by Ali Vali

Disclaimers: See Part 1.

Feedback is always welcome: terrali20@yahoo.com.

Copyright © 2004 by Ali Vali. All Rights Reserved.

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"Sydney, George’s on line one. Said he’s returning your call." Sally told her from the outer office.

"Hey, George."

"Should I have a pad and pen ready?"

"You know me so well," Sydney told her accountant and financial manager. "Have Kay’s cards cancelled as soon as possible and review all the financial contracts and make sure that our name doesn’t appear together on anything. Then cut her a check for twenty five thousand dollars and deposit it in her account. By the time she’s run through that she’ll be on her own."

"It’ll be done within the hour. Should I send a letter with the money?"

"No, I think we covered all the bases last night. If you need me I’ll be at mom and dad’s until I go house hunting. Thanks, George."

"Sydney, Blithe’s holding on line two for you." Sally put the call through as soon as the top line light blinked off.

"Do you know someone named Grace O’Shea?"

"Will I be in trouble if my answer’s yes?"

"She just called me and said she’d be by at ten to take me shopping. It seems that someone forgot to tell me that we’re attending a formal dinner on Friday night and a costume party on Saturday. Mrs. O’Shea offered to help me pick something out."

"My mother offered to shop for you?"

"That answers the question on if you know her, and yes she did."

"Stay out of the engagement rings section of whatever store Herbert drives you to."

"She didn’t say anything about bringing someone named Herbert. I thought you said your father’s name was William? Who names their child Herbert?" Blithe was babbling since she was a little overwhelmed with the morning.

"The same people that think Mordecai was a good choice, and no he’s not my father. The other thing is she isn’t bringing him. It’s more like he’s bringing her. Herbert’s my mother’s driver, God bless his soul."

"Your mother has a driver?" Blithe sat on her sofa and felt like if she’d been an adult in the sixties and taken acid this would definitely qualify as one of those flashbacks the authorities always warned you about.

"Let me explain something about Gracelia O’Shea. She’s barely five feet, has flaming red hair, which makes no sense since my father is the Irishman and she’s Italian, and she doesn’t drive. She’s never had the inclination nor the desire to learn, so my father hired a driver. Herbert has been her faithful traveling companion for forty years and if my mother got some wild hair up her butt to learn now I think it’d break his heart. The most important lesson you must always remember when you spend any time with Grace is don’t believe anything she tells you about me. The woman got married on Halloween night, that’s always made me question her sanity."

"She told me you’re quite the catch and she does all your shopping. As a matter a fact she said the last time you were in a mall, Gerald Ford was president."

"How long did she keep you on the phone?"

"Never mind about that. Do you want me to find a sitter for Charlie for this weekend?"

"Did you tell Grace about Charlie?"

"I thought I’d ask you first about the sitter." Blithe got up when she heard the front bell. The walk and talking to Sydney on the phone was taking her mind off her nails which she’d been chewing since the woman from her first call of the morning had introduced herself. "Hold on, someone’s at the front door."

"Hello, dear, is that Mordecai on the phone?" Grace walked in and took off her gloves.

"Yes, ma’am."

"Please, dear, call me Grace. May I please have the phone?" Blithe handed the phone to the short attractive woman in her living room trying to take a discreet look at her watch. Grace had said she’d be there at ten and unless she’d slipped into a coma, Blithe was sure it was before nine. Now she looked like an idiot standing there in her pajamas.

"Mordecai?"

"Yes, mother?"

"Unless you’re in the process of putting some dreadful person in jail. I expect you over here in thirty minutes to make proper introductions and take Blithe and me out to breakfast." Grace pressed the off button and handed the phone back to Blithe. "Now, dear, before the grumpy one gets here and turns you against me, I’m Grace O’Shea."

"Nice to meet you, ma’am, I’m Blithe Thompson. Would you like to make yourself comfortable while I go and change? If Sydney’s going to be here in a half an hour I’d rather not look like something the cat threw up."

"Nonsense, it’s good to keep Mordecai waiting. She’s like her father like that, the longer the wait the better they think the prize is. And please, dear, don’t call her Sydney."

"You don’t like the name Sydney?"

"I named her Sydney, so I’m not opposed to it, but her family calls her Mordecai. It’s a status symbol if you like."

"I’m not a part of Sydney’s family."

"Blithe, she’s talked more about you than she did the red bike she wanted when she was seven. I’ve always judged how excited she is about someone or something against how much she wanted that bike. You, she hasn’t shut up about for six weeks. Funny thing is, I don’t think she realizes she’s doing it."

Blithe blushed thinking about Sydney talking to her mother about her. Not just Charlie, but her. "She didn’t tell me."

"You’re smart, Blithe, you’ve won her heart without the genius figuring it out. That bloodsucker she’s lived with for too long did it with just the physical aspect of their relationship, if I can speak frankly. I never have seen the look of adoration that comes over her face when she talks about you and your son when she talked about her." Grace couldn’t bring herself to say Kay’s name. "Don’t worry about Mordecai now; I’ll help you wrap up the rest of the package. So where is Charlie, I’m dying to meet him."

Blithe walked her to the little boy’s room where he was still sleeping after being up late from the excitement of the upcoming trip with his beloved Cai. His mother didn’t understand Grace’s tears when the tiny woman sat on the edge of his bed and pushed a strand of hair off his face. From her designer purse Grace pulled her wallet out and turned to a picture of Mordecai when she was the same age as Charlie was now. To Blithe’s amazement the faces were almost identical.

"You carry baby pictures of Mordecai around with you?" Blithe whispered looking at the photo Grace had handed her smiling at the beautiful little face captured on the glossy finish.

"I know what she looks like now. I like to remember them when they weren’t such a pain in my ass." Blithe decided then that no matter what happened with Sydney, she and Grace were going to be great friends.

Sydney walked in earlier than she was expected and sat in the kitchen to wait with Herbert. She figured Grace was somewhere in the house with Blithe telling her, Sydney was sure, some story or another about her younger formative years. The escape from her office was welcome after fielding a dozen calls from Kay that morning. She was demanding another meeting with Sydney at their apartment and was going to keep calling until the attorney caved. From experience Sydney could tell she was pissed, like a child that had been deprived of their favorite toy. And to think she hadn’t gone out and try to buy something, thought Sydney.

Buy something with the cards that Kay had treated like play money since the bills went directly to Sydney’s accountant. Sydney had never been interested in what Kay did with them but after George’s report from that morning she should have kept better tabs on her live-in’s spending. The prosecutor was almost tempted to meet with Kay again to demand all the art her money had bought over the last six months. None of which was hanging in the apartment.

The temptation and anger died when Blithe and her mother walked into the kitchen laughing and making a fuss over Charlie. Sydney smiled when she realized she could move on with her life and if she was lucky this woman her mother was joking with would be willing to share it with her.

"Good morning. Did you heed my warning?" asked Sydney.

"About?" Blithe answered as she combed Charlie’s hair back as he tried to squirm out of her arms to get to Sydney.

"Listening to this woman you so readily let into your house."

"Mordecai, behave or I’ll have Herbert turn you over his knee." The older gentleman laughed at his boss’s suggestion knowing if he tried Sydney would wipe the floor with him. "I had to introduce myself, since you were late, but don’t worry, we’ve been having a delightful time."

Sydney got up from the table so that she could give her mother a kiss. "Thank you for coming over, mama."

"Come on, Charlie, show me where your coat is and then your Cai’s taking us out to eat." Grace led the child and her driver out of the kitchen leaving the two young women alone.

"You look nice." Blithe took in the dark suit, perfectly cut for Sydney and felt almost frumpy in her presence.

"Thank you, you look beautiful this morning, but instead of talking about the merits of why I think so, I want to talk about something with you for a minute. I promise tonight we’ll take as long as you want, but knowing Grace we have five minutes tops before she gets restless."

"You’ve changed your mind?"

"About you and Charlie?" Blithe nodded yes. "No, I just wanted to tell you I left Kay last night."

"Because of me?"

"No, because of me. I expect certain things from the woman I love, Blithe, and I discovered two things about myself last night."

Blithe couldn’t help it, she moved closer to Sydney wanting to know what her hands felt like. "What was that?"

"That Kay isn’t the woman I’m in love with, I don’t think I ever was, and I don’t think I have to expect anything if I choose the woman I am in love with. That’s because I think she’ll give without me asking for the things that I think she wants from me in return."

"What do you think I want?" Blithe took the chance that it was she Sydney was talking about.

"To be loved, to have me come home to you and Charlie, to share my thoughts with you and to never have to worry if I’m sleeping with someone else."

"You’re right."

"That’s what I want too."

"And that’s what you’ll get, for as long as you want it."

The motley crew filed out of the house with Sydney bringing up the rear. Her mother was holding Charlie’s hand and from the look on his face, the little boy was becoming quickly won over by the elder O’Shea. Sydney was sure if Grace could get away with it, the attorney would be drawing up adoption papers over brunch.

"Mordecai."

Sydney took Blithe’s hand when the blonde got a look at her mother’s car. Grace’s world was about as far removed from the social worker’s as you could get and still live in the state. "Yes, mother?"

"Whose van is that?" Blithe blushed at the sight of the maroon and white jalopy sitting in her drive way. It was two toned only because much of the dark red paint had started to flake off. Grace turned to the two women and noticed Blithe’s condition. "Don’t be embarrassed, dear, my husband says I’m a bull in the china shop of life all the time. I just can’t have my Charlie riding around in something that looks so unsafe. Mordecai, I trust you’ll handle this today."

"Yes, mother."

"Would this be a good time to ask if I can say no?" Blithe looked up at Sydney wondering when she’d lost control of what used to be her life.

"You could, but she has your phone number and address now."

"Meaning?"

"That you can deal with me or the Italian Stallion, your choice. All I can say is, I’m much more amenable to suggestion than Grace." Thus began the initiation of Blithe and Charlie into the O’Shea clan. By lunch time the two had the entire new wardrobe they would need for the weekend except for the Halloween costumes for the Saturday night party, which Grace left up to the Thompson’s to pick out.

Blithe got all of her work done by Thursday afternoon so that she and Charlie would be ready to leave the next morning. The only disappointment was Sydney, or Mordecai as she’d come to refer to her, wouldn’t be able to leave with them. Blithe had offered to wait but when Grace found out, she informed the young woman she and her husband William would be by at ten to drive them down. Her argument had been that just because Mordecai was chained to her job didn’t mean Blithe and Charlie should suffer for it. The explanation made more sense when they drove through the gates of what Grace kept referring to as their small summer home.

A deep lawn with a huge collection of oak trees obscured the house from the road that separated it from the Gulf of Mexico. The eight-bedroom home was a beautiful example of an antebellum style structure with a large porch that wrapped around much of the house with a matching veranda on the second floor. Blithe counted at least twenty matching rockers, which made her suddenly crave a mint julep. William explained that in the backyard Grace had put in a pool for those that didn’t care for the beach, and the seventeenth green of the country club’s golf course was about twenty yards from their property line.

"I’ll have Sylvia put you and Charlie in the room adjacent to Mordecai’s, dear. Why don’t you take some time to take a rest and freshen up before the mob gets here. That drive up here can be tiring. Please relax and don’t hesitate to ask us if you need anything." Grace walked up the steps to the front door using her hands to accentuate what she was saying.

Blithe hung onto Charlie so he wouldn’t break anything in the house she was sure was stocked with valuables if the one in New Orleans was any indication. After two dinners there that week with Mordecai, Blithe was starting to relax around Grace and William. Except for things like the new Sequoia that had been delivered to Blithe’s driveway, the O’Shea’s didn’t flaunt their wealth, or make her feel any less because she wasn’t in their tax bracket.

"Thank you, Grace."

"Charlie boy, get in a good nap because we’re playing golf tomorrow." William, Mordecai’s father, told the child that was trying to pull out of his mother’s death grip. The patriarch of the O’Shea family was taller than all his children, but they had all inherited his looks. Jet-black hair that was graying at the temples, blue eyes and a big sturdy build made for an overall attractive looking man.

Charlie watched as Herbert took out a big golf bag from the trunk first before retrieving a smaller version to put beside it. The small but very real clubs had been a gift for Charlie from William. The shipping giant was a fanatical fan of the game and liked to encourage new players along whenever he got the opportunity. All Charlie had needed to hear was game and the fact they wanted him to play. In the morning William would give the little boy the rest of his surprises, including the smallest golf cleats he’d ever seen.

At three in the afternoon a caravan of cars came up the winding bricked drive, the lead one blowing the horn to announce the arrival of the O’Shea boys. All three worked for the family business and the two oldest boys had gotten married, leaving Mordecai and the baby Franklin as the only eligible ones in the bunch.

"Blithe and Charlie, I want you to meet the rest of our family." Grace had them line up out by the pool when the blonde and her son had come downstairs to investigate what all the noise was about. "This is our eldest son and his wife, William and Nicole. Just call him Will so as to not confuse him with his father. Next to them are John and his wife Stella. The forlorn looking one on the end is Franklin, my baby." Grace pointed to each person as she went along giving them a chance to shake Blithe’s hand. "Everyone, this is Mordecai’s friend Blithe and her son Charlie."

In New Orleans, Sydney put the last set of instructions for her staff on the memo she was drafting. The defendant Augustern facing an un winnable trial had chosen to plead guilty in hopes he wouldn’t get the death penalty. The district attorney’s office wouldn’t have to go through a trial but they still had to prepare for the penalty phase. In between getting the staff their assignments, Sydney had called all of the victim’s families to inform them of the latest developments. All the fears they had voiced over the telephone of the man getting off lightly had been put to rest. Sydney didn’t make deals with killers; it went against everything she believed about the law and justice.

The sound of her office door opening didn’t make the prosecutor turn away from her computer screen since she assumed it was Sally. "I’m not taking any calls, old woman, I don’t care who it is. I’m already about four hours late."

"This won’t take long, I promise." Kay stood in front of her desk with an apologetic Sally standing behind her.

"It’s ok, Sally, pack it in we’re leaving in a minute," Sydney said to her assistant. "Unless you’re here with pertinent information for any case we’re working on, I don’t have time," she addressed Kay when the door closed again.

"I wanted to catch you before you went running to mother for the weekend, Mordecai. Thanks for the down payment on what you owe me. My bank statement arrived today, but it’ll take more than that to buy your freedom."

"I am free, Katherine. Free to not have to see you again, free to love someone else and free to keep the rest of my money. Isn’t America a great place? The deposit was so you wouldn’t be homeless by the end of next month. That’s the end of my obligations to you." Sydney stood and packed her briefcase signaling she would walk out when she was done.

"We’ll see. One more thing, I’m thinking of taking out your gift in ten-dollar bills and spreading them on Matt’s bed when I fuck him tonight. Think about that when you’re sitting around Grace’s big dining table this evening. Maybe finding out the truth about what I’ve been doing will help you face the fact that you’re about as exciting between the sheets as a dead fish. You’re going to be the loser in this in more ways than one."

"I’ll have to try and remember that, Kay, but any sexual refreshers I may need I’m sure Blithe will help me out, if I’m lucky. On the flip side, send my luck along to whoever this Matt person is, I’m sure he’s going to need it."

"Don’t play the idiot, Sydney, it doesn’t suit you. You’ve known all along since someone’s been watching his studio and not being overly covert about it."

"Get your facts straight, lady, or you’ll never be an investigative reporter. What in the hell do I care who you were sleeping with? The fact you were, was the relationship breaker. The outcome would’ve been the same had I known who it was or not. What would I gain from having this man watched? Go forth and be slutty with my blessings."

"I want and expect what’s coming to me, Sydney." Kay watched Sydney put on her coat and grab her briefcase. There would be no response forthcoming to her prophetic statement.

The house was quiet when Sydney drove up. Not because she’d missed the festivities but because everyone had retired to their rooms to get ready for the family traditional anniversary dinner for her parents. Sylvia’s husband Michael came and got her golf bag to put with the others but was waved off by Sydney for the rest of the bags. The older couple had come with the house and lived there full time. The only bedroom on the first floor was theirs and Grace, unlike the previous owner, gave them the run of the house even when the family was in residence. Some of the O’Shea guests through the years found it surprising to find Grace and William sitting in the den with the maid and handyman enjoying the fire and reading a book.

"Miss Grace’s a little put out with you, Mordecai. You kept Miss Blithe waiting all day on you." Michael took her car keys to park it once he’d stowed the clubs.

"Miss Grace’s always a little put out with me, so I’ve come to accept my fate. Did Blithe seem overwhelmed today?"

"Your brothers and sisters spent the afternoon talking with her and playing with Master Charlie, so she looked like she was having a good time. But I did catch her looking down the drive a few times. I like her."

"Thanks, I like her too."

Grace walked into Sydney’s room, as her daughter was finishing tying off her shoelaces. The room was the last of her stops to perform the same task. Because of Charlie, Grace had added another stop to her short visits to the four she made every year on this night. The task she was there to do was her way of reaffirming her love for the four greatest and most valuable assets that had come from her thirty six year marriage to William, her children.

"Congratulations, mama." Sydney stood and hugged the petite red head and kissed her temple so as not to mess up the perfect make up.

"You were my first angel, Mordecai. The one I learned all my lessons from for the three that came after. Thank you, baby, for making my life as a parent so full and so fun. I’m proud of you and I hope with Blithe you find the same love your father and I share."

"Don’t go running to the church just yet. Give me a chance to try and woo the girl into liking me." Sydney sat down so her mother could fix her bowtie. Grace went about tying the sixth perfect bow of the evening just like she had done for William, Will, John, Franklin and Charlie. When she was done she held up the jacket and brushed it off when Sydney slipped it on. With a loving pat to the chest the job was done for one more year.

"Mordecai, I say this because I love you. The girl in the next room cares deeply for you so don’t screw this up."

Sydney stepped out to the veranda to find Blithe leaning against one of the pillars with her eyes closed. The strapless green silk gown she had on was covered by a matching wrap, which she held closed under her chin to ward off the cold air coming off the Gulf. The attorney stood motionless so as not to disturb the other woman. Sydney was certain she had never seen a more beautiful sight.

"Are you joining me, or trying to avoid me?"

"I was just admiring the gorgeous view out here."

Blithe opened her eyes and looked out toward the water across the road. As the moonlight reflected off what was visible through the trees she had to agree that it was beautiful, but when she turned around Sydney wasn’t looking at the water. She was looking at her.

"Would it be all right if I kissed you?" asked Sydney.

"I’ve been waiting forever to hear you say that." Blithe stood up straight and opened her arms pulling the wrap away from her body. She didn’t feel the cold when Sydney took her in her arms and held her close. The first kiss they shared started slow but soon grew passionate enough that Blithe felt her feet leave the ground.

Charlie’s voice announcing him before he barreled through the door to join them was what parted their lips. The smile he was sporting was almost cuter than the tuxedo he was wearing thought Sydney when she looked down at him not letting go of his mother.

"Hi, buddy, are you having a good time?"

"Can we come back here when it’s not cold?"

"We’ll be coming here a lot if Miss Grace gets her way, and she always does. Why do you ask?"

"Uncle Will said it was too cold to swim in the pool. He said the picture guy’s here too."

Sydney offered one hand to Blithe and the other to Charlie. "Then we’d better get moving."

The rest of the family was lined up along the staircase being put into position by the professional photographer that had arrived. The official yearly family portrait would join the rest of the ones hung along the stairwell walls.

"Charlie and I’ll wait in the den," said Blithe when she realized what was going on.

"And have the wrath of Grace on my head, I don’t think so. She invited you, Blithe, that means you and Charlie are in the photo."

"Charlie, come down here with us," instructed Grace. He wasn’t tall enough to be seen over the banister if he stood with Blithe and Sydney so he would stand with her and William at the bottom. When they were done, Sydney was right; Grace always got what she wanted.

Dinner was, despite the formal attire, a casual affair with them all sitting around the largest table Blithe had ever seen. After laughing through all the funny toasts that the O’Shea siblings offered for the momentous occasion, Blithe watched William and Grace walking up the stairs with Charlie to put him to bed. She’d accepted an invitation from Sydney to sit on the porch for a drink before retiring so Blithe was glad her son was so comfortable with the anniversary couple.

"Cold?" Sydney asked Blithe as Sylvia set up two glasses of Grace’s best port on the small table in between the rockers the girls had picked.

"Just a little, but it’s not unbearable. Do you come here often?" Blithe nodded her thanks to Sylvia who smiled back and headed back into the house.

"Not as often as I’d like when there’s some big trial on my docket, but in the summer it’s nice to come and play a round then head over to the multitude of new casinos that have opened up around here. Maybe when the weather gets warmer we can bring Charlie back to try out the pool?" Sydney didn’t miss the shiver the blonde let loose when she picked up her glass as she looked over to see Blithe’s reaction to the timeline of the question she had asked.

"That’ll give me plenty of time to go on a diet before you see me in a bathing suit, but if you asked him, Charlie would be ready to go with you now."

"I’m not a big fan of cold weather swimming and you don’t need to go on a diet. You look great now." The jacket Sydney had on came off when she stood so that she could drape it over Blithe. The second her knees hit the floor in front of the blonde, the attorney said a quick prayer that it wouldn’t take losing fifteen pounds on the blonde’s part before she could shed her clothes in her presence.

"Mordecai, you’re going to get your pants dirty."

"The way Sylvia cleans this place constantly. Impossible. I just wanted to come over here and tell you I missed you this evening."

"You’ve been with me all night."

"True, but if I had done this in front of my family this soon I’m thinking you would not have been too comfortable." Sydney leaned in for another kiss tasting the strong liquor that Blithe had just taken a sip of. This time there was no hesitancy and both of them turned the heat up just a notch.

Blithe ran her fingers through the straight thick hair that Sydney kept fairly short, enjoying the texture of the strands. It reminded her a lot of Charlie’s hair. "I’m not sure why I’m here or why it is that you want me in your life, but I’m glad. Are you sure that you want me in your life?" She pressed her fingers to the lips she’d just kissed knowing there was a protest about to be expelled by Sydney, but Blithe had to be sure. "I’m not saying I’m doubting you, I don’t want this to be some fling that’ll get you over Kay. There’s Charlie to consider and if I fall any further, I won’t be able to imagine the pain."

"Two months ago if someone had told me that I’d come to like a child sitting on my desk most afternoons telling me the merits of finger painting and swing pushing, I would have laughed. As much as I love that relationship with Charlie though, had the same person told me I would fall in love with his mother, the joke would’ve been that much funnier. But here I am two months later and all that’s happened. The only thing I find funny now is that for someone that makes a living stringing words together I can’t find any that are adequate enough to tell you how happy you make me. Words that would get across how adorable you are when you blush, how fast you talk when you get excited about something, and how flattered I am when I see you looking at me when you think I don’t notice."

Sydney kissed Blithe again before standing up and pulling the smaller woman out of her rocker. "This has nothing to do with Kay, my love, but it does have everything to do with what I feel about you. Today may be the first day I’ve kissed you but that doesn’t mean I haven’t memorized your lips and everything about you. I look at you and I see so much of my future, I want the days to come faster so I’ll have just one more memory of you by my side. I look at Charlie and I see someone I can help you teach and mold so that our memories of him will only add to the pride and love we feel for him now."

"If you were any better at expressing your feelings, I would’ve fainted by now. Thank you for saying all that. I trust you, Mordecai, just as much as I love you. You really don’t mind that Charlie comes as part of the package?"

"Are you serious?"

"I’m just asking because I lost a relationship over him even when having him was a mutual decision. I know you love him, but is that going to hold when he lives under the same roof with you and all your shirts?"

"Honey, we’ll talk about all this I promise, we don’t have to iron out every detail tonight." Sydney looked at the almost defeated slump that came to Blithe’s shoulders. "What I mean is, when the day comes, and it will be soon, when Charlie you and all my clothes live at the same address, the fact that you two will be there will out weigh any damage to my shirts." The answer got Sydney another kiss and a smile from Blithe.

The next morning Blithe slept through Sydney coming in to get Charlie ready for their morning golf game. In an outfit that was very similar to what the O’Sheas had on, Charlie climbed into William’s cart ready to begin his lesson. The game progressed with Charlie teeing off then one of the siblings helping him out with the next shot to advance it down the fairway.

Grace and the girls were sitting around the breakfast nook enjoying a snack when the golfers returned. They all laughed when Blithe had to get Charlie to take deep breaths to get the little boy to calm down when Sydney sat him on his mother’s lap. He was on overload and it was only going to get worse when he saw his costume for the party that night Sydney suspected.

"How about a nap, Charlie?" Sydney grabbed a juice bottle from the refrigerator after opening one for the toddler. She loved playing with her father and brothers, but the six in the morning tee off times were a killer.

"I don’t wanna sleep, Cai."

"Then how about you watch me sleep while I take one?" Blithe was amazed when her son jumped off her lap and started to follow Sydney out of the kitchen area after her question. The only way she would have gotten Charlie to sit still would have involved a tranquilizer gun. The two stopping at the door and looking her way got Blithe up and moving to follow them to Sydney’s room.

"There’s just all kinds of perks being with you," said Blithe. Charlie had taken two seconds to fall asleep between the two of them once they had settled into Sydney’s bed. "Though this isn’t what I had in mind for what we’d be doing the first time I got you into a prone position."

"If you believe Kay, you’re not missing much."

"There isn’t much I’d believe Kay on, sweetheart. The ones I do tend to believe are some of the stories I heard about you before Kay came into your life."

"Ah, heard some of my war stories have you?"

"Does the name Camille Lagree sound familiar to you?"

"That’s a loaded question, Ms. Thompson. If I say yes you’ll think I’m a dog and by the same token, if I say no you’ll think the same thing."

"We’ll go with the yes part of that statement, which makes the sex in the back seat of your car true."

"I was in college at the time. Everyone should do crazy things like that when they’re in college. Gives you stuff to talk about when you’re trying to court new women in your thirties and trying to prove your sexual prowess."

Blithe laughed and reached over Charlie to run her fingers through Sydney’s hair. "You forgot to mention it was noon and you where parked in the dean’s space at the time."

"Did I?"

"You did, but you’re right."

"About?"

"It proves your sexual prowess, to me anyway. I love you and I can’t wait to take you out for a spin. I may not have as many adventures to talk about, but that doesn’t mean I’m not willing to add a few."

"For now you can add a nap to your list. Once my parents’ friends get going it always turns out to be a long night." Sydney pushed up and leaned over to kiss Blithe before closing her eyes to get some rest.

"I trust you got us something to wear, or am I going as a social worker with a child?"

"Grace won’t let us go without a costume, so not to worry, the caped crusader got her two side kicks all fixed up." It was the only hint Sydney was willing to give before sleep took over.

Grace smiled and closed the door softly when she checked on the three twenty minutes later. Charlie was now lying sprawled on top of Sydney and his mother was snuggled up and using the unoccupied shoulder as a pillow. Her thought as she walked to her own room for a nap was it would be a night to remember.

On that Halloween night the older woman’s thought manifested into a wish that would indeed make the night memorable. The call for blood would make it so.

"Batman, Catwoman and Robin, that’s our costumes?"

Sydney looked down on the rented suits then back at Blithe. "What’s wrong with that?"

"Catwoman’s a villain."

"Are you telling me you couldn’t be a bad girl if you really tried?" Blithe went willingly when Sydney pushed her down on the bed and covered her with a long strong body. "All that blonde hair and green eyes screams all American, but you start to scratch the surface and there’s a hellion waiting to cut loose." To accentuate her words Sydney ran a finger across Blithe’s nipple and felt it stiffen under the shirt and bra.

"What are you doing, Cai?" Sydney’s head snapped up and she found herself eye to eye with Charlie. Obviously the toys in his and Blithe’s room had lost their appeal.

"Um," started Sydney as she looked from Charlie’s smiling face to Blithe’s smirking one.

"Charlie, could you go get mommy’s hair brush please? It’s on the bed next door." Without questioning why, Charlie walked through the door that connected the rooms to do his mother’s bidding. "Before you ask, we have children because they will someday be big enough to cut the grass. And now that my nipples are ready to go to the party, I do feel a little frisky, Batman."

The anticipation of having a good time increased when the mask to the costume slipped into place. With a few extra gadgets attached to the suit’s belt the caped figure neared the door.

A frustrated blonde came to the door after the persistent knocking wouldn’t stop. "Aren’t you a little old to be trick or treating? Freaks like you should’ve gone back inside after the kiddies went home. What or who are you supposed to be anyway?"

The figure standing before her flicked out the long cape and smiled showing off perfect white teeth. "Death." The gun resting inside the belt came out and was pointed at the woman’s head. "People like you always seem so surprised to see me. No time to make up for the transgressions that have marked your life. Where’s your lover?" The blonde slowly lifted her arm and pointed to the next room. The action made the robe she was wearing flair open revealing a beautiful and toned body.

"Please."

"Such a waste really," the deep voice said looking at the expanse of flesh on display. "It’s nothing against you, sweetheart. You’re just here on the wrong night. Move along and please can the begging." The hand with the gun motioned for her to go into the room where she had pointed.

"Please." The blonde tried begging again since the costume was make believe but the gun looked very real. "Let me go."

"Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’m going to let you go. I’m not here because of you, so I’ll set you free when we’re done."

"What in the hell?" the bed’s other occupant sat up and stared at the 9mm held firmly in the gloved hand. Its presence prevented any other movement but to watch the hand motioning the blonde toward the bed.

"On your knees, bitch. I want to see for myself what all the allure’s about when it comes to your fuck buddy here." The woman moved closer to the person sitting on the bed intent on doing whatever it took to get out of the situation alive. The first shot roared through the house when her lips touched skin. Her lips stayed pressed to the body she knew almost as well as her own despite the fact she could feel the warm spray of blood on her back. A whimper escaped when the gun was pressed to the back of her head.

"Please, you said you’d let me go free," begged Kay.

"I’m sorry for the misunderstanding, I meant in the spiritual sense would you gain your freedom." The rich voice uttering those words was the last the reporter heard before she joined Matt in death. The artist’s penis was almost severed by the bullet that came screaming out of Kay’s mouth by way of the back of her head. Her purse being at the scene was the only way the police would be able to identify her. Dental records would be of no use now.

The killer heard the approaching sirens but didn’t panic. One final look to the bed was almost savored before the gun went back to its place in the belt. The blackness of the yard swallowed the self-professed ‘Angel of Death’ just barely missing the two patrol cars pulling up to answer the neighbor’s call.

"I may give up my bat ways and turn to a life of crime," said Sydney from the door. Blithe had filed up the Catwoman suit in the most erotic way.

"Is that a sock in your cod piece or are you just happy to see me?"

"I’ll take you back to the bat cave later and let you check out the hardware. For now I’m here to introduce you to my side kick and go down to the party." Sydney moved aside so Blithe cold see Charlie in his Robin costume pressing his fists into his sides like Sydney had taught him.

"Holly smoke, Batman, it’s the cat lady." Blithe had to fight the smile that was threatening to take over her face.

"Good job, Robin, let’s go downstairs so you can see why Grace got married on Halloween."

"Holly smoke?" whispered Blithe to Sydney.

"We were going for holy kitty cat, but my side kick needed more practice time so I think the fact he remembered holly is all right."

"You’re good for him, baby."

Sydney smiled at the endearment. "Just wait till next year when I’ve got months to plan."

The house was full of guests when the three descended the stairs. Most of them smiling when they saw Batman carrying Robin and Catwoman folded under one side of the long cape. Blithe laughed when she spotted Grace wearing a wedding dress complete with veil. William was just as dapper in his top hat and tails following his wife around as she welcomed their friends.

"She gets to be a bride every year," said Blithe.

"She gets to be a bride who wears her wedding dress every year. The one she wore the first time they had a party or should I say reception," corrected Sydney.

"She can still fit into her wedding dress?" Blithe saw years of dieting in her future if Grace was going to be her role model.

"There was talk that I ruined her figure for months after my birth, but yes she still fits into her wedding dress. My grandparents certainly got their money’s worth out of the purchase."

When the bride noticed them she led them to the front room to pose for another picture. Only this time it was just the three of them. The new couple stayed for a couple of hours then retired up stairs when Robin fell asleep on Batman’s shoulder while they were slow dancing with Catwoman.

"Thank you for asking us to come with you. Your family has been great at making us feel welcome." Blithe gently stripped Charlie of his costume being careful not to wake him. Her date for the evening was sitting on the bed wearing a t-shirt and sweat pants after stripping off the hot Batman suit.

Piercing blue eyes looked at Blithe as she went about taking care of her son. For Sydney it became something she wanted to see more of. This beautiful woman with her sweet child were starting to fill places in her soul she had lived a lifetime not knowing were empty. How strange to not have a craving for this in my life before now. The thought occurred to the attorney when she saw Blithe kiss Charlie’s forehead and pull the blankets up to cover him. It was like the two had answered questions Sydney had never had the presence of mind to ask.

"I hope this isn’t the last invitation you accept from me to come here."

"Mordecai, we want the same things, so I don’t think you have to worry about us turning you down for anything." The music from downstairs was filtering up through the floor enough for Blithe to recognize one of her favorite songs. "Want to try a dance, just the two of us?" She laughed when a big hand yanked her off the bed before the offer could be retracted.

They stood just swaying together and kissing even after the song ended. Blithe didn’t refuse when Sydney led her to the next room and laid her down. With the door to the next room open in case Charlie woke up, they kissed goodnight and went to sleep in a tight embrace. In the morning Grace found them in the same position as she had the previous afternoon, with Charlie on top of Sydney and Blithe pressed close to her side. As much as she didn’t want to, Grace shook her daughter awake.

"Honey, the phone’s for you, and they said it was important."

Sydney blinked her eyes open then looked down confused to why Charlie was sleeping with them. She wasn’t coherent enough to ask who would be calling her on a Sunday morning with an important message.

"If anything this will teach you to invest in pajamas," teased Grace as she lifted the baby off Sydney.

"Mama." Sydney dragged out her word not missing the fact it was the first time her mother had teased her about her sex life. Grace’s teasing and sense of humor only appeared around people she liked. Kay and she had been at odds on just about everything from the moment they were introduced. Sydney was glad that Blithe and her mother would share a different type of relationship.

When Sydney moved off the bed Blithe immediately opened her eyes missing the warmth of the body next to hers. "Where are you going, it’s early?"

"I’ve got someone waiting on the line, I’ll be right back. Go back to sleep and keep Charlie company." Sydney had moved out of the way so her mother could put the still sleeping child back down back next to his mother.

"Don’t take long," said Blithe.

Sydney moved out into the hall and picked up the main line to the house. Having phones installed in all the bedrooms had always been against Grace’s thinking, so every house they had ever owned had a phone in the hallway leading to the bedrooms, in the den and in the kitchen. Her thinking was if you were trying to relax or sleep the last thing you needed was something constantly ringing in your ear. It always brought a frown to the petite woman’s face when she visited Sydney’s apartment and found not only a phone but also a cell on the nightstand.

"Hello."

"We got him, boss." The voice of Elwood White one of her assistant’s came over the line giving Sydney no clue as to what he was talking about.

"Got who?"

"Vincent Carlotti, he finally committed a crime the state can prosecute and Mr. Gilespy wanted me to get in touch with you so we can start working the case."

Sydney exhaled thinking about the tremendous amount of work that awaited her when she drove back into New Orleans. Damn I hope Blithe is more understanding when I disappear for the next four months or so than Kay was when something like this happened. The excitement of wanting to bag someone like old man Carlotti was taking a back seat to spending time with Blithe and Charlie. It’s a good thing she finds that sofa in my office so comfortable.

"What did our mob friend do?" Sydney asked already thinking of her closing arguments. As much as she liked Carlotti’s son Vinny, she knew his father had to finally answer for his crimes.

"Killed two people last night in cold blood. You aren’t going to like the next part of this story, boss."

"Elwood, just spit it out. Nothing you can tell me is going to surprise me."

"Mr. Carlotti went to the home studio of some guy named Matt Franklin and killed him and the girl he was with."

"Is this supposed to mean something to me?"

"I thought you might recognize the name, but anyway. Matt was naked in bed with Kay, your Kay, Sydney. Mr. Carlotti obviously didn’t like where Kay had her mouth and shot her through the back of the head blowing this guy Franklin’s pecker almost clean off." Elwood stopped as if realizing who he was talking to and the relationship she had shared with the woman that was dead.

"She isn’t my Kay anymore, El, and not just because she’s dead, but you’re right, I’m surprised. What I don’t get is why Vincent Carlotti would take the chance of blowing his freedom on two people he doesn’t know. Why kill Kay or this guy Matt Franklin?"

"That’s why they pay us the big bucks, boss. I’ve called together our top investigators for a meeting this afternoon at two. I figured it would give you enough time to drive back into the city, if not let me know and I’ll move it back or keep them entertained until you get back."

"Thanks, man. I’ll get packed and be at the office in about three hours." Sydney hung up the phone and turned to face her mother, who at the moment didn’t look all that happy. "It’s important, mama. Vincent Carlotti’s in custody for a double homicide and Gilbert threw my team the case."

"Are you taking Blithe and Charlie with you?"

"I’m going to offer them a ride unless they want to ride back with you and papa. If it was anything else I’d have said no, trust me."

Grace reached up and put her palm on Sydney’s cheek. "I do trust you, baby, I just don’t want you to work yourself into an early grave. I worry about you but that’s a mother’s prerogative."

"Duly noted, Mrs. O’Shea."

"The other Mrs. O’Shea awaits your return, Mordecai." Sydney just rolled her eyes at her mother’s persistent nature.

The mother and child on her bed looked so comfortable under the covers that Sydney couldn’t resist joining them if only for a little while. She moved Charlie to the other side of Blithe, confidant that he wouldn’t fall off the big bed. Blithe opened her eyes again when the body next to hers pressed up against her length and then some.

"Hiya, good looking."

"Good morning to you, beautiful." Blithe snorted at the compliment sure that her hair was sticking up in a million different directions. "You do look beautiful, don’t argue with me. You keep forgetting that I could have you arrested if you’re a bad girl."

"Disagreeing with you makes me a bad girl?"

"Most of the time, so it’s a good thing for you that I happen to like bad girls." Sydney kissed her before telling her they had to leave earlier than planned not wanting to take the chance Blithe would cut her off when she told her what was waiting for her when they got home.

"I love waking up with you, Mordecai O’Shea. Your mom was right naming you that. You make me feel like I’m off to great places and today’s my day when you look at me like that. It’s how I felt when I saw you for the first time in that coffee shop. It seems so trite to say but I just knew when you didn’t scream at Charlie for messing up your shirt that you were the one for me. I love you."

Sydney kissed her again and held her tight so that when she rolled onto her back Blithe was lying on top of her. "I love you too, and had I been a smarter camper I would’ve gone home and left Kay that night. Then we wouldn’t have wasted two months tap dancing around how we felt."

"Do you think we have a chance?"

"Honey, we’re going to make this work. It won’t be hard loving you and Charlie, and I promise I’ll try my best to make us a family."

"We already are."

Sydney lifted her head and stole another kiss before she went on. "You may not think I’ll be pulling my weight when I tell you who was on the phone." Sydney explained what was going on and why they had to go back. She did give Blithe the opportunity to stay and have brunch with her family if she wanted to and just get together later on that night if she was done at the office.

"Would it bother you if Charlie and I came and hung out in your office? He loves it there and I can get a head start on the week’s paperwork. The bonus is I get to look up and make goo goo eyes at you every chance I get." An example of goo goo eyes was shot at Sydney making her smile.

"How can I pass up an offer like that?"

"You can’t. I’m going to work hard at making you not think about anyone but me." Blithe teased before caressing Sydney’s cheek. "I’m sorry about Kay, sweetheart."

"I’m sorry too. There’s no logical explanation as to why he would’ve killed her. Kay did fluff pieces for the paper so it couldn’t have been that angle. The editor’s not a guy that would have moved her from fashion etiquette to the inner workings of the wise guys society in that short of period of time."

"Well come on, Batman, the scales of justice await, and if there’s anyone that can find Carlotti guilty it’s you."

Sydney studied the crime scene photographs that were spread out over her desk. It was days like this that she longed for the days when the CSI unit used black and white film for this kind of stuff. The bright red stains splattered everywhere in Matt Franklin’s bedroom was glaring up at her like some sort of sick art that the late artist had drying in the other room of his studio. Blithe and Charlie had gone out with one the investigators for some ice cream for this part of her investigation. There was no way she wanted Charlie accidentally getting a look at what she was staring down on.

Kay’s face was as unrecognizable as the man that had fallen in a haphazard way on the bed when the bullet had blown off the back of his head. If Vincent Carlotti had indeed done the two people in the pictures in, he wanted to inflict the most amount of damage as he could. No matter what had happened between she and Kay, Sydney would fight to give her the justice she deserved for what had happened to her. She would make Carlotti pay for what he’d done, and the price would be a needle in his arm. The prosecutor just hoped that Vinny would understand she was doing her job.

"Can I come in?" Blithe asked from the door. She was alone having left Charlie in the company of Sydney’s staff in the conference room. Her son was entertaining them with stories about how great his Cai was at pushing swings.

Sydney moved away from her desk and took a lick of Blithe’s cone. "Hey did I say you could have some of my ice cream?" The short blonde asked.

"I thought we had gotten to the point in our relationship where your cone was my cone."

"You want to ravish my body then I’m game, Mordecai, but my ice cream cone is another story, bucko." Blithe pushed her toward the sofa and pushed Sydney down as soon as they were close enough. "You want to talk about it?"

"It was a gruesome end, he made sure of that. The thing that’s puzzling me is what his connection to Kay or the guy she was sleeping with is. With two shots he stole not only their lives but their dignity."

"I have confidence in you, honey, you’ll figure it out. Help me eat my ice cream and then I’m taking you home." Blithe moved to Sydney’s lap and held the cone up to her lips for a taste. When the tall woman did Blithe held the cone away and moved in for a kiss. "Now this is the way to enjoy an ice cream."

When Sydney moved in for another more intense kiss, Blithe tossed the ice cream in the trash and pushed Sydney down on her back. "When we get home I want you to touch me and I can’t wait anymore," demanded Blithe. Sydney covered her mouth and entered her mouth with an insistent tongue as she pulled Blithe closer by cupping her backside. Blithe made the prosecutor feel alive, and she needed that after looking at the pictures of death on her desk for so long. The small blonde was like a safe haven away from the ugliness that Sydney’s job often was. Only this time the passion for both of them was entwined with the love they felt for each other.

The buzzer on her desk was the last thing Sydney expected to hear. "Boss, I hate to bother you but the jail’s on line one."

"I’m sorry, baby, hold that thought until we get back to your place and put Charlie to bed." Sydney left the frustrated blonde on the sofa to pick up the phone. "Yes." She listened to the caller and didn’t say anything for the longest time. Blithe watched as she blew out a frustrated sigh before answering. "Tell him I’ll be there in twenty minutes." The caller must have asked something else when Sydney stopped talking. "No don’t set up the cameras until tomorrow. I’m sure the feds want their chance to observe my official conversation with him so they can take their chance again once we’re done."

"Do you want me to wait for you?" Blithe knew that Sydney needed to go. She wasn’t going to ask where she was going, but she had a bad feeling about letting the attorney out of her sight.

"That’s sweet, but no. Take Charlie home and I’ll be there as soon as I can. Vincent Carlotti asked to speak to me and as a friend I owe him at least one meeting off the record. After tonight all bets are off."

"Promise me you’ll be careful." Blithe moved closer and put her hands on Sydney’s chest.

"I promise, baby. It’s a jail, he’s not going to kill me."

"I love you, Mordecai." Blithe said it with such conviction that her eyes filled up with tears.

Sydney cupped Blithe’s face and kissed both lids in an effort to keep the tears from falling. "It’s ok, honey, I promise I’ll be all right and I love you too. Having you and Charlie in my life means so much that I won’t do anything to jeopardize that." Sydney kissed her with the same passion she had put into the kiss on the sofa before the call. It left both of them wanting more and Blithe hoped it would make Sydney hurry home. They had a life to get on with.

"Mordecai, thank you for coming."

"Mr. Carlotti, it’s been a long time."

The old man looked distinguished even in his prison orange jumpsuit. He shook Sydney’s hand before waving to the chair across from him. "Please call me Vincent, Mordecai. I think we’re passed the formalities that held you in your youth when we first met. I told my son a long time ago that you were someone to watch out for. Sit with me and let’s talk awhile." For thirty minutes the mobster talked to her about her family and his, acting as if they were having lunch at his favorite restaurant to reminisce about old times. When Sydney was about to ask what he wanted, there was a knock on the door and the guard let in another man that looked more like a prisoner than Vincent did.

"Can I help you?" asked Sydney.

"I’m here to deliver something to Mr. Carlotti."

"Hugo, stop being an ass and introduce yourself," Vincent said with a bite to his tone.

"I’m sorry, Ms. O’Shea. I’m Hugo Lepski; I work for Mr. Carlotti. These are all the ones you asked for, sir. Let me know if you need anything else." Hugo dropped a thick yellow envelope between the two of them and turned to leave.

"Mordecai, I’m an old man. An old man that’s committed his share of sins in this life and I’m sure one day I’m going to answer for them. But I’m thinking if you listen to my story, that payment to the piper won’t come today."

Sydney looked from the envelope to him and smiled. "I don’t mean to insult you, Vincent, but there’s nothing you can tell me that will explain what you did. If you admit it in open court I might be willing to take the death penalty off the table but that’s as far as I’m willing to go."

"My wife died some years back." Vincent continued as if he had not heard her or had just chosen to ignore her. "I married again because I’m not a man who likes being alone. A year later my new wife gave me Alicia and I knew joy again, but then I found out something that challenged my love for my daughter." He stopped and took a deep breath as though he needed it to calm his emotions.

"She’s not mine. Not by blood anyway and for so long I got caught up in what that meant because of my upbringing. I know now that she’s mine in spirit because I love that little girl so much, but Alicia was sired by Matt Franklin. My wife will pay for her sins soon enough but not by me. I won’t kill my child’s mother, but anger led me to kill the one person that helped her betray me. The fact your castaway was in his bed when I got there was an unfortunate circumstance, and now I’m asking you to look beyond your honor and understand." He pulled the envelope closer and moved to open it.

"My son tells me you fucked more women in college than he did. That tells me you have in you the understanding of what a woman can do to your senses." He pulled the first picture out and Sydney looked down to find Kay standing on the porch of Matt’s house pressed into his body while he stuck his hand in the back of her skirt.

"You understand the passion that they can stir in you to avenge your honor." The next picture was obscured some by the blinds but she could see Kay straddling the artist as he was caught in an upward thrust into her.

"This scum had more women than the two of us put together. I’m not a man to be cuckolded, Mordecai, and I don’t see you as someone that would put up with that. Not from someone like this." Vincent tapped on the next picture that showed Matt standing up and Kay on her knees in front of him.

Sydney looked at the picture under Vincent’s finger and felt her anger rise a notch. "I didn’t put up with it, Vincent. I left the bitch and I’m thinking that’s what you should have done too. This little picture show won’t sway me to drop the charges and let you go."

From his pocket he pulled a tape recorder and pressed the play button. The voice that filled the integration room was unmistakable. It was Kay’s.

"She turned me down, can you believe it? We need Sydney’s money, Matt, and Blithe’s our ticket to getting it."

"What do you propose we do?" The male voice, Sydney had to guess, was Matt Franklin. She watched the wheel of the recorder advance the tape wondering what in the hell had happened to Kay.

"You, lover, are going to wait until the two meet and get to know each other. Then I want you to get that big cock of yours hard and pay a little visit to Ms. Blithe while she’s working in one of those bad neighborhoods she frequents. I want you to make it last and I want you to enjoy yourself. The aftershocks of the rape should send Blithe into Sydney’s arms and the pathetic do gooder will fall all over herself to make her feel better. If that happens, even if Sydney leaves me we’ll hold our first little plan over Blithe’s head and the good life just keeps rolling in."

Vincent turned off the tape and put it back in his pocket. "Good night, Mordecai. I’ll see you in court tomorrow."

Sydney drove to Blithe’s finding the house dark for the night. It was almost a relief not to have to face the woman she loved and explain what Kay had in store for her. The next stop was the little house Matt Franklin lived in and used as a studio. Yellow police tape was still strung up in the yard sounding like party favors in the wind when she exited the car. With a quick turn of the key she was in the house standing in the bedroom where the two coconspirators met their end. The dried blood looked different from the pictures she had studied that afternoon and like Vincent had done, Sydney almost savored the stains for what they meant.

Sitting in the chair where Hugo’s camera had captured Matt sitting in one of the pictures as Kay put her mouth to good use, the first assistant District Attorney for Orleans Parish mentally prepared for the next days arraignments. The longer she stared at the stain, the more Sydney detached so Ice could take over. It was that part of her personality that was needed now even if it meant losing everything she held dear and believed in.

"I missed you last night." Blithe sat on the big desk right in front of Sydney. Charlie was happy at the O’Shea’s home playing with William and Grace for the morning.

"I’m sorry it took so long, but you must have been sleeping when I passed by."

The flat tone of Sydney’s voice started to concern Blithe. "You ok?"

"Yeah just waiting for court." Sydney exhaled and ran her hands down her face. The evil plan Kay and Matt had worked out kept playing in her head almost like Vincent had kept pressing the rewind button.

"I wish I could be there when the judge denies Mr. Carlotti’s bail. Good luck, baby, and remember that I love you."

"You promise."

"Of course I do. I love you and I’m going to forever, Mordecai O’Shea."

"I love you too, and I’m going to hold you to that no matter what."

The intercom going off stopped Blithe from asking what Sydney meant. She just helped Sydney on with her coat and kissed her for luck. Sydney gifted her with one of the smiles she didn’t use often making the blonde’s knees weak. In those crinkles around Sydney’s eyes was where she would find her future happiness. To make the attorney smile like that would become a life’s quest.

Jude Rose listened to the defense attorney drone on about the virtuous Mr. Carlotti and his ties to the community. The man finished right before the judge was about to shut him up. He motioned with his gavel for Sydney to put on the prosecution’s objections as to why Vincent should rot in jail until his trail date.

"Your honor, the people would move to drop all the charges against Mr. Carlotti." The motion created complete silence before complete pandemonium broke out.

"In my chambers now." Jude slammed the gavel down as Gilbert Gilespy slammed through the gate in the railing.

"Your honor, there’s no evidence that Mr. Carlotti committed these crimes. There are about two hundred witnesses that put him at a party from nine that night until three the next morning. They include people from his wife to the mayor of the city. The federal officers said the assailant they saw in the next block from Matt Franklin’s house was masked and couldn’t say with certainty that it was the defendant. The last piece that doesn’t fit is Mr. Carlotti doesn’t have any connection to the victims. Why would someone who the authorities have been chasing for years leave a party and kill two people he doesn’t know?"

"Mordecai, are you sure about this?" Jude asked. He looked at her and waited knowing in his gut she wouldn’t lie to him. He tuned out Gilbert’s sputtering in the background complaining about the missed press opportunities this would cost him.

"I’m sure, judge. He wasn’t the one." She never blinked or changed her expression.

"Mr. Carlotti, you’re free to go."

Sydney watched Vincent walk out of the courtroom with his son and his young daughter. With him he took every oath she’d promised to uphold and every principle she’d believed would never be compromised. She followed them out and sat at the top of the courthouse steps. Over her head was carved a likeness of blind justice holding her scales. Sydney knew now that justice wasn’t blind. It could be bought by devils that lived by their own rules of ethics or lack of them, and she’d lied to help him get away with it.

Vincent loaded his family in the long black car and turned to look up at Sydney. He walked up the steps and sat beside her. Across the street the federal authorities began again with their surveillance and picture taking.

"She isn’t worthy of your guilt, Mordecai."

"Is she worthy of yours?"

"In a way yes. Would I change it if I had it to do over? No I wouldn’t. There are people in this world who deserve death and almost embrace it with every day they live their lives. Funny that it comes as such a surprise to them when it comes to them holding a big gun."

Sydney just looked at him not sure as to what to say next. Vincent smiled and patted her knee leaving the tape he had let her listen to the night before resting there when he took his hand away.

The attorney looked at it for a long time before looking back up at Vincent. "A gift?"

"My way of saying thank you for the time you’ve given me with my daughter."

"It seems we aren’t all that different."

"Why do you think so?" Vincent cocked his head to the side and smiled.

"I want to thank you for the time you’ve given me with my son and his mother without the pain of what could’ve happened hanging over our heads. You pulled the trigger and I’m glad. If I had today to do over again I wouldn’t change the outcome either." Sydney looked down the street and then at Vincent as he walked back down the stairs to his car. "Thank you."

A woman that was entering the building looked at Sydney when she had spoken thinking she was talking to her, but hadn’t heard what the good looking attorney had said. She stopped walking and looked down at Sydney saying, "I’m sorry," as a way of starting a conversation.

"What?"

"I said I was sorry about your shirt. Charlie didn’t mean it." Blithe stood before her holding two malts she’d just retrieved from the counter. Beside her Charlie’s hands were still frozen in the air. Red finger paint ran down his arm, or at least the small amount that hadn’t been left on the back of her shirt.

Sydney looked at the two trying to figure out how she’d ended up in the coffee shop. She had closed her eyes for a moment when Vincent’s car had driven away, and found herself back in the coffee shop when she’d opened them again. "It’s ok, really. I guess I dozed off and he startled me." Her laptop was opened to the case she had been working on. The name at the top was Augustern. To add to her confusion her phone on the table rang and Sally told her that the Rohan verdict was in and she was running late.

"Must have been some dream," said Blithe.

"Interesting but nice. Must be all the caffeine." Sydney didn’t know what had happened so she stood up and went about doing the things she was sure of. She started packing her briefcase stopping her actions when she felt those green eyes on her.

"I’m sorry, but do I know you?"

"My name’s Mordecai O’Shea."

"Like the Dr. Seuss book?"

"One in the same, only my middle name’s Sydney, but you can call me Mordecai."

Blithe looked at the smiling woman and she looked so familiar. The fact the woman was packing to leave made her wrack her brain to find something to make her stay. When the two little red hand prints showed up on the white shirt and the body in the chair whipped around, Blithe was sure if the counter hadn’t been there she would have fallen on the floor after getting a look at Sydney.

"Can I give you a ride somewhere to make up for your shirt?"

"You can do better than that." Sydney finished her packing and turned to face Blithe. Without fear of being shunned she took the malts out of Blithe’s hands pulled her closer and kissed her. "Let me get this trial finished up and then we can go to dinner. Once we get the formalities out of the way, we can take Charlie to the park tomorrow." Sydney let her go and picked up her stuff. "Ready?"

Blithe was the one looking stunned now but she picked up the malts and followed Sydney out the door. Later she would have to remember to ask how Sydney knew so much about her and Charlie. And why the attorney had been so certain her kiss wouldn’t be rejected? When Blithe reached her van to unlock it she heard the last of Sydney’s telephone conversation.

"It’s over. I know about Matt and it’s over."

"Are you ready?" Blithe asked her.

"For whatever comes next." Sydney smiled and put her hand in her pocket to take out her sunglasses when she felt something there. She pulled out a small tape that had the words ‘Sincerely Vincent’ on the title line. With a quick toss she threw it in the trash and held her hand out to Blithe. "I’m definitely ready for whatever comes next."

"What do you do when the devil offers you a deal? Mordecai O’Shea found that she could live with the guilt if it protected those she loved. Because she was able to so readily admit it, she was given another chance to do it right."

"How is that possible you ask? It’s just another lesson learned in The Twilight Zone."

The End

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