Zack to open the trunk.

"This place doesn't look very accommodating," Russell said, looking at the two story brick and glass building as he retrieved his bag.

"Nope," Zack agreed. "Better prepare yourself to sleep on a cot," he added as he got his own bag and closed the trunk.

"They really gonna fit us all in there?" Russell asked as they ambled toward the entrance.

"It's much bigger than it looks."

"What times the briefing?"

"Ten minutes."

Russell didn't reply as they entered the building through two large glass doors and he looked around curiously. There was a large lobby and someone had set up several sofas and chairs around a big screen television in the center of the room. He noted Mr. Philips standing next to the elevators and Zack nudged him in the man's direction.

"Briefing is down the hall," Philips said as they approached and he made a gesture to point them in the right direction.

They walked down a surprisingly long hallway and Russell nodded to himself; the building was indeed much larger than it had originally appeared to be. As they traveled, he noticed that clear plastic covered all of the doors on the left-hand side of the hall; giving him a distorted view of the people he could see and hear milling about as they passed. Eventually, they arrived at an intact set of double doors and upon entering, he found himself in a room with what he estimated was around seventy people. Zack pointed to a couple of unoccupied folding metal chairs and they both dropped their bags and seated themselves.

Russell surveyed his surroundings, noting that the plastic in the hall was covering the doors to what had been several large offices that the walls had been removed from to create a much larger, although narrow room, that could accommodate all of the people gathered. His eye caught the large black form of his supervisor Mike standing next to Dwight Robards at the front of the room.

Robards was a little man with a thinning head of brown hair who possessed bright green eyes that were constantly on the move. His stature and appearance were deceptive because Russell knew the man to be extremely formidable. Robards was holding a microphone in his hand with a cord that split off to connect to a pair of large speakers that sat on a table at the front of the room. Behind the man was a large roll up projection screen that covered two thirds of the wall.

"Mr. Philips, is everyone here?" Robards asked, his voice reverberating around the room.

"Everyone but the team currently on surveillance," Mr. Phillips replied from the door.

"Alright, everyone settle down so we can get this show on the road," Robards said, waiting a few minutes for everyone to get seated and focus their attention.

"First off," he began, "this is where everyone will be staying until our Op is complete and all of you should see Mr. Philips afterwards in the lobby to get room assignments. This isn't the Hilton, so I don't want to hear any whining. Showers are situated in the basement and cable television has been set up in the lobby. As soon as we're done in here today, another television will be placed in this room to keep you occupied until you're called upon. Everyone take some time to find your way around later."

"Now to business," he said with a gesture to Mike who hit a few keys on his laptop that produced a picture on the projection screen. "The lady on the screen behind me is Bailey Ann Cameron. She was born Irish and is thirty-one years old. She currently resides on the eighteenth floor of the C-Corp building, she owns both the building and the corporation." He stopped and walked around the table so not to obstruct the view.

"I've heard some of the talk, so let me clear up any doubts that any of you have," He paused. "Bailey Ann Cameron is The Wraith, gentlemen. I'm sure you've all heard the rumors and the stories. I was briefed yesterday by the Assistant Deputy Director. The Wraith began her employment with the Secondary at the age of sixteen and for almost fifteen years served as a hard target infiltrator. Our mission here is to see to her elimination," He paused again to let the rumbles die down.

"I'm sure some of you are wondering why we haven't already moved on her and why so many have been gathered here. We are in a state of surveillance until a game plan is finalized. She presents an enormous security risk and the Organization believes that if an attempt is made and fails the danger of exposure increases dramatically. It is also the opinion of the Organization that unless perfectly orchestrated, any conventional means of elimination used upon The Wraith stands a very low average of success. The Organization also feels that the number of operatives assigned is appropriate and believes that if a confrontation is forced upon us, numbers are the only assured way to take her down." He stopped and looked around.

"Don't shake your heads, this lady is the real deal and can be counted upon to inflict heavy casualties in a confrontation. Don't let the fact that she's female mislead you, she is extremely intelligent and has more experience than everyone is this room combined. She has received not so much as a scratch in over a decade of operations in the field. The Wraith is a supernaturally skilled operative and if you underestimate her in the slightest, she will walk right over your corpse." He stopped to let his words sink in.

"There are further complications unfortunately," he said after a moment, and with another nod to Mike a different picture appeared on the screen behind him.

"This Martin Eugene Satterfield, a former assistant to our Deputy Director. Satterfield stole Cameron's file and fled to Atlanta for her protection. We believe he is currently residing on the eighteenth floor of C-Corp as well. Ben Richards and his team caught up with Satterfield as he attempted contact with Cameron and were eliminated by her shortly thereafter." He stopped again to let the murmurs die down. "If Satterfield is sighted outside the company of Cameron, he is to be immediately removed from the picture, regardless of surroundings. This is a standing order and applies to our surveillance people as well," he said with a look at Mike who nodded in understanding.

"The Organization faces extreme danger if Cameron, the documents, and Satterfield were to threaten exposure," he continued. "However, it is the Organization's opinion that Cameron won't do this unless faced with no other alternative. So you can see how a confrontation or a botched attempt would be the last thing we're looking for. The Organization is also very concerned that she isn't running and feels that she has a plan to deal with the situation. Cameron knows we're here and is content at this time to ignore us. And until we get a green light, no one, I repeat, no one is to approach her for any reason."

"Personally, I have no desire whatsoever to tangle with her and will be perfectly happy to hang out right here until they come up with a safe way to resolve the situation."

"In addition, the Organization has planted several operatives inside C-Corp as employees. These men may turn out to be our ace in the hole and they're operating independently under the direct supervision of the Deputy Director. But as of right now, our plan is to continue light surveillance, and I mean light..." he said with a look at Mike, "…until notified differently. So get comfortable, we may be here for a while.

"Oh, one other thing," he said before anyone could rise out their seats. "I had a look at a very abridged version of Cameron's history with the Organization, and let me tell you all now that none of the stories surrounding The Wraith have been exaggerated, if anything they haven't been exaggerated enough. Keep that in mind, especially those assigned to surveillance, you don't want to spook her or in any way threaten her. In addition, the Organization has had paper circulating internationally on The Wraith for over a week and no one has shown the slightest interest in a contract. That should tell you something," he said gravely.

"Alright, there are no questions I can answer at this time so make yourselves at home," he finished in dismissal and everyone began to mumble to each other and slowly filter out of the room.

Russell got out of his chair and glanced at Zack who was still seated with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Let's go get a room, I need some sleep," he said to Zack who looked at him for a second before nodding and rising from his seat.

They started through the crowd toward the exit but were called up short.

"Zack, Russell," Mike called out in his gravelly voice and gestured them over.

"What's up?" Zack said as they approached.

"You guys are in room 211 on the second floor. I know you guys just got in and I didn't want you to wait in line with the others," Mike said and they nodded gratefully. "She hasn't moved in two days and with the holiday starting tomorrow I suspect we won't see much of her until next week. She seems to come out at night most of the time and I want you guys to stay on that shift."

They both groaned.

"Suck it up, boys. Go get some rest and end the bullshit I've been cutting you slack on. I don't want to see either of you show up here with gum all over you or a nasty fucking scab on the end of your nose. You get me?"

"Yes, sir," they said almost in unison.

"Good," Mike said. "You heard the man, don't fuck around with this bitch. Keep your distance; you're to report her whereabouts only. If she enters a building you stay outside and wait for her to come out unless you are specifically told to go in. Now take your happy asses upstairs and go get some sleep," he finished with a chuckle.

Russell waited until Mike was out earshot and turned to his friend. "My scab isn't nasty is it?"

"Shut up," Zack said, rolling his eyes.

Nancy looked up from her magazine when she heard the garage door open and hopped from her seat, entering the garage in time to see Piper getting her bag from the trunk of an old black Corvette.

"Sweet car," she said when Piper closed the trunk. "Where did ya find it?"

"It's Bailey's, she's letting me drive it," Piper said tiredly.

"What's wrong with yours?" Nancy asked as they strolled through the house towards the living room.

"I forgot to tell you didn't I?" Piper said throwing her bag at the foot of the sofa and plopping down with a sigh. "Didn't you notice mine out back?"

"No. What's the scoop?"

"Mine broke down and Bailey brought me one of her cars to drive. She says mine has a cracked block," Piper said. "Anyway, she arranged to have mine put in the backyard until I decide what to do with it."

"How many cars does she have?"

"Three that I know of. Did you do laundry for me?"

"Yes, all you have to do is pack," Nancy said. "No thanks necessary, I love doing laundry," she added sarcastically.

"Thanks, Nan," Piper said with a playful slap.

"Did you call your Mom?"

"Yeah, someone will pick us up tomorrow," Piper said around a yawn. "I'm so tired. I was hoping to be home hours ago."

"How's things between you and Bailey?"

"Great, or they were up until today, I've been trying to call her for hours but she hasn't answered," she said with a frown.

"She picking you up tomorrow?"

"I assume so."

"Bet your Mom is excited."

"Yeah, I talked to her last night, she interrogated me for over an hour," she said with an aggrieved sigh.

"She's just happy for you. By the way, I came home to a clean kitchen, didn't you stay here over the weekend?"

"Bailey cleaned the kitchen. She stayed here with me all weekend."

"Really?" Nancy asked with raised eyebrows. "Have you broken your long standing vow of chastity?"

"No," Piper said. "And be quiet."

Nancy chuckled. "If she stayed the weekend you guys must be getting serious."

"I love her, Nanny."

"I assumed you did when you said you were taking her home. Have you told her?"

"No," Piper said. "I don't think she's ready to hear it."

"Why do you say that?"

"She's…completely inexperienced. Emotionally and sexually."

"How's that possible? What's she been doing all of her life?"

"I don't really know. I have some suspicions, but she's afraid to talk to me about it. I know her father and brother were killed when she was sixteen, she's been alone ever since."

"Killed?" Nancy said. "How?"

"They were killed by the British in Northern Ireland."

"That's horrible. She's been alone since then?"

"Yes," Piper said. "Sometimes she's very much like a child, Nanny. She can be very insecure. She's been alone so long, I think it took a Herculean effort on her part to even attempt a friendship with me, let alone a relationship."

"I don't think she had a choice, Pippy."

"Why do you say that?"

"She loves you. She may not know it yet, but all ya got to do is watch her watch you."

"You can? Really?"

"She looks at you like a lost puppy," Nancy said. "I know she loves you."

"I hope so. I think she does, but it feels it good to have someone else confirm it for me."

"Why don't you just tell her?"

"I think it would scare her," Piper said. "Sometimes she's very clingy, other times she acts like she thinks I'm going to leave her. I know she's confused and I don't want to add to it."

"Why would she think you'll leave her?"

"Honestly, I think she's ashamed of herself for unknown reasons and she's afraid to tell me things because she thinks I'll dislike her."

"Gee, could you choose anyone more difficult to get involved with?"

"Probably not. But I know I didn't have a choice."

"I know we talked about this before… " Nancy braced herself for a possible explosion. "…And I told you she scared me, does she scare you?"

"No, not at all. But you're evidently not the only one who thinks she's scary. Apparently, plenty of people think she is or could be if she wanted to be."

"Why aren't you afraid of her then?"

"Because I've gotten to know her and she's really the sweetest person, but I think I'm the only one who's ever seen that side of her." Piper paused and considered. "But I know she can be dangerous, very dangerous if she wants to be."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I took her dancing Friday night and when we were leaving there was this couple, or at least I think it was a couple, that got into a fight and the guy hit the woman. The guy was gigantic but Bailey went over and grabbed him by the arm when he went to hit the woman again. He was easily twice her size but she like flipped him in the air in front of her and when he landed she broke his arm on purpose," Piper said while demonstrating with her hands.

"Holy shit."

"Anyway, I guess the guy had a friend and he tried to grab her from behind but she turned around like she had eyes in the back of her head and hit him the chest, the guy just collapsed. So the bouncers show up and I thought for a moment one of them was going to try and grab her but she just shook her head at the guy and he didn't move. The bouncer asked what was going on and the guy with the broken arm screamed like it was her fault and she grabbed his other arm and stepped on his throat until he passed out."

"What happened then?"

"I told the bouncers what really happened and the girl who got hit confirmed it so I took her out of there as fast as I could. She beat up those guys like it was child's play."

"Jesus," Nancy said in awe. "Where did she learn to do that?"

"I didn't ask her because I knew she wouldn't or couldn't tell me," Piper said. "But I thought it was great, she didn't even hesitate to help that lady. That bastard hit her hard too. He won't be hitting anyone again soon, you could hear his arm break a mile away."

"That's too much. She doesn't mess around I guess."

"No she doesn't," Piper confirmed. "Don't say anything to her, okay, Nanny? I haven't said a word to her about it except to tell her how noble I thought it was for her to get involved. I don't think she could help herself from stepping in and I know she was afraid of what I thought afterward."

"I won't. What do you think she's been doing all these years?"

"I really don't know, but she has these scars on her back that I know someone put there on purpose. I suspect whatever she's been doing wasn't pretty."

"What kind of scars?"

"My guess would be knife scars, she has eight of them, four on each side of her spine. They've faded a lot, so she probably got them a long time ago."

"Knife scars?" Nancy asked in horror. "Jesus Christ, are you sure you should get involved with her?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my entire life," Piper said assuredly. "She's the one."

"I hope you're right."

"I know I am," Piper said. "I'm gonna go pack and try to call her again. Nanny, please don't tell anyone this."

"I won't."

"Promise me, Nanny."

"I promise."

"Thank you," Piper said throwing a hug around her friend. "I think I needed to talk a little bit."

"Anytime," Nancy said returning the hug. "If I ever find a boyfriend I expect you to return the favor."

"You can always call Spunker back," Piper teased. "I'm fairly certain he's still single."

"It was Spencer," Nancy sighed. "I'll never live that down I guess."

"Nope," Piper said, jumping up from the couch and picking up her bag.

"If I'm not up in the morning to see you off, give me a call from your parents, alright?"

"Will do," Piper said with a smile. "Night."

"Night, Pippy," Nancy said watching her thoughtfully until she disappeared down the hall.

Piper tossed her bag on the floor and plopped face down on to the bed, allowing herself a yawn and long, satisfying stretch. A scowl etching its way on to her features as she rolled over to pick up the phone from its place on the nightstand. The scowl deepened as she waited through thirteen rings with no answer. She had called four times before she left and had even risked calling twice from the car in the company of Debra. The scowl gave way to a frown as she hung up the phone with a sigh and reluctantly rose from the bed to pack for her trip.

Bailey put her bag by the front door and produced her cell phone from her jacket.

"Josh?" she said when it was answered. "Are you set up? I'm leaving the building in about ten minutes, I'll be in the Barracuda." She waited for an answer. "Good, I'll call you from the car, you have everything you need?" She nodded into the phone and hung up, leaving her bags at the door and padding through the house until she reached Martin's room.

"Mr. Satterfield," Bailey called with a knock on the door. She waited patiently until she could hear movement behind the door and knocked again.

The door opened to reveal Satterfield dressed in sweatpants and a T-shirt that was emblazoned with a huge, blood splattered yellow smiley face suffering from a bullet wound to the forehead.

She chuckled. "Mr. Satterfield, I'm leaving tonight for the weekend. I should return on Sunday."

"Alright. I am safe here alone aren't I?"

"I doubt they'll know I'm gone," Bailey said. "And even if they did, they still wouldn't try to get in."

"Okay. Have fun."

"Uhm..." she started hesitantly. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Is there anything I should say or do when I meet her parents?"

Martin grunted in consideration as he walked over and sat down on his bed. "I'd say be polite but you're always polite, so the only other thing I could suggest would be to make sure you thank them for having you."

"Is that it? That sounds too easy."

"It's never easy meeting a lover's parents, it can be extremely nerve racking," Martin said knowingly. "Just be yourself and I'm sure you'll be okay."

"That's what Piper said," she said more to herself than Satterfield.

"She's right," Martin said. "They'll either like you or they won't and there's nothing you can do about it. But odds are they'll like you just fine because you're a neat person and their daughter likes you."

"I see," Bailey said, mulling it over. "Happy Thanksgiving, Martin," she said in parting as she turned to stride down the hall.

A slow smile creased Martin's face as he got up to close the door behind her. It was the first time she had called him anything other than Mr. Satterfield.

Continued